Film director · Bangladesh
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (born May 2, 1973) is a Bangladeshi filmmaker, screenwriter and producer known for his contemporary and socially focused approach to cinema. He gained recognition with films such as *Bachelor*, *Made in Bangladesh*, *Third Person Singular Number*, *Television*, *Doob: No Bed of Roses*, and *Saturday Afternoon*. He is also associated with the Chabial filmmakers' movement, which helped introduce new styles to Bangladeshi television and cinema.
Wikimedia CommonsBiography
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki was born on May 2, 1973, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He grew up in Nakhalpara, an environment that he has identified as an important influence on his storytelling and filmmaking. He became interested in cinema during his youth and was influenced by international filmmakers and film movements.
Farooki began his career in television and directed the drama Waiting Room in 1999. He subsequently became known for television dramas, telefilms and serials before moving more prominently into feature filmmaking. His first feature film, Bachelor, was released in 2004 and explored relationships and the experiences of urban young people in a socially conservative environment.
His second feature, Made in Bangladesh, followed in 2007. The film used political satire to comment on contemporary Bangladeshi society and received a Special Mention at the 2008 Dhaka International Film Festival.
Farooki's international profile grew with Third Person Singular Number (2009), which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and was subsequently screened at international festivals. His later films included Television, Ant Story, Doob: No Bed of Roses, and Saturday Afternoon. His work frequently explores urban life, relationships, social pressures, identity and tensions between individual freedom and social expectations.
Farooki also became associated with Chabial, a group of Bangladeshi filmmakers and television creators whose work contributed to changes in the country's television and visual storytelling. His filmmaking has been described as part of Bangladesh's newer wave of cinema.
In 2010, Farooki married actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha. He later made his acting debut in Something Like an Autobiography, a film connected to Chorki's Ministry of Love project. The film premiered at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival.
Farooki also served as Adviser for Cultural Affairs in Bangladesh's interim government from November 2024 until February 2026. During that period, he continued to be discussed both for his filmmaking career and for his work in the cultural affairs portfolio.
Did you know?
Did you know that Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's feature-film *Third Person Singular Number* premiered at the 2009 Busan International Film Festival and later received an international festival run, helping bring his filmmaking to a wider global audience?
