I really can't stand war. I want peace: Sayma Smrity

Photo: Noor-A-Alam

Samya Smrity first came to people's attention some two years ago through a Grameenphone television commercial. However, she had stepped into showbiz through commercials directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury sometime before the GP commercial. 

One after another, she then began working with Redoan Rony, Nuhash Humayun, Tanim Rahman Angshu, Shafayet Mansur Rana, and other directors of claim in both commercials and TV serials.

She began acting in cinema only last year but has already acted in four movies, the most recent of which, 'Jantrana', came out on 27 October. She spoke to The Business Standard about 'Jantrana', her acting career so far, the remuneration of artists as well as her thoughts on the Palestine crisis. 

'Jantrana' is a story about a love triangle, directed by Arifur Jaman Arif, where there's one hero and two heroines. Sayma, as it turns out, happens to be one of the heroines.

Talking about her experience of having to win over the hero, Sayma said, "It's a love-triangle. Both the heroines would naturally want to have the hero exclusively. I must say that winning over my hero in the movie was not easy, and the audience will see how I get to him in the movie."

Acting in cinema is regarded as the highest achievement for any actor. Sayma has already begun working hard in that field. However, the journey that led her to the big screen from commercials and drama gave her little time to take that in. 

"The desire to act in movies was always in me, but that opportunity came to me fairly quickly. I received an offer to act in a movie through a simple phone call one fine day. I liked both the story and my character in it, so I took a chance," she said.

Other than 'Jantrana,' the three other movies she acted in are titled 'Jalrang' directed by Apurba Rana, 'Jalkiran' directed by HR Habib and 'Sangjog' directed by Abu Sayeed.

Whenever actors begin their careers, they are much talked about and much appreciated. But later down the line, the criticisms start coming in when they underperform in movies and that ends up affecting their careers. 

Sayma was asked whether she had any backup plans ready should her movies flop.

"I don't know yet what I'll do or what will happen if my movies flop. For now, I'm working on the big screen with eyes full of dreams. I won't quit if I fail, I'll be patient," she answered. 

'Jantrana' is Sayma's first movie and hence she is not making a lot of money from it. Fresh actors do not take home a decent cut from their early performances anyways, because these movies are also their chance to prove their acting abilities. For Sayma, it was no exception either. 

"I broke into a new phase of my career through this performance. When I'll be able to prove my worth, the money will follow. However, in numbers, I still made more than Taka 1,00,000 through Jantrana," she said.

A lot of new films have been released recently and through them, a lot of budding actresses have entered the movie industry. Although fairly new, all the actresses' performances are closely followed and talked about on social media by fans and critics alike. Sayma is well aware of that situation. 

"No one is perfect. We still make mistakes even when we're trying to be the best version of ourselves. I expect the audience to be accepting of the mistakes that I'll make along the way. I try to be as cautious and careful as one should be," she said.

Sayma was tied to some controversy with Raihan Rafi earlier this year when she made a few statements about the director. She declared right then that she would not work with Raihan Rafi in the future. 

"I admire Rafi as a director but I couldn't get along with a few things he did. That's why I won't work under his guidance. If something like that comes up in the future, I'll give it a thought. But since I want to stay in movies, I'd definitely try to experiment acting under different directors," Sayma said.

Just like in every other arena, the current Palestine-Israel crisis is heavily discussed within the entertainment arena as. Celebrities are taking to their own socials and sharing their thoughts on the matter. 

"I really can't stand war. I want peace. I want this to stop and peace to return," Sayma said about the war.