TV character actors now jobless

A number of professional actors, who were once known for their work on the television, are now unemployed.

Well-known as character actors or supportive actors, they used to act as father, mother, uncles, aunts and neighbours in TV plays.

"But, things have changed a lot. Now, a TV play is made with a leading actor, actress and a few of their friends, turning the character actors unemployed," said actor Shahidul Alam Sachchu, also president of Avinoy Shilpi Sangha, an association of TV actors.

"Most of our association are now jobless. Some 25 to 30 actors are now working regularly for TV plays and serials out of around 800 members of our association," he told Prothom Alo.

"Writers keep these character actors in their screenplays but TV channels and agencies often intervene and ask the directors of exclude the characters," Sachchu further said. 

Ahsan Habib Nasim, general secretary of the organisation, said, "TV plays are no longer made, I think, rather what is made can be called videography. And so, our tradition of TV plays is getting ruined." 

"We have 700 permanent members while there are 200 temporary members in our association, and most of them are unemployed," he added.

Actor-turned-director Salahuddin Lavlu, who got elected as the new president of Directors' Guild recently, said, "Not just the actors, many directors are now also jobless. But, we're working to address the situation."

Avinoy Shilpi Sangha decided to organise a seminar over the character actors' unemployment and its remedy at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on 2 November.