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Meherjaan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Meherjaan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRubaiyat Hossain
Written byRubaiyat Hossain
Screenplay by
Produced by
  • Ashique Mostafa
Starring
CinematographySamiran Datta
Edited by
  • Sujan Mahmud
  • Mita Chakraborty
Music byNeil Mukherjee
Distributed byHabibur Rahman Khan
Release date
  • January 21, 2011 (2011-01-21)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryBangladesh
Languages
  • 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

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Festivals and awards

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Meherjaan still on a book cover, published by University of Washington Press.
Meherjaan poster

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]Festival Cinematográfico Internacional del Uruguay,[4] London Asian Film Festival,[5] Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian & Arab Cinema.[6]

Meherjaan wins a handful of awards at International film festivals and competitions including Best Critic Award (Jaipur International Film Festival),[7] Jury Award and Audience Award (Northampton International Film Festival), Orson Welles Award (Tiburon International Film Festival)[8]

Suspension

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The film was withdrawn from movie theatres in Bangladesh due to the objections of different groups of people.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 nationalism also created a stir among audiences."[9]

On 3 November 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.[10][11]

Reception

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Critical response

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Meherjaan has received mixed reviews. Nayanika Mookherjee of Economic and Political Weekly noted that Meherjaan's withdrawal stemmed from its romantic plotline involving a West Pakistani soldier, which challenged traditional 1971 war narratives and provoked public discomfort over its depiction of wartime gender dynamics.[9] In a coverage of the Kolkata Film Festival, The Times of India noted that despite facing controversy in Bangladesh, Rubaiyat Hossain's 1971-based romantic drama Meherjaan was well received by the audience in Kolkata.[12] A critic of The Sunday Guardian characterized Meherjaan as a provocative film that explores a romance between a Bangladeshi woman and a Pakistani soldier during the 1971 war. The critique noted that the film's humanistic focus on love amidst military conflict challenged traditional wartime narratives, making it a highly controversial yet notable work in South Asian cinema.[13] A critic of The Express Tribune highlighted that Meherjaan was voluntarily withdrawn from Bangladeshi theaters due to public backlash over its romantic depiction of a Pakistani soldier during the 1971 war. Critics and veterans argued that the film distorted war history, while the filmmakers defended it as an alternative narrative on love and conflict.[14]

Ethirajan Anbarasan of BBC News noted that Meherjaan sparked intense controversy for depicting a romance between a Bengali woman and a Pakistani soldier during the 1971 war. Critics argued that the film distorted historical realities and softened wartime atrocities, leading to its withdrawal from cinemas.[15] Writing for The Daily Star, researcher Naeem Mohaiemen described Meherjaan as a flawed effort at creating a counter-narrative of the 1971 war. While noting that fiction should not be burdened with serving strictly as historical reportage, he criticized the film's cinematic execution—arguing that its idealized romance and stylized aesthetic obscured the historical geography and brutal realities of the genocide.[16] Subir Bhaumik of Al Jazeera, highlighted that Meherjaan sparked widespread outrage in Bangladesh for attempting to break away from traditional wartime narratives by portraying a romance between a Bengali woman and a Pakistani soldier. The report noted that critics and feminist activists accused the film of trivializing the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military during the 1971 war, which ultimately led to its withdrawal from theaters by the distributor.[17] William Gomes of Bangla News 24 noted, the screening of Meherjaan was halted in Bangladeshi theaters following widespread objections from audiences and war veterans. The report highlighted that the film faced intense criticism for its controversial storyline involving a romance with a Pakistani soldier, which many argued demeaned the history and spirit of the 1971 Liberation War.[18]

References

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  1. ↑ "Schedule | Kolkata Film Festival". Kolkata Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2012-08-18. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  2. ↑ "Meherjaan". Fribourg International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2012-05-02.
  3. ↑ "30 Festival de Cine de Bogotá 2012 – Pagina Oficial". Xxix.bogocine.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  4. ↑ "Cinemateca Uruguaya". Cinemateca.org.uy. Archived from the original on 2013-08-16. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  5. ↑ "Meherjaan". London Asian Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2012-03-11.
  6. ↑ "Meherjaan". Osian's Cinefan. Archived from the original on 2012-08-01.
  7. ↑ "JIFF 2012 Award Winners". Jaipur International Film Festival. Archived from the original (DOC) on 2012-12-15.
  8. ↑ "Tiburon International Film Festival". Tiburon International Film Festival. 2012-04-22. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  9. 1 2 Mookherjee, Nayanika (2011-03-19). "Love in the Time of 1971: The Furore over 'Meherjaan'". Economic and Political Weekly. 46 (12): 25–27. JSTOR 41151989.
  10. ↑ "Special Film Event: Meherjaan, directed by Rubaiyat Hossain" (PDF). Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Harvard Kennedy School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  11. ↑ Jonathan Richmond (2011-11-16). "Meherjaan on tour". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  12. ↑ "1971 love story wins city's heart". The Times of India. 2011-11-13. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  13. ↑ "The Pakistani Patient". Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  14. ↑ "Bangladesh liberation film opens old wounds". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  15. ↑ Ethirajan, Anbarasan (2011-04-19). "Bangladeshi war film Meherjaan rekindles old enmities". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  16. ↑ Naeem Mohaiemen (2011-01-23). "Meherjaan's women on the verge". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  17. ↑ Subir Bhaumik. "Book, film greeted with fury among Bengalis - Features". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  18. ↑ "A world without borders". Banglanews24.com. 2011-02-06. Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
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