Rumours have been swirling around Himel Ashraf’s upcoming film Mohabbat, and the director has finally addressed the speculation, though his answer may leave the door open rather than close it.
Hania visited Bangladesh last year and signed a film, fuelling speculation that the project could be Mohabbat. Himel, however, called reports of her casting “a rumour”. At the same time, he did not completely rule out a Pakistani actress.
He said he wants to break away from convention and surprise audiences, adding that the female lead could come from Pakistan, India or Bangladesh, depending on what the story requires.
That mystery is now part of the anticipation surrounding Mohabbat, Himel’s first film after a long break. Shakib Khan, who starred in his previous two films, Priyotoma and Rajkumar, will lead the new romantic drama.
Shooting is set to begin in January and continue through February, followed by post-production in March and April. The film is planned for release during next year’s Eid-ul-Azha.
Despite the romantic title, Himel is keeping the story under wraps. Mohabbat will explore love alongside family and relationship conflicts. At its centre is a boy who protects a girl. The first poster prompted some to assume that the film would be a revenge story. Himel insists otherwise: “It is not a revenge story.”
He is also keeping the writer’s identity secret for now, with a major announcement expected next week.
“Our country does not bring writers to the forefront in the way it should. So I want to make the formal announcement with the writer at the centre,” he said.
Himel entered cinema with Sultana Bibiana in 2017 after establishing himself as a television drama director. His 2023 Eid release Priyotoma took his career to new heights, while Rajkumar followed the next year. He then stepped away from filmmaking.
The break, Himel explained, was necessary. Making two films back-to-back had left him exhausted, while finding a script he truly liked proved difficult.
“Making a film requires a lot of time. No director anywhere in the world makes a film every year. Yet in our country, many people have to work regularly just to make a living,” he told TIMES.
Although Rajkumar did not match Priyotoma’s commercial success, Himel rejects the label of failure.
“I agree that it was not like Priyotoma. But I do not agree with saying it was ‘unsuccessful’,” he said, noting that the film recovered its investment and remains in a reasonably good position. “If Rajkumar had flopped, Versatile Media would not have made three consecutive films with me.”
Beyond Mohabbat, Himel is worried about where Bangladesh’s film industry is heading.
“If things continue the way they are, the future of the industry is very bad. An industry cannot be built with just two or three producers, directors and artistes,” he said.
For him, the biggest obstacle is the shortage of cinema halls.
“A country of 18–20 crore people cannot sustain an industry with only 30–40 cinema halls. Bangladesh needs at least 150–200 theatres” Himel said.
More screens, he believes, would create room for more directors, stars and producers. A larger exhibition network could also support films with budgets of Tk20–30 crore and improve production quality.
Himel sees further potential in overseas markets, including the Middle East.
“In a country where uncles, aunts and families go to watch films together, a good film industry can certainly be built,” he said.
For a filmmaker who once stepped away because he could not find a story worth returning for, Mohabbat appears to mark a deliberate comeback.
Himel may not be confirming Hania Aamir yet, but he is clearly promising something different and leaving audiences to wonder who will eventually stand opposite Shakib Khan.
