Sheikh Arif Bulbon :
The traditional Jatra Pala of the Bengal has lost its colour with time. The stage of what was once a powerful and emotional journey has become an adult dance hall. Asif Islam is making a movie based on real-life experiences.
The film, titled ‘Land of the Princess’, features Jatra artistes. Ashna Habib Bhabna plays the role of the city’s glamorous princess, Rosey.
Director Asif Islam was introduced to the Jatra from his childhood.
To revive those memories, he went to see the ‘Nawab Sirajud Dawla’ Jatra Pala in 2018.
When he went there, he felt that the Jatra industry had now turned into an adult dance hall. The audience’s interest was centred around a dancer from the city rather than the story.
After a few scenes, the show stopped, and the lead actor of Jatra Pala had to leave the stage in humiliation due to the audience’s demands.
Asif Islam made ‘Land of Tea Princess’ based on that incident. While talking in this regard, Asif Islam said that the shooting of the movie has already been completed. It was shot in Gobindpur, Faridpur in January this year.
Apart from Bhabna, the film also stars Arabinda Majumder, Mahmud Alam, A K Azad Setu, Jannatul Baker Khan, Salahuddin Sheikh and others.
Bhabna, who caught attention with her acting, doesn’t want to work in all types of films. She wants to associate herself with good stories and story-based films.
After reading the story of the film ‘Land of the Princess’, she felt that it was not like the other 10 movies.
While talking in this regard, Bhabna told this correspondent, “The movie goes well with my philosophy. I think it’s a “Lost art form in this glamorous world.” That’s what happened with the Jatra industry too. That’s the story the film’s director brought up.
I trusted the director, I trusted the story, and I also trusted my character. I gained 9kg to fit into the character. I’m a classical dancer. But for this movie, I have mastered the dance of the princesses.
It was easy and helpful to have all of my fellow artistes become Jatra artistes and create themselves as princesses. I believe that the movie will be special overall. It will provide food for thought in the minds of the audience.”
Director Asif Islam said, “Making the movie from my personal experience. The entire incident of the movie happened before my eyes.
It was on that uncomfortable night that I deeply realised how the caste had changed, how is it struggling to survive at a time when tradition and the demands of the times are not the same? That’s what I tried to do in this film, where the fragile reality of today’s journey is revealed.”
Asif Islam also said, “The artistes of Jatra Pala are disappearing day by day. Glamour and beauty are being given priority in this. This is the reality in Jatra Pala now.
The people who worked on this film are true Jatra artistes. They are familiar with such situations. So, it was easy for them to do their job from the performance point of view because they played their own roles.”
Director Asif added that there is planning to send the movie to several international film festivals later this year. The film ‘Land of the Princess’ will be released in the country next year after the festival.
