Not a biopic of legendary actor Salman Shah, nor a film exploring the mystery surrounding his death, Love 96 instead tells the story of the frenzy, emotion and devotion that swept across Bangladesh among his fans in the 1990s. Directed by young filmmaker Ivan Mallik, the film is set to hit cinemas nationwide on September 4.
According to the director, the film will be released two days before the 30th death anniversary of Salman Shah. The popular actor died on September 6, 1996, at the age of just 24. Love 96 seeks to portray the deep grief and emotions that engulfed his fans following his death.
The film received an uncut certificate from the Bangladesh Film Certification Board on May 10. Director Ivan Mallik said the film contains nothing controversial, noting that it received an uncut certificate and praise from the board. Instead, it focuses on the emotions and frenzy of Salman Shah’s fans and attempts to revisit the atmosphere of the 1990s.
The story recreates familiar aspects of life in the 1990s—watching favourite programmes on battery-powered black-and-white televisions, pooling money to rent VCRs for overnight movie screenings, collecting view cards, listening to music on cassette players and waiting for favourite programmes on the radio. These memories of a bygone era form the backdrop of the story.
Salman Shah emerged like a comet in the Bangla film industry during that period. With his acting, style, personality and romantic screen presence, he quickly became a favourite among audiences. His sudden death plunged the entire country into mourning. Unable to cope with the loss of their beloved star, some fans even took their own lives.
Love 96 centres on the emotions of that era, the frenzy surrounding Salman Shah and the life of one of his die-hard fans.
Produced by Md Jasim Uddin under the banner of Raisa Films, the movie marks the big-screen debut of the new pairing of Aryan Khan and Purnota. The cast also includes Shiba Sanu, Sanjida Mila, Tamal Mahbub, Rebecca Rauf, Arman Khan, Priya, DJ Sohel, Rubel Rana and Simanta Khandaker.
Ivan Mallik said the two newcomers were selected through auditions, with assistance from the Directors’ Association.
“Love 96 is a commercial romantic-action film. Audiences will experience plenty of suspense and excitement. I believe every Salman Shah fan will find some part of their own emotions in this film,” he said.
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