In a monumental stride for Indian cinema, Devi Chowdhurani, starring the illustrious Prosenjit Chatterjee alongside Srabanti Chatterjee, has become the first Bengali film to be accorded official Indo-UK co-production status by both governments.
This landmark collaboration underscores the deepening cultural and creative ties between India and the United Kingdom, setting a new precedent in international film production.
Produced by Aparna and Aniruddha Dasgupta of Adited Motion Pictures (USA/India) in conjunction with Soumyajit Majumdar of LOK Arts Collective (India/UK), Devi Chowdhurani is directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Subhrajit Mitra.
The film, adapted from the classic novel by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, chronicles the life of Indias first female freedom fighter and is set to feature a mesmerizing musical score by globally renowned composer Pandit Bickram Ghosh.
The UK co-producers of this ambitious film project (one of the biggest in Bengali cinema) are HC Films and Moringa Studios .
The magnum opus along with Joyguru (film based on life of internationally acclaimed mystic and singer Parvathy Baul), the recently announced flagship Indo-USA-UK-France co-production are the first two films from the collaboration slate of Adited Motion Pictures and LOK Arts Collective with a focus on global Indian cinema.
The Indian authorities instrumental in this landmark decision include the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, NFDC ( National Film Development Corporation) , FFO ( Film Facilitation Office) , and Invest India, with the British Film Institute (BFI) and DCMS ( Department of Culture, Media and Sports) representing the UK.
Devi Chowdhurani, now in early post-production phase, is eagerly anticipated by audiences worldwide. Featuring a stellar cast that includes Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Arjun Chakraborty, Darshana Banik, Bibriti Chatterjee, and Kinjal Nanda, the film promises to be a cinematic tour de force.
A joint statement from Aparna and Aniruddha Dasgupta ( Adited Motion Pictures) reads, This recognition for Devi Chowdhurani as the first Bengali film to receive official Indo-UK co-production status is a dream come true for us at ADited Motion Pictures.
It represents not just a significant achievement in our filmmaking journey but also a celebration of the rich cultural heritage and historical bonds between India and the UK.
Soumyajit Majumdar (LOK Arts Collective) adds, At LOK our vision has always been to take local stories from India specially from our home state West Bengal to the global film market and international co-productions are vital in this regard.
With dynamic producer duo Aparna and Aniruddha Dasgupta of Adited Motion Pictures, we found like-hearted partners having a shared vision and its so encouraging to know that Devi Chowdhurani our first film collaboration has attained the feat of an official Indo-UK co-production with the guidance of the FFO-India and BFI -UK.
Prosenjit Chatterjee proudly quipped: Im extremely delighted to be a pivotal part and lead male protagonist of Devi Chowdhurani (Bandit Queen Of Bengal ), directed by Subhrajit Mitra and produced by Adited Motion Pictures and LOK Arts Collective which has been granted the status and coined as the first Indo – UK Co Production for any Bengali language film, by both the governments through the IB Ministry, NFDC, FFO and Invest India from India and BFI, DCMS from UK jointly.
This will pave a new path for the regional film industries and promote the Indian films which are rooted to her rich cultural and historical heritage. I wish this initiative all the very best.
