First retrospective of Bangla director in India

- Pallab Bhattacharya           Let us know what you think about this story

Tanvir Mokammel, the director and a leading figure of the parallel cinema movement in Bangladesh, has been chosen by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to showcase his feature and documentary films in a retrospective to be held in Kolkata and Delhi in late December.

Invited under ICCR's "Distinguished Visitor" programme, some of Mokammel's recent feature films including "Chitra Nadir Parey", "Lal Shalu" and "Lalon" and his latest work "Rabeya" and documentary "Promised Land" are likely to be screened if they secure the nod of the Indian censor board.

Ahead of the retrospective, Mokammel will jointly inaugurate a four-day short and documentary film festival to be held in Bhubaneshwar organized by Jatin Das Cultural Association. This year's festival theme is films on performing arts, Wild Life and Environment with a special focus on films on art from Bangladesh.

Three of his films - 'Lalon' on the legendary 19th century mystical singer of Bengal, 'Achin Pakhi' (the unknown bird) and 'Bonojatri' (Riders into the Sunderbans), will be screened in the Bhubneshwar festival.

This is the first time that a retrospective of a Bangladeshi film director will be held in India and ICCR has rightly chosen Mokammel for that as he has been a pioneering figure in the struggling movement for meaningful cinema in his country where makers of movies in this category fight against heavy odds to survive in the absence of adequate funds and exhibition outlets.

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