Heads-up: Gun violence and a shooting death, Ageism and sexism in the film industry (shown and criticised, not endorsed), Workplace coercion: an exploitative contract and a producer grabbing a young actress's wrist, Smear campaigns, including forged rumours about mental health, Gambling and debt, A brief mention of a family member's dialysis.
Dhaka (FDC, Tejgaon) · 1995 Dhallywood
Mahorot Shot
Lights. Clap. One padlocked makeup room.
- 6-12 players
- about 2.5 hrs
- Expert
$7.99
one price for the whole party · about $0.67 a guest at 12
The night
- FDC, Dhaka
- 1995
- 21:00
At a film launch staged for the press, nobody heard the shot.
When16 November 1995. The mahorot shot rolls at 21:00.
WhereFDC, Tejgaon: a plywood zamindar bari and a press shamiana.
What went wrong21:15: the producer found dead. Nobody heard the shot.
12 guests. 12 reasons. The thana jeep takes only one.
Read the full story (1 min)
FDC, Tejgaon, November 1995. Load-shedding has swallowed half of Dhaka, but the generators roar over a plywood zamindar bari. The milad is over, the roshogolla has gone round twice, and the producer has promised the press a mahorot like no other: the film's climactic gunfight, shot live at 21:00.
He quarrelled with half the floor tonight: money, fees, contracts, songs, columns. At 20:45 a spot boy found him alive, shouting into his Citycell. At 21:15 his wife opened the same door and screamed. Blanks, crackers and a band drowned everything; nobody heard the shot.
The jeep from Tejgaon thana is stuck behind a michil at Karwan Bazar. The tea stall whispers 'smuggling money'. But a dozen people had a reason, and some slipped away from the crowd. Until the jeep arrives, nobody leaves.
The suspects
Trust no one
Mitali Das
The Continuity Hawk
Photographs every button and churi on set, and will tell you your collar flipped.
Motive
Continuity assistant on his film who stood to lose her job over any mistake
Faisal Kabir
The Action Hero's Last Chance
Five flops in a row, and he still practises his dialogue on every passing tea boy.
Motive
Hero of the film who stood to lose lakhs of taka in unpaid fees
Abdul Jabbar 'Jabbar Ostad'
The Makeup Ostad
Has seen every star in Dhaka without eyebrows and hums Nazrul-geeti through every crisis.
Motive
Makeup man on his floors for fifteen years who stood to lose steady work
Rumana Akter 'Rumi'
The New Face from Rajshahi
Won a new-faces contest last year and still says thank you to the lighting stands.
Motive
Newcomer bound by his five-film contract who stood to lose her freedom for years
Kamrul Hasan
The Shy Maestro
Hums his old hits under his breath and will hand you a cassette whether you asked or not.
Motive
Music director of the film who stood to lose his job to younger rivals
Haji Mofizur Rahman
The Reluctant Financier
Bankrolled the biggest picture of the year and still hasn't figured out which end is the camera.
Motive
Financier of the film who stood to lose his forty trucks to Dubai lenders
SI Nurul Islam Bhuiyan
The Self-Appointed Inspector
Off duty, moustache on duty, and appointed himself in charge before anyone else could.
Motive
Off-duty sub-inspector hired as corridor guard who stood to lose face on his watch
Dilruba Talukdar
The Composed Hostess of Gulshan
Hosts every Gulshan premiere party and has never once been seen to lose her temper.
Motive
Wife of eighteen years who stood to gain his production house and its debts
Rubina Haque
The Poison Pen of Pordar Arale
Sunglasses after dark, a handbag like a suitcase, and a 'darling' that ends careers.
Motive
Gossip columnist he quarrelled with last week who stood to gain a big scoop
Anjuman Ara
The Eternal Screen Mother
Has wept 'Baba!' in 200 films and still notices who took the last roshogolla.
Motive
Screen-mother in nine of his films who stood to lose thousands in unpaid fees
Shirin Sultana
The Evergreen Queen
Forty films, one National Award, and she waves to fans who aren't even there yet.
Motive
Leading lady of six of his hits who stood to lose her crown tonight
Abul Kalam 'Kalam bhai'
The Armourer of Lalbagh
Will explain any prop on any floor, at length, with diagrams on a cigarette packet.
Motive
Armourer hired for the gunfight who stood to lose his name after twenty-five years
Swipe for more, tap Motive to see why each one is a suspect. Every guest gets one of these characters.