Bangladeshi-Canadian filmmaker Iqbal H. Chowdhury, who co-won The Wrestler at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival’s New Currents Competition, will have his next film screened at the festival’s Asian Project Market (APM). It will be exhibited at.
Set in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka in the early 2000s, the film follows a film journalist searching for the star of a controversial B-movie amidst the turmoil of a push to ban obscene films.
“The idea for ‘Dhakar Nagin’ came from my essay presentation at York University in Toronto. My master’s thesis focused on popular Bangladeshi films, and as part of my course curriculum I wrote an essay analyzing the various dance moves of the stars.Watching Bangla movies in theaters has always been a guilty pleasure for me. [snake] Musicals, fight scenes, dance numbers, and melodrama created an exciting experience for Bangladeshi cinema audiences. Having grown up on such films, I miss their extraordinary elements and the sense of guilty pleasure they brought. Perhaps that nostalgia inspired me to write this film,” Chaudhary said. variety.
Naagin musical refers to a genre of South Asian films that feature stories about shape-shifting snake women, commonly referred to as naagins or nagins. Nagins are mythical creatures from folklore who often seek revenge or love. These films usually combine elements of fantasy, folklore, drama, and romance.
“Rather than conveying a specific message, I want to invite the audience into my extraordinary ‘world’. My challenge is to make that world unique and surprising,” Chaudhry said. spoke.
Chowdhury is co-producing with Tuhin Tamijul at Mayer Door Films. Tamijul is one of Bangladesh’s most acclaimed cinematographers, whose work includes “The Wrestler”, Abdullah Mohammed Saad’s Cannes production “Rehana”, and Rotterdam production “Live from Dhaka”.
The budget is between $250,000 and $300,000, and filming is expected to begin in mid-2025, depending on funding and other factors. The team is looking for co-production, financing, production support, and pre-sales at APM.
“We are very excited about the subject matter of this film. We developed a strong understanding while working on ‘The Wrestler.’ I have confidence in Iqbal’s ability to bring the film to life with both skill and sincerity,” Tamijul said.
Iqbal H. Chowdhury, Tuhin Tamijul
mayer door films
