As a Country of Focus, four films from Bangladesh are being shown at the IFFI in Goa

India is helping Bangladesh in establishing a film city as single-screen theaters are declining in Bangladesh at a pace and quality cinema is the need of the hour, said High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Mohammad Imran on Sunday.

Speaking at the 51st International Film Festival of India in Goa, where Bangladesh was the ‘Country of Focus’ this year, Imran said, “We are happy that a joint film by India and Bangladesh will be launched soon on the father of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The effort was taken up earlier too, but it did not take off. I am glad that a new filmmaker has been chosen to take the project ahead and we are looking forward to it.”

As a Country of Focus at the IFFI, four films from Bangladesh are being shown at the festival.

The section opened with the film by Bangladesh’s veteran filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel. ‘Rupsa Nodir Banke’ or ‘Quiet Flows the River Rupsa’, is a fictional biopic based on the life of a left-wing leader.

“We are happy that Bangladesh is the country of focus this year in IFFI and we would like to thank the organizers immensely for that”, said veteran film director and author from Bangladesh Tanvir Mokammel. He was attending a media conference after the screening of his film “Rupsa Nodir Banke ‘, (Quiet Flows the River Rupsa), which is a fictional biopic based on the life of a left wing leader.


Thanking the Government of India and the International Film Festival of India for the invitation to participate in IFFI, Mokammel pointed out that, “It’s a befitting year, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh as well as the diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.”

Elaborating on the influence of Indian filmmakers like Satyajit Ray on the filmmakers of Bangladesh he said, “People like Ray come once in age and we don’t get another Satyajit Ray. If one follows his method of working, they will never make any mistake as each shot would be well designed. But, unfortunately, these days it’s not a fashion to follow Ray’s kind of filmmaking.”

The 51st International Film Festival of India was inaugurated on January 16. Addressing the audience, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar said that 600 International entries and 190 Indian entries have been received this year, reflecting the huge importance the world attaches to it, said the Minister.

On the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the two countries are together making a film titled Bangabandhu, he said.