Bangladesh’s film industry has produced major commercial successes such as Toofan, Borbaad and Jongli in recent years. Yet actress Prarthana Fardin Dighi sees a troubling contradiction behind those hits. While audiences are returning to cinemas, the number of new films being made has fallen sharply.
Dighi said the situation has left her wondering why the industry is producing fewer films despite the success of several major releases over the past two years. At times, she even feels that an unseen force may be working behind the decline.
She compared the situation with the destruction of Pakistan’s film industry and suggested that Bangladesh’s film industry could also be heading towards destruction.
“Over the past two years, major hit films have been released, yet the number of new films being made has declined,” Dighi said.
She believes the slowdown reflects a wider crisis rather than simply a lack of successful films. The actress, who has not started work on a new film for some time, said the current situation has also affected her own career.
Her only upcoming film, Biday, directed by Mehedi Hasan Hridoy and starring Bapparaj, is awaiting release. The film was scheduled to hit cinemas during the last Eid but ultimately did not.
Shooting and dubbing have been completed, but Dighi said she cannot yet confirm when post-production will finish or when a new release date will be announced.
The slowdown is not limited to films, she said. Drama budgets have also risen to around Tk30 lakh. At that level, productions increasingly require arrangements similar to film shoots.
Even so, Dighi is not ready to give up on the industry.
“I try to keep myself and my fellow artists optimistic. I believe the situation will improve one day,” she said.
Dighi has also worked on OTT projects, but she said production there has slowed as platforms have seen their subscriber numbers decline.
Alongside the uncertainty surrounding her career, Dighi recently spoke openly about her teenage years. She said her family imposed strict restrictions on her from Class Six and did not allow her to use a mobile phone until her SSC examination.
Her family also remained in regular contact with school authorities and teachers and closely monitored her activities.
According to Dighi, those restrictions meant she had neither the opportunity nor the mental environment to fall in love during her adolescence.
She again said earlier rumours linking her romantically with content creators Tawhid Afridi and Muhaimin Rashid were simply based on friendship.
Dighi’s career may currently be in a quieter phase, but she remains hopeful about both her own future and the industry she has chosen.
Despite the decline in film production, she believes the situation will eventually change and hopes to return to regular work on the big screen.
