Confidence brought me success -Misha Sawdagar

The step to stardom

It all started back in 1986, when I secured the first place in a talent hunt, organised by the Ministry of Information, Bangladesh, and that was how I began my career in the entertainment industry. In my earlier years, I appeared as an action hero in two of my films. Soon afterwards, I realised that my passion lay in acting as a villain, rather than that of a hero. Becoming the villain of Dhaliwood later turned out to be my treasured vocation.

The secret behind success

I believe the grace of God was the major reason behind my success. Moreover, in a career span of thirty three years, my sincerity, effort and faith in the field had played equal roles in consolidating my position in the industry. Never had I compromised on my professionalism. I think these were crucial behind my success.

Words of wisdom for aspiring actors

Anyone can take up acting as their profession. However, in order to emerge as an actor, possessing some skills in the field is a must-have for those who are interested. Otherwise, their time and effort will be wasted pursuing the wrong career path. I would say everyone has the right to try their hand at acting. In absence of a remarkable face, voice or a fashion sense, one is unlikely to make it big. For those, my suggestion would be to engage in something they are good at. Conversely, if someone thinks they have the spark, only then they should venture into the profession. Therefore, one must discover themselves before coming to this industry.

Revival of the film industry

Bangladeshi films are currently undergoing a difficult phase. Our industry lacks the support of the patrons. Hence, the movie theatres are shutting down. In this situation, we must bring our producers back to the industry. This can only be made possible by our government. Thus, to rescue our industry from this pit, our government must lend a hand, taking a strong stand against copyright infringement. Our movie theatres must be equipped with digital tools. Only then, will our producers be able to earn profits from their ventures. This will encourage them to invest more in the show business. We must stress the fact that due to globalisation, people's preferences are changing. We must take into consideration what the audience wants and what suits their taste. At the same time, opportunities must be given to the aspiring actors and scriptwriters. A scope should be created for the emerging talented directors to correspond with the experienced directors, by arranging regular discussion panels.  Lastly, to get out of this difficult situation, a holistic approach must be taken by everyone associated with the industry, as well as the government.

Quality over quantity

Modern society are inclined towards the refined cultural contents. When we buy clothes, we tend to make sure we have bought it from a reputed brand store. Our attraction for popular brands marks our acceptance of the richer culture. In this era of globalisation, everything is within the reach of our audience. So, even if we think of closing down foreign TV channels, it would not encourage our audience to opt for the local channels. Instead, we must improve our contents, using our rich culture, in order to allure the viewers.

Country comes first

The practice of importing foreign films to the country is a completely commercial matter, which is out of the context of arts and culture. Bangladesh is bringing foreign films as a commodity, and our government has regulations to control this. So, under the strict supervision of our government, the imported films are not being able to impede our growth as an industry.  Whether we import or export, we must keep in mind that during the process of this exchange, the image of our country must not be compromised at any cost.

Pastime Pleasures

During my leisure time, I watch sports and read books. I mostly follow cricket and football. In football, Real Madrid is my favorite team. In fact, I once was a sportsperson myself. As for reading, I follow the work of many authors. Amongst the Bangladeshi authors, I mostly read the works of Syed Shamsul Haque, Shamsur Rahman and Humayun Ahmed. Also, being an active member of the entertainment industry, I keep myself updated with the works of my contemporaries, as well as that of the noted artists from the older generation. Amongst the latter generation, I admire the works of Golam Mustafa, Humayun Faridi, Razzak and Salman Shah. I like Shabnur's acting as well.

Interviewed By Robiul Kamol 

Transcribed By Shahroza Nahrin