Pori Moni, Tanjin Tisha, Toma Mirza, Siam: Ventures beyond acting

In 2020, actor Siam Ahmed started an online fashion clothing business with two friends. They named the company ‘Holago’. After receiving a positive response from customers, they also opened a showroom. The parents of the three friends inaugurated it.

For Siam, the venture is less about business and more an example of friendship. Holago primarily focuses on men’s fashion. It produces and sells trendy clothing for young people. Despite his busy acting schedule, Siam is managing the business successfully.

While buying essential items for her children, Pori Moni faced various difficulties. Those experiences made her think that it would be convenient for many people if essential products for mothers and children were available easily in one place. That idea led to the plan for an online lifestyle brand, ‘Body’.

Pori Moni said her goal is to enable mothers to purchase necessary and comfortable lifestyle products without any hassle.

Apu Biswas’s association with business is not new. At one point, she opened a gym in Dhaka’s Niketan. That venture, launched nearly a decade ago, was eventually closed. But Apu did not stop there. Around two years ago, she launched ‘Signature by AB Parlour and Boutique’ and ‘AB Café and Restaurant’ in Dhaka’s Aftabnagar residential area. She later opened another branch in Niketan.

Speaking about these ventures, Apu said, “I wanted to have an identity beyond being an actress. At some point, I will have to make a living by relying on something else. Thinking about that reality, I started these new businesses.”

Around five years ago, Omar Sani opened a restaurant called ‘Chapwala’ in Dhaka’s Aftabnagar area. Later, he opened ‘Chapwala Shoshurbari’ in Saturia, Manikganj.

Omar Sani said food and hospitality at a Bengali in-laws’ home have their own distinctive qualities. They consider every customer who visits his restaurant a guest of the in-laws’ home.

According to Omar Sani, familiar Bengali dishes such as rice, khichuri, pulao, beef bhuna, chicken bhuna, duck bhuna, bhorta, fried vegetables and dal are the main attractions at the restaurant.

Omar Sani said food lovers from different parts of the country visit his restaurant to enjoy its dishes. He also said he plans to open another branch in Hemayetpur, Dhaka.

‘Vestora’ offers various types of clothing for young people, including pants, shirts and T-shirts. Actor Ziaul Roshan is the entrepreneur behind the online fashion page. He also plans to open a showroom in the future. For Roshan, ‘Vestora’ is not just a business but also preparation for the future.

He said, “It is not possible to remain a film hero all my life. At some point, I will have to step away from being a hero. It is with that reality in mind that I thought about going into business alongside acting.”

Roshan had previously been involved in several businesses in partnership with friends. Later, wanting to start something independently, he launched ‘Vestora’.