IN A CONVERSATION, PRITOM HASAN TALKS ABOUT BEING A MUSICIAN, ACTOR AND STORYTELLER AND HIS LOVE FOR BLENDING ALL THREE THROUGH HIS MUSIC VIDEOS.
Did you always want to become an artist? How did it all start?
I started my career as a solid entertainer with entertainment-based songs such as Asho Mama Hey and Jadukor. I used to be an entertainer, but now I am becoming an artist. I had never wanted to become a full-time musician; I had wanted to become a teacher or an army officer. But then I got introduced to music software, FL Studio, and JK Majlish, one of the prominent music directors in our country, showed me how to make music. It was then that I started music production, initially just for fun. I was doing song covers and remixes of classical songs. I was slowly getting to know people in the industry and used to co-produce with some of them. When I co-produced with Habib Wahid, I decided that that is what I wanted to do as a career.
How has the rise of Youtube and streaming platforms affected the way content is created (from an artist’s perspective)?
The rise of Youtube and a host of streaming services have created many expectations and challenges for newcomer artists because you need to have a certain quality if you want to stand out from the rest of the global industry. People expect a certain level of music quality as we are always just one click away from the best music videos in the world. When you listen to Bangla music after that, and if the audio or the visual production is not up to the mark, people will not like it.
At the start of the Youtube revolution in the music industry, when all the songs and music videos were coming out on Youtube, it created steep competition. It was then that a lot of people started coming up with the allegation ‘Music is not about hearing anymore, it’s all about the visuals,’ which is partially true. First vinyl came, then cassettes, making vinyl irrelevant, then came the CDs, making cassettes irrelevant. So you’re comparing time on a very different scale. It represents how things change with time, and artists must keep up. People now listen to music on their devices, which can also give you visuals. Thus there is a significant demand for good video and audio, side by side.
PEOPLE EXPECT A CERTAIN LEVEL OF MUSIC QUALITY AS WE ARE ALWAYS JUST ONE CLICK AWAY FROM THE BEST MUSIC VIDEOS IN THE WORLD.
Everyone is fascinated with both the songs and the music videos of Morey Jak and Shooter Shesh Thekey. How did the idea of doing a prequel to a music video materialise?
I think storytelling in Bangladeshi music works very well. Bangladeshi people love watching dramas and like it when there are visuals for audio songs. Panic! At the Disco is an inspiration for me. I researched storytelling through music videos. While it started with Michael Jackson, Panic! At the Disco is one of the first music producers or directors who represented storytelling through prequels and sequels. That was an enormous influence on me. The demand for good visuals with a story is increasing in Bangladesh. Since I was always doing storyline music videos, I decided to try a music video with a prequel or a sequel.
Besides being one of the top young musicians in the country, you have had quite a lot of success in acting. How are the two segments complementing each other for you?
I love making music, I love singing songs, and I love acting. In Girlfriend er Biya, one of my older songs from 2018, the singing style is entirely different from newer ones like Bhenge Poro Na. Acting has played a considerable role in my music and vice versa. I credit Taneem Rahman Angshu, who told me that he wanted us to make a music video that would have a certain amount of story, and that was the video Jadukor. I fell in love with the concept of music videos telling stories, and I love acting and making music simultaneously. My acting skills were showcased through music videos by Angshu Bhai, and then Nuhash’s drama 700 Taka created an image of me as a drama artist.
Could you please share details about some of your upcoming projects?
I am currently making the last music videos for the Morey Jaak, Shoroter Shesh Thekey series. There are also some individual projects that I am working on, and hopefully, I will be able to publish them soon.
Photographs: Courtesy of Pritom Hasan