Leesa Gazi Adapts Tagore's 'Shasti' with Pori Moni in Lead Role

Bangladeshi filmmaker Leesa Gazi is set to helm “Shasti” (Punishment), a contemporary adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore‘s 1893 short story, with an international production lineup backing the project. The psychological drama stars Pori Moni, Chanchal Chowdhury, Aanon Siddiqua and Arka Das in lead roles, with Kazi Ruma and Kamrunnahar Munni in supporting roles. Production is slated to begin in Dhaka this October and November. Drawing from Tagore’s source material, the film follows the mysterious death of influencer Lucky, allegedly at the hands of her sister-in-law Meera, which triggers a media frenzy. As a rigged trial unfolds, the narrative explores themes of family secrets, betrayal and manipulation within a city hungry for punishment. The project marks Gazi’s second fiction feature following “A House Named Shahana,” which made history as Bangladesh’s first woman-directed submission for the Academy Awards’ best international feature category at the 98th edition. Komola Collective, Sanat Initiative, Awedacious Originals, Goopy Bagha Productions, Screenxcope Australia and Black & White Workshop Inc. are producing. Gazi produces alongside Abid Aziz Merchant, Apoorva Bakshi and Arifur Rahman. Sakib Iftekhar and Rainbow Fong serve as co-producers, with Faisal Gazi and Tulip Kabir as executive producers and Abbas Nokhasteh and Kazi Ruma as co-executive producers. The creative team features Gazi and Siddiqua on the original story, with screenplay by Gazi, Siddiqua and Sadia Khalid Reeti. Alex Unai serves as cinematographer, Tania Rahman as casting director and line producer, Nahid Masud on on-location sound, Rasheed Sharif Shoaib handling background score and sound design, Sharmin Doza as script supervisor and Raza Sumit Rahman as Maizbhandari song music director. “I have been trying to understand the time we are living in, and this film emerged from that urgency and restlessness,” Gazi said. “It lives in contrast: between timelines, between perception and reality on actual and virtual life, between what’s seen and what’s kept hidden. It reflects on truth, justice, and the continuous battles fought in silence by many. Making this film is both a reckoning and a search for hope.” Merchant added: “‘Shasti’ (Punishment), a modern-day interpretation of Tagore’s short story, will not only leave a lasting impact on the audience but will inspire change through its powerful narrative.” Bakshi said: “Working with Leesa Gazi on this adaptation of Tagore’s ‘Shasti’ has been creatively exhilarating. She has an instinctive understanding of character, silence, and moral tension; qualities essential to translating Tagore’s world into cinema. This script is shaping into something truly special, one that honors the emotional complexity of the original while boldly reimagining it for our times.” Rahman added: “I always choose the filmmaker before the film. Leesa Gazi is a powerful filmmaker who challenges society through her empathetic storytelling. I can bet on her – this is our second journey together. ‘Shasti’ will be one of the most intense psychological dramas of our time, and I’m incredibly excited to be on board.” A previous adaptation of the story, directed by Chashi Nazrul Islam, was released in Bangladesh in 2004. Iftekhar said: “‘Shasti’ offers an unflinching examination of how power, gender and mental health collide with public judgement in contemporary society without offering false resolution. While the film draws inspiration from Tagore, it’s firmly rooted in the visceral reality of present-day Dhaka and speaks to a global landscape shaped by surveillance, social media volatility and institutional silence.” Fong added: “‘Shasti’ is a rare gem, an emotional plunge that combines captivating cinematic elements with true values. I am positive that the film will resonate with the audience at large and generate support from film festivals worldwide. As one of the co-producers of ‘Shasti’, I am thrilled with the script and how the tale is told. I am eager to see how Leesa Gazi is taking this classic fable in its modernity to the next level.”