Moner Manush (Bengali: মনের মানুষ, lit. 'Ideal Person') is a 2010 Indo-Bangladesh joint production Bengali-language biographical musical drama film based on the life and philosophy of Lalon, a noted spiritual leader, poet and folk singer of Bengal in the 19th century. Produced by Goutam Ghose under the banner of Rosevilley Films Ltd. and the film was co-produced by Bangladeshi production house Impress Telefilm Ltd. Directed by Goutam Ghose, who also wrote the screenplay, the film has Prosenjit as the lead actor portraying the character of Lalan Fakir. Paoli Dam plays the character of Komli, the key female disciple of Lalan. Moner Manush has been critically and commercially successful.
Contents
Plot
Rabindranath Tagore's elder brother Jyotirindranath Tagore, a Western educated bright young man from the 19th century Bengal met the octogenarian Lalan Fakir and drew a portrait of the poet saint in the former houseboat afloat on the Padma river. Jyotirindranath, an urban intellectual, exchanges views with the man of native wisdom. Their exchange of ideas forms the cinematic narrative of this film. The narrative is a saga of the life and time of Lalan Fakir and his liberal sect who lived a life of high order in an otherwise superstitious 19th century Indian society. Lalan inherited the best of the liberal and enlightened tradition of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam to develop a philosophy of life which is extremely secular and tolerant. Thus became an easy prey for the fundamentalists from the Hindu and the Muslim institutions. They were the parallel stream flowing freely in the heart of rural Bengal when men like Tagore were germinating ideas of the Bengal Renaissance. The love and compassion of Lalan is relevant more than ever in today's world of intolerance and hate.
Cast
Prosenjit Chatterjee as Lalon
Priyanshu Chatterjee as Jyotirindranath Tagore
Chanchal Chowdhury as Kaluah
Raisul Islam Asad as Siraj Saain
Gulshan Ara Champa as Padmabati, Lalon's mother
Sudeshna Swayamprabha as Golapi
Shantilal Mukherjee as Kangal Harinath
Paoli Dam as Komli
Shuvra Kundu as Bhanumati
Anirban Guha as Mir Mosharraf Hossain
Shahed Ali as Duddu Shah
Awards
The film won Golden Peacock (Best Film) at the 41st International Film Festival of India, in 2010.
The movie has also won the award for Best Feature Film on National Integration and National Film Award for Best Make-up Artist at 58th National Film Awards.
Jury Prize for Best Cinematographer at 41st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2010
Bangladesh National Award (2010) for Best Art Direction
Official selection at Shanghai International Film Festival (2011)