Under Construction (2015) User Reviews

Name defines all

[raiyan_hasan · 8/10 · 9 June 2021]

Everything is under construction.

Roya is a theatre actress, who believes in her own freedom, not interested in motherhood and traditional life. She plays a selfless character like Nandini in Rakta Karabi drama. After playing this character for a long time, it seems to her that this character isn't real enough. So, she tries to find Nandini in reality to reconstruct the character.

Great acting performance from Shahana goswami as roya and especially Rikina nandini shimu as moyna.

"You make my tears flow endlessly."

[morrison-dylan-fan · 6/10 · 17 March 2022]

After dipping into the waters by watching the delightful Aya (2021-also reviewed), I decided to continue my viewings at the online WOW Film Festival, by discovering what is under construction.

View on the film:

Closely working with sound editor Sujan Mahmud, writer/director Rubaiyat Hossain constructs urban Bangladesh on a Neo-Realist atmosphere, layering the great sound design with the bustling noise of people, traffic, and moments of early morning sounds of nature from the stilted calm, coming outside the apartment window of Roya (played with a raw, striking determination by Shahana Goswami.)

Adding a touch of zest near the end with a wonderful song, director Hossain & cinematographer Martina Radwan contrasts the blood red high emotion of the Red Oleanders, with warm, earthy pastel colours flowing over the refine wide-shots and elegant, weaving panning shots threading Roya and Moyna's individual self-discoveries together.

Watching on stage the director reveal that she is being replaced with a young hip starlet, the screenplay by Hossain takes a detailed character study of Roya, via peeling away the glamour she has become surrounded by, as Roya searches for her true desires under the skin.

Countering Roya's bourgeoisie luxuries, Hossain drills into the daily grind of life with Roya's maid Royma not having any of Roya's riches when she leaves work and returns to the industrial hum of urban Bangladesh being under construction.

Beautiful and Bold portrayal of reality

[patil_umesh · 10/10 · 26 December 2016]

Very much heartfelt and moved after watching a film 'Under Construction' by debut filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain. Loved creative use of Rabindranath Tagore's work. Plot structure reminded me Salesman by Asghar Farhadi. Both switch between play and film. Lives of men, women working in construction industry, garment industry in Bangladesh have turned so mechanical that nobody cares if anybody dies while building construction. Film centers around character Roya, theatre artist, aspiring for her identity as theatre director by setting her own Company. Film has many shades of events, emotions adorned with astounding music and shows current day picture of society.