3. Nadir Naam Madhumati (1994)

Alternative title: A River Named Madhumati

Language: Bengali

Director: Tanvir Mokammel

Running time: 120 mins

Starring: Aly Zaker, Towkir Ahmed, Raisul Islam Asad

The 1971 war between Indian aided East Pakistan (soon to become Bangladesh) and West Pakistan has always been an emotional subject for Bengalis. Time and again this topic has been explored on film by Bangladeshi filmmakers. It is therefore not surprising that director Tanvir Mokammel chose this theme to make his first feature film. Seen from a child's point of view, the film is set in a remote corner of Bangladesh by the banks of the river Madhumati. Motaleb Mollah, a local landlord, co-operates with the invading Pakistani army. Mollah is married to his sister in law (his deceased brother's widow) who has a young son Bachchu. Amulya Chakrabarty, an idealist Brahmin teacher, has a great influence on the young boy's mind. Bachchu's innocent world is shattered when he watches the Pakistani army perpetrating genocide. He joins the Bengali guerrilla freedom fighters. The film ran into trouble with the censors in Bangladesh but won a slew of national awards.