First look poster of “Debi” launched

There has been considerable excitement surrounding a film called “Debi” ever since it was announced a little over a year ago, and for good reason. The first and foremost of them is who it's by and who it's about: Humayun Ahmed is an unequivocal legend of contemporary Bangla literature, and Misir Ali one of his greatest creations. “Debi”, the first novel that began the iconic series about the genius psychologist, was taken up by Jaya Ahsan as producer for her C te Cinema production house, with Anam Biswas at its helm and Chanchal Chowdhury set to play the beloved character. The film also picked up the National Film Grant.

“Debi” completed photography last year wrapped in secrecy, and not much has been known about it since. Now, fans have their first glance at the first big screen adaptation of Misir Ali, with the first look poster of the film revealed online. Jaya Ahsan herself posted the photo on her Facebook page, and it's safe to say that it lives up to promise. The poster consists of a headshot painting of Chanchal Chowdhury's Misir Ali, with graying hair, French beard stubble, thick-framed glasses and a lit cigarette in hand. Silhouettes of flying birds can be seen around his head, with a maze pictured inside his head. The title art also consists of a Hibiscus flower, a nod to the floral fragrances that form a key element of mystery in the film.

“I came from Kolkata to Dhaka just to release the poster,” Jaya Ahsan, who is also playing one of the lead roles in the film alongside producing it, told The Daily Star. Asked what stage the film is and whether there is any tentative timeline of release, Jaya said: “The film is at the last stages of post-production, and within three-four months we hope to release it.” She also added that some new material from the film will be released on a regular basis from now on.

“The design of the poster and the expression really reflects the story,” Chanchal Chowdhury told The Daily Star, confirming that the artwork has been done from a still photograph of him from the film. “People have really liked it,” he added. “I have received many phone calls and in-person feedback, and it has been very good so far.”

“Debi”, the first production venture of Jaya Ahsan's C te Cinema, also casts Animesh Aich, Iresh Zaker and Sabnam Faria in the central roles. The film is presented by UCB and sponsored by Ispahani. Jaaz Multimedia is handling distribution for the film.