From ‘Bachelor Point’ to ‘YouTumor’

Popular actor-director Ziaul Hoque Polash made his name in showbiz with the role of Kaabila in Kajal Arefin Ome's comedy-drama series, "Bachelor Point". He has made a mark in the industry with his down-to-earth characters and impeccable comic timing in a short span of time.

His recent release, "YouTumor", a Chorki original film directed by Adnan Al Rajeev, has received wide appreciation. In a candid chat with The Daily Star, he talks about his journey, his achievements, and more.

Polash started out as an assistant director to filmmakers like Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Ishtiaque Ahmed. Interestingly, he got the role of Kaabila when he was assisting Kajal Arefin Ome. While shooting for "Bachelor Point", he often had to wait between shots. "One day, the director just asked me to say a few lines in front of the camera," mentions Polash.

When the first season of "Bachelor Point" was released, his performance was a hit amongst the audience. As an actor, he has television shows such as "Tatoo", "Ex-Girlfriend", "Family Crisis", "Me & U", "Stadium", "Plural No 3rd Person", and "College Bunk" to his credit. His Eid special horror-comedy "Odbhoot" and family drama "Apon" were widely praised by the audience.

However, Polash's heart lies in directing. "I enjoy designing characters rather than playing them myself. I never aspired to be an actor," he explains.

 Polash reunited with the team of "Bachelor Point" for Kajal Arefin Ome's Zee5 original "Thanda", which is about the lives of four bachelors living in Dhaka.

On the other hand, "YouTumor", starring Polash and Pritom Hasan in the lead roles, narrates the story of two friends, Don and Monty, who run a YouTube channel named 'Donty'. Polash gave a crowd-pleasing performance as the carefree, ambitious, and blue-haired Monty.

Polash appeared for his final master's exams while shooting for "YouTumor".

"Every day, I had to run to the set after finishing my exams. One day, I had to shoot a particularly difficult scene. It was freezing cold at night, and I had to be in a river for several hours. It was the experience of a lifetime," he asserts.

"I had the scope to experiment with my appearance for this role. I was adamant about colouring my hair, but now I am dealing with severe hair fall!" laughs Polash. "Jokes apart, Monty is a very flamboyant and colourful character, which needed to be reflected on the screen, especially through his fashion choices. His preferences are completely different from mine."

Coming from a humble household, Polash has always enjoyed interacting with people. "From being a nobody to people asking me for selfies and autographs, the journey was not easy. However, the transition from Kaabila to Monty has been amazing. I love getting to know my fans," he shares.

As of now, Polash is looking forward to his directorial venture "Revenge", starring Afran Nisho and Tasnia Farin.