Superstar Shakib Khan is always on the go, and currently, the actor has a wide range of films in the offing. He is slated to play the lead role in award-winning director Kazi Hayat’s Bir, produced by SK Films. In a recent conversation with The Daily Star, Shakib Khan talks about his passion for films and more.

Tell us a little about your forthcoming film, ‘Bir’.

We just finished filming Bir, and we still have a lot to do. It is a special project not only because it is produced under my own production house, SK Films, but also because it is Kazi Hayat’s 50th film. People will get to see me in a completely new look in this venture. We aim to reach a wide audience with Bir, and we are all working very hard for the film.

At a time when actors are struggling to find roles, you continue to make successful movies each year. As an artiste, what keeps you going?

I feel blessed and humbled to be a working actor every day. I am eternally grateful to my fans, who continue to come to the theatres to watch my films. Their love and support are what keeps me going.

Year after year, cinema theatres are going out of fashion and the number of films being produced in Bangladesh are decreasing. What are your comments on that?

As an artiste, it is incredibly disheartening to see the deteriorating state of films in my own country. We need to work together as a fraternity to bring about positive changes in the industry. We also need to be more cautious about the quality of projects that we take up.

Recently, rumours about you settling down in the USA popped up on social media. Is there any truth to these reports?

Absolutely not! These are completely baseless rumours. I have built my whole life here, and I have no reason to move elsewhere. I belong to films, and I still have a lot to contribute to the industry.