Celebrating Puja

Colours, festivities and joy are all around for this year's Durga Puja, as one of the biggest holidays for the Bengali community starts today. Puja Chery, one of Dhallywood's fastest rising stars, is also excited for the festival. Her film "Hridita", a government-granted film, will be released on October 7.

What are your plans for this year's puja?

My plans for puja began a few days ago, when I visited Thailand to shoot a web-film. While I was there, I did a lot of shopping for puja.

I bought a salwar kameez for myself, sarees for my mother, and many clothes for my father and brother. That's why I am saying that puja has already started for me, as it always begins with shopping for your near and dear ones. Getting gifts for the people you love is what puja is all about.

Will you be staying in Dhaka or returning to your hometown of Khulna for this year's puja?

This time, I will be celebrating puja in Dhaka. On the day of Durga Puja, I will visit the many different puja mandaps present in our city. First and foremost, I will go to Dhakeshwari Temple to start off my puja, and then I will start visiting the other temples. That's how I plan to spend the entire day of puja. I think I will it will be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to it.

There is a deep connection between puja and love. Who is Puja Chery currently in love with?

I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of being in love. In some ways, I love being in love. Without love, people's lives are meaningless, I truly believe that.

However, suddenly I feel that love can make someone's life harder. It can distract them from being focused on their craft. So, my first priority is to focus on my career, and then pursue other things. So, currently Puja is not in love, but Puja does love celebrating puja.  

So, how is life as loveless Puja?

I'm both in love and not. It's hard to explain this to others, but it is a mixed feeling. However, I can tell you for certain that I am not in love with anyone.

The government-granted film "Hridita" will be releasing this month. Why did you choose to act in this film?

The major reason behind me choosing to work on this film was the writer, Anisul Hoque. I have been a fan of his writing since my school days. When I heard that this film will be based on his novel, "Hridita", I was very excited to sign on for this project.

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First look of Puja Chery’s ‘Hridita’ revealed

Why should people go to theatres to watch it? 

Directed by Ispahani Arif Jahan, this is a movie that will have you holding your breath from start to finish. It's a movie that many will enjoy.

People who enjoy watching movies in a quiet environment, will really love this film. This is not the type of film for people who like dance routines and songs in their movies. When I finished dubbing for the film, I loved it very much.

A few days back, while you were shooting in Thailand, a picture of you kissing went viral on social media. Could you elaborate on it?

I went to Thailand to shoot a web-film called "Pori". The story of this film revolves around human trafficking, specifically around the story of women being trafficked.

In the film, I play the role of a bar-dancer, who was trafficked from Bangladesh and taken to Bangkok. The picture that went viral, is from this web-film.

How busy are you right now with your acting career?

I played the role of Sohana in the upcoming movie "Masud Rana". I've worked very hard to portray this character perfectly. In this film, I took part in the shooting without any stunt doubles, thereby risking my life. Apart from this, I also have completed the shooting for the film "Nakful".

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Puja Chery to start shooting for ‘Nakphul’