Acclaimed director Tareque Masud’s latest movie ‘Runway’ has recently received an uncut certificate from the Bangladesh Film Censor Board. The movie, produced by Catherine Masud, is expected to be released across the country in November.
Set against the backdrop of the national events in the country—specially the rise of violent activities of extremist groups — ‘Runway’, features the story of an idealistic youth’s drift into religious militancy.
Tareque and Catherine Masud’s screenplay centers around a madrasah dropout, the youth Ruhul, who gets involved with extremist activities.
‘The movie is not against religion, nor is it an oversimplified interpretation of the rise of militancy in the country,’ Tareque Masud told New Age.
‘The intention is to give a clue to the viewers of some complicated brutal realities in simple manner,’ continued Tareque, ‘Let the audience interpret the influence on the individuals in the society by the local and international political and economic realities.’
The term runway appears as a metaphor in the movie, which represents international connectivity and contrast prevailing in the society as well. Protagonist Ruhul lives with his family in a small hut next to the runway of the international airport and his mother Rahima struggles to support the family by selling milk from a cow bought with a micro credit loan. His sister Fatima works long hours in a garments factory. There’s been no word from their father for over a month, since he left for a job in the Middle East.
Ruhul spends his days wandering under the shadow of the planes, aimless and frustrated in his futile efforts to find work. One day at a cyber café he meets Arif, a computer savvy young man who exudes confidence and a sense of purpose. The world Arif introduces him to seems inspiring and new, but eventually Ruhul’s life spirals into a nefarious netherworld of intolerance, violence and ultimately, death.
‘None of the characters in the movie is evil’, Tareque said, ‘We have, indeed, tried to find out the meaning of life through some real characters living in a transitional period in a developing country, devoid of any ideology.’
The cast is primarily made up of newcomers, including main casts Md. Fazlul Haque as Ruhul, Rabeya Akter Moni as Rahima, and Ali Ahsan as Arif.
Mishuk Munier is the cinematographer while Masrur Rahman did the sound recording and Shaheed Ahmed Mithu served as art director. Music direction is done jointly by Tareque and Catherine Masud, while Tanvir Alam Shawjeeb is the main musical score. Catherine Masud has edited the film.
Tareque Masud hopes that the movie will attract wider audiences from different classes and regions of the country, which was not possible in case of his earlier movie ‘Matir Moina’ due to the initial ban by the Censor Board and subsequent bomb attack on cinema halls in Mymensingh.
