Champa: Wary and weary of cultural apism

"I NEVER WANTED to be a film star. I wanted to be a model, a very good one. I wanted to make a name in the international market. You know, something like what Bibi (Russell) is today. Maybe I could have done that if I had stuck to it, but I didn't," said Champa while talking to The Daily Star at her newly-furnished Gulshan residence.

She lost her mother when she was just a little girl of ten. From those days little Champa found herself spending more time at home looking after the family, although no one imposed it on her. She played with dolls, with neighbours and friends, she cycled a lot, but she was always homebound.

At this time her star sisters (Babita and Suchanda) earned quite a lot of fame.

"Looking at them I realised that I didn't want to be an actress. I wanted an ordinary life. I wanted to go out shopping with no one recognising me. I didn't want huge crowds to form wherever I went. I wanted to be like any other normal human being."

The notion of actresses having a different lifestyle emerged when she saw people swarming around her sisters and asking questions like: What do you eat? Do you go to the bathroom? Champa felt that actresses were not seen as human beings.

Offers to do films poured in, but Champa never felt the urge. Then, people started saying things like "Just because the other sisters can act, it doesn't mean that the third sister can act too." That struck a sore spot. She did not want to be put down. In order to show everyone that she can act too, she agreed to act in Abdullah Al-Mamoon's TV play, Doob Shatar. Her performance was highly acclaimed and at one go she acted in twelve TV plays.

"I proved that I can act and that I was no less than my sisters. But still I didn't want to do films "

Then came the time when her father married her off. She began a new life. She had a daughter and she enjoyed her family life. Then came the time when her sister Babita wanted to make a movie called Tin Kanya (Three Daughters). She wanted the three sisters to play the role of each daughter. Since that was something like a family production she considered it.

"I took permission from my husband telling him that this would be my first and last film and started work. It was a major success. I don't know, after that, films became an addiction and I couldn't let go. Till this day I have done 150 films. Yes, it's amazing even to myself!"

When she acted on television, she did 'mad' roles for sometime and it seemed as though they were made for her. People also thought that that was the only kind of role she could do. But after that, in films, she had proved herself to be very flexible with characters. She managed to fit all the roles she played.

"That's what I try to do. But I am not perfect. I am waiting for the day when I can be moulded like clay or I can be like water: taking whatever form it is given. But I think I am quite flexible. Sandeep Ray once commented that I have a very mobile face and my acting is not stereotyped. That was a great compliment for me. But I still have a lot to learn. There is no end to learning. The day I will feel that I have learnt everything; I have nothing else to learn, that will be my end."

Although she is comfortable in all kinds of roles, her personal likings tend towards complex, sad roles. She likes romantic roles as well, but morbid, complicated roles attract her more. She feels that it is in these roles that she can put in her best; show all her acting prowess. However, she doesn't get roles like these too much. The last time she could display a bout of sadness was in the films Bagher Thaba and Lal Darja. The theme of Bagher Thaba is 'Even if you have money, you may not be happy." And Lal Darja had the theme of 'in everyone's heart there is a door with a key. If you can open that door, you will find happiness. But most people lose the key to that door and so happiness gets lost.'

"Maybe I am a sort of sadist. I like to bring out elements of sadness, even when I am apparently happy. There have been many calling me a crackpot for this. Every artist is bit of a crackpot. I may be a crackpot of sorts as well," she laughed.

What she finds very appalling is the state of Bangladeshi cinema today.

"I am thoroughly embarrassed. Not only do we copy the story line of Indian films, we copy their songs, their dance. Bombay is very advanced. They have rehearsals, practices and good dance direction. We are directed only minutes before shooting. I can't dance and I am having to copy Madhuri Dixit. Does that make sense? She is an excellent dancer but we cannot copy her, because we cannot maintain that standard. We should be doing what we can do, what suits us. Instead we are producing Hindi remakes. I am ashamed."

She also feels that the producers/directors are not only to blame for not rehearsing beforehand. The actors and actresses cannot give time either. Most artists work double shifts. After that, it is difficult to find time for rehearsals.

"We are at fault as well."

She classifies the audience as upper class, middle class and lower class. According to her, the upper class people never go to the halls to watch films. The middle class did at one time, but don't anymore. The lower class people are the only audience of Bangladeshi films.

"These people like to watch trash movies. And the producers take advantage of that. No one (actor or actress) can say anything because that would only mean getting dropped from a particular film. And who would want that? We are mere puppets in the hands of producers. Even the directors at times have no say here. This hurts very much. When I started off around twelve years ago, things weren't this bad. We have to bring the middle class and upper class to the halls. Only then can the overall picture improve. And they do come provided the films are good. They came to watch Padma Nadir Majhi; they came to watch Shurjo Dighol Bari. There is no reason they won't come now. We just need good films."

She agrees that Bangladeshi cinema of late has become crude and often obscene, with a few exceptions. Although her films were never affected, she has perceived how 'clippings' were pasted into a perfectly clean scene. Also, actresses are forced to shed some of their clothes in order to be in the business.

"If I stand against it, they will find another actress who would do as told; if she doesn't they find someone else. If we want to fight against this, we need to be united; we all have to agree that we wont perform in obscene shots and stick to it. But this is close to impossible. There is no unity in the film industry. No one talks to each other properly, how can you expect everyone to unite for a cause, no matter how important it is? No that will never happen."

She plans to do a few plays on television. She is waiting for the right kind of role.

"I want to have an impact on people. I want people to say I am still as beautiful; I want people to say I've done a great performance."

Most film actresses who have acted on television recently have managed to overact, causing each sequence to become melodramatic. Why would she be different?

"You have to overact a little in films because they are shown on screen. Everything is big. The hall is big and even the last person seated should be able to see every detail of an act. But television is very sensitive. Everything is measured. A slight miscalculation makes everything go wrong. You should express one-fourth of the emotions you express on film. If you have your calculations right, then there's no problem."

Today's Champa is more mature, more relaxed and away from all the gossip. She has decided to do only five films a year and concentrate more on her family now. She is grateful to her husband for being by her side at all times and having faith in her. He has never deterred her from doing films. She too has been a good wife and mother.

"As I said earlier, my home was always my favourite place. It still is. I have a way of managing everything well. While I gave my best to the film world, I also gave my family the best. Both were on an equal standing. But now I have decided to give my family a higher priority. I just bought a new home. I have a relation with each brick of the house, each tile, each window. Today, I simply want to relax a little more."