Chhutir Ghonta (1980)

Director: Azizur Rahman

Screenplay: Azizur Rahman

Cast: Abdur Razzak, Shabana, Sujata, Shumon, Shawkat Akbar, ATM Shamsuzzaman

Runtime: 213min

Rating: 9.5/10

Plot: Based on a true story, a beloved 12-year old schoolboy from Niligiri mistakenly gets locked in the school's washroom by the caretaker. During the 11 days of Eid-ul-Adha holiday, he starves himself to death while the whole town keeps looking for him elsewhere. His death not only comes as a shock for his widowed mother but leads the caretaker to become a patient of a mental asylum.

Review: Stories like "Chhutir Ghonta" can never grow rust in the history of Bangladeshi Movies. It's an intriguing piece of art which has the perfect blend of everything required to make the greatest movie of the era. This black and white wonder should open the eyes of the youths of realize that Bangladeshi films are in no degree inferior in quality to international films. Starting from direction, acting, cinematography to music, the film was remarkably flawless. The movie starts when Razzak is in remorse at an asylum, with the story advancing further, stating how it all happened. The plot followed a pace of a drama and unlike the modern Bengali movies, director Azizur Rahman did not lose his track. Shabana's role is one of the most memorable ones in the movie with an essence of comedy, mostly because of her accent. Razzak's dramatic performance gave a powerful molding to the overall theme. The brilliant performance played by Shumon as a child artist is what leaves the audience truly emotional.

Throughout the runtime the foreshadowing was always there, whether in the dialogues, song lyrics or even in one of the scenes where the Islamic history of Eid-ul-Adha is focused upon. All these make considerable sense in the end. The story was mainly emphasized on the teachings of life rather than portraying itself as a movie for only entertainment. Nevertheless, it can surely leave a youth of the 21st century in awe, due to a 3.5 decades old movie having A-class plot development compared to the modern movies. This movie is a must watch for everyone, no matter how ancient it may look.

Reviewed by Sumaiya Akhter Nitu