TV actor’s death raises questions on syndicate in industry

After the death of young television actor Shahbaz Sunny, his friends and colleagues have raised questions about the syndicate in the industry. They say, though a talented actor Sunny was a victim of syndicate culture.

Despite trying for long he couldn’t manage to work with certain people. He was rejected from different projects. He was frustrated with his career. That’s why some people are bringing up the issue of syndicate in television industry anew at the news of this actor’s demise.

Shahbaz Sunny had worked with director Imran Robin earlier. This director wrote regretfully, “Sunny’s untimely death once again proves that our time can run out any time. What’s the point of so many syndicates, arrogance and curses... the time is short.”

Another director Aminul Shikder wrote, “When people die, their importance increases. An actor, Siam Nasir also wrote the same thing. He wrote, “When someone dies, people express so much love for them, but they won’t check up on them while they are still alive.”

Director Imran Robin said, “At present a syndicate has taken an enormous shape not only for the character actors but also for everyone else including the directors. If someone work’s for a director in this syndicate culture, the others won’t want to cast them.”

“Most of the artistes would say something in your face and then backtrack on those words behind your back. Now, everyone’s praising Sunny saying that he was a good actor. Sunny wanted to work with everyone. But he had little chance of doing that because of the syndicate. If anyone had done something selfless for him, he would have been at a better mental state,” he added.

Sunny worked with director Mohan Ahmed on quite a few of his dramas. Mohan said, “I talked to Sunny just a few days back. He said that he is doing lead roles now. The name of the first drama he did as a lead actor he said was ‘Jamaiyer Matha Gorom’. He was excited that this was the first time he was playing a lead role. It’s hard to digest that this is also the last time he played a lead actor.”  

On condition of anonymity, a colleague of Sunny said that he worked with a number of people and he had good relations with them all. However, Sunny never worked for any certain group He said, “He used to give his efforts in drama and was making a place for himself in the industry. But, he wasn’t getting good offers.”

“Sometimes, many people would intentionally offer him meager roles with one or two scenes. As refusing to work in minor roles would ruin relationships, he used to do some of them. Sometimes, he would also suddenly get dropped from projects. Just recently, he was trying to establish a restaurant at Khilkhet alongside his acting career. The frustration and disappointment just took him away.”

Sunny’s recent drama project titled ‘Jamaiyer Matha Gorom’ was released on ‘Kotha Chobi’ YouTube Channel. Owner of the channel Rakib Chaklader and director working with that channel Prince Roman were at the scene of the incident Monday. They were the ones who offered Sunny his first lead role.

Prince Roman said, “We were beside Uttara north metro station in Diyabari area, talking to Sunny about three drama projects. It was 10:15 pm at the time. Sunny had a cold and suddenly started coughing uncontrollably. When his coughing got even worse, he moved a little further away from us. He was still coughing when we saw him falling to the ground suddenly.”

“We immediately rushed him to the hospital. After attending him, the physician said that he had no pulse and sent him to the ICU. When his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the CCU in another hospital. After keeping him under observation there, the physician reported Sunny’s demise around 3:30 am,” he added.

Rakib Chaklader said, “Sunny was a good actor but no one offered him a lead role. He was a victim of politics in the drama industry. To support him, we were discussing about three more drama projects with him on Monday. It’s hurting us to think that it was the last meeting of Sunny’s life.”

He further said that they remained at the hospital with Sunny throughout the night. Among others, actors Tawsif Mahbub, Khairul Basahar, Yash Rohan, director Imraul Rafat, Rafat Mazumder and SR Mazumder had come to the hospital to see Sunny in the morning.

Another director close to Sunny, Arman Rahman said Sunny had come to Dhaka from Lakshmiur to become an actor. He went hungry for days at one point. Even after making a bit of name for himself, he had to take rounds of the production houses day after day. Sunny followed actor Mosharraf Karim as his idol. He didn’t want to become a hero rather he wanted to be a character actor.

“There’s no appreciation of talent in our country. He went to a lot of places for work but didn’t get much response. He was a capable actor. Just when the time started turning in his favour bit by bit, he left this world,” said Arman.

For a long span of time, director Imraul Rafat supported Sunny in different ways. Sunny even used to live in Imraul’s office at a time. Imraul Rafat wrote in a Facebook status, “No one should write anything about Sunny by defining him as a struggling actor. He proved his worth as an actor long ago. He lived like a king and now has died as a king. He left being loved by everyone.”

“He didn’t have any regrets as a character actor. He used to cherish acting and took it as a passion. He didn’t become an actor from anyone’s favour or through flattery. He didn’t want to become a celebrity with cheap frames. An actor never dies. They live on through everyone,” he continued.

Sunny mother was unwell and he had a sister. Sunny was buried beside his father’s grave in his village home in Lakshmipur after the Zuhr prayers today, Tuesday afternoon.