It’s just another day at sea for a boatful of fishermen. Seven men, led by Chaan Manjhi, haul fish out of the sea, keep the engine running, clean the nets – regular stuff, if a bit tempered by an ugly spat between Chaan and one of his employees. That’s until the catch yields a woman.
It’s bad luck to have women on boats, the superstitious fishermen say. But Gulti (Nazifa Tushi) is a stunner. Better still, she is mute, submissive, and doesn’t mind being around the men grateful for a distraction. Bangladeshi director Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Hawa explores the trouble and temptation that arrive on board the vessel along with Gulti. Chaan Manjhi, in particular, wants to keep Gulti all for himself, but fate has other plans.
Gulti, sexualised by the collective gaze of the men and glamourised by the film’s makers, is perched halfway between fantasy and reality. Is she an incarnation of a sea spirit or a vulnerable woman in need of protection?
The dynamic between the men, deftly established before Gulti turns up, undergoes a sea change after her appearance. Even nature seems to be singing a different tune, suggesting to the alarmed fishermen that the prophecy about unlucky women might be true after all.
Hawa was a huge success in Bangladesh upon its release in 2022. The movie is part of a host of recent Bangladeshi productions that have wowed international audiences with their assured filmmaking and strong performances. Hawa is now available in India on the SonyLIV streaming service.
While Hawa is a technical feat and has a slew of powerful actors, including Chanchal Chowdhury as Chaan Manjhi, it also suffers from indulgence and an overstretched runtime. The 131-minute movie is going swimmingly well before it decides to jump genres from sexual psychodrama to slasher thriller.
Having skillfully set up the tension between the characters, Sumon appears unwilling to move ahead. Far too many sequences are devoted to the interplay between the men and Gulti. The later portions are equally stretched out.
Stripped of its bloat, there is a sharp study here of the encounter between primordial forces and human will. The compelling performances, and the skill with which Sumon and cinematographers Kamrul Hasan Khosru and Tanveer Ahmed Shovon map every corner of the boat, ensures that Hawa stays steady even when it appears to be sinking.
