Shagota THE ALL ROUNDER

Shagota's roots of talent runs deep. Coming from a singing background and a musician herself, she entered the media after winning the 'You Got The Look' competition. Since then, she has acted in films that went on to become hits and her work in TV is well known as well. However, despite all this, she still hasn't quite reached the full breadth of her potential that the audience expects. Star Showbiz sat down with her to find out more about her career and maybe find the answer to this mystery.

You are involved in many forms of media. Why not focus on one particular area like film?
I like doing many things. I am constantly involved in different cultural activities. Before all this, I was a musician and was very busy with my band, called Mohakal, and then after I won the 'You Got The Look' competition, I came into the media. I am not diverting my attention to fields outside cultural activities so my focus is here. When I did my first film with Manna Bhai in 2006, I was an amateur. Back then, nobody was working in this media. I wasn't sure yet whether I would continue in the film industry or not. I did that project as I wanted to try it once and test the waters so to speak. The opportunity found me at the right time. Even when the movie became a hit, I still felt that I needed to better prepare myself before I launch myself into films again. Through my other film experiences in commercial, digital foreign, etc. I have gained even more understanding and now, if I am asked to do a film, I have the confidence that I will be able to do it perfectly. I am serious about acting in films. I plan to start working in a film project soon, the details of which shall soon be released.

What was the reaction of the industry when you were working on your first film?
Honestly, the reaction was divided at first. Many thought that I wouldn't be able to pull it off, but my performances won them over and gave me some space. Moreover, the wholehearted support that I got from Manna Bhai, Moushumi Apu and Joynal Abedin, the director of the film, was the whole reason that I could do the film at all.
Why are you so selective about films?
I love acting, more than the prospect of displaying my beauty. In film terms in Bangladesh, a heroine is one whose sole job is to be seen on screen portray herself first, and acting comes second. I don't really want that. I want to be in films where I can display my acting skills and that's how I choose which projects I will be a part of.

Do you think that actors who work in Film industry shouldn't mix in with TV media and vice versa?
This might have been true a while ago but not now. The logic was that if you saw someone in your living room TV, why would you go out to a movie theater to see that same person? A while ago, these two mediums had clear boundaries. Now though, with good story and execution, this definition is quickly disappearing and audiences will stop caring as they would be more interested in the plot rather than who's working where.

Why do you think the film industry isn't churning out good films?
The thing that many don't understand is that film is made for the mass media, which means you can't spring something abstract out of nowhere and expect the audience to accept and appreciate it. The definition of a 'good film' is important. You need to understand the taste of the audience and conform to that. However, if you want to introduce a change in this general taste, then you have to do so slowly and gradually, not all at once. Also, I believe that we need to develop our story telling skills because that is a very crucial factor in any production or industry.

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Why do you think that our Television industry is as it is today?
Everything I will say from here on is my own opinion and should not be construed as facts. I think technology has a lot to do with it coupled with our busy schedule. We all have smartphones, internet and access to a computer, which means any content we can think of is just a few clicks away. With this much convenience, why would anyone have to follow a TV schedule? It would be more convenient and time saving to rather see it online or buy a DVD.
As for the popularity of foreign programs such as Hindi and Kolkata serials, it's all a matter of quality. See when they start a production for say 100 episodes, they maintain the same effort, cast and quality throughout the entire 100 episode run. This doesn't happen in Bangladesh, in my opinion. If we commit to a 100 episode run, our effort, cast and quality would last for the first 25 and then keep degrading. Until we can learn to fix this and maintain a consistency, we can't regain our audience, which is a shame because compared to their productions, our ones have more diverse and unique stories.

 

 

Tell us about some of your upcoming projects.
Well, I already mentioned that I am supposed to start shooting for my next film in a month. Other than that, I am also currently involved with a lot of TV Serials and a TVC titled 'Beautiful Bangladesh', where I played the character of a snake charmer, for which I needed to learn to handle a snake which I had never done before!
Catch The Uncut Version Of Showbiz's Cover Interview And More On Radio Shadhin 92.4 Fm Every Saturday, 11 Pm Onwards.

Interviewed by Rafi Hossain and Narrated by S.M. Intisab Shahriyar