Bhuban Majhi review: Journey of an aristic soul torn between his ideals and struggle for freedom

Fakhrul Arefeen Khan’s Bhuban Majhi narrates the journey of an artistic soul in the backdrop of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The film feels a bit stretched at times as it describes the war and the transformation of the protagonist in detail. However, it also provides a few glimpses on the reality of the period.

Arefeen juxtaposes two different time periods to shape the story: the period of the war 1970—1971, and 2004-2013.

Nahir (Parambrata Chatterjee) comes to Kushtia, in the Khula division of Bangladesh, in the 1970s, to finish his graduation during the onset of the war. He idealises Rabindranath Tagore and is passionate about theatre. However, the changing situation of the country affects theatre, turning it political and more reflective of the contemporary events. Nahir, is not interested in politics, hence, decides to stay away from political theatre.

In Kushtia, he falls in love with Farida (Aparna Ghosh), who dreams of a free Bangladesh and nurtures the fire of revolution within her. Nahir cannot ignore the spirit in her and gradually gets involved with Mizan, Farida’s cousin brother, who actively works against the Razakars of East Pakistan. Nahir, inspired by Sheikh Mujib’s speech, dreams of hoisting the Bangladeshi flag, but at the same time, his heart refuses to kill innocent humans.

The film shows the continuous struggle between Nahir's ideals and his dream for a free Bangladesh.

Coming to 2004, a young man is making a documentary on Ananda Sai, who has recently passed away. Ananda Sai is none other than Nahir, who spent the latter days of his life as a singing fakir.

The journey of Nahir, from being an artistic young man, to becoming a freedom fighter and eventually a fakir who has no worldly attachments, is quite haunting. His relationship with Farida is romantic in its true sense. Their letters, Nahir’s gradual submission to Farida’s philosophies and their deep mutual yearning while away from each other, tug at the strings of heart.

Director Fakhrul Arefeen Khan and his unit, including cinematographer Rana Dasgupta, have done an amazing job in bringing the bits and pieces of the war alive.

The film mostly depicts the war in Kushtia. However, the detailed composition of sequences leave a bigger picture of the war ravaged East Pakistan. The use of light and shadows in the film deserve a special mention. It not only brings the war-zone alive, but also makes the suffering of the victims poignant. Dasgupta has sketched the landscapes of Bangladesh with so much care and love that the audience cannot help but feel empathy towards the war and its cause.

Parambrata Chatterjee is extremely real as Nahir. He never misses the opportunity to depict the sensitivity and inner turmoil of the character. Khan deserves accolades for casting Aparna Ghosh as Farida. She not only suits the image of the bright and strong Farida, with subtle undercurrents of rebelliousness in her, but also embodies the loving, yet ravaged, mother-land.

Actor Maznun Mizan does justice as the devoted freedom fighter, Mizan, by delivering a natural performance throughout the film. Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed and a few other artistes appear quite amateurish at times. On the other hand, Mamunur Rashid appears quite dramatic in his brief yet commendable performance as Boro Huzur, who despite being a religious leader, prioritizes humanity above all.

The music by the late Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya gels well with both the mood of patriotism and the romantic attachment for Bangladesh.

The film faces a problem in retaining its pace and the parallel narratives get confusing at times. Some of the audiences can easily get bored as the film is realistic and doesn’t contain the popular entertaining elements.

The success of Bhuban Majhi lies in the fact that it is able to infuse a story of humanity in a war-film. It cleverly etches out the palpable conflict between the stark reality of war and the human emotions and ethos. Khan also incorporates the issue of the recent movement of Shahbag against the torturous Razakars thus bringing the narrative to a full circle.

Bhuban Majhi is undoubtedly a fiction film yet its evocative documentation of the historical past of Bangladesh is an attempt to carry the legacy on to the present generation.

Bhuban Majhi was initially released in Bangladesh on 3 March 2017, and hit the screens in Kolkata on 3 August 2018.

Watch the film's trailer below: