Badhon: I contemplated suicide

After a long hiatus, popular actor Azmeri Haque Badhon is back in front of the camera. This time around she starred in the recently released Chorki web series 'Guti', directed by Shankha Das Gupta. 

Badhon plays the role of a drug dealer. "Our viewers are very used to seeing female characters, in dramas or movies, through a very specific lens. With that in mind, I  tried to present my character in a completely different way. I am very happy with the outcome," she said. 

Badhon has also recently won the Best Actress Award at National Film Awards 2021 for her role in the movie 'Rehena Maryam Noor'. 

Before Badhon was famous, after just having passed her HSC examinations, she got admitted to a private medical college. But that was when she faced a great hurdle in life. She married into a conservative family and they did not appreciate her goals and aspirations. She was forced to drop out and, as a result, depression settled in. 

"There was a time when I contemplated suicide. I would have done it at any time. But, at some point, I saw the Lux beauty pageant where the winner would get a chance to play the heroine of Humayun Ahmed's Daruchini Dwip," said Badhon. " I took part in the competition. I made it to the finals and became runner up. My depression faded afterwards. I received Tk three lakh prize money, which I used to restart my medical studies. My life began anew."

Badhon had never been involved with any kind of cultural activities prior to the Lux pageant, but she slowly learned to act and model and starred in various dramas. 

Badhon remarried in 2010, at the height of her acting career. Her daughter Saira was born in her short-lived second marriage, and to keep the custody of her child, Badhon had to resort to fighting her case in family court. 

Amidst all difficulties, she pushed forward. After getting the guardianship of her daughter in 2018, she found some stability in her personal life. From there she refocused on her media related work. She prepared herself for the camera in various ways, starting with regular visits to the gym regularly and maintaining her fitness.

Despite several offers, Badhon did not sign up for too many commercial films. She looked to truly reinvent herself. And that opportunity too came to her quickly – she landed the lead role in the movie 'Rehena Maryam Noor', directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad.

She studied the character for about a year. The film was shot in Comilla where she stayed for two months. Her life turned around for the better after the movie was screened at France's Cannes Film Festival. Badhon's presence in the local media and international media had caught everyone's attention. And her depression completely faded. 

"We wait for certain moments in life. When I was working for Rehana Maryam Noor, I realised that this was not a regular movie. But I did not think that I would get international recognition. This has changed my entire approach to acting."