Playing Bangabandhu is the biggest achievement of my life: Shommo Jyoti

The up-and-coming young artist Shommo Jyoti has recently been receiving a lot of attention. He appeared in three films, made with government grants, and has been seen in a number of recent television dramas. Shommo is clearly enjoying a highly successful period in his career.

'Dushshahoshi Khoka', directed by Mushfiqur Rahman Gulzar, is one of those three films. The movie is going to be released sometime in September in theatres across Bangladesh. Shommo played the title character of the movie,  something that has garnered a lot of praise from industry insiders.

For Shommo, it was quite emotional to portray the man himself - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. "The feeling cannot be expressed in words. Every time it crosses my mind that I am portraying Bangabandhu, I just can't contain myself! I get goosebumps every time I hear his 7 March speech," expressed an emotional Shommo.

When the director extended the invitation to Shommo to play the part, he was pretty surprised. "I immediately accepted the opportunity to act after receiving it. I was quite taken aback."

But before the shooting started, Shommo tried to read and listen a lot in order to learn about Bangabandhu, to depict the role. 

"I first learned about Bangabandhu from my family when I was a young child. Additionally, the early textbooks provide information about Bangabandhu." 

Photo: Saqlain Rizve

Shommo read parts of Bangabandhu's interviews, the prison diaries, and his incomplete memoirs. There were, however, few incidents or descriptions of his life as a teenager. 

"I thus made an effort to act imaginatively. That's how I immersed myself in the role."

The movie was shot for about six months in 18 different locations in Bangladesh. Many historical facts were part of the script because of its relevance. While acting in the film, Shommo learned the difference and nuance between shooting for a fictional script and a script based on real events.

"The responsibility increases when you are shooting real life incidents because everyone more or less knows  about the history. Moreover, the audience has a kind of pre-emptive notion about the topic, so it is more challenging to act based on history or true events," he said.

"Although this movie is based on history, the story is very dramatic. Playing Bangabandhu will go down as the biggest achievement of my life," added Shommo.

Alongside, Shommo has acted in two more movies - 'Nakshikanthar Zamin' directed by Akram Khan and 'Dawal' directed by Piklu Chowdhury. Both the movies will see Shommo play central characters and are expected to be released in the near future.

Shommo has been acting regularly since 2017. He began his career with the play 'Happy Family,' which was directed by Dipu Hazra. Through TV dramas, films, or online platforms, Shommo stated that he intends to enrich and grow his career.