May 03, 2026 8:30pm IST
Prosenjit Chatterjee On ‘Vijaynagar’er Hirey’ Completing 100 Days: ‘It’s Important For Us That Franchise Films Are Performing Exceptionally Well’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee’s most recent release, “Vijaynagar’er Hirey” has completed 100 days at theatres across West Bengal. This milestone was announced by the producers, Shree Venkatesh Films, via their social media channels. In the film, he reprises his role as Kakababu, the iconic character created by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, who started writing the series in 1971.
Reflecting on the film’s success, Prosenjit told Variety India, “Today, franchise movies are performing exceptionally well, not only nationally but internationally. This is very important for us. While some of these movies are created by filmmakers, others take the story from novels. I am delighted to see how the Kakababu franchise has found its loyal audience over the years. In West Bengal, people love to read, so literary characters like Feluda, Byomkesh and Kakababu remain so popular. This is my fourth Kakababu movie in 12 years.”
Prosenjit further credits the enduring appeal of Gangopadhyay’s (Sunil Ganguly's) work. The protagonist Raja Roy Chowdhury (better known as Kakababu) is a crippled one-leg adventure-seeker who is accompanied by his nephew, Santu. “People read the series in special Puja editions of magazines. Because they cherished those stories, they were eager to see how they would translate to the screen. The first movie, ‘Mishawr Rawhoshyo,’ was released in 2013. Even those who are 25-30 years old now are curious about the franchise, which is very inspiring,” he says.
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Reflecting on the 100-day milestone, the actor says that the film is primarily dedicated to children. “When the team told me that despite the tests and whatever is happening around us, we have reached 100 days, I felt immense gratitude. I am thrilled for my director Chandrasish Ray, as this is his debut. This success is a testament to audiences’ love. It is not our achievement but theirs.”
Prosenjit is no stranger to long-running hits, with previous successes including “Autograph,” “Prakton,” “Baishe Srabon,” and “Kakababur Protyaborton.” While “Prakton”, that stars him and Rituparna Sengupta, remains one of his highest-grossing films having made Rs 8.5 crore at the box office, ‘Vijaynagar’er Hirey’ holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing Bengali film of 2026 to date.
Talking about what makes Kakababu so distinct, Prosenjit shares, “I feel Sunil Gangopadhyay’s writing has done the job. Kakababu is not a detective but a person courageous enough to take on tough journeys just on self-belief. People also love how crazy Santu and he are for adventure. The magazine series had their fanbase for more than 60 years. When I did the first movie, the target audience was kids who just left primary school. Today, they still watch the movies as grown-ups. The generation of children changed and what fills my heart is the knowledge that the current generation discovered the books after watching the movies. That is a great achievement.”
The 2013 movie “Mishawr Rawhoshyo,” part of the Kakababu franchise, grossed ₹7 crore and was declared a blockbuster. The last film, “Kakababur Protyaborton,” made close to Rs 2 crores. This time, there was also a shift in the directorial reins with Chandrasish Ray taking over from Srijit Mukherji.
Despite “Vijaynagar’er Hirey” facing competition from big Hindi releases like “Border 2” and “Dhurandhar” at the box office during it's opening week, it raked in ₹3.36 crores (gross) while the net earnings are ₹2.97 crores (As per Sacnilk), while sources close to trade in West Bengal tell us that the figures of “Vijaynagar’er Hirey” are close to Rs₹ 4crore (gross).
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