Showing posts with label Mostofa Sarwar Farooki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mostofa Sarwar Farooki. Show all posts
The 21st century will probably be remembered as a clash of religions and ideas, which is sad-Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
8:14 AM
No Land’s Man maker on tackling identity crisis through Nawaz-starrer
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; October 8, 2021)
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s No Land’s Man has been 11 years in the making. But the acclaimed Bangladeshi filmmaker believes that the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer, which examines identity crisis, is an urgent theme in today’s divisive world.
“We have tried to portray the two sides of identity. For instance, when I recently went to a café, the lady at the counter warmly addressed me as Farooki bhai. However, when I was walking in Manhattan, a guy walking by gave me a cold look, as if almost telling me, ‘Are you one of those terrorists?’ We have created a strange world where we love someone or hate them just because of who they are, and not because of what they have done. The 21st century will probably be remembered as a clash of religions and ideas, which is sad,” says the director.
The drama, nominated for the Kim Jiseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival, tells the story of a South Asian man who struggles to find a place he can call home. Farooki says that Siddiqui’s instinctive reaction to the story reaffirmed his choice of the leading man. “He had tears in his eyes while listening to the story. That assured me he is the man to pull this off. After hearing the narration, he said we must make this film in the best possible way.”
Arjun Rampal-Konkona Sen Sharma's The Rapist, Nawazuddin Siddiqui's No Land's Man in race at Busan fest
8:05 AM
Shamayita Chakraborty (BOMBAY TIMES; September 8, 2021)
Aparna Sen’s film, The Rapist, is set to have its world premiere at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). The film, which stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Arjun Rampal and Tanmay Dhanania, will be part of the ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’ section of the festival, which is scheduled to take place from October 6 to 15 in Haeundae district of South Korea’s Busan province.
The film is also nominated for the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award along with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s No Land’s Man, which stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui. In a tweet this afternoon, Aparna Sen wrote, “We, the actors, technicians and producers are all delighted that our film THE RAPIST is premiering at the BUSAN Film Festival and has been nominated for the prestigious KIM JOSEOK AWARD. Congratulations, my comrades and my partners in crime! (sic)”
Speaking to us, Aparna Sen, who’s directed the film, said, “I’m usually very passionate about all my films, but was a little more involved with this one. I am happy that it will premiere in Busan, but I am more elated that the film will be one of the seven films to compete for the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award. My producers were very supportive while making this film and I feel that’s very helpful for a maker. I also worked with a young and talented crew. They literally have been by my side every moment. Working with Arjun Rampal was a very good experience.”
“It feels great to be nominated for the Kim Jiseok Award. Very few films get this honour and Ma, I and the whole team is elated after getting the news. I’ve been to the fest twice — around 20 year ago when Ma was in the jury, and in 2019 for Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare. But this year, both Ma and I have prior engagements and won’t be able to make it. The Rapist is also very special to me as I worked with Ma after a long gap post Goynar Baksho,” Konkona told us from a remote village in Kerala, where she’s currently shooting.
Arjun had also tweeted about the development earlier in the day. “Super excited and stoked. #TheRapist selected for competition at the prestigious #busanfilmfestival so proud of #aparnasen @konkona #tanmay @applausesocial the whole crew. Congratulations to all (sic),” he wrote.
On the other hand, Farooki’s No Land’s Man deals with discrimination and hate crimes based on race, religion and nationality. Speaking to us from Bangladesh, Farooki said, “We make films primarily because we feel increasingly agitated to tell the story. However when it gets some recognition or love, it always feels good. And when it’s from Busan, which is the premier festival for Asian voices, it’s really good.”
About working with Nawazuddin, the filmmaker said he always asserts that the most sensible actors are those who look extremely effortless on screen. “If I may give one example: when you see Leo Messi dribbling past four defenders, you’ll feel dribbling is the easiest thing in the world. Messi makes it look so effortless. Now if you see me dribbling, you will feel dribbling is the toughest thing in the world. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is one such rare actor who makes things look extremely effortless! He is fun to be with, work with,” he told us.
— With inputs from Ruman Ganguly
Nawazuddin Siddiqui to take No Land’s Man to international shores before India release
8:06 AM
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; February 24, 2021)
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is no stranger to international film festivals, with his movies Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), The Lunchbox (2013) and Manto (2018) having won acclaim on foreign shores. The actor, who recently wrapped up the shoot of No Land’s Man and doubles up as a co-producer, has ambitious plans for the Indian-Bangladeshi drama.
“We thought it’s a story that needs to be told. We will make rounds of the festival circuit with No Land’s Man before we release it [in India],” he says. The film, directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, traces the journey of a South Asian man who meets an Australian woman in the US.
Even as we strived to make sense of the unusual year that was 2020, Siddiqui was unstoppable, doling out compelling stories in Raat Akeli Hai and Serious Men. The actor hopes to continue his hot streak this year, having put his faith in the drama about identity crisis that arises in a foreign land. “The film’s editing and sound mixing are currently underway. No Land’s Man is a special film to me because of its unique storyline. [A R] Rahman is also one of the producers on the project,” adds the actor.
While writing the script, Irrfan Khan’s eyes were always on my mind-Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
8:13 AM
Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki shares his experience of working with the late actor for his 2017 film
Chandrima Pal (BOMBAY TIMES; February 21, 2021)
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s Doob — No Bed of Roses, an Indo-Bangladesh venture, is being touted as an undiscovered gem from Irrfan’s repertoire. Released in 2017, the film, co-produced by the late actor, eventually won several awards and popular love, but not before the filmmaker went through his share of trolling and bullying for the references to a controversial and charismatic public figure in his country. The headlining political context of the time is irrelevant to fans and followers of Irrfan, who recently got to experience yet another elegant and nuanced performance from the actor as a man caught in a complex separation drama. In a chat, the director spoke about Irrfan’s preparation for the role, the language of silences and his eloquent eyes. Excerpts:
How did Irrfan become a part of Doob?
While writing the script, Irrfan’s eyes were always on my mind. But I had two problems here – the language barrier, as he was not a Bengali speaker. And I didn’t know how to get him on board. I came to know he was shooting a film with a friend and brother, Anup Singh. I reached out to him and waited a couple of weeks for an answer.
There was no response from him and I started reaching out to other Bengali speaking actors. I had almost finalised someone else when Anup da replied and connected me with Irrfan bhai. I sent him a link to my films Ant Story (Piprabidya) and Television. Irrfan liked Ant Story very much, and was on board to help our project.
Irrfan was already familiar with Bengali and the cultural ethos, and had immortalised the role of Ashoke Ganguly in Mira Nair’s adaptation of The Namesake. However, in your interviews you mentioned how he took lessons in the spoken language again. Could you take us through the process that he went through to slip under the skin of the character?
Yeah, he did Mira Nair’s masterpiece The Namesake and his wife is also a Bengali with her roots in Dhaka. But the amount of Bengali dialogues in Doob was enormous and we were aware of the challenge. So we started conducting some sessions over video calls with him. We also sent out audio recordings for him to study. I am grateful to him for taking up such an incredible challenge to speak a language he doesn’t speak. I was aware of the amount of risk involved, but I needed to get those eyes to speak to the audience too. He was one of the rare actors who could evoke the most complex emotions with just a simple gaze. I believe this is clearly visible in our film.
Doob, at the time of its theatrical release, stoked controversy in the Bengali speaking community globally about the references to iconic author Humayun Ahmed’s life, especially in Bangladesh. Now there is a wider audience viewing the film with an entirely different perspective. Your views?
Love and hate are just natural by-products of what we do as an artist. But I have grown old enough to remain unmoved by external praise or criticism. I don’t let it impact the way I want to make my next film. When I made my first film Bachelor, which was a romcom, it kind of shook the nation. The OTT release of Doob has given the audience the opportunity to look at the film with a calm and cool mind. Sometimes we need some time to cool off and look at something from a fresh perspective.
You faced your share of trolling on social media, too...
I have learnt a very relevant lesson during the controversy surrounding Doob. Films can be read differently now, thanks to social media. They can be read together with what you had posted on your social handles three years ago on a completely different topic. If it had gone against someone’s political or any other views, he would have waited with a dagger in the dark to crucify me once my film released. Not just people’s personal taste in cinema, these external factors are also coming into play. I wish I knew earlier that it’s a bad idea to share your opinion on social media.
Irrfan Khan is one of the most accomplished actors-Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
7:41 AM
Top Bangladeshi director reveals first look of the actor’s next, rumoured to be inspired by novelist-filmmaker Humayun’s life
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 17, 2016)
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Bangladeshi director of the Irrfan Khan-starrer, Doob: No Bed of Roses, confesses to being a fan of novelist Humayun Ahmed, whose writing, he claims, taught him a vital method of approaching sensitive issues. "I learned that when we critique a subject with empathy, the chances of it backfiring are lesser. His stories can make you cry, even for the bad guys,” he says earnestly.
Such is his admiration for the writer that Farooki’s upcoming Indo-Bangladeshi project is being rumoured to be a biopic on Humayun. The filmmaker, who is currently in India for the post production, clarifies the claims. “I am not going to officially say that it is a biopic. To base a story on a celebrated man’s life needs better research and detailing. Yes, those who read my first draft asked if it was based on Humayun’s life. But it wasn’t a conscious call. He is an inspirational man, and his story is inevitably running in our sub conscience. But my movie is fictional, open to interpretation.”
Yet, he confesses, one can draw parallels between the characters if noticed closely. “Irrfan’s Javed Hasan is a filmmaker, a cult figure, much like Humayun was.” Also, much like the novelist, Javed too will be seen marrying his daughter’s friend. When we question Farroki on his moral stance with regard to this, he retorts, “Who are we to decide what’s right or wrong. People just respond to situations. There is no good or bad. I don’t consider Humayun controversial. For my nation, he is that iconic novelist and filmmaker, who people never stopped loving. His second marriage raised eyebrows, but his second wife garnered support too.”
Casting for a role that resembles a figure he admires so much, must have been difficult. “But Irrfan is one of the most accomplished actors. We really bonded over our working styles. I don’t always like to follow the script and prefer improvising on sets, changing scenes and dialogues. Irrfan too likes to play along,” he signs off.
Irrfan Khan marries his daughter’s friend in English-Bengali bilingual film No Bed of Roses?
7:52 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 15, 2016)
Mirror (March 3) was the first to report that Irrfan Khan will feature
in internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Farooki’s
next, an English-Bengali bilingual titled No Bed of Roses (Doob in
Bengali). “The story revolves around two families who find the deeper
meanings of love in the wake of a tragedy. The film notes that death
isn’t necessarily always a loss,” producer Himanshu Dhanuka had earlier
revealed.
Mirror has now learnt that the 49-year-old actor’s character in the film has allegedly been inspired by Bangladeshi writer, dramatist, screenwriter and filmmaker, Humayun Ahmed, who after his breakthrough first novel in 1972, Nondito Noroke, went on to write over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of them bestsellers across the border. He also made eight films based on his own novels which bagged him six National Awards in his home country. Nobel laureate, economist Muhammad Yunus, described his impact, saying, “Humayun’s works are the most profound and most fruitful that literature has experienced since the time of Tagore and Nazrul.”
However, what could make No Bed Of Roses controversial is that it touches on the aspect of a scandalous second marriage. Ahmed was married to Gultekin Khan with whom he had three daughters, Nova, Shila and Bipasha, and a son, Nuhash. Shila went on to become a television and film actress. In 2003, he divorced Gultekin and two years later, married an actress Meher Afroz Shaon, who was years younger than him and was his daughter’s friend. The couple had two sons, Nishad and Ninit. Ahmed was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2011 and died a year later on July 19, 2012.
Irrfan heard the story in January and fascinated with Mostafa’s storytelling technique, immediately agreed to do the film. He shot for it in March in Dhaka and Siliguri.
“Irrfan plays a filmmaker in the film and his character too gets married a second time to his daughter’s friend. It is inspired by Humayun Ahmed but the makers have fictionalised it and christened him Javed Hasan to avoid controversies,” informs a source close to the project.
When Mirror contacted Farooki, he laughed, “Humayun Ahmed is a celebrated writer and I am a big fan. However, people will have to go to the theatre and watch the film to find out if Irrfan’s character is inspired by him. All I can say is as a filmmaker is that I take inspiration from life around me.”
Mirror (March 3) was the first to report that Irrfan Khan will feature
in internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Farooki’s
next, an English-Bengali bilingual titled No Bed of Roses (Doob in
Bengali). “The story revolves around two families who find the deeper
meanings of love in the wake of a tragedy. The film notes that death
isn’t necessarily always a loss,” producer Himanshu Dhanuka had earlier
revealed.Mirror has now learnt that the 49-year-old actor’s character in the film has allegedly been inspired by Bangladeshi writer, dramatist, screenwriter and filmmaker, Humayun Ahmed, who after his breakthrough first novel in 1972, Nondito Noroke, went on to write over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of them bestsellers across the border. He also made eight films based on his own novels which bagged him six National Awards in his home country. Nobel laureate, economist Muhammad Yunus, described his impact, saying, “Humayun’s works are the most profound and most fruitful that literature has experienced since the time of Tagore and Nazrul.”
However, what could make No Bed Of Roses controversial is that it touches on the aspect of a scandalous second marriage. Ahmed was married to Gultekin Khan with whom he had three daughters, Nova, Shila and Bipasha, and a son, Nuhash. Shila went on to become a television and film actress. In 2003, he divorced Gultekin and two years later, married an actress Meher Afroz Shaon, who was years younger than him and was his daughter’s friend. The couple had two sons, Nishad and Ninit. Ahmed was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2011 and died a year later on July 19, 2012.
Irrfan heard the story in January and fascinated with Mostafa’s storytelling technique, immediately agreed to do the film. He shot for it in March in Dhaka and Siliguri.
“Irrfan plays a filmmaker in the film and his character too gets married a second time to his daughter’s friend. It is inspired by Humayun Ahmed but the makers have fictionalised it and christened him Javed Hasan to avoid controversies,” informs a source close to the project.
When Mirror contacted Farooki, he laughed, “Humayun Ahmed is a celebrated writer and I am a big fan. However, people will have to go to the theatre and watch the film to find out if Irrfan’s character is inspired by him. All I can say is as a filmmaker is that I take inspiration from life around me.”
Irrfan Khan wraps up his Bangladeshi mission in 25 days
7:44 AM
Even though the Bengali-English bi-lingual is titled No Bed Of Roses the actor reveals that it was a fun shoot, easy to pull off
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 20, 2016)
Mirror (May 3) was the first to report that Irrfan Khan had signed another international project, a Bengali-English bilingual titled No Bed of Roses (Doob in Bengali), which he is also co-producing.
The director is an acclaimed Bangladeshi filmmaker, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, and the film also features the director's actress-wife, Nusrat Imroz Tisha, in a pivotal role. The story revolves around two families who find a deeper meaning to love in the wake of a tragedy and notes that death isn't necessarily always a loss. Irrfan whose wife, Sutapa Sikdar is a Bengali, plays one himself, since 65 per cent of the film is in bangla. He had played a professor, Ashoke Ganguli, a Bengali in Mira Nair's The Namesake.
What was it about the script that grabbed his interest given how super-selective he is about giving his nod to a film? "To be honest, it was the director Mostafa that I was more excited to work with rather than the script. I saw his past work (Ant Story) and was impressed with the powerful storytelling and his amazing vision. I instantly decided to be a part of this project," admits Irrfan.
The film was to be shot in a 35-day schedule in Dhaka and Siliguri. But it has been wrapped up ahead of schedule in just 25 days. "The cast and crew were efficient enough to pull it off early. A fun team is always a bonus. The people were warm and caring and the team was a delight to work with," Irrfan raves.
His character ages from 30 to 60 years in the course of the story, with the actor donning four different looks. Off late, the internationally acclaimed actor has been experimenting a lot with his getups. Any particular reason? "I like bringing novelty to my characters because I believe all of them tell different stories. The look completes the characterisation of a thought," he signs off.
Irrfan Khan bags Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Farooki's next
7:43 AM
The actor will feature in Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Farooki's next, an English-Bengali bilingual
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 3, 2016)
Irrfan Khan has signed his next international project, a Bengali-English bilingual titled No Bed Of Roses (Doob in Bengali), which he is also co-producing. It will be directed by acclaimed Bangladeshi filmmaker, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, and features the director's actress wife, Nusrat Imroz Tisha, in a pivotal role.
"Farooki was keen on casting Irrfan because he is one of the finest performers in India. When we approached him, we were told that he is busy for the next two years but when we met him in January for a narration, he was so impressed that he immediately agreed to do the film," says filmmaker Himanshu Dhanuka who is co-producing the film with a Bangladeshi banner. "The story revolves around two families who find deeper meanings of love in the wake of a tragedy. The film notes that death isn't necessarily always a loss," says Himanshu adding that Irrfan plays a Bengali family man.
The film goes on the floors this month-end and will be shot in a 35-day schedule. "We will shoot in Dhaka and Siliguri. Sixty five percent of the film will be in Bengali."
Irrfan's character ages from 30 to 60 years in the course of the story for which the actor will don four looks. "But we won't use prosthetics. Our objective is to keep it as natural as possible," Himanshu says, adding that his leading man has begun his prep. "I have been told that he wants to deliver the Bengali lines himself and has started learning the language," the filmmaker reveals.
"Strong scripts appeal to me. I was fascinated with Mostafa's storytelling technique. When he got in touch with me for this film, I saw his previous work, Ant Story, and was immediately interested," Irrfan told Mirror.
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