Song of the New Man, new life of the Baul

I watched the debut film of young director Sohel Rana, "Naya Manush" (The New Man) yesterday, at Cineplex. "Naya Manush" is essentially the story of a new man who arrives on the Meghna river's char after being swept by a storm. The film revolves around the arrival of this displaced man, Moyez, into the ordinary life of the char's residents. Based on AMaM Hasanuzzaman's story Bedanar Baluchar (The Sandy Shore of Sorrow), and with a screenplay and dialogue by Masum Reza, the film is directed by the promising young filmmaker Sohel Rana Baul.

The story of Naya Manush is truly remarkable. The arrival of the displaced new man Moyez on the char sets off a series of events involving the poor widow Sujola and her only teenage daughter Shaibalini. The narrative complexity unfolds through the characters, with the central figure being Mohan. Mohan's primary antagonist is House Mondol, the head of the char. In the political negotiation between Mohan and House Mondol, Sujola and Moyez become victims, and the story eventually culminates in religious politics. The final resolution of the film revolves around Hindu-Muslim religious rituals and politics, skillfully guided by the Imam’s wisdom.
In rural Bangladesh, particularly in the char regions, people face extreme poverty on one hand, while on the other, there are various forms of superstition and religious extremism. Despite the peaceful coexistence and amicable relations between Hindus and Muslims in these areas, individuals like Mohan create new crises. Although the crisis begins with the arrival of the displaced Moyez, Mohan's cunning strategies pull this small issue into the larger realm of religious politics. In the film, Mohan is essentially the antagonist.

Young and hardworking director Sohel Rana Baul skillfully portrays Mohan's deviousness, and through the intervention of the Imam of the char, he finds a brilliant solution to prevent the potential destruction of Hindu-Muslim harmony. In my opinion, this is where Naya Manush achieves its artistic brilliance and fairness. In the final scene of the film, the audience is compelled to salute the art itself.

As a first-time director, Sohel Rana Baul was truly engaged in an extraordinary battle with himself. In October 2022, Sohel began shooting the film, but the devastation caused by Super Cyclone Sitrang severely damaged his set, forcing a halt in the shooting. After overcoming this disaster, Sohel skillfully rebuilt the set and completed the remaining filming this year. The post-production work continued until November, and the film was finally released in theaters on December 6. However, the young director's struggle is far from over!

AMaM Hasanuzzaman's story Bedonar Baluchar (The Sandy Shore of Sorrow) is remarkable, and the actor playing House Mondol has delivered an outstanding performance. Personally, I was most impressed by the acting of the teenage Shaibalini. Indrayudh Ushashi’s portrayal of Shaibalini was exceptional. Mousumi Hamid’s portrayal of Sujola, Shaibalini's mother, was also quite natural. Raunak Hasan demonstrated great skill in playing the role of the displaced new man, Moyez. Ashish Khondkar brought a lot of depth to the role of Mohan, though in certain scenes, there was a bit of overacting, similar to his disciple Ashu (Saran Saha). Jhuna Chowdhury played the Imam with great devotion. Badruddoza, in the role of the doctor, and Mehran Sanzana, as his wife, gave spontaneous performances. Among others, Shikha Karmakar, as House Mondol's wife, Mahin Rahman, as Sujola's son-in-law, Nilufar Wahid, as Moyez's wife, and Parveen Paru, as the female Baul artist, all gave beautiful performances.

The strongest aspect of Naya Manush is its location. The film's cinematography, captured in stunning locations, showcases the great skill of young cinematographer Kamal Chandra Das. The scenes of sunrise and sunset are truly breathtaking. Personally, I had slightly higher expectations from editor Junaid Halim, as his name is well-known in the industry. If we were to view the ongoing scenes of the film as the body, then the true soul of the film lies in the background music and songs.

The song Moroner Name Jago, written by poet Nirmalendu Goon, has been brilliantly composed by Belal Khan. Sung by Belal Khan with exquisite artistry under the musical arrangement of Shovon Roy, the song moved me deeply, bringing tears of joy to my eyes. This is where the joint effort of young director Sohel Rana Baul, poet Nirmalendu Goon, Belal Khan, and Shovon Roy shines brightly. I believe the audience will repeatedly visit the theater just to hear this extraordinary song.

The song Chander Bari from the film was written by Sujan Hajong. The lyrics of Sujan’s Chander Bari are so sweet, and the way Imon Chowdhury has arranged the music is done with such care that it is bound to captivate listeners from any part of the world. The song is sung by Animesh Roy and Masha Islam. The heartfelt melody created by Imon Chowdhury, along with the unique style of singing by Animesh and Masha, is simply extraordinary.

In the film, the song Jibon, written by Shahidullah Faraji, shows the brilliant musical direction of Mushfiq Litu. His expertise is evident in every note, while Khairul Wasir’s music and voice are incredibly moving. The song Naya Manush, written by Ranak Ikram, is another highlight of the film. With music direction by Mushfiq Litu and composed by Plabon Kureshi, the song was performed by Shafi Mondol and Chandana Majumdar. Overall, I firmly believe that the songs from Naya Manush will create a special place in the hearts of the audience for a long time.

Masum Reza's screenplay and dialogues were truly captivating. Ripon Nath’s sound, Prottay Khan’s background music, and HM Sohel's color work are elements I’ll discuss more thoroughly later. This is because, based on my experience watching the film at Cineplex, I didn’t feel the screen was ideal for the film in terms of color and sound quality. Furthermore, I believe the talented young director Sohel Rana Baul did not receive the patronage he deserved for such a wonderful story and well-crafted film. There seemed to be a lack of coordination in the film’s promotion, as it hasn’t reached the audience in the way it should have.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations and warm embrace to the hardworking and deserving young director Sohel Rana Baul for creating such an exceptional film. My best wishes to the entire Naya Manush team. Long live Bengali cinema. Long live Naya Manush!

Reza Ghatok: Novelist and Filmmaker