Getting to know Ananta

Hira has an old association with the world of culture. He started his career as an actor with a theatre group in Barisal; later, he came to Dhaka and was attached with the theatre group Nagorik Nattya Shamproday for fourteen years. Elaborating upon why he formed a new group, he says, 'I thought, if I form a new group then I will get the opportunity to work independently.'

How did he get involved with Nagorik? Ananta Hira says, 'While I was working with the Barisal theatre group, Barisal Natak, I often frequented the plays in Dhaka. Sometimes, theatre activists of Dhaka would visit Barisal too. So, there was always a link between the theatre activists of Dhaka and those of Barisal. Besides this, one of my friends worked with Nagorik, through whom, I joined the group.'

Ananta Hira had been associated with Nagorik from 1989 to 2002. He has performed in most of the popular plays of Nagorik like Nuraldiner Sharajibon, Achalayotan, Dewan Gazir Kissa, Galileo, Rather Rashi and Darpan.

Hira is well-known as a scriptwriter and a director rather than an actor in TV. Initially, the authority rejected him as a scriptwriter on the grounds of his being too young. He has written a few serials like Jete Jete Abosheshe, Sharol Shitangshu and a single-episode drama Thake Shudhu Andhokar for BTV and other channels.

'Having been inspired by TV producer and director Ahsan Habib, I started scriptwriting,' says Hira. Later, he appeared as a director with the drama Ek Nil Prashna. Besides this, he has directed drama serials like Bishkata, Shukher Tori and Mohona, which is now being aired. Ananta is very hopeful about the future of Bangladeshi theatre.