Stars reflect on life off the set during internet outage
The usual hustle and bustle of showbiz came to an abrupt halt with the ongoing quota reform protests, political instability, violent clashes, and a prolonged internet outage starting on July 18. This outage lasted for more than six days, bringing shooting schedules to a standstill and leaving online activities at a complete stop.
So, how have the celebrities spent their time off the set? Several stars shared their experiences with The Daily Star.
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Chanchal Chowdhury
"It's been years since I spent so much time at home without shooting. During this period, I've been mostly watching television—something I haven't done this much in the past seven years. Besides that, I've spent quality time with my son and wife. My mother, who is in the village and not in good health, has been very anxious, especially in recent days. I talk to her every day. In short, I've been at home, and it's been a new experience. But we hope everything will get better soon, and we can return to shooting."
Siam Ahmed
"I've spent several days without shooting, and it looks like it will be a few more. I will think about shooting only after everything returns to normal. I have a lot of work piled up, but I can't say when I'll be back on set until things are stable. I've been extremely tense during this period, constantly worrying about when everything would be okay and hoping no more lives would be lost. I worried about the extremely poor people, wondering how they would survive, and thought about the lightmen and crew members on set—how they would manage. It wasn't leisure time; the past few days were filled with tension. I hope everything will return to normal soon, so I can think about returning to shooting. By the way, my film Jungle is coming out soon, and I believe it will be a strong comeback."
Fazlur Rahman Babu
"The past few days have been very anxious. I've spent restless days, waiting for better times. I'm an optimistic person and hope everything will return to normal. I haven't stepped out of the house even once during this period. I spent time with my wife and two daughters—sometimes talking, sometimes reading books, and sometimes watching television. I've read a lot of books, starting a new one, then picking up another. I couldn't find peace, which shot up my blood pressure. We don't want such restless times. Those who caused chaos are enemies of the country. We want everything to be beautiful again. I'm not thinking about shooting; I'll shoot once everything is back to normal."
Nobel
"The past few days have truly been different. None of us expected this kind of time or environment. I believe the country comes first, above all. We always wish for our homeland to be beautiful. Yet, every day was spent in tension. Watching the news on TV made me sad. Despite the hostile environment, I had to go to the office and work. My children are studying abroad, and I am worried about them. Honestly, we want everything to be normal. We have this country because of the sacrifices of countless martyrs, and we want it to remain stable and peaceful."
Shajal Noor
"I'm currently away from shooting and plan to stay away for a few more days. I'm spending time at home. My grandmother is not well, which is worrying. We live in Dhanmondi, and there was a lot of trouble on the road in front of our house, which scared me. The fear has subsided now. I've spent the past few days reading books. I already read a lot, but I've read several books during these shooting-free days. I'm drawn to detective novels and recently re-read Feluda and Sherlock Holmes series. I've realised that besides social media, you can also spend time doing other useful things."
Keya Payel
"I haven't had such a long break from shooting since my career started. I've dedicated the entire time to my family. I'm not thinking about shooting for now. If we survive and stay healthy, we can shoot again. I spent the time in various ways—primarily with my family. I've slept a lot, something I haven't done in years. I also watched countless movies, one after another, and it felt great. Overall, it's been a different kind of experience."
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