<i>Heart to Heart with Priya and Tony</i>

Tony apparently has always been fascinated with cultural personalities: “Growing up, I'd always admired actors like Uttam Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. Right after my S.S.C, I joined a cultural organisation. In 1989, I joined a theatre group, Nagorik Natya Sampradaya. I got the opportunity to learn from seasoned thespians like Asaduzzaman Nur, Aly Zaker, Abul Hayat, Jamaluddin Hossain and others.”
“As for me,” says Priya, “It was totally inspiration from Tony. He explained that acting would be rather easy for me since I'm a dancer. Dancing shares certain common aspects with acting, for instance a dancer must know how to convey different emotions through facial expressions and body language. Tony also encouraged me to host TV shows. He egged me on by saying I have a pleasant voice and an attractive way of speaking.”
Dancing, acting and anchoring, which one does she find most interesting?
Priya: “I'm comfortable with anchoring. Acting is also intriguing in the sense that it offers variety. Dancing, however, is my passion. Though these days it's hard to find time, I never miss a chance to be a part of a dance recital.”
Tony has recently acted in two films by Nargis Akther. Does he want to continue?
Tony: “Well, both the films are very well made. I would certainly like to continue working in quality movies in future.”
The couple is currently hosting a talk show Bhalobasha Kare Koy, but what is it like to work in TV plays together?
Priya: “Though we've acted together in several TV plays, I don't feel comfortable working with him. It's difficult to overlook our real relationship when acting.” Priya's hurried answer seems to amuse Tony.
How did they meet?
Priya: “Tony's sister was a friend of a friend. She gave Tony my photo and phone number. After several phone conversations we met. We continued seeing each other and after five years we got married.”
Tony gets nostalgic: “I was very attracted to her, specifically the dimples when she smiles. She is an epitome of the perfect Bangalee girl. After hearing her voice over the phone, I knew I was in love. It was 1997, and the cell phone culture was yet to come. We used to send each other messages on our pagers and spend many hours at night talking on the phone.
Who proposed?
Both pointing fingers at each other: “You.”
Tony explains, “Actually there was no formal proposal. We knew that we were in love and there was no need to be formal about it.”
Interesting incident?
“One night, before we got married,” Priya recalls, “it was almost 2:00am and we were talking on the phone. I had to whisper because my parents were in the next room. Suddenly Tony said he is going to hang up the phone. I asked why and he screamed 'I'm calling you from a public phone booth in Tejgaon, the mosquitoes are devouring me.”
What are the attributes they like and dislike about each other?
Priya: “I adore Tony's voice. I am impressed by his personality as well. He takes his responsibilities very seriously and is precise about everything. His negative side is his anger. When he gets angry, he gets mad. Secondly, he needs to work on his punctuality. If he says that he will come home at 5pm, what he really means is that he'll arrive around 7.
Tony: “Priya is very modest, she is never harsh or aggressive. However, she is disorganised at times. Of course she is improving. She is also very sensitive and gets hurt easily.”