Mithila: Everything I do is out of passion, be it acting or a desk job
Rafiath Rashid Mithila spoke to The Business Standard from Tanzania where the actress is promoting 'Omanush'
Rafiath Rashid Mithila has just had two films released on the big screen. Unsurprisingly, the actress is very elated. She stars in 'Omanush' – directed by Ananya Mamun – which was released in the third week of June in Bangladesh, and 'Aay Khuku Aay', directed by Sauvik Kundu, released in West Bengal, in February of this year.
It was her debut appearance in a feature length film in 'Omanush' and her role in 'Aay Khuku Aay' is a guest appearance. Mithila is overjoyed about her accomplishment.
"I shot for 'Ay Khuku Ay' for a very short time," said Mithila. The shooting took place in Bolpur, a city 150 km north of Kolkata, and Mithila explained that the production culture in that region of West Bengal is very expeditious and streamlined.
Conversely, about Bangladeshi production methods, she said "What happens in Bangladesh is that we have to face a lot of challenges during the production, like managing most things for and by ourselves. But we had a very fluid and dedicated crew, which allowed the local production to pull through in the end."
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The funding for Omanush came through OTT, television rights and sponsors. The film has been released in over 40 theatres, and director Ananya Mamun said on social media that a portion of the revenue generated from the ticket sales will go towards victims of the Sylhet flood.
Mithila said that she picks projects based on the characters and story, rather than the size of the budget, which is why she was so attracted to this film in the first place.
She has been keeping up with news of its critical reception, which has remained favourable thus far. Mithila further added that she would feel vindicated if more audiences saw the movie after all the effort she put into shooting in the woods.
"When I was shooting in Bandarban and Gazipur National Park, the lockdown went into effect countrywide. We heard about the announcement after we had already arrived on location so we had to return soon, after minimal shooting," she explained.
Mithila heads up the department of Early Childhood Development at BRAC International. We asked her if she had ever contemplated going full-time with her acting career.
"I have been doing both since the beginning," answered Mithila. "I have been BRAC for 18 years and I have been acting for around 16-17 years. I have never felt that I had missed out on projects or opportunities due to my day job. The thing is, I grow bored of doing the same thing too many times in a row. Everything I do is out of passion, whether it be acting or a desk job. I'm perfectly happy with where I am in life right now, I don't find my destiny and my ambition to be at odds in any way."
As for the future, Mithila said that post production work on the Nitishastra Anthology film in Kolkata has finished and is set to release soon. Maya, directed by Rajarshi Dey, is also awaiting release. She has also completed the dubbing of the government-sponsored film 'Jwale Jwale Tara', directed by Arun Chowdhury, which is also set to release in the coming months.
