This movie is a great example of use of cinematic language. Amit Ashraf ( the director ) kept his art form loyal to its media, in this case, brilliant cinematography. Camera and visual image was telling the story. Intelligent editing, stunning cinematography made this movie very much dynamic and successful. As stated by the director " non-linear" screenplay helped telling the story in a very effective manner. This film Udhao brought me the experience that I had living in Dhaka (where this film was shot) many years ago. Camera moving in narrow alleys, taking shots from top, long and short angle, was very organic. You can feel the texture, attitude, chaos and smell of the town. Reminds me Rabindranath Thakoors great short story "Shasti' where police caught protagonist Chandara and taking her handcuffed through crowded bazaar in a village. The description was very cinematic in that story and I often thought how to take that narration to a visual image. Amit Ashraf has used this language in his own written story, particularly in a sequence when Akbar was fleeing or his hit-man was chasing Ricksawala. The transition from city to village was astonishing. The color tan and Grey becomes green, taking audiences to a different world, very surreal world. The new wave Iranian filmmakers have done this in several films ( Abbas Kiarostami's the Wind Will Carry Us ) where cameras long shot on landscape give a sense of calm and peace and innocence. Another interesting point is the symbolic use of fish to remind very essence of the character of Akbar as a parallel story line. Finally, the treatment of last sequence of the movie is a great example for film students to learn how to tell a story just by using visual images effectively ! looking forward to see more works by Amit Ashraf !
