Faria Hossain: Bangladesh’s pioneering female director
A few years ago, a leading newspaper published an article about Bangladeshi female directors. It featured pictures of three superstar actresses, who eventually became directors. However, the article failed to mention Bangladesh's first package female director, Faria Hossain—a noted entertainment journalist, television show host, and playwright with countless dramas to her name.
With over 17 years of experience in journalism, Faria has closely observed the entertainment industry. She has written more than 300 dramas and authored over 1,000 articles. Throughout her journalistic career, she has interviewed thousands of celebrities, but one of her most memorable interviews was with the legendary actress Shabana Azmi.
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In the year 2000, Hossain learned that Shabana Azmi was visiting Dhaka, and she had been assigned to interview her. "I was shocked," Hossain recalled. "I asked Shadat bhai, 'How can I interview her without any preparation?' He assured me I'd be fine. When I arrived, she was sleeping. She had just celebrated her 50th birthday two days earlier and had flown in from America, so she was completely jet-lagged."
"She initially didn't want to give the interview, but then she said, 'If I like your first question, I'll do it.' It felt like I was taking an exam! So, my first question was: 'What does it take to be Shabana Azmi?' She looked at me intently and replied, 'That depends on what Shabana Azmi is to you.'"
"After that, we had a wonderful, heartfelt conversation that lasted two and a half hours. We discussed everything—her career, her philosophy on life, and so much more. She had such a profound way of thinking, and I asked her many interesting questions," Hossain reminisced.
Package dramas started on BTV in December 1994, with only enlisted directors allowed to produce them. Faria Hossain, determined to direct, met with BTV's general manager, Mustafa Kamal Syed, who told her that BTV would soon open a platform for anyone to submit projects. In the meantime, he offered her a role as a program anchor. Faria hosted several Eid specials, interviewing celebrities like Arifa Parvin Zaman Moushumi, Sadia Islam Mou, and Bipasha Hayat. She also hosted a quiz show with a live audience, as well as a musical program featuring old black-and-white songs.
In 1995, Faria Hossain founded her company, Dristi Deep Audio Vision Network. She notes that only two companies from that era are still active—Hanif Sanket's Fagun Audio Vision and hers. Faria operated two companies: Zara Entertainment for serials and Drishti Deep for dramas. Through her dramas, she introduced several leading heroines, including Sadia Islam Mou and Tania Ahmed.
When discussing the challenges she faced as a director, Faria recalled, "My biggest obstacle was that people assumed I didn't need to do much as a female director. Even Chayanika Chowdhury faced this, despite directing over 450 dramas. It's still difficult for women to direct. I would arrive on set long before the crew to have time alone to think about what I wanted. I always made sure to follow up with everyone. When my parents fell ill, and I had to care for my young daughter, I stepped back from directing and shifted focus to hosting talk shows. My last directed project was in 2006, with Bipasha and Tony Dias in 'Angshik Akash'".
Recently, while talking to Chayanika Chowdhury, they realised that they'd worked on over 200 projects together. Faria, who directed Chayanika's first written drama, was surprised when Chayanika began listing their collaborations, thinking it could be a record worth claiming.
Although on a break from direction, Faria can't stop writing. "I wrote 'Kono Ekdin', starring Afzal Hossain, Sadia Islam Mou, and Soumya Joyti, set to release on Eid. I had a great time writing 'Achi Bhalobashai', a beautiful love story, both directed by Chayanika Chowdhury."
With her vast experience, Faria has put in a lot of effort to enrich showbiz. "I don't think I'll return to directing soon. Maybe in the future, I'll direct OTT content or films if I find the right cast. However, I've realised I need to step out of my shell and digitalise my work so people can see how much showbiz means to me and the effort I've put into it."
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