‘Barir Naam Shahana’ to screen in 22nd DIFF

The 137 minutes film will be screened under the Bangladesh Panorama Film Section in DIFF on Tuesday,

Independent filmmaker Leesa Gazi’s directorial venture titled ‘Barir Naam Shahana’ will have its Bangladesh premiere at the forthcoming 22nd Dhaka International Film Festival – DIFF 2024.

The 137 minutes film will be screened under the Bangladesh Panorama Film Section in DIFF on Tuesday ( January 23, 2024, 7pm) at Bangladesh National Museum, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Auditorium, which will begin on January 20.

Barir Naam Shahana, the story is surrounded by the name Dipa, a girl from 90’s Bangladesh; who is fierce, funny, also a divorcee in rural town. She defies social stigma and the burden of family honour to live on her own ways.

Leesa Gazi directed the film ‘Barir Naam Shahana’ (A house named Shahana). The story synopsis described about the girl, Dipa is raised by weak and ineffectual parents, dominated by her maternal uncle and aunt to marry a widower in England. She suffers martial rape, refuses to settle and escapes. After seven years she transformed with professional confidence, but yet she fight the social stigma and the burden of ‘family honour’ to live on her own terms.

On the first day of November, the film unveiled a teaser, featuring Dipa delicately reciting a poem dedicated from the house of Shahana.

The lyrics in Dipa’s voice from the teaser-

Leesa Gazi’s debut “Barir Naam Shahana” (A House Named Shahana) also premiered at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023. The film was also invited to screen at the BFI London Indian Film Festival 2023, the largest South Asian Film Festival in Europe.  The festival held in October to November 5th in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Bradford.

“Dipa” is played by Siddiqua, while the other cast includes Lutfur Rahman George, Iresh Zaker, Kazi Ruma, Dilruba Kamrunnahar Munni, Mugdhota Morshed Wriddh, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, Naila Azad, Arif Islam, Naimur Rahman Apon, and Jayanto Chattopadhyay.