Stars, netizens applaud ‘Mujib’

The much-anticipated film "Mujib: The Making of a Nation" had its nationwide premiere in 154 theatres yesterday, as part of a collaborative effort between the governments of Bangladesh and India to honour the legacy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina watched the premiere with the entire film crew, attending from both sides of the border, at the National Film Archives on Thursday.

Following the screening, the PM said the people of the country will learn many previously unknown facts and find new chapters of history through the film. "I'm inviting everyone to watch the film… through this cinema, you can learn a lot about my family and parents. Even the parts of history you have never known are depicted in this movie."

Arifin Shuvoo leads the ensemble cast as the title character of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After watching the film with the prime minister, he told The Daily Star, "PM Sheikh Hasina says that I've effectively encapsulated Bangabandhu's character. As for whether I have succeeded or not, I really don't know as I haven't thought about it that much. When someone closely connected to him, like his daughter, feels that her father's character has been portrayed splendidly, there's not much room left to speculate. Following the screening, I was humbled when she asked me, 'How did you portray it [the lead role] so beautifully?'"

Veteran Bangladeshi film actress Anjana Rahman also expressed her heartfelt emotions after watching the movie. "This film will forever remain unforgettable in the pages of history. The great personality and sacrifices of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are vividly portrayed in this movie."

The National Film Awardee also shared, "The new generation and the generations to come will come to know about his [Bangabandhu's] significant contributions to the great Liberation War through 'Mujib: The Making of a Nation.'"

Dolly Zahur, another National Film Awardee, also praised the production and congratulated the team of Mujib: The Making of a Nation. "I'd like to applaud the film's crew for successfully bringing obscure parts of our history to light. Many may say there are some technical faults, or the story may have been glorified to some extent. However, I'd say for a cinema, this is absolutely fine. It was difficult for me to revisit the 1975 massacre on the silver screen since I had first-hand experience hearing the sounds of gunshots from my house that fateful night. Bangladeshi audience will definitely be on the edge of their seats during that sequence."

The film, a joint production between Bangladesh and India, has been directed by master filmmaker Shyam Benegal. It is scheduled to be released across India on October 27.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Bangladesh, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India, are the producers, and Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Limited, India, are the executive producers of the film.

The cinema received a clearance certificate from censor boards of both countries on July 31 of this year.