TV plays, shot in foreign locales, are a major attraction for viewers. Among the favoured locations are Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, China, Singapore and even further afield to the United States and United Kingdom. The trend of shooting overseas began in the early 1990s when several ambitious directors looked for foreign settings.

Most of the popular Bangladeshi actors have at one stage or another winged their way out of the country for shoots. This correspondent talked to a few artistes who shared their experiences -- favourable and unfavourable -- while shooting abroad. Here are some excerpts:

Mahfuz Ahmed, actor: I have acted in about 20 TV plays set outside Bangladesh. I have had some interesting experiences in the course of that time. I believe that going abroad is a recreation for artistes and can be viewed as a perk.

However, we have faced several problems in the course of these shootings. Most of the public places in any country are open to cameras. There are, of course, some exceptions where it is necessary to take written permission from the local authorities. Then of course there is a language barrier

between the directors and local people. Frequently, with a view to keep the budget low, the directors carry on without official permission. Also sometimes due to fund constraints the crew is small. As a result, the co-actors may have to take up other responsibilities such as lights and sound engineering. These are some of the stumbling blocks of shooting in foreign countries. On the whole, however, shooting abroad is always an enjoyable experience. Chandni, actor: Both viewers and actors are enthusiastic about filming in new and exotic locations. Sometimes it is like a picnic for artistes. I was in Nepal last year for a special TV play. There we encountered some weird problems. In Nepal, for instance, on one occasion we lost our way and ended up outside the cantonment area. Seeking permission and getting it on time is another problem.

However, I remember an amusing

experience in the course of my visit to Malaysia. I had to share my hotel room with Azra, a promising model-turned-actress. Both of us felt that our room was haunted. Without any reason the lights of our room went off, but the rest of the rooms were bright. Again, when we returned after dinner, we found the door of our room wide open, although I did lock my room. The hotel management could not give a good explanation. These memories still haunt me.

Jeetu Ahsan, actor: The main attraction of shooting abroad is to give viewers a glimpse of new and beautiful locales. The artistes also get an exposure to foreign countries. However, shooting abroad is very expensive. We have to work on a tight schedule; literally from dawn to dusk, only to save money. Because of a shortage of technical hands, the artistes have to

do their own make up and set arrangements. For this reason, in some plays the production is substandard. We cannot afford the local technical supports in those countries, so it often difficult to make quality productions.

Aranya Anwar, director: The experience of shooting abroad is not always pleasant for me. I basically develop a script after I get a clear conception about the country in which I want to shoot my play or serial. I don't depend on instant scripts, whether shooting at home or abroad. While shooting abroad, I never make any change in my script -which may be a common phenomenon for the other productions.

As for shooting in restricted spots where we needed official permission, I have always made the arrangements much before the shooting schedule. For instance, I shot one of my plays in Bangkok Pattaya Hospital after I had taken permission from the concerned authority in Dhaka. So, I didn't have to face any problems.

While at home I usually work with three assistants in every production. Because of budgetary constraints, I take only one assistant abroad. Sometimes due to the lack of production people, the artistes have to carry on with tasks such as make up. The remuneration of the artistes does not differ in this case. Another problem we face is a shortfall of production equipment. Again a limited budget is the problem. We don't have the studio facilities abroad. As a result we cannot maintain production quality.

AR Mantu, producer: I have acted and produced a play that was shot in Mauritius. I hardly face any problem while shooting abroad because of my distinctive production style.

One month prior to the shooting schedule, the scriptwriter of my plays reaches the country where I want to shoot the play. He does his homework there and develops his script. Meanwhile I do my planning and make the necessary arrangements that I would need abroad. I rarely face any trouble while shooting--barring the reduced number of the unit members. I usually work with 30 people at home while I take 20 people to help me in my plays abroad.