Kolkata director brings Bangladesh July uprising to the screen
Kolkata: A Kolkata filmmaker, Soumitra Dastidar, has made a documentary on Bangladesh's July uprising. The 44-minute-long film has pieced together interviews of various stakeholders, including the daughter of Bangladesh's wartime leader and first prime minister, Tajuddin Ahmad, and Dhaka University student leader, Meghmallar Basu.
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Director Dastidar, who has close ties with Bangladesh, told TOI that he felt a 'compelling need' to make this documentary titled '36 July'. "Bangladesh is such a colourful country. Over the years, I could feel a simmering discontent but I never expected that there would be a downfall of the Hasina government. Since I am a student of social science, I was naturally drawn to this subject. I felt that there is a narrative about Bangladesh that is still not publicized well.
I wanted to know that narrative. This documentary is my search for understanding that narrative."
When Dastidar went to Dhaka in Aug last year, he spotted many wall graffiti sporting the phrase "36 July". That became the title of his documentary. "It was a populist coinage meant to signify the number of days taken for the movement to finally overthrow the Hasina regime," Dastidar explained.
The documentary has interviews of activist Badruddin Umar, journalist Tasneem Khalil, actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, Tajuddin Ahmad's daughter Sharmin Ahmad, Basu and student activist Umama Fatema.
Filming these was a tough task, especially when travelling wasn't that easy. "My documentary also has interviews of people from all strata," the director added. While the script and research was done by Sahed Suvo, the camera work was done by Lutfur Rahaman.
Yet, he understands that there is a risk of documenting views of people who have supported the movement since it might also mean having to face allegations of compromising on objectivity. "Historical events across the globe are now being viewed from other perspectives. I want that to happen in the case of Bangladesh too. Research should start," he concluded.
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