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Published : 21 Mar 2026, 05:23 PM
The Eid-ul-Fitr release of superstar Shakib Khan’s film Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka has been overshadowed by dramatic chaos across cinemas nationwide, with cancelled shows, angry crowds and vandalism reported from multiple districts.
Technical complications linked to a new server system, delayed licences and other glitches forced the cancellation of morning shows in more than 50 cinemas across the country, including in Bogura, Madaripur and Saidpur, according to Awlad Hossain Ujjal, general secretary of the Film Exhibitors’ Association.
Viewers who arrived to watch the much-anticipated film were left furious when screenings failed to begin.
In several places, angry audiences vandalised cinema halls after being allowed inside but still unable to watch the film.
Hall owners were also forced to refund ticket money in many locations, Ujjal said.
He added that discussions were under way between the film’s distributor -- director Anonno Mamun’s company Action Cut Entertainments -- and cinema owners to resolve the crisis quickly.
Several hall owners told Glitz that copies of the film were delivered late on Thursday night through a new server system, although the standard practice is to provide them at least a day earlier.
Most cinema operators were unfamiliar with the new technology, which meant they could not start the servers, load the content or complete preparations in time.
Even in halls where the film arrived, technical problems emerged, including licence complications and sound failures.
In Bogura, Madhuban Cinema cancelled its morning show due to the absence of a screening licence and asked audiences to wait until the afternoon.
However, no show could be run even by 3pm, said Roknuzzaman Yunus, managing director of Madhuban Cineplex.
“I couldn’t run the 12pm show because we didn’t receive the KDM or licence on time,” he said, adding that nearly 70 percent of cinemas across the country were facing similar problems.
He also complained that attempts to contact the producers and distributors had gone unanswered.
In Saidpur’s Tamanna Cinema Hall, operator Abdur Rahman said: “We received the film, but there was no sound. Angry viewers vandalised the hall. We suffered heavy losses after spending a lot of money to reopen the hall for the Eid release.
“Because of sound problems and delayed servers, we had to refund all advance ticket sales. Every time we’ve taken a film through Anonno Mamun, we’ve suffered losses.”
Rahul Khan, owner of Sonali Cinema in Tekerhat, Madaripur, said he had spent several hundred thousand taka to screen Prince during Eid, but the film had still not been loaded onto the server by noon.
He refunded Tk 15,000 worth of tickets for the afternoon show after morning-show audiences vandalised chairs inside the hall.
The disruption was not limited to single-screen cinemas.
Star Cineplex, the country’s largest multiplex chain, also failed to receive the film’s Digital Cinema Projection (DCP) file.
“We still haven’t received the file of Prince. No shows could be run, so we had to screen other films instead. It’s very unfortunate,” said Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, AGM of Media and Marketing at Star Cineplex.
He added that the delay had cost them several hundred thousand taka in losses.
Repeated attempts to contact distributor Anonno Mamun and producer Shirin Sultana of Creative Lands went unanswered.
Directed by Abu Hayat Mahmud, Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka stars Shakib, Tasnia Farin and Kolkata actor Jyotirmoyee Kundu.
