'Rehana Maryam Noor' hits theatres

After conquering several accolades worldwide, acclaimed filmmaker's Abdullah Mohammad Saad much-anticipated film 'Rehana Maryam Noor' was released in 12 theatres across Bangladesh on Friday.

Azmeri Haque Badhan, who plays the title character of the film, greeted the audience at Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City, in the capital, according to the organisers.

Talking to UNB, Ehsanul Haque Babu, the executive producer of the film, said, "We have been receiving great feedback and reviews from home and abroad for our film, but we are really looking forward to seeing the reactions of our home audience. As always, we are still pursuing a slow-moving policy. We want to go to other districts next week, depending on the interest of our home audience."

Marking the release, the team of 'Rehana Maryam Noor' briefed the journos, along with director Saad, for the first time on Thursday evening at the Bangladesh Film Archive in the capital.

Expressing his gratitude to his team members, Saad said, "I am truly lucky to have such a team, every member of my team has given their best, and as a result, our film has come to this stage. I am grateful that these people believed in me, and we are looking forward to the reactions of our audience."

"Rehana's stubbornness seeking justice, frustration with the society and struggles as a widowed working mother is easily relatable, as it's a common scenario in our society and I personally have had similar experiences, but the visionary of the character was Saad who crafted the role and extensively guided me through the process," Badhan said.

A special press screening of the film was arranged at the SKS Tower branch of Star Cineplex, Mohakhali, in the capital on Wednesday night. "We wanted our press to watch the film before the theatrical release because your opinion is important and valuable for us," Saad said at the event.

The film follows the everyday life of Dr Rehana Maryam Noor, a 37-year-old assistant professor at a medical college in Dhaka. Badhan won the 'Best Actress Award' at the 14th Asia-Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) on Thursday for her stellar performance, while director Saad received the 'Jury Grand Prize'.

It was nominated as the first Bangladeshi film to be screened in the 'Un Certain Regard' section of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, earning a standing ovation at its premiere. After Cannes, 'Rehana Maryam Noor' was invited to Melbourne, Busan and London film festivals.

It has received an uncut certificate from the Censor Board of Bangladesh and has been officially nominated for the Oscars 2022 as the official movie of the country.

Produced by Jeremy Chua under the banner of Metro Video and co-produced by Sensemakers Productions, 'Rehana Maryam Noor' was internationally distributed by Germany's Films Boutique. Alongside Badhan, the cast of the film includes Saberi Alam, Afia Zahin, Kazi Sami Hasan, Afia Tabassum and Yasir Al Haque