I slog like a dog for Bengali cinema, says teary-eyed Dev

Who knew ‘Khadaan’ director Soojit Rino Dutta could groove like a pro? Or that ‘Raghu Dakat’ filmmaker Dhrubo Banerjee could give anyone tough competition on the dance floor? And who would have thought Bengali audiences would one day see top producers and directors matching steps on stage? All this and more happened at the mega celebration of Dev’s 20 years in the Bengali film industry at Netaji Indoor Stadium recently. The evening was packed with surprises, nostalgia and plenty of star power.

One of the biggest highlights came when Dev set the stage on fire, dancing to chartbusters alongside five of his leading ladies, namely Nusrat Jahan, Srabanti Chatterjee, Puja Banerjee, Idhika Paul and Sayantika Banerjee. But the most-awaited moment was his performance with Koel Mallick. Together, they brought the house down with the evergreen hits ‘Mon Maane Na’ and ‘Paglu’. For those who grew up in the 2000s, it was like being transported back to their school and college days, when these songs dominated ‘Sangeet Bangla’. The celebration also saw a special appearance by Prosenjit Chatterjee, who has his own Puja release, the magnum opus Devi Chowdhurani. He warmly called Dev his ‘younger brother’. Director Srijit Mukherji hosted a lively session with filmmakers like Ravi Kinagi, who has given blockbusters with Dev, such as ‘Paran Jaaye Joliya Re’. Kinagi summed it up perfectly: “Success loves Dev and he loves success.”

The evening wasn’t just about glitz and glamour. It was emotional too. Dev’s parents and sister joined him on stage and the actor became teary-eyed as he recalled their struggles. “I am reaping the fruit of my parents’ hard work. “I slog like a dog - sometimes building six packs and sometimes not shaving for 10 months - just to take Bengali cinema forward,” he said, voice breaking with emotion.

The event also doubled as the trailer launch of Dev’s much-awaited Puja release, ‘Raghu Dakat’. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent a special message, fondly calling Dev a ‘good boy’. Amidst the grandeur, two notable absences caught attention. One being the absence of hit music composer Jeet Gannguli and Dev’s ‘dear friend’ and co-star Rukmini Maitra. Dev clarified that Rukmini couldn’t attend as she was busy shooting in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Subhashree’s fans on social media also pointed out how the actress was missed at the event. In fact, Subhashree’s last film with Dev, titled ‘Dhumketu’ saw the favoured onscreen duo together during promotions. But soon after, the actors went on separate paths.