Battle of Puja releases: Raktabeej: Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy sign up for a Puja release with their thriller

In less than a month, four big Bengali films will hit the theatres to celebrate Bengali’s biggest festival – Durga Puja. It is that time of the year when people not only queue up in front of the Puja pandals but also in front of the theatres to catch up with the latest Tollywood releases. Hence, it is the time when several production houses release their flagship films.

This year, four big films, Srijit Mukherji’s Dawsham Awbotaar, Arun Roy’s Bagha Jatin, Arindam Sil’s Jongole Mitin Mashi, and Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy’s Raktabeej, will battle it out at the box office. In another month, the fate of Prosenjit Chatterjee, Dev, Koel Mallick, Srijit Mukherji, Abir Chatterjee, Arindam Sil, Shiboprosad Mukherjee, and others will be decided for this Puja.

Also read: Battle of Puja releases: Jongole Mitin Mashi: Koel Mallick and Arindam Sil are back with the sleuth 

This is the first time Shiboprosad and Nandita have joined the Puja bandwagon with Raktabeej. Not only their first Puja release, the film is also their first tryst with a thriller. Here we give you a lowdown of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This article is written based on the available information in the public domain. It is not a prediction and has no spoiler.

Also read: Battle of Puja releases: Dawsham Awbotaar: Srijit Mukherji is back with a thriller 

Strength: First, Raktabeej’s strength is its legacy. Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy are hitmakers and they are completely in control of their audience. They have their unique style and storytelling and that can be the biggest draw of the film. Second is its subject. Khagragarh Blast has a recall value. It took place next door and the issue is still relevant. Then there is a reference to real-life characters, including a legendary one. Third, Abir Chatterjee is one of the most successful actors in thrillers with many superhits in his bag. Fourth, Victor Banerjee’s presence has already generated curiosity. Many people would love to see the veteran actor in action. Fifth, they are ready with their stuff. Their poster, looks, teaser and songs are already in place. And lastly, Windows Productions, as a house, is one of the finest in promotion and marketing plans. They will surely use their team well.

Weaknesses: Thriller is not a tested genre for Shiboprosad and Nandita. Will they be able to tell a tight and gripping story outside their ‘comfort zone’? We keep our fingers crossed.

Also read: Battle of Puja releases: Bagha Jatin: Dev is ready with yet another period film 

Opportunities: This is Shiboprosad and Nandita’s chance to break the stereotypes of family melodrama attached to them. By the look of the teaser, Raktabeej seems to have a lot of potential to be a smart film. Moreover, the film has a series of fine actors, including Ambarish Bhattacharya, Satyam Bhattacharya, and others. If used well, their performances will leave a mark on the audience.

Threats: Billed as a thriller, Raktabeej will compete with two other thrillers – Srijit’s Dawsham Awbotaar and Arindam Sil’s Jongole Mitin Mashi. It will not be an easy competition. Will Shiboprosad and Nandita’s dedicated audience be happy with a story based on real life? Only time will tell. Anyway, our best wishes to the team on their venture into a new genre!