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| Khan Ataur Rahman and Sumita Devi in Kokhono Asheni (1961) Movie |
Md. Tanjir Alam
‘Kokhono Asheni’(1961), is the first movie of Zahir Raihan as a director.
The title of the film alludes to something which is normal however not found
ever. ‘Kokhono Asheni’ the
directorial debut of Zahir Raihan, is a landmark film in the history of
Bangladeshi filmmaking. Although Raihan had previously worked as an assistant
director to A J Karder in the film Jago Huya Savera, it is with Kokhono Asheni
that he truly announced his arrival on the filmmaking stage. The film, however,
was well received by critics as ground-breaking in its substance, style and
narrative elements. It can be broadly categorized under the ‘experimental art
film’ category, albeit feeling like a social melodrama.
‘Kokhono Asheni’ is set against the backdrop of 1960s Dhaka in the then East
Pakistan. As such, it provides us with a rare opportunity to see life of the
average middle-class Bangladeshi in Dhaka. The film essentially speaks to the
account of a lower-class family, their life battle, a lady and her story and
the musings of the general public of the 1960s in a very efficient account
style. A rich individual named Sultan regards a lady as a model, as a piece of
his own gallery whom he purchased with just 50 taka when she was a kid.
However, the lady is youthful at this point. She needs to escape this
historical center and needs to be dealt with like a human. She experiences
passionate feelings for Shawkat, a youthful painter lives in alongside her
structure.
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| Khan Ataur Rahman and Sumita Devi in Kokhono Asheni (1961) Movie |
Shawkat’s life as a bohemian artist
perfectly illustrates the life of an artist in Dhaka during the 60s. Shawkat’s
choice of attire is something that is particularly striking when we talk about
middle class sensibilities portrayed within the film. We also see Shawkat and
his friends regularly hanging out at cafes partaking in the favourite Bengali
pastime of ‘Addabaji’. He holds art exhibitions of his work and critics and
collectors seem to deem his work praiseworthy. Shawkat portrays the perfect
embodiment of a chic young artist. She needs Shawkat remove her from this jail.
Be that as it may, Shawkat isn't utilized. But Finally, he chooses childishly
to leave his sisters all alone and to escape with Mariam. Be that as it may, he
doesn't prevail to gather cash. He returns home discovers his sisters lying on
the bed who as of now have done suicide and he himself additionally drinks some
sort of toxic substance and bites the dust. Mariam attempts to escape the place
of Sultan yet falls flat. Quite a while later, another family comes to live in
a similar house Shawkat's family lived and Mariam is seen remaining in the
gallery and watching them as past.
The film contains strong
socio-political messaging by showing how the masses of the society is having to
contend with the oppressive forces that the elites push down upon them through
the capitalist mechanism. Zahir Raihan was known as being someone who
prescribed to the communist philosophy and within ‘Kokhono Asheni’ we can see
his ideals being reflected. Many film critics have also cited Raihan’s films
being his vessel to fight for the rights of people and for equality.
‘Kokhono Asheni’ makes particularly
good use of symbolism to portray the socio-political tension that existed in
society between the oppressors and the oppressed at the time. It might even be
argued that Raihan was portraying the struggles of Shawkat, his family and Mariam
as being representative of the struggle of the Bangladeshis against the
Pakistani oppressors. I think this was Zahir Raihan’s intention. Raihan was an
ardent patriot and had been a very active activist in all forms of social
causes and believed in using his films to give voice to the voiceless and the
powerless.
The art collector, Sultan,
represents the Pakistani despots. His description of his ‘acquisition’ of
Mariam and her subsequent state of affairs bears a striking resemblance to the
story of East Pakistan. When Sultan first takes Shawkat to his house to view
his art collection, he tells him how he had ‘freed’ Mariam when he had acquired
her. Yet, Sultan’s definition of freedom might not match many of ours. This is
very much symbolic of how East Pakistan gained independence as a nation from
the colonial forces of the British in 1947 and yet, having gained supposed
freedom, did not seem to enjoy any of the associated benefits of freedom. Just
as Mariam had no agency or autonomy over her life, neither did East Pakistan
over its affairs.
The film symbolizes the circumstance
of the individuals of Bangladesh under the Pakistani system during the 1960s,
when individuals of the nation were mistreated by the rulers. He sees Mariam as
illustrative of East Bengal and Sultan as illustrative of West Bengal.
Individuals of East Bengal attempted quite a while for their opportunity
however it didn't come till the creation of the film as Mariam attempts to be
free yet can't. Be that as it may, the chief keeps the expectation bursting at
the seams with the shot of Mariam remaining in the overhang sitting tight for
the opportunity.
The film begins with a title
arrangement comprising of a moving image of a running wheel of a steed carriage
distinctive still photos of the film. The stills are of various circumstances,
of satisfaction, of pity. The running wheel is appeared between each two
stills. This might be a sign towards life that there happen numerous things
however life or time never stops. There might be distresses and more distresses
from that point forward, yet at the same time, life goes on. Life continues
relying upon the expectations. That is the reason we see the notorious shot of
Mariam remaining in the gallery sitting tight for opportunity from beginning as
far as possible.
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| Sumita Devi in Kokhono Asheni (1961) Movie |
The plight of the middle class
salary man is also vividly highlighted in Kokhono Asheni. When
Shawkat’s father loses his job, and eventually dies, the reality of living in a
capitalist society as an artist dawns on him. The entire burden of providing
for himself and his two sisters falls squarely on his shoulders. He is forced
to give up on his bohemian way of life and look for work. Mariam, who he is in
love with, also begs him to rescue her from Sultan but Shawkat cannot do so
because he does not have the means. At this very critical juncture, he starts
seeing his two sisters as being unnecessary burdens on him, people who are
disposable from his life. Raihan shows how the capitalist institution slowly
kills the artist’s spirit and entraps him in society’s pitfalls. Up until that
point, we were shown a very loving relationship between Shawkat and his two
sisters but when he eventually is faced with the choice of the responsibility
of an elder brother, in the traditional Bangladeshi sense, versus pursuing his
own desires, he chooses the latter. He in fact tells his two sisters via a
letter, “In this world we are all alone, I am going on my own path, you choose
your own.” Thus, we can once again see Raihan critiquing the capitalist mandate
of individualism over collectivism as this act by Shawkat effectively leads to
the death of his two sisters.
However, the film did not
legitimately include any political thought, its season of making and the
characters make us accept it as a political film. In any case, the film worked
too inconspicuously to depict the political circumstance. In the wake of
finding the carcasses by the police, in the portrayal it is said that might be
numerous months or numerous years after the fact, another family comes to live
in the house. Time is kept covered up here. It might be in one side for being in
the protected zone from the abusing government and on the opposite side for
motivating the desire for opportunity in the psyche of individuals. Since upset
may occur however there is no fixed time for this, it might happen soon or
later yet one needs to trust in its plausibility.
“A disconcerting conclusion might dictate itself; while they stress that
‘every society’ is shot through with class struggle with throughout the course
of its development, and that all historical struggles are class struggles, Marx
and Engels resort to their theory only intermittently”.
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| Khan Ataur Rahman and Sumita Devi in Kokhono Asheni (1961) Movie |
Above the economic
structure rises the superstructure, consisting of legal and political ‘forms of
social consciousness’ that correspond to the economic structure. Marx says
nothing about the nature of this correspondence between ideological forms and
economic structure, except that through the ideological forms individuals
become conscious of the conflict within the economic structure between the
material forces of production and the existing relations of production
expressed in the legal property relations.
The Marxist way to deal with culture
alludes to the analysis of writings and practices in connection to their
recorded state of generation. As indicated by Marx, each critical time of
history is built around a specific method of generation where every method of
creation produces explicit social connections among laborers and the individuals
who control the method of generation. The point of departure of human history is therefore living human
beings, who seek to satisfy certain primary needs. The first historical fact is
the production of the means to satisfy these needs. This satisfaction, in turn,
opens the way for new needs. Human activity is thus essentially a struggle with
nature that must furnish the means of satisfying human needs: drink, food,
clothing, the development of human powers and then of human intellectual and artistic
abilities. In this undertaking, people discover themselves as productive beings
who humanize themselves through their labor.
The separation between the common laborers
and the decision class is evident the framework. Regular workers is overwhelmed
and abused by the decision class. Laborers are estranged from their item which
causes them to acknowledge the strength of the decision class. What's more,
this occurs as a chain over and over with the exception of any insurgency
occurs. This procedure is just depicted in the film where we see the families
coming in the structure and biting the dust over and over.
“Feminism is becoming an increasingly accepted part of ordinary social and
political discourse, even if it is not viewed in the same light by everyone.
Feminism is often represented in everyday discussions, as well as in lecture
rooms, as a single entity and somehow concerned with equality.”
In this film ‘Kokhono Asheni’ the term feminism can be
used to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at
establishing equal rights and legal protection for women. Feminism involves
political and sociological theories and philosophies concerned with issues of
gender differences as well as a movement that advocates gender equality for
women and campaigns for women’s rights and interests.
Kokhono
Asheni is indeed a pleasure and a joy to behold. The acting by the cast are
remarkable, the score and music is quite brilliant and Raihan’s first effort as
a director is more than just commendable. It is a landmark film in the
Bangladeshi film industry that not has an abundance of style but substance in
galore with important messages in an important period in the history of the
people of this land.
Watch the full movie 'Kokhono Asheni (1961) directed by Zahir Raihan here...
