Hindi soaps inspire Bangladesh TV personality

Watching popular Hindi television soaps inspired her to create similar sets and use music in order to appeal to her audience, confesses Chayanika Chowdhury, one of Bangladesh's most successful television writer-directors.

Chowdhury says she feels vindicated on choosing to follow the set-up of Hindi soaps as her colleagues who initially criticised her use of promotional songs and flashy titles were now taking the same route to popularity.

"Yes I do give the setting a lot of importance. Watching Hindi serials I've always wondered why they appealed to the public, despite having the same old story. I realised that people liked the way the set-up looked and I followed the same track. People want to be entertained and I was going to give them that," she told The Daily Star.

"Today I see many of my contemporaries, who have criticised me, following in the same footsteps. Many directors are now using songs in their TV plays, besides emphasising on the setting. I consider it a success," says Chayanika, who has made a mark in the male-dominated field.

However, others attribute her success to her husband Arun Chowdhury, a successful scriptwriter and TV play director and editor of "Anandodhara".

Chayanika says in her defence: "I have completed 47 serials and most of them have been widely accepted. As much as I love my husband I don't believe Arun's name single-handedly could have gotten me this far. I'm grateful to my actors and my audience. They were ready to work with me when I was new. And now I have my own style which appeals to the public."

Her future plans include emerging as a filmmaker. "My dream is to make a movie. Not an offbeat movie but a pure commercial one that will touch the heart of millions."

Chayanika studied at Shantiniketan in India, but could not complete her studies after her marriage. Her big break as a director came in 2001 when she wrote "Shesher Bela".