Bangladeshi filmmakers Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Nusrat Imrose Tisha‘s “Something Like an Autobiography” has been acquired for U.K. broadcast by Channel 4.
The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival, where was in the prestigious Jiseok competition. It was also a part of the South Asian icon strand at the 2023 Mumbai Film Festival.
The film follows Dhaka-based married couple, the filmmaker Farhan (Farooki) and actor Tithi (Tisha), who are under societal pressure to have a baby. Tithi conceives and towards the end of her pregnancy term an incident occurs that throws into sharp relief some realities of contemporary Bangladeshi society.
The title, a nod to Kurosawa Akira’s celebrated memoir, is also reflective of the real lives of Farooki and Tisha, a real-life celebrity couple who are the most recognized filmmaker and actor in Bangladesh, respectively.
“This is a special film for me and Tisha.
The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival, where was in the prestigious Jiseok competition. It was also a part of the South Asian icon strand at the 2023 Mumbai Film Festival.
The film follows Dhaka-based married couple, the filmmaker Farhan (Farooki) and actor Tithi (Tisha), who are under societal pressure to have a baby. Tithi conceives and towards the end of her pregnancy term an incident occurs that throws into sharp relief some realities of contemporary Bangladeshi society.
The title, a nod to Kurosawa Akira’s celebrated memoir, is also reflective of the real lives of Farooki and Tisha, a real-life celebrity couple who are the most recognized filmmaker and actor in Bangladesh, respectively.
“This is a special film for me and Tisha.
- 4/21/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The first edition of India’s Cinevesture International Film Festival (Ciff) has revealed 20 projects that will participate in its accompanying market.
Comprising 17 features and three series, several of the projects are by creators who have found acclaim both internationally and in South Asia.
From Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Busan title “Something Like an Autobiography”) comes Hindi and English-language unconventional romance “To Hell With Love.” Alankrita Srivasttava (Tokyo winner “Lipstick Under My Burkha”) has English and Hindi-language drama “Girls of Orlem,” an adaptation of Lindsay Pereira’s bestselling novel “Gods and Ends.” Gurvinder Singh is prepping Hindi, Punjabi and English-language historical thriller series “The Trial.”
“#Jack” is a thriller film from Bhaskar Hazarika (Tribeca selection “Aamis”), while “Chhaal” (“The Skin”) by Don Palathara (Rotterdam title “Family”) is a folk thriller adapted from a story by Vijayan Detha. “Encounter” by Anurag Singh (the Jatt and Juliet franchise) is a drama-thriller in...
Comprising 17 features and three series, several of the projects are by creators who have found acclaim both internationally and in South Asia.
From Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Busan title “Something Like an Autobiography”) comes Hindi and English-language unconventional romance “To Hell With Love.” Alankrita Srivasttava (Tokyo winner “Lipstick Under My Burkha”) has English and Hindi-language drama “Girls of Orlem,” an adaptation of Lindsay Pereira’s bestselling novel “Gods and Ends.” Gurvinder Singh is prepping Hindi, Punjabi and English-language historical thriller series “The Trial.”
“#Jack” is a thriller film from Bhaskar Hazarika (Tribeca selection “Aamis”), while “Chhaal” (“The Skin”) by Don Palathara (Rotterdam title “Family”) is a folk thriller adapted from a story by Vijayan Detha. “Encounter” by Anurag Singh (the Jatt and Juliet franchise) is a drama-thriller in...
- 3/18/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Indian Filmmaker Q’s TikTok Saga ‘Zewel’ Boarded by Bangladesh’s Chorki, U.S.’s Luminary (Exclusive)
Streamer Chorki has acquired Bangladesh rights to iconoclastic Indian filmmaker Q’s latest film “Zewel,” it was revealed on the sidelines of Singapore’s Asia TV Forum and Market.
Chorki has also boarded the project as a co-producer alongside Rita Meher, curator of Tasveer Festival and CEO of Luminary Pictures (Seattle). Produced by India’s Oddjoint, the project is currently in post-production.
The film, shot across India and Bangladesh, tells the story of a young TikToker’s journey from zero to villain. Zewel wants to be a hero on Tiktok and already has 15,000 followers. He is a firestarter, a matchstick master who never misses a target. Living at the edge of an industrial wasteland in Bangladesh, Zewel and his brother Zibon, both daily-wage labourers, were planning to move to Qatar to join the booming influencer factories. But dreams come at a cost. As Zibon gets busted selling drugs, all doors...
Chorki has also boarded the project as a co-producer alongside Rita Meher, curator of Tasveer Festival and CEO of Luminary Pictures (Seattle). Produced by India’s Oddjoint, the project is currently in post-production.
The film, shot across India and Bangladesh, tells the story of a young TikToker’s journey from zero to villain. Zewel wants to be a hero on Tiktok and already has 15,000 followers. He is a firestarter, a matchstick master who never misses a target. Living at the edge of an industrial wasteland in Bangladesh, Zewel and his brother Zibon, both daily-wage labourers, were planning to move to Qatar to join the booming influencer factories. But dreams come at a cost. As Zibon gets busted selling drugs, all doors...
- 12/10/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is attending Mumbai Film Festival with feature-length drama Something Like An Autobiography, which is playing in the festival’s Icons: South Asia section after premiering in the Jiseok section at Busan.
The project is the first in a series of 12 films that Farooki is co-producing with Bangladeshi streaming platform Chorki, among which he will direct the first two installments, with other established and newcomer filmmakers from Bangladesh directing the other ten films. Farooki recently wrapped the second film in the series, Last Defenders Of Monogamy, starring Chanchal Chowdhury in the story of married man and father who finds his firm belief in monogamy being tested.
Farooki and his wife, actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha, both star in the first film in the anthology, playing a semi-autobiographical version of themselves – a husband-and-wife filmmaking couple trying for a baby after the wife has endured several years of being...
The project is the first in a series of 12 films that Farooki is co-producing with Bangladeshi streaming platform Chorki, among which he will direct the first two installments, with other established and newcomer filmmakers from Bangladesh directing the other ten films. Farooki recently wrapped the second film in the series, Last Defenders Of Monogamy, starring Chanchal Chowdhury in the story of married man and father who finds his firm belief in monogamy being tested.
Farooki and his wife, actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha, both star in the first film in the anthology, playing a semi-autobiographical version of themselves – a husband-and-wife filmmaking couple trying for a baby after the wife has endured several years of being...
- 11/4/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has wrapped his latest film “Last Defenders of Monogamy.”
The cast is headlined by popular Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury and Xefer Rahman and the cast also includes Samina Hussain Prema and Shuddho Rai.
The film follows Shafqat (Chowdhury), a father of two adolescents and a loving husband, who is a firm believer in the ideals of monogamy but the winds of change take a big test of his ideologies.
“Working with Farooki is always special. With ‘Last Defenders of Monogamy’ we have tried to break the prevalent streaming trends of sex and violence and have delivered something new. With this film we are creating a new, diverse space in streaming,” Chowdhury said.
The film is part of leading Bangladesh streamer Chorki’s 12-film “Ministry of Love” anthology. The first film in the anthology, Farooki and Nusrat Imrose Tisha’s “Something Like an Autobiography,” premiered at Busan earlier this month,...
The cast is headlined by popular Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury and Xefer Rahman and the cast also includes Samina Hussain Prema and Shuddho Rai.
The film follows Shafqat (Chowdhury), a father of two adolescents and a loving husband, who is a firm believer in the ideals of monogamy but the winds of change take a big test of his ideologies.
“Working with Farooki is always special. With ‘Last Defenders of Monogamy’ we have tried to break the prevalent streaming trends of sex and violence and have delivered something new. With this film we are creating a new, diverse space in streaming,” Chowdhury said.
The film is part of leading Bangladesh streamer Chorki’s 12-film “Ministry of Love” anthology. The first film in the anthology, Farooki and Nusrat Imrose Tisha’s “Something Like an Autobiography,” premiered at Busan earlier this month,...
- 10/28/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It was a weird year for Busan in terms of selection, particularly because this time, there were no definite masterpieces particularly among the Korean and Japanese titles, who are usually the source of this kind of films. At the same time, though, the industry seems to gradually pick up once more after the Covid impact, as one could find a really significant number of good and very good films in the selection, highlighting the progress of Asian cinema this year. Furthermore, the choice to focus on Indonesian cinema was an ideal one, considering that the future of Asian movies seems to lie, currently, somewhere among the Asean countries, particularly story-wise. Furthermore, the South Asian entries also were particularly strong this year, cementing what we just mentioned. Lastly, and in a trend that seems to be picking up during the last few years, the short selection seems even more interesting on occasion that the features…...
- 10/22/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Bangladesh is a vital presence at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival with three films in competition and a film at the Asian Project Market.
The current wave of Bangladeshi cinema was heralded by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Television,” which closed Busan in 2012. The festival has subsequently screened almost every major work emerging from the country.
Farooki’s latest effort “Something Like an Autobiography” plays in the festival’s Jiseok competition. Feature debutants Biplob Sarkar’s “The Stranger” and Iqbal H. Chowdhury’s “The Wrestlers” are in the New Currents competition for first or second features. Robiul Alam Robi’s “Suraiya” is selected for the Apm.
Like all cinema that successfully transcends national borders, this latest crop from Bangladesh is rooted in the local ethos but features themes that are universal. “Something Like an Autobiography,” for example, deals with themes of pregnancy alongside societal and political pressures on celebrities. “The Wrestler” marries sport,...
The current wave of Bangladeshi cinema was heralded by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Television,” which closed Busan in 2012. The festival has subsequently screened almost every major work emerging from the country.
Farooki’s latest effort “Something Like an Autobiography” plays in the festival’s Jiseok competition. Feature debutants Biplob Sarkar’s “The Stranger” and Iqbal H. Chowdhury’s “The Wrestlers” are in the New Currents competition for first or second features. Robiul Alam Robi’s “Suraiya” is selected for the Apm.
Like all cinema that successfully transcends national borders, this latest crop from Bangladesh is rooted in the local ethos but features themes that are universal. “Something Like an Autobiography,” for example, deals with themes of pregnancy alongside societal and political pressures on celebrities. “The Wrestler” marries sport,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The festival has dropped its international competition in favour of a South Asia focus.
The Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival has unveiled a South Asia-focused revamp for its first in-person event since 2019, set to run October 27 to November 5.
The festival has dropped its international and India Gold competitions and will launch its first South Asia competitive section as part of a new approach to become a hub for cinema and talent from the region and diaspora.
The 14 films in the South Asia Competition are from first and second-time filmmakers from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal as well as diaspora filmmakers from the UK and Germany,...
The Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival has unveiled a South Asia-focused revamp for its first in-person event since 2019, set to run October 27 to November 5.
The festival has dropped its international and India Gold competitions and will launch its first South Asia competitive section as part of a new approach to become a hub for cinema and talent from the region and diaspora.
The 14 films in the South Asia Competition are from first and second-time filmmakers from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal as well as diaspora filmmakers from the UK and Germany,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Mumbai Film Festival has announced a packed line-up of 250 films, including the 14 titles selected for its inaugural South Asia Competition, part of an expansion of the festival’s vision to become a hub for works from South Asia and South Asian diaspora talent.
Returning as an in-person event with backing from Reliance Jio, the festival will be based at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (Nmacc) with screenings taking place across eight venues and 20 screens in Mumbai. The 10-day festival, organized by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (Mami), will open with a glamorous red carpet event at Nmacc on October 27 and run until November 5, with the awards ceremony being held on November 3.
The South Asia Competition includes films from debut and second-time filmmakers from across India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, as well as diaspora filmmakers from the UK and Germany. Selected titles include Kanu Behl’s Agra, an India-France co-production that premiered at Cannes,...
Returning as an in-person event with backing from Reliance Jio, the festival will be based at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (Nmacc) with screenings taking place across eight venues and 20 screens in Mumbai. The 10-day festival, organized by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (Mami), will open with a glamorous red carpet event at Nmacc on October 27 and run until November 5, with the awards ceremony being held on November 3.
The South Asia Competition includes films from debut and second-time filmmakers from across India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, as well as diaspora filmmakers from the UK and Germany. Selected titles include Kanu Behl’s Agra, an India-France co-production that premiered at Cannes,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
After a three-year hiatus, the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival is returning with a larger lineup and an expanded focus on South Asian cinema.
The festival will feature 250 films including 40 world premieres, 45 Asia premieres and 70 South Asia Premieres. The opening and closing films have not been finalized yet.
The festival’s new vision is to become a hub for South Asian and South Asian diaspora cinema and talent and, in keeping with this, the main competition is for 14 films from the region. These include the world premieres of Leesa Gazi’s “A House Named Shahana” (Bangladesh-u.K.), Dibakar Das Roy’s “Dilli Dark” (India), Sumanth Bhat’s “Mithya” (India) and Fazil Razak’s “The Sentence” (India). The new focus will also include 46 non-competition films from South Asia.
The Icons South Asia strand features Anand Patwardhan’s Toronto title “The World is Family”; “Indi(r)a’s Emergency” by Vikramaditya Motwane...
The festival will feature 250 films including 40 world premieres, 45 Asia premieres and 70 South Asia Premieres. The opening and closing films have not been finalized yet.
The festival’s new vision is to become a hub for South Asian and South Asian diaspora cinema and talent and, in keeping with this, the main competition is for 14 films from the region. These include the world premieres of Leesa Gazi’s “A House Named Shahana” (Bangladesh-u.K.), Dibakar Das Roy’s “Dilli Dark” (India), Sumanth Bhat’s “Mithya” (India) and Fazil Razak’s “The Sentence” (India). The new focus will also include 46 non-competition films from South Asia.
The Icons South Asia strand features Anand Patwardhan’s Toronto title “The World is Family”; “Indi(r)a’s Emergency” by Vikramaditya Motwane...
- 10/9/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
A first trailer has been unveiled for Bangladeshi filmmakers Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Nusrat Imrose Tisha’s “Something Like an Autobiography.”
The film has its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, where it is in the prestigious Jiseok competition. The film follows Dhaka-based married couple, the filmmaker Farhan (Farooki) and actor Tithi (Tisha), who are under societal pressure to have a baby. Tithi conceives and towards the end of her pregnancy term an incident occurs that throws into sharp relief some realities of contemporary Bangladeshi society.
The title, a nod to Kurosawa Akira’s celebrated memoir, is also reflective of the real lives of Farooki and Tisha, a real-life celebrity couple who are the most recognized filmmaker and actor in Bangladesh, respectively.
Farooki previously directed and Tisha starred in “Television,” which closed Busan in 2012. More of the couple’s collaborations have played at Busan.
The screenplay of “Something...
The film has its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, where it is in the prestigious Jiseok competition. The film follows Dhaka-based married couple, the filmmaker Farhan (Farooki) and actor Tithi (Tisha), who are under societal pressure to have a baby. Tithi conceives and towards the end of her pregnancy term an incident occurs that throws into sharp relief some realities of contemporary Bangladeshi society.
The title, a nod to Kurosawa Akira’s celebrated memoir, is also reflective of the real lives of Farooki and Tisha, a real-life celebrity couple who are the most recognized filmmaker and actor in Bangladesh, respectively.
Farooki previously directed and Tisha starred in “Television,” which closed Busan in 2012. More of the couple’s collaborations have played at Busan.
The screenplay of “Something...
- 10/5/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Korea’s Busan International Film Festival has announced the ten films in this year’s New Currents competition line-up, along with ten films selected for its Jiseok Section. Both competition sections feature titles from Bangladesh’s vibrant young industry as well as from Japan.
New Currents, a section for first and second films by up-and-coming Asian filmmakers, features two films from Bangladesh – Biplob Sarkar’s The Stranger and Iqbal H. Chowdhury’s The Wrestler – which the festival noted showcase “the momentum of Bangladeshi cinema”.
The Stranger is described as a coming-of-age story navigating the journey of a family in which the young son grapples with questions about his gender identity. The Wrestler, a co-production between Bangladesh and Canada, tells the story of an elderly man from a fishing village who challenges a wrestling champion to combat.
Two Japanese titles have also been selected for New Currents – September 1923, about the Great...
New Currents, a section for first and second films by up-and-coming Asian filmmakers, features two films from Bangladesh – Biplob Sarkar’s The Stranger and Iqbal H. Chowdhury’s The Wrestler – which the festival noted showcase “the momentum of Bangladeshi cinema”.
The Stranger is described as a coming-of-age story navigating the journey of a family in which the young son grapples with questions about his gender identity. The Wrestler, a co-production between Bangladesh and Canada, tells the story of an elderly man from a fishing village who challenges a wrestling champion to combat.
Two Japanese titles have also been selected for New Currents – September 1923, about the Great...
- 8/30/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The New Currents and Jiseok selections include features from Japan, China, South Korea and Bangladesh among others.
The 28th Busan International Film Festival has revealed the titles selected for its New Currents and Jiseok strands, the festival’s competitive sections for Asian films.
Scroll down for full list
New Currents is for films by directors making their first or second works of fiction and comprises 10 titles from Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Bangladesh.
They include September 1923, which marks the fiction feature debut of Japanese director Tatsuya Mori and centres on the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. Mori is known as a documentary filmmaker,...
The 28th Busan International Film Festival has revealed the titles selected for its New Currents and Jiseok strands, the festival’s competitive sections for Asian films.
Scroll down for full list
New Currents is for films by directors making their first or second works of fiction and comprises 10 titles from Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Bangladesh.
They include September 1923, which marks the fiction feature debut of Japanese director Tatsuya Mori and centres on the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. Mori is known as a documentary filmmaker,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The main competition section of the Busan International Film Festival is set to showcase two new features from Bangladeshi directors, the feature debut of Japanese documentary maker Mori Tatsuya and ruminations on Hong Kong by mainland Chinese director Choi Ji.
The festival on Wednesday unveiled its New Currents competition section, reserved for films by directors making their first or second works of fiction, as well as its Jiseok section, a showcase for somewhat more established Asian auteurs.
In addition to the Bangladesh duo, New Currents includes two films from Japan, two from Korea and one each from China, Thailand, Malaysia and India.
From Bangladesh, Iqbal H. Chowdhury’s “The Wrestler” sees an old fisherman challenge a wrestling champion to combat, and in “The Stranger” Biplob Sarkar tells a coming-of-age, gender-identity tale.
From Japan, Mori recounts the events of the Great Kanto earthquake in “September 1923,” while Yamamoto Akira delves into profound...
The festival on Wednesday unveiled its New Currents competition section, reserved for films by directors making their first or second works of fiction, as well as its Jiseok section, a showcase for somewhat more established Asian auteurs.
In addition to the Bangladesh duo, New Currents includes two films from Japan, two from Korea and one each from China, Thailand, Malaysia and India.
From Bangladesh, Iqbal H. Chowdhury’s “The Wrestler” sees an old fisherman challenge a wrestling champion to combat, and in “The Stranger” Biplob Sarkar tells a coming-of-age, gender-identity tale.
From Japan, Mori recounts the events of the Great Kanto earthquake in “September 1923,” while Yamamoto Akira delves into profound...
- 8/30/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Initially launched in 2014, in Busan Special Project Market, “No Land's Man” proceeded on winning at Motion Pictures Association of America and Asia Pacific Screen Awards Film Fund and the Best Film Project Αward in Film Bazaar in India. It would be some years, however, before it saw the light of day, as this United States/India/Australia/Bangladesh co-production just premiered in Busan.
“No Land's Man” screened at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas
The film begins with Naveen, the protagonist, visiting a memorial park in Sydney with his girlfriend Cathy. Just before they leave, he asks her to wait for him to go to the bathroom, but never actually returns. A desperate Cathy searches for him all over, and eventually goes to the police to ask them to search for him. The story then moves in the past, picking up Naveen's story, from two years before, when he...
“No Land's Man” screened at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas
The film begins with Naveen, the protagonist, visiting a memorial park in Sydney with his girlfriend Cathy. Just before they leave, he asks her to wait for him to go to the bathroom, but never actually returns. A desperate Cathy searches for him all over, and eventually goes to the police to ask them to search for him. The story then moves in the past, picking up Naveen's story, from two years before, when he...
- 8/28/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is spearheading “Ministry of Love,” a 12-film anthology by the leading lights of the Bangladesh film industry for streamer Chorki.
The broad theme of the films will be love. Farooki, a celebrated filmmaker whose work including “Television,” “Saturday Afternoon” and “No Land’s Man,” has travelled to festivals worldwide, will co-produce the project on behalf of Chorki. He will also direct two of the 12 films.
“Something Like an Autobiography,” which Variety understands is heavily inspired from Farooki and his actor wife Nusrat Imrose Tisha’s personal life, is co-written by Tisha and Farooki and is co-produced by Anna Katchko, former Film Bazaar chief Nina Lath and Tisha. Farooki will also direct a project titled “Last Defenders of Monogamy.”
Couple Raka Noshin Nower (“Laugh Lines”) and Shangkha Dasgupta (“Guti”) will direct “50/50.” Redoan Rony (“Behind the Puppy”), filmmaker and CEO of Chorki, directs “Uki.” Abu Shahed Emon (Busan...
The broad theme of the films will be love. Farooki, a celebrated filmmaker whose work including “Television,” “Saturday Afternoon” and “No Land’s Man,” has travelled to festivals worldwide, will co-produce the project on behalf of Chorki. He will also direct two of the 12 films.
“Something Like an Autobiography,” which Variety understands is heavily inspired from Farooki and his actor wife Nusrat Imrose Tisha’s personal life, is co-written by Tisha and Farooki and is co-produced by Anna Katchko, former Film Bazaar chief Nina Lath and Tisha. Farooki will also direct a project titled “Last Defenders of Monogamy.”
Couple Raka Noshin Nower (“Laugh Lines”) and Shangkha Dasgupta (“Guti”) will direct “50/50.” Redoan Rony (“Behind the Puppy”), filmmaker and CEO of Chorki, directs “Uki.” Abu Shahed Emon (Busan...
- 8/3/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
SonyLIV has acquired exclusive streaming rights to acclaimed Bangladeshi films “Hawa” and “Saturday Afternoon” from Reliance Entertainment and Continental Entertainment Pte Ltd (Cepl).
Directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, “Hawa” follows the journey of an all-men team on a fishing trawler, whose routine is disrupted when they haul in a mysterious catch. The cast is led by hugely popular star Chanchal Chowdhury and includes Nazifa Tushi, Sariful Islam Razz, Sumon Anowar, Nasir Uddin Khan and Shohel Mondol. The film was Bangladesh’s entry to the Oscars and is one of the highest grossers from the country having also found distribution in India, Singapore and the Middle East. It will premiere July 7 on SonyLIV.
“Saturday Afternoon,” Bengali-and-English-language film directed by Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, takes its cue from the brutal terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, which took place on a quiet Saturday and left more than 20 people dead.
Directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, “Hawa” follows the journey of an all-men team on a fishing trawler, whose routine is disrupted when they haul in a mysterious catch. The cast is led by hugely popular star Chanchal Chowdhury and includes Nazifa Tushi, Sariful Islam Razz, Sumon Anowar, Nasir Uddin Khan and Shohel Mondol. The film was Bangladesh’s entry to the Oscars and is one of the highest grossers from the country having also found distribution in India, Singapore and the Middle East. It will premiere July 7 on SonyLIV.
“Saturday Afternoon,” Bengali-and-English-language film directed by Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, takes its cue from the brutal terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, which took place on a quiet Saturday and left more than 20 people dead.
- 6/30/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Singapore-based film marketing and distribution firm Continental Entertainment Pte. Ltd. (Cepl), which holds global distribution rights for Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Saturday Afternoon,” will release the film in the U.S. and Canada through Reliance Entertainment.
The Bengali-and-English-language film takes its cue from the brutal terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, which took place on a quiet Saturday afternoon and left more than 20 people dead. It had considerable festival play, winning awards at Fukuoka, Moscow and Vesoul.
The film was initially banned and had finally been cleared for release in January after a four year struggle with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board. However Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting appears to have taken a U turn and the situation remains fluid. Consequently, the film will open in the U.S. and Canada on March 10 before its Bangladesh release. It will also be released...
The Bengali-and-English-language film takes its cue from the brutal terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, which took place on a quiet Saturday afternoon and left more than 20 people dead. It had considerable festival play, winning awards at Fukuoka, Moscow and Vesoul.
The film was initially banned and had finally been cleared for release in January after a four year struggle with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board. However Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting appears to have taken a U turn and the situation remains fluid. Consequently, the film will open in the U.S. and Canada on March 10 before its Bangladesh release. It will also be released...
- 2/21/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
India’s Reliance Entertainment, a producer on Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” has pacted with T-Series and Anubhav Sinha’s Benaras Mediaworks to distribute Sudhir Mishra’s “Afwaah,” Sinha’s “Bheed” and Hansal Mehta’s “Faraaz” internationally.
First up is Mehta’s hostage drama “Faraaz,” starring Zahan Kapoor, Aditya Rawal, Juhi Babbar Soni, which releases Feb. 3. The film, which had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, unfolds over one night and is based on an incident in July 2016, where armed gunmen held up customers at the Holey Artisan Bakery, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for 12 hours, before killing 20 of them and two of the bakery staff.
Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Saturday Afternoon,” based on the same incident, was recently cleared for release after a four-year struggle with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board.
Next up is Sudhir Mishra’s thriller “Afwaah,” starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bhumi Pednekar, Sumeet Vyas and Sharib Hashmi.
First up is Mehta’s hostage drama “Faraaz,” starring Zahan Kapoor, Aditya Rawal, Juhi Babbar Soni, which releases Feb. 3. The film, which had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, unfolds over one night and is based on an incident in July 2016, where armed gunmen held up customers at the Holey Artisan Bakery, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for 12 hours, before killing 20 of them and two of the bakery staff.
Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Saturday Afternoon,” based on the same incident, was recently cleared for release after a four-year struggle with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board.
Next up is Sudhir Mishra’s thriller “Afwaah,” starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bhumi Pednekar, Sumeet Vyas and Sharib Hashmi.
- 2/3/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Saturday Afternoon” has finally been cleared for release after a four year struggle with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board.
The Bengali-and-English-language film takes its cue from the brutal terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, which took place on a quiet Saturday afternoon and left more than 20 people dead. It had considerable festival play, winning awards at Fukuoka, Moscow and Vesoul.
However, the Bangladesh Film Censor Board banned the film. “The board did not sanction permission for the movie’s exhibition, both at home or abroad, as it would disrupt internal security and also tarnish the country’s global image,” the censor board’s then vice chairman Nizamul Kabir had told Afp.
Farooki began a long campaign to get the film cleared for release. Meanwhile, he also made his next film, “No Land’s Man.” The efforts intensified when it emerged that Hansal Mehta’s “Faraaz,...
The Bengali-and-English-language film takes its cue from the brutal terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, which took place on a quiet Saturday afternoon and left more than 20 people dead. It had considerable festival play, winning awards at Fukuoka, Moscow and Vesoul.
However, the Bangladesh Film Censor Board banned the film. “The board did not sanction permission for the movie’s exhibition, both at home or abroad, as it would disrupt internal security and also tarnish the country’s global image,” the censor board’s then vice chairman Nizamul Kabir had told Afp.
Farooki began a long campaign to get the film cleared for release. Meanwhile, he also made his next film, “No Land’s Man.” The efforts intensified when it emerged that Hansal Mehta’s “Faraaz,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
by Fahmidul Haq
The Cinema of Bangladesh continues its renewed vibrance in 2022 which began in the last year. In this post-pandemic year, Bangladeshi theaters were hit by two blockbusters – “Hawa” and “Poran”. These two films also got global theatrical release in the USA, the UK, Australia and in a few more countries, primarily targeting the diaspora Bangladeshis which is also a new phenomenon established by these two films.
This year some films earned critical acclaim too by winning awards in Moscow, Austin and Kolkata. Among the selected 10 films, at least three are made by debutant directors, which signifies that a bunch of upcoming directors with the previous ones will ensure the decade of 2020s as the new wave of Bangladeshi Cinema. However, restrictive censor codes are barriers here and director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki was found outspoken this year in the process of prolonged censor battle for his film Shonibar Bikel...
The Cinema of Bangladesh continues its renewed vibrance in 2022 which began in the last year. In this post-pandemic year, Bangladeshi theaters were hit by two blockbusters – “Hawa” and “Poran”. These two films also got global theatrical release in the USA, the UK, Australia and in a few more countries, primarily targeting the diaspora Bangladeshis which is also a new phenomenon established by these two films.
This year some films earned critical acclaim too by winning awards in Moscow, Austin and Kolkata. Among the selected 10 films, at least three are made by debutant directors, which signifies that a bunch of upcoming directors with the previous ones will ensure the decade of 2020s as the new wave of Bangladeshi Cinema. However, restrictive censor codes are barriers here and director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki was found outspoken this year in the process of prolonged censor battle for his film Shonibar Bikel...
- 1/6/2023
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s “Hawa,” Bangladesh’s submission to the Oscars’ international feature category, is getting distribution in India.
The film follows the journey of an all-men team on a fishing trawler, whose routine is disrupted when they haul in a mysterious catch. The cast is led by hugely popular star Chanchal Chowdhury and includes Nazifa Tushi, Sariful Islam Razz, Sumon Anowar, Nasir Uddin Khan and Shohel Mondol. It is produced by Sun Music & Motion Pictures Limited and Facecard Productions.
“Hawa” released in Bangladesh in July and proved to be one of the biggest hits of the year. It will be released in India by Singapore entity Continental Entertainment Private Limited (Cepl) via Reliance Entertainment. Cepl released the film in Singapore successfully and holds distribution rights for China, Europe and also the Middle East, where it is set for a Jan. 2023, release.
The Bengali-language film will release on Dec. 16, 2022 in Bengali-speaking Kolkata and West Bengal,...
The film follows the journey of an all-men team on a fishing trawler, whose routine is disrupted when they haul in a mysterious catch. The cast is led by hugely popular star Chanchal Chowdhury and includes Nazifa Tushi, Sariful Islam Razz, Sumon Anowar, Nasir Uddin Khan and Shohel Mondol. It is produced by Sun Music & Motion Pictures Limited and Facecard Productions.
“Hawa” released in Bangladesh in July and proved to be one of the biggest hits of the year. It will be released in India by Singapore entity Continental Entertainment Private Limited (Cepl) via Reliance Entertainment. Cepl released the film in Singapore successfully and holds distribution rights for China, Europe and also the Middle East, where it is set for a Jan. 2023, release.
The Bengali-language film will release on Dec. 16, 2022 in Bengali-speaking Kolkata and West Bengal,...
- 12/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
India’s Reliance Entertainment and Singapore-based Continental Entertainment Private Limited (Cepl) are releasing Bangladesh’s Oscars submission Hawa (Wind) across India, marking the first time ever that a purely Bangladeshi film has received a wide pan-India release.
The fantasy thriller, directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, will be released in Kolkata and the state of West Bengal on December 16, coinciding with Bangladesh’s Victory Day national holiday, followed by a release in several cities across India from December 30.
Produced by Sun Music and Motion Pictures, the film was released in Bangladesh theatres on July 29, where it is still playing in theatres more than four months later. Filmed at sea during the pandemic, it tells the story of a group of fishermen who find a beautiful creature under the sea.
Cepl acquired rights to the film for India, Singapore, Middle East and Europe, and has so far also released it theatrically in Singapore.
The fantasy thriller, directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, will be released in Kolkata and the state of West Bengal on December 16, coinciding with Bangladesh’s Victory Day national holiday, followed by a release in several cities across India from December 30.
Produced by Sun Music and Motion Pictures, the film was released in Bangladesh theatres on July 29, where it is still playing in theatres more than four months later. Filmed at sea during the pandemic, it tells the story of a group of fishermen who find a beautiful creature under the sea.
Cepl acquired rights to the film for India, Singapore, Middle East and Europe, and has so far also released it theatrically in Singapore.
- 12/14/2022
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Chorki, one of the leaders in Bangladesh’s fiercely competitive Bengali-language streaming landscape, has revealed a strong 2023 slate.
The 25-strong lineup is director-driven, helmed by 25 of the leading lights of the Bangladesh industry. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (“No Land’s Man”), leads the slate with “Ministry of Love,” details of which are under wraps at the moment. Abdullah Mohammad Saad, whose “Rehana” was at Cannes and Busan in 2021, also has an under wraps projects in the lineup.
Abu Shahed Emon (“Jalal’s Story”) has thriller “Mercules” in the works for Chorki, where a woman must find out if the love of her life and father of her unborn child is a rapist.
In Syed Ahmed Shawki’s period drama “Bypass,” set amid the 1971 Bangladesh war of independence, two young riders set on a motorcycle journey throughout the battle-scarred countryside witnessing the conflict’s effects on common people.
Robiyul Alam Robi’s...
The 25-strong lineup is director-driven, helmed by 25 of the leading lights of the Bangladesh industry. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (“No Land’s Man”), leads the slate with “Ministry of Love,” details of which are under wraps at the moment. Abdullah Mohammad Saad, whose “Rehana” was at Cannes and Busan in 2021, also has an under wraps projects in the lineup.
Abu Shahed Emon (“Jalal’s Story”) has thriller “Mercules” in the works for Chorki, where a woman must find out if the love of her life and father of her unborn child is a rapist.
In Syed Ahmed Shawki’s period drama “Bypass,” set amid the 1971 Bangladesh war of independence, two young riders set on a motorcycle journey throughout the battle-scarred countryside witnessing the conflict’s effects on common people.
Robiyul Alam Robi’s...
- 10/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Zahan Kapoor debuts as the lead in “Faraaz,” which has its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival’s Thrill strand.
The film is based on based on an incident in July 2016, where armed gunmen held up customers at the Holey Artisan Bakery, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for 12 hours, before killing 20 of them and two of the bakery staff. Two police officers and five of the gunmen died in a shootout.
“Faraaz” is directed by Hansal Mehta (“Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story”) and produced by T-Series, part of its 100-film slate, Anubhav Sinha’s Benaras Mediaworks (“Article 15”) and Mahana Films.
“It means the world to me to have the backing of stalwart filmmakers for my very first film – it has been nothing short of a privilege working alongside them and the rest of the crew. I think everyone really believed in Hansal Mehta’s vision and gave it their...
The film is based on based on an incident in July 2016, where armed gunmen held up customers at the Holey Artisan Bakery, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for 12 hours, before killing 20 of them and two of the bakery staff. Two police officers and five of the gunmen died in a shootout.
“Faraaz” is directed by Hansal Mehta (“Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story”) and produced by T-Series, part of its 100-film slate, Anubhav Sinha’s Benaras Mediaworks (“Article 15”) and Mahana Films.
“It means the world to me to have the backing of stalwart filmmakers for my very first film – it has been nothing short of a privilege working alongside them and the rest of the crew. I think everyone really believed in Hansal Mehta’s vision and gave it their...
- 10/12/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
by Fahmidul Haq
Bollywood is the flag-bearer of South Asian Cinema to the global audience. Bollywood produces films in Hindi language, with its signature song and dance numbers with the aesthetic values of Bhabas and Rasas evident in Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra (see Massey 1992). The industry evolved in the late-1990s with the films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hay (1998), Taal (1998) and many more. These films are produced in a liberalized and free market, with hybrid cultural values of both Indianness and global, by targeting NRIs as potential spectators (and satisfying the local audience too). The storyline often travels to European or American cities, however the characters always remain Indian by heart. In 1998, the government declared to give movies an ‘industry status’, and foreign equity was allowed up to 100 in production and distribution in 1999. Rajadhaykhsya (2003) describes this whole process as ‘the Bollywoodization’ and he observed that the...
Bollywood is the flag-bearer of South Asian Cinema to the global audience. Bollywood produces films in Hindi language, with its signature song and dance numbers with the aesthetic values of Bhabas and Rasas evident in Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra (see Massey 1992). The industry evolved in the late-1990s with the films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hay (1998), Taal (1998) and many more. These films are produced in a liberalized and free market, with hybrid cultural values of both Indianness and global, by targeting NRIs as potential spectators (and satisfying the local audience too). The storyline often travels to European or American cities, however the characters always remain Indian by heart. In 1998, the government declared to give movies an ‘industry status’, and foreign equity was allowed up to 100 in production and distribution in 1999. Rajadhaykhsya (2003) describes this whole process as ‘the Bollywoodization’ and he observed that the...
- 8/19/2022
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Festivals
A trio of global festival favorites — Pan Nalin‘s “Last Film Show,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki‘s “No Land’s Man” and Gurvinder Singh‘s “Crescent Night” (“Adh Chanani Raat”) — will open the 11th edition of the Bmo International Film Festival of South Asia (Iffsa), Toronto (Aug. 11-21). The festival is in-person at venues across the Greater Toronto area, featuring 120 features and shorts in 22 languages and some 40 masterclasses, workshops and special events.
Program highlights include “The Orphanage,” “Pedro,” “Once Upon A Time In Calcutta,” “Dug Dug,” “Palyad,” “Shoebox,” “No Ground Beneath the Feet,” “Deep6,” “Gandhi & Company” and “Invisible Demons” and there are world premieres for “Range Road 290” and “Anatomy of a Warrior.” Guests of honor this year are “Halo” actor Shabana Azmi and eminent screenwriter, poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar (“Silsila”) and well-known South Asian industry figures present at the festival include opening film directors Farooki and Singh, filmmakers Anup Singh...
A trio of global festival favorites — Pan Nalin‘s “Last Film Show,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki‘s “No Land’s Man” and Gurvinder Singh‘s “Crescent Night” (“Adh Chanani Raat”) — will open the 11th edition of the Bmo International Film Festival of South Asia (Iffsa), Toronto (Aug. 11-21). The festival is in-person at venues across the Greater Toronto area, featuring 120 features and shorts in 22 languages and some 40 masterclasses, workshops and special events.
Program highlights include “The Orphanage,” “Pedro,” “Once Upon A Time In Calcutta,” “Dug Dug,” “Palyad,” “Shoebox,” “No Ground Beneath the Feet,” “Deep6,” “Gandhi & Company” and “Invisible Demons” and there are world premieres for “Range Road 290” and “Anatomy of a Warrior.” Guests of honor this year are “Halo” actor Shabana Azmi and eminent screenwriter, poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar (“Silsila”) and well-known South Asian industry figures present at the festival include opening film directors Farooki and Singh, filmmakers Anup Singh...
- 7/19/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Lukas Dhont’s “Close,” which won the Grand Prix in Cannes last month, picked up the Sydney Film Prize, the top prize at the Sydney Film Festival, on Sunday evening.
Accepting the award via video message Dhont said: “It’s a film that comes from our hearts, that we worked on for a lot of years with many people.”
The international jury consisted of Australian actor David Wenham, Australian director Jennifer Peedom, writer-director-producer Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Bangladesh), Berlin Golden Bear winner Semih Kaplanoglu (Turkey), and the executive director of the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute in Tokyo, Yuka Sakano (Japan). Twelve titles in the official competition included Carla Simon’s “Alcarras”, Hlynur Palmason’s “Godland”, Colm Bairead’s “The Quiet Girl” and Del Kathryn Barton’s “Blaze.” The winner is awarded AUD60,000.
Australian filmmaker Luke Cornish was presented with the Documentary Australia Award’s AUD10,000 cash prize for “Keep Stepping,” a...
Accepting the award via video message Dhont said: “It’s a film that comes from our hearts, that we worked on for a lot of years with many people.”
The international jury consisted of Australian actor David Wenham, Australian director Jennifer Peedom, writer-director-producer Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Bangladesh), Berlin Golden Bear winner Semih Kaplanoglu (Turkey), and the executive director of the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute in Tokyo, Yuka Sakano (Japan). Twelve titles in the official competition included Carla Simon’s “Alcarras”, Hlynur Palmason’s “Godland”, Colm Bairead’s “The Quiet Girl” and Del Kathryn Barton’s “Blaze.” The winner is awarded AUD60,000.
Australian filmmaker Luke Cornish was presented with the Documentary Australia Award’s AUD10,000 cash prize for “Keep Stepping,” a...
- 6/19/2022
- by Katherine Tulich
- Variety Film + TV
Top Bangladeshi actor Nusrat Imrose Tisha is in Cannes to promote her new film “Mujib: The Making of a Nation.” A trailer for the film, a biopic of the late Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was unveiled at the Cannes Film Market.
Popularly known as Bangabandhu (friend of Bengal), Rahman was one of the founders of the Awami League party and led the movement for political autonomy for East Pakistan and the subsequent formation of independent Bangladesh in 1971. He served as the first president and then the first prime minister of Bangladesh until he, his wife and sons were assassinated in an army coup in 1975. His daughter Sheikh Hasina is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Arifin Shuvoo, best actor winner at the Bangladesh National Film Awards for “Dhaka Attack,” plays Rahman. Tisha plays his wife Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
“Everyone knows about Bangabandhu, but many people don’t know about Fazilatunnesa,...
Popularly known as Bangabandhu (friend of Bengal), Rahman was one of the founders of the Awami League party and led the movement for political autonomy for East Pakistan and the subsequent formation of independent Bangladesh in 1971. He served as the first president and then the first prime minister of Bangladesh until he, his wife and sons were assassinated in an army coup in 1975. His daughter Sheikh Hasina is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Arifin Shuvoo, best actor winner at the Bangladesh National Film Awards for “Dhaka Attack,” plays Rahman. Tisha plays his wife Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
“Everyone knows about Bangabandhu, but many people don’t know about Fazilatunnesa,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
India is the country of honor at the Cannes Film Market and consequently a massive contingent from the country is descending upon the Croisette. Variety understands that some 400 attendees are winging their way from India, and that French embassies across the country were working at capacity to issue visas.
That stands in contrast with the attendance from other parts of Asia, further East. Attendance of participants from Hong Kong and China is massively down compared with pre-covid times. Korean companies are back in respectable numbers, with some attending a physical market outside their home country for the first time in over two years. The solid attendance of Korean executives also reflects the selection of Korean films across multiple sections of the festival.
“I’m very excited to be back in Cannes, it has been three years for us,” said Danny Lee, senior manager at Contents Panda, part of the Next Entertainment World studio.
That stands in contrast with the attendance from other parts of Asia, further East. Attendance of participants from Hong Kong and China is massively down compared with pre-covid times. Korean companies are back in respectable numbers, with some attending a physical market outside their home country for the first time in over two years. The solid attendance of Korean executives also reflects the selection of Korean films across multiple sections of the festival.
“I’m very excited to be back in Cannes, it has been three years for us,” said Danny Lee, senior manager at Contents Panda, part of the Next Entertainment World studio.
- 5/18/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The London Indian Film Festival (Liff), is back for its 13th year and we have a sneak peek into the exciting films that will be showcased at the prestigious festival! This year’s Liff spans 14 days from 23rd June – 6th July, screening in various cinemas across London as well as regionally in Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds. Plus the BFI Player will host a selection of short films. Plus there will be films available at LoveLIFFatHome.com but more to come on that later.
As with every year, the festival strives to bring thought-provoking, unique viewpoints and outstanding independent films to audiences with the selection of films Liff brings to the screen. Not only featuring world premieres, and special screenings, Liff also features masterclasses and incredible Q&a events after the screenings. Liff brings an in-depth look into cinema.
Festival Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE says, “We are delighted at the...
As with every year, the festival strives to bring thought-provoking, unique viewpoints and outstanding independent films to audiences with the selection of films Liff brings to the screen. Not only featuring world premieres, and special screenings, Liff also features masterclasses and incredible Q&a events after the screenings. Liff brings an in-depth look into cinema.
Festival Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE says, “We are delighted at the...
- 5/12/2022
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Anurag Kashyap’s “Dobaaraa” has been set as the opening night film of the London Indian Film Festival. Despite its name, the festival will play at venues across the U.K., and will present 24 features and 18 shorts.
“Dobaaraa” is a supernatural thriller that Liff describes as involving a young woman trapped between two lives in different decades. Kashyap has previously told Variety that “Dobaaraa” is a Hindi-language adaptation of Oriol Paulo’s 2018 Spanish-language film “Mirage.” It stars Taapsee Pannu, an actor known for her eclectic choice of projects.
In “Mirage,” a 12-year-old boy witnesses a death during a thunderstorm and is killed himself. Twenty-five years later the woman who moves into the same apartment is connected to the boy through a television set during a similar storm and has the opportunity to save his life.
“Dobaaraa” was produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa R Kapoor, through Cult Movies, a new...
“Dobaaraa” is a supernatural thriller that Liff describes as involving a young woman trapped between two lives in different decades. Kashyap has previously told Variety that “Dobaaraa” is a Hindi-language adaptation of Oriol Paulo’s 2018 Spanish-language film “Mirage.” It stars Taapsee Pannu, an actor known for her eclectic choice of projects.
In “Mirage,” a 12-year-old boy witnesses a death during a thunderstorm and is killed himself. Twenty-five years later the woman who moves into the same apartment is connected to the boy through a television set during a similar storm and has the opportunity to save his life.
“Dobaaraa” was produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa R Kapoor, through Cult Movies, a new...
- 5/10/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
During the last few years, and through an acquaintance made possible by Mostafa Sarwar Farooki, I had the pleasure of getting to know Professor Fahmidul Haq, discuss with him a bit about Bangladeshi cinema, and also feature his writings in Asian Movie Pulse. Thus, it was very interesting for me to read and review his first book in English, but also a challenge, as it is always the case when you review the works of someone you know. Let us take a closer, and hopefully, objective look at the book however.
on Amazon
The “story”, after highlighting the concept of “brief” mentioned in the title as a panoramic view on local cinema, begins with some general facts about the current situation of the industry, as much as audience tendencies regarding motion pictures. The next chapter deals extensively with the beginning of Bangladeshi cinema, a topic that is...
on Amazon
The “story”, after highlighting the concept of “brief” mentioned in the title as a panoramic view on local cinema, begins with some general facts about the current situation of the industry, as much as audience tendencies regarding motion pictures. The next chapter deals extensively with the beginning of Bangladeshi cinema, a topic that is...
- 4/2/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Bangladeshi cinema seems to be experiencing a significant bloom in the last few years. Starting with the constant presence of Mostofa Sarwar Farooki in the festival circuit, and continuing with a number of directors that have been making a splash lately, such as Abdullah Mohammad Saad, Kamar Ahmad Simon, Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, and Mahde Hasan, the presence of local cinema is increasing as much as the quality of the country’s productions. Mohammad Rabby Mridha comes to add his name to the aforementioned, with his debut work, “No Ground Beneath the Feet”.
No Ground Beneath the Feet is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The story focuses on Saiful, an impoverished ambulance driver, who finds himself in an impossible situation, as he has migrated to Dhaka to earn the livelihood of his and his family. His days in the city had not allowed him to avoid temptation,...
No Ground Beneath the Feet is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The story focuses on Saiful, an impoverished ambulance driver, who finds himself in an impossible situation, as he has migrated to Dhaka to earn the livelihood of his and his family. His days in the city had not allowed him to avoid temptation,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The Osaka Asian Film Festival has unveiled its biggest ever program – a total of 76 films – to unspool next month.
Its competition section includes the acclaimed Korean debut film “Aloners,” which offers an exacting critique of the alienating effects upon life of modern capitalist economies; Hong Kong biopic “Anita”; the world premiere of “Angry Son,” which combines LGBT and mixed race themes in a heartwarming comedy; Kong Dashan’s new take on “Journey to the West,” as a ragtag group of people on a UFO hunt; “Mama’s Affair,” the second film by Kearen Pang, whose 2017 debut “29+1” won Osaka’s audience award, “No Land’s Man” from Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and festival circuit hit “Barbarian Invasion.”
The spotlight section includes ten titles. Among them are “The Ground Beneath her Feet” from Bangladesh’s Mohammad Rabby Mridha; “A Room of Her own” from China’s Xie Yiran; and Carlo Francisco Manatad’s “Whether the Weather is Fine.
Its competition section includes the acclaimed Korean debut film “Aloners,” which offers an exacting critique of the alienating effects upon life of modern capitalist economies; Hong Kong biopic “Anita”; the world premiere of “Angry Son,” which combines LGBT and mixed race themes in a heartwarming comedy; Kong Dashan’s new take on “Journey to the West,” as a ragtag group of people on a UFO hunt; “Mama’s Affair,” the second film by Kearen Pang, whose 2017 debut “29+1” won Osaka’s audience award, “No Land’s Man” from Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and festival circuit hit “Barbarian Invasion.”
The spotlight section includes ten titles. Among them are “The Ground Beneath her Feet” from Bangladesh’s Mohammad Rabby Mridha; “A Room of Her own” from China’s Xie Yiran; and Carlo Francisco Manatad’s “Whether the Weather is Fine.
- 2/17/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Producer Shrihari Sathe of New York-based production company Dialectic is enjoying the best time of his life, with no less than three of his projects, each completely different in style, genre and tone, being selected at A-list festivals.
The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.
The “Stay Awake” cast includes Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz. “Prescription drug and opioid addiction is a global problem.
The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.
The “Stay Awake” cast includes Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz. “Prescription drug and opioid addiction is a global problem.
- 2/12/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Here are all the winners of the 28th Vesoul Iff Asian Cinemas that took place from the 1st to the 8th of February in Vesoul, France.
Honorary Golden Cyclo:
(offered by the Agglomeration Community and the city of Vesoul)
Mrs. Leila Hatami, actress, Iran for her entire career, and Mr. Kôji Fukada, director, Japan for the all of his work.
Cyclo D’Or:
(offered by the Regional Council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), International Jury: President: Ms. Leila Hatami, actress (Iran), members: Ms. Suha Arraf, director (Palestine), Ms. Tran Bich Quan, distributor, producer (France), Mr. Zig Dulay, director (Philippines)
Yanagawa by Zhang Lu (China) Beautiful, strong images, based on a powerful and perfectly told story, lead us to the discovery of brotherly relationship and love
Grand Jury Prize:
Along The Sea by Fujimoto Akio (Japan) Exposing a calm, restful nature on the one hand, harsh and merciless on the other, the film confronts...
Honorary Golden Cyclo:
(offered by the Agglomeration Community and the city of Vesoul)
Mrs. Leila Hatami, actress, Iran for her entire career, and Mr. Kôji Fukada, director, Japan for the all of his work.
Cyclo D’Or:
(offered by the Regional Council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), International Jury: President: Ms. Leila Hatami, actress (Iran), members: Ms. Suha Arraf, director (Palestine), Ms. Tran Bich Quan, distributor, producer (France), Mr. Zig Dulay, director (Philippines)
Yanagawa by Zhang Lu (China) Beautiful, strong images, based on a powerful and perfectly told story, lead us to the discovery of brotherly relationship and love
Grand Jury Prize:
Along The Sea by Fujimoto Akio (Japan) Exposing a calm, restful nature on the one hand, harsh and merciless on the other, the film confronts...
- 2/9/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Zhang Lu’s “Yanagawa” (China), Hong Sung-eun’s “Aloners” (South Korea) and Fujimoto Akio’s “Along the Sea” (Japan/Vietnam) were among the top award winners at France’s Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas.
“Yanagawa,” which opened the 2021 Pingyao Film Festival, won the Golden Cyclo, the festival’s top honor awarded by the international jury. “Aloners,” which has previously won awards at Jeonju and Torino, won the international jury prize and the Netpac jury award.
The grand jury prize went to San Sebastian, Tokyo and Fajr player “Along the Sea,” which also won the festival’s critic’s choice award and the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Inalco) jury prize. The Inalco jury also recognized Da Fei’s “The Coffin Painter” (China).
The international jury accorded special mentions to Chung Mong-Hong’s Venice selection “The Falls” (Taiwan), Brillante Mendoza’s Busan Kim Ji Seok Award winner...
“Yanagawa,” which opened the 2021 Pingyao Film Festival, won the Golden Cyclo, the festival’s top honor awarded by the international jury. “Aloners,” which has previously won awards at Jeonju and Torino, won the international jury prize and the Netpac jury award.
The grand jury prize went to San Sebastian, Tokyo and Fajr player “Along the Sea,” which also won the festival’s critic’s choice award and the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Inalco) jury prize. The Inalco jury also recognized Da Fei’s “The Coffin Painter” (China).
The international jury accorded special mentions to Chung Mong-Hong’s Venice selection “The Falls” (Taiwan), Brillante Mendoza’s Busan Kim Ji Seok Award winner...
- 2/8/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
France’s Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas kicks off Feb. 1 with a gala screening of Iranian auteur Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s 2001 Cannes winner “Kandahar” and will conclude on Feb. 8 with Kazakhstan filmmaker Yerlan Nurmukhambetov’s “The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time.”
The guest of honor at the festival’s 28th edition will be Japanese filmmaker Fukada Koji, who will be presented with an Honorary Cyclo at the opening ceremony. All 10 of Fukada’s features and four shorts will be presented at Vesoul, marking the first complete retrospective for the filmmaker. In all, 20 films from Japan will play at the festival, including Nakano Ryota’s “The Asadas” and Miyazaki Hayao’s “My Neighbor Totoro.”
The festival also pays tribute to Chinese master Xie Fei, whose masterpiece “Woman Sesame Oil Maker” won the Berlin Golden Bear in 1993.
This year, the international competition jury is presided over by Leila Hatami, Berlin Silver...
The guest of honor at the festival’s 28th edition will be Japanese filmmaker Fukada Koji, who will be presented with an Honorary Cyclo at the opening ceremony. All 10 of Fukada’s features and four shorts will be presented at Vesoul, marking the first complete retrospective for the filmmaker. In all, 20 films from Japan will play at the festival, including Nakano Ryota’s “The Asadas” and Miyazaki Hayao’s “My Neighbor Totoro.”
The festival also pays tribute to Chinese master Xie Fei, whose masterpiece “Woman Sesame Oil Maker” won the Berlin Golden Bear in 1993.
This year, the international competition jury is presided over by Leila Hatami, Berlin Silver...
- 2/1/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
by Fahmidul Haq
Tareque Masud’s “Matir Moina” (2002) was the first film from Bangladesh that was screened in Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight section and won the Fipresci award jointly with Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention”. But it is Abdullah Mohammad Saad’s second feature “Rehana Maryam Noor”, the first film from the South Asian cinephile nation to be officially selected at Cannes, competing in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category. The director of the film also bagged the Jury Grand Prize from Asia-Pacific Screen Award where the lead actress Azmeri Haque Badhon earned the award of the Best Performance by an Actress. Badhon was also included in the short list of ‘Variety’s International Breakout Stars of 2021’. Bangladeshi actors Chanchal Chowdhury, Mosharraf Karim and Badhon have expanded their stardom in 2021 by acting in web series released in Indian OTTs. Jaya Ahsan continued her already established acting career both in Dhaka and Kolkata-based Indian industry.
Tareque Masud’s “Matir Moina” (2002) was the first film from Bangladesh that was screened in Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight section and won the Fipresci award jointly with Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention”. But it is Abdullah Mohammad Saad’s second feature “Rehana Maryam Noor”, the first film from the South Asian cinephile nation to be officially selected at Cannes, competing in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category. The director of the film also bagged the Jury Grand Prize from Asia-Pacific Screen Award where the lead actress Azmeri Haque Badhon earned the award of the Best Performance by an Actress. Badhon was also included in the short list of ‘Variety’s International Breakout Stars of 2021’. Bangladeshi actors Chanchal Chowdhury, Mosharraf Karim and Badhon have expanded their stardom in 2021 by acting in web series released in Indian OTTs. Jaya Ahsan continued her already established acting career both in Dhaka and Kolkata-based Indian industry.
- 1/31/2022
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is a Bangladeshi film director, screenwriter and film producer. Farooki is considered one of the leading figures to bring modernism/realism in Bangladeshi Cinema, those who have bridged the gap between escapism and reality. Farooki’s body of work address such themes as middle class angst, urban youth romance, deception-hypocrisy and frailty of individual, frustration about the confines of one’s culture and conservative Muslim concepts of guilt and redemption. Following the rather succcesful “Saturday Afternoon” Farooki shot his first Ott title, “Ladies and Gentlemen”. His latest work, “No Land’s Man”, premiered in Busan International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Kim Jiseok Award, and is screening this month in Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
On this occasion, we speak with him about the premiere, shooting in the US and Australia, lying, racism and imigration, his previous works, and many other topics.
“No Land’s Man” just premiered in Busan.
On this occasion, we speak with him about the premiere, shooting in the US and Australia, lying, racism and imigration, his previous works, and many other topics.
“No Land’s Man” just premiered in Busan.
- 11/19/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Leah Purcell is the first Australian to be awarded the Jury Grand Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) after being recognised for The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson.
A total of ten films from 11 countries triumphed at the 14th Apsa Ceremony tonight, which was presented from Hota (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast.
A re-imagining of the Henry Lawson short story, The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson follows a woman and her stubborn determination to protect her family from the harshness of life in the 1893 Snowy Mountains.
Purcell wrote directed, starred in, and co-produced the project, which was adapted from her stageplay of the same name.
The Apsa international jury said the final product represented “not only an artist’s total dedication to her craft but also a spirited act of courage and tenacity”.
“The Drover’s Wife is a film that quickly...
A total of ten films from 11 countries triumphed at the 14th Apsa Ceremony tonight, which was presented from Hota (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast.
A re-imagining of the Henry Lawson short story, The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson follows a woman and her stubborn determination to protect her family from the harshness of life in the 1893 Snowy Mountains.
Purcell wrote directed, starred in, and co-produced the project, which was adapted from her stageplay of the same name.
The Apsa international jury said the final product represented “not only an artist’s total dedication to her craft but also a spirited act of courage and tenacity”.
“The Drover’s Wife is a film that quickly...
- 11/11/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
The 25th edition of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is about to kick off, and between 12-28 of November the audience will have the oportunity to watch a great number of films from Asia, strewn across festival’s various program sections, including all competition segments. We went through the complete program and counted no more or less than 69 films from the broader Asian region.
Quite surprising is the amount of competition titles in the main selection, with three world premieres, four international. Lu ZHang’s “Yanagawa” will have its European premiere at PÖFF.
Yerzhanov returns to Tallinn a year after he presented two films at the festival, the main competition title “Ulbolsyn” about a woman who comes to a Kazhak village to “steer trouble”, and the oddball comedy “Yellow Cat” screened in the Current Waves program. Kirill Sokolov is also back two years after the premiere of his critically acclaimed...
Quite surprising is the amount of competition titles in the main selection, with three world premieres, four international. Lu ZHang’s “Yanagawa” will have its European premiere at PÖFF.
Yerzhanov returns to Tallinn a year after he presented two films at the festival, the main competition title “Ulbolsyn” about a woman who comes to a Kazhak village to “steer trouble”, and the oddball comedy “Yellow Cat” screened in the Current Waves program. Kirill Sokolov is also back two years after the premiere of his critically acclaimed...
- 11/10/2021
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Abu Shahed Emon, a Bangladeshi filmmaker with close ties to Busan, is back at the festival with “No Ground Beneath the Feet,” directed by debutant Mohammad Rabby Mridha. He braved two weeks of quarantine to be in Busan in person.
The film, which premieres at the festival’s ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ strand, follows the travails of an ambulance driver in Dhaka and the struggles of his wife in a slowly shrinking river delta, while tackling universal themes of climate change, poverty and societal ills. The cast includes Mostafa Monwar, who won best performance at the 2016 Singapore International Film Festival for “Live from Dhaka”), Priyam Archi and Deepanwita Martin (“Made in Bangladesh”).
Emon has been busy during the pandemic and will continue being so in the months to come. As a producer, he has a raft of films in various stages of production via his Golpo Rajjo Films.
Drama...
The film, which premieres at the festival’s ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ strand, follows the travails of an ambulance driver in Dhaka and the struggles of his wife in a slowly shrinking river delta, while tackling universal themes of climate change, poverty and societal ills. The cast includes Mostafa Monwar, who won best performance at the 2016 Singapore International Film Festival for “Live from Dhaka”), Priyam Archi and Deepanwita Martin (“Made in Bangladesh”).
Emon has been busy during the pandemic and will continue being so in the months to come. As a producer, he has a raft of films in various stages of production via his Golpo Rajjo Films.
Drama...
- 10/9/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Leading Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui (“Sacred Games”) is buzzing. He has just been nominated for a best actor international Emmy for Sudhir Mishra’s Netflix film “Serious Men.”
Siddiqui’s next big international splash is with Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “No Land’s Man,” where he plays the lead. The film has its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, where it is nominated for the prestigious Kim Ji-seok award.
Farooki’s “Television” closed Busan in 2012. The filmmaker has been in the vanguard of Bangladesh’s new wave movement with films like “Doob – No Bed of Roses” (2017) and “Saturday Afternoon” (2019). “No Land’s Man” arose from an idea about identity that Farooki presented to Siddiqui at Kolkata some six years ago.
Siddiqui plays a man known as Naveen, or Sameer, who cannot tell the truth about anything, including his name, nationality, religion, family, and past, as he is harboring a potentially devastating secret.
Siddiqui’s next big international splash is with Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “No Land’s Man,” where he plays the lead. The film has its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, where it is nominated for the prestigious Kim Ji-seok award.
Farooki’s “Television” closed Busan in 2012. The filmmaker has been in the vanguard of Bangladesh’s new wave movement with films like “Doob – No Bed of Roses” (2017) and “Saturday Afternoon” (2019). “No Land’s Man” arose from an idea about identity that Farooki presented to Siddiqui at Kolkata some six years ago.
Siddiqui plays a man known as Naveen, or Sameer, who cannot tell the truth about anything, including his name, nationality, religion, family, and past, as he is harboring a potentially devastating secret.
- 9/28/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The 26th Busan International Film Festival (Biff), which will be held from October 6 (Wed) to October 15 (Fri), has selected 7 nominees for the Kim Jiseok Award.
The Kim Jiseok Award is celebrating its 4th year at the 26th Biff, and was established in respectful memory of the late program director Kim Jiseok in 2017. The award will be given to the most attractive films that reflect the contemporary standing of Asian cinema in accordance with the late Kim’s intent. Among the films in the A Window on Asian Cinema section, seven candidates are selected to compete for the award. Two award recipients will be chosen by jurors and be given a cash prize of 10,000 Usd each.
The Kim Jiseok Award marks its 4th anniversary this year
New films directed by renowned cineastes such as Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Brillante Mendoza, Ogigami Naoko, Aparna Sen, and many more are coming to Busan!
This...
The Kim Jiseok Award is celebrating its 4th year at the 26th Biff, and was established in respectful memory of the late program director Kim Jiseok in 2017. The award will be given to the most attractive films that reflect the contemporary standing of Asian cinema in accordance with the late Kim’s intent. Among the films in the A Window on Asian Cinema section, seven candidates are selected to compete for the award. Two award recipients will be chosen by jurors and be given a cash prize of 10,000 Usd each.
The Kim Jiseok Award marks its 4th anniversary this year
New films directed by renowned cineastes such as Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Brillante Mendoza, Ogigami Naoko, Aparna Sen, and many more are coming to Busan!
This...
- 9/9/2021
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
New features by some of the most prominent filmmakers from the Asia-Pacific region including The Philippines’ Brillante Mendoza, Bangladesh’s Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Japan’s Ogigami Naoko are among the seven titles competing for the Kim Jiseok Award at the upcoming 26th Busan International Film Festival.
Works by Royston Tan from Singapore, China’s Wang Qi, Aparna Sen from India and Ilgar Najaf from Azerbaijan have also been nominated. The award was created in 2017 to commemorate Kim Jiseok, the late program director of the festival.
Competition for the award that features titles from the festival’s A Window on Asian Cinema section is “expected to be more competitive than usual” due to the inclusion of works by internationally-renowned filmmakers that make the section less experimental, organizers said on Monday.
Among the nominated films are “Gensan Punch” by Cannes best director winner Mendoza, which is based on true stories about...
Works by Royston Tan from Singapore, China’s Wang Qi, Aparna Sen from India and Ilgar Najaf from Azerbaijan have also been nominated. The award was created in 2017 to commemorate Kim Jiseok, the late program director of the festival.
Competition for the award that features titles from the festival’s A Window on Asian Cinema section is “expected to be more competitive than usual” due to the inclusion of works by internationally-renowned filmmakers that make the section less experimental, organizers said on Monday.
Among the nominated films are “Gensan Punch” by Cannes best director winner Mendoza, which is based on true stories about...
- 9/6/2021
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Considering the intense increase of online content recently and particularly after a pandemic that restricted screenings in actual cinemas to a bare minimum, it is no surprise that even some of the most cinematic filmmakers find themselves presenting their latest works in digital platforms. In that fashion, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, probably the most recognizable figure of modern Bangladeshi cinema, premiered his first web series on Zee5 Global, titled “Ladies and Gentlemen”.
The story revolves around Sabila, a very beautiful young woman, who teaches dancing in an arts center in Dhaka. Sabila is married to Arif, who also works in the same service, although in another branch in a different location, but her main issue is her father who lives with them, but suffers from a continuously worsening dementia. In order to pay his medical bills, Sabila really needs to become a permanent employee, but sees other workers in the service,...
The story revolves around Sabila, a very beautiful young woman, who teaches dancing in an arts center in Dhaka. Sabila is married to Arif, who also works in the same service, although in another branch in a different location, but her main issue is her father who lives with them, but suffers from a continuously worsening dementia. In order to pay his medical bills, Sabila really needs to become a permanent employee, but sees other workers in the service,...
- 7/13/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
It has been a rapid escalation on to the world stage for Abdullah Mohammad Saad, one of the brightest young filmmakers from Bangladesh, with his sophomore effort “Rehana” selected in the Un Certain Regard strand at the Cannes Film Festival.
Saad debuted with the searing “Live From Dhaka” (2016), a portrayal of a man increasingly desperate to get out of Bangladesh’s capital city, which won top prizes at the Singapore International Film Festival and played at Rotterdam and Locarno. Like that film, “Rehana” also takes a close look at contemporary Bangladeshi society, warts and all.
The film follows the titular Rehana (Azmeri Haque Badhon), an assistant professor at a medical college whose life changes when she witnesses an incident.
“I don’t know if I am actively trying to portray my society. I am very character-driven, so when I tried to examine Sazzad (in “Live from Dhaka”) and Rehana as deeper as I could,...
Saad debuted with the searing “Live From Dhaka” (2016), a portrayal of a man increasingly desperate to get out of Bangladesh’s capital city, which won top prizes at the Singapore International Film Festival and played at Rotterdam and Locarno. Like that film, “Rehana” also takes a close look at contemporary Bangladeshi society, warts and all.
The film follows the titular Rehana (Azmeri Haque Badhon), an assistant professor at a medical college whose life changes when she witnesses an incident.
“I don’t know if I am actively trying to portray my society. I am very character-driven, so when I tried to examine Sazzad (in “Live from Dhaka”) and Rehana as deeper as I could,...
- 7/10/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Ladies & Gentlemen, directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and shot by Alexey Kosorukov, is the story of an ordinary girl and her emotional journey towards becoming the voice of every working woman in Bangladesh. The eight-episode series places strong women at the forefront, highlighting the complexities of male-female dynamics and issues like misogyny that are sure to resonate with ZEE5 Global’s audiences across the 190+ countries where the platform reaches.
Following the success of Bangladeshi originals like “Mainkar Chipay,” “WTFry, Contract,” “Jodi Kintu Tobuo,” and the recently released “Thanda,” ZEE5 Global promises to deliver yet another compelling story.
Following the success of Bangladeshi originals like “Mainkar Chipay,” “WTFry, Contract,” “Jodi Kintu Tobuo,” and the recently released “Thanda,” ZEE5 Global promises to deliver yet another compelling story.
- 6/21/2021
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
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