After being stuck in limbo for almost 10 years, Kaushik Ganguly’s Dhumketu has finally locked in a release date. Starring Dev and Subhashree Ganguly in the lead roles, the film is all set to hit theatres on August 14.
Dhumketu had been shelved for years following a fallout between its co-producers — Dev and Rana Sarkar. Shot way back in 2016, the project has been mired in delays, despite being one of Dev’s most talked-about ventures. Over the years, the director and actor have often referred to Dhumketu as one of the finest films of Dev’s career.
In what promises to be a never-before-seen avatar, Dev will be seen playing an 82-year-old man in the film, with prosthetic makeup, marking a significant departure from Dev’s on-screen image as a romantic and action hero.
In recent months, producer Rana Sarkar had dropped hints about the film’s long-awaited release. Adding to the build-up, Dev shared a poster of Dhumketu on social media, featuring an elderly man seated by a fireplace, back turned to the viewer. “My next …#Dhumketu. Finally,” he wrote in the caption.
Reacting to the announcement, director Kaushik Ganguly wrote, “After a long wait and good wishes of countless viewers, the day is finally here. Endless gratitude. The fact that this film is still extremely relevant even after a long wait is the strength of Dhoomketu. I personally dedicate this poster to the late makeup artist Vikram (Gaekwad) ji. Without him, the character in the poster would not have been created.”
Also featuring veteran actor Chiranjeet in a grey-shaded role, Dhumketu will clash with Hrithik Roshan-Jr NTR-starrer War 2 and Rajinikanth’s Coolie at the box office.