Jio Studios and SVF Entertainment Unveil Trailer for "Athhoi," A Modern Interpretation of Shakespearean Drama- Othello The film is slated to grace the silver screen on June 14th! “Truths are illusions of which we have forgotten that they are illusions” --- Nietzsche Kolkata, June 06th, 2024 – Jio Studios and SVF Entertainment have released the highly anticipated Trailer for "Athhoi," just one week ahead of the film's premiere. The trailer offers an enigmatic glimpse into the human heart and society, promising a captivating cinematic experience. "Athhoi" captures the essence of Shakespeare's exploration of human emotions, portraying love, deception, and rivalry in a contemporary setting. It begins with a powerful depiction of the human existential crisis, examining the dichotomy of good and bad, and how society provokes these internal conflicts. The trailer sparks conversations about love, jealousy, and ambition in today's world, delivering a profound message on the concept of truth and challenging our conventional understanding. The film features a stellar cast including Arna Mukhopadhyay, Anirban Bhattacharya, Sohini Sarkar, Ditipriya Roy, Mimi Dutta, Arpan Ghoshal, Kaushik Banerjee, and other important cast – crew members. Arna Mukhopadhyay, the Director and the Actor breathing life into Dr. Athhoi Lodha (Othello), shared his thoughts, "'Athhoi' is a labour of love that has taken years to bring to fruition. With this trailer, our aim is to delve deep into the complexities of human emotions and present a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's timeless tale. Through this film, we hope to evoke profound emotions and reflections." Anirban Bhattacharya, who plays Gogo (echoing Iago from Shakespeare's original work) and serves as the Creative Director, expressed his sentiments, "We were clear from the beginning on how to create this Shakespearean world. Every shot division was meticulously planned, and our team worked tirelessly from pre-production to post-production. As the release date approaches, there is a mix of excitement and nervousness. We hope for the best." Sohini Sarkar, who brings to life the spirited and intelligent character of Diya, reminiscent of Desdemona, remarked, "Playing Diya was a transformative experience. This role allowed me to explore the depths of human resilience and vulnerability. 'Athhoi' invites audiences to question and feel, making it a truly immersive journey." Set for release on June 14th, "Athhoi" is poised to be a cinematic milestone, eagerly awaited by audiences worldwide. Through its innovative interpretation, the film promises to offer a thought-provoking exploration of jealousy, ambition, and love today.

SVF to produce the first Prof Shonku film: to release by end-2018

• Professor Shonku is Bengalis’ most loved science fiction character; created by Satyajit Ray
• Ace director Sandip Ray to direct; veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee in title role

SVF, eastern India’s largest production house, today announced it will bring alive on celluloid Professor Shonku, one of the most popular and well known characters in Bengali science fiction. SVF will produce this Bengali feature film featuring the fictional scientist created and popularised by the maestro, legendary writer-filmmaker Satyajit Ray, and befittingly, the film will be directed by none other than Sandip Ray – a renowned filmmaker in his own right. The film is an adaptation of one of the most spell-binding stories in the Professor Shonku series called Nakur Babu O El Dorado.

Shooting of the film begins early next year, and the film is likely to release by the end of the year. Veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee will play the lead role of Professor Trilokeshwar Shonku (his full name), an eccentric inventor who lives in Giridih with his servant, Prahllad, and cat, Newton. Subhashis Mukherjee will play Nakur Babu. The title of the film is Professor Shonkhu o El Dorado.

As the popular Nakur Babu tale is set to morph into a movie for the first time, SVF Co-Founder & Director – Mr. Shrikant Mohta announced, “We are elated to make a film on Professor Shonku, who, over the years, has delighted and captivated fans of all ages, especially children and teenagers, through a series of science stories that have defied beliefs. The stories written by the great Satyajit Ray, will come alive at the hands of gifted director Sandip Ray, and we at SVF will ensure that the first Professor Shonku film sets new standards for the creative and technical excellence that are the  hallmarks of all our content.”

Director Sandip Ray said, “I have always wanted to make a film on Professor Shonku. Such a character is unparalleled in our science fiction. Books, with the written word, are like the theatre of the mind, and every reader conjures her or his own picture of their favourite character. In that sense, therefore, it will be an interesting  challenge to take the fictional character of Professor Shonku, the highly talented inventor with quirky manners and who was way ahead of his time, and to bring him convincingly to life on celluloid. I am looking forward to doing this with the veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee and the commitment of SVF by my side.”

Mahendra Soni, SVF Co-Founder & Director, said, “It is a great honour for us at SVF to be able to do a film on Professor Shonku, who has been close to the hearts of millions of lovers of Bengali fiction for years now. We are certain that the audience will enjoy watching this incredible scientist.’’

Writer and maker of the detective Feluda series, Satyajit Ray has reportedly modelled Professor Shonku on Professor Challenger (of the Arthur Conan Doyle books) and Hesoram Hushiar — a character of Sukumar Ray, writer-father of Satyajit Ray. A precocious child, Trilokeshwar Shonku — the  books on Professor Shonku have it — passed matriculation when he was barely 12, and B.Sc. with Honours in Physics and Chemistry at merely 16 years of age.  A polyglot with knowledge of 69 languages, he became a professor at Kolkata’s Scottish Church College at the young age of 20.