Tolly hopes for cross-border film boost after Farooki appointment
Times of India | 12 November 2024
1234 Kolkata: The Kolkata associates of Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, who has been appointed as an adviser to Bangladesh's interim govt, hope the filmmaker's new role will strengthen the bilateral cinematic relations. Beyond requesting explicit directives on film imports, co-productions and censorship protocols, Farooki's Indian collaborators also hope for the theatrical release of his ‘Saturday Afternoon (Shonibarer Bikel)', which has been stuck in Bangladesh for years.
"I took an oath today to serve my country as the cultural advisor! Simply because: 1) there is always this motivation to do something for the country which is irresistible 2) it's always tempting to be a colleague of Prof Yunus! Please wish me luck in this new journey and don't forget to help me with your kind advice. I promise to do everything I can to bring some changes," Farooki posted online shortly after taking the oath of office at Bangabhaban on Sunday evening.
Sheikh Hasina's tenure witnessed contentious deliberations on the censorship of ‘Saturday Afternoon (Shonibarer Bikel)', which is inspired by the Holey Artisan Bakery attack and examines terrorism and radicalisation. Parambrata Chatterjee, who is part of the ensemble cast, conveyed his wishes to Farooki. "I consider Dhaka to be my third home after Kolkata and Mumbai. Sometimes, I feel really at home in Dhaka. I am sure Bangladesh will settle down a bit more after this transitional phase. I hope Farooki bhai actually manages to contribute significantly as the cultural adviser and promote liberal and progressive ideas through different cultural mediums. I hope to see that happening now that he has become an adviser to the interim govt," he said, hoping for a theatrical release of ‘Saturday Afternoon (Shonibarer Bikel)'.
The actor, however, has reservations about his voice being dubbed. "I wasn't completely happy that my voice was dubbed without notifying me. I understand why they did it, but I never really got to know about it. I haven't really spoken about it with Farooki bhai ever. I met him after that but it wasn't the right space or time or place to talk about it. But that doesn't mean I'm not aware of it. That aside, I think I would like the film to be released because it's a very interesting piece of cinema," Chatterjee told TOI.
Kolkata's Himanshu Dhanuka, who produced Farooki's ‘Doob—No Bed of Roses', starring Irrfan Khan and Parno Mittra, also wished the director luck for his new role. "We face challenges, like unclear policies on film imports, co-productions and censorship, which impact producers, exhibitors and audiences. I hope he will be instrumental in getting the regulations clearer and establishing a framework for all, unlocking the potential for cross-border collaborations and benefiting the film ecosystem in both Bengal and Bangladesh," Dhanuka said.
Colourist Debojyoti Ghosh, who has collaborated on Farooki's feature films, including ‘Doob—No Bed of Roses', ‘No Land's Man' and ‘Something Like an Autobiography', said, "He recently encountered health complications and I sincerely hope he addresses those concerns. As a technician, I believe his advisory role could prove immensely valuable. He stands among brilliant minds, who have shaped the triumph of contemporary Bangladeshi cinema. I trust he will have the power to repair the strained relations between India and Bangladesh. There has been considerable anti-India sentiment lately. I hope he can transform that perception. Bangladesh demonstrates remarkable aesthetic prowess in film-making, offering valuable insights. We have historically provided technical assistance to Bangladeshi cinema. Such collaboration can flourish with a stable governance structure there."