Silver Screen
Rani Kuthir Baki Itihash: Samia Zaman on her debut film
Novera Deepita
"The local people at the shooting spot were so excited to see their favourite actors that they hardly bothered about whether it was midnight or inclement weather," says a smiling Samia Zaman, debutante film director. "An ardent fan waded through a pond to reach the spot and offered rice cakes to her favourite actors. We could hardly get rid of the star struck fans. We had to edit some shots, since these people were often caught in the frame. "Yet we had an overall interesting experience during the shooting of Rani Kuthir Baki Itihash," says Samia, adding, " The sincerity and dedication of the crew was remarkable." The technical tasks of the film have just begun, said Samia. About the target audience, Samia says, "I wanted to make a film that will attract a large and diverse audience. And that is the reason for casting commercial actors." She also feels that the mainstream actors appear in her film with a new look. Samia shares, " I don't believe in the 'so called' genre of alternative movies. Films are for everyone: from the most sophisticated strata to people at the grassroots level." Rani Kuthir Baki Itihash, featuring Popy and Ferdous, will be released this year. Inspired by an exotic story, the movie revolves around a newly married couple's visit to an old palace that once belonged to a nawaab. The story unfolds with the couple discovering uncanny facts and in the process, reviving some past events unknowingly. They realise that they would have been happier if these 'skeletons in the closet' were left undiscovered. About the special features of the film Samia says, "We have several intriguing elements to offer the audience. For instance, the costume, the make up and the visualisation is unique." Several songs have been added in the film. Popular singers Asif and Samina Chowdhury have rendered the songs. Kabir Bakul penned the songs and SI Tutul composed the tunes. "We had quite a few interesting experiences while working on this film. Ferdous was the expedition leader of our team when we went to see a movie in a local cinema hall. It was a substandard theatre but we hardly paid attention to these problems," shares Samia. "Popy was so involved, that in between shots, she was going over the scripts repeatedly. She hardly had the time to talk to us. She was so tired that, once she dozed off while reading the script, " Samia says. Samia is very optimistic about the film. She hopes that people would like her movie. "Its a family movie with a twist." grins Samia.
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