Himself, Shihab Shaheen

Shihab Shaheen, with smashing hits like 'Ditiyo Koishor', 'August 14', 'Morichika', 'Syndicate' and 'Mayashalik', has been instrumental in bringing about the 'OTT revolution' in Bangladesh.

But he probably played the biggest gamble of his filmmaking career in attempting Myself Allen Swapan, the first-ever spin-off series in the country. 

It was impossible to predict beforehand whether a spin-off with a relatively moderate star cast would go down well with the Bangladeshi audiences. 

Also, the Nasir Uddin Khan-starrer was up against Ashfaque Nipun's Mohanagar 2, an already immensely popular franchise with an ensemble cast, including Mosharraf Karim in the lead. 

"We were confident of weathering the challenge with flying colours because we had a good story, good acting, and brilliant making at our disposal," shared Shaheen.

And that the gamble has paid off is evident from the massive response Myself Allen Swapan has been garnering ever since its release on 21 April, breaking all the Chorki streaming records in the process.

"I am very happy that our audiences eventually watched and liked both the series. It is a good sign for our industry that we are trying to tell contemporary tales, and they are appreciating it," Shaheen opined. 

Myself Allen Swapan was legally streamed over a record two crore minutes on Chorki in the first eight days, and the numbers are now inspiring the maker to come up with a sequel. 

"It is up to the streaming platform to make the announcement. Maybe in the coming weeks you will get further updates about the sequel," revealed Shaheen, adding that a sequel of Syndicate, the parent series of Myself Allen Swapan, is also in the talks. 

Besides that, Shaheen has some other fresh and exciting projects on his hands right now, with the most enticing one being a crime thriller starring Afran Nisho. 

"The series will be titled Asur, where the story will revolve around a serial killer," Shaheen said. 

There has been word of the series being based on the life of Rosu Kha, an infamous serial killer who reportedly killed at least 11 women after raping them. 

However, Shaheen dismissed the claim. "Rosu Kha was the first ever serial killer in our country. So, it's natural that there will be some similarities between Asur and Rosu Kha. But our story is not a rip off of his life."

Shaheen is also planning to make a big budget content titled 'Ministry of Love' showcasing long-distance relationships. He will shoot it across different locations of Dhaka and Australia in July.  

Recently, Shaheen shared from his Facebook profile that he had received as a gift all the books of the country's popular author Sadat Hossain. Earlier he had used a few lines from a poem by Hossain in Syndicate, which went on to enjoy staggering success. 

When queried, the filmmaker left the door open for adapting something from the litterateur in future. 

Apart from continuing to conquer the streaming scene, Shaheen is mulling a comeback to movie theatres too. His debut film 'Chuye Dile Mon' starring Zakia Bari Mamo and Arifin Shuvoo was released in 2015 and created waves at the time. 

"I wanted to return to the big screen earlier, but couldn't help postponing that project during the coronavirus pandemic. If everything goes well, I will make a new film for the big screen next year," Shaheen said.

Shaheen, a big fan of 'Jibon Theke Neya' and 'Abar Tora Manush Ho', also dreams of making a film purely based on the Liberation War in 1971. "But I won't be satisfied with a small-scale film. My canvas will be as large as it gets." 

The director is one of the few outspoken members from the country's entertainment fraternity who does not shy away from sharing their thoughts and opinions regarding the country's contemporary affairs.

"As artists, it is our responsibility to talk about issues that concern the nation. I always speak up against things like corruption and fundamentalism. But most artists of our time opt to remain silent, lest they get cornered by the people in power," he added. 

Shaheen also has some interesting takes about Indian films screening in Bangladeshi theatres. While some are treating it as a threat to local content, Shaheen prefers to keep his eyes on the bigger picture. 

"Bringing Indian films will result in reopening many theatres in the rural areas. That's very important to broaden people's outlook through art and culture. Besides, if the number of active halls in the country increases, we Bangladeshi filmmakers will also benefit from them."