From Poramon 2 and Surongo to Toofan and Tandob, filmmaker Raihan Rafi has consistently presented his male protagonists in distinct ways.
With his upcoming film Andhar, he is introducing another unconventional hero, detective Delwar, played by Siam Ahmed.
According to Rafi, Delwar is a hero unlike those seen in his previous films.
In the context of Bangladesh, he describes the character as someone who will take on evil forces alone, much like Sherlock Holmes or Batman.
Rafi has always avoided creating his protagonists from the same mould.
In a social media post, he explained that he tries to make each of his heroes stand apart from the others.
“I always try to establish the heroes in my films as different individuals. That is why audiences will not find similarities between the heroes of one story and another. However, I had never worked with a completely classic heroic character. Andhar gave me that opportunity,” Rafi wrote.
Delwar is not driven by revenge or personal gain. Instead, his defining quality is his willingness to stand beside people in danger.
“Delwar stands by people simply because they are in trouble. There is no personal gain or revenge behind it,” Rafi wrote.
Through the character, audiences will reportedly see a different side of Siam.
Delwar repeatedly finds himself in dangerous situations while also becoming central to the mystery he is trying to unravel.
Rafi also revealed that several actors were considered for the role of detective Delwar before filming began.
However, once production was completed, the director felt Siam had become so closely associated with the character that he could no longer imagine anyone else playing the role.
Praising Siam’s performance, Rafi wrote, “I believe Siam brought Detective Delwar to life with everything he had. After finishing the shoot, it felt like Delwar means Siam.”
Andhar is expected to offer audiences a different kind of protagonist from Rafi, with Siam’s detective character at the centre of its mystery-driven story.
