Haajar Bachhar Dhorey

I've just moved to Bangladesh for work and thought that one way of learning about the place is to watch some films made here. This is the first one I've seen, chosen almost at random at a local DVD shop. It's set in a rural area at an unspecified time and focuses on a varied set of characters. Montu is a young bachelor and he starts to fall in love with Tuni. She also falls for him but she is already married - to an old man who has two other wives! That's the basic story but the film shows many other characters and situations. There is another woman who also falls for Montu (lucky guy), there's an evil wife-beater, a daughter who doesn't want to get married, and various other characters in the village.

Despite the title (in English, 'Symphony of Agony') it's not all grim. There are funny scenes, songs, and some nice scenery. But there is a fair amount of thwarted love, desperation, and a cholera-outbreak.

The film is very slowly paced. This will be frustrating if you're used to the frenetic pace of most modern films but if you accept that the film wants to tell its story slowly then you'll get a lot more enjoyment from it. The acting is generally fine and the direction is good but the scenes are sometimes stilted. The film is episodic in structure so you can enjoy parts even if others make no sense; it's not always clear what is going on, and why characters are doing what they do.

There's also an interesting framing device, whereby the story of the film is told by a singer who is telling it by song to some village people, and then something curious happens at the end - but I'm not spoiling it!

Recommended.

Zahir Raihan the genius writer of Bangladesh captured the real rustic life of Bangladesh with his magical hand. He was captured during the liberation war of Bangladesh. This movie represents the novel "Hajar Bachar Dhore". .It represents the rural life so vividly, truly that anyone can not but charmed with the movie. The nice love story related to montu and tuni. Mokbul is the very rude character of Real family. He also represents the greedy husband who is supposed to use his wife only for work. Also Abul is the wife torturer. This movie represents the superstition prevails in the very rural life. The movie includes puthi path another tradition of rural life. The movie has some romantic songs literally heart throbbing.

Before writing this review, I thought- lets read some other reviews. but couldn't find any. Then, again thought, let's write a review by myself. There is a big question, No doubt, it's a master piece, then why did I give 9 rating out of 10? First of all, the movie- Haajar Bosor Dhorey ( Through Thousand Years)- is based on a classic Novel "Haajar Bosor Dhorey". Zaheer Raihan, a great writer, director,was an active worker of the Language Movement of 1952, a freedom fighter, wrote his first Novel. It was the best seller, but after-wards it hadn't gone down from the history, from the mind of all fascinates book lover. It was later, included to the National Curriculum & Textbook Board(NCTB). The novel was "Haajar Bosor Dhorey". I am a die hard books(novel) reader. I don't wanna see something- specially based on a novel- which goes away my thinking, my imagination. We all know, how tough it is to make a novel based Movie. Novel is such a thing which could describe a plot lot easier than a Movie.You imagine the every character , places etc. A writer can easily choose the places, plot..But as for the director, his work is much difficult to implies according to the novel. Though some lacking, the director had done it not perfectly, I would say- The betterly..;-)

Delineates love & nature of Bangladesh, nature of love of the Bengali people, complexity of relationships affected by the society, economics, religion and culture. A romantic tragedy that has been resonating for thousands of years. The simplicity of Bengali mind is portrayed along with the complexity of its expression. What will you call it? A curse or a blessing? From critical point of view one can find it resembling with himself but to feel it completely just watching isn't enough. You need knowledge from the core, understanding from the heart and of course a visionary eye to absorb the whole emotion. Get ready to suffer from love for a thousand years! Happy watching.

200+ time watched. A huge movie. This movie shows the untold language, untold love of the woman.