'Boli' to represent BD at 97th Oscars

Bangladesh has officially selected award-winning 'Boli' (The Wrestler) to compete in the 'Best International Feature Film Category' at the 97th Oscars, reports UNB.

Boli is the first Bangladeshi film that has achieved prestigious accolade at the Busan International Film Festival last year.

The film, directed by Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, was unanimously selected on October 1 by the seven-member Oscar Bangladesh Committee led by eminent director Matin Rahman, to represent Bangladesh under the 'Best International Feature Film' category at the 97th Oscars, scheduled to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States in March next year.

Produced by Piplu R Khan, Saiful Azim and Gausul Alam Shaon, the National Film Award winning actor Nasir Uddin Khan-starrer film is made as a homage to the traditional 'Boli game of Jobbar' ('Jobbar er Boli Khela') in Chottagram, a local wrestling game and a long-standing cultural tradition in the country.

Featuring a group of exceptionally talented stage artistes from Chottagram and Dhaka including AKM Itmam, Priyam Archi, Angel Noor, Tahadil Ahmed and more, the story of 'Boli' revolves around an elderly, rugged fisherman from a remote coastal village of Banshkhali in Chattogram, played by Nasir, who challenges a Boli to a match as he looks to reestablish his position in the society.

Production of the film took place in the coastal areas of Chattogram during April and May of 2022.