In the rather slow paced Dhaka of the 80s, evenings, especially, during winter, were spent at the cultural centres around the capital: Goethe, British Council and, of course, the most happening place of all, Alliance Francaise, known now as AFD.
The name Alliance still has a certain magical touch to it and conjures up the image of unrestrained exhilaration and unbridled exuberance.
Back then, we simply referred to the institution as Alliance. Recently, the AFD celebrated 65 years in operation with the Alliance building remaining almost the same. As Dhanmondi has seen a drastic transformation over the last three decades, the building housing the AFD stands tall -- with so much obsession to tear down structures of the past, this, thankfully, remains as a precious link to the tranquil, leisurely paced Dhaka, lost in the abyss of time.
While AFD is recognized by the city people as the centre offering French classes, the institution had always attracted people with interest in French movies, books, art, culture and those seeking to satisfy their Bohemian instincts.
Back in the mid 80s, if someone wanted to be taken seriously as an intellectual, social maverick, or a thinker, then s/he had to be seen within the premises of the AFD.
While taking part in the elaborate events of the 65 year celebration, memories of another time, spent at AFD, came rushing back.
AFD still offers French classes, and I am certain, has been instrumental in teaching the language to thousands of people in Bangladesh, but this institution has also been pivotal in powering a progressive social revolution in Bangladesh, creating a platform for an eclectic bunch of people, ranging from the unorthodox to the revolutionary.
Stepping into the zone of liberty and excitement
For the youth, Alliance had always symbolized a space to express opinions freely. As college students, this is where we could casually order tea and then light up a cigarette with ease. This is strictly not to encourage anyone to pick up the habit but as young teens, desperate to rebel against social norms, we gleefully flouted the “young must not smoke” diktat.
Let’s not get into a moral debate about social aberrations but for most youth, who wanted to taste liberty, Alliance was the place -- to also get a chance to openly discuss views on politics, international affairs and, mostly films and art without having to adhere to restrictive barriers.
Societies always extol traditional and proven templates of life with 80s Bangladesh fervently obsessed with rigid interpretations of how the young should think and act.
Sadly, these limitations impeded artistic and aesthetic impulses. From filmmakers to photographers to poets to Bohemian thinkers -- AFD provided the chance for those operating outside the orthodox template to mingle and exhibit their talent.
The late photographer Anwar Hossain, who later lived in Paris, held classes here and so did the internationally acclaimed mime artist Partho Pratim Majumder. Local mime artists came here for workshops and had the chance to learn about Etienne Decroux, deemed the father of modern mime.
For film aficionados, AFD provided a wide range of movies, opening up “cinema verite”and for those desperately seeking celluloid experimentation, the unforgettable works of Jean-Luc Godard.
Naturally, following the screening of Breathless -- considered his magnum opus, there were energetic debates about what new wave movies would mean within the Bangladeshi context. Much of Godard’s impact can be seen in modern day Bangladeshi OTT platform features which have the liberty to experiment and be innovative.
My personal favourite would be Bonjour Tristesse -- a compelling narrative about trials and tribulations of life set against a glamourous setting of the French Riviera. Anyone who got the label “enfant terrible” in his/her respective field could easily find like-minded people at AFD.
We also learned a little French
As I said earlier, as teens we revolted against social restrictions but at the end of the day, one needed a valid reason to go to AFD regularly. Parents were not at all thrilled at the idea of their sons and daughters hanging out somewhere without a proper reason.
In the late 80s, the common norm was to learn something in the three to five month academic hiatus between school and college and while most learned typing, word perfect, or short-hand, I opted to take French classes. Several birds with one stone, I reasoned: Will watch movies, hang around at the café, enjoy some relaxed time, and also learn French.
One cannot pay tribute to AFD without remembering Monsieur Mallam, our teacher, who was from Mauritius and spoke Bangla fluently. Monsieur Mallam had a special place for me because once in class, he asked if anyone could name all the musketeers from the famous book by Alexandre Dumas.
Well, Monsieur Mallam did not know he referred to the top book in my list of 10 unforgettable classics.
Now, the entertainment at AFD was the easy thing, learning French needed dedication, that is, if one wanted to learn it properly. I cannot deny that when people heard someone was learning French, they looked genuinely impressed, and yes, we thoroughly enjoyed casually dropping the “c’est incroyable,” “c’est parfait” or “je le deteste” at any given chance.
One of my mates, determined to impress a new neighbour, came to me for a few French words that he may use and I said, use “envoutant” (captivating) and you won’t fail!
For us, the learning came at the end because that was the excuse and never the main reason to go to AFD. It was the allure and excitement of the whole place that engulfed us.
Well, 36 years later, the youthful desire for thrill has diminished considerably, though the love for French language hasn’t.
Is that the spell of Alliance Francaise? If I answer that in French, and kindly pardon any mistake, mais oui, le charme n’a pas diminue.
Towheed Feroze is a former journalist, currently working for the EU Delegation in Dhaka.