The recently released film ‘Shikhandi Katha’ premiered at Balaka-2 on Thursday. Among others, Muhammad Hannan, the director of the film and Faridur Reza Sagar, managing director of Impress Telefilm Ltd and Channel i, were present.
The film is an adaptation of a stage-play ‘Shikhandi Katha’ by Mahakal Natya Sampraday. It has been acclaimed at home and abroad as a powerful play on the lives and woes of the transgender community.
Shikhandi Katha narrates the story of a transgender individual, who takes birth in a family as Ratan in a village called Hijaltali.
When the boy reaches his adolescence, Ratan undergoes an identity crisis and starts to reveal his feminine side. His family refuses to accept his new identity as a transsexual.
The frustrated, young Ratan joins a transsexual community and takes the name Ratna. The story revolves around the woes of Ratna and other transgender individuals. There are also some rare moments of happiness in the movie.
Playwright and script writer Anan Zaman mentioned in his speech at the premier, ‘While studying in the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University, I had close interactions with a transgender community, known as Kali Mashir Dera, living in Savar. Based on true stories of the community, how they became hijras(transsexuals), their lives and lifestyle, I wrote Shikhandi Katha. This is how; the story came into being in 2005 and the play gained recognition here and abroad.’
The director Hannan laments low media coverage and publicity by the producers stating, ‘I am not convinced with the publicity but I can assure that anybody who comes to watch the film will not leave his seat until the movie ends.’
Hamid, one of the film viewers said, ‘Making people aware of their fundamental rights is one of the responsibilities of the media. Hijras are not alien to us; they are humans of flesh and blood like us, having happiness and distress like anyone else. The makers of the film has done an admirable job emphasizing a significant issues.’
Cast of the film includes Muhammad Hannan, Joyonto Chottopodhay, Mirana Zaman, Rokeya Prachy and members of Mahakal Natya Sampraday.
-With New Age input
