The many faces of Shahed Ali

In his career of 26 years, he has donned variety of roles and is continuing to win over the audience with his acting skills. Shahed Ali started his acting career from the stage with the popular theatre troupe Prachyanat. From the small screen to films and web, he has the experience of working in all the mediums of entertainment. Today marks the birthday of this actor. We caught up with him to know about his latest web series "Sharey Showlo", upcoming ventures and more.

Happy Birthday! What are your plans for today?

Thank You! I don't really have any special plans for today. I am shooting outside Dhaka for a new project. My friends and family members are wishing me over the phone. It feels good to work on my birthday, because it makes me feel that I was born to work and I am lucky enough to have the pursue my career in my most desired profession.

Photo: Collected.

Yesterday 'Sharey Showlo' was released, where you played the role of Gaffar. Tell us about your journey in the project.

The project has been directed by Yasir Al Haq, a young and talented director. He gave his best effort to from his side and made sure all the crews gave their best for this project. The script and its directorial pattern are very unique and well made. Rest is up to the audience, I hope it will be able to live up to their expectations.

You played an important role in Vicky Zahed's 'Punorjonmo', one of the most popular multiverse series we have. How was your experience working with him?

I have worked with him in many projects of different genre. One thing I really appreciate about him is that he gave me the full creative freedom while working, which probably, I never got from any other director so far. He is one of the very few directors who actually made me work in a variety of roles.

Photo: Collected.

You have worked in all of the mediums of entertainment. What is your observation about the industry in Bangladesh?

We still need a lot of improvement in all the mediums of entertainment. Consider theatre, we still cannot form a combined team in this arena. Individually, everyone is trying to establish their own ground. This has made the entire thing even more complicated. Freshers are not getting enough opportunity to build their ability.

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What we lack most is team spirit. Similarly, in other mediums we lack professionalism. For instance, a producer isn't just someone who invests money, but is responsible for taking most important decisions for a project. Whereas, in our industry, their job ends up on deciding the amount they will give to the crews, and bargain as much as possible.

Photo: Collected.

The audio industry is dominated by a few people, who have literally stopped giving any chances to newcomers. Thus, in every medium, we are not giving enough space to the freshers. There are a lot of voiceover artistes who are not getting enough recognition, what they deserve. We need to work on our judgements for the proper growth of the industry.

From film to television and OTT, you are busy everywhere. How do you make time for theatre?

I have to make time for the stage, because I feel it is my responsibility. I have been with the theatre since 1997, the experience of getting live reaction from the audience is something that no other medium can actually give.