Aguner Poroshmoni (1994) Online

Humayun Ahmed's 'Aguner Poroshmoni' is a well told story set during the war of Independence in Bangladesh. Though it isn't executed in a most sophisticated way (flat cinematography, sometimes irritating background score, and at times poor lighting), it successfully echos the horror of the time when living in Bangladesh was a continuous nightmare. The scenes of execution are impactive. The key strength of 'Aguner Poroshmoni' are the story and the performances. Ahmed brilliantly adds humour to lighten the tense moods and the poetry works beautifully. A few scenes appear a bit too dramatic but this can easily be overlooked since it's a minor quibble. The principle cast perform wonderfully. Abul Hayat, Dolly Johur and Asaduzzaman Noor are exceptional and Bipasha Hayat is terrific as the courageous Ratri. In the first scene we see her having a nervous breakdown after which she gradually pulls herself together while still yearning for freedom. In addition the actress who plays the maid also does a fine job. However, most of the extras act mechanically. 'Aguner Poroshmoni' is among the few gems to come out from a relatively unknown country where global cinema is concerned. It reminds one of the time when a genocide took place in a less known country and there was little the rest of the world did to stop it on time.