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Dev is starting 2024 on work mode

He believes there are only ‘good and bad films’

Dev is starting 2024 on work mode
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Basking in the success of ‘Pradhan,’ one might expect Bengali superstar Dev to take a much-deserved break and unwind in the New Year. However, the actor within him is more voracious than ever. He is starting 2024 on a working note.

Starting January 9, Dev will start shooting for Srijit Mukherji's much-awaited thriller ‘Tekka,’ alongside Rukmini Maitra and Swastika Mukherjee in Kolkata. Their last collaboration was ‘Zulfiqar’ in 2016, where Dev played a mute character, Markaz Ali, receiving praise despite the film’s mixed reviews. Over the years, Srijit had to restrict himself to limited shooting days in Kolkata due to budget constraints and other technicalities prevalent in the Bengali film industry. Nevertheless, with ‘Tekka,’ the team is gearing up for an extensive shoot spanning no less than 25 days. Even for 'Pradhan,' Dev dedicated over 20 days to the shoot. “Over the last 4-5 years, Srijit hasn’t shot for so many days. We’re planning to shoot for nearly 25 days for ‘Tekka.’ As a producer, I believe in giving enough time to a project, from look tests to shooting and promotions. We also have the best actors on board for this film,” said Dev.

Even though ‘Pradhan’ released alongside Shah Rukh Khan’s highly-anticipated ‘Dunki,’ the content of the film has resonated with Bengali audiences, resulting in packed theaters on New Year. In Avijit Sen’s Bengali film, Dev portrays Deepak Pradhan, a young police officer, who witnesses corrupt practices of the local Panchayat head in a village. With the 2024 Lok Sabha election approaching, not many actors would choose a storyline like this. However, the actor-turned-TMC MP has always believed in a good or bad story. For him, it was the story of ‘Pradhan’, a film filled with emotions, drama, and highlighting contemporary social issues that mattered. He was also clear that he wasn’t making any propaganda film.

“As an actor, I usually work on three films every year, and I try to make them different from each other. ‘Pradhan’ is very different from ‘Tonic’ and ‘Projapoti.’ My goal is to make entertaining films. If you’re making a propaganda film, then you need to think. But if you’re not supporting or demeaning any political party and focus on telling good stories, then you don’t have anything to worry about. Nowadays, everything seems to be political, and we have shown politicians in many films, like ‘MLA Fatakesto’ and 'Nayak' (Anil Kapoor). Suriya’s ‘Jai Bhim’ is one of the best political films that I have ever watched. I think there are only two kinds of films – good and bad. At times, a good film doesn’t perform great at the box office. But I can’t stop trying. ‘Pradhan’ talks about people, families, and villages, and how they are affected by both good and bad individuals. There can be good cops, good politicians, and there can be the other side too. ‘Pradhan’ has a good story, and if people see a socio-political angle, it's also for entertainment," said Dev, who is known for producing meaningful films in the Bengali industry.

Srijit recently made 'Dawshom Awbotaar,’ which is said to be Tollywood’s first cop universe. However, Dev said ‘Pradhan’ is a standalone film. He also believes that not every character is suited for a franchise. “When we watched ‘Baahubali,’ we knew it would have two parts. While I believe in franchises, I don't think every film should have one,” he said.


Ask him about the release of 'Binodiini - Ekti Natir Upakhyan' starring Rukmini, and the actor-producer mentioned it might come out in the summer of 2024. He also said that the filming for the period movie 'Draupadi,' also featuring Rukmini, might go on floors post 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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