United News of Bangladesh

Dhallywood had an eventful year in 2024, marked by modest growth and record-breaking milestones in the Bangladeshi film industry. Despite ongoing challenges, a handful of blockbuster films shattered expectations, setting new benchmarks for box office earnings and audience engagement. Much like 2023, star-powered productions led the charge, captivating moviegoers nationwide. In this article, we look back at the highest-grossing Bangladeshi films of 2024, celebrating their remarkable achievements and impact on the industry. 5 Top-earning Bangladeshi Movies of 2024 . Toofan | June 17, 2024 | BDT 56 Crore Emerged as the highest-grossing Bangladeshi movie to date, this crime thriller is directed by Raihan Rafi. This movie features an outstanding cast led by Shakib Khan, Masuma Rahman Nabila, Chanchal Chowdhury, and Mimi Chakraborty. Produced by Alpha-i Studios Ltd. with a budget of BDT 7 crore, ‘Toofan’ exceeded expectations by earning over BDT 35 crore domestically and more than BDT 21 crore internationally. Credit for its worldwide distribution goes to Chorki, Shree Venkatesh Films, Bioscope Films, and Bongoz Films. Read more: Top 10 Indian Blockbusters of 2024: Record-Breaking Hits Ruling the Box Office The thriller film marked the biggest opening weekend for a Bangladeshi film in the United States. By screening 58 shows simultaneously at Star Cineplex, the film made history and shattered long-standing records. With a first-week revenue of BDT 20 crore, it quickly became the second-highest opening for a Bangladeshi blockbuster after ‘Dorod’. Rajkumar | April 11, 2024 | BDT 26 Crore Directed by Himel Ashraf, this romantic film features an on-screen pairing between Shakib Khan and Courtney Coffey. Backed by Versatile Media with a budget of BDT 6 crore, this film quickly became a sensation. It achieved a historic milestone in ticket sales, reaching an unprecedented BDT 10 lakh in bookings, which secured its place in Bangladeshi cinematic history. The film's massive reach was evident as it was screened in a record 125 theaters, out of 210 across the country. This feat, combined with its booking revenue of approximately 6-6.5 crores, reflects the immense demand and wide appeal of the movie. The widespread reach was facilitated by distributors Versatile Media, Bongoz Films, and Swapna Scarecrow Bangladesh. Read more: Top 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of 2024: Global Blockbusters That Shaped Cinema Dorod | November 15, 2024 | BDT 8.55 Crore Starring Shakib Khan alongside Sonal Chauhan, this romantic movie excels with Anonno Mamun as its director. With a budget of BDT 10 crore, it was a collaboration of production houses Action Cut Entertainment, Eskay Movies, Kibria Films, and One World Movies. The film's opening day broke records, achieving the highest first-day ticket sales at multiplexes across the country. On its debut, the Star Cineplex chain alone sold tickets worth BDT 30.68 lakh, a figure that further cemented the movie's box office dominance. Distributed by Eskay Movies and Action Cut Entertainment, ‘Dorod’ quickly proved to be one of the most successful releases of the year. Deyaler Desh | April 11, 2024 | BDT 2.0 Crore Featuring an outstanding performance from Sariful Razz alongside Shobnom Bubly, this romantic film marked the directorial debut of Mishuk Moni. Bankrolled by Metro Cinema, it had a production cost close to BDT 2 crore. While modest in its business performance, the film collected its budget respectably, affirming its place as a noteworthy entry in the year. Read more: Popular Characters of Squid Game Season 2: Who's Your Favourite? The movie’s distribution was spearheaded by The Abhi Kathachitra and Chobir Haat.  Omar | April 11, 2024 | BDT 1.57 Crore Helmed by Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Raz, this action-packed thriller thrives with Master Communication as both the production house and distributor. Starring Sariful Razz paired with Darshana Banik, this thriller was crafted at a production cost of nearly BDT 2 crore. Although not a major profitable phenomenon, ‘Omar’ significantly influenced Dhallywood's storytelling and filmmaking trends. Final Word These top-earning Dhallywood movies of 2024 reflect the modest yet promising journey of Bangladeshi cinema in establishing its mark. ‘Toofan’ and ‘Rajkumar’ etched their names in history, setting unparalleled benchmarks in Dhallywood’s box office records. ‘Dorod’ followed their monumental success from a distant rank, showcasing its unique appeal despite the competition. ‘Deyaler Desh’ and ‘Omar’ stood out as remarkable achievements. Read more: January 2025 K-drama Lineup: 10 Must-watch Premieres On the bright side, 2024 illuminated key milestones that showcased the untapped potential of movies in Bangladesh.

After much anticipation, film "Rajkumar," starring Shakib Khan, is set to premiere on the OTT platform on June 13. Directed by Himel Ashraf and produced by Arshad Adnan under the banner of Versatile Media, the film was initially released during the last Eid-ul-Fitr. "Rajkumar" marks the second collaboration of the successful 'Priyotoma' team, featuring Shakib Khan in the lead role. The film garnered a positive response in theaters nationwide and also captivated audiences in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, said a press release. June 2024 Bollywood Buzz: 10 Most Hyped Hindi Film Releases For those who missed the theatrical release, "Rajkumar" will soon be available at their fingertips. Bongo's Chief Content Officer, Mushfiqur Rahman Manzu, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “'Rajkumar' performed exceptionally well during Eid. Viewers are very interested in the film, and many are eagerly waiting to watch it online. That’s why both we and the producers wanted to give the audience another opportunity to watch the film. 'Rajkumar' is our Eid gift to the audience.” Produced under Arshad Adnan's Versatile Media, "Rajkumar" features an impressive cast, including Shakib Khan and American actress Courtney Coffey in the lead roles. The film also stars Tariq Anam Khan, Mahiya Mahi, Dilara Zaman, Dr. Ejaz, Faruk Ahmed, and Irfan Mridha Shiblu. Must-watch South Indian Films Being Released in June 2024 The story revolves around a young man's journey to the United States, exploring his love and emotional connections with his family.

The entertainment industry of Bangladesh has been buzzing since the announcement of Shakib Khan’s upcoming Film Rajkumar. The most exciting news about Rajkumar film is that an American actress stars opposite Shakib Khan. It is really a matter of excitement for the fans of the popular Bangladeshi film star Shakib Khan. This Dhaliwood superstar shared the good news with his fans on March 28, 2022, on his 43rd birthday. Before getting on the production stage, the mass media was flooded with pictures of Rajkumar stars. Let's get to know the most talked-about American actress as well as this upcoming movie. Rajkumar and Storyteller Himel Ashraf Himel Ashraf, a young director from Bangladesh, was the writer of the Rajkumar film. The scripting task was started during the quarantine period in America due to the Corona pandemic in 2020.  After meeting Shakib Khan in America in November 2021, Ashraf raised the issue of Rajkumar in the midst of various discussions. The Dhaliwood hero heard the whole story and got spellbound. As Shakib Khan liked the story, he gave an immediate response. And the star expressed his wish to make a movie with this story.  Read Squid Game Season 2 on Netflix: Cast, plot, probable release date Ashraf, the surprised author, initially thought that maybe hero Shakib Khan’s interest in the film was a result of temporary excitement, and he would eventually forget the matter soon. But it didn’t happen.  Hero Shakib Khan is determined about making the film. From that day to till today, Shakib’s excitement about the story has never reduced. What’s more, as a producer Shakib is providing great cooperation to the writer Ashraf to make this movie better. Thus, Himel Ashraf's story ‘Rajkumar’ based on dialogues found its way to the silver screen. Apart from this, Director Ashraf has kept a lot of secrecy regarding the story of the film. Read Greatest Movies based on 1971, the Liberation War of Bangladesh Producers of the Film Rajkumar The movie Rajkumar will be produced under the banner of Shakib Khan's film production company SK (Shakib Khan) Films. Zakaria Masood Ziko, editor, and publisher of Aajkal, a New York-based newspaper, has been associated with the film as a producer. Kazi Riton, an American expatriate, has also been involved as a co-producer of this movie. Shakib Khan is stepping into the international arena through this Cinema. The shooting of Rajkumar will start in the second week of July 2022. 90 percent of the film will be shot in America. In addition to the photogenic locations of New York and Miami Beach, a number of American cities have been included in the shooting schedule. Bollywood and American artisans will work as film technicians from the beginning. Read PM gives away National Film Awards to 32 winners Finding Heroine for Rajkumar The task of finding a new but talented actress was given to a professional casting agency in New York. First, they give a list of 87 participants. Initially, 40 out of them were called for an audition after seeing their profiles. 10 candidates were kept through the audition again. The top three were selected out of those 10. After the evaluation of acting, look, and dance, the brown-eyed blonde Courtney Coffey was finalized. Read Rozina gives Goalanda a modern mosque US Actress as a Co-Artist of Shakib Khan The main attraction of the movie is the actress who starred in the lead role. She is Courtney Coffey, a new American actress. Growing up on Long Island in New York, Coffey is a well-known face in the local theater. Her theatrical works include Midsummer Night's Dream and Jury Duty the Musical. She is currently in her final year of studies at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater in New York City. Prior to that, she studied Film at Hofstra University in 2015. Read Bongo to bring Kazakh movie 'Diamond Sword' as 'Hirar Talwar' on April 1 Coffey starred in the American short films titled ‘The Debate (2020)’, and ‘Revenging Angels Cull the Herd (2020)’, and ‘The Storm (2021)’. Coffey prefers to introduce herself as a producer. She was a co-producer of a short film titled 'Summer in the City'. She has also worked as a co-producer in a number of advertising agencies. Moreover, she also wrote various analytical articles on films and women. Read Telugu Film RRR: Lifetime Record Breaker and the Pride of Indian Cinema Planning for Rajkumar Film Distribution Apart from the movie theaters in Bangladesh, the release of Rajkumar is being planned in various countries around the world including America, London, the Middle East, Canada, and India. About one hundred and fifty American cinema halls have been targeted for the screening of this film. Bottom Line Shakib Khan's new cinema Rajkumar is raising expectations for a great movie experience. Undoubtedly Shakib Khan is a groundbreaking actor. Now, it is just time to watch how far this film can go to keep pace with world-class films. Read Oscar Best Picture Winners: Looking Back at the Last 15 Years