Praise for ‘Anarkoli’ like rebirth for me

Actress Sohana Saba has created a buzz on the internet with her bold character named ‘Anarkoli’ in the web series ‘Boli’ released on Hoichoi. She has played the character of the leader of the brothel in this series. Recently, she has signed up for a new film titled ‘Oshombhob’ which is a directorial debut of noted actress Aruna Bishwas. In a candid interview with The Business Post’s Antara Raisa, Saba talked about her character and shooting experience in ‘Oshombhob’ and ‘Boli’.  

The Business Post: You are shooting for the film ‘Oshombhob’ . Tell us about that? 

Saba: We have completed the first lot of the shooting in Manikganj. We are hoping to start the shooting in the last week of December in Dhaka. 

TBP: What’s the story of ‘Oshombhob’?

Saba: This story is written by Aruna Bishwas. The story of the film is very simple and it’s a family drama. There’s nothing extraordinary about the story. It’s more like what we used to see in our everyday life. We tried to portray the different angles of family relationships and the struggle that comes with them. In this film, I am acting with Abul Hayat who will play the role of freedom fighter. I am one of his family members. 

TBP: What is your character in the film? Tell us more about it?

Saba: I am playing the character of Rekha in the film. Rekha is a very simple girl from a simple family. I will be portraying three different looks of Rekha in her three stages of life. 

TBP: Tell us about your shooting experience?

Saba: The shooting experience was actually very good and friendly. The shooting took place in Manikganj which is the hometown of Aruna di. So everyone was like family and very cordial. Aruna di’s brother Mithu Biswas and mother actress Jyotsna Biswas helped us on the set. 

There will be a scene of jatrapala in the film. The set was decorated so perfectly that it seemed like a real jatrapala and village fair is happening. There was a set of a graveyard too which seemed very much real. I enjoyed a lot in the scenes of jatrapala. 

TBP: Your character ‘Anarkoli’ from the web series ‘Boli’ has gained popularity among the audience. How are you feeling? 

Saba: It’s like a rebirth for me as an actress. When I first acted in the film ‘Ayna’, the feeling was very special as it was my first film. Now after getting lots of appreciation for my character in ‘Boli’, I am feeling really special and euphoric. People are praising me for my look, appearance and presentation. I have been getting calls even from the audience of Kolkata. This is inspiring for me. 

TBP: When you were cast for this character, did you think you will get that much appreciation from the audience? What were you thinking before choosing the character?

Saba: The team of ‘Boli’ was so good that the casting directors sketched the outlook of every character in the series even before we were selected. They made out a full plan of how the characters will be. So, I understood that this will be a good character for me. And when you take so much preparation in the pre-production, the result appears before the camera. When we were going through such brilliant grooming, we understood that this will be a big success.  

TBP: How did you make preparations for the role ‘Anarkoli’? 

Saba: The character I played is very different from my other works. I am working in the media industry for the past 20 years. By this time, I have learnt a lot about how to adapt any personality or character. Whenever I talk to a person, I immediately pick up their expression and personality. When my directors and producers brief me about the character, I try to capture the essence of the character. 

I would like to thank Anarkoli’s costume designer Bijaya and makeup artist Shetu. They did a fantastic job. 

TBP: What are your recent ventures? 

Saba: Actually I’m not comfortable disclosing my upcoming works until I stand before the camera for that project. I can tell you that I am in talks with a few projects from Bangladesh and India. Let’s see what happens.