Shameem Akhtar: The director returns with "Rina Brown"
It's big news for connoisseurs of meaningful cinema in Bangladesh. Critically-acclaimed director Shameem Akhtar, known for her previous works “Itihaas Konna” and “Shilalipi”, plans to return to the world feature film scene after a break of 13 years.
Right now, Akhtar is busy location-hunting for her next feature film titled “Rina Brown” which will have Indian actor Barun Chanda (remember the protagonist in Satyajit Ray's “Seemabaddha”? ) and Farhana Mithu of Bangladesh in lead roles besides the director's daughter and others.
“I'm busy looking for possible locations for my proposed project which will be funded by Bangladesh government's grant-in-aid,” Akhtar told The Daily Star.
Based on a story written by her, Akhtar said she has named her forthcoming film after the heroine Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen-starrer Bengali super-hit film “Saptapodi” in which Sen essays the role of a Christian woman because in her own movie, the leading lady will be shown as having seen the film of the bygone era.
What is even greater news is that Akhtar's zest for feature films is far from dimmed. Now she is brimming with ideas for future projects.
“Before I die, I want to make two more films based on stories written by myself. I don't know if I will be able to fulfill my mission,” Akhtar said adding the shoot of “Rina Brown” is expected to begin month-end.
Both of Akhtar's last two feature films are based on the Liberation War of Bangladesh. “Itihaas Konna” (1999), story of a woman, Konika, raped by Pakistani troops and her daughter Ananya born thereafter, has been analysed in detail and critically appreciated in a forthcoming book by Australian writer John Hood, who lives between Melbourne and Kolkata, on “Nationalism and Bangladeshi Cinema” being published by New Delhi-based publisher Palimpsest which earlier published the English translation (Freedom's Mother) of Anisul Haque's novel “Maa.”
Shameem Akhtar feels a big hurdle to her future feature film projects is the lack of sponsors who are very hard to come by.
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