Sharbari Zohra Ahmed: The Bangladeshi-origin author making strides against all odds

In 2015, Sharbari Zohra Ahmed first came into the limelight as a co-writer for the Priyanka Chopra-starrer ABC TV series 'Quantico,' becoming the first woman of Bangladeshi origin to write for a network show. 

And now she is also producing the limited-series adaptation of Bangladeshi author Nadeem Zaman's 'The Inheritors' – a contemporary retelling of F Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' set in Dhaka.

Recently, The Business Standard caught up with the author, columnist, playwright and short film director based in Connecticut, United States for an exclusive interview, where she discussed topics ranging from her experiences of Islamophobia in the American entertainment industry, the struggles of Bangladeshi-origin writers to her goal of promoting Bangladesh and Bangladeshi-American stories. 

A Bedouin life behind a creative mind 

Born in Dhaka on 5 April 1971, Ahmed fled Bangladesh with her family when she was three weeks old amid the Liberation War, during which her father was targeted for execution by the Pakistani Army.

She spent her childhood travelling to many parts of the world, which she believes fuelled her creativity and observational powers. "It made me more open and adaptable, which is important for creative people," she said.

Her own experiences and encounters with people from diverse backgrounds also helped her form the plots of some of her much-acclaimed works. 

For example, Ahmed lived in Ethiopia and later based one of her stories on her experiences in the country. Among her other acclaimed short stories, 'The Ocean of Mrs Nagai' revolves around an elderly Japanese woman and her WWII veteran husband. Her play, 'Raisins Not Virgins,' explores a young American Muslim trying to make sense of her Islamic identity.

In her interview with TBS, Ahmed further revealed that in the US, she observes a certain level of ignorance about Bangladesh. "I've also dealt with prejudice from Indian and Pakistani elitists who view us as inferior. But this is a rare handful," she explains.

Struggles with identities

Ahmed had to endure Islamophobia many times in her life, with the most notable being related to a controversy surrounding an episode from 'Quantico.'

In 2018, she was subject to extreme troll over an episode featuring 'Hindu nationalists' trying to frame Pakistan in a terror plot. In the episode, Chopra's character was that of a young FBI agent who foiled a plot by Indian nationalists to carry out a nuclear attack in Manhattan and frame Pakistanis for it days before a summit in Kashmir. Chopra's character thwarted the plot after noticing a 'rudraksha' on a chain worn by one of the terrorists.

Ahmed faced backlash in spite of not being on the writing team for the said 'Quantico' episode, only due to being a Muslim of Bangladeshi origin, leading to a subsequent BBC special feature story on her.

Hence, Ahmed is of the opinion that Islamophobia isn't expressed by the audience only, but it exists in the industry she works in as well.  "Islamophobia is very much rising and it is present in the American entertainment industry."

She added, "There are strong political motivations behind it. I've dealt with it. Our former president suggested Muslims should be out in internment camps."

However, Ahmed is overall very satisfied with her experience as a writer for 'Quantico,' "I was one of nine writers and wrote two episodes and contributed to the rest. I learned a great deal and it launched my TV career. I will be forever grateful for that."

She also believes there's still a lack of a level-playing field in the US publishing industry for Bangladeshi-origin writers to make a name for themselves.

"The American publishing industry is white-dominated and it's extremely difficult for Bangladeshi-origin writers to catch a break. The focus is still predominantly on Indian origin writers."

Ahmed's first novel 'Dust Under Her Feet' was set in 1940s Kolkata with its plot centring on the personal and romantic lives of her protagonist, Yasmine Khan, owner of a nightclub. 

The novel's subplot also touched upon various issues like religion, caste, gender, nationalism, race and class.

While Ahmed opines the novel was "overall well received," she regrets the fact that it "didn't get enough attention." She also believes the issues she addressed in the novel are still very much relevant.

"The white colonialism is well alive and kicking in the 21st century, and needs to be brought down. And also intolerance, sexism and religious extremism. All of it needs to be brought down," says the author. 

Through her research on the past of Kolkata and experiences of travelling the city to promote her book, Ahmed has also observed a key difference between contemporary Kolkata and Dhaka, "Kolkata is more liberal in certain sectors." 

Aiming to promote Bangladeshi-American stories

With her role as a screenwriter for 'Rickshaw Girl,' Ahmed forayed into the contemporary Bangladeshi landscape, though she doesn't seem to be very happy with her experiences of working in the movie. She says, "It was fine. Not my most favourite experience. But that's OK."

But now she is much more ambitious about her current project of producing 'The Inheritors.'  

"I want to make space for and promote Bangladesh and Bangladeshi-American stories as much as possible. 'The Inheritors' possesses all the qualities needed for a compelling TV story. It's about class inequities, passion and aspiration," she says. 

Unfortunately, though, the work of the adaptation is currently on hold, as Ahmed is on strike as a member of the Writers Guild of America. 

Still, she is currently immersed in several other projects, "I have a new book of short fiction coming out in the fall, titled 'The Strangest of Fruit.' I'm also working on my first ever Young-Adult novel."

And once the strike is over, "I will be writing and hopefully directing a film set entirely in Bangladesh," she concludes.