Censor Board receives legal notice over ‘Hawa’

The Bangladesh Film Censor Board received a legal notice from Supreme Court lawyer Khandaker Hasan Shahriar on Monday asking it to stop the screening, promotion, broadcast and exhibition of the superhit film ‘Hawa’ at home and abroad ‘as it breached the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act 2012’.

The notice, sent to BFCB chairman, its vice chairman and the secretary of Information and Broadcasting Ministry, claimed common people will be encouraged to hunt, cage and kill birds by watching the film that contains violation of wildlife laws.

The notice also called for reconstituting the board incorporating representatives from the Wildlife Crime Unit, lawyers and environmentalists. The lawyer said he would move the court unless the board takes necessary action in seven working days.

Apart from this, the notice also asked the board to pay special attention to ensure that there is no violent murder scene, obscene language or violation of any section of the Wildlife Conservation and Safety Act 2012 before clearing any movie for exhibition.

Fresh controversies arose after the film’s official promotional YouTube channel and Facebook page titled ‘Hawa’ released a new promotional video on Sunday. The video ‘Hawa Movie Behind The Scene Part 3,’ features the cast and crew of the film playing with a snake during the rehearsal.

Greens and animal rights activists on social media said that the video is a proof of breaching the Wildlife laws. Netizens previously pointed out that another behind-the-scenes footage of the film features a stingray being picked up from the sea.

The film’s executive producer Shimul Chandra Biswas told The Business Post, “We saw the notice on several media outlets today (Monday). A Supreme Court lawyer issued the notice. But the court is yet to issue any order to stop anything.”

He also clarified that the snake seen in the newly released promo is real and was also used during the shoot of the film. “Trained professionals were used to handle the snake during every stage of our rehearsals and production,” he added.

In the recently released film, directed by filmmaker and musician Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, a Common Myna (locally known as Shalik) bird is shown captivated in a cage. At one point in the film, the bird was killed and then eaten.

On August 11 a four-member team from the Wildlife Crime Control Unit watched “Hawa” at the Bashundhara City branch of Star Cineplex in Dhaka.

Forest Department’s wildlife and biodiversity conservation officer Rathindra Kumar Biswas later told the press that the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act of 2012 was violated in a scene that shows a captivated Shalik.

On August 17, Nargis Sultana, an inspector of the Wildlife Crime Control Unit filed a case with the Metropolitan Session Judge’s Court.

The star-studded film was shot by “Monpura” famed cinematographer Kamrul Hasan Khasru and stars Chanchal Chowdhury, Nazifa Tushi, Sariful Islam Razz, Sumon Anowar, Shohel Mondol, Nasir Uddin Khan, Abdul Jabbar Chowdhury, Mahmud Hasan and Bablu Bose, among others.