No Bed of Roses, a film said to be loosely based on late Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmad’s life, starring and co-produced by Indian actor Irrfan Khan, has been banned in Bangladesh.
Directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Mustofa Sarwar Farooki, the movie is said to be about Ahmad and his relationships with two women: the wife he divorced after 27 years of marriage and his second wife who was 33 years his junior. But the filmmaker has denied that it’s a biopic.
According to Variety, the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation’s (BFDC) Joint Venture Preview Committee approved the script of the movie on March 8, 2016, after which the film went into production. The completed film was previewed for the BFDC on February 12, 2017 and received a No Objection Certificate on February 15.
However, a day later, the BFDC sent a letter stating that the certificate had been cancelled due to a letter from the Bangladesh Information Ministry.
“I am really surprised to know that the government of Bangladesh has blocked the film. This is a humane story that deals with complex male and female relationships in a subtle and balanced way. What harm will it cause to the society if seen?” Khan said.
The actor, acclaimed for his work in Indian films such The Lunchbox, Paan Singh Tomar and Piku, plays the lead role in No Bed of Roses.
The Variety article claims they have had access to the film and it starts with a disclaimer that the film has no resemblance to any real life characters alive or dead.
No Bed of Roses is a co-production between Bangladesh’s Jaaz Multimedi, India’s Eskay Movies and Khan’s IK Company.
Farooki, who is known in Bangladeshi cinema for works such as Television and Ant Story, is now taking the matter to court.
Tapan Kumar Ghosh, BFDC managing director, told Variety that it is not the BFDC’s prerogative to issue the certificate and it was up to the Bangladesh Film Censor Board to issue it.
In reality, international co-productions cannot approach the Censor Board without the BFDC certificate.
“We have been blocked at the first gate,” said Farooki.
“As the order does not explain any reason, I don’t know why they thought screening of the film would be inappropriate. Yes, my film handles a so-called taboo subject but it doesn’t show anything explicit and hence doesn’t violate any censor code. This goes against the freedom of expression,” he added.
