Surfer Dude – Sariful Razz on His New Film, Learning Surfing & What the Sea has Taught Him

He went through a series of academic blunders, running away from home twice during his school days, not completing his degree in English at Narayanganj College and finally entering a BBA programme at Eastern University, Dhaka. During that time, Sariful came in contact with someone who offered him a job as a model. The remuneration from these gigs allowed him to survive while in university as he received no monetary support from his family.

Although he got a job in a developers’ firm, his heart still beat for the media. Slowly, he started modeling with Bulbul Tumpa in 2010 – great support and mentor. Eventually, he started modeling for big brands and landed a role in Redwan Rony’s film Ice Cream. It didn’t do well but it made him realize he wanted to be an actor.

At the premiere of the film, a young man and woman came to hug him and tell him they were honored to meet Nadim (his character in Free). In this moment, it dawned on him that he wanted to be someone who has the ability to make people feel things – to laugh and to cry. This incident made him decide to focus on acting, and he bid adieu to his modeling career.

Sariful loves a challenge and preparing for his surfer character in his upcoming film, Ice Cream, required exactly that. The producer offered to provide a dummy but he insisted on learning how to surf.

Sariful’s teacher was a 21 year-old boy called Noor Mohammad. Noor had immense courage and he tried to emulate him in everything. It was difficult to learn how to peddle, how to stand, everything was new. He trained for seven-eight hours a day for three months as well as completely reshaping his body to a lean musculature required to be a good surfer. Sayeman Beach Resort hosted Sariful for that entire period and he is eternally grateful to them for this generosity and support.

Sometimes he thought he wouldn’t make it. Twice Sariful was engulfed by waves almost six feet high. When he came back to shore, he decided he would call the director and quit. But luckily there were some brave souls around who continued to inspire me. Young kids were learning to peddle in minutes so he kept trying. The first time he finished a successful surf session, the director, producer, everyone came to watch and applauded when he did it well. The feeling was heavenly.

Sariful believes surfing has a bright future in Bangladesh. There are ten or twelve community clubs promoting surfing among young people. He has become such an enthusiast, he is planning to go into international surfing tournaments with one of these clubs.

Sohel, Sariful’s character in the film is also ambitious like him! But that is the only similarity between them. They perceive the world differently. Sohel believes he can create a rapport with visiting foreigners in order to climb up the social ladder. He is also thoughtful, often getting immersed in his own head.

Free is the story of Sohel and Ayesha, a local surfer girl. Ayesha’s character is inspired by Nasia, the first female surfer of Bangladesh. Josephine and her team pick Sohel for a competition. Ayesha can’t go because of her conservative family. The bonding and affection they share and how the situation unfolds is the story of the film.

Sariful did nude scenes and locked lips with Josephine from Denmark. It was uncomfortable because he hadn’t done anything like this before. How viewers were going to react was also a concern. But he realized that as an actor he should hold no bars. Josephine helped build the chemistry between them and with her help, they accomplished the scene.

The crew is waiting for the waves of this winter now. The film is set to release in 2019.
Sariful sees potential in himself as an actor. He is grateful for his schooling in the fashion industry because his work with numerous brands, photographers and style experts helped him understand what expressions he should project.

Acting still isn’t a profession that offers a stable income in Bangladesh, Sariful says. He might have earned a lot more now by staying in fashion. However, he is thankful for the opportunities he received from his producers to learn surfing. He is thankful for the chance to prove himself and offer something unusual given the chance and support to do so.

Sariful feels more comfortable with the sea than the hills. At the end of shoots, he would spend hours at the beach at midnight. He enjoyed feeling the depth of the sea and the sense of loneliness it evokes. The experience of the sea brings inevitable questions to mind…who am I? Why am I here? Feeling so small in comparison to the mighty sea is what he enjoys most. He has learned so much from the resilience of the people who live by the sea.