I spent a day at the set of Afzal Hossain’s Maniker Lal Kakra

Amidst the cold and wintery nights of Poush, Afzal Hossain, along with his crew members reached the village called Paril (Manikganj, Singair), to shoot a song for his directorial debut film, "Maniker Lal Kakra''.

I tagged along gingerly, looking at the picturesque beauty of the location that we were at.

After scanning through the entire house, the eminent artiste finally found the ideal spot, in the form of balcony. He had a specific visual plan regarding the details of the set, and thus, the crewmembers had to redo the sets a few times after which he finally approved.

Afzal Hossain in action.

The director instructed the on-screen pair of Ferdous and Sohana Saba to sit together on the bench, as they looked dapper as ever.

Afzal Hossain then went to explain the scene to the cast: Saba would have lip sync to a Tagore song, while journalist and singer Tanvir Tareq would play the guitar.

What worried me was, after shouting "Action", the cinematographer said that there is a problem with the light and that it needs to be increased.

However, the issue was resolved, and the video was shot. The director was happy with the shot.

To my surprise, the chilling weather got worse with the sudden appearance of rain. As the unit began to rush, they went straight into the house. Amidst the chaos, villagers got to see glimpse of their favourite celebrities with utmost enthusiasm. "Look, it's Ferdous," shouted a villager, as her face gleamed with excitement.

The rain stopped, and the director was eager to shot the next scene of the shot. However, Cinematographer Azad told him that it would take some time while fixing the camera.

Meanwhile, Ferdous shared with us a little bit about his role in "Maniker Lal Kakra".

The crew hard at work.

"I am portraying a celebrated writer in this movie," he said. "Earlier, I have worked with Afzal Hossain in TVC; however, I am overwhelmed to have worked in his debut film."

The film will highlight the reflections of eminent writer Manik Bandopadhyay through the eyes of the protagonist writer (Ferdous).

The shooting finally wrapped up by 11 pm and the elated director Afzal Hossain thanked his crew members for completing the scene.

"I am grateful to all of you for working hard in such weather," he said. The unit packed up and then returned to Dhaka.

As I returned home, constantly thought about how hard the artistes, directors and crewmembers of a set have to work, to get the simplest of things done. The people who make it in showbiz, certainly deserve not only our accolades, but also our empathy.