Inside ‘The Difficult Bride’

For filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain, “The Difficult Bride” is more than a psychological horror film. It is the culmination of nearly two decades of writing, years of meticulous preparation, and a childhood memory that refused to fade.

That deeply personal journey has now led to a historic milestone. “The Difficult Bride” has become the first feature-length film from Bangladesh to be selected for the Orizzonti Competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The psychological horror film will have its world premiere at the festival, scheduled to take place in Venice, Italy, from September 2 to 12.

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In a recent question-and-answer session for the film’s promotion, Hossain reflected on the long road behind the film, revealing how an urban legend she first heard as a child evolved into a layered story about womanhood, beauty and the pressures imposed by society.

"When I was six or seven years old, my mother used to take me regularly to Mayfair Beauty Parlour for haircuts. That was where I first heard this story," she recalled.

The story centred on a bride who reportedly died under mysterious circumstances at Mayfair, one of Dhaka's oldest beauty salons. Passed down through generations, it became one of the city's best-known urban legends.

"It is an urban legend familiar to many women in Dhaka, and many people from our generation grew up hearing it," Hossain said.
But for the director, the legend eventually came to represent something much deeper than a ghost story.

"The story stayed with me deeply from childhood. Over time, I came to understand that it was not simply a ghost story. It also spoke about women, beauty, marriage and the social expectations embedded in our culture. 'The Difficult Bride' grew out of that idea and took shape through many years of writing."

The finished film follows Zaineen, a bride-to-be who arrives at the historic salon to prepare for her wedding, only to find herself caught in a world where psychological tension and supernatural events intertwine.

"It is a supernatural film set around Mayfair, a historic beauty salon in Dhaka," Hossain explained. "Another bride comes to the salon to get ready for her wedding and begins to encounter a series of strange and supernatural events. The story gradually unfolds through elements of mystery, psychology and the supernatural."

She also said that she had worked on the screenplay for nearly twenty years, although the film itself was shot in only 26 days. "That was possible because of years of preparation, countless drafts, meticulous planning and an extraordinary international team."

The cast features National Film Award winners Azmeri Haque Badhan, Sunerah Binte Kamal and Reekita Nondine Shimu. Hossain praised all three actresses, especially newcomer Zaineen Karim, who plays the lead role.

Despite its international co-production, Hossain emphasised that the film remains firmly rooted in Bangladesh.

While “Under Construction” examined the lives of middle-class women and “Made in Bangladesh” focused on working-class women, “The Difficult Bride” turns its attention to the experiences and relationships of upper-class women in Bangladesh.

"Each film comes from a different social reality, but together they attempt to reflect the complexity and diversity of Bangladeshi society," she said.

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‘The Difficult Bride’ becomes first Bangladeshi feature selected for Venice Film Festival

Ultimately, Hossain hopes audiences leave the cinema carrying more than memories of supernatural encounters. “I hope it makes them think, raises questions and perhaps brings them face to face with some of their own fears and memories,” she said.