Monpura
Encyclopedia
Monpura is a Bengali language
film set in Bangladesh
. Directed by Giasuddin Selim. Monpura is a romance film based in a rural setting. As Selim's debut film, it received a huge media hype before its release. The shooting of the film started in June 2007. It was shot in different places, including Dhunat (Bogra
), Kushtia and Dhaka
.
Chanchal Chowdhury
plays the role of Shonai. Farhana Mili plays her debut role as Pori, the daughter of a boatman. The young couple are supported by veteran actors Mamunur Rashid
and Fazlur Rahman Babu
.
The total film budget was 200 million taka, with post-production completed in India for over five million taka.
and Rajshahi
, but it quickly opened in theaters in Chittagong
, Mymensingh
, Bogra
, Rangpur
, and Sirajganj
.
Within three weeks of its release, Monpura broke the 45-year record of ticket sales in the Dhaka box office with over 50,000 tickets sold, beating out the very first Bengali language film made in Bangladesh, Mukh O Mukhosh
.
On May 22, 2009, Monpura completed its 100 days of glory in the box office. Star Cineplex and Bolaka (Bolaka-1 & Bolaka-2), the busiest theaters in the capital, ran this film for 100 days consecutively. After 100 days, the movie kept running in about 50 theaters across the country.
The film ran at Star Cineplex for nine months, Bolaka for six months, and Monihar for eight weeks. Theaters in Pabna
, Khulna
, and other districts in Bangladesh ran the film for six to seven weeks. Outside Bangladesh, the film was first released in Sydney
on August 8, 2009, and then in other cities, including New York City
, Toronto
, Montreal
, and Brussels
.
Kolkata
filmmaker Anjan Das made the Indian Bengali
film, Achin Pakhi, based on Monpura.
"Shonai Hai Haire," written by director Giasuddin Selim, tells the story of a daughter's death, whose funeral is attended by her father and father-in-law. "Aage Jodi Jantam," lyrics and music by Krishnokoli Islam, also tells the story of a broken heart - leaving the house of a girl and her life of regret. "Shonar Moyna Pakhi," lyrics and music by Osman Khan and sung by Arnob, expresses the desire to see a loved one at any cost, even if it comes before one's death.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
film set in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Directed by Giasuddin Selim. Monpura is a romance film based in a rural setting. As Selim's debut film, it received a huge media hype before its release. The shooting of the film started in June 2007. It was shot in different places, including Dhunat (Bogra
Bogra
Bogra is a town, and one of the oldest towns in northern Bangladesh. It is a centre of commerce and trade within the Bogra District and located under the Rajshahi Division. Bogra is sometimes described as the nerve centre of Northern Bangladesh. Amongst many notable activities, it has been hosting...
), Kushtia and Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
.
Chanchal Chowdhury
Chanchal Chowdhury
Chanchal Chowdhury was born on the June 1, 1975, in Dhaka and is a Bangladeshi actor and model. Chanchal started his career in 1996 in the theaters of Bangladesh...
plays the role of Shonai. Farhana Mili plays her debut role as Pori, the daughter of a boatman. The young couple are supported by veteran actors Mamunur Rashid
Mamunur Rashid
Mamunur Rashid is one of the pioneering theatre activists in Bangladesh. He is the chief secretary of leading theatre group Aranyak which plays crucial roles in creating common people aware about their rights through his plays. He was born on 29 February in 1948 in the village Paikora under Kalhati...
and Fazlur Rahman Babu
Fazlur Rahman Babu
Fazlur Rahman Babu is a Bangladeshi actor and singer. Also known simply as Babu, he has acted in more than one hundred telenovelas, in addition to appearing in films and several television advertisements....
.
Characters
- Shonai is a fisherman who lives on Monpura Island. He has a little house there, talks with animals, and falls in love with Pori. He is also a fast swimmer.
- Pori is the daughter of another fisherman. She falls in love with Sonai Mia but marries his foe.
Crew
- Producer: Anjan Chowdhury Pintu
- Director: Giasuddin Selim
- Writer: Giasuddin Selim
- Script: Giasuddin Selim
- Dialogue: Giasuddin Selim
- Music: Iqbal E. Kabir
- Cinematography: Kamrul Hasan Khasru
- Editing: Iqbal E. Kabir
- Music composition: Arnob
- Assistant music director: Adit
- Distributor: Machranga Production
Technical Details
- Format: 35 MM (Color)
- Running Time: 138 Minutes
- Original Language: BengaliBengali languageBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
- Country of Origin: BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
- Date of Theatrical Release: 13 February 2009
- Year of the Product: 2008
- Technical Support: Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC)
Development
Monpura made a huge media hype before its release. "A heart breaking story," as called by popular actor and director Afjal Hossain, its unusual songs and rural setting set the background of an artistic romance film. Monpura, unlike many other popular Bangla films, uses the rural settings of Bangladesh, something Selim says audiences have a strong attachment to.Shooting
The shooting started in June 2007. The shooting unit faced problems due to Bangladesh's rainy season and demands to shoot through such weather; several outdoor sequences were shot in the rain.The total film budget was 200 million taka, with post-production completed in India for over five million taka.
Reception
Monpura initially released in four theaters in DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and Rajshahi
Rajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
, but it quickly opened in theaters in Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, Mymensingh
Mymensingh
Mymensingh , pronounced moy-mon-shing-haw, is a city of Bangladesh situated on the river Brahmaputra. It is the headquarters of the administrative unit Mymensingh District. Mymensingh is the anglicized pronunciation of the original name Momenshahi, referring to a ruler called Momen Shah. The cadet...
, Bogra
Bogra
Bogra is a town, and one of the oldest towns in northern Bangladesh. It is a centre of commerce and trade within the Bogra District and located under the Rajshahi Division. Bogra is sometimes described as the nerve centre of Northern Bangladesh. Amongst many notable activities, it has been hosting...
, Rangpur
Rangpur, Bangladesh
Rangpur is one of the major cities in Bangladesh. Rangpur is considered as the centre of northwestern Bangladesh. Recently established public university of Bangladesh named as "Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur" is situated in the southern part of the city. Earlier Rangpur was the headquarter of...
, and Sirajganj
Sirajganj
Sirajganj is a town in central Bangladesh, lying just west of the Brahmaputra River and about 70 mi. northwest of Dhaka.- Overview :...
.
Within three weeks of its release, Monpura broke the 45-year record of ticket sales in the Dhaka box office with over 50,000 tickets sold, beating out the very first Bengali language film made in Bangladesh, Mukh O Mukhosh
Mukh O Mukhosh
Mukh O Mukhosh was the first Bengali language feature film to be made in Bangladesh . It was produced by Iqbal Films and directed by Abdul Jabbar Khan. The movie was released in East Pakistan on 3 August 1956. It was released in Dhaka, Chittagong, Narayanganj, and Khulna...
.
On May 22, 2009, Monpura completed its 100 days of glory in the box office. Star Cineplex and Bolaka (Bolaka-1 & Bolaka-2), the busiest theaters in the capital, ran this film for 100 days consecutively. After 100 days, the movie kept running in about 50 theaters across the country.
The film ran at Star Cineplex for nine months, Bolaka for six months, and Monihar for eight weeks. Theaters in Pabna
Pabna
Pabna is a town in Rajshahi Division ofBangladesh and the administrative capital of eponymous Pabna District. It is located on the north bank of Padma river and has a population of about 138,000.-Name:...
, Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. It is the divisional headquarters of Khulna Division and a major industrial and commercial center. It has a seaport named Mongla on its outskirts, 38 km from Khulna...
, and other districts in Bangladesh ran the film for six to seven weeks. Outside Bangladesh, the film was first released in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on August 8, 2009, and then in other cities, including New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
filmmaker Anjan Das made the Indian Bengali
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
film, Achin Pakhi, based on Monpura.
National Film Awards
Monpura won in five categories at the National Film Awards, including Best Film.- Winner Best Film: Anjan Chowduhry Pintu
- Winner Best Actor: Chanchal ChowdhuryChanchal ChowdhuryChanchal Chowdhury was born on the June 1, 1975, in Dhaka and is a Bangladeshi actor and model. Chanchal started his career in 1996 in the theaters of Bangladesh...
(Shared with FerdousFerdous AhmedFerdous Ahmed is a Bangla movie actor. He became famous first as a television actor, then as a film hero in the mid 1990s. He has released more than 40 films, both in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India...
for Gongajatra) - Winner Best Villain Character: Mamunur RashidMamunur RashidMamunur Rashid is one of the pioneering theatre activists in Bangladesh. He is the chief secretary of leading theatre group Aranyak which plays crucial roles in creating common people aware about their rights through his plays. He was born on 29 February in 1948 in the village Paikora under Kalhati...
- Winner Best Screenplay: Giasuddin Selim
- Winner Best Singer: Chondona Mazumder and Kazi Krishnokoli Islam
Music
Bengali films rarely come under the spotlight by their music. It was thought that the music from the Monpura was collected from Bangladeshi folk music, but almost all are original songs. The album has been noted for its depth, creative thought, and trend-breaking effort."Shonai Hai Haire," written by director Giasuddin Selim, tells the story of a daughter's death, whose funeral is attended by her father and father-in-law. "Aage Jodi Jantam," lyrics and music by Krishnokoli Islam, also tells the story of a broken heart - leaving the house of a girl and her life of regret. "Shonar Moyna Pakhi," lyrics and music by Osman Khan and sung by Arnob, expresses the desire to see a loved one at any cost, even if it comes before one's death.
Tracks
Marketing
The rhythmic music helped the film gain a lot of publicity before its release. It was heavily advertised in cable and satellite television networks.External links
- Monpura at the Rotten Tomatoes