This is a long film. So not everyone may find the duration convenient. The film is set in the liberation war that led to the formation of Bangladesh. In the actual war, the first targets of the occupying Pakistani troops were the non-Muslim segments of the population. In particular the Hindu community was decimated by summary executions and extensive organized rapes by Pakistani soldiers. This, however is not brought out in the film. Instead it focuses on the story of a Bengali Muslim family that supports independence from Pakistan. The reasons for this support are not laid out clearly. Thus, none of the drama about the Bengali win in the elections that were not honored due to reservation of West Pakistani elites is depicted. Instead one learns about the already set in place move towards freedom from Pakistan as well as what appear to be Muslim fundamentalists who support the rule by West Pakistanis, who are the collaborators. The actual war of independence was a complex affair that required enormous suffering by Bengalis as well as involved China, Pakistan, India, US and USSR together with the International Media. This aspect is hinted at weakly but not brought out. The dramatic collapse of the Pakistani Army is also not made clear. Now with all of this you may be tempted to say, may be another film will do all this. That would be a mistake because the conduct of the Pakistani army in full glare of International media was so horrific that it easily qualified as genocide. They, however, got away free. The story brings out the impunity and the knowledge of it by the diplomatic corps and the media but that not much could be done due to warped calculations--the movie does not clarify whose, but history tells us it was Nixon, Kissinger, China filling in the parts. In that respect, it has a Kafkaesque feel where wrongs are being done in an disinterested benign manner by State forces and the individual has no real value. The film brings this out wonderfully. It is best appreciated if one goes in expecting this aspect rather than a detailed telling of history. I recommend it highly to all those who like well researched and nuanced films.
