Monpura

Casts

Crew

Technical details

Development

Monpura made a huge media hype before its release. "A heart breaking story," as called by popular actor and director Afjal Hossain, its unusual songs and rural setting set the background of an artistic romance film. Monpura, unlike many other popular Bangla films, uses the rural settings of Bangladesh, something Selim says audiences have a strong attachment to.

But the picturisation, the setting of the island named Monpura is what has made the movie unique. Moreover, it is not only a love story; there is a hidden satire in it.

Shooting

The shooting started in June 2007. The shooting unit faced problems due to Bangladesh's rainy season and demands to shoot through such weather; several outdoor sequences were shot in the rain.

Reception

Monpura initially released in four theaters in Dhaka and Rajshahi, but it quickly opened in theaters in Chittagong, Mymensingh, Bogra, Rangpur, and Sirajganj.

Within three weeks of its release, Monpura broke the 45-year record of ticket sales in the Dhaka box office with over 50,000 tickets sold, surpassing the first Bangla language film made in Bangladesh, Mukh O Mukhosh.

On May 22, 2009, Monpura completed its 100 days of glory in the box office. Star Cineplex and Bolaka (Bolaka-1 & Bolaka-2), the busiest theaters in the capital, ran this film for 100 days consecutively. After 100 days, the movie kept running in about 50 theaters across the country.

The film ran at Star Cineplex for nine months, Bolaka for six months, and Monihar for eight weeks. Theaters in Pabna, Khulna, and other districts in Bangladesh ran the film for six to seven weeks. Outside Bangladesh, the film was first released in Sydney on August 8, 2009, and then in other cities, including New York City, Toronto, Montreal, and Brussels.

Remake

West Bengal filmmaker Anjan Das made the Indian Bengali film, Achin Pakhi (2010), based on Monpura.

National Film Awards

Monpura won in five categories at the National Film Awards, including Best Film.

Meril-Prothom Alo Awards

Music

Bangla films rarely come under the spotlight by their music. It was thought that the music from Monpura was collected from Bangladeshi folk music, but almost all are original songs. The album has been noted for its depth, creative thought, and trend-breaking effort.

"Shonai Hai Haire," written by director Giasuddin Selim, tells the story of a daughter's death, whose funeral is attended by her father and father-in-law. "Aage Jodi Jantam," lyrics and music by Krishnokoli Islam, also tells the story of a broken heart - leaving the house of a girl and her life of regret. "Shonar Moyna Pakhi," lyrics and music by Osman Khan and sung by Arnob, expresses the desire to see a loved one at any cost, even if it comes before one's death.

The song will bring new dimension on making Bengali movie in recent time. Its making will also create huge impact among the movie lovers. It will touch the heart of them.

Marketing

The rhythmic music helped the film gain a lot of publicity before its release. It was heavily advertised in cable and satellite television networks.

Home media

The DVD and VCD of the film were released in December 2009 by the major label Laser Vision.