''Aynabaji'' ( ) is a Bangladeshi
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
thriller film directed by
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury and produced by Gousul Alam under the banner of Content Matters Production. The film was released on 30 September 2016 and received critical acclaim for its storytelling, cinematography, and performances. ''Aynabaji'' is considered a milestone in Bangladeshi cinema, and is commonly cited by critics as one of the best South Asian films of the 2010s and 21st century.
The film follows the story of Ayna, a professional imposter who is hired to impersonate different individuals for financial gain. As Ayna delves deeper into his work, he becomes embroiled in a web of deceit, murder, and intrigue that threatens to unravel his life.The lead characters of the film are
Chanchal Chowdhury
Suchinta Chowdhury Chanchal (born June 1, 1974), better known as Chanchal Chowdhury (), , is a Bangladeshi actor. He gained recognition with television roles in late 2000s, and went on to become one of the most popular leading men of Cinema of B ...
,
Masuma Rahman Nabila, and
Partha Barua.
Aynabaji has received numerous awards and nominations, including the Best Film Award at the 2016
Dubai International Film Festival
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF, ) was the largest film festival in the Arab world, Arab region. With particular emphasis on showcasing Arab cinema, Arab, Asian cinema, Asian, and African cinema, it also helped to develop industry a ...
. Nominated for 11 awards at the
41st Bangladesh National Film Awards and won 7, including the awards for
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* As ...
and
Best Actor in a Leading Role
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ro ...
, tying
Matir Moina (2002) for the most awards won by a single film. It is the highest grossing Bangladeshi film of 2016 and the
22nd highest grossing of all time.
Aynabaji was the highest-grossing film of 2016 in Bangladesh and considered a breakthrough for Chanchal Chowdhury. It was remade into the
Telugu language
Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of ...
film ''
Gayatri
Gayatri (Sanskrit: गायत्री, IAST: Gāyatrī) is the personified form of the Gayatri Mantra, a popular hymn from Vedic texts. She is also known as Savitri, and holds the title of ''Vedamata'' ('mother of the Vedas'). Gayatri is the ...
''.
Plot
The story is about Ayna, a struggling actor who gets to live his profession in real life after failing in his career. Gifted with the natural talent of acting, he is a man with a versatile character and can morph into anybody he wants. For this, he faces different circumstances in his life and thus the story evolves. It is also a story about the dark side of metro city
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
, depicting the constant combat between the ruling class and mass people living the city.
Cast
*
Chanchal Chowdhury
Suchinta Chowdhury Chanchal (born June 1, 1974), better known as Chanchal Chowdhury (), , is a Bangladeshi actor. He gained recognition with television roles in late 2000s, and went on to become one of the most popular leading men of Cinema of B ...
as Sharafat Karim Ayna/Nizam Sayeed Chowdhury.
*
Lutfur Rahman George
Lutfur Rahman George (born 1 July 1963) is a Bangladeshi television and film actor. He has worked in films like ''Aguner Poroshmoni'' and '' Aynabaji''. He is currently the organizational editor of Actors’ Equity Bangladesh. In 2023 he performe ...
as a dishonest businessman
*
Masuma Rahman Nabila as Hridi
*
Partha Barua as Saber Hossain, a news reporter
*
Bijori Barkatullah
*
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury
*
Brindaban Das as prison officer
* Jamil Ahmed as Saber's manservant
*
Shohel Mondol
* Rizvi Hasan
* Heera Chowdhury
* Shawkat Osman
* Shovon Jaman
* Khairul Basar
* Iffat Trisha
*
Raihan Chowdhury
* Gousul Alam
(Guest Appearance)
Arifin Shuvoo
Arifin Shuvoo (; born 2 February 1982) is a Bangladeshi film actor and television personality. He is the recipient of several awards and nominations, including a National Film Awards (Bangladesh), National Film Award and two Meril Prothom Alo Aw ...
, and
Bijori Barkatullah makes guest appearances as
AC Sajjad and Saber's separated wife respectively. Producer Gousul Alam and director
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury have special appearances.
Production
Gousul Alam Shaon had written the story for the film, while Anam Biswas adapted into a screenplay. Esha Yousuf was the executive producer of the film while Amitabh Reza is the director of the movie.
The entire film was shot in Dhaka. Shooting of the film officially began in February 2015 and ended in August 2015. The film was released on 30 September 2016.
Soundtrack
The music for ''Aynabaji'' is composed by Arnob, Fuad, Habib & Chirkut Band. Songs have been well praised by critics.
Release
The film was released on 30 September 2016 in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
and later in
Chittagong
Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...
and other cities. It was screened at
Marché du Film at
69th annual Cannes Film Festival, where it scored well. Aynabaji has won the award of the best film at United States's 11th Seattle South Asian Film Festival. The movie was pirated after it was released on Robi online TV. The film had a limited release in theaters in the United States, France, Canada and Australia.
Reception
Aynabaji received large positive reviews. The movie has received a good response from both critics and audience. Zahid Akbar from ''
The Daily Star'' gave the film a 4 out of 5 star rating, saying "The film provides the viewers with an empathic view to its characters, which is coupled with brilliant storytelling making the audience wanting more." He praised the film for its story, cast,
Chanchal Chowdhury
Suchinta Chowdhury Chanchal (born June 1, 1974), better known as Chanchal Chowdhury (), , is a Bangladeshi actor. He gained recognition with television roles in late 2000s, and went on to become one of the most popular leading men of Cinema of B ...
's performance, and "impeccable" cinematography, but criticized the film for being too long.
Box office
Rafi Hossain of ''The Daily Star'' described it as "an instant blockbuster hit". It did a record 91 shows in 10 days, the highest number for any
Bangladeshi film. With an occupancy record of 98.89%, in eight weeks it collected
BDT 20.3 million.
Awards
*
Bangladesh National Film Awards 2016
** Best Director
** Best Actor
** Best Screenplay
** Best Cinematography
** Best Editing
** Best Sound Recording
** Best Costume Design
Spin-off and remake/influence
Aynabaji has a spin-off TV series titled ''Aynabaji-Original series''. ''
Gayatri
Gayatri (Sanskrit: गायत्री, IAST: Gāyatrī) is the personified form of the Gayatri Mantra, a popular hymn from Vedic texts. She is also known as Savitri, and holds the title of ''Vedamata'' ('mother of the Vedas'). Gayatri is the ...
'' an official Indian Telugu remake of ''Aynabaji'' has been released on 9 February 2018.
See also
*
List of Bangladeshi films of 2016
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aynabaji
2016 films
2016 psychological thriller films
Bengali-language Bangladeshi films
2016 black comedy films
Films scored by Habib Wahid
2010s Bengali-language films
Films whose writer won the Best Screenplay National Film Award (Bangladesh)
Films scored by Indradeep Dasgupta
Films directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury