Cast: Novera Rahman, Champa, Allen Shubhro, Siam Ahmed
Director: Amitabh Reza Chowdhury
Writer: Shabari Z. Ahmed
Duration: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Genre: Drama, girl-empowerment
In India, Naima (Novera Rahman) resides in what you may call the slums. Although Naima's father, a rickshaw driver, provides for the family financially, she makes every effort to assist. She is an excellent painter and her passion, but her talent doesn't allow her to support her family, so she works as hard as she can to make ends meet.
Then, one day, Naima's father becomes ill, leaving Naima in charge of taking care of everyone. She is aware of how to make the greatest money, though, if only she were allowed to.
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury's drama Rickshaw Girl was produced by Mitali Perkins, with a screenplay by Shabari Z. Ahmed. A timeless tale whose synopsis could make you think of Twelfth Night, however Rickshaw Girl isn't quite the high concept comedy of errors that viewers might be anticipating.
Instead, filmmaker Chowdhury takes his time to depict Naima's life and the positive aspects of her environment. India is frequently portrayed as a destitute nation where danger lurks around every turn, but Rickshaw Girl presents a softer side of the country.
However, this also implies that Rickshaw Girl doesn't feel like something more substantial, but rather like an image of India painted like in Naima's artwork. There certainly isn't enough information to convince the audience that Naima's passion of art and the misogyny that permeates the workplace are actual issues.
What they receive is a portrayal of India that might have easily been created for the Indian tourist board. This is due to the fact that, despite the fact that India appears to have its issues, it is demonstrated to be not all that horrible if you stop to smell the roses.
Rickshaw Girl, although not quite Slumdog Millionaire and mercifully not The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, nonetheless has the vibe of a film intended for a group of people who want to visit India but have never been. There are very little attempts to truly engage the audience in the tale, and it only goes as far as the surface. Maybe not a movie to sink your teeth into, but one to hang on the wall.
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