Life and times of Jaya Ahsan

Source : The Daily Star 

Jaya Ahsan has been one of the busiest actors in Bangladesh over the last few years. Known for being versatile, she has skillfully portrayed a wide array of characters. Her work has taken her to places and introduced her to people from all strata of life, and the artiste spoke about that in an interview to The Daily Star.

“During my years as an actress, I’ve garnered experiences of many kinds while gaining perspectives to play different roles. All actors have their own bag of stories to tell. I’m no different; and I want to share some memories that are permanently etched in my mind.

“A few years back, I worked in a tele-film titled ‘Panjabiwala’ where I played a jatra group princess. We shot the scenes all through night for two straight nights at a house named Shyamoli in Gazipur’s Hotapara. I had swollen feet at the end of shooting due to continuous Jatra dance performances which demand rigorous movements.

“Before we began shooting, I went to meet with real life Jatra princesses and saw their sufferings and pain up close. The princesses travel around with the troupe and live in tents. We went to one such place, where we saw them living in small curtain-partitioned rooms devoid of any privacy. They have to eat in crammed tiny spaces, and also do their makeup. They lead an appalling life. The same people, who seem so flamboyant and colourful during the night-time shows, have to live in inhuman conditions.

“I spent nights talking to several Jatra princesses and learned much from them before acting in ‘Panjabiwala’. I also watched and learned their dancing techniques. Learning from them was a great experience for me.

“I had a different kind of experience while shooting ‘Tarpor o Angurlota Nondoke Bhalobashe’. It was shot in Rajbari’s red light district – home to over 2500 prostitutes, and we stayed at a rest house near the place. Some of the girls I met there still call me. I was overwhelmed when they all broke into tears when we wrapped up the shooting and were leaving the place.

When we were shooting, a girl came up to me and told me that we had met before. I was surprised and asked her where. She answered, ‘I met you near the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. You were shooting there and I was with my newlywed husband. You even gave me your autograph.’ I was shocked when she told me that it was her husband who had sold her to the brothels. “My work as an actress has allowed me to have these experiences with people in different places, and I feel blessed for that.

“Another heartbreaking thing happened while I was over there. A girl approached me teary eyed, bringing her little daughter along. She pleaded, ‘Please take my daughter away from me. You can take care of her yourself, or give her to someone else. I don’t want my girl to have a cursed life like me.’ I was shocked and saddened to hear a mother wanting to give her daughter away. I become emotional when I revive these memories. Life sometimes seems very cruel and heartless.

“Being an artiste has been very rewarding for me. The shooting of ‘Choita Pagol” was done at the Holudia village in Munhiganj’s Louhoganj thana, Being a city girl, the drama gave me a chance to become one with the rural atmosphere and the village people. On the closing day of our shooting, the entire unit wrote me a letter. They all expressed their admiration and love for me, and made me realise how close we had all become over the course of the shooting. These are memories which will always remain with me.”