Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s film Saturday Afternoon finally cleared for release

Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s film Saturday Afternoon has finally been cleared for release after a four-year struggle with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board. The film revolves around the brutal 2016 terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka that left more than 20 people dead. The film had an impressive festival run, winning awards at Fukuoka, Moscow and Vesoul.

The Bangladesh Film Censor Board banned the film for four years. “The board did not sanction permission for the movie’s exhibition, either at home or abroad, as it would disrupt internal security and also tarnish the country’s global image,” the censor board’s then vice-chairman Nizamul Kabir had told AFP.

Farooki began a long campaign on his social media to get the film cleared for release. And even more so when he came to know that Hansal Mehta’s Faraaz, also based on the Holey Artisan Bakery attack, would release in India in February.

Talking to us from Bangladesh, Farooki said, “We are happy that after four years of fight, the board has finally cleared the film for release. We are waiting for the official letter from the Censor Board and we are now working on the release date of the film so that the audience in Bangladesh can watch it.”