The movie features some of the region's biggest stars - including India's Jaya Bachchan and Victor Banerjee - as well as other leading performers from Bangladesh and Pakistan, making it one of few attempts involving a cast from three South Asian countries. Many years later one of her relatives, Sarah, visits Meher and tries to put together her past. When her love is discovered, she is humiliated and silenced by her family and society. The film follows Meher, who falls in love with a Pakistani soldier during the war. My objection to the film is that they have shown a soft corner for the PakistanisFerdousy Priyabhashini, Sculptor I am a rape victim and I have gone through lots of humiliation and suffering.

I tried to break away from that and I think that's what created this huge uproar, ' says Ms Hossain. 'In the context of 1971 we are used to looking at these binary images of Bangladeshi hero versus the dehumanised Pakistani brutal animal.

The government has already set up an International Crimes Tribunal to try those Bangladeshis accused of collaborating with the Pakistani forces and committing atrocities during the nine-month bloody war. But the director disagrees.Īs Bangladesh celebrates the 40th anniversary of its independence, the events of the time still evoke strong emotions in a country struggling to come to terms with its violent past.Īccording to official estimates, as many as three million people were killed and 200, 000 women were raped by Pakistani soldiers when Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, fought to become an independent nation with Indian assistance. Image caption Rubaiyat Hossain denies that she is overlooking genocide committed during the warĬritics allege that it has distorted history and ignored the horrors of the war. Little did she realise that her first venture would be mired in controversy.įollowing fierce criticism in the media and on the internet, the film was withdrawn from cinema halls by its distributors just a week after its release. The feature film is about a Bangladeshi woman's love affair with a Pakistani Baloch soldier during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence. It was her debut and in making it she had joined a handful of female film directors in Bangladesh. When Bangladeshi film Meherjaan was released in January this year, it was a great moment for the director Rubaiyat Hossain. Image caption The movie features actors from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Bangla old movie bahadur