Kothopokothon : “Priyo Maloti” team brings the story of resilience and activism

On December 17th, Brac University Film Club (BUFC) hosted an event titled ‘কথোপকথন’ (Kothopokothon). The team of the feature film “Priyo Maloti” was the event’s chief guest. The team comprises the film’s main lead, Mehazabien Chowdhury, a prominent Bangladeshi actress celebrated for her world in drama and OTT platforms. The director, Shankha Das Gupta, and co-actors Shahjahan Samrat and Azad Abul Kalam were also there to promote their movie amongst BracU students. According to the director, “This movie is not just about one Maloti belonging to one religion. It is the story of every Bangladeshi woman.” He added happily, “You, the students of BracU, know how to protest with your slogans, and I know how to protest through my movies.” “Priyo Maloti” addresses the prevalent social injustice regarding the poor working class today.

Shankha further shares that cinema is quite challenging, whereas Kalam adds that the industry has dramatically changed in content and creativity. The film premiered at the prestigious Cairo International Film Festival last month. Mehazabien recalled the audience’s reaction to the movie: “I remember one member saying that they connected to the story, transcending culture. That is when I knew we created something worthwhile.” After a brief Q&A session, there was a surprise for the audience.

They decided to show an unreleased song from their movie for the lovely reception they received. Ahmed Hasan Sunny, the vocalist, said, “You, the youth, have shifted the paradigm, giving me hope, which led to this song.” As the program ended, the guests promised to be back soon among the cheers of the students.