If you are asked the names of the directors or actors of the famous films Chhutir Ghonta, Ashikshito, Ram Rahim John, Ujan Bhati, Puraskar, and Charampatra, you may be able to recall very easily. But would it be just as easy to recall the names of the producers of these films if you are asked?
It gets difficult to name these producers even for those who are quite knowledgeable about films.
Ramla Saha, wife of famous music director and filmmaker Satya Saha, is the producer of these films. She has produced about a dozen films under the banner of Swaralipi Bani Chitra.
Legendary film actress Shabana’s SS Production has produced 19 films. The production house that started its journey with Matir Ghar in 1979, had reached such levels of success where any movie being released during major festivals, including Eid, had to be released by SS Production.
Cult classic and box-office hit movies such as Najma, Lal Kajol, Ashanti, Biswasghatak, Shami Stree, Ranga Bhabi, Goriber Bou, Ondho Bishwas, Ghat Pratighat, Shami Keno Asami, Meyerao Manush, and Agni Shakkhi were SS Production’s gifts to us.
After Shabana retired from acting in 1997, a gap in talent was created. However, the void was filled by producer Taposhi Faruk.
She is responsible for producing about 30 films under the banner of Farooq Heartbeat Productions after 2000, most of which had Shakib Khan in the lead role.
Until 2015 to 2016, every Eid was synonymous with her production company releasing a film that would turn out to be a hit. Despite her success, Taposhi moved away from producing films after Shakib and her became distant.
Some of the commercially successful films include Amar Praner Priya, Super Hero, Mone Rekho, Mone Prane Aacho Tumi, Full and Final, and Moner Jala.
These three women have almost always produced films graced by star-studded actresses such as Babita, Rozina, Moushumi and the now-famed Bobby. But none of the women producers produced films regularly.
After Taposhi Farooq stepped down from the field of film production, many adopted the idea that there will be no more talented female producers in the film industry, owing to the fact that the two ruling production companies, Jaaz Multimedia and Alpha Eye, are both headed by men.
This year, one of the most commercially successful films in Dhallywood is Borbaad, which is produced by another female producer Shahrin Akhter Sumi.
Once Upon a Time in Dhaka is another film produced by female producer Shirin Sultana, which is slated for release at the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
Most Dhallywood films that are awaiting release are all produced by women. It is now safe to say that the reign of female producers is about to begin in the industry.
Both Sumi and Shirin have said that they did not become film producers as a hobby. Their intention is to rule the industry.
Speaking to The Times of Bangladesh, Shahrin Akhter Sumi said, “Firstly, I am a film producer.I don’t discriminate my career as a man’s or a woman’s. I’m here to do long-term business. Our goal is to produce two to three films a year, all of which will be high budget.”
Elaborating, she said, “It takes four to five months for a film to be made from scratch and be released in cinemas. We want to create a movie properly and bring it to the audience. In the meantime if an opportunity strikes, I may produce a few more films every year. But for now, I will target the two Eids.”
Sumi informed us that Borbaad director Mehedi Hasan Hridoy and her teamed up from the beginning to make the film a reality. Her opinions and feedback was incorporated in the making of the film without objections.
We asked Sumi if, as a female producer, she faced any obstacles. Answering the question, Sumi said, “I had to overcome many obstacles – from the making of a film to its release. But I feel like I didn’t face these obstacles as a female producer. I would have faced the same obstacles even if I was a man.”
Shirin Sultana is producing films under the banner of Creative Land. She has entered the industry with the aim of producing three to four films a year.
“Even though we are a new production company, we still want to produce films regularly. And I don’t want to be known as a woman, but as a film producer,” Sumi conclusively said.