“I want to be truthful to what I do” Subrina Irine

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Subrina Irine, director at Runout Films LTD, a media production company, stepped into the world of media when she was just a high school student. When she first auditioned for a programme on ETV, she did not anticipate the adventure that waited ahead of her. Today, Subrina is a trusted name in the advertising industry amongst the renowned brands. In an interview with The Daily Star, the young director talks about her journey so far.

Did you always want to be a director?

I did not have a definite plan. I was very young when I started working. When I held the camera for the first time, I realised that this is something I enjoy. After my HSC examination, I enrolled in the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, in order to be in touch with my creative self. I also started working with Fuad Chowdhury during my university days. While working on a project for Boishakhi Television’s opening, I came across Amitabh Reza Chowdhury. I worked with him in Half Stop Down for 12 years. Even though I was under the wing of a renowned director, I then challenged myself and wanted to start from scratch. I started working with Adnan Al Rajeev in Runout Films LTD. One thing led to another, and I became what I am now today. It has been a persistent journey.

What are some of your works that garnered appreciation in the past?

I have made forty commercials in total. In my second project, I worked with Asiatic JWT and Unilever. Lux was launching a new soap, and I was supposed to make a fifteen second TVC featuring Bidya Sinha Mim. It was her first TVC for Lux. Initially, the duration of the campaign was two months. But, the clients decided to run the campaign for a year, seeing the popularity of the TVC. It feels great to have been trusted by renowned brands such as Robi, Banglalink, Grameenphone, Airtel, Sunsilk, Radhuni Moshla, Samsung, Nescafe and Bellissimo among others.

What is your mantra of standing out?

I want to be truthful to what I do. I try to incorporate my own elements in my projects, so that when people see it, they recognise that it is my work. I do not like extra melodrama either. I want my content to be as candid as possible.

What are your aspirations for the future?

I want to work on longer projects in the future, and also short films sometime soon. I want to do feature films too.