‘Borbaad’ and ‘Daagi’ dominate overseas theatres

Bangladeshi films “Borbaad” and “Daagi” have sustained packed audiences in theatres both locally and internationally, even twenty days after their Eid release.

“Borbaad’ has emerged as a major crowd-puller, attracting attention at both multiplexes and single-screen cinemas. Meanwhile, “Daagi” continues to gain popularity among multiplex audiences.

These two Dhallywood films aren’t just performing well in Bangladesh—they’re also achieving housefull status internationally. This is an encouraging sign for Bangladeshi cinema.

However, experts in the industry note that such enthusiasm is typically seen only around Eid. Still, the festive excitement surrounding these releases is helping sustain local films to some extent.

On April 17, the highly anticipated “Borbaad’ was released at Cinemart Cinemas in New York, with support from Golden Age Homecare, a well-known homecare service provider based in the city.

The film officially premiered in the US on April 18 under the distribution of SK Films USA and has seen full-house screenings since. It was also released in Canada on April 19, where it continues to gain audiences.

SK Films reports that “Borbaad” is expected to expand to more theatres in its second week due to increasing demand, especially among Bangladeshi viewers in the US.

The film is also performing exceptionally well in Italy and Venice, with advance bookings already secured for the coming days.

Directed by Mehedi Hassan Hridoy, “Borbaad” features Shakib Khan in the lead, with Kolkata’s Idhika Paul as the female lead. The ensemble cast includes Misha Sawdagor, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Mamunur Rashid, Fazlur Rahman Babu, and Jisshu Sengupta.

“Daagi”, directed by Shihab Shaheen and starring Afran Nisho, premiered in Australia on April 12. Since then, every screening in Sydney has been sold out.

The film is set to continue its overseas journey in the US and Canada, with a multi-city release scheduled for April 25 across 15 cities in North America, including New York. It will be distributed by Bioscope Films, marking their 49th release.

A special week-long run of “Daagi” has been planned at Garden Cinemas in New York, with 21 shows scheduled. In addition to New York, the film will screen in cities like Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, Connecticut, Phoenix, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma City.

From May 2, another 13 cities—including West Palm Beach, Portland, Seattle, Austin, Sacramento, New Jersey, Virginia, Charlotte, Miami, and San Diego—will join the release circuit.

“Daagi” is a joint production by Bangladesh’s Alpha-i and an Indian production house.

The film features a cast that includes Afran Nisho, Tama Mirza, Sunerah Binte Kamal, Rashed Mamun Apu, and Shahiduzzaman Selim in pivotal roles.

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