‘Dorod’ actress accuses filmmaker Anonno Mamun of exploitation, unpaid wages

Actress Elina Shammi, a part of the ensemble cast of "Dorod", publicly accused director Anonno Mamun of unpaid wages and exploitation on Wednesday night. 

In a scathing Facebook post, she described a filmmaker who thrived under the former AL-led government through sycophancy and deceit, exploiting actors and failing to pay them for their work. Although she did not initially name Mamun, she warned others to be cautious of this "opportunistic" and "sycophantic" figure in the industry.

Speculation quickly grew that Shammi was referring to Mamun, especially after he responded on social media, saying, "An incompetent actor who didn't make it into my film is now conspiring against me. Is it that painful not to see your face in the teaser?"

This fueled rumours, particularly since Shammi had acted in Mamun's upcoming film "Dorod", though she was absent from its promotional teaser.

When contacted, Shammi confirmed that her accusations were indeed directed at Mamun. She revealed, "I shot for 19 days in India for 'Dorod', and Mamun only paid me Tk16,000. Whenever I asked for the rest, he made excuses about financial crises. I didn't receive any payment for his film 'Radio', and I still haven't been fully compensated for 'Kosai', which was released a few years ago."

Shammi explained that she had remained silent to protect the release of "Dorod" and because she considered Mamun "like a brother." She added, "He took advantage of that trust and denied me my rightful payment. Now he's calling me an incompetent actor because I'm not in the teaser. Yes, I'm hurt. I played significant roles in his films—not minor ones that could be easily overlooked."

This is not an isolated incident, according to Shammi, who claimed that many actors in the industry are aware of Mamun's exploitative tactics. "He's a businessman, not a filmmaker. I've worked with other directors and never encountered someone so deeply focused on schemes and hustle rather than creative integrity."

After Shammi's post, Mamun's assistant reached out, offering to settle the unpaid wages. However, Shammi expressed hesitance to meet at Mamun's office, saying, "I don't feel safe going there to collect the money. After my post, several others reached out to me—many are still owed money by Mamun. We all deserve to be paid what we're owed."