For the past few years, the Tollywood industry hasn’t seen any major box office successes. Due to a lack of audience response, both producers and directors have become quite cautious. New projects are being taken up only after careful consideration. In such a situation, many prominent Tollywood actors and actresses are spending an idle period due to a lack of work. Those who once had packed schedules now seem to have ample free time. Some are using this break to spend time with their families, while others are traveling abroad for vacations. However, many are also seeing this pause as an opportunity for new plans and creative preparation.
Due to the work crisis in Tollywood, several artists have recently started seeking opportunities in Dhaka. Over the past two years, stars like Koushani Mukherjee, Idhika Paul, Mimi Chakraborty, Darshana Banik, and Sayantika Banerjee have worked in Bangladesh. Earlier, actors such as Srabanti, Priyanka, Swastika, and Rituparna also worked in Dhaka. This collaboration is enriching the Bangladeshi film industry by bringing in fresh talent.
Superstar Dev’s film Khadan came at a time when Tollywood was facing a downturn and managed to change the industry’s commercial direction. Interestingly, during the shoot, even Dev himself didn’t expect such massive success. Despite his long career and numerous achievements, Dev considers this moment a special dream come true. He shared that this success has given him new energy and motivation.
Actor Dev recently commented in the media, saying, “It’s not just about fulfilling a dream; this success has significantly increased my responsibilities. Now, I must think about how Bengali cinema must never fall behind, even for a moment, when commercial Bengali films are released alongside films in other languages. In the future, I will have to work towards expanding the canvas even further.
Does Dev consider Bengalis to have a “crab mentality”? In response to this, he gave a clear answer: there is a peculiar mindset among Bengalis. When someone succeeds, the general reaction often tends to be more about jealousy than support. Dev explicitly said, “A friend feels sad when someone fails, but when they pass or succeed, they feel even sadder.” However, he doesn’t dwell much on such things. For him, the opinions of the audience are what truly matter.
In a recent interview, Dev also spoke about the controversy surrounding Rukmini’s portrayal of Binodini. Several veteran actresses had commented that “a woman playing Binodini shouldn’t be so thin.” These criticisms somewhat disturbed Rukmini, but Dev advised her to focus on her work. Don’t try to prove yourself wrong by listening to what others say. If you have confidence in yourself, do the film; if not, don’t do it.” Dev has always believed that you can never make yourself bigger by putting others down.
He also mentioned, “In my political life, when I go for promotions, I even send greetings to leaders of opposing parties. Through this, I want to show that while political rivalry exists, we should still respect one another on a human level. I believe I am the first in India to establish this perspective.”
After the release of Khadan, Dev recently shared his thoughts regarding the remarks made by his fan club about other films. He said, “Even among East Bengal and Mohun Bagan supporters, there are arguments within their own groups. But does that mean the responsibility lies with the teams? The same applies to me. If my fans make comments about others, how can I be held accountable for that?
He expressed his frustration, saying, People keep dragging my name into these debates over and over again. This is inappropriate. Celebrities are always soft targets. If someone says something about them, it easily grabs attention. Since the beginning of my career, I have been a victim of trolling—sometimes about my films, sometimes about my personal life, or even my political activities.”
Dev believes that getting unnecessarily involved in such matters makes no sense. He has always believed that his work defines who he is, so he thinks the best approach is to avoid these controversies.
