‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’ hits over 200 cinema halls in Bangladesh

Long wait for Shyam Benegal’s movie ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’, which depicts the life and political odyssey of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, comes to an end as the biopic is going to hit over 200 cinema halls in Bangladesh simultaneously on Friday.

Premiere show of the biopic was screened at the Bangladesh Film Archive in Agargaon in Dhaka on Thursday in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports BSS.

Before watching the premiere show, Sheikh Hasina said the nation would learn a lot of unknown information and new chapter of the history through the much-awaited biopic.

“Numerous attempts had been made to erase the name of the Father of the Nation after his assassination on August 15 in 1975,” she said.

"The history speaks. Many attempts were made to distort the history (of the Liberation War). But, it is proved that the history can never been wiped out," she said.

 ‘Mujib-Making of Nation’ a Bangladesh-India joint venture is also scheduled to be released across India on October 27.

The film has already received censor certificates from the film censor boards of the both countries and initial trailer of the film was released in the 75th Cannes Film Festival in France on May 19, 2022.

On October 1, final trailer of the Mujib biopic was formally released in Bangladesh by Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud. The film made its debut at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 14 last in Canada.

Bangladeshi artiste Arifin Shuvoo played in the title character of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman while Nusrat Imrose Tisha played the role of Mujib’s spouse Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib. Actress Nusrat Faria played in the role of Sheikh Hasina.

Popular actors Tauquir Ahmed, Chanchal Chowdhury, Prarthana Dighi and other acted in different characters.

Music of the film is produced by acclaimed Indian music director Shantanu Moitra, and the Bengali dialogues are penned by Sadhana Ahmed, Gias Uddin Selim, Shihab Shaheen and Anam Biswas from Bangladesh.

Shooting of the film started in Mumbai, India in January 2021 and concluded in December of the same year.

Habiba Rahman, chair of Television, Film And Photography (TFP) department of Dhaka University, said, “The film, acted by young film stars, depicting the life and works of architect of independent Bangladesh will deeply connect the new generation with the historical accounts.”

Film is a powerful medium and the youths will get the opportunity to visualize the time and history watching the movie, she said.

 “It’s a very tough job to entirely portray a towering personality like Bangabandhu in a single film. We are very much hopeful about the film directed by Shyam Benegal and produced under the supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, elder child of Bangabandhu,” said Durjoy Chakrabarty, a copywriter and Bangladeshi student of Film, TV and New Media Production at Mumbai University.

Durjoy said a good number of eminent Bangladeshi and Indian artistes contributed to the film for a long time as no other film saw such a large number of film stars in a single movie.

“So I am very much eager to watch the film on the very first day,” he added.

 “Our expectation over the film is much higher than mountains. The film depicts a political icon whose personality, philosophy and entity are intertwined with our national hopes and aspirations. Hopefully Shyam Benegal, a talented filmmaker, has received best works from the artistes,” said film activist Sami Al Mehedi, a Bangladeshi TV show anchor on film.   

Making a film on a celebrated political personality is very tough as a filmmaker must have to think of different dimensions and perspectives, he said.

A thorough research and portraying the actual time, history and dialogues is also very important to make all contents of the film agreeable to all quarters, he added.  

 “The initial trailer of the film was released in May 2022. To make it more accurate and perfect many corrections have been made before giving final touch. So, we are very much hopeful about the film,” he said.

Khandaker Rubyat Mursalin, a faculty of TFP at Dhaka University, described Bangabandhu and Bangladesh as intertwined saying this message will be portrayed to the new generation through the film.

 “Of course Mujib biopic will remain as a historical document and it will largely contribute to disseminate the spirit and ideology of Bangabandhu to the people especially the new generation,” he said.  

Dhaka University Cultural Society general secretary Anik Dhar said many films were produced on Liberation War in Bangladesh but no one on Bangabandhu.

‘Mujib-Making of a Nation’, first ever movie on the architect of Bangladesh, will be the best work on the great leader, he hoped.

 “We are hopeful that all artistes ranging from actors, directors, music directors, cinematographers, and choreographers have given their best to depict life and works of Bangabandhu, and other historical accounts,” he said.  

 “The biopic reflects the real history of the country and it will end all disinformation of the anti-liberation force to demean Bangabandhu,” said Tonmoy Ahmed, a youth leader and coordinator of Centre for Research and Information (CRI).