A British made Bengali ‘western’ is about to finish its tour of cinemas this week after a successful run.

The Last Thakur is made by director and cinematographer Sadik Ahmed and was first screened at the London Film Festival and Dubai International Film Festival last year.

The film is set in a remote village in Bangladesh against a long-lasting feud between a populist Muslim ‘Chairman’ and the long established Hindu Landlord “Thakur”. It follows Kala, the illegitimate son who is on a personal quest to find his father and reclaim his birthright. It explores long taboo subjects such as communal conflict, the genocide and war rapes of 1971.

AIM magazine asked him why he chose Bangladesh for his feature. He said: “The idea of making films in Bangladesh had always appealed to me. It made sense, I am Bangladeshi, I am a filmmaker, I should make films in Bangladesh. Although I also plan to make films elsewhere including in the UK, I think that for now Bangladesh provides me with a very fresh visual landscape from which to image my worlds.”

This is not his first film set in Bangladesh. Both his graduation project and a short film he made later at the NFTS were set there.

He says he wants to change perceptions about Bangladeshi actors and filmmakers. “What was exciting was the realization that there is some great actor in Bangladesh. Really experienced, thoughtful, and hungry. I thought it was all going to be really over-acted bad TV performances, but they really showed their skill and ability.”

He added: “[The film] was big, and bold and tried to say a whole lot. It told me something about Bangladesh and also that we, Bangladeshis can make things that are not just cheap, and nasty TV production or overly intellectualized theatrical productions.”

The Last Thakur was launched with a special screening at the Curzon Renoir Cinema (Russell Square) on June 21st and began its theatrical release in the UK at the Genesis Cinema, Mile End, London and at the Ciné Lumière, South Kensington, London, on June 26th.

Sadik’s previous short film, Tanju Miah, was in official selection to the Toronto, Sundance and Amsterdam Film Festivals and was screened for two months at the Curzon Cinemas in London in 2007.

The Last Thakur trailer

It is still on show at Reel Hull, St. Stephens Centre, Hull until 9th July