Irrfan Khan’s Bangladeshi film has reportedly been banned in Bangladesh. Titled No Bed of Roses, the film is loosely based on the life and works of late Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed, who divorced his wife to marry an actress 33 years younger.
Variety reports that the film begins with a disclaimer, though this has done little to help ease the ban on the film. According to the report, Khan plays a filmmaker named Javed Hasan who leaves his wife and marries an actress who was his daughter’s classmate in school.
“I am really surprised to know that the government of Bangladesh has blocked the film. This is a humane story that deals with complex male and female relationships in a subtle and balanced way. What harm will it cause to the society if seen?” Irrfan said.
According to Variety, the BFDC Joint Venture Preview Committee approved the script on 8 March, 2016 after which the film went into production. The completed film was previewed for the BFDC on 12 February, 2017 following which a No-Objection Certificate was issued for the project. However, a day later, the BFDC sent the production a letter stating that the certificate had been cancelled due to a letter from the Bangladesh Information Ministry.
A further inquiry into the matter was conducted where BFDC Managing Director Tapan Kumar Ghosh was asked about the reason for cancelling the certificate. He simply stated that the matter was in the hands of the Bangladesh Film Censor Board.
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“We have been blocked at the first gate. As the order does not explain any reason, I don’t know why they thought screening of the film would be inappropriate. 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,” said Farooki.
Reports indicate that Farooki will likely take the matter to court, if the ban is not lifted by the BFDC.
Feature Image: Huffington Post