Guerrilla (2011 film)

Guerrilla
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nasiruddin Yousuff
Produced by	Esha Yousuff
Screenplay by	Ebadur Rahman, Nasiruddin Yousuff
Starring	Joya Ahsan Ferdous Ahmed Shampa Reza Ahmed Rubel A.T.M. Shamsuzzaman
Music by	Shimul Yousuf
Cinematography	Samiran Dutt
Editing by	Samir Ahmed
Distributed by	Ashirbad Cholochchita
Release dates	April 14, 2011 (2011-04-14)
Running time	140 minutes
Country	Bangladesh
Language	Bengali
Budget	3.0 Crore

Guerrilla (Bengali: গেরিলা) is a 2011 Bangladeshi film based on the events of the Bangladesh Liberation War. An adaptation of the novel Nishiddho Loban by Syed Shamsul Huq, it was released on April 14, 2011. ^[1]

Nishiddho Loban, the novel, is written by the prolific Bengali writer Syed Shamsul Huq. It has been envisioned by the director of the film Nasiruddin Yousuf Bachchu. He has crafted the film GUERRILLA with his own experience as a leading fierce freedom fighter of 1971, sketching real incidents of those days. Guerrilla is a delicate, artistic rendition in moving images of the heroic deeds of the liberation war's valiant freedom fighters on an epic canvas. They were a distinguished generation, dedicated to a noble proposition that FREEDOM is Man's first and foremost right. It is not a gift.

Plot

On the ominous night of March 25, 1971, a heinous military operation, the Operation Searchlight an operation designed to kill indiscriminately the innocent democracy loving millions, was initiated by the Pakistan Army. The hated operation was just the beginning of the worst genocide to follow, a brutal crime against humanity after the Second World War. On that very night, Hasan Ahmed, a veteran journalist of the country, husband of Bilkis (Joya Ahsan), simply vanished while on his way to his newspaper office to perform his journalistic duty. He is untraceable till date. Bilkis was in banking profession. She started a desperate search for her husband and at the same time got herself engaged as a collaborator to the guerrilla operations which were gradually gaining momentum. She was not affected by her personal loss and pain, rather, undaunted; she chose the hazardous path to carry on the fight for our liberation. With the guerrilla fighters like Shahadat, Alam, Maya, Kazi Kamal, Fateh Ali and others operating in Dhaka, she started participating directly in many dangerous and successful operations. She was in constant touch with Altaf Mahmud, the legendary personality of Bengali Nation's musical arena and scorer of many revolutionary songs. She thus became the central character in the movie, also a target to the enemy. Bilkis, Shahin and many others got involved in the publication of a secret English News bulletin The GUERRILLA, obviously from the underground. Incidentally, at a particular point of time, Taslim Ali Sardar, a traditional Chieftain of the old Dhaka's subsector (Moholla), who courageously sheltered ill-fated Bilkis, got brutally killed by the Pakistani Army and their lackeys--- the hated rajakars. At one point, Altaf Mahmud, Rumi, Bodi along with some other freedom fighters were captured. Altaf and few others like him did never return, could never be traced, a tragic fact well known to us today. Bilkis, a lonely character now, could evade the worse, and tactfully leave the labyrinth- like barriers and traps set by the occupational army around Dhaka. She could get into a train to her home, Joleswari, a remote village at Rangpur. The metallic train transforms into a character, a symbolic one, a moving replica designed to depict a catastrophic journey. The parents of Bilkis were killed in the communal riots of the Bengalis and the Biharis in January '71 earlier.. She just was desperately longing to meet her own brother: Khokon at Joleawari. Khokon was then a commander of the local freedom fighters. Pakistan Army units were on the verge of collapse due to consistent fierce attacks initiated by those fighters. Khokon dynamited a vital railway bridge near Joleswari, interrupting all train movements. . She had to reach her brother. Nothing could deter her. She opted to walk. On her way, she got a young vibrant male companion, Siraj, a member of Khokon's fighting group. At one point Khokon was captured by the Pak Army. The brutal Army and Rajakar predators SLAUGHTERED him along with other captured freedom fighters. Bilkis wanted to have a glimpse of her dead brother, wanted to touch his apparently cold, inert body to feel the warmth of a loving brother, the heat of the fire inside him which no killer could extinguish. Khokon was a living, pulsating symbol of our ongoing freedom fight. She, risking her life, could enter the 'killing fields' of the occupants but was captured immediately by them. Bilkis was captured but she did never surrender to the heinous forces. For her country, for the entire freedom loving humanity, she did set up an example, a glorious one. She does not allow her body, the body of the fledgling Bangladesh, to be molested by the vultures of Pakistan. She blew herself up with explosives, destroying the surrounding mocking dogs in the process.^[2]

Cast

• Joya Ahsan as Bilkish Banu
• Ferdous Ahmed as Hasan Ahmed
• Pijush Bandyopaddhay as Anwar Hossain
• Ahmed Rubel as Altaf Mahmud
• Shatabdi Wadud as Captain Shamsad / Major Sarfaraj
• Shampa Reza as Mrs. Khan
• A.T.M Shamsuzzaman as Taslim Sardar
• Azad Abul Kalam as Tyeb
• Sajjad Ahmed Rajib as Siraj
• Kachi Khandakar, S.M. Mohsin, Mostofa Monwar, Erfan Mridha, Golam Mowla Shaymol, Mirana Zaman, Noyon Hasan, Jayasree, Omer Alaz, Masum Aziz, Kamal Bayezid and Others

Production

Development
Nasiruddin Yousuff and Ebadur Rahman were the script writers of the film. Shimul Yousuf was the music director of 'Guerrilla'. Art direction was given by Onimesh Aich. Samiron Datta was the cinematographer and Shimul Yousuff was the costume designer. The movie was shot in 127 different locations with wonderful cinematography. The sound effect was done in Mumbai.^[3]

'Guerrilla' is a joint production by Impress Telefilm Limited and Arial Creative Space while Ashirbad Chalachchitra is the distributor of the film. The government of the Bangladesh provided Tk 2.9 million out of its total budget of Tk 30 million. The print of this movie had been processed by Reliance Media Works. Special credit goes to Samiron Datta for its nice cinematography and composition.

Music

The music of the film was worthy of praise, especially the adaptation of Kazi Nazrul's poem Bolo Bir, and its aesthetic composition when Altaf Mahmud had been arrested by the military. There were six songs in the sound track of Guerrilla. Among them three songs - "Bolo Bir Bolo Unnoto Momo Shir", "Joi Shatyer Joi" and "Ami Manusher Bhai Spartacus" - were written by National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, Dr Enamul Haque and Shaheed Shahidullah Kaisar respectively. Chandan Chowdhury had recorded the song "Bolo Bir Bolo Unnoto Momo Shir" while Anindita Brishti had sung "Joi Shatyer Joi". Linu Billah, Shimul Yousuff, Syed Hossain Tipu, Chandan Chowdhury and Shawon Mahmud had lent their voices to the song, "Ami Manusher Bhai Spartacus".

Shimul Yousuff had recorded two other songs - "Tepantor-er Mathey" (written and composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam) and "Neerosh Dogdho Shomoy" (written by Selim Al Deen). She also composed the latter.

Addition of Qawwali "Ali Ali Mawla Ali" gave the film a huge detail in music because the then Pakistani occupation army loved this song very much; even still now Qawwali is very popular among Pakistani and Kashmiri people. It was written by Talib Kabir and composed by Dr Mohammad Samir Qawwal. Dr Mohammad Samir Qawwal and his troupe had recorded it. The sound designing of this movie had been done by Vinod Subramaniam of India, who was nationally awarded for the movie 'Rock On'.

Box-office

Star Cineplex and Bolaka(Bolaka-1 & Bolaka-2) is running this movie. Considering the fact that, these are the busiest theaters in the capital, one can imagine the nationwide success of this movie. Even after 100 Days, the movie is running around many theaters across the country.

“Guerrilla” celebrated its 100th day on 22 July 2011. Since its release on April 14, the film has been uninterruptedly screened at two theatres in Dhaka—Star Cineplex and Balaka Cine World.

The director of the film is delighted to achieve this landmark, as he thinks it is a positive sign for mainstream Bangladeshi cinema. “My film has gained a momentum at a time when mainstream cinema in the country is going through a rough patch. It gives me hope for Bangladeshi cinema,” said Yousuff.

Awards

Guerilla received the NETPAC Award for the Best Asian Film in the 2011 Kolkata International Film Festival.

National Film Awards

Guerrilla, won the 2011 National Film Awards highest award of the 10 categories.^[4][5][6]

• Best Film - Faridur Reza Sagar, Ibne Hasan and Esha Yusuf (producer)
• Best Director - Nasiruddin Yousuff
• Best Screenwriter - Ebadur Rahman, Nasiruddin Yousuff
• Best Dialogue - Ebadur Rahman, Nasiruddin Yousuff
• Best Actress - Joya Ahsan
• Best Villain - Shatabdi Wadud (jointly with Misha Sawdagar for Boss Number One)
• Best Editor - Sami Ahmed
• Best Art Director - Animesh Aais
• Best makeup man - Md. Ali Babul
• Best Clothing and decor - Shimul Yousuf

Meril Prothom Alo Awards

Guerilla received Awards in 4 categories for the Best Bangladeshi Film in the 2011 Meril Prothom Alo Awards.

• Best Film (Critics branch)
• Best Film Director Award (Nasir Uddin Yusuf)
• Best film artist (women) (Jaya Ahsan)
• Special Prize ATM Shamsuzzaman

References

External links

• Guerrilla at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website