Mostofa Sarwar Farooki emotional over 130 artistes demanding release of ‘Saturday Afternoon’
Following the recent join statement from 130 artistes demanding the unconditional release of Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's "Saturday Afternoon", the director shared his thoughts and feelings on the matter through a post on his verified Facebook profile.
The post read, "I don't want to hide my feelings anymore. I am a man who is extremely afraid of loneliness. For the last three years, I was upset with my comrades and with Bangladesh!"
The director, who has been waiting for three and a half years for the censor board to clear his movie, "Saturday Afternoon", has already taken the film to numerous international film festivals across the world.
He expressed his agony through this post, further writing:
"The thought that this injustice was being borne by me and my wife (Nusrat Imose Tisha) alone, had made me consider leaving the country numerous times. I can't even tell you how many sleepless nights I spent. Last night, I couldn't sleep either. However, this time it was due to overwhelming emotions I felt when I learned that Bachchu Bhai (Nasir Uddin Yusuff), Piplu Bhai (Piplu R Khan), Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, and Julhaj were calling our colleagues and collecting their signatures for the statement that demands the unconditional release of my film 'Saturday Afternoon'."
Farooki is currently in Australia, with his family. From there, he shared just how overwhelmed he was by the love and support he had received on social media. "Here in Sydney, at 3 am, I was trying to sleep, and hide my emotions from Tisha, as she was singing a lullaby for our daughter. It is not always the case, that we can push through our hesitations and take an initiative, together. As such, today is a memorable day for the artistes of our country. 130 artistes have given a statement demanding the release of 'Saturday Afternoon', a news which might even be seen in tomorrow's newspaper."
The director has been filled with joy and is proud that a majority of artistes, who have signed the statement, are from the younger generation of artistes. Their enthusiasm shows him the light of hope for a better future. He continued the post by saying:
"If you look at the list of names, you will understand why it carries a special meaning for us, especially for the next generation. There are people from all walks of life—the mainstream, the alternative, the new and the old. Our views may change at times, our ways may be different, but we are united when an artiste's freedom is questioned. Now we know, when we are united, nothing can hold us back anymore!"
Farooki believes that the appeals committee will show their discretion in the meeting that will be held tomorrow, with the hope that "Saturday Afternoon" can quickly be released for the Bangladeshi audience.
The director is also thankful to his colleagues. "I know that beyond these 130 people, there are thousands of artistes who agree with our demands," concluded Farooki's post.