Shipan Mitra alleges deception over ‘Barishailla Pori’ theatrical release
Bangladeshi actor Shipan Mitra has alleged that he was deceived by the makers of a production he agreed to perform in, after discovering that content he had shot for YouTube was released in cinema halls without his knowledge or consent.
Three years ago, Mitra had filmed a serial intended for YouTube. On the eve of the national election, he was suddenly informed that the content would be released in cinemas on Valentine’s Day. “I have been cheated,” he said, being distressed.
The actor explained that at the time of shooting, he was actively working on YouTube content alongside his film career. He was approached with a proposal for a comedy-romance production meant for the platform and agreed, completing the shoot in just five days. “For a long time, I heard nothing about it. A few days ago, I learned it was being released in cinema halls. This is deception against an actor. I was told it was a drama. Now it has become a film. I have been belittled as an artiste. I will not own this as my film,” he said.
The content, now titled “Barishailla Pori”, was released across ten cinema halls on February 13. In protest, Mitra refused to participate in any promotional activities for the film.
Responding to the allegations, director Salman Jasim defended the project, telling Prothom Alo, “I made a film. Does a drama have five songs? Does a drama have action sequences? These are elements of cinema. If someone calls this deception, I have nothing to say.”
Mitra, however, countered that the production team had justified each addition under the guise of improving the drama’s appeal. “They told me songs perform well in dramas these days, so they added two songs. Then they said they wanted to try something new — action scenes, which they claimed would attract more viewers. I agreed for the audience’s sake. Now I see all of it was done to pull the wool over my eyes,” he said.
The actor had planned to file a complaint with the Directors’ Association but was sidelined by an injury to his shoulder following an accident. “This film has diminished me. It cannot be called a quality production by any standard. It has further damaged my career. No film gets made in five days,” he said.
The director, for his part, noted that while the lead actor was engaged for only five days and paid accordingly, other cast members and crew worked for a significantly longer period. “I followed the producer’s instructions. I was told to complete the work within a limited budget, and that is what I did,” he said.
Producer Md Shafikul Islam Talukdar Munna offered a different account, claiming that while the project began as a telefilm, the idea of turning it into a theatrical release came later — and that he had informed the actor of this change. “I made the film with full disclosure. I paid the actor daily. There was no issue then. Now I hear I have committed fraud. That is unfortunate,” he said.
When asked about a formal contract, the producer acknowledged that none had been drawn up. “We were all known to each other, so a written agreement did not seem necessary. There was a misunderstanding, but it has since been resolved,” he said.
Addressing questions about the film’s rushed release, which came just a day after the national election, the producer offered a candid explanation. “There is an upcoming election at the Producers’ Association. I released it in a hurry to qualify as a voter,” he said.
The film centres on a romance between two young people working in the same household.
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