Touqir Islam: A man and his art tied to Rajshahi

Crime-thrillers and dramas are currently the hottest genres in Bangladesh entertainment, widely loved by audiences across the nation. They also draw in new filmmakers who bring in their complex plots and suspenseful characters. However, not all filmmakers find equal success in this genre, and many wait for a solid script before diving in. 

In 2022, the crime-drama series 'Shaaticup' gained critical acclaim for its storytelling and cinematography. This year, its director, Mohammad Touqir Islam, is back with another series, 'Sinpaat', now streaming on Chorki.

'Sinpaat,' in a lot of ways, is very similar to 'Shaaticup'. Shot in the backdrop of Rajshahi, Sinpaat is essentially a crime -drama at its core. The only difference is Sinpaat has a much more grounded approach in comparison, along with being a lot more realistic than Shaaticup.

Touqir's distinctive trait is his commitment to Rajshahi in his works. Everything from the storyline to the cast and crew in his series are deeply connected to the roots of Rajshahi's culture and its people. In this day and age, sticking strictly to a place outside of Dhaka for shooting purposes is quite rare.

"It's not like I only want to stick to the culture and the people of Rajshahi for my projects," disagreed Touqir. "It's just our office is based in Rajshahi, I myself hail from that place; so it is easier for me to recruit actors from there. What matters is creating a story with material, and it doesn't matter in which backdrop it is set," he added.

The director aimed to make 'Sinpaat' realistic and relatable. So, many scenes in the series are actual events filmed raw, in real-time, without dramatisation. This approach isn't easy, but it results in something truly impressive.

This series is only Touqir's second major work as a director. His path to becoming a filmmaker, starting from his school days, was extraordinary. While becoming an actor at a young age is common, it's rare for someone still in school to become a filmmaker. Yet, Touqir achieved this, participating in filmmaking competitions with his own work, despite having little knowledge at the time.

"I had no knowledge of the intricacies of filmmaking at that point in my life," explained Touqir. "My source material was all the commercial Hollywood films that I used to watch. I only knew some basics like how to shoot with a camera and how to edit what I had shot," he reminisced.

Touqir strongly believes in putting out good work and not chasing after fame. He loves filmmaking and he will continue to give his best in the future. The road has not particularly been easy for him. But he believes that his work will ultimately take him where he deserves to be.

"Being a part of the entertainment industry as a creator is never easy. What matters is to keep putting out the best content. Sooner or later, these will always take us where we want to see ourselves and give us the prestige we are due," he said.

The ambition to see himself on a greater stage bears less value to Touqir than making better movies and serieses. Of course he will feel absolutely honoured if he gets to stand on one of the big podiums, but for now his only ambition is to keep creating fresh and compelling content. And the way he's going about his business, it must be said that he is succeeding with flying colours.