Haldaa is your fifth film. When did you realize that proper promotion is the key to a movie being successful?

I had this realization when my first film got released. Having worked with a skillful cinematographer like Rafiqul Bari Chowdhury and a bunch of other talented actors for my film Joy Jatra, I expected a massive amount of people to go to the theatres and watch the movie but it did not turn out that way. Like I have said before, I have made Haldaa thinking about a variety of audiences. Six songs have been used in this movie which have been written and composed by Pintu Ghosh. If Haldaa becomes a success, I'll be looking forward to creating other various kinds of artistic films for the audience.

You've been producing films for a long time now. What is the particular thing which makes you feel that the industry is lacking in at the moment?

I feel like the industry needs to be regenerated. It is very important to present artistic and tasteful work ahead of the people. I believe we have already lost a lot of spectators due to creating movies with a similar format and appearance. On the other hand, the movie theatres here lack plenty of suitable facilities for the audience and are of low caliber in general. The government might be of some help in this case because if more equipped movie theatres are constructed, more people will be drawn to the theatres.

You're an actor, producer and an architect. Which occupation do you prefer working on for the time being?

Life is like a journey for me. I used to work in theatres before and then began acting onscreen which made me who I am today. But soon enough, I realized that my real passion lies in directing films rather than being on them. Besides producing, I am into writing poetry and manuscripts and I will be publishing them when the time is right. I want to continue working with whatever sector I feel like suits me best and hence I don't know where this journey will end.

Tell us a little about Haldaa.

Haldaa is the name of a river which flows through Chittagong. Rivers are said to be the source of life. However, we have contaminated them by throwing dirt and trash throughout the years. I want to raise awareness among the people regarding the contamination of rivers. Hence I have named the movie after the river Haldaa. Haldaa is a movie which portrays love, sadness and a series of other emotions which makes it a film to be viewed by all.

Would you like to say something to the public about your film?

I would request people to go and watch Haldaa and give their honest opinions on it so that I can make better films in future. I'm sure my biggest critics, who are the viewers, will not be disappointed with this film. I like making good movies for the audience and the sole purpose of my films is to help the viewers grow as tasteful and good critics.



Interviewed by Rafi Hossain

Transcribed by Rushabah Tabassum