I love to audition because that way I earn my role: Nawshaba

Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed. Photo: Ridwan Adid Rupon

What are you currently busy with?

Nawshaba: I am doing three docu-fictions with Somoy Television, called “Tahader Ondore”, looking into the lives of three very special communities – transgenders, prostitutes and those who are in juvenile detention centers. We just came back from Savar yesterday, where we spent a day with a transgender community. I've done a somewhat similar work with Somoy TV before – in “Bede'r Meye Josna” and “Golapi Ekhon Train-e”, but these are conceptually different, and I'm trying my level best to deliver great output. 

You have recently shifted your focus from TV to film. What have you been doing on that front?

Nawshaba: I have finished shooting for “Alga Nongor” and will dub for it soon. For the other one, “Protiruddho”, we're waiting for winter to begin shoot of the remaining slots, as it's crucial to the story. It's very satisfying to be a part of the films because both the directors – Wahid Tareq and Khijir Hayat Khan respectively – believe their script is the hero of the film, and looked for actors who could play the roles, rather than selling the story riding on the face value of the cast. I have auditioned for both films, and got selected through competition. I love auditioning for my roles because that way I know I have earned it. My characters in the two films are polar opposites, and I have had to schedule them so I could switch between them. For instance, in “Protiruddho” there are two timelines spread 10 years apart, so I had to gain and lose weight accordingly to portray them. 

You have a two-and a half year old daughter. How does she react when she sees you on TV?

Nawshaba: Oh, Prokriti is super excited and literally pulls everyone to the TV every time I am on. I used to think after I became a mother I would drift away from acting, but I feel more involved now. Every shot I take, I think how she would feel when she sees it. There are a lot of obstacles in Bangladeshi media, and lack of professionalism – but I wring my heart out in all I do so one day my daughter can say her mother tried her best. I also like to keep her away from the glitz of showbiz, because I don't want her to make her life choices based on me. If she wants to become an actress, I hope she does it for the right reasons, and not just because I am one.