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ASSIGNMENT

Film Review
On
Surja Dighal Bari

Course Titile: Literature and Media Studies

Course no: LECS 512

Submitted By:

Sabbir Ahmed

Roll no: (Not yet confirmed)

Dept of English

Jahangirnagar University
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Surja Dighal Bari is a 1979 Bangladeshi feature film directed and produced by Sheikh Niamat
Ali and Masihuddin Shaker. The screenplay was based on Abu Ishaque’s first and classic novel
of the same title which was published in 1955.

The protagonist Jaigun has returned to her village with two children and her dead
brother’s wife. They start to live in an abandoned place which was known as an ominous place.
So called Imams and other local leaders’ start to take the opportunity of the ignorance of the
people. It is depicted how the cursed house is haunted by jinns. And to be safe from them, people
have to take Tabij or other superstitious precautions. Jaigun’s first husband was dead who left a
son. Her second husband divorced her during the famine. As Jaigun was young and beautiful,
Godu Prodhan a rich man in the village wants to make Jaigun his third wife. Being rejected again
and again by her, Godu Prodhan tries to dominate her. But he failed every time for Jaiguns
strong personality. At last he demolishes his anger by burning Jaiguns house. She along with her
family once again has to leave the village.

In Bangla the word “dighal” means long or expanded. “Surja Dighal Bari” represents a
house expanded towards the direction of the sun rise or the sunset. In some regions like
Shariatpur and Madaripur there are superstitions regarding these kind of east or west facing
houses. These houses are considered to be cursed. Superstitious village people believes
inhabitants of these houses will be unable to have descendants. At the beginning, the title Surja
Dighal Bari arises a question about ill fate in its viewers mind and answers the question at the
end.

The film starts with the scenario of the Second World War massacre. Then it shows some
famous famine artworks sketched by Jaynul Abedin. Then we see a group of homeless people
returns to their village from the city. The plot of this film is two folded. First, it portraits the
time period of the famine of 1943 (Bangla year 1350). It took place in our land due to the
controversial policies taken by the British government. A lot of people died of starvation.
Secondly, the partition of Bengal and its impact on the common people. Just after four years of
this famine India became independent. Partition of Bengal took place to avoid any more riot
between Hindu and Muslim. India and Pakistan was born on the basis of religion. But after the
partition people were more dominated by religious fundamentalism.
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In this film Jaigun represents the poor working class people while Godu Prodhan represents the
dominating ruling class. The working class people are bound to obey the ruling class. There is no
scope to ignore them and to live in peace. Class distinction becomes clear when Hashu works at
railway station and looks for other jobs. People like him are ill-treated and dominated. We can
see Starving people waits in line for some rice provided by the government and fails, but the rich
one gets a lot effortlessly. That too for his family program.

The women are treated as product in the society. Fakir shab takes the chance of superstition to
visit Jaiguns house again and again. He tries to convince her first to fulfil his sexual desire.
When it doesn’t work he tries to rape. Her ex-husband who divorced her during the famine wants
to get her back. For this he was ready to leave his the then wife. Jaigun’s daughter Maimun was
sent back from her in-law’s house only because she couldn’t work like a machine consuming a
little food. Godu Prodhan stultifies Jaigun to get married to him. When she refuses he tries any
and every way to peeve her. For going outside the village he force her to repentance in front of
the villagers on her daughter’s wedding ceremony. But she used to go outside to earn money in
blood and fire. He even mocks her saying “shameless” on her face. Which alludes us the idea of
women being unjust by the men in the society.

After the Second World War and the famine of 50s people of this region got their long
awaited freedom. They started dreaming of a problem free life. To the poor people freedom
meant low price of rice, availability of shelter. But the dream never comes true. Because to the
ruling class it was the freedom to apply rules over others in the name of religion. The dream of
the common people like Jaigun ends in nightmare.
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