MANNA'S INTERVIEW

Intimate Exchange Of Words With

S M Aslam Talukder, Manna

Place:

FDC Premises; On the set, Floor # 4

Time:

1930 Hours

Date:

5th of January, 2006 A.D.

Status:

Fictional

Context:

Manna was working out his role in a movie named Nyara Mastan, when I met him few months ago first time ever in life, officially. But my purpose was different: not picking an interview actually, collecting some specific information about his life and career for the Personalities Database section of this web site. Due to his extreme business throughout the day managing schedules for a couple of movies, I had necessarily to meet him frequently for a couple of days before I finished the job. This hypothetical interview is just an extension of the impression he made on my mind in one of my meetings with him. None of these questions and answers has, therefore, any substantial relation to what actually he would comment on the issues focused in this imaginary discussion.

Conversation:

[Manna Bhai was getting ready for some shots of Nyara Mastan. Time arrived. Manna Vai walked out of the make-up room, went straight across the artificial yard of a fake police station made for the sequence where Manna alias Nyara Mastan would race through the gate of Police Station and aggressively halt at a place near the middle of the yard just like a hooligan. So, Manna Bhai went to do the sequence handing over the cigarette he was smoking to an assistant, finished the shot in a flash and took back his cigarette on his way towards the chairs kept at a corner of the set. Standing there, I instantly got my clue to create this conversation.]

Manna:

(On learning first time the purpose of my visit) This may hardly be of any use at this moment to make such a big exposure of Bangladesh Film Industry. Films of the time and people presently working in this arena do little care for the culture of the nation or its expansion. Some of them earn money by unjustly incorporating obscene elements into their films, some others just take an unfair advantage of common people's irresistible fascination to movies by creating scene-to-scene copies of foreign movies whereas few others are still trying to leave some appreciable marks in the loitering progress of our film industry. On the other hand, performers, mostly, are playing their roles mechanically to earn more and more by concentrating only on the volume of work rather than its standard So, they are likely to be indifferent or non-cooperative to this kind of exposure that creates a scope for qualitative evaluation and demand for true genius and sincere work to be marked. I don't say that all that happens here is below the mark, but it lacks true dedication and desire for betterment in most cases.

Interviewer:

Why, you think, does it happen nowadays or where exactly did we lose our rhythm in this regard? As we know, our film industry had a glorious heritage enriched over years since the '60s (1956, the release of Mukh O Mukhosh, and onwards).

Manna:

Actually, the poor rate of literacy prevailing in our country acts in the background as the most important factor in this respect. Most investors of this industry have naturally a unremarkable educational background and, therefore, are incapable of carrying forth our rich cultural heritage. They consider the whole thing a plain business and pay all attention to generate revenue by feeding the dumb expectations of the impoverished, working class people with carnal provocations and low-witted humor, except trying meaninglessly (ironically!) to deliver messages to them in order to enhance their social awareness, create a source of pure and standard entertainment or to make an attempt of bringing back the cultured class of the society, who have accepted an intentional banishment for years anticipating rebirth of movies like Jibon Theke Neya, Dheere Bohe Meghna, Ora Egaro Jon or films alike. Moreover, our industry stumbled every time at the loss of geniuses like Zahir Raihan, Khan Ataur Rahaman, Ehtesham,etc and it is continuously struggling due to a number of factors including political unrest, economic and technological drawbacks, lack of proper professional training etc. But, again, I will say that illiteracy, dishonesty and sincerity are the major limitations that hinder the progress of our film industry.