Monpura- A heart breaking movie
Afjal Hossain ( Actor, director, painter)
A movie 'Monpura' is been made. It’s made by gias uddin selim and pictured by Kamrul hasan khoshru. The making and picturization created wonder in every moment during the show. People usually get speechless when he found himself in front of a great beauty. And now I’m in a similar condition. But how long he can keep speechless? Very soon words come in an even greater flow. And there are so many modern tools like phone, SMS, email to express the emotion. But still I feel that, nothing can be better than letter to express the emotion.
Dear Giasuddin Selim,
Say, I don’t know you. Also don’t know much about you. Say, I have seen Monpura on a sudden. What my reaction would be?
From a long since, you have made your own brand of direction and script writing in small screen. Now-a-days, anybody can be TV play director if he wishes. But you belong to the elite minority who has got the will as well as ability. You are very few in number, but still exist and that’s why still we can talk about the standard of TV play. I only know you that much.
But there are so many viewers in this country who know you better than I do. And all these thinking are coming after watching Monpura. You have shown your magic in small screen. But how much you will be able to do in big screen, that was in question. There might not have been any question if I had known you better.
Millions of applause for you. There was jaw dropping arrangement in Monpura. Wondered and speechless-I was both. Those who have seen Monpura or even heard the songs of Monpura- had the same experience. People, who have left Bangla cinema and cinema hall both, might get an opportunity to get their way back to cinema hall due to Monpura. Congratulations selim, for not thinking of 'kith and kin' during selecting performer. Congratulations for making the movie for mass not for your own aspirations.
Monpura has made me so optimistic. Though there are hundreds of obstacles, still people like you, are trying to make movies the way it should be- irrespective of what the trend is going on the market.
Selim, its not only ‘feeling good’ after watching a movie. So many things have come in my mind after watching the movie. Here, how many people think of film? So when a filmmaker dreams, there are so many obstacles to face to bring the dream to reality. He has to bear all the worries. He has to collect the money even taking the risk of getting bankrupt. But even after that, do we respect the person behind all these hard work? After doing all these, the film maker has to urge in this fashion 'Please, come to watch my movie. I’m begging of you.'
Selim, you must have dreamt of Monpura for a long time. After dreaming it comes to the realization. The combination of your dream and picturization of Kamrul hasan khoshru is just not all about 'feeling good' but feeling envious of you. And when 'feeling good' touches that limit, is there any way of not being envious? Monpura has achieved that respect that instead of addressing 'Tumi'(‘you'- to address someone intimate in Bengali), in this letter I addressed you 'Apni'(also 'you'- to address someone honored in Bengali). People normally come to 'tumi' from 'Apni'. Then this is an exception, breaking the trend.
Monpura is a heart breaking movie that truly touches the heart. May Allah give you the courage, strength and ability to make 10 more movies.
Yours Truly,
Afjal Hossain
24th August 2008, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
Translated from Bengali.
Courtesy : The daily Prothom-alo, 'Anando', 4th september, 2008.
