IN CONVERSATION WITH CHAYANIKA CHOWDHURY
Chayanika Chowdhury, now a famed director and writer in the television industry, worked behind the camera for the first time in 2001 for a drama called ‘Sesbelae’. Since then this warm-hearted lady has never disappointed her audience. She has become a role model by being the most skilled director working in the industry today who is also an excellent guide to newcomers, writes Lilunnaher Chandni.
The biggest breakthrough of Chayanika Chowdhury’s career came in 1998. The year she wrote her drama ‘Bodh’. While sharing experiences she said, “I wanted to show the script to my husband Arun Chowdhury, but he was unwilling to take a glance at it. That day I felt heartbroken but now I thank him for letting me be myself and also to feel confident about my own work.” It was Bipasha Hayat, the famed actor and visual artist, who appreciated the script and gave Chayanika encouragement.
“Her appreciation made me believe that I can do it,” she said with a smile on her face. Bipasha, who was her friend and her favorite actor Mahfuz Ahmed agreed to be in the drama. And on top of that, the latter decided to have it made through his production house. From that point on, Chayanika’s life simply didn’t remain the same.
“An interesting coincidence makes this event so memorable to me,” she blurted out. “The day the drama started shooting, it was not only a day of victory for me but also for Bangladesh. Because it was the very same day Bangladesh got the status to play test cricket,” she added.
Even though it is difficult for a woman to work all day long and manage home and family at the same time, Chayanika Chowdhury has maintained both with gusto.
This down-to-earth person is always mindful of her family. She also has reasons to feel attached. “My biggest motivation came from my mother. She has always been there for me. Anulekha Chowdhury and Annonya Pratik Chowdhury, my parents, two of the most beautiful gifts of my life. They have always been by my side as has been the case with my husband. My family’s accreditation brought me to the place now I’m at,” she pointed out.
On the question of whether she ever had to face and overcome any obstacles in her career, especially for being a woman, she was rather dismissive: “Actually a creator has no gender.”
Even though it is difficult for a woman to work all day long and manage home and family at the same time, Chayanika Chowdhury has maintained both with gusto. “It’s all about how one handles the situation,” she said.
Her ascent to fame did not happen overnight, nor was she alone in her journey. She feels indebted to many. She recalled how novelist Imdadul Haq Milon, Mahfuz Ahmed, Tauquir Ahmed, Zahid Hasan, Bipasha Hayat, Shomi Kaisar supported her. She expressed her heartiest gratitude to Mojibor Rahman, Zaydan Rabbi and her beloved sister Tamalika Karmakar for welcoming her to the platform.
Married to her work for the last 20 years she has left no stone unturned while crafting her dramas for her audiences. And this Eid-ul-ajha is no different. “I won’t disappoint the audience. They have always been my biggest motivator. If the audience had not accepted me, I would not have had the courage to continue,” she concluded.
