Kolkata: Jaya Ahsaan’s “Aajo Ardhangini“ (AA) marks a significant moment in cross-border cinema, serving as a major collaboration featuring a Bangladeshi star following the July 2024 uprising. While eased visa norms have allowed artistic movement between Kolkata and Dhaka to resume, the nature of infrastructural partnership is transforming. As filmmakers navigate this new political reality, the industry is weighing established regional ties against an emerging desire for self-reliance in Bangladesh’s post-production sector.AA’s writer-director Kaushik Ganguly emphasized that cultural exchange remains vital. “The more cultural and artistic exchange takes place, the more the scope of work will expand. The quality of art will be enriched. I believe that in this new Bengal, the map of artists will grow and reach an international level.” Beyond the unlikely friendship between Shubhra Mitra (Churni Ganguly) and her former husband’s current wife Bangladeshi singer Meghna Mustafi (Jaya Ahsaan), the film explores the latter’s crumbling marriage with Kolkata-based professor Suman Chakraborty (Kaushik Sen). His insecurities get stoked by Meghna’s former lover from Dhaka, Ranjan Laha (Indrasish Roy).The film engages with contemporary Indo-Bangla tensions, particularly through Ranjan, a Hindu advocate who crossed the border during a period of volatility. The story interestingly and at times, deliberately addresses religious displacement without overstating its significance. This is amplified when Meghna confronts her husband saying: “If I do not drag you around by the nose like a refugee in your own city, my name is not Meghna Mustafi.” “The dialogue gets significant weight with the choice of the word ‘refugee’. I think Kaushik Ganguly has quite consciously written this dialogue. Such a line is crucial and significant in the context of Meghna’s character,” Ahsaan said. The line grounds the personal acrimony of a custody battle in a broader historical struggle, intensified by the fact that the third party in the marriage is a refugee from Dhaka awaiting Bar Council of India recognition. Ganguly noted that such subtle integration of Indo-Bangla crisis dynamics ensures the resonance of the subtext for those attuned to these realities, while remaining a compelling, dramatic moment for others.Beyond these subtly references to Indo-Bangla ties, the collaborative approach also invites questions regarding Bangladesh’s reliance on India for post-production. Soumya Mukhopadhyay of Cherrypix Movies observed that while Kolkata was once a central hub, projects have shifted to Mumbai or Bangkok post the uprising. “Dhaka has also developed multiple setups. I feel they want to reduce dependence on India,“ Mukhopadhyay said. Bangladeshi director Asif Islam noted a decrease in numbers, adding, “Many directors find comfort in working with specific Indian collaborators. But now there are several excellent post-production houses in Dhaka that focus on films, such as Sound Box, Cowbell, and Dhoni. The industry is growing, and filmmakers have more quality options.”Colourist Debojyoti Ghosh of Editfx Studios observed that while the appeal of Mumbai and Bangkok has always existed, the trend shifted sometime back. “Since I started as a colourist, I have seen an interest in working in Kolkata. After the uprising, there was a dip, but work resumed once the new govt took over. Post-production for ‘Bonolata Sen’, ‘Malik’, and ‘Prince’ was done in Kolkata. ‘Surongo 2’ will be done here too. Established Dhaka directors have always collaborated with us seamlessly without any visa issues. However, it is true that newcomers in Bangladesh often express a desire to avoid working in India.”
