A dispute between actress Tanjin Tisha and co-artist Samia Othoi on the set of a drama in Manikganj has sparked widespread debate on social media. The row has now escalated into a formal complaint.
On Wednesday (4 March), Samia submitted a written complaint to the President and General Secretary of the Actors’ Association, alleging that Tisha physically assaulted, verbally abused and threatened her during filming. According to Samia, when she mentioned reporting the matter to the association, Tisha allegedly responded dismissively.
The incident occurred on Tuesday (3 March) during the shooting of the drama ‘Putuler Biye’, directed by Rafat Mozumder Rinku, in Mailagi village of Ghior upazila, Manikganj. Filming began at 9:00 am and a key scene featuring both actresses was shot at around 3:00 pm.
Later that afternoon, Samia went live on Facebook, claiming that Tisha slapped her multiple times during the scene. She alleged that while the script required her to slap Tisha once, there was no instruction for Tisha to retaliate. According to Samia, the repeated slaps left her cheeks and eyes swollen.
Director Rafat, however, said that although the script initially included a slap directed at Tisha, it had been removed during the final rehearsal. He stated that after Samia slapped Tisha during filming, Tisha reacted by slapping her in return. He also noted that there had been no slapping during separate rehearsals with the two actors.
An eyewitness, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Samia slapped Tisha first, after which Tisha responded with several slaps.
Samia left the set shortly after the incident and returned to Dhaka, citing safety concerns. She later sought medical attention, alleging that her vision had been blurred since the altercation.
Tisha has strongly denied the allegations, maintaining that there was no personal attack and that any physical interaction was part of the character’s requirements. She explained that she is portraying a special-needs character in the drama, whose behaviour is portrayed as unpredictable and aggressive.
In a statement shared via Facebook, the Actors’ Association said that any disputes involving members should be formally reported to the organisation first. It added that taking such matters directly to social media or the press violates its code of conduct.
The association has yet to announce a final decision and is expected to take further steps after reviewing the complaint.
