Filming resumes in a 'free' Bangladesh

On a quiet street corner by a small tea stall on Friday, actor Shamim Hasan Sarkar took a moment to relax. Smiling, he requested the vendor, "This is my first shoot in a free country. Let me enjoy a good cup of tea." 

The vendor, pleased, carefully prepared the tea. As Shamim settled on a bench, a small crowd gathered, recognising the popular actor. Shamim welcomed the attention, smiling for selfies and engaging with the onlookers. 

Soon, a middle-aged man approached, signalling the need for a discussion. Shamim politely stepped away from the crowd to converse with the man, who was revealed to be Hasan Rezaul, the director of the one-act drama "Jibon Songshar." Shamim played a central role in this drama, written by Kabya Hasan, which was set to be released on the YouTube channel Jago Entertainment.

After the students' anti-discrimination movement triumphed, filming resumed with renewed enthusiasm. On 9 August, the shoot at Uttara's renowned shooting house 'Apon Ghor 1' became the centre of attention for media personnel.

Director Hasan Rezaul, visibly in a good mood, guided the actors with a cheerful demeanour. In a brief chat with TBS, he expressed, "Working in a free country feels liberating. I feel less burdened. We often had to compromise on storylines out of fear of lawsuits under the Digital Security Act for a single dialogue. That fear is now gone. I hope we can now tell our stories freely." 

Shamim, listening intently, agreed and shared, "Since 2018, I've been harassed by the government. They questioned me for every Facebook post, even when I was merely expressing my thoughts. I wasn't in the right mindset, so I worked less. But now, I've started again and hope to work regularly for my audience."

The sky above had darkened with clouds by the time the conversation ended, and a few assistant directors and the camera crew arrived at the scene. Shamim's co-actor, Mahbub, also joined them. The scene they were about to shoot involved two office colleagues having a casual chat over tea during a break. As they prepared to start filming, rain began to pour, yet the shoot continued. 

In this scene, both Shamim and Mahbub were to hold steaming cups of tea. Shamim, whose character had a line of dialogue, had to speak while sipping his tea, while Mahbub was supposed to respond by agreeing with him.

However, a funny incident occurred during the shoot. 

Although Shamim delivered his lines perfectly, Mahbub kept missing his. This meant that Shamim had to drink four cups of hot tea due to Mahbub's repeated mistakes. Later, Shamim joked with his colleagues, "Four cups of tea are nothing! I've had to deliver a single line 10 times in a drama because of a co-actor's mistakes before. That was even more embarrassing."

As the shooting continued, Shamim made sure to engage with his fans, who were eagerly watching the scene unfold. Among the cast, Shamim Hasan Sarkar was the most popular, especially due to his performances in the serial dramas "Family Crisis" and "Bachelor Point," which earned him widespread recognition. 

The shooting location, being right next to a busy road, attracted the attention of passersby, including traffic police officers who would occasionally stop to watch. Some even took photos with their favourite actor.

As evening approached, the crew, led by the director, moved indoors to discuss the day's work and plan for the next day. 

The screenwriter crafted the drama's story from various events happening in society, focusing on themes of love, relationships and the misunderstandings that arise within families. The drama's core message revolves around the absence of love within a family and the consequences that follow.