Courtney Coffey expresses dismay over promotional neglect

The first poster of the film "Rajkumar" was unveiled in late March, featuring only Shakib Khan prominently. While the names of the hero, director (Himel Ashraf), and producer (Arshad Adnan) were highlighted in bold letters, the heroine's picture or name was notably absent. Viewers speculated that the hero and heroine might appear together in the next poster, but that didn't materialise either. 

 

Subsequently, most promotional materials released on social media for the campaign needed the name of the heroine, Courtney Coffey. The American actress expressed her regret and frustration about this situation, feeling that she had been discriminated against. 

Despite "Rajkumar" being released in Courtney Coffey's home country, the United States, since April 19, posters featuring only Shakib's picture and name have been displayed across various theatres and roadside locations, further exacerbating her sense of exclusion.

On her social media platform, Courtney Coffey expressed her dismay, stating, "Has anyone in the United States seen my name on the 'Rajkumar' movie posters in theatres? So far, I have not seen my name on any of the posters. If anyone comes across a poster, please send it to me. I want to proudly stand next to it and take a picture in my own country."

A few viewers of Coffey's post shared pictures of some posters from theatres in Bangladesh where her name is indeed mentioned. However, her name appears at the very bottom of the poster — in small letters. In response to this, Courtney cited the example of last year's film 'Priyotoma', where foreign actress Idhika Paul, from Calcutta, acted opposite Shakib Khan. In that case, both the actress and Shakib's names were prominently displayed in large letters on the poster.

Another viewer from New York posted a picture in the comments section, mentioning that he saw the actress' name on a poster displayed at the Jamaica Multiplex. Coffey expressed her gratitude, stating, "Thank you. I couldn't see the name because it was positioned below in very small letters. I do not know why this has been done."

Regrettably, Courtney Coffey expressed, "My name needed to be featured prominently so that other companies in the United States could consider hiring me. Additionally, the names of all the other heroines are displayed alongside Shakib's name in his other films; their names are not relegated to small, inconspicuous letters below."

Coffey had also previously expressed discontentment with the "Rajkumar" team. For instance, viewers have questioned her lip-syncing in the film's song, pointing out discrepancies. However, the actress posted a reel video on Sunday (April 21), demonstrating improved lip-syncing to the song. In response to this, Coffey commented, "I shared the video to demonstrate my capability. However, the production team opted not to use my lip-syncing skills, despite my qualifications!"

The dissatisfaction surrounding Courtney Coffey's involvement in the film extends further, as she appears in some scenes seemingly without much consideration, leading to criticism from viewers. However, the actress asserts that her portrayal was per the script. To substantiate her claim, she shared a picture of the script on Facebook as evidence.

These instances highlight Coffey's discord with the 'Rajkumar' team on various matters. However, there has been no response from the filmmaker, producer, or lead actor regarding any of these issues.

Notably, "Rajkumar" was released in hundreds of theaters across the country on April 11, coinciding with Eid-ul-Fitr, and has since emerged as the most successful film of the season. In addition to its domestic success, the film is now being screened in the USA and Canada. Furthermore, it is scheduled to be released in Australia on April 25.