Viewers now know the story of ‘Doob’

DL desk

Eminent Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s much-talked-about film ‘Doob’ (No Bed of Roses) has participated in two international festivals recently. As a result, the viewers who attended the festivals, Moscow International Film Festival and Shanghai International Film Festival, now know the stories of the film, which was the talk of the town in Dhaka for its alleged controversial story said to be based on late noted Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed.

Earlier in February this year, Ministry of Information had halted the process of its release in Bangladesh after actress-director Meher Afroz Shaon, wife of late Humayun Ahmed, claimed that the film is based on the life of her husband Humayun Ahmed---who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years junior to him. The filmmaker, however, has denied that it’s a biopic.

The film stars celebrated Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan and popular actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha from Bangladesh in the lead roles.

In this connection, The Hollywood Reporters has published a review on ‘Doob’ recently after the film took part in the Shanghai International Film Festival last month. Here is the complete article for the readers of DhakaLive—

Irrfan Khan brings the story of a family break-up to life in director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s Indian-Bangladeshi coproduction.

It takes an actor of Irrfan Khan’s stature and magnetism to turn an intimate separation drama into something special, and a writer-director like Bangladesh’s happy maverick Mostofa Sarwar Farooki to layer on subtleties and shades of meaning with realistic detachment that never slips into melodrama.

In the freewheeling scenes from a marriage, No Bed of Roses (Doob), a celebrity filmmaker leaves his dignified wife of many years and teenage kids to marry a classmate of his daughter’s. There’s no elaborate murder mystery here, just a tale of human vanity and egotism that turns the life of a middle-class family in Dhaka upside down and fills every member with pain and regret.

A break from the sly social comedies Television and Ant Story that made Farooki’s name on the festival circuit, this modern-looking Bengali-language drama may be a more familiar tale, but has its own pleasures. Its visual style and pacing make as much of an impression as the head-shaking story. It’s the kind of indie destined to turn up at fests for the rest of the year after its Shanghai bow in competition, and could swing some commercial playdates thanks to Khan’s worldwide following.

The star, who has moved gracefully between modern Indian classics like Lunchbox and Hollywood roles in Life of Pi, Jurassic World and Inferno, should assure good business in India, where Indian giant Eskay Movies coproduced with Bangladesh’s Jaaz Multimedia. But in Bangladesh the film is still awaiting censorship approval after an incident in February in which it was briefly banned as an unauthorized biopic. That accusation seems to have been dropped, but the topic of a man’s divorce and remarriage to a much younger woman is apparently still taboo with government authorities. It’s particularly perplexing because there is nothing lascivious or outré on screen, just a quality film.

Bouncy, outgoing, complicated Javed Hasan (Khan) has a secret agenda as the story opens. Though the gossip is out that he’s dating his new lead actress, he doesn’t have the courage to ‘fess up to Maya (Rokeya Prachy), his schoolteacher wife. He takes her on a country drive to broach the subject in a roundabout way. “By going far away, we become closer to ourselves.” She just looks at him like he’s a lunatic. Their marriage has become drab, he claims. The past was different — those were the days, etc. She is stunned into hurt silence. When his kids find out, they stop speaking to him. This is bad.

He moves into living quarters at the film studio, telling himself he needs time to think and to shut the pretty, pouty Nitu (Indian actress Parno Mittra in a tough role that generates no sympathy) out of his life. The daughter of a film producer, she was in the same high school class as his own daughter Saberi (Nusrat Imroz Tisha) and the two girls competed against each other for various prizes. Here it looks like Nitu has won. One suspects some Oedipal business is going on in Jared’s brain, but Farooki’s screenplay doesn’t take that road. The fact the two girls knew each other is just one more outrageous source of pain. The intimately fluid camera movements skip the sex scenes to hit the emotional highlights with a wry wink.

Nitu quits the film (her first), raising further scandal. Then she stops by one night and seduces Javed, which isn’t hard to do. What’s hard is for his family, portrayed with maximum empathy, to accept the situation and make the adjustment to not having him around — because Khan’s Javed is a wonderful father and a man who is fully alive. His penetrating, sometimes bloodshot eyes are wide open on the world around him, and one can believe he’s a sensitive artist. It’s just that he’s simultaneously a self-indulgent cad who, when faced with the choice of his family or a young girl, treats himself to ample self-justification.

The other vivid character is the daughter Saberi, played by Tisha with strong but realistic emotions. At first angry, ashamed and vengeful, she closes her heart to the father she loves while blaming her innocent mother. Prachy’s abandoned wife takes it on the chin with superhuman dignity. In the film’s final scenes, mother and daughter heal wounds in a low-key phone call that takes place in a field of tall grass. In a moving epilogue, Saberi confronts her tangled feelings for her father.

Pavel Arin’s score, a mix of contemporary and classical sounds, almost always adds its own unexpected interpretation to scenes.

 

Viewers now know the story of Doob

DL desk Eminent Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farookis much-talked-about film Doob (No Bed of Roses) has participated in two international festivals recently. As a result, the viewers who attended the festivals, Moscow International Film Festival and Shanghai International Film Festival, now know the stories of the film, which was the talk of the town in Dhaka for its alleged controversial story said to be based on late noted Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed. Earlier in February this year, Ministry of Information had halted the process of its release in Bangladesh after actress-director Meher Afroz Shaon, wife of late Humayun Ahmed, claimed that the film is based on the life of her husband Humayun Ahmed---who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years junior to him. The filmmaker, however, has denied that its a biopic. The film stars celebrated Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan and popular actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha from Bangladesh in the lead roles. In this connection, The Hollywood Reporters has published a review on Doob recently after the film took part in the Shanghai International Film Festival last month. Here is the complete article for the readers of DhakaLive Irrfan Khan brings the story of a family break-up to life in director Mostofa Sarwar Farookis Indian-Bangladeshi coproduction. It takes an actor of Irrfan Khans stature and magnetism to turn an intimate separation drama into something special, and a writer-director like Bangladeshs happy maverick Mostofa Sarwar Farooki to layer on subtleties and shades of meaning with realistic detachment that never slips into melodrama. In the freewheeling scenes from a marriage, No Bed of Roses (Doob), a celebrity filmmaker leaves his dignified wife of many years and teenage kids to marry a classmate of his daughters. Theres no elaborate murder mystery here, just a tale of human vanity and egotism that turns the life of a middle-class family in Dhaka upside down and fills every member with pain and regret. A break from the sly social comedies Television and Ant Story that made Farookis name on the festival circuit, this modern-looking Bengali-language drama may be a more familiar tale, but has its own pleasures. Its visual style and pacing make as much of an impression as the head-shaking story. Its the kind of indie destined to turn up at fests for the rest of the year after its Shanghai bow in competition, and could swing some commercial playdates thanks to Khans worldwide following. The star, who has moved gracefully between modern Indian classics like Lunchbox and Hollywood roles in Life of Pi, Jurassic World and Inferno, should assure good business in India, where Indian giant Eskay Movies coproduced with Bangladeshs Jaaz Multimedia. But in Bangladesh the film is still awaiting censorship approval after an incident in February in which it was briefly banned as an unauthorized biopic. That accusation seems to have been dropped, but the topic of a mans divorce and remarriage to a much younger woman is apparently still taboo with government authorities. Its particularly perplexing because there is nothing lascivious or outr on screen, just a quality film. Bouncy, outgoing, complicated Javed Hasan (Khan) has a secret agenda as the story opens. Though the gossip is out that hes dating his new lead actress, he doesnt have the courage to fess up to Maya (Rokeya Prachy), his schoolteacher wife. He takes her on a country drive to broach the subject in a roundabout way. By going far away, we become closer to ourselves. She just looks at him like hes a lunatic. Their marriage has become drab, he claims. The past was different those were the days, etc. She is stunned into hurt silence. When his kids find out, they stop speaking to him. This is bad. He moves into living quarters at the film studio, telling himself he needs time to think and to shut the pretty, pouty Nitu (Indian actress Parno Mittra in a tough role that generates no sympathy) out of his life. The daughter of a film producer, she was in the same high school class as his own daughter Saberi (Nusrat Imroz Tisha) and the two girls competed against each other for various prizes. Here it looks like Nitu has won. One suspects some Oedipal business is going on in Jareds brain, but Farookis screenplay doesnt take that road. The fact the two girls knew each other is just one more outrageous source of pain. The intimately fluid camera movements skip the sex scenes to hit the emotional highlights with a wry wink. Nitu quits the film (her first), raising further scandal. Then she stops by one night and seduces Javed, which isnt hard to do. Whats hard is for his family, portrayed with maximum empathy, to accept the situation and make the adjustment to not having him around because Khans Javed is a wonderful father and a man who is fully alive. His penetrating, sometimes bloodshot eyes are wide open on the world around him, and one can believe hes a sensitive artist. Its just that hes simultaneously a self-indulgent cad who, when faced with the choice of his family or a young girl, treats himself to ample self-justification. The other vivid character is the daughter Saberi, played by Tisha with strong but realistic emotions. At first angry, ashamed and vengeful, she closes her heart to the father she loves while blaming her innocent mother. Prachys abandoned wife takes it on the chin with superhuman dignity. In the films final scenes, mother and daughter heal wounds in a low-key phone call that takes place in a field of tall grass. In a moving epilogue, Saberi confronts her tangled feelings for her father. Pavel Arins score, a mix of contemporary and classical sounds, almost always adds its own unexpected interpretation to scenes.