‘Shonibar Bikel’ (Saturday Afternoon), one of the most talked-about Bangladeshi films for the past four years for not getting clearance by Bangladesh Film Censor Board, finally got its clearance, coincidentally on a Saturday afternoon.
Director of the film Mostofa Sarwar Farooki confirmed the development to UNB.
There are now no obligations to theatrically release the film, based on the 2016 Holey Artisan attack, according to the appeal board consisting of actress and lawmaker Suborna Mustafa, Jatiya Press Club general secretary and former censor board vice chairman Shyamal Dutta, eminent silver screen actress Sucharita and former Additional Secretary Nurul Karim. The members of the appeal board saw the film today.
With this clearance, the film has no more restrictions to have its theatrical release countrywide, Shyamal Dutta said to the media.
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Previously, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said that the Bangladesh Film Censor Board did not clear the film as the then board members gave their opinion based on several aspects including the security and image of the country.
Although ‘Shonibar Bikel’ fought for its clearance, Bollywood proceeded with the film ‘Faraaz’, based on the same incident, will hit the theatres on February 3.
Farooki and many other prominent artists then took to the media with the demand of ‘Shonibar Bikel’s clearance before ‘Faraaz’.
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“We are very happy and also thankful to the honourable members of the Censor Board. We are now awaiting the board's letter and as soon as we receive the letter, we will start the work of release. Our target is the release of the film before ‘Faraaz’,” Jaaz Multimedia, the distributor of the film posted on its official Facebook page.
With an ensemble cast of Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Zahid Hasan, Mamunur Rashid, Iresh Zaker, Nader Chowdhury, Gousul Alam Shaon, Indian-Bengali film actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee and Palestinian actor Eyad Hourani - Farooki's 'Shonibar Bikel’ received multiple awards at different festivals across the world.
Source: United News of Bangladesh