It felt like the stars themselves had conspired to bring back a moment suspended in time. As dusk settled over Calcutta, the heart of the city pulsed to a different rhythm — one of anticipation, nostalgia, and cinematic magic. Outside Nazrul Mancha, thousands of fans queued with breathless excitement, clutching their passes like golden tickets. Inside, the grand auditorium glowed under amber lights, every seat spoken for within 20 minutes of the tickets going live online. This wasn’t just another trailer launch — it was a full-blown cultural moment.
And rightly so. Dhumketu had long been in the making, whispered about in fan circles and eagerly tracked by the Bengali film fraternity. But what truly set this evening ablaze was the long-awaited reunion of Tollywood royalty — Dev and Subhashree Ganguly — sharing the stage for the first time in nine years. As the evening unfolded, it became clear: this was more than a promotional event. It was a celebration of cinema, chemistry, and the unbreakable thread of audience love that had pulled them back together.
It had been nine years since the two shared the stage, and longer still since they’d stood beside each other in public. But on this particular evening, they emerged like true stars — Subhashree in a sleek black gown with a thigh-high slit, radiating elegance and power, and Dev in a sharply tailored black suit, exuding signature charisma. Their entry was nothing short of cinematic. With dancers flanking either side of the aisle and Gaane gaane from Dhumketu swelling in the background, the duo walked onstage to a thunderous ovation — cheers, whistles and the unmistakable cry of “Devdaaaaa!” ringing through the air.
The buzz had begun days earlier when tickets to the event — released online in limited numbers — sold out within minutes. Fans scrambled for a seat at what was already being hailed as a historic evening. And historic it was.
The evening had begun earlier, with the crowd grooving to a medley of Dev’s chartbusters, dancing in the aisles, waving handmade placards, and proudly donning badges emblazoned with Dev and Subhashree’s faces. The love was loud and unfiltered. Rohaan Bhattacharjee, ever the energetic host, took the stage soon after and kicked things off with games and playful banter — audience members were called up to name five films featuring the iconic duo, setting off a healthy competition.
A high-octane musical interlude followed. Nilayan Chatterjee and his band lit up the stage with renditions of fan favourites like Bondhura elomelo, Dhaker taale, and Bhojo gourango, each song reviving memories of Dev and Subhashree’s on-screen magic. A dance troupe then mesmerised the audience, leading up to the arrival of the creative brains behind Dhumketu.
First to be invited onstage were director Kaushik Ganguly, music composer Anupam Roy, background score maestro Indraadip Dasgupta, and producer Rana Sarkar. Amid thoughtful reflections and hearty laughs, Rana couldn’t resist taking a walk down memory lane. With a nostalgic grin, he revived slogans that once echoed through single screens: “Shirai shirai rawkto, Devdar bhokto!” The audience roared in approval, many mouthing the lines along with him.
Music remained the heartbeat of the evening. Anupam Roy serenaded the hall with the soul-stirring Maa, followed by a duet with Ishaan Mitra —Hobe na dekha — a track from the film that had already struck a chord online. The atmosphere was thick with sentiment and rhythm, a rare mix of nostalgia and newness.
And then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.
With the grand flourish of dancers and lights, Dev and Subhashree made their dramatic entrance. It felt, for a moment, like time folded in on itself. Onstage, the pair slipped effortlessly into the repartee that once defined a generation of romantic dramas. They recreated their beloved exchange from a film, with Dev asking, “Amar shathe friendship korbe?” and Subhashree cheekily replying, “Keno?” before delivering the classic, “Emni.” The crowd erupted. For the uninformed, in the last few years, several social media posts of Dev were captioned “Emni”.
Taking the mic, Dev offered heartfelt thanks: “Thank you for keeping Dhumketu alive.” Subhashree followed with an emotional confession: “We couldn’t keep our pair alive. We didn’t even put in half the effort that you all did. Your love has brought us back — we’re here because of you.”
The moment was tender and raw. There was no pretence — only an acknowledgement of a chemistry that fans had refused to let fade. As they sat down for a chat with Rohaan, the mood lightened. In a burst of spontaneity, Dev and Subhashree took a selfie together — one for the archives — and, prompted by Rohaan, even followed each other on Instagram. The gesture, light as it seemed, symbolised a soft rekindling — of mutual respect, and of a cinematic camaraderie fans had dearly missed. They also performed on songs like Paran jai jalia re, Mala re and Ghum ghum ei chokhe, setting the stage on fire.
It was an evening stitched together by music, memory, and magic. And if the trailer was anything to go by, Dhumketu promises not just to be a film, but a full-circle moment in Bengali cinema — one that celebrates comebacks, chemistry, and the unrelenting power of fan love.
Would you like to see Dev and Subhashree Ganguly pair up for a new film? If yes, why?
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