Forgotten Memory or Hidden Identity?: Analyzing Krishnendu Chattopadhyay’s Jinnah Is Dead
More than fifty years have passed
since Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan, yet certain communities in
the country continue to face socially constructed barriers that affect their
identity and belonging.
Among them, the Biharis, though
legally recognized as Bangladeshi citizens, are often excluded from full social
acceptance by the native Bengali population. Bangladeshi
media has increasingly highlighted their struggles, and the short film Jinnah
is Dead, part of Bangladesh's first anthology film, Sincerely Yours,
Dhaka, vividly depicts the intense identity crisis of a Bihari man
attempting to conceal his origins while navigating conflicts within his own
community. This paper examines the historical and socio-cultural factors that
have marginalized the Biharis from 1971 to the present, exploring the
psychological and social consequences of this exclusion through famous works of
modern-day Bangladeshi filmmakers. Throughout the paper, the visual portrayal
of the Biharis suffering from identity crisis and the reason behind their
notion of unhomeliness will be discussed.
Keywords: Identity Crisis, Language, Liberation
War, Marginalization, Unhomeliness