Cannes 2022: Shyam Benegal's 'Mujib: The Making of a Nation' trailer unveiled at festival

Cannes Film Festival 2022 is surely a special one for India as it is the first time that the country has been designated as the Country of Honour. While Deepika Padukone is one of the jury members at the festival this year, a delegation of 11 members from the Indian film industry also graced the event's red carpet, led by India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur. While the film festival becomes a talking point for India, there is also good news for Bangladeshi audiences ahead of the release of the much-awaited Shyam Benegal film Mujib: The Making Of A Nation. 

As per a report by ANI, the film's trailer was unveiled at the India Pavillion at Cannes 2022. The 90-second trailer was launched in the presence of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Bangladesh's Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud. The trailer provided a sneak peek into the story of the founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and left the attendees impressed.

Shyam Benegal's message for viewers at Cannes 2022

Shyam Benegal could not make it to Cannes, yet he sent this message to the viewers at the trailer launch event. The filmmaker expressed his gratitude to the actors and technicians of both India and Bangladesh, who have been a part of the project.

In his message, he said, "This is an Indo-Bangladesh co-production... first of its kind actually. This is a very important film because I personally think that I got the opportunity to work with some of the best actors of the subcontinent."

He further shared his thoughts about Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and mentioned how he had a great time working on the project. Benegal said, "Sheikh Mujibur was an extraordinary person.. he was a person who had a very middle-class background and lived a simple life but he had a burning ambition that helped him create Bangladesh. It was absolutely marvellous working on the film." He also assured that the upcoming film will be ready before the end of this year.

Anurag Thakur was left impressed by the film's trailer and expressed his views. The leader called the film a "gift on the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Ji." He further cited the movie as an example of good neighbourly ties. He also mentioned how the film complements the work of the two countries. Towards the conclusion, he extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina for the initiative.

The Indian Embassy of France also complimented the film's trailer and called it a milestone in the two countries' friendship. Taking to Twitter, the embassy wrote, "Another milestone in the friendship -trailer of the film "Mujib–The Making of a Nation" launched @Festival_Cannes, a co-production, in the august presence of Ministers @ianuragthakur & Dr. Hasan Mahmud."

India at Cannes 2022

Image: Twitter/@IndiaembFrance