DHAKA: Bangladesh’s renowned filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki on Saturday (February 18) hoped the indefinite suspension of NoC issued to his upcoming film ‘Doob: No Bed of Roses’ will be revoked by the government very soon.

In a facebook post in his verified page, Farooki has written: ‘Friends, thank you for all the support! It matters a lot! Just to assure you, our film has not been permanently banned! It is indefinitely blocked due to the suspension of NOC! However, we believe this suspension will be lifted and we shall overcome!’

India’s Irrfan Khan has acted as a central character in the film, which is reportedly based on the life of late writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed.

Earlier, the Information Ministry had asked Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) to revoke the No Objection Certificate issued to the film on February 15, reported US-based media Variety.

Managing Director of BFDC Tapan Kumar Ghosh, however, said that the matter was in the hands of Bangladesh Film Censor Board.

The BFDC had approved the script of the film on March 8 last year. It also previewed the movie on February 12 before issuing the NoC, he added.

Farooki, who has always denied that the film is a biopic, condemned the ban and said that he will take the matter to court.

“Yes, my film handles a so-called taboo subject but it doesn’t show anything explicit and hence doesn’t violate any censor code. This goes against the freedom of expression,” he told Variety. 

Co-producer Irrfan Khan also expressed his surprise at the move. “This is a humane story that deals with complex male and female relationships in a subtle and balanced way,” he told Variety.

Meanwhile, another actor in the film Tisha condemned the move by BFDC and demanded a quick release of 'Doob: No Bed of Roses'.

BDST: 1807 HRS, FEB 18, 2017
SR