‘Vijaynagar’er Hirey’, starring Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, has crossed the 100-day mark in theatres across West Bengal. The makers, Shree Venkatesh Films, announced the milestone on social media. In the film, Chatterjee reprises the role of Kakababu, the legendary character created by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, who began the series in 1971.Prosenjit Chatterjee on the rise of franchise cinemaProsenjit Chatterjee spoke to Variety India about the film’s success, highlighting the growing popularity of franchise cinema. He pointed, “Today, franchise movies are performing exceptionally well, not only nationally but internationally. This is very important for us. While some of these movies are created by filmmakers, others take the story from novels. I am delighted to see how the Kakababu franchise has found its loyal audience over the years. In West Bengal, people love to read, so literary characters like Feluda, Byomkesh and Kakababu remain so popular. This is my fourth Kakababu movie in 12 years.”Prosenjit Chatterjee credits Kakababu’s lasting popularityHe also attributes the franchise’s lasting popularity to the timeless appeal of Sunil Gangopadhyay’s (Sunil Ganguly’s) writing. The central character, Raja Roy Chowdhury, popularly known as Kakababu, is a one-legged adventurer, often accompanied by his nephew Santu. He said, “People read the series in special Puja editions of magazines. Because they cherished those stories, they were eager to see how they would translate to the screen. The first movie, ‘Mishawr Rawhoshyo,’ was released in 2013. Even those who are 25-30 years old now are curious about the franchise, which is very inspiring,” he says.Prosenjit Chatterjee expresses gratitude for audience supportSpeaking about the film’s 100-day run, the actor described it as a project largely meant for children. He expressed gratitude for the milestone and happiness for his team, especially debutant director Chandrasish Ray, while crediting the audience for the film’s success. He said, “When the team told me that despite the tests and whatever is happening around us, we have reached 100 days, I felt immense gratitude. I am thrilled for my director Chandrasish Ray, as this is his debut. This success is a testament to audiences’ love. It is not our achievement but theirs.”Prosenjit Chatterjee’s track record and box office successProsenjit Chatterjee has delivered notable films such as ‘Autograph’, ‘Prakton’, ‘Baishe Srabon’ and ‘Kakababur Protyaborton’. Among them, ‘Prakton’, which also featured Rituparna Sengupta, stands out as one of his top earners, collecting Rs 8.5 crore. His latest release, ‘Vijaynagar’er Hirey’, has now become the highest-grossing Bengali film of 2026 so far.