Indian critics have mixed reactions to 'Mujib' biopic

"Mujib: The Making of a Nation" has set a record in India by receiving a widespread release (yesterday) in 503 theaters, with the highest number of shows for a Bangladeshi film in the first week. 

Previously, on October 13, the film had been taken to almost all the theaters (153) in Bangladesh as well. On October 25, before its release in India, the premiere of "Mujib" took place at the National Museum of Indian Cinema's theater in Mumbai. 

Arifin Shuvoo, along with its director Shyam Benegal, was present at the event, where many Bollywood celebrities attended. 

Additionally, numerous journalists and film critics from Mumbai also attended the premiere and provided detailed feedback after watching the film.

Many of the initial reactions were mixed

Times of India's Poorna Banerjee has provided a review of the film rating it 3 out of 5. Her article titled, "Mujib: The Making Of Nation Movie Review: A close look at the life of a nation builder". In her review, she emphasised, "The biggest challenge in making a biopic about a larger-than-life, charismatic personality like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is to retell a known story in a way that it holds the audiences' attention to the very end while staying true to the facts. The screenplay, by Atul Tiwari and Shama Zaidi, keeps the story moving at a steady pace, while inserting anecdotes about his life to strike an emotional chord as well."

She also praised the performances of artistes. "As Mujib, Arifin Shuvoo has done a commendable job - from his mannerisms to the way he looks. The screenplay features quite a few of Mujib's historical speeches and Arifin has tried his best to deliver them in the icon's signature, authoritative style."

She further made impressive remarks on Nusrat Imrose Tisha on playing Fazilatunnesa Mujib. "As his wife Renu, Tisha's commanding performance is a great match for Arifin's Mujib." 

She also mentioned other artistes as well. "Tauquir Ahmed does a good job of portraying Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, a major influence on Mujib's life. Nusraat Faria as the young Sheikh Hasina adds a graceful balance, while in other roles, Chanchal Chowdhury, Riaz, Raisul Islam Asad, and Shahidul Alam Sachchu have all done justice to their roles. In a small but crucial role, Rajit Kapur (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) makes a strong impact. A word here for the prosthetics and period details and styling that make these characters look believable." 

Other than this review, most of the reviews revealed their disappointment. In a review published by the influential newspaper The Indian Express, Shubhra Gupta has given 'Mujib' a rating of 2 out of 5. 

Her article titled, "Mujib The Making Of A Nation movie review: A bland, by-the-numbers biopic of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman", had a disappointing tone. According to the critic, "There is no attempt at complexity here, nothing that rises above the level of border tensions with a neighboring country."

Film Companion, a popular cinema-focused platform in India, has also featured reactions to "Mujib". While they haven't provided a rating, however, the overall tone of the reactions is quite disappointing and critical.

Rahul Desai titled his review "Mujib: The Making of a Nation Review: It Barely Qualifies as a Film", where he wrote, "As a film critic, it doesn't get more disheartening than watching a terrible movie by a pioneering director. Especially if the name alone conveys the iconography of a culture. The last thing you want to do is criticize the most basic elements: The cosplay-level performances, dated visual effects, silly wigs, Wikipedia-lite structure, history-for-dummies writing, infomercial tone, press-release approach, absence of narrative continuity, or the absence of film-making in general. But sometimes, there's no escape. There's no other way to put it. If not for the credit "A Shyam Benegal Film," it'd be hard to tell that Mujib: The Making of a Nation was made by anyone at all. Such is the craft of the 178-minute biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the charismatic Bengali leader widely known as the Founding Father of Bangladesh." 

Times Now's Soumyabrata Gupta mentioned, "Despite promising elements, Mujib, ultimately, unflatteringly primarily serves as a cultural extension of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and India, rather than a compelling cinematic experience. The film's 179-minute runtime, presented in Bengali and Hindi, traces Rahman's political ascent, pivotal role in Bangladesh's liberation, and tragic assassination, with a noticeable stamp of officialdom. In his portrayal of Mujib, Arifin Shuvoo falls short of capturing the charisma and intellect that earned the leader his revered titles. While the movie occasionally verges on hagiography, Shuvoo's performance remains respectful and unexciting. The film, overall, is a historical insight which is, unfortunately, not compelling."

The article titled, "Mujib The Making of a Nation Movie Review: Shyam Benegal Film Is A Biopic Marred By Officialdom" rated the film 2 out of 5.

Notably, a budget of Tk 83 crore (830 million) has been allocated by the governments of Bangladesh and India for the joint production "Mujib: The Making of a Nation". It features Arifin Shuvoo, Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Nusraat Faria, Riaz, Zayed Khan, Dilara Zaman, Chanchal Chowdhury, Siam Ahmed, Khairul Alam Sabuj, Ferdous, Dighi, Raisul Islam Asad, Gazi Rakayet, Tauquir Ahmed, and Misha Sawdagor amongst hundreds of other artistes from both sides of the border.