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Originally Posted by Navo
There's something profoundly wrong with a youth culture that spends so much time criticising and vindicating Ananta Jalil. Looking for Bangla films that are 'better' and more modern than those shown on BTV on Friday afternoons?
How about the internationally acclaimed 'The Last Thakur' (2008) by Sadik Ahmed and 'Ischa' (2011) by Oniket Alam or most recently 'Shunte Ki Pao!' (2012) by Kamar Ahmed Simon and Sara Afreen that opened the prestigious International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film - to name just a few?
Some may argue that these films are too 'artsy' or 'niche' for the mainstream but I disagree. I feel that many of them would gain wide appreciation if they were publicised better domestically. There are some great young and middle-aged Bangladeshi film-makers, script writers and actor/actresses out there and its disappointing to hear all of them being unfairly boxed into a stereotype of being crass, unprofessional and poorly literate.
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With all due respect, the films you suggest are indeed too "artsy" for mainstream consumption. And I don't just mean for your average rickshawallah or garment worker; I will happily include myself within that fold. There is a reason why the so-called "bhodrolok" class spends more time watching Bollywood (and to some extent Hollywood) movies rather than Bangla cinema of the kind you recommend. Most mainstream movie storylines move at a decent speed and offer a healthy dose of escapist entertainment. The "high-thought" Bangla movies move at little more than a snail's pace and the plots are way too mundane. While I am happy to watch those movies from time to time, we need a much broader variety of entertainment than the pretentiously intellectual variety that too many people seem to think are the dog's bollocks. No offense.