Sarika lights up cameo as ‘Roshni’
A cameo that leaves such a strong impression that it overshadows the rest of a project is no small achievement for any artiste. Young talent Sarika Sabah has done exactly that with her portrayal of Roshni in Jahid Preetom's recently released melancholic romantic telefilm, "Emon Dine Tare Bola Jay".
After almost two years away from television, Sarika—who once won viewers' hearts as Jhumur in "Family Crisis"—returned to the small screen, waiting for a role that would truly matter. In an interview with this reporter back in May, she said, "I chose to lessen my appearance on the small screen due to a lack of variation in the characters I was being offered."
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The actress shared that she first met director Jahid Preetom at this year's Meril-Prothom Alo Awards. After congratulating him on his win, she mentioned she was looking for a strong story and hoped for a meaningful comeback. "He said he would reach out soon with a story he had in mind," she recalled.
"After a couple of months, we finally sat down to discuss the story of this project. The way he narrated the plot—where the story unfolds mostly through conversations with Abantika (Priyontee Urbee) and Shawon (Tawsif Mahbub)—and then introduces Roshni… I felt something special," Sarika said. "Roshni, to me, felt metaphorically connected to the much-loved character Rupa from the works of the legendary Humayun Ahmed. That amazed me, and I immediately knew I had to be a part of this project."
Her journey from Jhumur to Roshni was transformative in more ways than one. "As I lost 24 kilograms, the audience saw me in a completely new avatar and a fresh character. The way they have received it is overwhelming," she added.
Even on the day the project was released, Sarika confessed to Jahid that she was nervous about how audiences would react. "I wasn't even in the promotional poster—that was a surprise Preetom bhaiya wanted to keep. I was really nervous. But to my surprise, within a few hours, I saw people sharing reels, screenshots of Roshni, and writing lovely comments. I went through all of them, and it felt amazing."
The "Gulmohar" actress also appeared in "Page Turner", a short film from the acclaimed "Closeup Kache Ashar Golpo 2025" series, directed by Mainuddin Siam. "'Closeup' has been making short films and releasing them every month this year, and "Page Turner" was the last film of the year, released on November 15," she said. Debutant actor Faizul Yameen starred opposite her in the project.
In closing, Sarika expressed her desire to step into the silver screen and said she has been preparing herself for that transition. "If I get a good story, I would definitely want to take it on. At this phase, the great thing is that directors and actors are working across all mediums, and the film industry is doing really well."
She promises to return to her audience with more sweet surprises for the upcoming Eid and Valentine's Day.
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