A jinx holds sway

Anchored in reality

Kufa, literally meaning 'Jinx', is a 92-minute tele-film revolving around the age-old concept about a jinxed man because of who several mishaps, including deaths and a disease, break out in the village. The villagers would taunt Nitai, the jinx, and the street children would make fun of him and throw pebbles at him. This film was premiered recently at the Russian Cultural Centre. The audience was responsive, particularly because the story was set within their own surroundings.

Nitai, played by Sanjeevan Shikhdar, was orphaned at a very young age. He grew up working at the home of the village head. Because of the everyday taunts and the acquired nick name Kufa given by the villagers, Nitai at one point blames himself for the death of an official, whose body is found floating on the river. Nitai had foreseen this tragic event the day before it actually happened.

Suddenly, Nitai gets hit by an unknown disease, which spreads amongst the villagers, causing unexplainable sicknesses. Even though Nitai recovers eventually, a number of deaths occur in the village, which leads the villagers to drive Nitai out of the village. Eventually, Nitai runs away and leaves his home due to the superstitious beliefs and goes on hoping for life to accept him and his unusual clairvoyant ability.

Kufa was written and directed by Animesh Aich, a young student of the Art College, also a member of the theatre group Prachyanat. A mix of flute music, violin harmony and occasional dhol were used in the background music which was done by yet another popular actor and musician of Prachyanat, Rahul Anand. Actors and actresses in the film included Dilara Zaman, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, Azad Abul Kalam, Sweety, Sanjeevan Shikhdar, Shakhawat Hussain Rezvi, Monowar Kabir, Lara Lotus and Runa Khan.