Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka is a 2026 Bangladeshi Bengali-language action thriller film directed by Abu Hayat Mahmud. The film was produced by Shirin Sultana under the banner of Creative Land Films and distributed by Jaaz Multimedia and Action Cut Entertainment. It stars Shakib Khan, Tasnia Farin, Jyotirmoyee Kundu, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and Paean Sarkar in the lead roles. The film was released on 21 March 2026, coinciding with Eid-ul-Fitr.
The film is the first collaboration between Khan, Farin and Jyotirmoyee. Prince marks as the directorial debut of Abu Hayat Mahmud and producerial debut of Shirin Sultana. It also marks as the Bangladeshi debut of Jyotirmoyee Kundu and Dibyendu Bhattacharya.
Film dialogue is written by Mezbah Uddin Sumon and the screenplay is written by Mezbah Uddin Sumon and Mohammad Nazim Uddin. The cinematographer for the film was Amit Roy and music director is Arafat Mohsin.
It is one of the most expensive Bangladeshi films ever-made. The film was released on 21 March 2026, coinciding with Eid-ul-Fitr 2026. Since its release, the film has received mostly negative reviews.
Plot
In 1990s Dhaka, the film follows *Ibrahim*, a simple boy from old Dhaka who lives with his mother and works a small honest job. Dhaka at that time is run by gangs, extortion and political mafias, and when local thugs try to take over his neighborhood and hurt his family, Ibrahim fights back alone.
That one fight changes his life. His courage makes him famous in the area. People start calling him *Prince* - because he protects the poor like a prince. Slowly, he gets pulled deeper into the underworld, not for greed, but to keep control so no one can exploit his people. Within a few years, Prince becomes the most powerful and legendary name in Dhaka.
But power brings enemies. The biggest threat is *Afghani Pathan*, a brutal, drug-backed gangster who wants to control all of Dhaka's business. There is also constant pressure from corrupt politicians and police who use gangsters for their own profit. Prince gets caught in a bloody cycle of gang wars, shootouts, and betrayals.
In the middle of this darkness, he finds love. He meets *Dilruba*, a sweet, educated girl who sees the good man inside him. With her, he dreams of leaving the crime world, getting married and living a normal life. *Sonia*, another woman in his life, also has a complicated connection to him and adds to the emotional conflict. His mother constantly begs him to leave this path.
Just when Prince decides to surrender everything and start fresh with Dilruba, his closest allies betray him for money and power, leaking his plans to Afghani Pathan. His empire starts to collapse. His house is attacked, his loved ones are targeted.
The film ends in a final, tragic showdown. Prince goes to war alone against Pathan's entire gang to avenge the betrayal and protect his love and mother. He wins the fight and kills his enemies, but loses almost everything in the process. With the help of Dilruba, Prince escapes to India by crossing the Indo-Bangladesh border.
In the post-credit scene, Prince in a Tamil attire attacks some people at a desert in Rajasthan and delivers a speech in Tamil, indicating a sequel
Cast
Production Development The film was initially developed following with an announcement on 27 February 2024 at a press conference held in Eskaton, Dhaka, by director Abu Hayat Mahmud. At the time, the project was titled Once Upon a Time in Dhaka: Ami Kala. Mahmud stated that the film would be a thriller with elements of suspense and that shooting was planned to begin in May.
It was also announced at the press conference that the screenplay was written by Mezbah Uddin Sumon, and that the two principal roles would be played by actors from Dhaka and West Bengal, respectively. In addition, Tariq Anam Khan, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Salahuddin Lavlu, and musician Pritom Ahmed were announced as part of the cast.
At the time, speculation emerged that the film's story was largely inspired by real events and centered on the life of Kala Jahangir, an underworld figure active in Dhaka during the 1990s. Reports had also suggested that Mosharraf Karim was being considered for the lead role, while other reports had mentioned Sariful Razz as another possible choice for the lead role. However, in early July 2025, multiple media outlets reported that Shakib Khan had been finalised to portray the title character of Kala Jahangir.
Reports circulating across social media platforms and mainstream news outlets asserted that the film was conceived as a biographical depiction of Kala Jahangir, a figure associated with Dhaka's underworld during the 1990s. In response, producer Shirin Sultana issued an official statement rejecting the claims in their entirety. She emphasized that the project is not intended as a biographical representation of any individual, but rather a fictional narrative set against the socio-cultural backdrop of Dhaka in the 1990s, combining elements of crime, romance, action, emotional conflict, and family drama.
Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka marks Mahmud's feature film directorial debut after having directing more than two hundred fiction and documentary projects. The film is produced by Creative Land Films, with Shirin Sultana serving as producer. Channel i had reported that filming was scheduled to take place in Dhaka for four days, followed by the remaining portions in Sri Lanka, Channel i also reported that, according to Mahmud, the film's initial planned budget was around and that the budget would be increased if necessary.
The makeup artist for the film was Amit Amberkar, who confirmed his involvement through an Instagram post. Arafat Mohsin Nidhi was signed to compose the background score for the film on 5 August 2025. He had previously composed the background scores for Toofan, Borbaad, and Taandob, all starring Shakib Khan. Nidhi stated that the background score will include character-specific themes and will reflect the popularity of rock music in Bangladesh during the film's time period.
A report published by bdnews24.com on 5 January 2026 stated that several Bollywood professionals would be involved in the film, handling cinematography, choreography, action direction, and makeup. Mahmud said that cinematography would be handled by Amit Roy, known for his work on Animal (2023), Dunki (2023), and Sarkar (2005), among other projects. The makeup artist from the same film was also reported to be responsible for Khan's look in the film. He confirmed that the film's story was written by Mezbah Uddin Sumon, while the screenplay was co-written by Sumon and Mohammad Nazim Uddin. Later Amit Roy was signed as the director of photography for the film. His involvement was confirmed by the production company Creative Land Films through a social media announcement. According to media reports, Roy is scheduled to work on the film for approximately forty days and is reported to be receiving a remuneration of around taka.
Alongside Roy, cinematography was also handled by Shaillesh Awasthi, who had earlier worked on Borbaad (2025).
Casting Actor Shakib Khan signed his contract for the film on 2 July 2025, a development confirmed by the production company to The Daily Star. According to media reports, Shakib Khan received a remuneration of ৳3 crore for the film, as confirmed by the producer. The producer also stated that Khan was briefed on the film's story during a 45-minute narration session prior to signing on to the project. On 11 September, actor Rashed Mamun Apu was signed for a key role in the film, marks his on-screen collaboration with Shakib Khan following their appearance together in the 2020 film Nabab LLB.
On 4 September, the production company Creative Land Films announced auditions for the film's principal female character, Mili. Mahmud stated that the film would feature three female roles, two of which would be portrayed by established performers, while the third role was intended to introduce a newcomer. He added that the selected actor would share screen space with Shakib Khan and make her film debut through the project. In late October 2025, reports suggested that Idhika Paul would be cast as the female lead in the film, and that she reportedly demanded a remuneration of around .. Subsequently, several individuals associated with the film told The Daily Star that she was dropped from the project due to disagreements over remuneration.
The report also stated that Indian television actress Jyotirmoyee Kundu was being considered as her replacement. In late November, Creative Land Films officially confirmed the involvement of Kundu in the film. It marks the second film of her acting career, following her debut in the Indian Bengali film Projapati 2 (2025) alongside Dev.
In early November 2025, several media outlets reported that Tasnia Farin was being considered for the role of the film's female lead as a replacement. On 15 November, her casting was officially confirmed after she signed a contract for the film, as announced by Creative Land Films on social media. Jugantor reported that she was cast as Dilruba. Sabila Nur also acted in this film, which is Sabila Nur's second commercial film. She previously acted opposite Shakib Khan in the film Taandob (2025).
Veteran actor Nasir Uddin Khan joined the cast in early December. Intekhab Dinar also appears in the film. In an interview, he described his experience working on the project positively and praised Mahmud's approach to the film.
According to a report by Anandabazar Patrika on 23 February 2026, actor Loknath Dey was cast as Gopal Kaur, an associate of Shakib Khan in the film, marking his second collaboration with Khan after Toofan (2024). Actress Paean Sarkar was reported to portray Kaur's wife, who becomes a female crime leader following her husband's death and later forms an alliance with Khan. Television actor Mrityunjoy Bhattacharya was cast as Babu.
Filming Mahmud initially stated that the film's production was expected to commence in the first week of December. Following months of speculation, filming of Prince began on 6 January 2026 in Dhaka. A large portion of the film was initially scheduled to be shot in Hyderabad, with Kolkata later added to the filming plan. Following political changes after the July Revolution of 2024 and subsequent strains in Bangladesh–India relations, reports indicated that several members of the production team were unable to obtain visas despite repeated applications. Consequently, the producers decided to relocate the portions originally planned for filming in India to Sri Lanka. Shakib Khan traveled to Sri Lanka on 15 January to take part in the film's shooting and began filming on 17 January. According to a 27 January report by The Daily Star, filming was scheduled to continue for the following ten days across multiple locations in Sri Lanka. According to a report published by News24 on 4 February 2026, Tasnia Farin completed filming her portions in Sri Lanka.
Subsequently, on 8 February, multiple media outlets reported that filming in India had commenced after visa-related issues were resolved. However, director Mahmud did not comment on the reports at the time, stating that an official announcement would be made later.
After completing the Sri Lanka schedule, filming began in Kolkata in the second week of February. Scenes were filmed across locations in Howrah, Bowbazar, Alipore Central Jail, and Bharat Lakshmi Studio. Key action sequences were shot at an abandoned factory in Howrah beginning on 9 February, followed by filming at Madho Bhavan in Bowbazar on 11 February. After completing the Kolkata schedule, the production team planned to continue filming in Hyderabad.
As of 2 March 2026, Channel i reported that filming of the was nearly complete, with only the songs sequences remaining.
Themes and influences