Chandrabati Kotha finally sees the light of the day

Directed by N Rashed Chowdhury, Chandrabati Kotha is a biographical film based on the first female poet of Bangla, Chandravati.

The film premiered at the 2019 Kolkata International Film Festivala and was selected for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Director Rashed confirmed that his film was first sent to the censor board in February 2020 and went through three subsequent screenings. 

"Actually, even I didn’t know why my film was stuck at the censor board. They went through its narrative structure as far as I can tell," he said. "I hope we will get to release it soon and people of all age can go to the hall and enjoy it."

 The 105 minute long National Film Grant winning feature stars Dilruba Hossain Doyel, Jayanta Chattopadhyay, Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, and Gazi Rakayet, among others.

Based on the life of Bangla's first feminist poet, Chandravati, the film takes place in the mid 16th century, East Bengal. The young daughter of veteran poet Dijabangshi Das, falls in love with another poet Jayananda. On the eve of their marriage, Jayananda betrays Chandrabati and marries another woman in the locality. The pain stricken Chandrabati confines herself in a Shiva Temple and takes her vow to rewrite the epic Ramayana.

Adapted from the ballads found in the Mymensingh Geetika, film Chandrabati Kotha sheds light on the golden era of medieval Bangla Literature.