Popular artiste Jaya Ahsan has said that despite being dedicated to her craft, she was not properly utilised by the country’s film directors. She made the remarks while appearing on a podcast recently, where she opened up about her struggles in the Bangladeshi film industry and her eventual move to Kolkata.

“The country’s film directors did not use me properly. Despite being so dedicated, I did not get the kind of work I deserved. Then I went to Kolkata because of my passion for the industry, and there, they evaluated me,” Jaya said.

She mentioned that in Bangladesh, working in films often requires maintaining a “special relationship” with directors, something she found unacceptable. “The directors for whom I was always present did not use me properly or could not. There is a problem in Bangladesh — the director has a girlfriend or wife. This is not possible for me; I have not gone to these, nor will I go. Despite being so dedicated, I was cornered for these reasons, which did not happen in Tollywood,” she said.

Highlighting the contrast, Jaya added, “Even after being an outsider, they evaluated me in Kolkata. They gave me good roles and made stories centered around me.”

Jaya also observed that many Bangladeshi directors remain hesitant to make women-centric films.

Speaking about her move to Kolkata, Jaya explained, “I’m an artiste, and I have to work. I have not done anything except acting. At that time, I was not getting the kind of work I could do in Bangladesh. I went to Kolkata out of hardship and my passion for art.”

Jaya was also offered a role in “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” produced by Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar under Dharma Productions, but she had to decline it for various reasons.

FP/MI