OTT has saved me as an actor: Rawnak Hasan

Rawnak Hasan is an actor, director, and playwright- the popular television artiste has made his mark in films with his exceptional acting skills and realistic performance. Currently, the actor holds the General Secretary post of Actors Equity Bangladesh, and has acted in two new movies. 

In a conversation with The Daily Star, he opens up about his career, movies, and more. 

What does acting mean to you? 

Acting is my life, it means the whole world to me. It is something that makes my life worthwhile. However, there is a slight difference between being a performer and an artiste. You will see a lot of performers in our field, but you will hardly find actors. 

Nowadays people prefer OTT as their medium of choice. What do you think about it? 

OTT has come as a lifesaver for our industry, it has a huge budget compared to TV series and thus, we are able to present contemporary stories in a new light. Nowadays, TV series budgets do not allow us to produce quality content. We get to see beautiful locations, good sets, and timely shooting in web series, which was once prevalent in television productions.

I am really thankful to OTT  for giving us hope amidst the current disastrous condition of television. It has saved me as an actor. 

Tell us about your new movies. 

I am currently acting in two new movies - "Japito Jibon" and "Noya Manush". "Japito Jibon" is based on Selina Hossain's novel, which revolves around language movement. I am playing the character of Maruf in the film. "Noya Manush" dwells on the story of people living in Char, and how they have to survive under harsh conditions.  

How did you start your journey in theatre? 

I started off acting in theatre in 1994 and then started working with Nagorik Natya Sampradaya in 1999. The last time I performed in theatre was in memory of Khaled Khan, Dr Enamul Haque, and Aly Zaker. 

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Apart from acting, you are also a successful playwright and a director.

My first venture as a playwright was for the Tele-fiction "Chowkidar", while I wrote my first television series for "Boyosh Jokon Ekush", which was aired on Channel i and it got really good responses. I started off as a director with "Tomatei", and my last directorial project was 105 episodes TV series "Bibaho Hobe". 

Translated by Rakshanda Rahman Misha