THROUGH THE EYES OF DOLLY ZAHUR

INSPIRATION

Acting has always been my passion. Since childhood, I used to sing, dance and act passionately, which gained appreciation from everyone around me. My father has always been my inspiration. He was extremely supportive in nurturing my talents toward acting. Without his support, I would not have been able to become an artist. My husband has also been a huge inspiration. His constant support and contribution has helped me sustain myself as an artist. Moreover, the profound love and respect from the audiences have also become my inspirations.

PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of my life is to live a simple life. In this short span, we have a lot of duties and responsibilities. Effort and quality work can keep people truly happy. I believe that one must always refrain from negativities in order to be successful in life. It is of paramount importance to work with honesty, sincerity, passion and dedication.

VIEWS ON HER PROFESSION

Acting is a fantastic branch of performing art. Art comes from both passion and dedication. Being an artist may seem easy at first, but it gradually becomes very difficult to sustain oneself as a successful artist. I began acting when I was a kid, and I realized that without rigorous practice and constant devotion, becoming a successful artist is not possible. The first requirement for creating a permanent place in the industry is to learn; learn how to relate yourself with the creative grace of arts and culture and engross yourself in cultural thoughts so the artist in you can stay motivated. There are records of actors who started acting as a hobby but eventually they disappeared. In my view, every character in a drama should be given sufficient importance in order to create a proper presentation. It's a matter of regret that in our country, giving importance to all the roles of a movie or drama is not practiced as much as needed. Yet only a few can understand this necessity and Humayun Ahmed was one of them. I played the role of Nilu in his Eishob Din Ratri and people used to call me Nilu Bhabi for years. To me, acting is a lifestyle; it introduces an artist to a new dimension of life as well. Hence, my passion for acting is eternal. While working, I always try to guide and mentor my juniors and young artists. I always advice the younger generation to study a lot, do research as much as possible, and stay sincere, passionate and dedicated to their works.

BOOKS

I have always loved reading story books. It goes without saying that Rabindranath Tagore is one of my most favorite authors. I am also a fan of Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

FILMS

I used to watch a lot of films ever since I was young, but I cannot specify exactly one film as my absolute favorite. As far as preference goes, I have always enjoyed watching old Bangladeshi movies.

MUSIC

I love listening to various kinds of music, especially the enchanting Lalon songs by Farida. These songs are amazingly soothing and make me very emotional. Sometimes, I can't control my tears when I listen to these magical songs.

FUTURE PLANS

Currently, I have no specific plan for the future. I just want to spend the rest of my life peacefully. In recent days, I have been very busy, so now I only do selective works due to family responsibilities. However, if I find a suitable character with a good story to my liking, maybe I will consider playing the role.

IDOLS

Unquestionably, my father is the idol of my life. He always provided me with support toward my passion. He taught me how to cope with unfavorable situations and become successful in life. His support and inspiration have made me what I am today. My husband is also my idol and I strongly admire his ideologies. He was extremely cooperative toward my passion for acting and has always given me the strength to become a successful artist in our country.

By Shawreen Rahman