When he receives a script, actor Fazlur Rahman Babu gives more weight to a character’s psychological journey and depth than to counting the number of dialogue lines. One such film he has acted in is “Mastul,” releasing in cinemas across the country this Friday (17 July). To mark the occasion, a special screening was held on Tuesday (14 July) evening at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dhanmondi.
Babu has no dialogue in the film, yet through flawless acting and expression he brings the character to life on screen — as he explained while discussing the role.
The film’s central story revolves around Makbul, the elderly cook on a fuel tanker, and Nura, a street child from the port area. Through the equation of their psychological relationship, the film portrays the life, loneliness, affection, struggles for power and fight for survival of the marginalised people of a river port.
Babu plays the role of Makbul. “In our film industry we have some actors who, when they get a script, mark how many lines they have,” he said. “But those of us who came from theatre never did that. Acting is not just dialogue; it is action and reaction. What matters is my character’s journey, its graph. We always try to cross our own limits and lose ourselves in the character.”
Calling on audiences to watch “Mastul,” Babu said: “I would request everyone to come to the cinema with their families and watch it. You will come away with a story.”
Besides Fazlur Rahman Babu, the film features Deepak Sumon, Aminur Rahman Mukul, Arif Hasan, Sikder Mukit, Shahjahan Shobhon and Sifat Bonna, among others.
Asked about the casting process, director Mohammad Nurujjaman said: “My casting philosophy is very simple. When the face of a flesh-and-blood person in front of me matches the character in my imagination, I cast that person. In this film, the ‘Sukani’ role took the most auditions. Many well-known actors were in the running, but in the end we chose Deepak Sumon — his work is beyond compare.”
The director added: “I want to make the kind of films I want to watch. I believe there is an audience in Bangladesh for this kind of cinema. It may not be very large in number, but it is growing by the day.”
Figures from the country’s arts, literature and film circles attended the special screening. Afterwards, director Masihuddin Shaker, known for “Surya Dighal Bari,” praised the making and theme of “Mastul.” “I liked the whole film very much,” he said. “It looks almost like a documentary, but there is a wonderful story inside. The way of life it portrays is unfamiliar to many of us. Thanks to the director for working on such a different and beautiful theme.”
“Mastul” won a Special Mention award in the main competition section of the Moscow International Film Festival last year, and after being shown at several international festivals it is now releasing in cinemas.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report