Conversations around women’s safety, discrimination, and opportunities in the entertainment industry remain as relevant as ever. For these renowned figures in Bangladesh’s showbiz, the discussion is not only about challenges but also about responsibility, respect, and hope for change.
As a recognised filmmaker, Chayanika Chowdhury believes that challenges are part of every profession and are not exclusive to women.
However, she acknowledges that women often have to prove their capabilities more firmly. “I feel proud to be a woman,” she says, noting that although most of her colleagues are men, they have largely been supportive. According to her, confidence and leadership are crucial for women working in the industry. “If a woman is confident about her work and leads with dedication and care, people naturally support her.”
For Chayanika, family support plays a decisive role in a woman’s career.
“Women must remain confident, possessing the courage to face criticism, trolling, workplace challenges, and even family pressures, while continuing to prove themselves through their abilities. They should approach every environment with competence and conviction, ensuring their work speaks for itself.”
Chayanika Chowdhury
“At the same time, women must avoid undermining one another,” she highlighted. “Too often, we see women criticising, disrespecting, or failing to support each other. This needs to change. When women uplift one another, and everyone treats women with respect, a truly supportive and empowering environment will naturally emerge.”
Actress and member of the Bangladesh Film Certification Board, Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, echoes similar concerns but highlights structural issues within the industry.
While she acknowledges that more women are entering fields such as cinematography, costume design, and direction, she believes equality is still far from reality. “The numbers have risen more than before, but they are still not equal,” she says.
Nawshaba also points out that even basic facilities often reveal how women-friendly an environment truly is. “When we go outdoors for shoots, the condition of washrooms alone can tell you how seriously women’s needs and safety are considered,” she remarks.
Discrimination, she adds, is not limited to gender alone. Pay disparity and the undervaluation of artistes remain widespread.
“Discrimination certainly exists, and it exists all over the world. Evaluation should be based on merit and the importance of the character. I cannot understand why someone should be paid less because of gender.”
Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed
Beyond industry concerns, Nawshaba stresses the need for broader societal change. “Women’s success is often dismissed as favouritism rather than talent, a mindset that must be challenged.” At the same time, she urges women to support each other more actively.
Alif Alauddin, a veteran singer, noted that for many women, performing on stage can still feel intimidating, especially in light of recent incidents involving mob disruptions at concerts.
“Back then, there were very few female singers performing on stage, and I was quite young. I used to face bullying and catcalling,” she recalled. “But the situation has improved now. When I perform with my band, they always make sure that my safety is ensured.”
While the number of female singers has grown steadily over the years, women working behind the scenes as composers and lyricists remain far fewer in comparison.
Alif believes the change is gradual, but noticeable. Through her involvement with the Bangladesh Lyricists, Composers and Performers Society (BLCPS), the country’s music collective management organisation, she has had the opportunity to meet many talented women working in these roles.
“Compared to many foreign countries, the ratio of female composers here is still lower,” she said. “But things are improving. While working with BLCPS, I met a number of female lyricists and composers, which is a big change compared to what the industry looked like a decade ago. If they receive more encouragement, I believe many more women will come forward to explore this field.”
For Alif, supporting the next generation has become an important part of that change. Along with fellow musicians such as Elita and Armeen Musa, she actively tries to create spaces where young women feel confident about pursuing music.
“We are trying our best to encourage young female musicians to step forward and claim their space,” she said. “Even through the musical reality show CAGE, we made a conscious effort to encourage female composers to participate and create their own songs.”
At the same time, Alif feels that institutional support could play a vital role in strengthening women’s presence in the industry.
“If there were initiatives like quotas or dedicated opportunities for female singers, many more women might feel encouraged to take part,” she explained.
“I have seen many talented female composers working at BTV. If the government can ensure proper platforms and safety for female artists, more women will feel confident about entering the music industry.”
Alif Alauddin
“One of the major issues we mostly face during shoots, especially in crowded areas, is changing clothes or finding a washroom. From what I know, most female actors regularly deal with these problems,” asserted Nazifa Tushi.
While infrastructure remains a challenge, Farin highlighted another modern-day concern — the constant presence of smartphones and unsolicited recordings on set.
“Nowadays the boom system is almost gone, and we have to wear small recording devices. The problem arises when we have to put them on or take them off. At the same time, people around us are constantly recording us, even going on live videos. Most of the time, people with bad intentions record from strange angles and upload those videos on the internet. As a female artiste, you always have to stay constantly conscious about who is recording you and what they might post online,” explained Farin.
Beyond on-set challenges, the actresses also reflected on the broader perceptions surrounding women-led stories in the film industry.
Nazifa Tushi, whose upcoming film “Pressure Cooker” is slated for release this Eid-ul-Fitr and features a predominantly female cast, said that the notion that female-centric films cannot succeed commercially remains a common belief.
“I remember a particular incident that stayed with me. About five to seven years ago, around the time when Hawa or Ice Cream was being released, one of our colleagues told me that female-centric stories do not do good business. What struck me most was that the person who told me this was a director, and a very established one in Bangladesh. Hearing that really affected me. Since then, I have always wanted to work on projects that not only help me prove myself as an actor but also show that female-centric stories can succeed commercially, not just remain as art projects,” said Tushi.
When she was offered two scripts by Raihan Rafi after working on “Andhar”, she made a conscious decision about which story to pursue.
“One was a love story where I would have been the only central character, and the other was ‘Pressure Cooker’. I chose Pressure Cooker because I wanted to be part of a film that explores women’s lives more deeply. It is particularly because women-centric plots are often treated more like art pieces rather than mainstream cinema, and that stigma should be broken,”
Nazifa Tushi
The conversation naturally turned to remuneration, an issue Tasnia Farin says remains one of the most visible disparities in the industry.
“No, female artistes are definitely not fairly compensated. Compared to the amount of work we do, the pay gap is very large. I have always spoken about this and I have been very vocal regarding the issue. Often, we see that a senior female artiste, who has built a strong fan base and popularity over many years, is paid less or equal to a newly arrived male actor who may reach the same remuneration level within just a few days of working in the industry. The main reason behind this discrimination is that our society is deeply patriarchal, and the industry reflects the same structure. Male actors or heroes are given far more importance.”
She also emphasised that it is not just about actors. The number of women working in the industry is extremely low.
“Whether it is makeup artists, production teams, editing teams, or even director teams, women are very underrepresented. If you look at a team of around a hundred people working on a project, you might find only five women in total. The ratio is extremely poor. Until that ratio reaches a more respectable level, I do not think meaningful change will happen. So it is very important that this imbalance is addressed,”
Tasnia Farin
