Bangladeshi director's film focuses on Eklavya

New Delhi: What has the Eklavya-Dronacharya story from the Mahabharata got to do with a Santhal tribal village in a remote mountain of Bangladesh in modern times?

Well, a lot, as critically-acclaimed Bangladeshi director Abu Sayeed finds out in his award-winning feature film Rupantar (Transformation) to be shown in the Third Eye Film Festival in Mumbai later this month.

The film, the sole entry chosen from Bangladesh, will be screened in the Spectrum section of the Festival.

Rupantar, Sayeed's fourth feature film after Nirontor, Sankhanad and Banshi follows film-in-a-film genre to transport the story of Dronacharya and his backward caste disciple Eklavya to a modern setting among the Santhals in Bangladesh.

Young filmmaker Arif played by Ferdaus, who is familiar with Tollywood films goes to a Santhal village to make a film titled Gurudakkhina, based on the tragedy of Eklavya trying to view Eklavya's sacrifice for his guru in the contemporary perspective.

As Arif and his crew go for outdoor shooting in the Santhal village, the director, while shooting a scene of Ekalavya's archery practice, is surprised when locals tell him that as per the Santhal tradition, the thumb is useless in archery. The Santhals use the index and the middle fingers instead.

Arif has always known that Dronacharya wanted Ekalavya to sacrifice the latter's  thumb, considered essential in archery, as his 'gurudakkhina'. Arif makes major changes in the plot of his film and even changes the title of the film to Rupantar

Sayeed, who had won an award at the Rotterdam  Film Festival 2007 for the script of this film, has right from his childhood been fascinated by the Eklavya story and wanted to make a film on the subject ever since he took to direction.

Impressive performances by veteran TV and film actor of Bangladesh Jayanta Chattopadhyay, Ferdaus Shakiba and Santal actor Jatem Tudu have helped Sayeed put together the film.

Rupantar had won the award for best film on tribals at the Bhopal International Film Festival in the year 2008 and won critical acclaim at different festivals in India, including Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata.