Dev Puja vs Christmas Releases: Projapati, Khadaan, Raghu Dakat, Tekka, DeSu7 Compared
Dev's December films average 8.6 crore India net against 4.1 crore for his Puja films, while critics rate both seasons the same. Every release compared, plus the best Puja and Christmas film overall.
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The short answer: on the money BMR can verify, Dev’s December films out-earn his Puja films about two to one. His three December releases with a trade figure average ₹8.6 crore India net (Projapati ₹10.43 crore, Khadaan ₹8.24 crore, Projapati 2 ₹6.99 crore); his five finished Puja films average ₹4.1 crore, with Raghu Dakat (₹8.04 crore) the only one in the same league. Critics do not separate the two seasons: both average 3.05 out of 5, and both have slid since 2024. Across all Bengali films, the best Puja release in BMR’s records is Bohurupi (2024) and the best Christmas release is Projapati (2022).
Every Dev Puja and December release, side by side
India net from Sacnilk trade tracking, as shown on each film’s box office page. Critic score is BMR’s average out of 5, with the number of scored reviews in brackets. A dash means BMR has no figure. Checked 3 November 2026.
| Year | Puja release | December release |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Password no score, no figure |
Sanjhbati 3.2 (5), no figure |
| 2020 | none (pandemic) | none |
| 2021 | Golondaaj 3.4 (6), ₹3.60 Cr |
Tonic 3.6 (2), no figure |
| 2022 | Kacher Manush no score, ₹2.01 Cr |
Projapati 3.4 (3), ₹10.43 Cr |
| 2023 | Bagha Jatin 3.5 (2), ₹3.26 Cr |
Pradhan no score, no figure |
| 2024 | Tekka 3.5 (14), ₹3.66 Cr |
Khadaan 2.5 (4), ₹8.24 Cr (12 days tracked) |
| 2025 | Raghu Dakat 2.2 (5), ₹8.04 Cr |
Projapati 2 2.6 (4), ₹6.99 Cr (28 days) |
| 2026 | DeSu7 2.4 (12), ₹6.20 Cr (17 days, running) |
not yet |
India net by film, Puja against December (crore)
Gold is a Puja release, green is a December release. DeSu7 is faded because it is still running. Run lengths differ (12 to 85 days), so read it as a guide, not a ruling.
What the pairs say
- 2022: December won by a mile. Projapati made ₹10.43 crore against ₹2.01 crore for Puja’s Kacher Manush, about five times as much.
- 2024: December won again. Khadaan had ₹8.24 crore in its 12 tracked days, more than twice Tekka’s ₹3.66 crore over 35 days, even though Tekka was the better reviewed film (3.5 from 14 critics against 2.5 from 4).
- 2025: Puja won. Raghu Dakat finished on ₹8.04 crore in 85 days against ₹6.99 crore for Projapati 2 after 28 days. Projapati 2 is the film to watch: it opened on 25 December and was still earning when this was checked, so the gap may close.
- Critics move together. Dev’s Puja films average 3.05 and his December films 3.06. Both groups were at 3.3 to 3.6 up to 2024 (Golondaaj, Tonic, Projapati, Tekka, Bagha Jatin), and both fell to 2.2 to 2.6 after: Khadaan 2.5, Raghu Dakat 2.2, Projapati 2 2.6, DeSu7 2.4.
- No Puja film wins on both counts. Raghu Dakat is the Puja earner and has the lowest critic score of the lot; Tekka is the Puja favourite with critics and one of the smaller earners.
Dev’s Puja films, ranked live
A film is ranked by critics only with 5 or more scored reviews; 2 to 4 are shown as provisional. This block reads the live scores and box office, so it moves when new reviews are added.
| # | Film | Critic score (reviews) | IMDb | India net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tekka2024 · Srijit Mukherji | 3.5/5 (14) | 6.1 / 10 (2,468 votes) | ₹3.66 Cr |
| 2 | Golondaaj2021 · Dhrubo Banerjee | 3.4/5 (6) | 7.2 / 10 (2,469 votes) | ₹3.60 Cr |
| 3 | DeSu72026 · Dev | 2.4/5 (12) | 5.5 / 10 (179 votes) | ₹6.20 Cr |
| 4 | Raghu Dakat2025 · Dhrubo Banerjee | 2.2/5 (5) | 5.5 / 10 (4,575 votes) | ₹8.04 Cr |
| – | Bagha Jatin2023 · Arun Roy · provisional: 2 to 4 reviews | 3.5/5 (2) | 5.9 / 10 (1,719 votes) | ₹3.26 Cr |
| – | Hobu Chandra Raja Gobu Chandra Mantri2021 · Aniket Chattopadhyay · provisional: 2 to 4 reviews | 3.3/5 (2) | 6.6 / 10 (359 votes) | not tracked |
| – | Kacher Manush2022 · Pathikrit Basu · no critic reviews collected yet | no score yet | 6.9 / 10 (1,104 votes) | ₹2.01 Cr |
Critic score is the BMR average out of 5, with the number of reviews in brackets. A film is ranked only with 5 or more critic scores; 2 to 4 are shown as provisional and are not numbered. India net is from Sacnilk where it tracked the film. IMDb is shown for context and never mixed into the critic score.
Dev’s December films, ranked live
| # | Film | Critic score (reviews) | IMDb | India net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanjhbati2019 · Saibal Banerjee | 3.2/5 (5) | 7.5 / 10 (801 votes) | not tracked |
| – | Tonic2021 · Avijit Sen · provisional: 2 to 4 reviews | 3.6/5 (2) | 7.6 / 10 (2,108 votes) | not tracked |
| – | Projapati2022 · Avijit Sen · provisional: 2 to 4 reviews | 3.4/5 (3) | 7.4 / 10 (1,480 votes) | ₹10.43 Cr |
| – | Projapati 22025 · Avijit Sen · provisional: 2 to 4 reviews | 2.6/5 (4) | 7.4 / 10 (1,332 votes) | ₹6.99 Cr |
| – | Khadaan2024 · Soojit Dutta · provisional: 2 to 4 reviews | 2.5/5 (4) | 7.1 / 10 (2,449 votes) | ₹8.24 Cr |
| – | Pradhan2023 · Avijit Sen · no critic reviews collected yet | no score yet | 5.9 / 10 (3,669 votes) | not tracked |
Critic score is the BMR average out of 5, with the number of reviews in brackets. A film is ranked only with 5 or more critic scores; 2 to 4 are shown as provisional and are not numbered. India net is from Sacnilk where it tracked the film. IMDb is shown for context and never mixed into the critic score.
Best Puja release, any Bengali film
Bohurupi (2024) is the best Puja release BMR has on both counts: 3.7 out of 5 from 12 critics and ₹14.16 crore India net after 85 days, the biggest Puja number on record here. Raktabeej (2023) has the highest critic score, 3.9 from 7, but BMR’s tracking stops at ₹3.70 crore after 15 days. Dawshom Awbotaar (2023) reached ₹5.09 crore in 18 days with 3.0 from 9 critics.
The title is under threat. Bohurupi: The Golden Daku has ₹8.87 crore after 18 days and 3.5 from 13 critics. The original had about ₹7.8 crore at the same point, so the sequel is roughly 14% ahead; it needs another ₹5.3 crore to pass ₹14.16 crore. Read the Puja 2026 week-two verdict for the daily figures.
Best Christmas release, any Bengali film
Projapati (2022) is the biggest earner: ₹10.43 crore in 56 days, with a 3.4 critic score from 3 reviews, so the score is provisional. The best reviewed Christmas-week film with 5 or more critics is Shontaan (2024) at 3.6 from 8 reviews and ₹2.37 crore in 12 tracked days. After it come Sanjhbati (2019) 3.2, Rickshawala (2020) 3.1, and Hatyapuri (2022) and Chaalchitro (2024) at 3.0. No Christmas film wins on both money and a 5-critic score, so Projapati is a judgement call on money plus a decent score. Khadaan (₹8.24 crore) and Projapati 2 (₹6.99 crore) are the other two big earners.
What is missing, and why
- No figure for Pradhan (2023) or Tonic (2021). Sacnilk has pages for both but lists ₹0, meaning nothing was tracked. Sanjhbati (2019) has no Sacnilk page, and Password (2019) and Hobu Chandra Raja Gobu Chandra Mantri (2021) have no figure on BMR. Press-reported numbers are not used.
- Short runs. Khadaan’s and Shontaan’s totals cover 12 days; Bagha Jatin’s 14. They are lower bounds.
- Thin critic counts. Only Golondaaj, Tekka, Raghu Dakat, DeSu7 and Sanjhbati have 5 or more scored reviews among Dev’s films. Older films often have few online reviews, and the Times of India, the main source for many of them, cannot be read automatically. BMR now searches for missing reviews on older films too, so these scores can change.
- Catalogue. The site holds the mainstream releases of these seasons; a check against TMDB found only small independent films missing.
Frequently asked
Does Dev do better at Puja or at Christmas? At the box office, Christmas: his three December films with a figure average ₹8.6 crore India net against ₹4.1 crore for five finished Puja films. With critics there is no difference, 3.05 against 3.06 out of 5.
Which is Dev’s biggest film in either season? Projapati (December 2022) with ₹10.43 crore India net in 56 days (Sacnilk estimate).
Which Dev Puja film is best reviewed? Tekka (2024), 3.5 out of 5 from 14 critics.
Which Dev Puja film earned the most? Raghu Dakat (2025), ₹8.04 crore in 85 days; DeSu7 (2026) is on ₹6.20 crore after 17 days.
What is the best Durga Puja Bengali release of recent years? Bohurupi (2024) by critics and money together. Bohurupi: The Golden Daku (2026) is ahead of its pace.
Are these figures official? No. They are India net estimates for the Bengali versions from Sacnilk, not producer figures and not worldwide gross.
Sources and method
India net: Sacnilk trade tracking, as shown on each film’s BMR box office page, checked on 3 November 2026. Critic scores: BMR averages of published critic reviews, equal weight per critic; the count in brackets is scored reviews. Puja means the release week before Durga Puja in that year; December means releases from 20 to 31 December. Earlier comparisons: Puja 2025 week one, Puja 2024 week one and the best Dev and Subhashree movies.
