2014 has been an exciting year in terms of films made on the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. More than 10 films, from Dhallywood and Bollywood, depicted various aspects of the war with top-notch quality and authenticity.
On the Victory Day, we have picked up some of the films which made news around the year.
Jibon Dhuli
Tanvir Mokammel's latest venture “Jibon Dhuli” centres around an impoverished 'dhuli' (drummer) family during the Liberation War. Popular actress and model Jyotika Jyoti dons the role of Shondha Rani, the wife of a 'dhuli', who is tortured by the Pakistani Occupation Army. Shatabdi Wadud plays the role of the 'dhuli' in the film.
However, despite seasoned director Tanvir Mokammel on the wheel and few good actors in the cast, the film failed to impress the audience as a whole.
Ekattorer Maa Jononee
As its title suggests, the movie is about the glorious Liberation War of Bangladesh. The script is influenced by the novel “Jononi Shahoshini 1971,” written by Anisul Haque.
Directed by Shah Alam Kiron, the film features popular actors Nipun, Agun, MM Morshed and Chitrolekha Guho. Nipun plays the protagonist telling the story of the Birongonas. Uttom Guho gave the art direction and a theatre troupe also worked in making of the film.
The film, which is supported by government grants, will hit theatres on December 19. It has been selected for the US Film Festival to be held on December 27.
Shongram '71
The film is a romantic drama set against the backdrop of the Liberation War of 1971, story of which is told forty-three years later in London by a British-Bangladeshi freedom fighter Karim. He shares his experience with a reporter.
The film participated in the London Indian Film Festival for the first time as a Bangladeshi film.
Hridoye Ekattor
Directed by Sadek Siddique, the film was released on the Independence Day.
Produced by Anandabazar Multimedia, the film portrays the mass devastation and destruction left by the war in its wake. At the end of it all, Bangladesh emerged as an independent country on the world map in 1971.
Children of War
A Bangla version of this Indian Hindi film was released in local cinemas. Only the words spoken in Hindi have been dubbed into Bangla, whenever Urdu is spoken Bangla subtitles are used. All the Hindi background songs have also been rerecorded in Bangla.
This film is an amalgamation of two sub genres: firstly, Mumbai’s Hindi Patriotic films where the Bangladesh Liberation War is considered a misnomer for the Indo-Pak War; secondly, Kolkata’s Bangla parallel movies dealing with mature themes like adultery, rape, prostitution.
