North South University

Spring Semester: 2020

HIS 103: Emergence of Bangladesh

Instructor: Zerina Shabnaz Akkas (ZrS)

Department of History and Philosophy

Section 8

Farhana Rahman ID-1530095030

Submitted by:

Date of Submission: 22/3/2020

 Aguner Poroshmoni (Movie)

Abstract

“Aguner Poroshmoni” film is a well told story set during the war of Independence in
Bangladesh. Though it isn't executed in a most sophisticated way, there was so many differences
between the book and the movie. Though it successfully displayed the horror of the time when
living in Bangladesh was a continuous nightmare. I personally found this movie interesting
because it clearly reflects the condition of general people during the time of liberation war. This
concept of war of 1971 is related to the content that our instructor taught us in emergence of
Bangladesh course. So I have chosen this movie as my topic of study from where it reminds one
of the time when a genocide took place in a less known country and how a family caught in to a
middle of a genocide and how a family struggle to survive in the time of the war of
independence.

Introduction

Aguner Poroshmoni film is the first film directed by the late Humayun Ahmed, a famous
Bangladeshi novelist and director. Humayun Ahmed was born in netrakona’s mohanganj to
Foyzur Rahman Ahmed and Ayesha Foyez on November 13, 1948. He is one of Bangladesh’s
best authors, He was idealized by men and women who grew up reading his books, and watching
his shows in the 1980s and 1990s. His works are equally popular even today. Humayun was very
bold in depicting the Liberation War in his films, and dramas. He directed the film based on the
novel of the same name, written by him. The film won National Film Award in eight categories
including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Plot. The director created the scenes so
dramatically that it seemed to be a real scenario of that time. The casting of actors were brilliant.
Abul Hayat, Dolly Johur and Asaduzzaman Noor are exceptional and Bipasha Hayat is terrific as
the courageous Ratri. In the first scenario we can see her having a nervous breakdown after
which she gradually pulls herself together while still yearning for freedom. In addition the
actress who plays the maid also does a fine job. However, most of the side characters acted
wonderfully. 'Aguner Poroshmoni' is among the few movies to come out from a relatively
unknown country where global cinema is concerned. This film was released in 10 may 1994 and
right after the release it created a hype in that time. It achieved eight awards at a time for the best
movie category. The tremendous effort of the director and the whole team, the film came out so
successful to display the scenario of the liberation war situations.

Objective

The main purpose of the movie study is to find out the factors that are relevant with the
emergence of history course and the movie Aguner Poroshmoni. The two topics are related
because both are plotted on liberation war concept. I found many relevant information on this
movie such as the situation created in the time of the war, how general people passed their daily
life in the midst of Pakistani army’s torture and how the mukti bahini emerges as a savior of the
whole country. Basically the whole movie story plot is related to the course that we are taught by
our instructor. I just want to focus on the factors that are common between both of the topic.

Methodology

The whole study is based on secondary data because it’s a film which has limited information
except the basic information of the film. I also have used the information from the book, I used it
here as a reference, the movie reviews are also used here as supporting information to understand
in what situation the director thought of making this film. The book and the movie is of same
name and same writer as well as director but the movie is somehow different from the book
story. May be the director made changes in the story to make the movie more dramatic and to
create more suspense. So the secondary resources are the main methods of this study.
 Description
This film is the first debut film of Humayun Ahmed which he made from his own book story.
The movie is made on a liberation war concept. In 1971, the Bengali freedom fighters of
the Mukti Bahini are engaged in a life and death struggle with the Pakistani army which was
later seen as genocide, the Pakistani military had planned an operation to suppress the Bengali
nationalist movement in May 1971. They targeted intellectuals, civilians, students, and
activists, brutally killed them and burying them in mass common graves. Many women were
captured and used as Pakistani armies. When the Bengali people realized what was happening,
many fled to take refuge in India. As the plot of the film opens, we found out how brutally
people were killed on the streets of Dhaka, and pretty much everywhere in Bangladesh. The film
demonstrates the struggles of people- regardless of their religion and race, and the murders and
isolation the Bangladeshis suffered for 9 months. Humayun Ahmed didn’t hold back, from
representing the true state of affairs in Bangladesh during the Liberation War, in the film. The
movie depicts the atrocities inflicted on the Bangladeshis by the Pakistani military. At the same
time, the horrors of the war are generally implied, instead of being shown in graphic details.
Asaduzzaman Noor played the role of Bodi, a young man, who is a freedom fighter. His
character is very brave, and determined to bring freedom for the country. Bodi and his friends
represent the bravery of the Mukti Bahini whose sacrifices gave us Bangladesh In the midst of
this horrible situation, one family in Dhaka is trying to live life as normal as possible. But then
the father brings home a stranger that the family had never met before. They soon found out that
he was a member of the Mukti Bahini. They must decide what to do with him. Whether to help
him and endanger themselves or to make him leave and probably be killed.

The director didn’t hold back, from showing the true state of factors in Bangladesh during the
liberation war in the film. The movie displayed the atrocities done on the Bangladeshis by the
Pakistani military. At the same time, the conseqences of the war are generally implied. A young
man, Asaduzzaman Noor played the role of Bodi who is a mukti bahini member. His character is
very brave and focused to bring freedom for the country. Bodi and his friends shows the bravery
of the Mukti Bahini whose sacrifices gave us Bangladesh. Besides showing the violence during
the war time, Aguner Poroshmoni is also a great love story which also has an amazing song. My
favorite part of this movie is the story growing between the family's older daughter whose name
is Ratri (Bipasha Hayat), and Asaduzzaman as the freedom fighter. She truly felt in the cause that
he's fighting for the freedom of the country. She respects him because of that reason. But she
also falls in love with him. Her steps to support Bodi in his struggling time and also wanting to
save him from harm at the same time. Ratri is very emotional, and genuine.

End scene of the film shows that the death scene of Bodi which seen with the mixture of the
famous soundtrack named Aguner poroshmoni which implies independence, hope, and the
beginning of a new Bangladesh.

Conclusion

The total plot of the movie is totally on liberation war of 1971. A small simple family who were
terrified because of the torture of Pakistani army’s. The father of the family brings a man to the
house which later found that he was a member of mukti bahini. We have seen the suspense of the
war between the mukti bahini and Pakistani armies. The situation of Bangladesh was clearly
shown there where it was imposed curfew. The Pakistani army tortured innocent citizens
brutally. In the mean time we also have seen emotions develops with in the family and also
between the girl and the man who is a freedom fighter. Lastly with a tragic scene we have seen
that Bodi got a shot in his chest and the family tried all the ways to survive him. But at last he
died with a hope of new hope with a new free country.
 Reference

1. Ganguly, A., & Biswas, D. (n.d.). Lyric and background history of song aguner
paroshmoni chhoao. Retrieved from http://www.geetabitan.com/lyrics/A/aaguner-
paroshmoni-chhoao-lyric.html
2. Retrieved May 10, 1994, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383177/plotsummary
3. (1994). Retrieved from https://www.banglabook.org/aguner-poroshmoni-by-humayun-
ahmed/
4. Aguner Poroshmoni. (1995). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=N2_ZAY34Lc8
5. Aguner Poroshmoni. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/93526-
aguner-poroshmoni?language=en-US