Papers by Reffat Ferdous
Myth and Realities: Analyzing Disability Representation on the Bangladeshi Silver Screen
Advances in journalism and communication, 2024
Disability representation in Bangladeshi film is a multifaceted and often contentious subject, se... more Disability representation in Bangladeshi film is a multifaceted and often contentious subject, serving both as a mirror reflecting societal beliefs and a lens through which cultural myths are disseminated. Drawing insights from the social model of disability and Ronald Barthes' concept of myth, this paper examines the portrayals of disability in Bangladeshi films over the past three decades. Through a content analysis of three films on disability, Shuva (2006), Ostitto (2016), and Raat Jaga Phool (2021), the discussion elucidates how disability is often mythologized, serving as a plot device, a form of punishment, or a metaphor for passive heroism and comedic relief. Thus, it reveals significant distortions that strengthen societal prejudices of labelling disabled people as "other" and hinder their inclusion in mainstream society. Furthermore, gender roles within a patriarchal society are explored, highlighting how disabled female protagonists are marginalized and confined to roles of dependency and pity. The paper also critiques the romanticization and misunderstanding surrounding disability treatment and remedies portrayed in Bangladeshi films that establish able-bodied norms and overshadow the agency of disabled individuals. Therefore, it calls for a more authentic and inclusive representation of disability in Bangladeshi films.
Social sciences review, Apr 1, 2024
The years 1948-1952 were pivotal for the history of Bangladesh. The question of what would be the... more The years 1948-1952 were pivotal for the history of Bangladesh. The question of what would be the state language was raised by the people of this country. Muslim leaders in Pakistan, at the time, believed that Urdu should be the state language because it had become recognized as the cultural symbol of sub-continental Muslims. However, most of Pakistan's population, the Bengalis of eastern Pakistan, to whom Urdu was a foreign language, considered it a ploy by the West Pakistanis to colonize East Pakistan. Protests erupted across East Pakistan after the then Prime Minister of Pakistan replaced Bangla as the state language with Urdu. On February 21, 1952, a student protest resulted in the deaths of some students by police. The language movement drew Bengalis' attention to their collective aspirations to create a new nation and nationalist identity, leading them to fight for an imagined sovereign state, Bangladesh. Against the backdrop of our language movement, Fagun Haway (In Spring Breeze, 2019), a film by Tauquir Ahmed, captures the anecdotes of Pakistani repression towards Bengalis by portraying the nationalist consciousness and identity approaches of this nation. Employing the concept of nationalism and the historical development of our identity approaches, this paper shows that Ahmed displays the coexistence of Bengali and Muslim identity approaches as well as the contentious relationship between these two approaches inside our nationalism at that time. Besides, Bengaliness is viewed as the dominating approach when the debate over the state language turns into a divisive political one and a fight for our very existence.
Social Science Review, 2021
Everything that human beings do from the time of their birth, is a way for them to deny the inevi... more Everything that human beings do from the time of their birth, is a way for them to deny the inevitability of their death. A person adopts a myriad of ways to transcend the fear of death from their life and consciousness. This paper examines how the artistic medium of Bengali cinema provides insights into this existential issue and offers ways to overcome anxieties associated with human decay. Employing the Terror Management Theory (TMT) and film narratology, the study analyses two of Srijit Mukherji’s films, Baishe Srabon (2011) and Hemlock Society (2012), that involve plots where the characters explicitly encounter the fear of death. Both films substantiate TMT’s stance that humans seek immortality by establishing a “cultural worldview” and “self-esteem”, which provide individuals with an illusion of symbolic existence that will last even after their death. Social Science Review, Vol. 38(2), December 2021 Page 159-174
Journal Article by Reffat Ferdous
Advances in Journalism and Communication, 2024
Disability representation in Bangladeshi film is a multifaceted and often contentious subject, se... more Disability representation in Bangladeshi film is a multifaceted and often contentious subject, serving both as a mirror reflecting societal beliefs and a lens through which cultural myths are disseminated. Drawing insights from the social model of disability and Ronald Barthes' concept of myth, this paper examines the portrayals of disability in Bangladeshi films over the past three decades. Through a content analysis of three films on disability, Shuva (2006), Ostitto (2016), and Raat Jaga Phool (2021), the discussion elucidates how disability is often mythologized, serving as a plot device, a form of punishment, or a metaphor for passive heroism and comedic relief. Thus, it reveals significant distortions that strengthen societal prejudices of labelling disabled people as "other" and hinder their inclusion in mainstream society. Furthermore, gender roles within a patriarchal society are explored, highlighting how disabled female protagonists are marginalized and confined to roles of dependency and pity. The paper also critiques the romanticization and misunderstanding surrounding disability treatment and remedies portrayed in Bangladeshi films that establish able-bodied norms and overshadow the agency of disabled individuals. Therefore, it calls for a more authentic and inclusive representation of disability in Bangladeshi films.
Social Science Review, 2023
The years 1948-1952 were pivotal for the history of Bangladesh. The question of what would be the... more The years 1948-1952 were pivotal for the history of Bangladesh. The question of what would be the state language was raised by the people of this country. Muslim leaders in Pakistan, at the time, believed that Urdu should be the state language because it had become recognized as the cultural symbol of sub-continental Muslims. However, most of Pakistan's population, the Bengalis of eastern Pakistan, to whom Urdu was a foreign language, considered it a ploy by the West Pakistanis to colonize East Pakistan. Protests erupted across East Pakistan after the then Prime Minister of Pakistan replaced Bangla as the state language with Urdu. On February 21, 1952, a student protest resulted in the deaths of some students by police. The language movement drew Bengalis' attention to their collective aspirations to create a new nation and nationalist identity, leading them to fight for an imagined sovereign state, Bangladesh. Against the backdrop of our language movement, Fagun Haway (In Spring Breeze, 2019), a film by Tauquir Ahmed, captures the anecdotes of Pakistani repression towards Bengalis by portraying the nationalist consciousness and identity approaches of this nation. Employing the concept of nationalism and the historical development of our identity approaches, this paper shows that Ahmed displays the coexistence of Bengali and Muslim identity approaches as well as the contentious relationship between these two approaches inside our nationalism at that time. Besides, Bengaliness is viewed as the dominating approach when the debate over the state language turns into a divisive political one and a fight for our very existence.
Uploads
Papers by Reffat Ferdous
Journal Article by Reffat Ferdous