‘Thanda Gosht 2.0’ wraps Dhaka shoot, enters post-production in the US

A new Bangladeshi short film inspired by the literary legacy of renowned South Asian writer Sadat Hasan Manto has completed principal photography and entered post-production.

Titled "Thanda Gosht 2.0", the film is jointly produced and directed by filmmaker duo Shah Newaz Khan Cju and Sumaiya Arju Muhu.

Filming took place across multiple locations in Dhaka on June 21, with actors Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, Sumon Anwar, Aniyah Abdiyah Tasnim, Fatema Tuz Johra Eva, and Sifat Bonya in lead roles.

According to the filmmakers, "Thanda Gosht 2.0" is neither a remake nor a direct adaptation of Manto's iconic short story "Thanda Gosht".Instead, it is a contemporary and independent work inspired by recurring themes in Manto's writing, including violence, moral conflict, guilt, and the darker dimensions of human psychology. The story explores personal crime, guilt, and the devastating impact such actions can have on a family.

Reflecting on the project, director Shah Newaz Khan Cju said, “Seventy-six years ago, Sadat Hasan Manto exposed the brutal realities of society through ‘Thanda Gosht’. Sadly, many of those realities remain unchanged today. Women were unsafe during the violence and communal tensions surrounding Partition, and they continue to face violence in our society. The recent rape and murder of Ramisa, along with countless other cases of violence against women and children, deeply affected me and became one of the driving forces behind this film.”

He also shared, “I have carried this story with me for nearly six years. Like Manto, we are trying to confront the uncomfortable truths hidden within our time and society through an honest, uncensored, and uncompromising cinematic language.”

Actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed described her role in the film as one of the most emotionally demanding experiences of her career.

“Portraying the character's psychological conflict was an incredibly heavy experience. The anger, helplessness, and emotional paralysis that define her journey stayed with me throughout the shoot. It felt similar to the haunting emotional landscape of Jibanananda Das's poem ‘Bodh’—a dark and unsettling feeling that lingered long after filming had ended,” she said.
The film's cinematography was handled by Raihan Uddin, while Shah Tushar served as creative producer. Editing is currently underway in the United States under the supervision of editor Rashaduzzaman Sohag.

Cju's previous one-shot short film, "Not a Fiction", which explores extrajudicial killings during the previous regime, received international recognition. The film was selected for three Oscar-qualifying and two Canadian Screen Awards-qualifying film festivals. It also won the Best Super Short Film award at the Prague Film Festival 2025 and was later featured on the international streaming platform MUBI.

Meanwhile, Cju and Muhu's documentary "Climate Refugee of Bangladesh" won the Best Cinematography award at the Weekend Film Challenge Dhaka, organised by Short Film Lab Qatar and US-based LNG company Excelerate Energy.

Co-director Sumaiya Arju Muhu said the film was developed with a strong sense of responsibility toward its subject matter. “Our society has never been an easy place for women. As a woman, understanding the psychological realities of these characters and the silent pain they carry within was one of the greatest challenges for me. We approached this film with the utmost sensitivity and sense of responsibility, striving to portray these experiences in a truthful and credible way,” she said.

She also shared, “It was important for us to ensure that the film would not send the wrong message in any way. Instead, our focus was on creating a work that encourages audiences to reflect on the uncomfortable yet necessary realities that exist within our society.”

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Following the completion of post-production, "Thanda Gosht 2.0" is expected to begin its international festival run before being released on selected digital platforms.