Bangladesh’s Oscar entry ‘Hawa’ receives historic release across India by Reliance, CEPL

Indian company Reliance Entertainment and Singapore-based Continental Entertainment Private Limited publish the Bangladesh entry for the Oscars Hawaii (wind) across India, marking the first time ever that an all-Bengali film received a wide pan-India release.

The fantasy thriller, directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, will release in Kolkata and West Bengal state on December 16, coinciding with the national holiday of Victory Day in Bangladesh, followed by a release in various cities across India from December 30.

The film, produced by Sun Music and Motion Pictures, opened in theaters in Bangladesh on July 29, where it is still showing more than four months later. Filmed at sea during the pandemic, it tells the story of a group of fishermen who find a beautiful creature under the sea.

CEPL has acquired the rights to the film for India, Singapore, the Middle East and Europe and has also shown it in cinemas in Singapore to date.

Although Bengali films have been released in India before, they are usually only released in Kolkata and other cities in the state of West Bengal, where the locals speak Bengali, which is also the primary language of Bangladesh. Doob – No picnicDirected by Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, it was released in India outside of West Bengal, but co-produced by India’s Eskay Films and the film’s Indian star, the late Irrfan Khan.

“With this release, the proud product of some creative Bangladeshi people, we will be able to reach many more Bangladeshi speakers around the world,” said Ajoy Kumar Kundu, executive producer of Sun Music and Motion Pictures. “Bengali films have a huge audience in our neighboring country. Hawaii will play a crucial role in increasing the demand for Bangladeshi films and creating a strong market among them.”

Sreyashii Sengupta, CEO (South East Asia) of CEPL said: “The release of Hawaii in India opens new doors for media business in Bangladesh and India. In terms of content, an exchange is already taking place that opens up new ways of working together. Language is no longer a barrier in a world that loves content and diverse stories for the cinematic experience.”

Hawaii was written by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, Sukorno Shahed Dhiman and Jaheen Faruque Amin. The cast includes Chanchal Chowdhury, Nazifa Tushi, Sariful Islam Razz, Sumon Anowar, Nasir Uddin Khan and Shohel Mondol.