Wedding songs are played, guests have arrived. The groom will come within few moments. Kazi is waiting. Bride is waiting in bridal dress. Kobul (I do)…Kobul…Kobul. That is it, Romana will go away with her husband. Everyone is ready in wedding house.

This is not an incident from real life. It’s a scene from film ‘Biyebari’. It is the second commercial movie acted by Romana. Coming 5th June it will be released. And Romana is in serious tension about ‘Biyebari’. On one hand there is celebration of film release and on other hand various thoughts. Is the movie going to be good? How will viewers receive it? ‘Uff, can’t even sleep at night. This much anxiety was not there even while working on first commercial movie.’ Romana was telling.

Working on first commercial movie she was certainly in severe anxiety. Let us hear about that. ‘November of 2007. Whole of Dhaka was without any power due to Sidr massacre. Within this shooting of Romana’s first day in big screen was supposed to take place. Film’s name is ‘Ek Taka-r Bou’. On top of that it was shooting for a song. Coming from small to big screen it is hard to do dancing-singing scenes.

Due to tension my sleeping, eating, everything was ruined. With no electricity there was a bit of relief that perhaps the shooting will be postponed. There would be more time to prepare. But in the morning director’s phone came. Have to go to Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre quickly. Apparently the shooting would be done under special conditions. I dashed. And started to work, among this a call came from home. My father’s health was not in good condition, so he was being taken to hospital. I could leave filming then. All day I kept acting with a smile in front of the camera. And inside it was all tension and bad mood. I will remember that day whole life’ said Romana.

First day in movie did not go well for Romana. But maybe this means that days ahead will go well. That is how Romana thinks. ‘My luck is really good. I never got anything with a lot of hardship. I did my first modeling for a big organization like Aromatic. Then first play under talented director Mohon Khan. The first movie I acted in was Toukir Ahmed’s ‘Joyjatra’. Then commercial movie ‘Ek Takar Bou’. I never had to take small steps. Somehow I got large and strong staircases. Hopefully this remains in future’ said Romana.

Singing, modeling, acting in plays- Romana did a lot. But in the end she wants to be permanent in big screen. Romana told ‘ I think big screen actually means a huge matter. Everything here is different. To portray myself I like this medium the best. The pleasure of acting here cannot be expressed in words. I really enjoy working in films.’

However she did not take the decision of acting in movies abruptly. She had the desire for long time. ‘Just after doing Aromatic commercial I was getting acting offers. Back then I was studying only in seventh grade. My father smirked after hearing this. And mother had no expression. I, however, would have been surprised. But I knew inside that the work would not be done now, would have to wait. And need to prepare myself. Then I acted in plays for long time. Felt like maybe this is the time I should step into big screen.

Romana learned to sing almost eight years. Romana, Tisha, Kona, Nafisa- these four friends even formed a music group called ‘Angels’. S. I. Tutul and Swapan Chowdhury were taking care of it. Eventually the group did not last. ‘Now I think and regret that I did not hold onto singing. Listening to Kona’s songs makes me even sadder. And simultaneously I feel really good. And my mother regrets more than me. She always tells me to sing’ said Romana. But this regret and sad mood did not last long. ‘Actually singing is not about holding or letting go. It is completely different matter. Singing can only be done for oneself. In that way I did not let go of singing.’

First commercial, first drama, first movie- sentiments of all these are very important to Romana. That is why something has to be told about Romana’s first movie ‘Joyjatra’, ‘the hardships I went through while doing Joyjatra, I haven’t go through all my life. The shooting was done in such an area of Bogura where there wasn’t regular electricity. Rural power was only hope. We used to stay in a school building. Surrounding it was rice fields. Even to drink a cup of tea we had to go far. The shooting was done under severe sun the whole day. Toukir bhai bought cots for everyone for our sleeping. It was hard to recognize us after we came to Dhaka. And Toukir’s bhai’s song did not even want to come to his lap. But me, Chandni, Shahed and others of the team also used to have fun together. It was a different experience for me.’

Apart from Romana starring ‘Biyebari’ coming 12th July film ‘Shami Shtri-r Wada’ will be releasing. The shooting of films like Rakibul Alam Rakib’s ‘Premik Purush’. Shahadat Hossain Liton’s ‘Preme Porichi’, F. I. Manik’s ‘Chirodin Tumi Je Amaar’ is going on. So, in future Romana will be often seen in big screen. Romana’s dream at the moment is ‘Firstly let me work regularly. Strengthen my position. Then I will widen the boundary of my dream.’