I have rejected more work than I have accepted: Bijori

Bijori BarkatullahProthom Alo

The Silence, directed by Vicky Zahid, has been released on Binge. Bijori Barkatullah talks about this web series and more

Q :

What sort of series is The Silence?

A bit supernatural, a bit of a suspense thriller. The trailer reveals a bit about all this. A poor family suddenly has the ambition to be billionaires and get involved in all sorts of unscrupulous activities. They meet up with a rather mysterious couple. The story revolves around who this couple is and what they want from this poor family.

Q :

Have you worked with Vicky Zahid before?

This is the first time I'm working with Vicky Zahid and his team. In fact, I hadn't seen any of this director's work before. It is a very organised team and they are teeming with new and innovative ideas. I like to keep up with the times and am learning a lot from the new people in the business. Many makers of these times are first understanding the story well and then taking up making the movie. They want to work well and so also take a good sum of money for the OTT productions.

Q :

What is important for a good production, the budget or the ideas?

Certainly good ideas along with a good budget. One must not compromise when it comes to work. You can't blame the audience for not watching TV dramas. Most TV channel authorities are now planning to release their drama and films online and on YouTube. They are reasons for this.

Q :

What reasons?

The TV channels feel that whether people watch these on television or not, they will watch the plays or movies online and on YouTube when they have the time. Everyone now counts views. There is no such things a views on TV -- this is viewed less so end it. Even serials are halted if the views are less.

Q :

It is being said that you have entered your second innings of acting because of OTT.

I never thought of it in that way. Actually I have rejected more work than I have accepted. The problem is, there are very few stories centered on the woman character in the country. Whenever this sort of story comes up, they say, no, there are no views for such stories. No one wants to watch these. Yet there is a story for every age, a journey, a beauty. No stories like that are being written here. The woman is either the lover or the mother. Does a woman have no role outside being a mother or a sister-in-law? A woman has her own identity, maturity, but no stories are written with this in mind. Things are changing, though. Many of the new ones are doing well. That is why I didn't hesitate to say 'yes' to Shawki for Karagar.