After a 19-year absence from the big screen, popular Bangladeshi actress Aupee Karim has returned with the Bangladesh-India joint production ‘Mayar Jonjal’, directed by Indian filmmaker Indranil Roychowdhury.
The film, which marks Karim’s second feature and her first joint-production project, is now available on the OTT platform Chorki following its premiere at midnight on Tuesday.
Karim plays Soma, while Kolkata actor Ritwick Chakraborty portrays her husband Chandan. The film draws from two short stories by celebrated writer Manik Bandopadhyay, ‘Bishakta Prem’ and ‘Subala’.
Karim said she could not maintain a regular presence in films because of her studies earlier and professional responsibilities later. She eventually agreed to ‘Mayar Jonjal’ after being impressed by Roychowdhury’s earlier works, ‘Phoring’ and ‘Bhalobashar Shohor’.
Ritwick Chakraborty’s involvement also increased her interest in the project, she said.
The cast also includes Dhaka-based actor Shohel Mondol and Kolkata performers Paran Bandopadhyay, Bratya Basu and Chandrayee Ghosh.
‘Mayar Jonjal’ has had a notable festival run since its world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2020, where it competed for the Asian New Talent Award.
The same year, it was selected for the Moscow International Film Festival, where it had its European premiere.
The film later received the Jury Award in the Feature Film category at Italy’s 21st Asiatica Film Festival and won Best South Asian Feature Film at the Arthouse Asia Film Festival in Kolkata.
It also won Best Screenplay in the Asian Film Competition at the Dhaka International Film Festival in 2022 and picked up awards in seven categories at the Filmfare Awards Bangla in 2024.
‘Mayar Jonjal’ was released in cinemas across Bangladesh and West Bengal on 24 February 2023. Its latest OTT release now gives audiences another opportunity to watch the acclaimed production.
