A First For Bengali Cinema: Dev-Subhashree open 9-month advance booking for Puja 2026 film
Tickets were sold out within just four minutes of our announcement, says Dev
There are many who book concerts of their favourite artistes or sporting events months in advance. Now, Bengali cinema has entered that league too. And not by three or four months, but a staggering nine months in advance.
Yes, you read that right. On Monday, Dev and Subhashree set social media abuzz during a ‘Facebook Live’ interaction when they announced that advance booking for the tentatively titled film, ‘DeSu7’, has officially opened. The film is slated for a Durga Puja 2026 release, making this perhaps the first instance in Indian cinema where tickets have gone on sale nine months before release and even before the film goes on floors. Tickets for the 7:30 am show on October 16 are already live on an online ticketing platform. Designed in gold and bearing the autographs of both stars, these special tickets mark Dev and Subhashree’s seventh collaboration after ‘Dhumketu’ (2025). Dev announced that on the first day, the first show will be turned into a grand fan event. Within four minutes of the announcement at 3 pm on Monday, most of the 20 halls were sold out. “Tickets were sold out within just four minutes of our announcement,” said Dev.
The megastar, who is also producing the film, called the initiative a game-changer for the Bengali film industry. “We need to push ourselves at every level to show that we can do it too,” he said. Subhashree termed the moment ‘historical’.
The excitement around the reunion is understandable. ‘Dhumketu’ remained unreleased for nearly a decade before finally hitting theatres in 2025. The film shattered box-office records and emerged as one of the highest-grossing grossers of the year, reigniting fans’ demand to see the duo together on the big screen once again.
In the first week of January 2026, Dev officially confirmed that his next project would star Subhashree. While ‘Khadaan’ director Soojit Dutta will helm the film, Dev hinted during the ‘Facebook Live’ that he may also step into the director’s role if required. Subhashree, meanwhile, revealed that she agreed to do the film within 30 seconds of receiving Dev’s call on December 31, 2025, without even hearing the script.
The film also assumes significance amid recent industry tensions. The newly formed Screening Committee had earlier indicated that Dev should not release his film during Durga Puja. Dev recently approached EIMPA, urging the lifting of the ‘unofficial’ ban on actor Anirban Bhattacharya, who is expected to play a pivotal role in the project. The developments suggest that the film could potentially alter several long-standing equations within the industry.
Ban or no ban: Both Dev and Subhashree spoke out strongly against the ‘unofficial’ ban on ‘Anirban’, who has been sidelined after moving court against the ‘arbitrary’ rules of the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India. “An actor like Anirban is a prized asset for any industry,” said Subhashree. Dev, a three-time TMC MP from Ghatal, drew a political analogy, questioning why artistes are penalised for exercising their rights when politicians face no such restrictions for switching parties. “I sought forgiveness on Anirban’s behalf. An actor has been without work for 10 months; imagine how he is running his family. This sets a very bad example,” Dev said and stressed that nothing but respect matters to an artiste.
Love is in the air: The actors, who became a phenomenon with films like ‘Challenge’, ‘Paran Jaaye Joliya Re’ and ‘Romeo’, revealed that their Durga Puja release will be a romantic film laced with action, revenge and thrills. “For the first time, we have created a writers’ room. Eight to ten writers are working on the script simultaneously,” Dev said. The film’s title and cast will be unveiled through another ‘Facebook Live’ on Poila Baishakh.
It’s personal: During the promotions of ‘Dhumketu’, both Dev and Subhashree’s personal lives were frequently dragged into public discourse, with Subhashree’s husband, filmmaker-actor Raj Chakraborty, and Dev’s partner, actress Rukmini Maitra, subjected to trolling. Addressing this, both actors urged fans to keep their respective partners out of such conversations. “Our personal lives are sorted, which is why we can work together professionally again,” said Dev. Subhashree added that dwelling in the past serves no purpose. “We can move forward because we have the support of our partners,” she said.
Producer’s right: The Screening Committee will announce the release calendar for 2026 soon (in fact, it was supposed to announce on Monday) and debates around producers’ rights have intensified within the industry. Dev, who produces nearly three films every year, asserted that producers have the authority to decide release dates in consultation with exhibitors and distributors. “A producer invests the money. Can’t he or she decide when to release a film?” asked the producer of ‘Projapoti 2’ and ‘Raghu Dakat’.
