Azad Abul Kalam

The television actor and theatre activist talks about his height phobia, his disappointments in life and about inviting Fidel Castro to his dream dinner
When were you the happiest?
When my son was born on
December 24, 1995
What is your greatest fear?
I have a height phobia
Who do you admire the most and why?
I can’t be specific about this because there
are so many people who I really admire
What is the trait you most
deplore in yourself?
Sudden bouts of anger that may bring
about dire consequences
What is your most favourite food?
I eat both halal and haram foods and do
not have any particular favourites
What is the food that you hate
the most?
I mostly hate fast food, especially
the McDonalds type of food items
Who would you like to invite to your
dream dinner party?
Fidel Castro
What is your greatest
disappointment in life?
There are so many disappointments in my life.
The one I recall most was an incident
during my first shoot in a television play.
Seeing me appear before the camera, the
cameraman walked away for a while. He
was disappointed to know that I was
an actor. He, however, returned later
When did you last cry and why?
I cry very often. So I can’t exactly remember
What or who is the greatest love
of your life?
It depends. I think the greatest love of my life
changed from time to time as my personality
and my dependency on others also
took different turns
Tell us a secret…
I fall in love every now and then
How do you want to be remembered?
That is something I bother about in the least.
While it is true that I want to slacken my
bond with acting, I really do not care
how people will remember me after my
death. May be time will determine that
Your birth date…
October 6

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Joya Ahsan

Joya Ahsan, who stepped into showbiz as a model, has completed a decade of acting. She has made her way to the top and cemented her position as an actress. Joya has also worked in a Bengali feature film, “Guerilla”. Her TV plays and tele-films aired on the last Eid were remarkable in terms of quality.
Directors, among others, opine that one of the reasons behind her success is that she has always been selective about the plot and the character of the plays she was offered.
Joya’s reputation as an actress is founded on the notable roles she played in “Kuhok”, “Labonyo Probha”, “Horton-er Bibi”, “Shonkhobash” and “Hatkura”. She has won wide recognition among TV viewers for her role as Monika in “Labonyo Probha”. Her acting skills can be gauged in Tauquir Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat’s play, “Shonkhobash”, in which she played the role of Pushpo.
‘Pushpo’, according to Joya, “is a bold character. She was brought up in a middle class, conservative family. She runs away from home after her father thrashes her for having an affair.” However, the role Joya played in “Hatkura” added yet another chapter in her career as a performer. Set in the outskirts of a village in Rangpur, the play was quite a challenge for Joya. “I had to learn the dialect of Rangpur for the role. Actually, I had never been to a village before that. And it was a completely new experience for me.”
On the ongoing serial “Choita Pagol” (aired on channel i), Joya plays the role of Alta, who is also a rural woman. Joya says, “Alta is one of my favourite characters. I liked playing the role.”
When asked about “Guerilla”, her debut on the big screen, Joya says that she is confident that the film will be a success. “I put a lot of effort into the role. The film is being edited now.”
Joya has also worked in Nurul Alam Atik’s digital film “Doobshatar”. The film has received mixed reviews but Joya’s performance has been lauded by all.
Joya embarked into showbiz with a TVC directed by Afzal Hossain. Her first TV play was “Panchami”. Now she has her own production house. Her greatest achievement, according to Joya, is that after 12 years of acting, her career is still blossoming.

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Moushumi

“I’m coming to FDC after an eight month break to act in “Ek Cup Cha” – a film which marks the debut of my good friend and fellow actor Ferdous as a producer. Shooting for the film is on at floor number nine,” said Moushumi.
Asked about her minimal movie appearances in recent times, the actress says it is time to move over for new aspirants. Her plan was to quit altogether, says Moushumi, but people close to her, including her husband Omar Sunny, convinced her otherwise.
Currently Moushumi has a full plate: as Chondromukhi in Chashi Nazrul Islam’s “Debdash”; the same director’s “Dui Purush” and Mohammad Mustafa Kamar Raj’s “Projapoti” are awaiting release, while Mushfiqur Rahman Gulzar’s “Kushum Kushum Prem” and Jahid’s “Jibon Jontrona” are in the final stages of their making. Moushumi says “Dui Purush” is an ATN Bangla production where Shoeb acts opposite her. Shakib Khan stars in “Debdash”, a Channel i film, while she pairs up with Zahid Hasan in the ntv production “Projapoti”. “Jibon Jontrona” is a state funded film and Ferdous stars in his own production “Ek Cup Cha”.
The actress does not regret her few appearances on the silver screen, rather she cherishes the chance to be closer to her family.
Despite appearances in over 150 films, Moushumi has only two directorial ventures to here credit: “Kokhono Megh Kokhono Brishti” and “Meher Negar”. She says directing is more difficult than acting and she has no immediate plans of trying her hands as a director. Moushumi has two movies from her production house Kopotakkho — “Goriber Rani” and “Bou-er Shomman”, with no future production plans. The production of TV plays, however, continues from Ariyan Production and Shadin Production houses, also belonging to the actress.
The versatile actress’ latest endeavor is as a fashion designer through her fashion house ‘The Levis’ — something which she says is a hobby.
Moushumi regards her strong will and determination for her continuing success since debuting in “Keyamat Theke Keyamat”. The love of people and fame are Moushumi’s gains from her career, while the actress says her greatest loss is losing her simple self as the price of stardom.
In her illustrious career Moushumi has won a national award once — for her performance in Nargis Akhter’s “Meghla Akash”, which she regards as one of her greatest achievements.
Despite the lack of silver screen time, Moushumi is regularly appearing in TV plays. Due to requests from her peers, she is currently acting in TV serials “Eka” and “Amader Nurul Huda”. Two TV plays starring Moushumi will also be aired this Eid

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Monalisa

I did my first modeling assignment for television in a ‘Fair and Lovely’ advertisement. Since then the hassles associated with fame followed me. Even when I went to buy ice-cream, people used to stare and say isn’t that the girl from the ‘Fair and Lovely’ ad?”
Most troublesome was my appearance in the Lilly soap advertisement. Everyone used to call me Lilly after that. When I went to shop I was charged extra and had no other option but to buy products at a higher price. It still happens.
The thing that bothers me most is that I just can’t go and sit at a roadside Fuchka and enjoy a snack. A mob appears out of nowhere. Roaming around in rickshaws is also impossible. Once I went to Gausia, but soon a crowd started following me, forcing me to flee.
Even when I am flying somewhere, people come up to me and ask for my autograph. I think to myself that even mid-air is not hassle free; where should I go?
Being a celebrity changes one’s personal life. I can’t do whatever I want like a normal human being. At times like these I feel down and think the troubles of stardom are more than the benefits.
Another problem is people want to take snaps with me wherever I go. They just use their cell phones and some even have the audacity to not ask permission.
Overall the positive sides cancel out the trouble. Without fame I wouldn’t have had so much love from people. This makes the hassles worth it.

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Zahid Hasan

Zahid Hasan is many things rolled into one – stage and TV actor-director, as well as an actor on the silver screen.
Talk to him and you get the picture of a man who has striven hard to make it and been rewarded with success.
Zahid Hasan: Tell us about your initiation into the world of drama.
Zahid Hasan: I was crazy about plays since I was in school. I was born in Sirajganj, and it was there I joined my first theatre group Sirajganj Torun Shomproday Natya Dol. I performed for a while across north Bengal with the group. My regular performances were in “Shat Purusher Rin”.
I was also in the Scouts, where I tested my acting skills. I remember that BTV aired our production of “Shat Purusher Rin” on August 10, 1984. That was my first appearance on TV. My love for acting since childhood is what carried me this far.
Zahid Hasan: What were the moments that defined your acting career?
Zahid Hasan: My first turning point was passing the BTV audition in 1989. Then came 1990, and with it my first TV play “Jibon Jemon”. I landed the lead role in the play produced by Alimuzzaman Dulu. I consider this as a huge turning point. I also played the lead role in the BTV adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s “Shomapti”, produced by Mahbubul Alam. Meghna acted opposite me in the drama, while Subarna Mostafa was the screenwriter.
I’m also the founding member of Natya Kendro. With the group, I played the protagonist in “Bichchhu”, a role that brought me much praise and cemented my place in the acting arena.
Zahid Hasan: Tell us something about your experience on the silver screen?
Zahid Hasan: My first appearance in a movie was in “Boloban”, a 1986 joint production of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. After a long break I acted again in Humayun Ahmed’s “Srabon Megher Din”. That performance landed me a national award. Once more there was a 10-year break before I acted again in Humayun Ahmed’s “Amar Achhe Jol”. I also worked in Mostafa Sarwar Farooki’s “Mad_e in Bangladesh ”, another film by Abu Sayeed and am currently working in Muhammad Mostafa Kamal Raz’s “Projapoti”.
Zahid Hasan: Now that you’ve been away from theatre for a while, does it still attract you?
Zahid Hasan: Like I said, my acting career began on the stage. Although my busy schedule pushed me away from the stage, I still want to go back. On stage, an actor can get a direct reaction from the audience.
Zahid Hasan: Where did you spend your childhood?
Zahid Hasan: I moved around to many places because of my father’s job in public service. I studied at the Sirajganj Hoimobala Boys High School up to class four and then spent the next three years at Benapole’s Inter-School. I returned to Sirajganj for my SSC exams.
Zahid Hasan: Through your long and illustrious career, how did you manage to cement your place in the entertainment arena?
Zahid Hasan: I always work in my own way. I work hard to achieve something. But everyone’s support and the love of my fans have also helped me get where I am today. Directors and the media have also helped me a lot. I always remember something Shakespeare referred to: that it is easier to be something, than preserve what you have become.
Zahid Hasan: Tell us more about your experience of direction.
Zahid Hasan: It began completely as something I wanted to try. Acting fulfils my hunger, but eventually I was interested in direction. So I directed the mega serial “Lal Nil Beguni”. Other serials that I have directed include “Ghughur Basha”, “Chor Kuthhuri”, “Eka” and “Chhonno Chhara”. My one-hour TV plays and tele-films include “Rumjhum”, “Boka Manush”, “Byabodhan”, “Shopno Groho”, “Opu the Great” “Private Detective” and “Baundule Express”.
Zahid Hasan: What about your current directorial challenges in “Haater Rekha Kotha Bole”?
Zahid Hasan: The story of the drama has been taken from our daily lives. I act as a palmist in “Haater Rekha Kotha Bole”, while Humayun Faridi stars as a politician. Azizul Hakim and Mir Sabbir also perform brilliantly in the play. The story about a township, which I shot in Sirajganj, has already gathered good TRP ratings.
Zahid Hasan: What do you have to say about the speculation that you will test your directorial skills for the silver screen?
Zahid Hasan: It has been my long cherished dream to direct a film. Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam is currently writing a script with the title “Girgiti”. I don’t know when I will be able to start making the film. It maybe next year or later, but I will definitely make it.

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