‘Beauty Circus’: The Liberation War weaved into clever storytelling
Jaya Ahsan effortlessly stepped into the role of Beauty, the head of the circus and such a beautiful woman. The woman many men from the circus area of Banishanta Mela desperately long for.
Sadly, the terrible events of her childhood keep Beauty constantly questioning herself. The circus and the Liberation War of Bangladesh are deeply tied together in the story of the film "Beauty Circus". Added to the mix, is religious extremism.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In the film, we can see a younger version of Beauty witnessing her parents being killed. The reason behind their murders, is that her father refused to join the Razakars during the Liberation War. Her father had been the original head of The Bengal Circus, and after coming of age, Beauty would take on her father's role.
As a story, this is not too bad for a Bangladeshi movie, that is based around a circus. Some of the scenes in the circus are quite enjoyable. Jaya Ahsan, too, did a marvelous job of highlighting indomitable struggle and eventual awakening within a woman. It felt as if the actress lit a fire inside herself and acted effortlessly.
She is a 'Beauty' in every sense of the word, throughout the film. She walked across the tight rope and learned about the history of circuses, ingraining all of these elements into her character. How many actors and actresses in this industry put this level of concentration and investment into one of their characters?
ABM Sumon, who plays the role of Jaya Ahsan's lover, shines in the role of 'Ronglal' in the film. His spontaneous performances opposite the likes of Jaya Ahsan caught the eye of the viewers.
Similarly, Ferdous was 100 percent dedicated to his character, Bakhtiyar. After quite a long time, the actor brought magic back to the silver screen. He was really able to bring depth and dimension to the role of the zamindar.
Tauquir Ahmed, who played the role of Nawab, did a great job. However, a question can be raised about whether a Nawab would speak with the same volume and intensity the actor chose to go with.
In "Beauty Circus", Gazi Rakayet played the role of a Razakar, being able to give a performance to remember using his wonderful acting skills.
Many people will also remember Humayan Shadhu for his role in the film as a circus worker. His acting scenes opposite Jaya Ahsan were quite emotional.
The use of two songs in the film also added a whole other dimension to the production. It's almost as if the music and the movie blended together, becoming one. Sharmin Sultana Sumi's "Boye Jao Nokkhotro" and Zunayed Evan's "Niruddesh" will touch the hearts of the audience.
Director Mahmud Didar deserves a big thank you for "Beauty Circus", particularly because this is his first project. Even under many limitations, he was able to deliver a film with a great story film. Hopefully, his journey will continue.
Comments