Bengal Boy Bags Award At Greece Festival

Arif Shaikh, a nine-year-old actor won the best young actor award in the Child's Performance (Boy) category at the 24th Olympia International Film Festival in Greece.

Shaikh's mother is a housewife and his father works at a brick kiln. Arif is the first one to go to school. Arif has portrayed the character of Safikul in the feature. The film showcases the aftermath of Babri demolition and the subsequent Bombay blasts.

Prasun Chaterjee who is debuting as a director with the move told The Indian Express, "The film shows true friendship between two innocent boys who are untouched by the Babri Masjid demolition and the following Bombay blasts. It shows the bond between eight-year-old Palash (Asik Shaikh) and Safikul (Arif Shaikh), who aren't affected by the religion they follow or the society they belong to".

In the movie, Prasun has explored the friendship, loss and healing in a border village of Bengal as the film captures the friendship of two friends in Murshidabad district's Domkal village, separated from Bangladesh by the Padma river.

Prasun while recalling how he cast Arif said that he was in search of Safikul and visited every primary school but was unable to find the right talent. One day, when he was packing to return to Kolkata, an angry nine-year-old came knocking at the door. It was Arif, who was absent at school when Prasun visited and later his friend Asik told him that he got selected for the film and the director was looking for another actor.

Prasun added, "As I opened the door, he immediately asked, 'Are children being cast in films here?' I said, yes. Then he said, 'I am a child and I want to act, just call your director.' I politely asked him to come inside. He was very angry and said, 'I don't have much time; I have to go to play with my friends, please call your director.' When I told him that I was the director he said "you don't look like."

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