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Teller of riveting stories

In conversation with Ashfaque Nipun

Shababa Iqbal
Television director and writer Ashfaque Nipun worked in the famous production house Chabial for years before hitting a pivotal moment with writing, directing and starring in '2 in 1,' a tele-fiction about modern-day relationships made under Chabial in 2006. Known for his portrayal of real-life scenarios and family dramas, Nipun recently helmed several projects, including 'Pherar Poth Nei' on Eid-ul-Fitr, a short film Ke?' for iflix and the tele-fictions 'Layla, Tumi Ki Amake Miss Koro?' and 'Kaana Machhi Bhou Bhou' for Bioscope and Channel i respectively in the festive season of
Eid-ul-Azha. Most notably, he has written and directed 'Shonali Danar Chil,1 one of the seven Eid telefilms for Channel i on Chabial's Bhai Brother Express project. It has garnered praise from the viewers for its relevant and emotional elements. He is interested in telling stories of not the high achievers but the dark horses and back benchers of the society. In a candid chat, Nipun tells The Daily Star what his process of direction looks like, and more.
What do you enjoy the most about being a screenuniter and director?
I would say that the best part of being a writer is having the opportunity to observe people, identify what makes people tick and tell any story the way I want to. When you are a director, you are a commander on the sets and all of your requirements are presented to you on a platter, no matter what. Seeing something you thought of in your head materialise into a concrete story is the greatest feeling.
Your telefilm 'Shonali Danar Chil' is based on the issue of leaked exam papers. How did you come about the script and how was the experience?
For the last two years or so, I have been working on stories that question the societal systems and pressures and bring issues which we brush under the carpet to the forefront. I chose the subject of leaked exam papers as the centrepiece for Shonali Danar Chil, because it was an unchartered territory. Rather than highlighting the technical factors of how the papers are leaked, I wanted to focus on telling the story of the hopes of a family, one that the audience could connect to. I received many compliments on one particular uncut scene where the daughter feeds rice to her parents - it really showcases the interpersonal relationships in the family. Your short film for iflix, 'Ke?' deals with a marriage where the man cannot reproduce. How and why did you come up with this concept?
It is highly difficult for a man to accept the fact that his wife cannot have children because of him. Masculinity is always linked to the concept of reproduction, and not being able to reproduce is a huge blow to the male ego. So, I wanted to touch upon the discomfort that comes with discovering that the husband in a marriage is incapable of having children.
What is your take on the current state of television viewership in Bangladesh?
I think we are faced with a crisis because we have more television channels than we require It is challenging to provide quality content for all the channels without having enough resources. Nowadays, television channels are heavily reliant on YotiTube because that is where the audience prefers to watch programmes. On the other hand, internationally, if we look at a hit television series like Game of Thrones, people gladly watch it on television at the scheduled time because they want to avoid spoilers. Our television business needs to focus on quality over quantity, thereby attracting the audience with effective promotion tactics. Over the years, what are some of the most important lessons that you have learned in the industry? One lesson I have learnt is to never take the audience for granted, since they are not going to sit through a story that is predictable. Being able to engage the audience is the key. It is also important to be disciplined for surviving and succeeding in this industry.