One of the major exponents of indie film in the country, Morshedul Islam has long been known as a beacon of hope. Manzur H Maswood digs a little deeper to know about his formula of success and more
Seasoned filmmaker Morshedul Islam’s career in filmmaking spans over four decades. He was among those first few directors who veered into a new practice which became popularly known as independent film movement.
Morshedul Islam’s name would always be remembered for his contribution to this emerging stream based on the genre that defined itself at the outset by way of short-length films. His early works lent impetus to the short film movement, a platform that catapulted many other filmmakers into the limelight.
Morshedul Islam’s first few attempts helped sealed his reputation. Among them were Agami (1984) and Chaka (1993), the last being the directors interpretation of Salim Al Deen’s story of man carrying a corpse to a hard-to-reach destination.
He earned a number of awards at home and abroad for his notable films. Alongside the above two, they include Dipu Number Two (1996), Dukhai (1997), Khelaghor (2006), Durotto (2006) Amar Bondhu Rashed (2011), Anil Bagchir Ekdin (2015) and Ankhi O Tar Bandhura (2017).
In an interview with New Age, he reflects on what make his straightforward and unambiguous story-based films earn the heart of the cinema lovers.
A Story Teller
The creator of Bangladesh’s first independent film ‘Agami’, Morshedul Islam began his filmmaking career in the early 80s while he was still a student.
So far he made 16 films and most of the films are based on easily communicable stories that narrate the tales of common people.
Born in old Dhaka in 1957, Morshedul Islam completed his Bachelor and Master degree in Pharmacy from the University of Dhaka.
Before he was allowed admission in the department, he studied MBBS for few months at Syhlet MAG Osmani Medical College and Journalism as well for a few months at Dhaka University.
Morshedul Islam’s participation in a film appreciation course organised by Bangladesh Film Institute and Archive was the turning point in his life. He was inspired to delve into film making. Soon he embarked on his first film ‘Agami’ (Time Ahead), a short fictional film made in 1982 about the Liberation War of Bangladesh. He was still a student of the University of Dhaka.
‘Agami’ won the ‘Silver Peacock’ award for best direction in 10th International Film Festival in India, New Delhi, in 1985. It also won the National Award for best short film and was shown in many international film festivals.
The success of ‘Agami’, the first independent short film that was made dodging the mainstream platform, had a leading role in establishing an alternative film movement in Bangladesh.
He made his third film ‘Chaka’ in 1993, a story of a cow pulling cart bearing a human corpse and the coachman based on a story of the playwright Selim Al Deen.
Chaka earned International Jury Award at Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival for best director.
‘I make film on simple story with simple narrative,’ Morshedul Islam told New Age while dwelling on the qualities he looks for in a story as a director.
‘I wanted to share with people stories of people and I felt cinema was the best means of telling my stories,’ he observed. It is to tell tales of human interest that young Morshedul Islam got involvement in filmmaking during his student life.
His first children’s film ‘Dipu Number Two’, made in 1996, was acclaimed by the audience, particularly by the young audience.
The film is still considered to be a masterpiece in the children’s film genre. Based on Muhammed Zafar Iqbal’s novel of the same title, the film won National Film Award in two categories — best child actor and best supporting actor.
Morshedul Islam says many filmmakers brand him as an old-fashioned filmmaker. But it does not bother him. ‘Simplicity in storytelling and the linear narrative plot make my cinemas different,’ he said.
Regarded as one of the pioneers of alternative cinema, he has clear notion of what is to be eschewed. ‘The so-called commercial films do not allure me,’ he boldly declared.
‘My first film ‘Agami’, one that narrates a simple story of a cow pulling cart and its coachman helped me make a name as an alternative filmmaker,’ he says.
Influenced by the film society movement, which encouraged many young minds to delve into filmmaking, Morshedul Islam never had to look back after the success of his first film.
The filmmaker has also made a number of films including children’s films like Duratwa, Amar Bandhu Rashed and Ankhi O Tar Bandhura, all of which earned their maker both awards and critical acclaim.
Morshedul Islam’s second film on liberation war ‘Anil Bagchir Ekdin’, also won the National Film Award as best film and also in the best director category.
Businesses of Film
Morshedul Islam said he doesn’t make film for business.
‘I have something to tell,’ this pronouncement is supported by his practice of his entire career.
‘Film is my way of sending out my messages. I don’t think my film will be ‘digested’ by viewers. My stories, the characters I choose to depict through the cast and everything else are never realised based on the demands of viewers,’ he pointed out.
Morshedul Islam said the art films or alternative films also do good business nowadays.
‘The budget of my first film Agami was Tk 70,000, but a single award earned me more than the whole expenses,’ he said.
‘I spend Tk 6 lakh for “Chaka”. Similarly, it earned me more than the budget in a single award in France,’ he added.
Morshedul Islam said another film Dukhai (1997), that tells a story of natural disaster victims’ life, earned him USD2.5 lakh from an award in Japan.
Dukhai got nine National Film Awards including the one in best film category.
Pointing to the declining quality of film in the mainstream, he said the so-called commercial films are not making good business.
Modern Tech Films and Cinema Halls
New films are made using new technologies. These films are often called digital cinemas.
‘Whereas, the 16mm films we make cannot be screened in cinema halls,’ Morshedul Islam said.
‘So we face difficulties to release films in cinema halls,’ he added.
The projectors in cinema halls are not digital, the resolution are not of good quality and the sound system are not good either.
Projecting today’s digital cinema at halls could not satisfy the audience because of the lack of modern technologies in the cinema halls. So such inadequacy makes it impossible for those movies to enjoy wide distribution.
Now the cinemas come with dolby digital sound system but the facilities needed to relay the same quality is absent in most of the cinema halls.
Morshedul Islam said cinema halls in our country should be modernised to revive the film industry and make it accommodate the new technology that are in circulation.
‘The film industry helps build a nation,’ he observed.
Moreover, audience do not go to cinema halls because of their poor and shabby condition.
‘If the cinema halls are modernised the audience will go to cinema halls, which would convince producers to invest money on good cinemas with the hope of making profit. Islamic countries like Iran and Pakistan drew out plans to construct modern cinema halls in their countries. These governments convinced the businesses to invest on cinema halls by providing flexible loans,’ he added.
‘The Iranian cinemas earned fame across the globe because of strong patronisation from the government,’ he observed.
‘We have heard about Bangladesh government’s plan to modernise 100 cinema halls across the country. The government has decided to ensure flexible loans and the cinema hall owners also accepted it,’ he told New Age.
‘If such attempts are taken by the government the film industry will be benefited,’ he said.
Morshedul Islam believes that the Bangladeshi cinemas cannot compete with foreign cinemas. The foreign cinemas have huge budget. Whereas, Bangladeshi films with their poor budget would always lag behind.
‘We cannot make a good set or use graphical works in films because of low budget,’ he said.
‘One of the major reasons behind making films based on simple story is that budget has always been low,’ he added.
Prospects of Digital Release Platform
Nowadays the cinemas are released on digital platforms such as Netflix and iflix. Bangladesh has one such platform like Bioscope.
These platforms are sometimes free and at times accept subscriptions for video on demand and are focused on the emerging market.
Such platforms have potential in Bangladesh as the internet users are increasing in the country, Morshedul Islam pointed out.
‘Releasing cinemas on such platforms could help filmmakers to enjoy an extent of freedom in making films. This may influence the future of filmmaking — good film would ensure good business,’ he said.
Govt Sponsor for Good Film
Morshedul Islam observed that the government initiative to sponsor good films is heartening, but the money provided is not adequate to make a good film.
‘Without government sponsor, it is difficult to make good film by independent filmmakers,’ he argued.
The corporate money dispersed across the entertainment industry in the form of different investing organisations like Impress Telefilm, sometimes provide money which is never adequate. Additionally, no one would be able to provide recurring examples of corporate sponsors for good films.
Liberation War in Cinemas
Morshedul Islam feels that the theme of the liberation war in Bangladeshi films can only be defined as inadequate. The stories are simply absent in the most modern genre that is cinema, though, the spirit of liberation war soaks the cultural core of the mainstream life in Bangladesh.
His argument is simple but logical, ‘The reason behind this is that it is difficult to present the war scene in films. We cannot make a set showcasing the scenes of war and destruction on a low budget.’
And once a cinema fails to convince audience, the producer become cautious before investing in such films again, he pointed out.
Besides filmmaking, Morshedul Islam is actively involved with the film society movement of the country. He served as the general secretary of the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies from 1988-1994, Asian Regional secretary of the International Federation of Film Societies from 1991-1995 and president of the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies from July 2006 to June 2009.
He founded Children’s Film Society Bangladesh in 2006 and is serving as the honorary festival director of International Children’s Film Festival Bangladesh. His wife Munira Morshed Munni, a photographer, is also known for her film-oriented activism and is the general secretary of the Children’s Film Society Bangladesh.
One of the most renowned filmmaker of the children’s film genre, Morshedul Islam regrets having failed the audience by not producing more films for children.
He thinks the scanty facilities and negligible budget have resulted in less number of productions of children’s films in the country.
‘The producers also do not invest on such films because the small audience,’ he adds.
‘The cinema halls are reluctant to project children’s films because of low attendance of audience and on top of that, the producers do not want to invest on children’s film because of cinema hall owners’ also do not have any interest on the genre,’ he observed.
‘Government should step forward to sponsor more children’s films and also should encourage private producers to produce children’s films. There should also be initiatives for screening of such films to create more outdoor entertainment sources for children as is done in many other countries of the world,’ said Morshedul Islam.
‘We have been organising the festival every year since 2008, which is the only international film festival dedicated to children in the country. The festival gives local children a platform to showcase their talent, and also bring the best children’s films for them to appreciate,’ he said.
‘The mainstream film industry totally neglects this genre. A children-friendly film industry is essential to improve the situation,’ observed Morshedul Islam.
‘In the children’s film festival, we have seen how greatly they enhance the spirit of our children. Films that are either made for them or made by them, leave an impact on the impressionable minds,’ he added.
New Venture
Morshedul Islam’s upcoming venture would be based on a contemporary issue, he said, without giving away any name or the plot of the cinema.
‘The cinema is based on a recent issue that stirred the entire nation,’ he said, and hastened to add, ‘I only hope people will love my new film as well.’
Photos by Abdullah Apu