Rafi Hossain: I was recently talking to Afzal bhai at an event, and he said to me, "Nisho is doing really well, but if you see him, tell him that he should consider not doing so many dramas simultaneously." How would you respond to this?

Photo: Shahrear Kabir Heemel & Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

Afran Nisho: I will definitely keep Afzal bhai's advice in mind. So many dramas are being made these days. Even if I reject a lot of them, I still end up doing multiple ones simultaneously. Despite turning down many projects, I ended up doing around thirty dramas during Eid. I understand where Afzal bhai's concern is coming from. I got to work with him at the beginning of my career, and I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to have that opportunity. 

Rafi: Don't you get exhausted after doing simultaneous projects?

Nisho: Work pressure really takes a toll on me, and due to that, I'm very tired most of the time. I am yet to start a project since last Eid. Whenever there's a special occasion like Eid or Valentine's day, I have to work almost twenty-eight to thirty days a month.

Rafi: Since you do a lot of dramas, you might end up doing projects with similar scripts. Do you ever feel tired of playing characters that are similar to the ones you have already played in the past?

Nisho: When I act in a drama, I give it my all. In my opinion, no two stories can have the same storyline. We focus on many genres nowadays, leading to the production of different types of content. With around four to five hundred dramas being made each Eid, the ones who say that the scripts are the same should watch all of them first. Sometimes it may happen that people see a short clip from a drama, and will judge it based on just that. If they watch the entire drama, I think they will understand that the dramas are not that similar.

Rafi: You have become quite a popular actor. What would you say is the reason behind your popularity?

Nisho: My fans tell me that they find my acting realistic. Perhaps, the other reason is that I have always tried to play different characters across various genres. I remember a senior artist once told me that even though the audience would not easily be able to connect with me if I do different kinds of roles, it would make my acting base stronger. Since then, I have tried to work with stories that are unique. I have even portrayed negative roles. Many mainstream actors might hesitate to play negative roles, but I am open to exploring possibilities.

Rafi: Would you be interested to work in cinemas?

Nisho: I would love to do films. And I have received many offers, but I've declined them all as none offered the remuneration that I believe I deserve. That is one reason I haven't done films. The world of cinema is a much larger platform than television, and to transition to that platform, I need to prepare myself. I was offered a film where my character was skinny. I asked for six months to prepare for the role, but since the filmmakers didn't have that much time, I had to turn down the offer. Moreover, the characters I am being offered have to be appropriate for me.  I will work in films only when all these factors match my expectations.

Photo: Shahrear Kabir Heemel & Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

Rafi: Before acting, you worked as a model. How did you start modelling?

Nisho: It all happened very randomly. I used to live in Azimpur when I was young. I had a friend whose elder sister used to work in iStudio, and one day, she approached me and asked if I was interested in modelling. I was surprised, but I agreed to do it. I did a photoshoot and those photos got published. After that, I did a few more photoshoots, and then I was asked if I wanted to walk on ramps. I didn't know what ramp modelling was, but after learning about it, I found it interesting. So, I agreed to do it. After some time, I met Emdad bhai and Sanju. Sanju asked me if I wanted to do modelling for Saroj Collection. That's when I started working with him, and we became very close.

Rafi: When did you start acting?

Nisho: Amitabh bhai was the one who introduced me to advertisements. Gazi Rakayet did a drama for BanglaVision, in which he cast many new actors. I was cast there alongside Apurba and two other actors. It was called Ghorchhara, and I started my acting career with that. Then I did a few more dramas, but I was more focused on making commercials. One day, I heard someone say that models can't act, so I took on the challenge to prove them wrong. When I first did dramas, I didn't enjoy them as much, but now I really enjoy acting.

Rafi: Who are your favourite actors?

Nisho: I really enjoy the acting of Hasan Imam, Mamunur Rashid, Tariq Anam Khan, Suborna Mustafa, Ferdousi Majumdar, among others. I also love the acting of Mehzabien; she is very dedicated to her acting and does diversified roles. Nusrat Imrose Tisha and Zakiya Bari Mamo are also amazing actors. I'm very close to another great actor, Sanjida Preeti. Among male actors, I love the works of Apurba, Shahadat bhai, Jitu Ahsan, Mosharraf bhai, Chanchal bhai, Tauquir bhai and Zahid bhai.

Rafi: Who are your favourite directors?

Nisho: I loved working with Sumon Anwar and Ashfaq Nipun. They have a unique way of storytelling, and I enjoyed working with them a lot. I haven't had the opportunity to work with Shafayet Mansoor Rana and Nurul Alam Atique, but I would love to work with them.

Rafi: It was a pleasure talking to you, Nisho. Do you have any parting message for the readers?

Nisho: I would like to tell the readers to be honest and to be dedicated to whatever they do. One must work hard to achieve their goals. They must also follow the right path. If they become dishonest, they will ultimately harm themselves. I would also like to request the readers to be positive and to always appreciate people.