“Acting is all I have, it's all I want”

Popular film, TV and theatre actor Runa Khan has three films in the release pipeline, two of which will come out this year. In a conversation with The Daily Star, the actor speaks about her upcoming big screen ventures: 

“'Gohin Baluchor' is my first full-length film. It is a love story, in which two families from two villages are involved. I play the daughter-in-law of the leader of one of the villages. My character is named Shamima -- a simple girl with simple dreams. Even though her past is not shown in the film, you can tell the innocence she was brought up with. Once she was married off to a rich family, she was never treated with love and care by anyone in her new home. But she became best friends with her husband's little sister, who is one of the main characters of the film,” says Runa. “The thing about Saud bhai's (director Badrul Anam Saud) film is that each and every character, even the supporting cast, has their own established backgrounds. You don't even need to watch their past to understand it.”

Another movie she has recently taken part in is the Tauquir Ahmed's much-anticipated “Haldaa”. “In 'Haldaa', I play a character called Jui. Tauquir bhai has wonderfully portrayed the similarities and the relationship between women and rivers, in this case, the river Halda.”

The third upcoming film by Runa is called “Chhitkini” by Sajedul Awal. While the film has already received the censor certificate, the release date hasn't been announced yet. “My character in 'Chhitkini' is called Moimuna. She leads a difficult life, earning a living by breaking rocks for construction work. The story of 'Chhitkini' is based on Moimuna's struggle.”

While Runa is still working on TV series and single-episode plays, her dedication towards film is paramount. “Every actor wants to be on the silver screen, because films live forever. I chose these films because I liked the scripts, I love working with these directors, and the supporting cast in all the films are amazing. But the main reason I took on these roles were because these roles spoke to me. I believed in them, and believed that I could play them well,” says Runa. 

“I never judge myself to be a great actor. I just try to do the best I can. It's not like I want to inspire something in someone while they watch me. But I want all my viewers to understand from my acting exactly how much I love doing it. Acting is all I have, it's all I want. And I want to do it for the rest of my life,” says Runa on her professional mantra. 

Runa Khan-starrer “Gohin Baluchor” is set to release this October 20, while “Haldaa” is set to hit cinemas in December.