After travelling the international festival circuit, Jaya Ahsan-starrer “Fereshteh” is finally set for a Bangladesh release. The Bangladesh-Iran joint production will hit all local cineplexes on September 19, following a three-year wait.
Originally scheduled to open this today, the release date was pushed back at the last moment. Directed by Iranian filmmaker Morteza AtashZamzam, “Fereshteh” tells the story of lives on the margins of society.
“In this film I play one of those resilient, courageous characters we often overlook among our country’s underprivileged,” said Jaya Ahsan. “The entire team’s support made it possible to complete a very challenging shoot.”
The film premiered earlier at Iran’s prestigious Fajr International Film Festival and served as the opening film of the Dhaka International Film Festival 2024. It also drew praise at the International Film Festival of India in Goa.
Actor-producer Sumon Faruque noted, “Just as we learn about other cultures by watching foreign films, ‘Fereshteh’ presents stories of our own society. It shares the lives of marginalised people that the upper class rarely thinks about. We received huge appreciation abroad and now hope Bangladeshi audiences will applaud as well.”
Alongside Jaya Ahsan and Sumon Faruque, the cast includes Shahiduzzaman Selim, Shahed Ali, Rikita Nandini Shimu, Shaheen Mridha, and child artiste Sathi.
The film is produced by Sumon Faruque with Jaya Ahsan as co-producer. The screenplay was written by Bangladesh’s Mummit Al-Rashid, who also worked on the Persian and Bangla translations with Faisal Ifraan.
