Sarah Zaker

The multi-faceted individual Sarah Zaker is a theatre, television and film actor and director, an entrepreneur and even a translator. 2018 marked the fiftieth anniversary of Nagorik Natya Sampradaya, and in celebration, programmes were held throughout 2019, with which she was heavily involved. With the celebrations, Sarah Zaker aimed to showcase the works of seven upcoming directors by having their projects highlighted. The main motive of this programme was to put forward new theatre directors, who would have, otherwise, not gained enough exposure. She identifies the main lacking of theatre to be the lack of viewers, and dreams of a wider audience, which may be achieved by improving the quality of dramas, showcasing the dramas in many different locations, and gaining the attention of government and other media. She said, “Our aim is to make good dramas so that more people will come to attend them. We have to make such plays that the audience will feel drawn to theatre. Perhaps nostalgia plays a big role in this, but we cannot be limited to this only. New directors also need to gain recognition. I want at least twenty-five lakh of the three crore people from Dhaka to come and watch stage performances. That isn’t happening right now, and the reason may be the lack of glamour.” This year will mark her forty-seven years in this arena. Even though she acted in television, Sarah Zaker has admitted to being far more interested in doing theatre because she believes she does not shine in close-up camera. If given a good project by a good director, she is interested in doing a film as well. Despite her busy schedule, she values giving time to her family, making her a balanced and well-rounded woman.