“Bhuban Majhi” goes international

Since its release on March 1, “Bhuban Majhi” has continued to enjoy a fair degree of success. The film is still being screened at the halls of Star Cineplex and Blockbuster Cinemas in the capital, and has had a big response at Chittagong as well, where the film was shown on alternate screenings for around a week. The film was met with a similar response in Sylhet, and at the moment “Bhuban Majhi” is entertaining audiences at Jessore. After the impact it has made nationwide, “Bhuban Majhi” is traveling to select theatres overseas.

The film has already been screened to audiences in Canberra, Australia on March 25, and is now making its way to Paris, France and Sydney, Australia on April 9 where it will show at Club de l'Etoile and Ritz Cinema respectively. There will also be three screenings at North America this month; in Beaverton at April 9, Chicago on 23 April and at Dallas on 29 April, in addition to a showing at Toronto's International Film Festival of South Asia on April 21. “We have partnered up with Bengal Creation, an organisation under Bengal Foundation, and it's through them that we are taking our film to the international audience,” said director Fakhrul Arefeen Khan.

The director added that they are still working on screening the film all around Bangladesh, and “Bhuban Majhi” will make rounds in Feni, Khulna, Rajshahi and other regions.

When asked to remark about the response “Bhuban Majhi” is leaving in its wake, the director stated, “The only other Liberation War film that saw such hype was 'Guerilla'. I am deeply overwhelmed by its success. Those of us that worked on 'Bhuban Majhi' did it for the love of film, and the desire to create that feeling among the audience. I am immensely pleased with the fruits of our labour.”

Marking Independence Day on March 26, the “Bhuban Majhi” team embarked on a campaign last month titled “Amar Potaka, Amar Bangladesh”. “Our movement sought to raise awareness of the significance around our National Flag,” said the director, “and at the event we gave audience members flags as well as a set of guidelines on its appropriate use, with purchase of every film ticket.”