Five years after the death of legendary actor Sarah Begum Kabori, her final directorial project, Ei Tumi Shei Tumi, remains unreleased, leaving the fate of the government-funded film uncertain.
On Kabori’s birth anniversary on 19 July, renewed attention has turned to the long-delayed film and the conflicting claims surrounding its release.
Born on 19 July 1950 in Boalkhali, Chattogram, Kabori made her film debut at the age of 14 in Subhash Dutta’s Sutorang.
She went on to become one of Bangladeshi cinema’s most celebrated actors, starring in classics including Sujon Sokhi, Sareng Bou, Moyna Moti, Neel Akasher Niche and Titas Ekti Nodir Naam.
After directing Ayna in 2006, Kabori returned to filmmaking with Ei Tumi Shei Tumi, a government-funded feature based on the Liberation War and contemporary social realities.
She wrote the story, screenplay and dialogue herself. The film stars Nishat Salwa and Raihan Riad.
Production began in 2020. Although filming was nearly complete, two days of shooting remained when Kabori was hospitalised with Covid-19.
She died on 17 April 2021, bringing production to a halt.
Her son, Shaker Chishti, later took over the project and completed the remaining scenes using his mother’s storyboard and production plan.
Dubbing and editing were subsequently completed.
In late 2023, Shaker said the film had been completed and would be screened at international film festivals before its domestic release.
More recently, he told the media that English subtitles were being added and that an application had been submitted to the Bangladesh Film Certification Board.
According to him, the film will be released once it receives certification.
However, Bangladesh Film Certification Board Deputy Director Moin Uddin said that, as of Sunday, the board had not received Ei Tumi Shei Tumi for certification and therefore had no information on its current status.
Officials at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also said government-funded films must complete specific administrative procedures before submitting international film festivals or receive the remaining instalments of government funding.
According to ministry sources, no records relating to those procedures for Ei Tumi Shei Tumi have been submitted.
The differing accounts have created uncertainty over the film’s release.
While the production team says the project is ready for audiences, the relevant government authorities say they have not received the required documentation.
Ei Tumi Shei Tumi was Kabori’s most personal filmmaking project.
Despite the risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, she continued working on the film.
She also wrote a song for the project for the first time in her career. Sabina Yasmin composed the music, while Imran and Konal recorded the song.
As Bangladesh remembers Kabori on her birth anniversary, her final dream project remains unseen, with no confirmed release date in sight.
