Utshob is a completely original Bangladeshi film. It stars some of the most iconic television actors from the 1990s — Zahid Hasan, Afsana Mimi, Jaya Ahsan, Aupee Karim, Chanchal Chowdhury, Tariq Anam Khan, Azad Abul Kalam, and Intekhab Dinar. They are joined by a new generation of talents like Sadia Ayman, Soumya Jyoti, and Sunerah Binte Kamal.
From Controversy to Celebration: How Utshob Became Popular
Utshob didn’t enter the scene quietly. Despite boasting one of the most impressive ensemble casts in recent Bangladeshi cinema, the film initially struggled to find its footing during Eid-ul-Adha. With limited access to cinema halls and hardly any prime-time shows, the odds were stacked against it. But the curiosity surrounding the film was hard to ignore.
Audiences were eager to see how director Tanim Noor managed to bring together such a powerhouse of talent from the legends of the ’90s like Zahid Hasan, Afsana Mimi, Jaya Ahsan, Aupee Karim, Chanchal Chowdhury, Tariq Anam Khan, Azad Abul Kalam, and Intekhab Dinar, to fresh faces like Sadia Ayman, Soumya Jyoti, and Sunerah Binte Kamal.
Who’s playing what role? Which hilarious lines from the trailer belong to which scene? The intrigue was enough to pull people into theatres, and slowly but surely, the halls began to fill.
As word-of-mouth spread, something rare happened the number of shows doubled, prime-time slots at Cineplexes opened up, and audiences kept coming. That organic momentum began reflecting on the box office too.
Earlier today, the team behind Utshob shared a celebratory photocard revealing the film’s earnings a whopping Tk 3 crore in ticket sales from multiplexes across Bangladesh in just 20 days. Acclaimed actress Jaya Ahsan even shared it from her official Facebook page, adding her own voice to the celebration.
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For context, during the first 10 days alone, the film had already made Tk 1.14 crore, according to the producer. Speaking to Bangladeshi media outlet Bartha24.com at the time, director Tanim Noor explained,
“The budget of Utshob was close to Tk 2 crore. We did minimal promotion. Altogether, the investment crossed Tk 2 crore. If the audience keeps coming like this, we’re hopeful we’ll reach profitability.”
However, Noor also shared a dose of realism about the film business in Bangladesh.
“While ticket sales are encouraging, the producers don’t get the full amount. In our system, we get 31% of ticket revenue in the first week, 30% in the second and third, and only 27% from the fourth week onward. So far, we’ve received around Tk 90 lakh from multiplexes and that includes government taxes. We’ll only recover our investment if total earnings cross the Tk 2 crore mark.”
It’s important to note that this revenue report only covers multiplexes in Bangladesh. Utshob has also been showing in single-screen theatres, and it recently stepped onto the international stage. As of June 20, the film has been released in 37 theatres across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It also premiered in Australia on June 21.
And that’s not all the journey doesn’t end at the box office. Revenue from OTT platforms, television rights, and the soundtrack may well push Utshob into the official “hit” category.
Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic novel A Christmas Carol, Utshob brings a local flavor to a timeless tale showing that, when told with heart and authenticity, even the most familiar stories can feel entirely new. And if this slow-burning success proves anything, it’s that in today’s cinema, content truly is king and the audience, the throne.
