Meherjaan

Meherjaan

Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by Rubaiyat Hossain
Produced by Ashique Mostafa
Written by Rubaiyat Hossain
Screenplay by Rubaiyat Hossain
Ebadur Rahman
Starring Jaya Bachchan
Victor Banerjee
Humayun Faridi
Music by Neil Mukherjee
Cinematography Samiran Datta
Edited by Sujan Mahmud
Mita Chakraborty
Distributed by Habibur Rahman Khan
Release dates
  • January 21, 2011
Running time
 119 minutes
Country Bangladesh
Language Bengali
English
Urdu

Meherjaan (Bengali: মেহেরজান) is the feature-length début film of Bangladeshi director Rubaiyat Hossain. The film was pulled from theatres due to the hostile response of some segments of the audience after its release in January, 2011. Meherjaan claims to be a women's "feminine" re-visiting of the Bangladesh Independence War with Pakistan in 1971, while many feel discomfort with the deconstructive representation of the '71 conflict.

Cast

Festivals and awards

Meherjaan has been participated in many film festivals including Kolkata Film Festival,[1] Festival International de Films de Fribourg,[2] Festival de Cine de Bogotá,[3] 31 º Festival Cinematográfico Internacional del Uruguay,[4] London Asian Film Festival,[5] Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian & Arab Cinema,[6] Jaipur International Film Festival,[7] Cyprus International Film Festival,[8] Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival,[9] Belize International Film Festival,[10] Portobello Film Festival,[11] Baghdad International Film Festival,[12] Indian Film Festival The Hague,[13] Arizona International Film Festival,[14] Kenya International Film Festival,[15] Oaxaca Film Fest,[16] Ladakh International Film Festival, Seattle South Asian Film Festival,[17] International Film Festival Antigua Barbuda,[18] Bahamas International Film Festival[19] and others.

Meherjaan wins a handful of awards at International film festivals and competitions including Best Critic Award (Jaipur Int. Film Festival),[20] Jury Award and Audience Award for Best Feature Film (Northampton Int. Film Festival),[21] Best Feature Film (Abuja Int. Film Festival),[22] Leigh Whipper Gold Award and Best Film Award (Philadelphia Int. Film Festival), Orson Wells Award (Tiburon Int. Film Festival),[23] Grand Bonehead Award-Best Foreign Language Film and Best Soundtrack (Bare Bones Int. Film Festival),[24] GAIA Award-Best Foreign Film and ATLANTIS Award-Best Soundtrack (Moondance Film Festival), Best Foreign Feature (Long Island Film Festival)[25][26] Best Cinematography (Hoboken Int. Film Festival),[27] Best Foreign Film-Runner up (AOF Int. Film Festival),[28] Best Outstanding Debut Film and Best Female Director (NJ Independent South Asian Cinefest),[29] Best International Feature Film and Special Jury Award (IFF for Peace, Inspiration, and Equality),[30] River Admiration Award-Outstanding Feature(East) and Best Actress-Jaya Bachchan (Silent River Film Festival), Best Foreign Film (River’s Edge film festival),[31] Grand Jury Prize-Best Film (International Bridge Fest),[32] Best Foreign Film and Best Script-Honorable Mention (Cleveland Indie Gathering),[33] Honorable Mention (New Jersey Int. Film Festival) and others

Suspension

The film was withdrawn from movie theatres in Bangladesh due to the objections of different groups of people. "The film Meherjaan, which was released in Dhaka in January 2011, was quickly pulled out of theatres after it created a furore among audiences. The hostile responses to the film from across generations highlight the discomfort about the portrayal of a raped woman, and its depiction of female and multiple sexualities during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The film's stance against Bangladeshi nationalism also created a stir among audiences."[34]

On November 3, 2011, there was a special film event and a panel discussion at Harvard University sponsored by the University of Massachusetts Boston, South Asia Initiative at Harvard University, Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights at UMass, and the CARR Center for Human Rights, Harvard Kennedy School. The film was screened in advance of a panel discussion by Cambridge/Boston academics.[35][36]

Reviews

Meherjaan has received mixed reviews.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]

References

  1. ↑ "Schedule | Kolkata Film Festival". Kff.in. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "30 Festival de Cine de Bogotá 2012 – Pagina Oficial | 30 Festival de Cine de Bogotá 2012 – Pagina Oficial". Xxix.bogocine.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  4. ↑ "Cinemateca Uruguaya". Cinemateca.org.uy. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ "CYIFF 93-meherjaan-0910-2000". Cyiff.cineartfestival.eu. 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  9. ↑ "Films Details". Fliff.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  10. ↑ "Films". Belizefilmfestival.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  11. ↑ "Portobello Film Festival London". Portobellofilmfestival.com. 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ "Indian Film Festival The Hague/NL - Meherjaan". Indianffth.nl. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  14. ↑ "2012 Arizona International Film Festival". Filmfestivalarizona.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  15. ↑ "Local Companies All Over The World". Kiff Trust. 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2013-09-02.
  16. ↑ "Oaxaca FilmFest September 2013 | International Film Festival | Oaxaca Mexico". Oaxacafilmfest.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  17. ↑ "SSAFF 2011 :: Sat - Cinema - 7:00 - Meherjaan". Ssaff.tasveer.org. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  18. ↑ "Film Screenings at the International Film Festival Antigua Barbuda". Iffab.org. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  19. ↑ "The Festival : Meherjaan : Bahamas International Film Festival". Bintlfilmfest.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  20. ↑
  21. ↑
  22. ↑ "|| Abuja film festival || Abuja International Film Festival || 10th Abuja International Film Festival || Film festivals || African Film Festivals || International Film Festivals || AIFF || A.I.F.F || Cannes film festival || Dubai film Festival || Nigerian". Abujafilmfestng.org. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  23. ↑ "Tiburon International Film Festival". Tiburonfilmfestival.com. 2012-04-22. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ "Long Island Film Festival – Awards 2012". Longislandfilmfestival.org. 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  26. ↑ "Independent Film Festivals | Indie Film Festival | Screenplays and Films Contests". Moondancefilmfestival.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  27. ↑
  28. ↑ "Welcome to". Aoffest.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  29. ↑ "NJISACF 2011 :: Meherjaan". Njisacf.org. 2011-10-22. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  30. ↑ "Winners". International Film Festivals. 2012-08-30. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  31. ↑ "Meherjaan". Riversedgefilmfestival.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  32. ↑ "Bridge Fest 2013 - Welcome - Dobrodošli". Bridge-fest.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  33. ↑ "17th Indie Gathering International Film Festival & more! - 2012 Winners". Theindiegathering.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  34. ↑ Nayanika Mukherjee, Economic and Political Weekly, VOL 46 No. 12 March 19–25, 2011
  35. ↑ "Special Fim Event : Meherjaan, directed by Rubaiyat Hossain". Hks.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  36. ↑ Jonathan Richmond (2011-11-16). "Meherjaan on tour". Thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  37. ↑ "1971 love story wins city’s heart". Epaper.timesofindia.com. 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  38. ↑ "Hindustan Times e-Paper". Epaper.hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  39. ↑
  40. ↑ "The Pakistani Patient". Sunday-guardian.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  41. ↑
  42. ↑ "Bangladesh liberation film opens old wounds – The Express Tribune". Tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  43. ↑ Ethirajan, Anbarasan (2011-04-19). "BBC News - Bangladeshi war film Meherjaan rekindles old enmities". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  44. ↑ Naeem Mohaiemen (2011-01-23). "Meherjaan's women on the verge". Thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  45. ↑ Subir Bhaumik. "Book, film greeted with fury among Bengalis - Features". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  46. ↑ "A world without borders". Banglanews24.com. 2011-02-06. Retrieved 2013-08-16.

External links