Bangladesh’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film, Leesa Gazi’s ‘Barir Naam Shahana’, is set to stream on OTT platform iScreen, although the streaming date has yet to be announced.

The film marks Gazi’s directorial debut and was selected as Bangladesh’s submission in the international feature film category at the 98th Academy Awards. However, it did not secure a nomination.

Based on Gazi’s 2011 novel, ‘Barir Naam Shahana’ is set in rural Bangladesh in the 1990s and follows Dipa, a young woman who is forced into marriage with a widower living in England.

After facing abuse in the marriage, Dipa divorces her husband and returns to Bangladesh. She then pursues her dream of becoming a doctor while confronting the patriarchal attitudes of the society around her. The film traces her journey towards independence amid these challenges.

Produced by Komola Collective and Goopy Bagha Productions Limited, the film stars Aanon Siddiqua as Dipa. The cast also includes Lutfur Rahman George, Iresh Zaker, Kazi Ruma, Kamrun Nahar Munni, Mugdhota Morshed Riddhi, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, Naila Azad, Arif Islam, Naimur Rahman Apon and Jayanta Chattopadhyay.