OTT over television for Afran Nisho

After garnering appreciation for productions like "Chirokal Aaj" and "Punorjonmo", Afran Nisho has decided to go against the tide this year.

The actor has been seen to take the audience by storm on streaming platforms with his portrayal of Salaam Sharif Babu in Shihab Shaheen's "Morichika" and Rashed- the human lie detector in Vicky Zahed's "Redrum". He is now looking forward to two more OTT projects, among others.

We caught up with Nisho to know more about his Eid productions, role preferences, and factors that guide his character choices.

Every Eid, the audience looks forward to your work on television and YouTube. What do you have in store for them this Eid al-Fitr?

I have not shot for a single Eid production yet. However, it is not that I am ovoiding television. I have been busy shooting for my OTT projects since last November, and was unable to focus elsewhere. Now that I have a bit of breathing space, I will take up a few projects for my fans this Eid.

I had previously shot with Kajal Arefin Ome for "Kidnapper" and "Help me", and Vicky Zahed's "Champa House", which will be released this Eid, among some other projects.

The "volume vs quality" debate has always been prevalent in our industry. However, we often forget that both are important. I believe good work is important for us to be remembered. Nevertheless, mass connectivity is also essential. 

What OTT projects are on your radar at the moment?

I have finished shooting for Tanim Noor's Hoichoi original series "Kaiser", where I will play the titular role. My second Chorki project "Syndicate", which is also directed by Shihab Shaheen, is currently in post-production.

Alongside television productions, you seem to enjoy working for streaming platforms. What made you choose OTT over television?

While the budget has definitely been a concern for directors and artistes in this arena, I love the quality of production that OTT platforms offer. Be it the cinematography, the narrative style, or the overall editing and colour grading, OTT productions offer more for the audience to relish on.

There are roles that you do for mass connectivity, and then there are characters that you take up to quench your thirst as an actor. I decided to move towards the latter one for the last 6 months.

You have redefined the audiences' perceptions regarding negative characters within a short span of time. Not only have they grown to love you as an antagonist, but your roles have also grown to be some of the much-loved characters, despite being in the greyer arena.

I enjoy portraying characters like Rafsan from "Punorjonmo", Babu from "Morichika" and Rashed from "Redrum" as I feel they offer more strata for me to discover as an actor.

I have never wanted to limit myself as an artiste by succumbing to the norms a 'hero' is expected to project on the screen. Rather, I have always wanted to present personas that are intriguing, intelligent, and believable.