Inside the mind of Vicky Zahed

Vicky Zahed started his career as a director with short films. Striving towards his passion, he soon rose to fame on television. He is known for redefining the thriller, supernatural, and suspense genres on screen. His Eid-ul-Azha television productions, "Chirokal Aaj", "Punorjonmo", "Ditiyo Shuchona", "Prio Adnan" and "Kaykobad" were well-received by viewers. In a candid chat with The Daily Star, Vicky Zahed talks about what his process of directing looks like, and more.

When and how did you begin directing?

I always wanted to explore how it felt to be behind the camera. After my debut short film "Moments", featuring Jovan in the lead role received a positive response, I started to explore short films more with my following projects, such as "Maya", "Deyal", " Durbeen", and "Aaj Amar Pala". I ventured out to television with the production, "The Life of Jalil", featuring Afran Nisho and Safa Kabir, in 2019. After "Rehnuma" in 2020, I took a break due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, like every dawn is followed by a bright sunny day, my time off led to the creation of many successful ventures such as "Irina", the "Jonmo" series, and "Majnu". This Eid, my telefilms earned a lot of appreciation, which has only doubled my dedication, and the expectations of my viewers.

Your Eid tele-fiction "Chirokal Aaj" has been widely appreciated. Tell us about your experience of making it.

The success of "Chirokal Aaj" marks a milestone in my career. Many notable personalities from the entertainment fraternity have congratulated me for it, which was inspiring. Two scenes that I enjoyed while shooting for "Chirokal Aaj" were the proposal scene in the rain, and the scene where Rocky (played by Afran Nisho) keeps expressing his love for Tithi (played by Mehazabien Chowdhury) and she keeps forgetting it every few seconds. That scene left me in tears. Mehazabien Chowdhury was phenomenal in "Chirokal Aaj".

Your Eid productions this year have mostly been psychological thrillers. Most of your tele-fictions end with unexpected twists that leave the audience in awe. How do you come up with such interesting endings?

Each time I plan a script, I start with a keyword. Then I start researching that word to broaden my knowledge of that particular topic or theme. Based on my knowledge, I start developing a storyline which leads to the creation of a full-fledged script. I always prefer working with a particular team for any production as their unity makes the production process easy. Being a Hichcock fan, I love crime and physiological thrillers, and most of my work is inspired by such themes. Speaking of the unexpected twists, I love to play with the audiences' minds, and provide them with thrilling experiences.

Most of your releases this Eid feature Afran Nisho but in totally different roles. How was your experience of working with him?

My first tele-fiction featured Afran Nisho. Since then, he has always been a favourite. I feel that rather than acting, he absorbs the personalities of every character he plays. As a result, he always responds and reacts the way that his character naturally would in different scenarios. I feel proud to have successfully presented him in four different roles, and I believe he has aced them all. Above all, he is a very endearing and professional person. He is fun to be around.

What are your upcoming ventures?

This Eid has been rather tedious for me, as I had five productions. I am planning to take some time off yet again. However, I promise to come back soon with something worthwhile.