I acted in dramas so I could move to cinema: Jyotika Jyoti

Though Jyotika Jyoti came to prominence through acting in dramas, she has also become quite regular in cinemas of late. Recently, she starred in a web series called 'Omanobik' for the very first time. The series was written by Chotku Ahmed and directed by Taju Kamrul.

The web series consisting of six episodes will be released on a new OTT platform. This romantic series was filmed in Cox's Bazar and Dhaka and Aman Reza is her co-star in it.

"Viewer interest in web content has increased significantly. Many of my co-stars have been a part of this environment for a long time. I have taken up this role because I really liked the story," she said during a recent interview.

Jyoti does not have much to do with dramas right now, but she does have a lot of movies in the pipeline. 'Onteshtikriya', a film produced by Hosne Mubarak Rumi, 'Manusher Bagan' produced by Nurul Alam Atik and 'Onabrito', produced by Saiful Islam Mannu, are awaiting release. She has recently signed a contract to star in an upcoming project of Awual Chowdhury named 'Aguner Pakhi'.

"I had always leaned more towards cinema since the start of my acting career", she said. "I acted in a film called Ayna, produced by Kabori, and cinema has been my ultimate goal ever since. I had been preparing myself for the big screen all along. You could say I had been acting in dramas so I could be cast in cinemas. Now that I have reached that goal, I have become infrequent in dramas."

Some say directors and creators do not cast Jyoti in dramas because her popularity has fallen. 

"Actually, I chose not to act in dramas. It has to do with the quality of storytelling and other problems. There are many problems in the drama world, such as small budgets and such. There are even instances when a single drama is made in just one day. It's really foolhardy to take part in such disorganised productions and hope to stay relevant in a highly competitive environment. There is not much scope to showcase your talent under such circumstances."

She however says she has not completely abandoned the format.

"It's not like I do not do dramas at all. I am still taking part in telefilms and similar shows that come out on special occasions. I just do not have high hopes for them. Quality of production is being ignored completely in most drama shows. The industry is nothing to be happy about."

It has been rumoured that the actress will soon be leaving the world of acting, through which she has connected herself to numerous platforms, such as being appointed a director at Shilpakala Academy.

"Shilpakala is a beloved institution of mine," Jyoti said. "The government honoured me with this responsibility and I was very glad to accept it. I seek everyone's help so I can carry out my duties properly. But I am going to do all of this as I continue acting. Acting is my primary task in life. And I will continue to do it so long as I am alive."

Aside from her career as an actor, she has joined politics. She campaigned to become a Member of the Parliament for the Awami League during the last national elections, from Gouripur, Mymensingh. She has not made any decision on the upcoming elections. She was also appointed a member of Bangladesh Awami League's central Environment and Forestry sub-committee.