Eros steps into Tollywood with ‘Belaseshe’

KOLKATA: What ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ is to Bollywood, ‘Belaseshe’ is to Tollywood. Both films are the biggest hits in the first half of the year, in Mumbai and Bengal respectively. And more commonalities between the two films are coming to light.
Eros International, which co-produced the Bollywood hit, will now distribute ‘Belaseshe’ in India and overseas.This is the global company’s first venture into Tollywood.
Confirming the news, Nandu Ahuja, SVP, India Theatrical, Eros International, said, “Belaseshe is very high on content and we thought it needs to be taken beyond the audiences in Bengal. When we saw the movie, we were blown away. Also, it has a tremendously respectable cast — Soumitra Chatterjee and Swatilekha Sengupta.”
Though the Mumbai-based production and distribution company is in talks to release the film in 25 cinemas across the country on June 26, they hint that there might be more.
“Right now, it is a little premature to talk about the number of screens and shows, but we are hoping it will do well in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad, apart from other pockets in central India. That apart, we will be releasing the film abroad,” he added.
Eros International, which is keen on producing, marketing and distributing more Bengal-made films, is already in talks with several filmmakers. Though they intend to keep the projects under wraps, sources said they have spoken to Nandita Roy, Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Sandip Ray, among others. On the cards are many big-ticket ventures. The company has already tasted success down south. They have been associated with Rajinikanth’s ‘Lingaa’ and ‘Kochadaiiyaan’, and up next is the Malayalam venture, ‘Life of Josootty’.
Shiboprosad, who had not planned an all-India release, is happy with the turn of events. “I have been flooded with requests from Bengalis across the country to release the film elsewhere. Koramangala (Bangalore), Shivaji Park (Mumbai), Chittaranjan Park and Saket (Delhi) are some of the places where it will be released. ‘Belaseshe’ is a family film and caters to all age groups. I’m happy that Eros is giving us a platform to reach out to the masses,” the director said.