Dhallywood megastar Shakib Khan conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to the audiences for rallying behind his Eid-ul-Azha release ‘Taandob’ despite its early piracy, and vowed strong stance against piracy in the industry at the special screening of the film held on Sunday night at Star Cineplex’s Sony Square branch in the capital.
Shakib joined the cast and crew to watch the film alongside his co-actress and the debutant Sabila Nur, the film’s producer Shahriar Shakil, director Raihan Rafi, co-producer and Chorki CEO Redoan Rony, and the rest of the cast and crew of the film, journalists and renowned media personalities.
Despite being one of the most hyped films of this Eid, ‘Taandob’ fell victim to online piracy just a week into its release. However, audiences across the country have continued to flock to theatres, rejecting pirated copies and demonstrating strong support for local cinema.
Addressing the press before the screening, Shakib Khan condemned the piracy, calling it a deliberate attack on the country’s cultural progress. “A vested quarter circulated pirated copies of 'Taandob', yet our audience has given a bold response; they said no to piracy and came to theatres to watch the film, and I’m truly grateful for this love,” he said.
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Calling cinema one of the most powerful cultural mediums, Shakib expressed concern over the repeated targeting of major local releases. “We’ve seen this before with films like ‘Borbaad’, and now ‘Taandob’ which was pirated just within a week. It’s clear that when a film starts to succeed globally, it’s being sabotaged,” he added.
Despite the setback, he noted that ‘Taandob’ continues to run housefull shows at many theatres, calling it a sign of the growing awareness and loyalty among Bangladeshi moviegoers.
“We must all be vocal against piracy. The way audiences are showing up even after the leak proves we’re united. With this support, we’ll push back against those trying to destroy our film industry,” Shakib said.
He also thanked law enforcement for arresting three individuals allegedly involved in the piracy. “They’ve taken quick action, and investigations are ongoing to find the main culprits. Those who act against our cultural interests must be held accountable,” he stated.
Speaking at the event alongside Shakib Khan, producer of the film Shahriar Shakil remarked, “The audience has rejected pirated versions and embraced the theatrical experience. That is the strongest message we could hope for.”
According to the Facebook-based Bangla Movie Review-BMR, ‘Taandob’ has made a grand total of 9.05 crore taka in 16 days, and Shakil also announced the film as a ‘Blockbuster’ at the special screening.
‘Taandob’ is a joint production of SVF Alpha-i Entertainment Ltd and OTT platform Chorki, with support from Deepto TV. The story of the film revolves around an attack made on a private television channel which leads to unfold several socio-political issues such as unemployment, exploitation of power, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing.