Exclusive! Dev on IFFI nod: My film being among top five of the Indian mainstream movies along with RRR and The Kashmir Files is fantastic news for Bangla cinema

The lead actor and co-producer of Tonic opens up about the selection of the film in Indian Panorama at the 53rd IFFI

Dev

Dev and Paran Bandyopadhyay’s Tonic has created magic among the audience. Their camaraderie, banter, adventure, and humour in the film have made it a box-office success. Besides, the film has also bagged several laurels in acting, script, and direction. On October 22, a Ministry of Information & Broadcasting press statement named Tonic as part of the Indian Panorama at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The film is selected in the Mainstream Cinema Section with The Kashmir Files and RRR. Dev, the lead actor and co-producer of the film, talks to OTTplay about his excitement and explains what it means to the Bengali film industry. Read on…

Congratulations! How does it feel to be a part of IFFI?

The news is yet to sink in. We did not expect this. This recognition is beyond all our expectations. I just got the news. Arindamda (Sil, director of Mahananda) told me in the morning. I am still in a daze of the news. It came to me suddenly and I am overjoyed. It is a great thing. It is also significant that it got selected in the Mainstream Cinema Section. It is a proud moment for me.

The state of traditional mainstream films in the Bengali industry is not promising. What does this selection mean to you, who has been a frontrunner in Bengali mainstream cinema?

The idea of the mainstream is changing. I think the palate of our audience changes every 10 years and we are at that juncture. We need mainstream films that will make people go to the theatres. Tonic is one such film that drew audiences back to the halls after the wrath of the pandemic. It has fun, comedy, and adventure. The pattern of films is changing. Being in the top five of the Indian mainstream films along with RRR and The Kashmir Files is fantastic for Bangla cinema.

Also, not just the Bengali audience, after the release on Zee5, Tonic was one of the most viewed films nationally. It is a film that brings and binds people together. That has worked in our favour.

Do you think the emergence of OTT has changed the audience for regional films?

There is nothing called a Bengali or a Malayalam film anymore. We all are part of pan-Indian cinema. With OTT platforms and the changing palate of our audience, all the films are being viewed, and in certain cases, appreciated by people all over the country. The content has to be good.

Are the days of stardom over?

It is not only in the Bengali film Industry but a factor all over the world. This is the case in Bollywood and Hollywood films. A film will not only be saved by a star. The content has to be good. And a star can add value to that. A star will give a film a bigger reach. For example, Ranbir Kapoor’s Sanju or Ranveer Singh’s films by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The films are good and hence, their star power helped in their success. Only stardom cannot save a film but today’s audiences want a good story. Think about RRR or Pushpa. Both have stars and present very good stories. Together it works perfectly. Also, we need to remember, all the hit films are not essentially good films and all the good films are not necessarily hit films. We will have to remember that.

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