One day a friend came out of the cinema hall and told me on the phone that he had seen Satyajit Ray’s film from Bangladesh. I asked, how does he talk? Friend said that’s right, watch the production of young director Tarek Masood (1956-2011), talk later. I saw Tarek Masud’s picture, I knew him, the Bangladesh Film Archive’s training course “Film Appreciation Course has produced some young talented filmmakers, Tarek is a shining star among them.”
Maker of outstanding films like Narasundar, Mati Myna, Mukti Gan, Anthayatra and Runway; Tareq Masood unfortunately passed away in a road accident on 13 August 2011. He is said to be the father of art film in Bangladesh, his sudden demise has shocked the people of Apam including Film Modi. The talent that he has shown in a short period of time will be immortalized in the film world of Bangladesh. So what my friend said, Satyajit Ray of Bangladesh, was not an exaggeration. It is thought that if he had a longer life, this director of immense potential would have surpassed even Satyajit.
Today we all pay our sincere respect to the departed soul of Tarek Masud. Not only that, many people are researching and writing books to remember his memory. Bangladesh Film Archive has consistently organized fellowships in his name. Tarek was a socially conscious person, various efforts are being made to make people and current filmmakers aware of his sense of humanity.
Tarek’s Life and Works:
Tarek Masood was born in 1956 in Faridpur district, mother’s name is Nurun Nahar Masood and father is Moshiur Rahman Masood.
In the words of Tarek’s cousin Tahmina Rabbani—
“We lived in the same village as Tarek in Faridpur as children, growing up together because of that, Tarek’s father was the most cultured person in our village. It is because of him that we practiced singing and playing in the village as well.”
Tarek’s father is a graduate from Calcutta Presidency College. He was an educated liberal minded person. But suddenly Moshiur Rahman Masood (ie Tarek’s father) disappeared after the death of his mother. After a few months he returned home wearing a robe and a long beard.
Again in the words of Tarek’s cousin Tahmina Rabbani—
“But Chacha (Tarek’s father) is a man who changes completely at some point in his life. He then became extremely religious and religious, as a result of which any kind of cultural practice at home was completely prohibited. Tarek was admitted to a madrasa instead of being sent to school.”
Tarek’s father wants him to be educated in religious studies, so he attends a madrassa.
One by one he had to study in several madrasas, such as Faridpur, Lalbagh or Kakrail in Dhaka and Bahirdia on the banks of the Madhumati river in Jessore. There were obvious reasons for the repeated transfer of madrasas. Since Tarek’s father used to preach Tabligh, he wanted him to become a great scholar. He used to send him to Lalbagh madrasa in Dhaka and leave the country in three days, returning straight to the madrasa from the airport. He came to see that Tarek was not there. Everyone in their extended family was very cultured. The father alone turned dramatically towards religion. His uncles and cousins all lived in Dhaka, and when his father left, they would come and rescue him within a few days. Later, Baba realized that he would send them to rural madrasas far away from their reach. That’s why so many madrasas change.
But Tarek’s heart was with his family. He used to come to his uncle’s house or his own house whenever he got a chance in the madrasa. He did not express his feelings of being alone in the madrasa to anyone, he was intoxicated with the joy of running around with his brothers and sisters and playing sports. One day, she told her cousin that it was hard for her to see the children playing and having fun outside the Madrasah window, thinking how free the children were outside.
In fact, according to Tarek, when he went to the madrasa, no middle-class boys came to the madrasa, almost all of them were orphans or from very poor families, their families were very well-to-do, so Tarek was like an outsider in the madrasa.
Throughout the sixties he had to move from place to place in the madrasa, at the behest of his father. But the great liberation war of Bangladesh turned into Tarek’s personal war with many. During the Liberation War, Kishore Tarek was inspired by his uncle Delwar Hossain Chowdhury and became interested in the war and was also interested in going to a general education school. Going to his uncle’s house, he shouldered a rifle and joined the battle with other freedom fighters.
After nine months of war, along with the development of independent Bangladesh, independent Tarek Masood was born. During the war of liberation, Tarek’s father realized that the closeness of people developed in the same cultural and ethnic entity was the real truth rather than religious brotherhood. Tarek’s father changes his mind after seeing the infernal slaughter of Pakistanis. Even after the torture, the freedom-loving people did not back down from their fight. As a result, his father withdrew from the position in which Tarek was once adrift; Realized that pushing out of one’s nature does not bring any good. As the Pakistanis could not impose their language, culture and economic aggression against the aspirations of the people of this country.
Tarek realizes that the war of liberation has given him everything, his mother has regained her independence, his father is angry with the army’s atrocities in the name of Islam, and he condemns Pakistan after seeing corpses floating in the river with his own eyes. Baba’s fundamental change has occurred once again. After the liberation war, Tariq passed his matric examination in 1973 on his father’s initiative. Later he again forbade Tarek to go to the madrasah.
Tarek’s college life was a culture shock after passing his matric. Adamji Cantonment College, Co-Ed, 60% students are women. Adjusting to a co-ed college is harder than adjusting to sharing with the poor and orphans of madrasas. Hence the culture shock. However, while staying in the dormitory, he slowly gains mental strength in the hostile urban environment. In fact, being in a dormitory gives birth to a power to embrace diversity in languages, habits, tastes, ways of sleeping and moving.
Tarek used to write beautiful poems. He was very friendly. So friends were generous to him. Passed from Cantonment College, Graduation from Notre Dame College. Then Department of History at Dhaka University. Tarek’s journey in Dhaka’s cultural scene since his college days. Even the Bangladesh Film Society was crowded.
Like any literary-minded youth in the early seventies, Tarek looked down on the film medium. Moreover, from a young age, he was free from the barriers of domestic and foreign popular cinema and film industry due to madrasa education and conservative religious reasons. But he had a strong interest in music, painting, architecture, anthropology and psychology. At the Bangladesh Film Council, Merita Tariq was later surprised by reading various books related to films. And within a short time he became an active worker of the film parliament movement and developed a strong desire to understand films. Parliament started watching pictures; The door of world cinema suddenly opened to him. As if his life is fast forwarded. Many have read Bibhutibhushan’s novel before watching Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali. But Tarek saw the movie “Pather Panchali” first. He has always heard that cinema is a bad thing, just a dance-song away from life. But watching Pather Panchali, she felt, “It’s not just a real-life story, but an exact life story of Tarek’s life.”
The time at Dhaka University was very important for him. Even though he studied in the history department, he spent more time in fine arts. Muntasir Mamun was his teacher in history, even if he didn’t do well in the department, he encouraged him. Professor Sirajul Islam was also a teacher, besides Ahmad Sharif from outside the university; He has a very good relationship with all of them, he is a fan of them.
During his university life, another Manishi fan was Tariq Masood, Ahmed Chafa. His greatest achievement in that student life was the contact and proximity of Ahmad Chafa. Having sat and talked to him for hours on end in the library square, talking to Chafa was a different pleasure, as he would indulge any argument, not knowing that Tarek always argued, but rather argued. But Chapa never got bored.
Let Tarek Masood get involved in various cultural activities in his retirement. Since the 1970s were the decade of independence, freedom-seeking minds went to the World Literary Center to read various books, participate in poetry movements and road plays. Revolutionism, the pursuit of cultural liberation. Involved in the writer’s camp, what!
Forming drama troupes, going to remote areas to perform plays, rehearsing on a launch or boat on the go. The farmers have to be awakened, so the song, ‘Ore Oth Re Chashi, Jagatvasi’ is played with that enthusiasm. Trying to do something. There is one thing about far left dogma, Tarek didn’t like it. Criticism of Stalin was greatly disliked by leftist politicians. Tarek feels that cultural liberation is greater than ideology.
Film Sangsad, on the other hand, along with the writers camp, film organization Katwar Agrajatra. Coordinating the writers’ camp and the film society movement, however, had representative support from some left-wing intellectuals and cultural activists. Tarek’s love for films is strong in the middle of everything, there must be some catalyst behind it. In order to move forward with any goal in human life, there are a series of coordinating conjunctions. So, Tarek’s fascination with photography, spending days in art college, what could be the next link? Definitely his strong interest in visual arts. In the madrasa, he was bullied by drawing pictures of butterflies, trying to do these works of Allah himself. His interest in film dates back to his madrasa life, but he was unable to express it. But curiosity grows and remains.
Coincidentally, his interest in visual arts, his travels in rural Bengal, the experience of learning anew about the society and the people, all seemed to connect. Tarek’s formal education was not in film, but two elements were particularly instrumental in his development as a filmmaker.
1) Almost all filmmakers in the world of creativity, work for the purpose of creation. Tarek’s main school of education was the Film Sangsad Andolan, the Film Archives training course was a direct result of their Sangsad movement. Bangladesh Short Film Forum is also formed by parliamentarians.
2) Bangladesh Film Archive and Institute was established in 1978. First, they conducted a film appreciation course at the institute, which produced some brilliant filmmakers, with Tarek being the shining star in the hour of emerging filmmakers in 1982.
As Tarek had no formal education in film, he applied to the Pune Film Institute in India in 1982 to study film, receiving a scholarship. On March 24, General Ershad came to power, due to his anti-Indian stance, he canceled all Indian scholarships. Sand in Tarek’s enthusiasm. But how to bring it back, started trying. Shyya lobbied to get the scholarship back and went to Pune to get a no-objection certificate from Film Institute director Krishnamurthy. Time flew by and classes started in Pune, he never left. Distraught, he asked his family to provide money and went to America to study film.
In December 1988, Tariq returned to Dhaka to attend the International Short Film Festival. In fact he was the main organizer, joining some of the films which were in two genres, short and free genre films. This festival was a very important event in the cultural arena of Bangladesh. The short film movement later became popular as the alternative genre movement. The Short Film Forum played a major role in the anti-Ershad movement in 1990.
Meanwhile, Tariq got married to American film director Catherine in January 1989. Before going to America with Catherine again in 1990, the two directed small documentaries ‘Adam Surat’, ‘Ah America’ and ‘Ganatantra Mukti Pak’.
‘Adam Surat’ (50-minute documentary), is about the humanoid paintings drawn by the artist along with the autobiography and commentary of the famous painter SM Sultan of Bangladesh. Where workers, farmers are shown as noble. Nature is the loving breadwinner. Young Tarek was inspired by Sultan’s philosophy of art. In fact, these humanistic views are a strong pillar of the folk culture world of Bengal. In his later films as well, we can see that the humanitarian philosophy is influential.
It was during the making of ‘Adam Surat’ that Tarek got the inspiration to make a film called ‘Sonar Bedi’. It is a variety of images of women’s oppression, hidden in the name is to wear shackles on the waist, arms and legs of gold ornaments, as they love ornaments very much. He had another great belief that there is nothing great about homeland, tribe and culture. This philosophy is mainly created by Ah America. Moreover, by making ‘Ganatantra Mukti Pak’, the animation film Unison took a stand against authoritarianism.
Tarek’s memorable landmark documentaries are ‘Mukti Gan’ and ‘Mukti Katha’. ‘Song of Mukti’ is a narrative based on music and is self-financed. Among these folk songs and mass songs, there was a huge force against the opponents of the liberation war, on the one hand the fight of the cultural workers by singing and on the other hand the incentive to raise the morale of the liberation forces.
‘Matir Maina’ is a film version of the story taken from the life of Tarek Masood. The film raises many questions, where positive and negative conflicts arise. But within the presentation craft lies the hint of the answer. ‘Matir Maina’ was released in 2002 almost 28 years after the start of the film movement and introduced an exceptional filmmaker and artist.
The journey of ‘Matir Maina’ begins with the daily work of a madrasah student-teacher. Continuing with the teenage Anu, a student, Bengali traditions emerge in the scene of Anu’s mother Ayesha making winter pitha. Raised in a well-to-do rural family, Anu was sent to madrasa by his father. Anu’s only friend in madrasa life is another teenager named Rokon.
The state of Pakistan emerged through geographical division. One part is East Pakistan thousands of miles away and the other part is West Pakistan, unbroken India divided into two nations Hindu and Muslim and divided into two states in three parts. But the rulers of West Pakistan treated the eastern region as a colony and not as a country. The western region wants to impose its linguistic culture on the eastern region, discriminates against the region in economic, religious and political fields. Therefore, the movement for the national language of Bengal started and later became the overall liberation movement. The people of the eastern continent moved towards the establishment of independent secular state based on language and tradition. Some fanatics are relentless in their efforts to maintain Pakistan as an Islamic state. Anu’s father also stood in line with the pro-Pakistan in the film ‘Matir Maina’. However, after seeing the inhuman massacre of Pakistanis in the liberation war, his decision changed. On the other hand, Ayesha fled to live with her son Anu.
In the film ‘Matir Maina’, three pairs of conflicting skepticism can be seen. Conflicts between men and women or outside the home, conflicts over nature and institutions and conflicts between religion-based states vs. language-culture-based states. Tarek uses various elements of folk culture in the film to build these core themes on a strong intellectual argument. Such as folk songs, village fairs, boating, carvings, clay birds, embroidery, paintings and various arts.
Tarek has taken refuge in his own life to create ‘Matir Maina’, his life is very similar to the story, ‘Pather Panchali’ gave him this idea. The film that could be made about his life has arisen many times consciously or subconsciously.
In the madrasa he used to eat tea made on his own stove, Tarek’s mother arranged for a woman from the village to give him milk, his classmates laughed and envied him for drinking milk and tea, so he felt alone and an outsider (pictured Anu). Classmate Rokon also thought of himself as an outsider for another reason. Anu was a son of high birth, Rokan but an orphan and certainly financially destitute, but he had a different mindset than the other students. At that young age, when he heard the fierce Jihadist words of his elder, he used to put his hands in his ears. He dreamed of an intellectual world of his own outside the orthodox environment. As a result, Anu finds immense inspiration in Rokan and the two become friends. Rokon wanted to live a healthy life without protesting anything directly
The film ‘Runway’ is an expression of Tarek’s spirit and heritage. The rise of militancy in 2005-06 is central to this. At that time the fundamentalists wanted to destroy the industry by blowing up cinemas. Even though these events are costly, the rural refugees are sheltered in the capital. The issue of migrant workers crisis, garment workers and small scale issues emerged strongly. Horrible problems of the time are highlighted with the taking off and landing of airplanes. The struggle of the working people, the lamentation of the wealthy people who have returned abroad, on the other hand, the domination of the wealthy robber class, etc.
Anthayatra, like Tarek’s other films, has similarities as well as differences. Astute viewers will notice, the main theme of the other film is the search for one’s roots, history and self-identity. Characteristics which, in the song of the soil or in the funeral of the soil, are the same here in the Antar Yatra. But the crisis of self-identity in migrant life and migrant life, expatriate life on the one hand and the pull to the roots – the conflict between generations growing up in a mixed culture are all different aspects of the journey.
Achievements of Tarek Masood:
Bangladesh’s highest civilian award, the Ekushey Padak, was awarded posthumously to Tarek Masood, in 2012. Also, almost all of his films have won Best Picture or Best Director awards at various film festivals.
The below mentioned achievements are outstanding for Bangladesh abroad.
Being invited to film festivals in various cities including Hawaii, Chicago, Tarek took part as a guest with his documentaries like Golden Chain, Adam Surat; Spoke as an invited speaker at the International Conference on ‘Documentary in Developing Countries’ at Mannheim, Germany (1986-1990).
Produced Unison, an animation film based on communal harmony, as the theme film at their request at the Mumbai Short and Documentary Festival (1992).
At the International Documentary Festival in Kerala, India, his production ‘Shishukanth’ won the Special Jury Award. Moreover, receiving the French Government’s competitive grant ‘South Fund’ for the screenplay of Mati Myna (1999).
Matir Myna was the opening film in the Directors Fortnight category at the Cannes Film Festival and won the International Critics Award.(2002)
It is particularly noteworthy that the invitation to participate in the competition of Mati Moyna in the category of ‘Best Foreign Language’ film from the American Motion Picture Academy (Oscar).
(Catherine, Aamir Khan and Tareq Mumbai Film Festival)
For the first time, Bangladesh’s films got the opportunity to compete in the Oscar competition. (2002)
Mati Mainar won three awards including Best Film at Pakistan International Film Festival (2003).
‘Antharyatra’ won Special Jury Award at Delhi Asian Film Festival (2006).
Last but not least:
People will be at the center of the filmmaking is the inspiration that made Tarek Masud a pioneer in the traditional filmmaking of Bangladesh. His philosophy of life—scientific consciousness, religious consciousness, and elements of folk culture—are driven. Not limited to the upper class culture, but the rural people took an effort to express the modern culture. Is the rise of militancy in Bangladesh a state failure or religious faith? In search of a simple answer, Tarek built the ‘Soil Mine’. It is really a problem when a religion or any doctrine is propagated in a radical spirit. Be it Communism, Islam or Western meditation concepts. Aggression is the problem. Tarek did not want to go into simplification in the ink pen of madrasa good and bad. He finds beauty in everything. Beautiful flowers bloom even when stones are blown. Anu-Rokan was a student of Madrasah. Painting was forbidden in the madrasa, which led to his unquenchable interest in the art college. Tarek said, “I am neither anti-religious nor religious, but ultimately I am very interested in learning about religion.”
The subject of the ‘runway’ moved him greatly, many people risking their lives to build small sheds around the runway in Uttara, trying to survive, looking at the giant airplanes taking off on the runway, on the other side, huge buildings are being built, the pain is such. There is no other place in the world. A conflicting relationship. A meeting image of Bangladesh.
Tariq wants to reach people especially the youth through his films. Oppression cannot be answered by force, but by judgment and wisdom. Then many things are solved. Evolution is more effective than revolution. He wants to show the film to young people, because they have a lot to say. Today’s youth are going through changing aggression. So their opinion is important. Youth means courage. Youth means ideals. We must use their enthusiasm and ideals. Moreover, the more variety in the film, the more variety. So the audience sees the glory in Tarek’s film.
Toronto, Canada
