'3 Idiots' is probably one of the most influential pieces of popular culture to come out of this subcontinent. The movie has an overarching impact, especially on university students, not only from the subcontinent but also throughout the world.
Sheikh Jisan Ahmed, a student of the department of drama and dramatics at Jahangirnagar University, recently remade some iconic scenes from the movie, which helped him achieve widespread fame on social media.
In an interview with The Financial Express, Jisan Ahmed talked about his aspirations and the overall scenario involving the film industry in the country.
Jisan Ahmed
In his own words, Jisan never wanted to be someone who made films; rather, he wanted to be a good actor. However, as the opportunities for newbies in the film industry are few and far between, he created a production house himself, remaking various iconic scenes from famous films. With the remake of Three Idiots, he became an internet sensation overnight.
Although his future plan still revolves around the idea of becoming a renowned actor, he doesn't rule out filmmaking in the future, as he is already receiving positive reviews from viewers.
When asked about what his prime intention is behind making remakes of various foreign as well as national films and whether budget can be a hindrance to good work, Jisan said,
"The main reason is to show everyone that we can too. It's like signalling that we can show quite good work if given a chance."
"And budgeting can never be the main obstacle to work. The key to good work, or great work, is to have great willpower. I believe if you have an indomitable will, you can conquer the world," he added.
Jisan, who is currently pursuing his bachelor's degree, has already created a production platform named 'Jisu entertainment,' where many of his friends, classmates and even seniors are producing and remaking excerpts from various famous domestic as well as foreign films. He remains the director as well as the lead actor in all the productions.
Along with the remake of Three Idiots, which famously created widespread recognition among the netizens, Jisan and his production platform have already remade some excerpts of 'The Joker' from Hollywood, the famous Tamil movie '96,' and 'Monpura,' which is widely regarded as one of the finest films to come out of the Bangladeshi film industry.
Jisan also expressed that the film industry should work more with people at the root level and attributed the current decline in the Bangladeshi film industry to not working with people at the root level.
He also added that the many students who are majoring in disciplines related to acting and are passionate about acting are often overlooked by people who become viral overnight on social media. He urged film directors and producers to give more opportunities to people genuinely passionate about acting.
"At the university level, students who are interested in acting can study acting in the theatre or drama and dramaturgy departments, just as those who are interested in filmmaking can study film and television subjects. If there is an organisation or a university club facilitating in that regard, they can get involved," Jisan remarked on how aspiring students can make a career here.
He also added that it matters little whether someone is a university, school, or college student, and if one has enough passion and wants to go forward with either acting or filmmaking as their career choice, they should go for it.
In his opinion, the biggest motivation when it comes to acting, filmmaking, directing, or the other fields of the film industry is motivation and willpower.
