Do Respect the Senior Co-Artists: Shirin Alam

Though her real name is Anjuman Ara Begum, she is mostly known to all as Shirin Alam. She is a noted actress in Bangladeshi TV drama. Shirin Alam has won the hearts of the audience by playing motherly roles in many dramas. Alongside dramas, she also has acted in many commercial movies.  

The veteran actress was asked about her notable dramas. In reply, she said, "What can I say about the name of my notable dramas? I go for shooting, I go to work. I do my job. I can't say any one name as all these dramas are equally significant to me."

What is the difference between today's work and a few years ago? Shirin Alam said, "Before there was respect, there was admiration. Now everyone is like a machine. You do your job and leave. Lack of love, lack of respect. Our senior artists sit for hours, the lead artist came, and s/he immediately gives shots and leaves hurriedly after finishing his/her parts. But the problem is ours. We are old, now we don't get the expected honor and dignity."

Shirin Alam has become widely known among the Bengali audience all over the world through the drama 'Harkipta'. There she played the role of mother of Chanchal Chowdhury, Shamim Zaman, and AKM Hasan. Her long career on the small screen is 21 years. She has acted in more than two thousand dramas but didn't get much recognition in that sense.

Of course, Shirin Alam has no regrets about this. The actress said, "My career in television media is 21 years. Although my first play was in 1975. But I've been on the screen regularly since 2000. I have worked on the stage for ten years before that. Now we live in an age where we can only do our own thing. I don't expect to get anything."

Why did you come through this, how did Shirin Alam come? She seemed to forget the story. Coming to her television screen is a funny thing. Said, "I have been visiting on BTV since childhood. I used to come to BTV with my father and uncles from Mill Barracks in old Dhaka. There was a program called 'Hiraman', in which we worked. Even after marriage, the communication with BTV remained the same. I just go there sometimes."

The actress added, "One day I went to BTV with my uncle. Then I got married. I got married in 1982. It seems to be in 1985. Anyway, we were waiting. I wore a sari that day. A young man came and said, will you act? Have to work on a small character. The young man said he was Abdullah al-Mamun's assistant director. There is a scene of going to a party as Tariq Anam's wife, there is no dialogue. It takes a girl, tall. My uncle gave me a push. I went trembling with fear. I acted in the first drama. The name of the play is 'Tritiya Purush'.  

Shirin Alam said, "Even after that, I was not regular in the drama. However, seeing my interest in acting, my husband SM Shah Alam introduced me to Padadhwani Theater. I worked there from 1990 to 2000. Then I came back to television, then to the movies."

The actress said, "I acted in the first television drama again in 2000. Mominul Rashid Millat, Abdullah Al Mamun's assistant, asked me if I would act in the drama. Later I acted in a drama under his direction. That's the beginning. After that, I acted in TV dramas for 21 consecutive years. I can't give an exact number, but two thousand have passed. However, I didn't do movies much. So far I have acted in 15 films."

Now Shirin Alam is working on films, serials, and singles. The only request of Shirin Alam or Anjuman Ara artist to the actors, directors or the younger generation who are coming through this is to respect the work and the co-artists, especially the seniors.