'Swastika is perfect for my Alta Banu character': Himu Akram

Bangladeshi theatre director Himu Akram is now directing his first-ever movie 'Alta Banu Kokhono Josna Dekheni.' Kolkata's popular actress Swastika Mukherjee will play the title role in it. 

Swastika has had a prior stint in Dhallywood. Back in 2009, the much talked about actress, acted in F I Manik's 'Shobar Upore Tumi.' After 14 long years, Himu is bringing back Swastika to the sets of Dhallywood. 

Transitioning from a theatre director to a film director appears to be a very satisfying journey for Himu, who has been recently in the limelight. 

The shooting for the movie is yet to start, but the media in both Dhaka and Kolkata is already talking about it. "Cinema means criticism, cinema means discussion. Here, one can work independently, be it on content or on form. This is why cinema brings great satisfaction for the filmmakers as well," Himu recently told The Business Standard regarding the media attention his upcoming film is receiving. 

"However, urban mainstream Bangla cinema is confined within certain boundaries and to operate within those parameters, directors face many obstacles. We need to go with the flow of time and I have been having a great time recently. Be it casting, location, screenplay or character, I am constantly thinking about these [elements]," explained Himu.

Himu's thoughts and plans for the movie seem to have been overshadowed by all the talks and reports about his casting decision for West Bengal actress Swastika. The director reassures that the process was not easy at all.

"I thought about the story of the movie for a very long time. Alta Banu's character has a lot of layers and maybe that is why I wasn't finding anyone suitable for the role. Swastika Mukherjee was on my mind from the very outset. It took us a long time to even find a way of contacting her," he said.

"She finally contacted us after having read the script. We finalised everything virtually on Zoom calls and phone calls and later went to Kolkata for contract signings. Swastika really liked the story and with her, I also found the Alta Banu I was looking for," Himu said.

Himu has faced mild criticism on social media and the film industry for overlooking domestic actors and reaching out to artists from foreign countries. To this, Himu responded, "Every character has their own language, their own flexibility. I thought Swastika is perfect for my Alta Banu character. That's why I cast her. I did not think about anyone else."

He also added, "Expressing everything through the story is what cinema is all about. If one fails to cast the appropriate actor, the movies never end up being archives of their times. That film has no archival value."

Himu plans to commence shooting in November. Currently, he is focusing on choosing the right male lead as Swastika's co-star. Apart from that, he is also keeping busy in selecting the locations for filming.

Nazim Ud Dowla and Himu Akram co-wrote the dialogue for the movie. The director is remaining tight-lipped regarding the script of the movie. "It's not easy for a director to disclose anything about the story before the release. Let's hope for the best," he said.

Nowadays, a lot of theatre directors in Bangladesh are transitioning to filmmaking. This has brought about a lot of positive wishes but also quite a lot of criticism saying that theatre directors do not have a good sense of storytelling. 

"It's better to not respond to such questions. To those who have this opinion, I would ask them to watch movies like 'Aynabaji,' 'Television,' 'Hawa,' and 'Priyotoma.' All these films were directed by people who used to be theatre directors," explained Himu. 

Himu Akram is also busy with dramas along with his work in movies. He has recently directed a long serial drama called 'Shanti Mol 10 Taka'.

Himu Akram used to write in newspapers back in the day before stepping into the world of entertainment as a director. Later, he started writing plays and eventually proceeded to directing. 

The journey had been long and hard. He produced more than 500 TV dramas in his 16-year career. He also produced numerous commercials. As a director, Himu Akram wants to devote himself only to making movies in the future.