Shamol Mawla talks ‘Mohanagar’
Hoichoi’s eight-episode crime thriller series, “Mohanagar”, was released recently. Written and directed by Ashfaque Nipun, it is the streaming platform’s first Bangladeshi original of 2021, after the success of “Taqdeer”, starring Chanchal Chowdhury, last year.
"Mohanagar" depicts the events of a fateful night in a police station in Dhaka, where paths of criminals, an eminent industrialist, the general public, and members of the press, intertwine in the aftermath of a road accident, for a period of seven hours. The series, produced by Shopnoghuri Productions, features Mosharraf Karim as O C Harun, Zakia Bari Mamo as Shahana Huda, Shamol Mawla as Afnan Chowdhury, Mostafizur Noor Imran as Moloy Kumar, and Khairul Basar as Abir Hasan, among others.
Shamol Mawla spoke to The Daily Star, about taking on this project.
Before "Mohanagar", the prominent actor worked with Ashfaque Nipun on "Koshtoneer", a Hoichoi film.
"I built a good rapport with Nipun during the making of 'Koshtoneer'. He is the captain of our ship, and I trusted him completely. I believe he had faith in my work too," shares Mawla.
The actor was really drawn towards Afnan Chowdhury, his character in "Mohanagar". "I hope audiences will have a great time watching my character with O C Harun, played by Mosharraf Karim, on screen," he adds.
Mawla further elaborated on his overall experience of shooting for "Mohanagar". "I get slapped at one point on the show. Filming that scene is a memory that stands out," he shares. "Even though we had to follow safety guidelines, and there were certain restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic, I felt really comfortable on the sets." The actor especially enjoyed the night shoots.
Mawla is also known for his roles in recent crime thriller web shows like "Money Honey" (2019), and "Contract" (2021). However, when asked if he is particularly drawn to crime thriller stories, the actor insisted that he has never given it much thought. "I am not seeking out projects that belong to the crime thriller genre, or any other genre for that matter. I am, however, always looking for interesting roles to play," he says.
Furthermore, Mawla shared that "Mohanagar" has an exciting story. "As artistes, we are consistently trying to get better with each project. Everyone in 'Mohanagar' has done their best. Now, it is up to the audiences to decide whether we have met their expectations or not," he concludes.