IN A CONVERSATION, SAFA KABIR SPEAKS CANDIDLY ABOUT HER JOURNEY, THE IMPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON HER PERSONAL LIFE AND WHO SHE IS OFF THE SCREEN
Did you always want to work in the media? How did it all start?
It happened out of the blue for me. I had just finished my HSC when I received an invitation to audition from Runout films looking for artists for a telefilm. Being too young to decide for myself, I turned to my parents, who were instantly on board with the idea. So, I went to the production house, auditioned and got selected; it was the start of a series of events that would ultimately shape my career. The successful audition led to my first assignment, a telefilm by Airtel called @18 All Time Dourer Upor directed by Adnan Al Rajeev, where I played the character of Barialir Meye. It was a massive hit; I was overwhelmed by the outpour of praise I received for the role.
At the same time, I was starting to get viral on Facebook for a slow-mo video everyone was sharing. It got even crazier when a fan page titled ‘Safa Kabir’s Fan Page’ started amassing hundreds of thousands of followers. It was all happening very fast for me to fully grasp what was happening. It felt surreal when I was at the cusp of fulfilling my dreams. One of them was seeing myself on a billboard, and the first time it happened, I stood under it for some time, trying to make sense of things, taking it all in. That’s how it started; my journey from a young girl with big dreams to appearing on billboards across the country has been one of adventure, hard work and surprises. If I had not gone to that audition, if my father had not encouraged me to go, I would have had a different career now.
On the screen, you are popular for playing romantic roles. Do you plan on portraying more diverse roles?
Of course! I want to play all sorts of characters, the kind of characters that actually exist in the world. If someone asks me what is my dream character to play, I would say that I want to do everything. The romantic genre is my favourite, but as an artist, I would also love to act in the thriller or horror genre.
You are one of most followed Bangladeshi celebrities on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. How does social media engagement affect your personal life?
I believe everything in life has two sides, which also applies to being famous and having a large following. I am blessed with the love and support of so many people around the world. When someone spends their valuable time posting about me or sharing a picture
IT WAS ALL HAPPENING VERY FAST FOR ME TO FULLY GRASP WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IT FELT SURREAL WHEN I WAS AT THE CUSP OF FULFILLING MY DREAMS.
or video of me, I feel like my hard work has been worth it. However, things get problematic when people start to draw conclusions about me based on the characters I play. I am a completely different person outside the screen, and having to explain that to someone often gets frustrating. But as I said, if you accept the good things, you should develop the mindset to face the bad ones; that’s how you balance it out.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I’m a very homely person. I’m an only child, and my father lives abroad. In my free time, I spend time with my mother. I really like spending time alone, since I have to spend a lot of time surrounded by people and chaos. I like to stay home and watch movies, cook, and spend time with my friends.
Photographs: Courtesy of Safa Kabir