It’s been over half a decade since the Dhaka cafe massacre, but it still continues to be a subject of macabre curiosity the world over due to its audacity. Now, a Bollywood film will delve into the details of Bangladesh’s worst terror attack.
According to leading Indian film news portal peepingmoon.com, 53-year-old Bollywood filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s upcoming movie ‘Faraaz’ is based on the grisly terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan cafe in the upmarket Gulshan district of Dhaka.
The film — a collaboration between Mehta and producer Anubhav Sinha — chronicles the 12-hour siege that took place on July 1, 2016, the portal reported.
The attack was, in fact, carried out by a group of five young militants, who took nearly 50 diners — mostly Japanese and Italian — hostage at gunpoint and eventually killed 22 people. All the Islamists were later gunned down by elite Bangladeshi Army commandos.
In a televised address to the nation at the time, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the “extremely heinous act”. “What kind of Muslims are these people? They don’t have any religion,” she had said.
Coming soon: A Bollywood film on Dhaka cafe massacre!
Faraaz Ayaz Hossain
In a statement, producer Sinha said, “Faraaz is a human story based on one of the darkest days in modern history. It’s a film that will give the audience a deeply intimate look into what happened that night. It is as much a story of terror and loss as it is of hope and faith.”
The film is apparently named after the grandson of Latifur Rahman, the late chairman of Transcom Group and the co-founder of leading English newspaper Daily Star.
Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain died in the 2016 terrorist attack while trying to save two of his friends. Then in his early 20s, Faraaz was studying business at a US university and had come to Dhaka to spend his summer holidays with his family.
Mehta said, “Faraaz is a story of deep humanity and its ultimate triumph in the face of violent adversity. While it is based on true events, it is also a deeply personal story that I’ve held close to my heart for three years. I can’t wait for the world to see this film.”
The film marks the debut of late Bollywood star Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan Kapoor. Established actor Paresh Rawal’s son Aditya Rawal also stars in the film, which is currently being shot in Mumbai.
“From launching new actors to getting the gaze of the film right, we have done our best to imbue this story with ingenuity while keeping it suspenseful and thrilling,” Sinha said.
Source: United News of Bangladesh