Pran Roy captured the spotlight with his brilliant portrayal of the character Dublo in the popular drama “Ronger Manush”. His career reached new heights after he played the eponymous role in the successful serial “Romijer Aaina”. Following these feats, he has worked in a variety of characters. Equipped with previous experience of the theatre, Roy's latest work was for the silver screen -- in Humayun Ahmed's “Ghetu Putro Komola”. Roy recently spoke to The Daily Star about his eventful innings as an actor.
Which drama brought you recognition among the audience?Pran Roy: “Ronger Manush” put me in the spotlight, and made my name known among viewers. Salahuddin Lavlu directed the serial. If I had not worked in “Ronger Manush”, then maybe I would not have been the Pran Ray that I am today. When I started working in “Ronger Manush”, I had no specific targets. I did not plan on acting regularly or making acting my profession.
What other dramas brought you acclaim?
Pran Roy: I took a break after doing “Ronger Manush”, as everyone was offering me similar roles. I also received many offers from filmmakers. I said no to everyone, as I did not want to repeat the same kind of performance. After a brief hiatus, director Shihab Shaheen offered me the chance to play Romij in the serial “Romijer Aaina”. The serial was aired on ntv, and became a great hit.
What is your opinion of the drama “Lolita”?
Pran Roy: Ekushey Television aired “ Lolita”, where Sumaiya Shimu played the title role. I played the character of Shahrukh. Lolita was the central role, but Shahrukh also developed into a major character. At the time, whenever I went out -- people used to point at me and say, “Look, there goes Lolita bhai”. I played the role of a hijra (transgendered). Hence the nickname “Lolita bhai”. It was a challenging role.
Any observations on the recent trends in your line of work?
Pran Roy: No drama is becoming a massive hit now. It's probably because the stories are not that strong. Even the playwrights do not know what will happen at the end of the drama. The episodes are made in groups of 13 at a time. So the story gets distorted, the sequence gets scrambled. As a result, the viewers are not enjoying the dramas anymore.
You studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University. Do you get time to paint?
Pran Roy: I enrolled in Charukala (FFA) in 1996. Now I don't get time to paint at all. Whatever time I can spare, it's mostly spent on planning what I will draw. However, my experience in painting has helped a lot in my acting. It helped me on the set, in costume selection and many other fields.
What was the first theatre group you joined after coming to Dhaka?
Pran Roy: I first worked with Prachchyanat for a couple of years. With the group, I acted in “Dui Boloder Golpo”, “Kaadte Mana”, “Circus Circus”, “Jonoke Jonmantor”. Later I joined Desh Natok and have been with it since.
Tell us about your work in “Ghetu Putro Komola”.
Pran Roy: I'm very lucky to have had the opportunity to work in this film. Before I was offered a role in the movie, I worked in four dramas by Humayun Ahmed. While I was working on those productions, Humayun Ahmed made me an offer to work in the film. Now I believe that I would've regretted it for the rest of my life if I had for some reason declined the offer. My character was not in the script at the beginning, Humayun Ahmed told me this. I was praised by everyone for my performance. Humayun Ahmed complimented me, saying, “You've acted very well in the film.” This was a great achievement for me.