TEHRAN – Iran and Bangladesh are co-producing a thriller named “Nirvana” set in Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey, a public relations team announced on Saturday.

Morteza Atashzamzam, the Iranian director of “Buddha’s Shame” about Rohingya refugees, is helming the project.

Chotku Ahmed is the writer of the screenplay. The film is about a Bangladeshi policeman who is assigned to free a number his compatriots who have been taken captive by a gang of drug traffickers working in Afghanistan, Turkey and Europe. He arrives in Iran to get some help from Iranian police and Interpol in his mission.

“This film is a true co-production between Iran and Bangladesh, because all the members of the crew and cast have been selected equally from both countries,” Atashzamzam said.

Bangladeshi actor and producer Ananta Jalil and his colleagues Barsha and Sumon Faruk are also collaborating in this project.

Majdi Machmouchi, the Lebanese actor of acclaimed movies such as “Out of Life” and “A Man of Honor”, also star in the film.

Iranian members of the cast include Amir-Hossein Seddiq, Mohammadreza Hedayati, Hassan Aklili and Mohammad Fili.

The director of Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation, Alireza Tabesh, has recently met the cast and crew on location In Iran.

“Reports on this co-production have been warmly received in Bangladesh and I hope the film becomes a box office hit in Iran convincing the countries to carry out more joint projects,” he said at the meeting.  

Shooting on location in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Iran has been completed and the crew will soon be in Turkey to take the rest of the scenes.

Atashzamzam’s “Buddha’s Shame” was screened at the 17th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh in January 2019.

Photo: Mohammad Fili (L) and Amir-Hossein Seddiq act in a scene from “Nirvana”.

MMS/YAW