Bangla director focuses on Kolkata and Nawaz for international film

KOLKATA: Acclaimed Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is keen on shooting a film ��� which, in all probability, will star Nawazuddin Siqddique and a Hollywood actress in leading roles ��� in Kolkata at the end of this year.
It was last November that Iranian director Jafar Panahi and Farooki became the recipients of the $1,00,000 bursaries at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane for developing their projects.Back then, however, it wasn't known that Farooki would zero in on Kolkata to shoot his prize-wining project.
With films like 'Bachelor', 'Made in Bangladesh', 'Third Person Singular Number' and 'Ant Story' under his belt, Farooki is considered to be a pioneer of new wave cinema in Bangladesh. He has also championed the cause of a movement of avant-garde filmmaker, called Chabial. His fourth film, 'Television', was Bangladesh's official entry to the Oscars. It was also the closing film at the Busan International Film Festival and also won the Grand Jury award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Speaking from Dhaka about his English film, Farooki said: "It is an international movie. The working title of the film is 'No Land's Man', and it is about identity issues. "At the Film Bazar coproduction market, 'No Land's Man' was named best project.
Kolkata is high on Farooki's list as the choice of shooting location. "There are certain old structures that I need for my movie," he said. "It is common to find those structures in north Kolkata as well as some places of northern India. I'll be happy if we can shoot a part of the film in Kolkata. Old Kolkata will not only suit my story but also add the visual tone to that segment. A major part of the film will be shot in New York. About 25% of the film will be shot in India."
A couple of months back, the director had come down to Kolkata to meet actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, when the actor was in town to shoot for the Nicole Kidman-starrer 'Lion'. Referring to Farooki's film, Nawazuddin had earlier said that it was a "small film" that he wants to do "irrespective of the money". "Nawaz is one of the finest actors India has produced in recent times," the director said. "So, it would be great to collaborate with him in a project. My personal relation with him makes the chemistry more interesting. He read the script as a friend. So, let's see what happens next. The film will have a Hollywood actress and a Bangladeshi actress in a special role. The rest of the cast will mostly be from India, America and Australia."
Some reports suggest that this film would examine the plight of a man from a religious minority who is persecuted in his home country and escapes overseas, but only to find himself still a target of racial prejudice and hostility in the US and Australia. In essence, it is a dark satirical drama about the complexity of different identities.
Though award notes for the film have summed it up as one dealing with religious persecution, Farooki says there are more layers to his narrative. "The story deals with the complexity of different identities -be it religious, racial, or national. We are living in a complex world where every identity comes up with advantages and disadvantages. The film tries to explain this complex condition, where we all finally feel unsafe and insecure," he explained.
Born and brought up in a family that kept migrating to different parts of Bangladesh in order to find a better living, Farooki has always lived with the unsettling and unnerving feeling of being an outsider. "It bothered me in my early days. I used to feel suppressed, marginalized and singled out. We were treated as a different and odd brick in a seemingly harmonious wall. To avoid the embarrassment, I sometimes used to fake my identity and tried to slide myself in as 'another brick in the wall'. This faking was a dangerous game," he said.
These memories, obviously, left a deep scar in Farooki's mind, which prompted him to make the film.
"But this film doesn't portray my story. The feelings are the same, not the story," he signed off.