For more than two decades, Sushama Sarker has remained familiar and had a respected presence in Bangladesh’s theatre scene.

Associated with Desh Natak for the past 25 years, she has steadily expanded her work across television dramas, films and OTT platforms. Despite working in all three mediums, it is television serials that have kept her busiest in recent years.

At present, three of her television serials are airing, with another new one set to premiere soon. Alongside this, she has also acted in a special production marking Ekushey February. Theatre continues to be an important part of her artistic life as well.

Sushama Sarker recently spoke to The Daily Star about her ongoing projects and audience response—particularly to the popular television serial “Dena Pawna”, which has become one of the most talked-about family dramas of the moment.

Currently airing with over a hundred episodes broadcast, “Dena Pawna” has struck a chord with viewers for its relatable family narrative. The project features Sushama as Mou bhabi, a character that has made a lasting impression on audiences.

“Wherever I go, people praise ‘Dena Pawna’,” she says with a smile. “After its success, we are seeing more family-centric dramas being made again.”

Talking about her character, she laughs, “Many people comment on Mou bhabi and say, ‘Why are you so bad?’ I’ve completely become the character to the audience. Honestly, it feels wonderful when people call me by my character’s name. For an actor, that’s a huge achievement.”

Reflecting on the return of family dramas, the actress notes that the genre had almost disappeared for a while. “If you look back at television dramas of the 1990s, family stories were beautifully told. They reduced for some time, but now they’re coming back again—and that’s a good sign.”

She also credits the ensemble cast of “Dena Pawna” for the show’s success. “Everyone has performed very well, and viewers have accepted all the characters wholeheartedly. Many actors are now being addressed by their character names. That’s a big deal.”

Apart from this project, Sushama currently appears in “Parampara”, airing on Deepto Television, and “Tel Chara Porota”, broadcast on Maasranga Television. Speaking about the two, she says, “’Parampara’ is a traditional family drama, while ‘Tel Chara Porota’ is slightly different in tone. Both have gained popularity, and audiences are watching them regularly.”

She has also acted in the serial “Biswas Banam Sardar”, directed by Shakal Ahmed and written by Brindaban Das. “This was my first time working with Brindaban Das dada as a writer,” she shares. “I had to deliver dialogues in the Pabna dialect, which was challenging at first, but eventually the work turned out well.”

Recently, she completed work on a special Ekushey February drama titled “Chithiowala”, directed by Mamunur Rashid, which is set to air on February 21 on Channel i.

It is worth noting that Sushama Sarkar has been associated with Desh Natak since 2000. The group’s latest production, “Paro”, also features her in a key role—reaffirming her continued commitment to theatre alongside her screen work.