“Death is the great equalizer” — from ‘No Bed of Roses’

When I spent time in Paris with the late Richard Lormand, a film publicist whose passion for world cinema was a constant inspiration to those who knew him, he spoke often about “Farooki” and his 2017 film ‘No Bed of Roses’. Richard had represented the Bangladeshi filmmaker’s previous work in festivals and was really saddened that his latest wasn’t featured in Venice. It starred Irrfan Khan, whom we both adored and had seen in Locarno the year before. Whenever Richard spoke of a film, it turned into something magical and I could not rest until I had watched it.

But, it would turn out, I would have to wait. A long while. Months passed, Richard left this earth and I tried to connect with Farooki on FB. But alas, he had “too many friends requests” the automated message generated as a reply. I craved to know this film, and find out more about a filmmaker I knew so little about, due to my own ignorance. But I’d have to wait some more.

Then one day, Farooki’s name appeared on my friends requests and I clicked “approve” faster than I could say “Yes!” The filmmaker, it turns out, loves Salvator Dali and has a wonderful way of interacting with his acquaintances on social media. He seems just as lovely as Richard said he was. But then again, Richard loved people who deserved to be loved.

It took me a while still to ask for ‘No Bed of Roses’ so I could watch it, and took even longer for me to actually find the courage to do so. Since our talks in Paris, not only had Richard passed, taking along with him my inspiration and enthusiasm for writing about cinema, but Irrfan as well. I was left with some great memories of both, a few photographs where my face betrayed the wonder I felt for both men and now I had this film. Could I muster up enough courage to watch it, and do it without crying the whole way through? Could I come out of a film about an artist’s life, the turmoil that builds up around him to attempt to destroy him, without feeling destroyed myself?

Well, the answer to the first question is yes, but to the second, my attempt to be as unemotional as possible during viewing the film was impossible — if you’re wondering. Farooki is a stunning filmmaker, his images and themes subtly beautiful and ‘No Bed of Roses’ is as much the story of an artist who pays for his art with his life as it is a film about true love. Which may not always turn out to be a bed of roses after all. Because even something as simple and pure as love can’t win in this crazy chaotic world of ours.

Irrfan is divine as protagonist Javed Hasan, a nod to late Bangladeshi filmmaker Humayun Ahmed. He was divine in the film. I’d like to think this was Irrfan’s swan song even if he probably filmed other productions after ‘No Bed of Roses’. And Farooki’s real life wife Nusrat Imrose Tisha is stunning and complex as the daughter Saberi. The film works on many levels but for me, personally, it provided the one answer to Richard’s untimely, way too early to be gone, passing: Farooki has a line in the film about how people pass away, “when they become irrelevant to the world, or the world becomes irrelevant to them.” The latter obviously applies, as I shudder to think what my friend would have thought of this world of ours, starting with the riots in Paris and all the way to having to lockdown for months in his beloved adoptive city.

I was glad to read about Farooki’s upcoming project this morning on Variety and how the legendary A. R. Rahman has come on board on ‘No Land’s Man’ as co-producer and composer. I can’t wait to watch Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his co-stars and once again, be wowed by Farooki’s vision and genius on the big screen. Yes, the big screen at some wonderful event somewhere in the world soon. You heard me right. Inshallah.