Jibon Theke Neya

Jibon Theke Neya (lit. 'Taken from Life') is a critically acclaimed Bengali-language East-Pakistani film directed by Zahir Raihan. Released in 1970, described as an example of "national cinema", using discrete local traditions to build a representation of the Bangladeshi national identity

Set against the backdrop of the political and social upreveal in East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) during the late 1960s, Jibon Theke Neya portrays the struggles and aspirations of the common people in the face of oppression and injustice. The film addresses themes such as poverty, political corruption, political exploitation, and the power of unity.

Jibon Theke Neya garnered widespread acclaim for its powerful storytelling, poignant performances, and the director's exceptional execution. It played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Bangladeshi Cinema and became a landmark film in the country's history. Moreover, the movie holds historical significance as it was released just months before the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, which ultimately led to the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. It remains a cultural touchstone, serving as a reminder of the importance of social justice and the enduring spirit of the Bangladeshi people. The film's legacy endures, and it continues to inspire filmmakers and audiences alike, cementing its place as a timeless classic in Bangladeshi cinema. According to The Daily Star, the film is considered to be Zahir Raihan's finest work till date.

Plot
The film narrates the story of a middle-class family headed by an autocratic elder sister (called Apa). Other members include her two younger brothers (Anis and Farooq) and her husband (called Dulabhai). But nobody in the family has a say in any matter of the household and everything is decided by Apa. Her husband is not allowed to sing inside the house, her brothers are not allowed to marry and she abuses the servants day and night. The symbol of a perfect dictator! Dulabhai is seen to sing the song ‘Ey Khacha Bhangbo Ami Kemon Korey’ a number of times in the film but is never able to finish singing. To end her autocratic rule, Dulabhai marries Anis off to a lady named Sathi without informing Apa. Apa's sword of oppression comes down on her. Meanwhile, Farooq falls for Sathi’s younger sister Bithi and marries her. Sathi and Bithi's elder brother Mr. Anwar is a political activist. He is imprisoned in the freedom movement. On the other hand, under the leadership of Sathi and Bithi, everyone in the house becomes united. The family members paste posters on the wall against Apa’s dictatorship. The bunch of keys that symbolizes the control of the household goes to the two sisters. Losing her power, Apa starts making conspiracies. Both Sathi and Bithi are expecting. Sathi gives birth to a stillborn child. The doctor fears that she may not tolerate the grief. So Bithi's baby is placed in her lap. Thinking it is her own kid, Sathi begins to nurture it. Apa starts a dispute between the two sisters. Tactically, she poisons Bithi and puts the blame on Sathi. Although Bithi recovers, Sathi is arrested on the charge of poisoning. When the case comes up in the court, Dulabhai proves in court that Apa is the main culprit. In the end, the autocratic elder sister is placed behind the bars.

Cast

 * Shuchanda as Bithi
 * Razzak as Farooq
 * Rosy as Sathi
 * Shawkat Akbar as Anis
 * Rawshan Jamil as Apa
 * Khan Ataur Rahman as Dulabhai
 * Anwar Hossain as Mr Anwar
 * Amjad Hossain as Modhu
 * Baby Zaman as Ghotok

Production
The film was originally titled Tinjon meye o ek peyala bish (lit. 'Three Girls and a Cup of Poison'). At the request of film producer Anis Dosani, Zaheer Raihan took over the responsibility of making the film. Zaheer Raihan decided that in the story of the film, one sister will poison another sister. Writer Amjad Hossain could not accept this story because he thought that making a film with such a story would not be hit. However, instead of writing the story as per the words of Zaheer Raihan, Amjad Hossain continued to write the story as his own. Amjad Hossain later said in an interview with Prothom Alo that he could not write the story as directed by the director as he could not continue making a documentary film about Amanullah Asaduzzaman due to government objections.

Shooting for the film began on 1 February 1970, but some scenes were recorded a year earlier. Pakistan's military government had repeatedly tried to stop the film. The government threatened the film's director and actor Razzak. The director also received death threats for this film. Film maker Alamgir Kabir attributed the film's uneven production quality to threats to ban it and to the haste with which it was made. Filming was compressed into about 25 shooting days, as little as a third of what was typical in Pakistan at that time.

Music
Khan Ataur Rahman was the music director of this film. Although the use of Tagore Songs was banned by the Information Minister of Pakistan Khwaja Shahabuddin in 1967, a song by Rabindranath Tagore has been used in the film in defiance of that ban.

Release
The film was not released on the scheduled date due to government restrictions. As the film was not released, the people of East Pakistan staged protests and demonstrations in various places. So the government cleared the film and released it. The government banned the film after it was released. The military junta later lifted the ban on the film in the face of protests. The film was shown in East Pakistani cinemas for about six months. The film was also screened in Kolkata, capital of Indian Bengal in 1971.

Critical reception
Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak and Tapan Sinha praised the film. Exactly one month after the release of the film, film journalist Ahmed Zaman Chowdhury wrote in the weekly Chitrali magazine, "Zahir has the ease of editing a film, but lacks overall skills. As a result, there is not always an equation of how long a shot will last. So the application ends before it is spread." According to Bidhan Biberu, the film was able to represent the then Bengali society of Pakistan. Criticizing the film, Alamgir Kabir said that the character of the elder sister in the film is arranged in the style of Ayub Khan and the family shown in the film is compared with the politics of Pakistan at that time. However, according to him, such a family is not realistic in the true sense. He noted that many scenes showed in the film were not perfect.