Superstar Shakib Khan commenced shooting for the government-granted movie, "Golui" in Jamalpur today. Puja Chery is his co-star in the film, directed by S A Haque Alik. He spoke to The Daily Star on the way to the shooting set yesterday about what drew him to the project, the Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti elections, the current state of the film industry, and more.

What attracted you to the government-granted movie, 'Golui'?

I signed the film only after hearing the story. S A Haque Alik is known for making wonderful love stories, and I trusted him completely. The producer of the film, Khorshed Alam Khasru, has many good films to his credit. All in all, I believe "Golui" will be something special.

You are working with Puja Chery for the first time in this film. Were you familiar with her work before?  

I knew very little about Puja's films before we got this project. However, I can say that she has a very bright future, and audiences will get to see our wonderful chemistry in "Golui".

Many from the film fraternity are participating in the Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti elections. Several artistes from the association also spoke out against you. What are your thoughts on the upcoming elections?

We have no shortage of people to worry about these elections. At the moment, I would rather focus on my films. Elections are not important to me; my films are. My expectation is that people will pay attention to the kind of films we are making. If there were no films, we would not have these associations. I will keep walking on the path that feels right to me. I believe many in the fraternity have realised their mistakes in time.

You have worked on one film after another, even amidst the pandemic. What inspires you to keeping working so consistently?

A lot of people's livelihoods are linked to the work that I do. If I do not shoot, they will face major problems. They have families to feed and look after. I have shot for movies like "Nabab LLB", "Antaratma", and "Leader Ami Bangladesh" so that those people could earn their living with respect. Now, I have moved on to "Golui" with the same goals, taking risks amidst the pandemic.

As you act in multiple movies a year, do you feel that the quality of our films has reduced?

Unlike stars in Hollywood and Bollywood, we cannot afford to have just one film a year. If we all just have one release yearly, we will struggle to stay afloat. Be it on OTT platforms or movie theatres, we have to keep making films for the audience. Otherwise, how do we expect to survive? I have been successful because I have always prioritised the quality of my work. We have to keep up our dedication, bearing both the quantity and quality of films in mind.

Many say that your acting is inspired by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. What are your thoughts on this?

I try to approach each character that I play in my own way. That being said, I do like the work of the three Khans of Bollywood – Salman, Aamir, and Shah Rukh. But I do not think anyone has influenced my acting specifically. I try to learn by watching good movies and talented actors.