Exclusive! Bangladesh Film Festival: Hawa fever grips Kolkata as cine buffs gear up to watch Chanchal Chowdhury’s ocean thriller

Kolkata is all set to host the fourth Bangladesh Film Festival. The festival will take place at Nandan and will showcase nearly 30 films over a period of five days. Hosted by Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, the festival will open with Hawa – a film by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon and features Chanchal Chowdhury in the lead. Besides, Azmeri Haque Badhon’s Rehana Maryam Noor, Jaya Ahsan’s recent release Beauty Circus and several other films will be showcased at the festival.

However, Chanchal Chowdhury’s Hawa created a frenzy on social media. According to the organisers, this frenzy will be reflected at the auditorium. While the festival is free for all and on a first-come-first-serve basis, the craze for Chanchal Chowdhury’s Hawa went to another level. The film has more than a number of screenings and there has been a high demand for passes.

Meanwhile, Chanchal, a regular face on Hoichoi Web series – has a strong fan base in Kolkata. His popularity also impacted the demand for Hawa. Filmmaker Ranjan Ghosh said, “He is definitely a factor behind this craze. We love to watch him on screen but rarely get to watch him on a big screen. This is a chance. But I also think the film itself has also created a frenzy. The trailer, songs and everything about Hawa is so refreshing. In fact, the recent Bangladeshi content is making us very proud.”

Hawa is a story of fishermen in the sea. It is a story of a trawler that encounters some mysterious events in the middle of the sea. The film was an instant success in Bangladesh. In an interview with OTTplay, Chanchal said, “It is very encouraging that Hawa brought the audience back to the theatres. It is also a story of life – a very simple life. In the middle of complex and layered films and web series, the common people in Bangladesh easily relate to the simplicity of Hawa. They trusted the simple lives of the fishermen and loved the innocence of the songs. That is why so much curiosity was generated.”

According to director Indrasis Acharya, the excitement regarding Hawa started with the song, Sada Sada Kala Kala. “We haven’t seen such craft in a long time. After hearing the song, I started taking interest in the film. I also read a lot of good reviews after the film was released,” said the director who will also queue up to watch Hawa on Saturday at Nandan.

Meanwhile, Producer Rana Sarkar wished to see similar excitement about Tollywood films also. “I am very happy to see how common people are excited about Hawa. I wish they also take similar interest in films made in Kolkata. I wish the team of Hawa all the very best for the festival and Oscars.