Suman Ghosh’s ‘Kabuliwala’ selected for Washington DC film festival

Director Suman Ghosh's Bengali film 'Kabuliwala', based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore, will be screened at the Washington DC International Film Festival. Starring Mithun Chakraborty, the film explores the bond between an Afghan money lender and a little girl from Kolkata. The festival will feature films from renowned directors.

Director Suman Ghosh’s Bengali film ‘Kabuliwala’, based on a timeless story written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, has been selected for the Washington DC International Film Festival.

The filmmaker said that 'Kabuliwala', starring Mithun Chakraborty in the role of an Afghan money lender living hundreds of miles away from his little daughter in Afghanistan, will be screened in the World View Section of the festival, which is considered one of the most prestigious ones in North America.

''It will be screened alongside films by masters such as British director Ken Loach and Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchhi,'' he said.

Loach’s ‘The Old Oak’ and Hamaguchi’s ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ will be shown in the World View Section along with films from Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, Spain, France, and Chile.

''We are humbled to be an official selection at the Washington DC International Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals in North America. Kabuliwala will be shown at the World View Section…..,'' Ghosh said on Facebook.

The festival will be held from April 18-28, he said.

Nearly six decades after filmmaker Tapan Sinha dished out the cult movie 'Kabuliwala', based on a story written by Rabindranath Tagore, Ghosh made the Bengali film.

Kabuliwala, written in 1892, showcases the fatherly love of a middle-aged Afghan man named Rahmat for Mini, a little girl from Kolkata. Rahmat, who comes to the then capital of the British Indian empire to sell dry fruits and enter the money lending business, bonds with the five-year-old daughter of one of his patrons. The little girl reminds him of his child back home.

Bengali actors Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar essayed the roles of Mini’s parents in the movie directed by Ghosh, which was released last Christmas and got audience backing for consecutive weeks.

Sinha had first brought the story to the celluloid in 1957, keeping the original name, which also earned a cult status.

The story also inspired Hindi projects.

In 1961, a film directed by Hemen Gupta was made, featuring Balraj Sahani in the lead role. Another one was ‘Bioscopewala’ starring Danny Dengzongpa. The 2018 movie was directed by Deb Medhekar.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)