Tripti Mitra-starrer makes it to Cannes Classics

The last time any film with a Bengal connection that was screened at the prestigious Cannes Classics section was Mrinal Sen���s ���Khandahar���. That was in 2010. Six years later, Tripti Mitra-starrer ���Jago Hua Savera��� (JHS) has been selected in the same prestigious section for the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. Incidentally, this film was Pakistan���s first submission for the Best Foreign Language Film to the Oscars!
Speaking about the film, Tripti���s daughter Saoli Mitra said, ���The film was based on a Manik Bandopadhyay���s novel titled ���Padma Nadir Majhi���.��� AJ Kardar had directed the film in 1958.Though Pakistan had sent the film, it finally didn���t make the cut for nomination. It had won a golden medal at the first Moscow International Film Festival. A restored version of the film was screened at the 2008 New York Film Festival too.
Incidentally, this is also the same novel from which Goutam Ghose had adapted his 1993 film starring Utpal Dutt, Robi Ghosh, Roopa Ganguly, Raisul Islam Asad and Champa. In ���JHS���, Tripti had played the role of Mala. The same role was essayed by Bangladeshi actress Champa in Ghose���s film.
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Shooting for ���JHS��� was held in Saitnol on the banks of the river Meghna. The film was a co-production between the two halves of what was then a geographically divided Pakistani state. ���It was a bilingual film made in Urdu and Bengali. When Maa began shooting for the movie, I was very young. Every time Maa would go to shoot in Bangladesh, I���d feel very sad. I would be told stories about how Maa was shooting in a ���bojra��� (barge),��� Mitra said.
Incidentally, iconic Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz had penned the screenplay for the film. The title card for the film gives credit to Faiz for story, lyrics and dialogue. ���In 2012, the film was also screened at the Indian Council of Cultural Research to pay a tribute to Faiz. I remember watching it in Kolkata too,��� Mitra said. Back then, Salima Hashmi, the daughter of the poet, had come down to Kolkata for the screening. ���The film also had Ataur Rahman in the cast. He was a very celebrated actor from Bangladesh. I also remember that the film was shot by Walter Lassally,��� Saoli recalled.
Music for the film was scored by the pioneer of India orchestra ��� Timir Baran. It had a very popular song ���Ab choro gham ki baat���. Baran���s daughter-in-law Shikha Bhattacharya is happy that a film that had a score by the legendary musician is now been shown at Cannes. ���I was married after the film was made. My father-in-law isn���t alive and my husband too is no more. But it a great honour for our family to know that this film is being shown at Cannes,��� Bhattacharya said.
WATCH: Sombhu Mitra & Tripti Mitra - Tahar Namti Ranjana