100 days in theatres – ‘Hawa’ cast celebrates century

Mejbaur Rahman Sumon's "Hawa'' has stormed into the hearts of people, with its exhilarating cinematography and believable cast. The movie recently created a standstill at Nandan, where Kolkata audiences pulled up in crowds to watch the movie at 4th Bangladesh Film Festival.

The film, which was released on July 29, has completed its stellar 100-day run in theaters. In order to commemorate the century innings of the film, the makers organised a special screening of the movie along with the cast and crew and local media at Mohakhali's Star Cineplex. Chanchal Chowdhury, Nazifa Tushi, Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, Rasheed Sharif Shoaib and Erfan Mridha Shiblu, among others, were present at the event.

Chanchal Chowdhury catching up with the crew.

Chanchal Chowdhury's powerful performance as the despicable antagonist Chan Majhi stole the show in the film. The actor became emotional on talking about 'Hawa's amazing milestone and journey in cinema halls.

"We are really happy that the movie is triumphing all over Bangladesh and across the world, and is still being screened across various countries and festival. This is a huge achievement and a matter of pride for our country. I am really thankful to you all for staying with 'Hawa', though I am nothing but an artiste here," said Chanchal Chowdhury at the event.

Nazifa Tushi during the screening.

Mejbaur Rahman Sumon also reflected upon the cast and crew's pivotal role in the movie.

"Hawa is my first feature film, and I really can't express in words how much this film means to me. I am sure I will make many movies in the future, but nothing can be compared to the amount of love and hard work I have poured into it," said the director.

"Earlier on, we couldn't do the special screening of the movie, as we couldn't get hold of the tickets ourselves. We were simply overwhelmed with the massive respond by the audiences. Thanks to the popularity of the movie, audiences know our brilliant cinematographers, performers and I, however, through this screening, we wanted to thank each and every crew member of the team, including our wonderful screenwriters. I am really happy that we are finally able to watch the movie together in this beautiful occasion," added Sumon.

Mejbaur Rahman Sumon and Chanchal Chowdhury addressing the crowd.

Nazifa Tushi, who played the fierce Gulti, looked astonishing in a beautiful black saree. The actress was full of praises about the movie.

"Hawa has brough me immense fame, and to be able to portray such a powerful character like Gulti on screen, made it a worthwhile experience. We had to work for 3 years straight to complete this movie, while undergoing intense training. Before I was allowed to portray Gulti in front of the camera, I had to embody her in both mind and body," said the actress.

The cast and crew thank the audience and media.

The movie undoubtedly had a roller-coaster ride, racking in profits from ticket sales, and continuously reigning in weekends across the theatres. According to recent reports, the movie collected in BDT 14 crores in multiplexes only, and has also performed exceptionally well in North America and Australia.

The movie has also been selected for nomination into the 'Best International Feature Film' category of the 95th Academy Awards, by the Oscar Committee Bangladesh. However, the film was also muddled in multiple legal issues over its scenes of featuring a captivated shalik bird, and for not showcasing anti-tobacco messages during smoking scenes in the movie. Nevertheless, the impact of 'Hawa' is undeniable and its songs have been etched into the hearts of Bangladeshi people.