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SPOTLIGHT

"One day an emotional woman hugged me at New Market in Dhaka" ... Afroza Banu

Shah Alam Shazu
A versatile actress, Afroza Banu, has worked in diverse media -theatre, radio, television and cinema. She first came into the spotlight with her TV play "Sokal Sondha", where she played the role of Shimu Bhabi. She has never looked back since.
An upbeat Afroza Banu talked to The Daily Star about her buzzing professional life.
You have acted in several TV plays, is there any character that you haven't played yet, but wish to play?
Afroza Banu: At 25, you have an added dimension to your roles, for instance, you can play a 70-year-old person. But at 60 you can't play a 25-year-old. As most contemporary plays are social dramas, TV directors now cast me in the role of an elder sister, mother or sister-in-law. I love doing older roles.
The TV scene was dubbed the golden arena in your time. What do you think factored behind that? Afroza Banu: At that time, BTV was the sole broadcasting channel so everyone worked with completededication. Also, producers like Abdullah Al Mamun, Mostafizur Rahman, Mostofa Kamal Syed, Zia Ansar); Nowazesh Ali Khan and Barkatullah were very' talented, so everyone loved TV plays. At that time both theatre and TV plays were great media.
What do you think determines
popularity of a play?
Afroza Banu: When viewers receive a play warmly, it becomes popular overnight. There were excellent productions in our time as every artiste tried to give of their best. The works went down very well with the audience those days. Any memorable experiences of
"Sokal Sondha" ...
Afroza Banu: Many. One day, an emotional woman hugged me at New Market in Dhaka. Apparently she did not see eye to eye with her daughter-in-law and was looking for a daughter-in-law like Shimu. This was a great achievement for me as it meant that I had given a perfect performance. I also remember when I went to Chittagong to attend the wedding ceremony of a theatre artiste I was mobbed by a crowd who wanted to get a glimpse of me. Finally, the police were called in to bring the situation under control. Such craze over TV plays is rarely seen now.
How do you account for this popularity?
Afroza Banu: I believe that it is people's love. Earlier, it was very' tough for fans to gain proximity to their favourite actors. But now that has become easier.
Which media are you most comfortable with?
Afroza Banu: I love acting in all kinds of media. However, theatre holds a special appeal for me as one receives an immediate response from the audience.