As anticipation surrounding Rockstar continues to intensify ahead of Eid, musician-songwriter Ahmed Hasan Sunny says the film has become one of the most emotional and demanding creative journeys of his career.
In an exclusive conversation with TIMES of Bangladesh, Sunny reflected on his journey of writing, composing and singing eight songs for the much-anticipated film starring Shakib Khan.
“This Eid is special,” Sunny said. “For the past few months, I have poured my absolute heart, soul and sleepless nights into one of the most anticipated movies of the year.”
The musician, known for blending alternative lyricism with emotionally charged melodies, also thanked director Azman Rusho and the film’s team for trusting “my voice and my vision, against countless odds.”
But behind the emotional social media note lies a story that began with a late-night phone call.
Speaking to ToB, Sunny recalled how Rusho contacted him around midnight several months ago with the initial idea for the film.
“He told me, ‘Sunny, I’m making a film. We need to do something big,’” the musician said. “The next day I went to meet him, and he explained the character to me. A rockstar who writes his own songs, sings his own songs and creates his own music.”
What surprised Sunny most was learning that the lead actor would be Shakib Khan.
“In the kind of musical space I come from, you never really imagine someone like Shakib Khan entering that world,” he admitted. “So when I heard it was him, I was genuinely shocked.”
From there, the creative process accelerated rapidly. Multiple song drafts were developed and refined through discussions with the director before eventually receiving approval from the superstar himself.
Sunny also spoke warmly about his first interaction with Shakib Khan, describing the actor as unexpectedly humble, curious and deeply invested in understanding the musicality of his character.
“My first meeting with him was at his house,” Sunny recalled. “We went there with a guitar. He kept asking questions, trying to learn chords, trying to understand how musicians think and work.”
According to Sunny, the actor’s eagerness left a lasting impression on him.
“He is extremely eager even now. During rehearsals and even during shooting, he kept asking how things should look, how the guitar should be held, how a musician behaves. That excitement was beautiful to see.”
As conversations around the film continue online, comparisons with the iconic 2011 Hindi film Rockstar have also surfaced. Sunny, however, dismissed suggestions that the Bangladeshi film borrows from the Bollywood project.
“These are completely different worlds,” he said. “The story, presentation and emotional structure are entirely separate. The only possible similarity is that both involve musicians.”
Sunny also addressed the mixed reactions surrounding one of the film’s songs, ‘Amake Uriye Dao’. While many listeners embraced the unconventional vocal style, others expected more familiar playback voices associated with mainstream commercial cinema.
“I respect all reactions,” he said. “People naturally become accustomed to certain voices in Shakib Khan’s films. So when something different arrives, resistance is normal.”
For Sunny, however, Rockstar represents more than simply another soundtrack album. It marks his arrival into a much larger cinematic landscape while still preserving the raw emotional energy that shaped his underground music identity.
“I keep coming back to one feeling,” he said. “That I’m lucky and grateful to be able to create something on this scale.”
