Muktir Gaan

Muktir Gaan (Bengali: মুক্তির গানThe Song of Freedom) is a 1995 Bangladeshi documentary film by Tareque Masud and Catherine Masud.[1] It explores the impact of cultural identity on the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, where music and song provided a source of inspiration to the freedom fighters and a spiritual bond for the whole emerging nation.[2]

Muktir Gaan
Poster of Muktir Gaan
Directed by
Produced byTareque Masud
CinematographyLear Levin
Edited byCatherine Masud
Music byHeamel Shaha
Production
company
Audiovision
Release date
  • 1 December 1995 (1995-12-01)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryBangladesh
LanguageBengali

Background

During the Liberation War in 1971, a cultural troupe, named Bangladesh Mukti Sangrami Shilpi Sangstha used to travel to refugee camps and different areas in Mukta Anchal, perform patriotic songs, arrange puppet shows and stage dramas to inspire the freedom fighters and people with the spirit of war.[3] Muktir Gaan, 25 years in the making. Tareque and Catherine used original footage by American film-maker Lear Levin, as well as other archival footage collected from the UK and India.[2]

Crew
  • Tareque Masud, director, co-producer
  • Catherine Masud, co-producer, editor
  • Lear Levin, Cinematography

Synopsis

In 1971 the people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) waged a war of liberation against West Pakistan, which ended in December 1971 with the foundation of the country of Bangladesh. The film Muktir Gaan is a special and rear archive of footage of this war. Firstly the footage taken by American filmmaker Lear Levin shot of a group of young musicians and actors who at the time travelled through the country with battle songs and political puppet shows. The film follows the group not only during their performances for refugees and guerillas but also during their travels, which has produced many melancholy pictures. Levin's material is available for the first time thanks to two filmmakers from Bangladesh who, being discontent with the present regime, wanted to remind the Bengal people of the initial motives of the war of liberation: freedom and democracy. The film was screened in Bangladesh where it was a resounding success.[4]

Music

The songs in Muktir Gaan have been sung by various singers of the country. The film also features Brig Gen (retired) Giasuddin Chowdhury, Aminul Haque Badshah and other nameless freedom fighters who fought for liberation of the country.[3]

  • Bipul Bhattacharjee
  • Debobroto Chowdhury
  • Dulal Chandrashil
  • Laila Khan
  • Lata Chowdhury
  • Lubna Marium
  • Mahmudur Rahman Benu
  • Shaheen Samad
  • Sharmin Murshid
  • Swapan Chowdhury
  • Ziauddin Tariq Ali

See also

References
  1. "Muktir Gaan". tarequemasud.org. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  2. "Muktir Gaan". ektaonline.org. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  3. "Tareque Masud and Muktir Gaan". news.priyo.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  4. "Muktir Gaan". idfa.nl. Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
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