Humayun Ahmed’s daughter, Sheila Ahmed, took to Facebook on Monday to state her astonishment at how a film was made based on her father’s book ‘Debi’, without her or her siblings’ permission.“Debi… Saw in the newspapers that ‘Debi’ is going to be released in India first. It really doesn’t matter to me whether it gets released in India or in Bangladesh first. What I want to know is who gave the permission for its adaptation? We, the four siblings, did not. How did this film get the government’s grant without our permission? How was it adapted into a film? And how is it getting released?
It is very sad yet true that after Humayun Ahmed’s death everything of his is rightfully his wife’s and children’s. It might upset a lot of distinguished people to know that we, the four siblings, are Humayun Ahmed’s children too! There is no reason to think that we don’t have any legal rights just because we are not saying ‘Humayun Ahmed Humayun Ahmed’ on television or giving statements about him at different events or giving flowers at his death or birth anniversary!
We have 100% legal rights to give our decisions on whether or not our father’s writings can be translated or adapted into film or TV drama. And the ‘distinguished people of the society,’ who are making films based on Humayun Ahmed’s writings, also have 100% duty to take permissions from each of his adult heirs.
If you think you can’t take this hassle as you are ‘distinguished people,’ and it is not possible for you to go door to door of the unknown heirs, then please kindly find a writer’s novel who has been married once! That is not so hard to find!”
Directed by Anam Biswas, the film “Debi” stars Jaya Ahsan, Chanchal Chowdhury, and Animesh Aich, reports internet.
