Local dialect on screen: To use or not to use?
Mohammad Touqir Islam, Salahuddin Lavlu, Nawazish Ali Khan and Selina Hossain share their thoughts on the use of local dialects on screen
Directed by Mohammad Touqir Islam, the web series 'Shaaticup' was released on Chorki in January this year. The crime drama had a cast of 136 artistes and was based in the city of Rajshahi. But what the series did differently was all the dialogues were spoken in the regional dialect of the region.
The use of regional language in TV is nothing new. Regional dialects have been used in serials, dramas and advertisements. However, this is the first time this was done in a web series.
"The story of 'Shaaticup' is based in Rajshahi. If we had used any other dialect in the series, it would not have felt authentic. If I made a series in Barisal, I would definitely use Barisal's local language and not anything else," said Mohammad Touqir Islam to The Business Standard.
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Bangladesh has many unique localised dialects. Most films and series however avoid local languages, even if the story demands it, in order to make the content easier to understand for the masses. We asked Touqir if his audience faced any difficulties understanding 'Shaaticup'.
He said, "Films have a language of their own. It does not always matter what language is spoken on screen. We have included English and Bangla subtitles so no one will face difficulties in understanding what is being said."
Salauddin Lavlu, Mir Sabbir, Shamim Zaman, Sagar Jahan, and many other directors have used local dialects in their dramas. Many received acclaim for their authenticity, but some have also faced criticism.
Salahuddin Lavlu – director, actor, and President of the Director's Guild – said, "There was a time when I made films featuring dialects of Kushtia, Jessore and Pabna. My films 'Ronger Manush', 'Haar Kipte', 'Sakin Sarisuri' were appreciated by my audience. People still watch them on YouTube. The problem usually lies with how local dialects are portrayed on screen."
"Many use local dialects to bring in a comedic effect. And that is when a film is criticised. If I make a drama based on a village, then surely the characters won't be speaking in textbook Bangla. They'll speak in their native dialect. I try to use that to tell my story," he added.
Media personality Nawazish Ali Khan also shared his thoughts with The Business Standard. He said, "From what we know, the dialect of an area changes every 10 miles or so. What is spoken in Jessore does not match with Rajshahi, and Rajshahi does not match with Kushtia and so forth. But the truth is, we did not give our lives for local dialects. We gave it for Bangla."
"One or two characters speaking in a specific dialect is okay. But if the whole series is spoken in a foreign language, it becomes difficult to understand for anyone who is not from that particular place. Furthermore, local dialects are used for comedic effect by many filmmakers. I think this is belittling," he added.
Selina Hossain, writer and President of Bangla Academy, said, "I will accept the use of local dialects if it is used to portray an authentic representation of a certain region. But if the character lives in the city and speaks a different dialect, it will not be accepted by people in a good way."
"The dialect should fit the character. However, when making a film based in a village, it is still important to remember that some characters should speak Bangla. Not everyone uses local dialects to speak at all times. It will also help viewers understand the film better," she added.
Translated by Samarah Jannati Zamal and Nusrat Jahan Labonnayo
