People are calling it the ‘greatest climax’ in Bangladeshi content: Shihab Shaheen

Shihab Shaheen has masterfully woven countless love stories-- from the heartbreaking tale of "Mayashalik" to the bittersweet phases of love in "Chuye Dile Mon"-- and he delicately portrays the depths of love and how at the end of the day love conquers all. With his latest creation, "Kacher Manush Dhure Thuiya", Shaheen decides to showcase the intricacies of long-distance relationships and how an embrace can dissolve the anguish within hearts.

Social media has been flooding with reels and screengrabs of the web-film, as the younger generation easily identifies themselves in Farhan and Sharmin. When asked about the reception, he said "I am really astonished with it. Students who are living abroad are inboxing me about how they could relate to the problems. I just saw a video where a boy celebrated his anniversary by playing 'Megh Balika'. I am really happy we could touch people's hearts with it. Many people called the finale the 'greatest climax in Bangladeshi content.'"

There is a saying: "When words fail, silence prevails," and this sentiment was beautifully depicted in "Kacher Manush Dhure Thuiya". The overwhelming weight of Sharmin's frustration simply melted away as she met Farhan's longing gaze. As the rain poured over them, they were engulfed by a whirlwind of emotions. Though Sharmin attempted to escape, a single embrace washed away all the turmoil of their relationship.

"When we were shooting this scene, we played stock music to help the actors ease into the emotions. Fortunately, or unfortunately, rain unexpectedly started, enhancing the scene visually, but also causing disruptions to the shooting process. Both Pritom and Farin were navigating through a whirlwind of emotions as they transitioned in and out of their characters. However, when 'Farewell Life' played on loop, they were able to reconnect with the intended emotions," explained the director.

Usually, we see loud climaxes with violence or action and thus, the director was worried whether silence would resonate with the audience or not. "This scene is where the film transforms into a novel, leaving the audience to imagine the dialogue through the emotions portrayed," Shihab elaborated.

Violence took a back seat in this web-film, a fact evident in the introductory scene where Farhan chooses to flee with Sharmin instead of resorting to physical confrontation with the stalker.

"Violence had no place in this story," the director explained, echoing the sentiments expressed by the protagonist in a dialogue: "Look at me, I don't have muscles, and you want me to fight them?"

The only semblance of negativity in the project, he noted, was manifested in Sharmin's verbal outbursts towards Farhan. "Her character needed to release pent-up frustration, having traversed a dark and negative phase in her life. Despite repeatedly calling Farhan, upon witnessing her brother's responsibilities, she comes to the realisation of her mistakes and how negativity engulfed her," added the director.

The film ended with the dialogue, "Sometimes all you want in life is just a hug." There was an interesting story behind the use of these words. "We were brainstorming with Chorki about what the story could be, we contemplated the idea of the characters drifting apart, only to find solace in each other's embrace at the end," explained the director.

Shihab elaborated on how his research in Australia shed light on the profound longing people have for physical connection. He emphasised that virtual interactions through mobile phones pale in comparison to the transformative power of a simple embrace. "Ultimately, I tried to convey through my project, whether to those living abroad or together, to embrace your loved ones because that's what makes us human in the end," he concluded.