Amazing Grace

We speak to one of, our March cover girl, who has the radiance and wit of a woman much younger than her years but the experience and knowledge of one who has seen a lot.

What part of your career did you find most rewarding?
Like a mother loves all her children equally, my affection for every aspect of my career is equal. In my experience, modeling is more challenging as one has to use facial expression only to convey a message. In acting, however, we have the entire body at our disposal which makes the job easier. This realization came to me when I first started working on the radio. In that medium, the only tool you possess is your voice to express all kinds of emotion.

Of all the roles you’ve played so far, which one do you hold dear?
My answer is the same. I pour my heart into every role I play to make it believable and relatable. It’s very important to incorporate the time period of the story that you are trying to tell. Every time period has some norms and demeanors which is unique to that era. We cannot apply the same behavioral pattern that we saw in 1964 to present-day dramas, so I always have to keep time-relativity in mind.

How has time changed the way you express yourself?
It has changed in a lot of ways. Perception and taste of the general public have changed, and the industry has to keep up with that. I am trying my best to follow suit.

Do you ever think back to any particular role that you are proud of?
There isn’t one specific performance in my mind. That sort of judgment I leave up to the viewers. To be honest, initially, when I started working in television there used to be a sense of imperfection. At that time, shows were directly telecast, so there was no way for me to evaluate my own performance. People praised me and I took their word for it. Nowadays, there are lots of opportunities to improve the final product with the help of technology. Whenever I get to see my past work, I feel like I could have done a better job. There is a constant sense of imperfection which is a necessity for actors to have to shine in their career.

In your opinion, how different it is to be a woman in the media now compared to the time you started?
There is a lot of difference! At that time, female characters had very limited roles which were confined to certain social boundaries. There was a limit that the female character would be able to advance in the story, beyond which it wouldn’t be believable by the audience. Nowadays, women can play any role without restriction, which is great to see. I think the media deserves a lot of credit for contributing to gender quality in our society.

Is there any character that you always wanted to play but never got the chance?
The entire time I was abroad, I closely followed Bangladeshi dramas. There were certain roles which I desired to be in, roles I could have brought to life with much more conviction. That made me filled with remorse. That’s why, after all these years I came back to the people who gave me so much love, working in the place which made me who I am. It is very painful to live without seeing my daughters who live abroad but I get to be close to the people of this country who gave me so much.

What kind of work do you desire to be a part of in the future?
Nothing out of the ordinary. I am 76 years old, not sure how much time I have left. However, I will try my best to perform according to everyone’s expectations. I have been known to pour my knowledge and hard work to bring a character to life, and I would love to keep doing that. Whenever I come across someone in my personal life, I try to study that person, so that if I end up playing a role that is similar to that person, I can relate to it instantly. I hope what I discussed in today’s interview will reach my well-wishers through you. I wish everyone a very happy and healthy life!