''Guerrilla'' ( bn, গেরিলা) is a 2011 Bangladeshi film based on the events of the Bangladesh Liberation War. It is an adaptation of the novel ''Nishiddho Loban'' by Syed Shamsul Huq and was released on 14 April 2011. It has been envisioned by the director of the film Nasiruddin Yousuf Bachchu. He has crafted the film ''Guerrilla'' with his own experience as a freedom fighter of 1971.

Plot

On the ominous night of 25 March 1971, a heinous military operation, the

Operation Searchlight Operation Searchlight was the codename for a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army in an effort to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in former East Pakistan in March 1971. Pakistan retrospectively justified the opera ...

an operation designed to kill indiscriminately the innocent democracy loving millions, was initiated by the Pakistan Army. The hated operation was just the beginning of the worst genocide to follow, a brutal crime against humanity after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. On that very night, Hasan Ahmed, a veteran journalist of the country, husband of Bilkis (

Joya Ahsan Jaya Maswood (born 1 July), commonly known as Jaya Ahsan, is a Bangladeshi actress and producer. Starting her career as a model and, later, as a television actress, she currently works mostly in Bangladeshi and Indian Bengali films. She won Ban ...

), simply vanished while on his way to his newspaper office to perform his journalistic duty. He is untraceable till date. Bilkis was in banking profession. She started a desperate search for her husband and at the same time got herself engaged as a collaborator to the guerrilla operations which were gradually gaining momentum. She was not affected by her personal loss and pain, rather, undaunted; she chose the hazardous path to carry on the fight for our liberation. With the guerrilla fighters like Shahadat, Alam, Maya, Kazi Kamal, Fateh Ali and others operating in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

, she started participating directly in many dangerous and successful operations. She was in constant touch with Altaf Mahmud, the legendary personality of Bengali Nation's musical arena and scorer of many revolutionary songs. She thus became the central character in the movie, also a target to the enemy. Bilkis, Shahin and many others got involved in the publication of a secret English News bulletin The GUERRILLA, obviously from the underground. Incidentally, at a particular point of time, Taslim Ali Sardar, a traditional Chieftain of the old Dhaka's subsector (Moholla), who courageously sheltered ill-fated Bilkis, got brutally killed by the Pakistani Army and their lackeys--- the hated rajakars. At one point, Altaf Mahmud, Rumi, Bodi along with some other freedom fighters were captured. Altaf and few others like him did never return, could never be traced, a tragic fact well known to us today. Bilkis, a lonely character now, could evade the worse, and tactfully leave the labyrinth- like barriers and traps set by the occupational army around Dhaka. She could get into a train to her home, Joleswari, a remote village at Rangpur. The metallic train transforms into a character, a symbolic one, a moving replica designed to depict a catastrophic journey. The parents of Bilkis were killed in the communal riots of January '71 earlier.. She just was desperately longing to meet her own brother: Khokon at Joleswari. Khokon was then a commander of the local freedom fighters. Pakistan Army units were on the verge of collapse due to consistent fierce attacks initiated by those fighters. Khokon dynamited a vital railway bridge near Joleswari, interrupting all train movements. . She had to reach her brother. Nothing could deter her. She opted to walk. On her way, she got a young vibrant male companion, Siraj, a member of Khokon's fighting group. At one point Khokon was captured by the Pakistan Army. The brutal Army and Rajakar predators slaughtered him along with other captured freedom fighters. Bilkis wanted to have a glimpse of her dead brother, wanted to touch his apparently cold, inert body to feel the warmth of a loving brother, the heat of the fire inside him which no killer could extinguish. Khokon was a living, pulsating symbol of our ongoing freedom fight. She, risking her life, could enter the 'killing fields' of the occupants but was captured immediately by them. Bilkis was captured but she did never surrender to the heinous forces. For her country, for the entire freedom loving humanity, she did set up an example, a glorious one. She does not allow her body, the body of the fledgling Bangladesh, to be molested by the vultures of Pakistan. She blew herself up with explosives, destroying the surrounding mocking dogs in the process.

Cast

Jaya Ahsan Jaya Maswood (born 1 July), commonly known as Jaya Ahsan, is a Bangladeshi actress and producer. Starting her career as a model and, later, as a television actress, she currently works mostly in Bangladeshi and Indian Bengali films. She won Ba ...

as Bilkish Banu *

Ferdous Ahmed Ferdous Ahmed (born 7 June 1974), known mononymously as Ferdous, is a Bangladeshi film actor and producer. He acts in Bangladesh and Indian Bengali films. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor 5 times for his roles in the films ' ...

as Hasan Ahmed * Pijush Bandyopaddhay as Anwar Hossain * Ahmed Rubel as Altaf Mahmud *

Masum Aziz Muhammad Masum Aziz (1952 – 17 October 2022) was a Bangladeshi stage, film and television actor. He played in more than four hundred dramas and films since 1985. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performan ...

* Shatabdi Wadud as Captain Shamsad / Major Sarfaraj *

Shampa Reza Shampa Reza is a Bangladeshi singer, model and actress. Early life Reza started singing at the age of four. She studied in Holy Cross School, Dhaka. She went to Shantiniketan to study in Visva-Bharati University in 1976. Her instructor was Gur ...

as Mrs. Khan * ATM Shamsuzzaman as Taslim Sardar *

Azad Abul Kalam Azad Abul Kalam (born 26 October 1966) is a Bangladeshi actor, director, writer and activist. He is one of the founders of Prachyanat and Prachyanat School of Acting and Design. He won Meril Prothom Alo Award for Best Playwright (Critics Choice) ...

as Tyeb *Shajjad Ahmed as Siraj *Bidushi Bornita as Shawon *Kachi Khandakar

Production

Nasiruddin Yousuff and Ebadur Rahman were the script writers of the film. Shimul Yousuf was the music director of 'Guerrilla'. Art direction was given by Animesh Aich. Samiron Datta was the cinematographer and Shimul Yousuff was the costume designer. The movie was shot in 127 different locations with wonderful cinematography. The sound effect was done in Mumbai.

Awards

National Film Awards

''Guerrilla'', won the 2011 National Film Awards highest award of the 10 categories.''ইন্ডিপেন্ডেন্ট টেলিভিশন, প্রকাশীত হয়েছেঃ ৮ মার্চ, ২০১৩'
জাতীয় চলচ্চিত্র পুরস্কার প্রদান কাল
''প্রচ্ছদ › বিনোদন, সংগৃহীত হয়েছেঃ ১৩ মার্চ, ২০১৩'' * Best Film – Faridur Reza Sagar, Ibne Hasan and Esha Yusuf (producer) * Best Director – Nasiruddin Yousuff * Best Screenwriter – Ebadur Rahman, Nasiruddin Yousuff * Best Dialogue – Ebadur Rahman, Nasiruddin Yousuff * Best Actress –

* Best Villain – Shatabdi Wadud (jointly with Misha Sawdagar for '' Boss Number One'') * Best Editor – Sami Ahmed * Best Art Director –

Animesh Aich Animesh Aich (born 8 February) is a Bangladeshi film maker, actor, director and writer. He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Art Direction for the film '' Guerrilla'' (2011). As of 2019, he directed three films and several televisi ...

* Best makeup man – Md. Ali Babul * Best Clothing and decor – Shimul Yousuf

Meril Prothom Alo Awards

Guerilla received Awards in 4 categories for the Best Bangladeshi Film in the 2011

Meril Prothom Alo Awards ''Meril Prothom Alo Awards'' or ''Prothom Alo Awards'' is an annual Bangladeshi awards ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in Bangladeshi Film Industry. The awards are divided into two components, Viewers' Choice and Critics' Choice. The a ...

. * Best Film (Critics branch) * Best Film Director Award (Nasir Uddin Yusuf) * Best film artist (women) (Jaya Ahsan) * Special Prize ATM Shamsuzzaman * Best Child Actor Bidushi Bornita

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Guerrilla (2011 Film) 2011 films 2011 war drama films Bengali-language Bangladeshi films Bangladeshi war drama films 2010s Urdu-language films Films based on Bangladeshi novels Films scored by Shimul Yousuf Films based on the Bangladesh Liberation War Films set in 1971 2010s Bengali-language films 2011 drama films Best Film Bachsas Award winners Best Film National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners Films whose writer won the Best Screenplay National Film Award (Bangladesh) Guerrilla warfare in film Impress Telefilm films