My Friend Rashed (2011)

The Worst Film Ever

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

"Amar Bondhu Rashed" by Morshedul Islam is an adaptation of a novel of Muhammad Zafar Iqbal under the same title. The crafty tale of the Liberation War of Bangladesh as portrayed in the novel rests in the core of this cinematic endeavour by the director as well. Though cinematically amateurish, this film provides an apt knitting of the main story with the cinematic technique of adaptation.It is a tale of friendship between Ibu and Rashed (Chowdhury Zawata Afnan). Rashed, a boy of enigmatic and pulsing presence, happens to emerge all on a sudden like a blow. He ripples the lives of his peers with a mysterious Dad, supposedly his only companion. His friendship with Ibu stems and develops on the basis of a strong sense of patriotism. In the backdrop of 1971's War of Liberation, the story unfolds itself and gradually merges with the private history of Ibu and Rashed.The film has a good casting. But the character of Rashed is not very well executed. Rashed seems to be too polished to be Rashed himself. Other characters are more or less perfect fit for the demand of the plot. The film may not be entitled to be a film of technical excellence but it has minimum number of flaws. Sometimes the characters are amputated out of the frame. Sometimes the camera moves very little that dampens the sentimental avenues of the plot. The editing is compromised for the sake of the novel at times. Transitions are not smooth but it has to be acknowledged that comprising everything while adapting a two dimensional written discourse into a film is simply absurd a demand. The sound of the film is okay.The theme of the film is very interesting and ambivalent. For those of us who have read the novel previously, the film refreshes perspectives and thus facilitates newer thematic interpretations. The portrayal of Rashed is enigmatic. He roams around the plot without any definitive clue of his identity. Rashed can be a boy who died during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. He can be a boy who acknowledges the depth of friendship. He can represent the then collective political consciousness of our country. Rashed can be a boy that represents an Icarus-like spirit of transcending boundaries. He can be a metonymy of our 1971 War that means the country along with its people has dashed ahead but not the zeal of the war that is still blindfolded in its adolescence. Interpretations are open and they can go on as perspectives vary.In a nutshell, this film is worth recommending. Many of us nurture a wrong conception regarding adaptation that a film must follow the exact course of the source which is nothing but weird. This film has been a very good amalgamation of the two adaptation techniques; namely analogy and transposition. It might have the minimum camera movement, but the feel that it provides is nearly priceless. If you haven't seen Rashed yet, well… you haven't seen Rashed yet!!!

The story is one of the modern day classics in Bengali literature. Its not easy to cinematise such a well known story where the audience expects for a classic. I wont say it was a classic but definitely the movie was well directed. All the actors gave an accomplished performance. The main character "Rashed" was played exceptionally well. At times he looked a bit expressionless and emotionless but that goes well with the character. A very matured performance was needed from him and he delivered that. "Ebu" was the most important character. That young fella was well aware of his importance and didn't let anyone down. The Director deserves an applause because he tried to keep the movie in line with the story(though there was a small hiccup at the end, in the book Ebu asked ashraf/fojlu about rashed and one of them informed that rashed had died. This was particularly special to me because I remember I cried when I read that part and the director escaped the very thing :p) But overall it was a good experience at least the story was not ruined for the movie which has been the case for many of my favourite books (Including Count of Monte Cristo, Anna Karenina, The great Gatsby, Ivanhoe, Kalbela, Tenida, Kakababu)If you are a Bangladeshi then it is a must see, if you are not I'd say you wont regret after watching, this movie is well worth of your time!