Badiul Alam Khokon is set to explore new creative territory with his upcoming film “Bhayangkar Aynaghar.” This project marks a significant departure from Khokon’s previous work both in terms of content and casting.
Khokon and Shakib Khan have long been a powerhouse duo in the Bangladeshi film industry, delivering box office hits like “Priya Amar Priya”, “My Name is Khan” and “Rajababu The Power.” However, Khokon has chosen to break from tradition, opting to tackle the politically charged and sensitive subject matter of “Bhayangkar Aynaghar” with a fresh face in the lead role.
The film is scheduled to begin shooting on November 1. “Bhayangkar Aynaghar” will focus on the chilling reality of “Aynaghar,” a secret government-run internment centre where detainees, isolated and surrounded by mirrors, can see no one but themselves.
Khokon acknowledged the challenges of addressing such a controversial topic, “I’ve been preparing for this project for a long time. This is a story that needs to be told and now is the right time to bring it to the screen.”
The existence of Aynaghar first came to public attention in 2022 by a Sweden-based independent news portal, which published an investigative report alleging that Bangladeshi officials were detaining and torturing victims of enforced disappearances at the secret facility.
The Al Jazeera documentary All the Prime Minister’s Men also referenced Aynaghar. In the wake of recent student protests, public awareness of the alleged human rights abuses associated with the detention centre has grown, and Khokon aims to use his film to shed light on these dark events, ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated.
Explaining his decision to work with new talent rather than his usual leading man, Shakib Khan, Khokon said, “Shakib won’t be in this film. We’ve made many successful movies together, and the audience loves them. But for ‘Bhayangkar Aynaghar’, I want to work with new talent to bring a fresh perspective to this serious issue.”
Meanwhile, Khokon’s previous project, “Agun”, starring Shakib Khan and Zahara Mitu, was 80 per cent complete before it was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans are now underway to resume shooting, with the final scenes and two songs scheduled to be filmed in December. If all goes well, “Agun” is expected to be released during a festival next year.
