Humayun Film
Lorrine Hatala
Humayun (Hindi: हुमयूँ) is a 1945 Indian Hindi-language historical epic film directed by Mehboob Khan. It was the seventh highest grossing Indian film of 1945.[1] The main cast included Ashok Kumar, Veena, Nargis as Hamida Bano, and Shah Nawaz.
This atmospheric and beautifully-filmed Bangladeshi short horror film was inspired by the devastating effects of climate change in Bangladesh, whose people are some of the most affected by the climate crisis yet are amongst the least culpable. It portrays two sisters trying to survive a terrifying new world under a mosquito net. Moshari has won awards at a number of film festivals and is the first ever Bangladeshi film to be Oscar-qualified. The writer/director Nuhash Humayun advocates for humanitarian causes, including menstrual hygiene and rural sanitation, through storytelling. Simone Sultana spoke to him ahead of its screening at the BFI London Film Festival.
You have developed a reputation in Bangladesh for straddling the horror genre. And now your new short film that has hit the global radar, Moshari, is firmly in that space with an eerie dystopian context. This is not something one immediately associates with the Bangladeshi film world. Tell us about the genesis of the storyline, including the subtle and touching sibling relationship.
Can you give us some insight into the logistics of making the film? From getting fundraisers to believe in such an off-piste project, to casting the two sisters, finding shoot locations and any challenges you faced that are unique to producing and making this film in Bangladesh?
Another vital layer was the sound design, which Sng Ye Min, a Singaporean sound designer took on. Sound is pivotal to filmmaking, and I just knew that it's a department young filmmakers often ignore. But the sounds of Moshari set the tone so early on, like the distorted ramblings that come in the beginning, an announcement which mirrors the Azaan (Islamic call to prayer) or perhaps a political rally, establishing the nuances of the world.
Simone Sultana is an economist, weaving story-telling, photography and film-making across all her advocacy and strategic work in subjects including combating inequality and poverty, worker rights, corruption and education on climate and sustainability.
CAA is a leading agency that represents a diverse roster of clients across film, television, music, sports, digital media and marketing, and beyond. Other recent signings include Sex Education star Emma Mackey and filmmaker Luca Guadagnino.
This half-hour TV drama is part of the Eid-dedicated TV series Osthir Shomoy Shostir Golpo. Written and directed by Nuhash Humayun, this episode of the series titled Hotel Albatross centres around four chefs working in a hotel with personal differences and antagonism amongst themselves. Suddenly, they are stuck together in a hostage situation in which four of them have four different, conflicting alternatives for rescuing themselves and one other.
A 17-minute lighthearted romantic comedy- 700 taka is a story centring on the paranoia of a broke young man about the fact that on the day of his first date with a girl he really likes, he has only Tk. 700 in his wallet. *spoiler alert* The film ends with a message about the importance of honesty in relationships.
The 22-minute short film features two sisters in a post-apocalyptic Dhaka, Bangladesh, trying to save themselves from bloodthirsty monsters who have taken over the world. Their pursuit of survival revolves around a mosquito net (moshari). With this film, Nuhash Humayun has tried to depict the amalgamation of curiosity, fear, and thrill a Bangladeshi kid experiences as they are sheltered by a moshari from the threats outside. This first-of-its-kind horror short dismisses the many stereotypes about Bangladeshi cinematic norms and represents our culture in a superior light for the world to see.
Back in 2020, Nuhash Humayun announced his directorial debut for a full-length feature film Moving Bangladesh. Inspired by true stories, the film will centre on the frustration of a young university student with Dhaka traffic and life in the city in general and how this young individual teams up with his friends and devises a ride-sharing app that will revolutionize the transport facilities in Bangladesh.
Earlier this year, Moving Bangladesh was selected for the 2020 Sundance Feature Film Programme, making Nuhash Humayun one of the 13 screenwriters selected for the programme and also the first Bangladeshi fellow in the programme. For the past 40 years, the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program (FFP) has been supporting prominent independent filmmakers whose unique works have received love and admiration from viewers all over the world.
"Dear Friend" is a project inspired by the book "Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, where we will share messages from you to the world. If you ever need someone to listen to you but are afraid to express your thoughts, send a message to us via the "Dear Friend" form available anywhere on the site. You do not need to input any personal data apart from your message. We will share them on our "Dear Friend" page while you remain completely anonymous.
The Bangladesh government allocates special grants to bolster the Bengali film industry, every year. For the financial year 2023-24, the government has decided to support about 20 full-length films across four categories. Out of these, 16 films will each receive a grant of Tk 75 lakhs, while the remaining four will be awarded Tk 50 lakhs each.
However, a perk this year is that the grant committee has finalised a short story by celebrated fiction writer Humayun Ahmed for a grant. The story, titled "Lobh", will be adapted into a film by the talented director Sanjoy Somadder.
Director Sanjoy Somadder expressed his sentiment to Kaler Kantho, stating, "This is wonderful news for us. We are particularly excited to adapt 'Lobh', a work by our all-time favourite writer Humayun Ahmed, into a film. We aim to make our mark on world cinema with this project."
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Hasan, a tannery manager who has developed intense skin problems due to his work, is desperately trying to find an apartment to live. Not even money, however, seem to convince the latest landlord, who does not want locals, and even more, someone like Hasan in his apartments. With his girlfriend already having broken up with him due to his profession, the tanner finds himself in his wit's end when, during a visit to a pharmacy, the owner usher a Caucasian male to the front of the busy line. Violence ensues, with Hasan finding a rather extreme solution to his problems.
Mostafa Monwar has emerged as one of the most prominent talents of Bangladeshi cinema, and he proves it here as Hasan once more, with his inner struggle, frustration, and resolve all being excellent portrayed, even if with a slight pinch of excessiveness.
Panagiotis (Panos) Kotzathanasis is a film critic and reviewer, specialized in Asian Cinema. He is the owner and administrator of Asian Movie Pulse, one of the biggest portals dealing with Asian cinema. He is a frequent writer in Hancinema, Taste of Cinema, and his texts can be found in a number of other publications including SIRP in Estonia, Film.sk in Slovakia, Asian Dialogue in the UK, Cinefil in Japan and Filmbuff in India.
Humayun Ahmed directed films based on his own stories. His first film, Aguner Poroshmoni (1994), based on the Bangladesh Liberation War, won the 19th Bangladesh National Film Awards in a total of eight categories, including the awards for the Best Film and the Best Director.Another film Shyamal Chhaya (2005) was also based on the same war.His last directed film, Ghetuputra Kamola (2012), the story of a teenage boy, was set in the British colonial period.
Humayun Ahmed is a leading Bangladeshi writer, and the most prolific among his contemporaries. His phenomenal success is attributed to his ability to tell stories of contemporary Bengali men and women in simple and unostentatious language, portraying them with spellbinding intimacy. Although his characters belong to a broad spectrum of society, Humayun is at his best while depicting the Bengali middle class. His first novel, Sankhanila Karagara, published in 1972, caused a great stir among readers and the literary circles in Bangladesh. Since then, he has published more than a hundred novels. Many of his novels have been adapted successfully for television serials and plays. Ahmed did his Masters in Chemistry at Dhaka University and obtained his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from North Dakota State University. He is a former Associate Professor of Dhaka University and an honorary fellow in writing at the University of Iowa. Lately Humayun Ahmed has turned his attention to film making. His film, Agunera Parasamani, won the National Film Award in eight categories. Another film Srabana Meghera Dina also enjoyed critical and popular success.
You are one of the most credible and established names in Pakistani entertainment. At this stage, when you try out something new, that too in a different set up, does it take you back to your initial days? Or are you more prepared because of the years of experience?
I had auditioned at the beginning of my career and after that, no one ever asked me to. But The Crown's journey started with a call from Hamid Hussain, my talent agent, asking me to do an audition! So in this case, yes I was taken back to my initial days. Every new project has its own requirements and challenges. You can never be totally prepared for everything that is going to come your way and this is what helps an actor grow.
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