Sep. 22, 2017|Bangladesh|100 Min.|n/A
Genre: Bangla;Drama;History
Description: Director Akram Khan’s second film, *Khacha* (*The Cage*), is set in 1947 during the Partition of India and Pakistan. It was submitted as Bangladesh’s official entry for the Oscars. Based on Hasan Azizul Haque’s novel *Ekoi Namer Golpo*, the 110-minute film spans 16 years.
The story begins in 1948 in Jessore, Bangladesh. Ombujakkho Chokroborty, a high-caste Hindu Brahmin, searches for someone to exchange his family home in Muslim-majority East Bengal for a property in Hindu-majority West Bengal. Despite several opportunities, the exchanges never materialize. As years pass, his wife Sharajini grows impatient, while their children face bullying and skip school, hoping to start afresh in India. However, 16 years after independence, Ombujakkho abandons his plans, realizing it’s too late.
The film’s opening scene sets its tone: Ombujakkho waits at the post office for a letter from a potential exchange partner. Sharajini is shown managing household chores, and their large estate reflects their once-wealthy past. Their children, Shurjo, Arun, and Pushpa, face constant harassment from locals but remain relatively unaffected by the delay in moving. The narrative primarily focuses on Ombujakkho’s transformation from a well-adjusted doctor to an incoherent music enthusiast. Sharajini’s character arc is less pronounced, leaving her drastic actions in the climax somewhat unexplained.
Cast director: Akram Khan
Cast actor: Jaya Ahsan, Azad Abul Kalam, Mamunur Rashid, Chandni, Arman Parvez Murad, Kayes Chowdhury, Shahed Ali, Rani Sarkar, Sadika Rahman, Mahbuba Reza Noor
Original name: খাঁচা