Apparently responding to criticism on social media, celebrated Indian film director Shyam Benegal has said it is very difficult for him to guess why some people are upset and noted that one cannot pass a comment on a film by seeing only its trailer.
“You cannot pass a comment on a film by seeing a 90-second trailer. You can comment on just the trailer,” he told The Telegraph, adding that he just got a message that there have been some comments.
Also read: Trailer of "Mujib --The Making of a Nation" is out at Cannes festival
Trailer of ‘Mujib - The Making of a Nation’ was released at Festival de Cannes on Thursday. The film is expected to ready by the end of 2022.
The filmmaker said the presentation in Cannes (where the trailer was launched) went off very well.
When Benegal had made a film on another Bengal icon, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, titled Bose: The Forgotten Hero, it had landed in court as the film had shown Bose getting married (to Emily Schenkl)¸which some people had taken to be incorrect and disrespectful.
But in Mujib’s case, Benegal said he had not foreseen any controversy coming. The film’s trailer describes him as a “devoted family man” and has some scenes of him interacting with family members.
“Bose had left Bengal and went far away from his original family. But Mujib wasn’t alienated from his family. He was very much there except for the period when he was put in prison and taken away to West Pakistan. That’s why I would like to know myself what it (the negative reaction) is about,” the film director quoted as saying.
Benegal said he was in Dhaka shooting the film and the entire cast was from Bangladesh. “Their pronunciation of some words is different from the Bengali spoken in West Bengal and they pride themselves on their Bengali. All of that is there in the film. That is why I had taken only Bangladesh actors as they would feel much closer to Mujib,” he said.
At the Cannes, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said the feature film on Bangabandhu was about the struggle, pain and suffering of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in liberating a nation.
“People of the world will know how he remained unwavering in the face of gallows and how he transformed an unarmed nation into an armed one and led the liberation war. It isn’t easy to capture the whole life of such great people in 3 hours but the team making the movie has done a great work," he said while talking about the movie "Mujib – The Making of a Nation."
The co-production agreement for the film “Bangabandhu” was signed on 14th January, 2020 between two Executive Producers - NFDC and Film Development Corporation (FDC), Bangladesh.
The total budget of the film is over US$ 10 million (INR 75 Crores) shared in the ratio of 40:60 by India and Bangladesh respectively.
The release is delayed owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The entire shooting of the film “Bangabandhu” has been successfully completed, spread in four schedules in India and Bangladesh.
Also read: Trailer of Shyam Benegal's 'Mujib - The Making of a Nation' premiered at Cannes
The actors in the lead roles Arifin Shuvoo and Nusrat Imrose Tisha, for the love of the nation & the emotion named Mujib, have worked for free and have taken only 1 Bangladeshi Taka as a token amount.
Arifin Shuvoo has played the role of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his life’s journey from early days to the Making of a Nation has been depicted in the film.
Tisha, plays the role of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa (Renu), the better half of Mujib. The film showcases her family, struggles, strength and her role in Mujib’s success as one of the greatest leaders in the World.
Delivering his remarks in a recorded message Benegal said, “The trailer is out and I hope the audiences will appreciate it."
"It was an absolutely marvellous journey working for this film as I got an opportunity to work with the artists and technicians from both the nations. And thankful to Ministries from India & Bangladesh for their overwhelming support," he added.