A sneak-peek into the unlikely pairing of Antik Mahmud and Dilara Zaman

Previously, Antik Mahmud had teamed up with the legendary Abul Hayat for a special animated video. This time, he is partnering with renowned actress Dilara Zaman, who will be lending her voice to a cartoon for the very first time. Interestingly, this unusual collaboration had been on Antik's mind ever since he worked with Abul Hayat.

"Last time, when I recorded with Abul Hayat sir, I mentioned that I wanted to work with Dilara Zaman ma'am. A year removed, that dream came true. It took me a year to come up with the perfect script." said Antik.

Photo: Courtesy

Though he didn't want to reveal too much about the new project, he did open up about Dilara Zaman's character. "She plays Amena apa, who lives in an old-age home," he explained. "But just because her character lives there, doesn't mean the story will be sad. There's actually a funny angle – Amena apa decides that she wants to become a YouTuber! The story follows her journey as she learns how to become famous on YouTube.

Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

Antik also laughed as he recalled his first interaction with Dilara Zaman ma'am and how nervous he was before meeting her. "When I worked with Abul Hayat sir, I went to his house and could see his expressions directly. But with Dilara Zaman ma'am, most of our communication happened over the phone. I was really nervous because she kept asking me what she should wear to the recording — 'Should I wear a saree or a salwar kameez?' she asked. I was so confused and I told her 'Ma'am, you'll only be recording your voice!' Since it was her first time doing voice acting for a cartoon, she was a bit unsure, and that made me nervous too. However, it was really a fun conversation," he chuckled.

Photo: Courtesy

Talking about their recording sessions, Antik added, "Working with her was such a joy. She loves to talk and share stories, sometimes she would scold me in the middle of recording, then burst into laughter. She told me about her two daughters, and even shared this hilarious story about slipping on ice abroad. It was such a warm, fun experience overall."

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Abul Hayat and Antik Mahmud: An unusual collab

The animator further shared that he is hoping to release the project by the last week of this month.