‘Was asked not to copy Mujib’

Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo, who is playing the title role in the biopic Mujib: The Making of a Nation, said he was asked by the movie’s director Shyam Benegal to understand the “father of Bangladesh’s philosophy” instead of merely copying his mannerisms.

The 41-year-old actor, who had essayed critically acclaimed roles in films like Mission Extreme (2021), Dhaka Attack (2017), Musafir (wanderer) and Chaya Chobi (The Movie), among others, told PTI the “overwhelming appreciation for the film since its release in Bangladesh on October 13”, makes him feel “the hard work during the last three years to perfect the role” has paid off.

Shuvoo said, “I was repeatedly told by Benegal sir that I am not Mujib” to help him overcome any mental reservations about playing the role of a man who was still larger than life as the maker of modern Bangladesh, having led that nation to independence and served as its leader till his assassination in August 1975.

“He told me that I don’t have to copy him externally. I have to grasp his philosophy, his dreams, his wishes and his frustrations. I had to portray the person who not only became Bangabandhu (Friend of Bangladesh), the honorary pre-fix by which Mujib is known in his country but was also khoka (young boy) and Mujib bhai (Mujib brother) in his younger days,” Shuvoo said.

The biopic sketching the life of Sheikh Mujib as an anti-government revolutionary to the political leader who steered his people towards independence was released earlier this month in Bengali and Hindi.

Shuvoo said since the release of the film in Bangladesh on October 13, “the audience is loving it … apparently they are okay with my portrayal of Mujib, a true leader of masses who had led us during the 1971 war.” Asked about the preparations which went on after he was selected by Benegal for the role, Shuvoo said, “The preparations were huge — from reading books, to seeing black and white footage of Bangabandhu, discussions about his family life and political career with his family — apart from long sessions with my director about the real-life person and how he perceived that person.”

Recalling his shooting experience under Benegal, Shuvoo said “He does not believe in cuts and prefers taking a single shot at a go — say from 10 angles through 10 lenses — and the best shot is included in the film.”