Bangladeshi director Maqsud Hossain is set to unveil his first feature film, “Saba,” at the Toronto Film Festival. The film tells the story of a young woman who takes care of her paraplegic mother alone in Dhaka.
The project grew out of a personal experience. Hussain’s wife, Trillora Khan, was the primary caregiver for her paraplegic mother for 25 years after a car accident. After his father-in-law died suddenly from COVID-19, Hussain and Khan, who co-wrote the screenplay, began developing a story about a lower-middle-class woman in Dhaka facing the challenges of caregiving without family support or financial resources.
“We started thinking about what would happen if we told the story of a young woman named Saba, living in Dhaka, who is taking care of her paraplegic mother alone, without any family, without any money. What would Saba do in such a situation to ensure her mother’s survival at any cost?” said Hussain. diverse.
Casting was crucial, with Hussain auditioning several actors before casting Bangladeshi TV star Mehzabeen Chowdhury (Forget Me Not), who was making her film debut, to play Saba. He insisted on a six-month training process to develop the character. Veteran actress Rokia Prachi (Doob – No Bed of Roses) was cast as the mother after sharing a personal story that resonated with the director. Mustafa Munawar, known for his work in Bangladeshi arthouse cinema including Live From Dhaka and No Ground Beneath the Feet, was also cast in the lead role, creating an interesting contrast to Chowdhury’s celebrity status in Bangladesh.
The filming process was emotionally charged, especially during a pivotal scene. “I would see the crew crying between takes, and I would just try to hold back my tears somehow, try to control them,” Hussain recounted. The director encouraged Chaudhary to tap into deep emotions, resulting in a series of intense shots that left the actress visibly upset.
Hussain cites the Dardenne brothers, Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray, as his inspiration, and praises their ability to achieve emotional truth and simplicity. He hopes that “Saba” will give audiences an emotional experience of the difficulty of letting go of a loved one.
The film depicts some of the challenges of life in Dhaka, with Hossain saying it aims to reflect issues that residents regularly discuss. “Sewage mixes with bath water, people bathe in sewage, and it smells like sewage, even in neighborhoods where they pay exorbitant prices for real estate,” he said.
Saba marks a significant moment in the life of Hussain, who has dreamed of directing feature films since his youth in Abu Dhabi and a stint in the United States. He has previously directed 15 short films, including the Oscar-winning student film Three Beauties. He has returned to Bangladesh to pursue his dream of directing feature films.
Hussain sees “Saba” as part of a renaissance in Bangladeshi cinema, citing recent festival successes such as Abdullah Mohammed Saad’s “Rayhana,” which qualified for the Cannes Film Festival, and says increased access to international cinema has inspired a new generation of filmmakers. The director is already developing his next project, a loose trilogy modeled on Lars von Trier’s “Heart of Gold.”
Bangladesh is going through a historic time after the government was toppled following a period of mass youth protests. “I hope the worst is behind us and we can move towards a better future,” said Hossain. “My heart goes out to all the people, all the students who lost their lives, their families, their friends, it is a tragic part that will be part of our history forever. But I hope that all the lives that were sacrificed have some meaning and create a more meaningful and better future for us in Bangladesh.”
Producers of “Saba” include Yuri Singer (“White Noise”), Arif Rahman (“Amar Colony”), Tamim Abdul Majeed, Hussain, Khan, Chowdhury, and Dob Barkat Hussain Bollash. Co-producers include Leena Khobragade, Kaushik, Juan J. Lazo Jr., Hamir Sabir, and Nafisuddin.
The next stop for “Saba” is the Busan International Film Festival.
