A multi faceted talent

Aupee launched into her career as a TV actress in 1998, acting in the play Pechoney Shobuj Gram by Abu Sayeed. Her work received an impetus while she was doing her graduation from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). While still a student she entered the Lux Photogenic 1999 contest and won the crown. Aupee says, "There have been some really drastic changes since the time I won the crown of the Lux Photogenic1999 contest. I have learnt a lot about acting as well as the technical front. Earlier, I wasn't all that busy and used to shoot five to six days a month. Now I am shooting from 10am to 8pm for nearly 20 days a month."

About her experience in the popular Bangla feature film Bachelor, she states, "It was a wonderful experience working in Bachelor. You could call it a journey in celluloid."

Asking about her interpretation of acting, she says, "Acting to me is portraying the character with 100 percent conviction. Whether you can relate to your character or not, you should act so subtly that your audience won't even for a second feel that you are acting." She adds, "In a script I am always looking for the range of emotion to portray. I ponder over whether I will be able to portray the character in a convincing way. If the character that I have to emote is not too deep then I can't portray a strong image. There are many things that go into making a successful character. I can only put life in it by skillful acting. But if the script is not good enough, I can't do much about it."

Asked about her acting technique, Aupee puts the topic in perspective. As she says, "I believe that pressure makes us more versatile. I improve on my acting by being observant and trying out different ways of portraying the same character. Sometimes my co-star and I try different approaches and it really helps. I have progressed a lot but still I have a long way to go. With experience, I developed spontaneity. Now I try and experiment on expressions. Of course, it requires a lot of background work. My characters are people belonging to different social strata."

On her acting experience, she says, "I have been strongly influenced by the director of the first play in which I worked. I have learnt different things from all my directors in terms of giving the right expressions, catching the light, pauses and other subtle nuances. In fact all my directors have made a tremendous contribution to my repertoire. Creative energy comes from passion and I am passionate about my work. I consider myself a very professional actress. I’m disciplined and hardworking. Nothing comes easily in life. As a newcomer in the media, the initial two-three months were quiet and after that my work spoke for me."

The conversation veers to her hopes and aspirations. Right now, she states, she wants to concentrate on the TV serials, which are in hand. Explaining her modus operandi, she says, "I always make it a point to look for different elements. The narration has to hold my attention and inspire me. I have also received some offers to act in Bangla feature films. I have rejected those which do not have good scripts. However, I definitely look forward to getting film offers. Film has a wider canvas as compared to television. After a certain point of time, television offers a limited scope despite reaching out to millions of people. One can do a lot of things within the time frame of a feature film."