After becoming a landmark in the film industry, Utshob premiered on OTT on August 7. Shoumya Joyti, who plays an important role in the film, has been residing in Melbourne, Australia, for a while. He conversed with The Daily Star over the phone about his experience.

When did you land in Australia? How has the experience been so far with the overseas audience?

I arrived here on June 29, and the first show was on July 3. Since the majority of the Bengali community lives in Sydney and Melbourne, we had the first screening in Sydney, and then I came to Melbourne, where I am currently staying.

As for the response, it has been quite unbelievable. I witnessed the first phase in Bangladesh, and now here in Australia, it has been absolutely incredible— all the shows here are houseful just like in Bangladesh. It’s amazing to see that people have come from far away to watch the movie.

For the ones who grew up during the ‘90s, ‘Utshob’ brings a wave of nostalgia. Surprisingly, Gen Z was also in awe after it hit theatres.

I think the way the film’s narrative is showcased worked all the magic. The script and dialogues deserve great applause because they truly connected with everyone. My mother often tells me that this generation isn’t used to seeing love stories in contemporary films. They rarely get the opportunity to watch a movie with the entire family. Utshob was a delightful treat for them.

You’ve been part of several projects with period-based timelines—‘Maya’ (directed by Animesh Aich) and ‘Utshob’, for instance. Did you make any specific preparations for the roles?

I had a guest appearance in Maya . As for my preparations, I’m grateful to the team who made it easier to step into a different generation. I even learned to ride a bike for the role — and ended up needing 15 stitches, most on my head! (laughs)

Emotionally, I am already connected to the period-based eras. I grew up watching Zahid Hasan’s Kothao Keu Nei and old Bangla films. I’m also a huge Salman Shah fan — I’ve seen all his movies. We had a VCR at home too, so I was familiar with many things from that time.

You have announced a year’s break from acting. As a rising artiste, don’t you think this is your time to seize the spotlight?

I will be honest, when I received such an overwhelming response for Utshob , it made me feel that my responsibilities as a performer have grown to a great extent. Also, people have developed great expectations of me. So, I would never want to let them down. I want to educate myself more as a performer and take acting lessons. I’m also nearing the end of my undergraduate degree in English Literature at NSU. So, I am striving to maybe go abroad for my higher studies.