The film Guerrilla (2011) is based on the occurrences of 1971's Bangladesh Liberation War. It is also an adaptation of a novel called 'Nishiddho Loban' which is written by Syed Shamsul Huq. It got released on the first day of Bengali New Year, 14 April 2011. The movie is directed by Nasiruddin Yousuf Bachchu.
This movie goes back to the brutal night of 25 March 1971. The heinous military act by the Pakistan Army, named 'Operation Searchlight' killed the innocent people of Bangladesh indiscriminately who supported democracy. This was just a beginning of the worst genocide and the harsh crime against humanity.
You cannot start watching the movie without feeling a rage and a feeling of depression at the same time thinking about the atrocity of that night.
One of the Bangladeshi leading actresses Joya Ahsan plays the role of Bilkis, wife of Hasan Ahmed, a journalist of the country who disappeared while he was on his way to work. Since the movie focuses on the female role, it would be suffice to say that Joya Ahsan does a remarkable job.
Bilkis aka Joya Ahsan gets herself involved as a confederate to the guerrilla operations. She does not let her personal loss affect her. She endures her pain and chooses the risky path to fight for our liberation. She joins other guerrilla fighters such as Kazi Kamal, Shahadat, Alam, Fateh Ali, Maya, Fateh Ali. They all are operating in Dhaka. The movie breaks barriers by showcasing a women character being so strong and fight for the country.
Very often in war movies audience usually see the focus being on male fighters. Here in Guerrila, it tells the story of a woman fighter. Bilkis is shown to participate in dangerous operations which were successful. The movie not only projects a woman's role in the Liberation War but it also projects the role very strongly.
It strongly portrays that she did not have to be dependent on anyone. Her parents are killed and she is longing to meet her brother. When her brother dynamites a railway nothing could stop her from reaching to her brother. She even starts walking.
On her way a member of her brother's fighting group named Siraj becomes her companion. The only family member she has is also captured by Pakistani Army. He is slaughtered. Again, along with the brutality of Pakistani Army the movie beautifully shows how much a woman is capable of enduring and fighting.
The movie shows a part of the Liberation War that is usually not talked about. It is the struggles of the people who lost their dear ones at that time. In the process of glorifying the freedom fighters, we often forget about them.
The movie is also different in a way because it shows the struggled ones did not just sit there mourning. Here it shows Bilkhis enters the killing fields of occupants in order to see her brother's body. She risks her life and is captured by the Pakistani Army.
Even then she does not surrender. She does not let them rape her. She knows she is going to be killed anyway. She blows herself up and kills herself. This will always be a striking message shown in Bangladeshi war movie that what important for us during 1971 was our honour.
The movie keeps the lead role away from rape experience. Though there are plenty of cases where Pakistani Army raped our women. However, in Guerrilla the female role is not raped but she fights. She fights till the end.
The movie overall is successful portraying the heinous acts done by Pakistani Army and initiating a sense of resistance towards atrocity through Bilkis' strength and persistence.
