Tanvir Mokammel (born 8 March 1955) is a Bangladeshi filmmaker and writer. He is the recipient of

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...

in 2017. He won

Bangladesh National Film Awards The National Film Awards ( bn, জাতীয় চলচ্চিত্র পুরস্কার) is an annual awards ceremony held annually in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is considered to be the most prominent film award ceremony in Banglades ...

total ten times for the films ''

Nodir Naam Modhumoti ''Nodir Naam Modhumoti'' (translated as ''The River Named Modhumoti'') is a 1996 Bangladeshi Bengali language film directed by Tanvir Mokammel. It won 20th Bangladesh National Film Awards for the Best Story, Best Dialogue and Best Male Playba ...

'' (1995), ''

Chitra Nodir Pare ''Chitra Nodir Pare'' (known in English as ''Quiet Flows the River Chitra'') is a Bangladeshi Bengali directed by Tanvir Mokammel. It is a feature film on destiny of a Hindu family in East Pakistan. The film won seven national awards including the ...

'' (1999) and ''

Lalsalu ''Lalsalu'' is a novel by Syed Waliullah published in 1948 by Comrade publishers. It is a classic of modern Bengali literature. Waliullah was conferred Bangla Academy Award for this debut novel in 1961. By 1981 the book's 10th edition was publis ...

'' (2001). He is the current director of Bangladesh Film Institute in Dhaka.

Early life and education

Tanvir Mokammel grew up in

Khulna Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 ...

. His father worked as a magistrate in

Narail Narail ( bn, নড়াইল, pron: ''nɔɽail'') is a district in south-western Bangladesh. It is a part of Khulna Division. History Narail town was named after a feudal lord (a zamindar). The zamindars established a market at Roopgonj, als ...

and his mother was a teacher in a local college. He completed his master's in English literature at the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

Career

Since he was a university student, Mokammel worked as a

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

journalist for landless peasants in rural areas. As a filmmaker he has made six full-length features and fifteen documentaries and short films, some of which have received national and international awards. His feature films are ''"

"'' ''(The River Named Modhumati)'', ''"

"'' ''(Quiet Flows the River Chitra)'', ''"

"'' ''(A Tree Without Roots)'', ''"

Lalon Lalon ( bn, লালন; 14 October 1772 – 17 October 1890), also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji and titled Fakir, Shah, was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer. Regarded as an icon of ...

"'' , ''"Rabeya"'' ''(The Sister)'', and ''"Jibondhuli"'' ''(The Drummer)''. Tanvir Mokammel's prominent documentaries are ''"The Garment Girls of Bangladesh"'', ''"The Unknown Bard"'', ''"Teardrops of Karnaphuli"'', ''"Riders to the Sunderbans"'', ''"A Tale of the Jamuna River"'', ''"The Promised Land"'', ''"Tajuddin Ahmad :An Unsung Hero"'', ''"The Japanese Wife"'', ''"

Swapnabhumi ''Swapnabhumi'' (''The Promised Land'') is a 2007 Bangladeshi documentary film by Tanvir Mokammel. The film tells the plight of Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh, who are also identified as ''Biharis.'' Plot The film highlights the current stat ...

"'' and mega-documentary ''"1971"''. His movies ''"Nadir Naam Modhumati"'' ''(The River Named Modhumati)'' and ''"

"'' ''(Quiet Flows the River Chitra)'' ranked second and third respectively in the list of 10 best Bangladeshi films, in the audience and critics' polls conducted by the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. Mokammel has written poems, short stories, and newspaper articles on cinema and cultural issues. Tanvir Mokammel's important books are ''"A Brief History of World Cinema"'', ''"The Art of Cinema"'', ''"Charlie Chaplin: Conquests by a Tramp"'', ''"Syed Waliullah, Sisyphus and Quest of Tradition in Novel"'' (a work of literary criticism), ''"Grundtvig and Folk Education"'' (a book on alternative educational ideas), and a translation of Maxim Gorky's play ''"The Lower Depths"''. Mokammel established a film institute called Bangladesh Film Centre.

Filmography

Awards and honors

Mokammel received

, the second highest civilian award in 2017 for notable contribution in Bengali film.

Publications

#''Chalachitra Nondontottwo o Barojon Director'' (''Film Aesthetics and Twelve Directors''); 1985, Sahitya Prakashoni, #''Chalachitra'' (''Film''); 1987,

Bangla Academy The Bangla Academy ( bn, বাংলা একাডেমি, ) is an autonomous institution funded by the Bangladesh government to foster the Bengali language, literature and culture, to develop and implement national language policy and to d ...

#''Marxbad O Sahitya'' (''Marxism and Literature'') #''Syed Waliullah, Sisyphus and Quest for Tradition in Novel''; 1988, Muktodhara. #''Nitchutalar Manush'', translation of

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (russian: link=no, Алексе́й Макси́мович Пешко́в; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (russian: Макси́м Го́рький, link=no), was a Russian writer and social ...

's play The Lower Depths; 1997,

Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Bishwo Shahitto Kendro (BSK) ( bn, বিশ্ব সাহিত্য কেন্দ্র, meaning 'World-Literature Centre'), is a non-profit institution in Bangladesh to promote reading habits, enlightenment and progressive ideas among st ...

, . #''Charlie Chaplin: Triumph of the Tramp'' ''(Bhabaghurer Digbijoy)'', in Bengali, on the life and craft of Charlie Chaplin as an actor and film-maker, Sahitya Prakasoni, 1996. #''Grundtvig and Gonoshikhsa'', a book on the theories of alternative education for the downtrodden and disadvantaged people of the rural areas, 1997. #''Art of Cinema'' ''(Cinemar Shilparup)'', in Bengali, a collection of essays on different aspects of the aesthetics of cinema, 1998,

Agamee Prakashani Agamee Prakashani () is a Bangladeshi publishing house located in Dhaka. It was founded in 1986 by Osman Gani. As of 2015, it has more than 2000 publications in both Bengali and English. Awards Agamee Prakashani has won several awards, including ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mokammel, Tanvir 1955 births Living people People from Khulna University of Dhaka alumni Bangladeshi male writers Bangladeshi film directors Best Director National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners Recipients of the Ekushey Padak in arts Best Dialogue National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners Best Story National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners