Dharmajuddha Vs Byomkesh Hatyamancha: What does it mean to have a same-day release?

Raj Chakraborty and Arindam Sil explain the effect of same-day release.

Arindam Sil and Raj Chakraborty

Arindam Sil’s Byomkesh Hatyamancha and Raj Chakraborty’s Dharmajuddha will be released together on August 11. Both the films and the makers are aiming to encash the long weekend of Independence Day. Raj’s Dharmajuddha, which was slated to be released in 2020. However, its release kept on postponed due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, Arindam’s fourth instalment of the Byomkesh franchise was announced at the beginning of this year. Both the films feature an ensemble cast. It is important to see which film can make a mark at the box office after the release.

However, according to some stakeholders, the same-day release means shared show timing that finally affects the initial weekend’s collection. Samujjwal Ghosh, who has been handling the promotions of Dharmajuddho, said, “It's a proven fact that releasing a lot of movies on the same date affects the showtimes, more importantly, the number of shows. To see the box office success, just the content is never enough. The film has to be exhibited so that it is easily available for the audience.”

Meanwhile, Arindam Sil thinks there cannot be any conflict between these two films. “Byomkesh has its audience and Raj has his audience. Dharmajuddho is completely different from Byomkesh. There should not be any conflict,” he said, adding, “The production house of my film announced Byomkesh’s release date in January this year. Coinciding with Dharmajuddha was incidental.”

However, Raj Chakraborty is seemingly unhappy with the same-day release. “If we want to grow as an industry, we have to encourage each other. Releasing films on the same date will not help. When Pushpa was released, everyone cheered. In Bengal, we need to change our mindset,” he said.

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