Mehazabien Chowdhury makes waves at TIFF with ‘Saba’

Mehazabien Chowdhury is currently in Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where her debut feature film, "Saba", had its international premiere.

In a conversation with The Daily Star, Mehazabien shared her excitement and experiences from the festival.

Directed by Maksud Hossain, "Saba" received an overwhelming response, with tickets selling out quickly. Mehazabien described the audience's emotional reactions as surreal, saying, "I am amazed to receive such a response, and the emotional reactions from the audience were surreal to me."

The festival's prestigious People's Choice Award, determined by audience votes, includes "Saba" among its 25 competing films. Mehazabien expressed her pride, stating, "It's a great honour for the entire team to be in the People's Choice Award category. Our fingers are crossed as we await the announcement."

Meanwhile, Mehazabien's new web-film, "Forget Me Not", was recently released on the OTT platform Chorki, where she plays the lead role of Aurthee. The film has garnered significant praise, with Mehazabien describing it as a love-centered story. 

"At the end of the day, people want to watch light-hearted content, especially during times of unrest," she explained. Known for her work in thrillers, Mehazabien found this project a refreshing change. "This was my first collaboration with Robiul Alam Robi, and I thoroughly enjoyed working on it."

In "Forget Me Not", Mehazabien stars alongside Bijori Barkatullah, Yash Rohan, and Irfan Sajjad. Reflecting on her experience with Yash, she remarked, "Some people are born actors, and Yash is one of them. Although we haven't worked together on many projects, after 'Sabrina', I got the chance to work closely with him. It's an experience I'll always remember."

She also praised her on-screen rapport with Bijori Barkatullah and spoke fondly of reuniting with Irfan Sajjad, complimenting his portrayal in the film. 

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‘Saba’ premieres today at TIFF with all tickets sold out

"Forget Me Not" was shot in November and spent considerable time in post-production. Mehazabien believes many will connect with its story, explaining, "The film shows how love is felt most when it's no longer there, giving the audience a lot to reflect on."