Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo will appear in the upcoming series Jazz City, set to premiere on the OTT platform SonyLIV on March 19. The actor recently visited Kolkata to promote the series and spoke to the daily Anandabazar Patrika about the project.
Shuvoo said the year 2024 significantly changed his outlook on life following the death of his mother. He said, “I realized life is very short. What people say or what we achieve is not permanent.”
He added that the experience encouraged him to approach life more simply and focus on living fully rather than worrying about how others judge him.
Discussing Jazz City, Shuvoo declined to reveal details about the storyline ahead of its release. However, he said presenting complex themes through entertainment is challenging and requires careful execution.
He said the series’s director Soumik Sen has combined humor, satire and sharp dialogue to present the narrative in an engaging way.
Shuvoo also revealed that he underwent auditions for nearly 2 years before being selected for the role. During that time, the production team repeatedly sent him scripts and scenes for recording and submission.
He said, “Sometimes they asked me to perform the same scene that had already been tested with other actors. I would record and send it. Through this trial and error process, they eventually selected me.”
Responding to a question about waiting so long for a single role, Shuvoo said auditions are a normal part of an actor’s work and should not be viewed as an issue of ego.
He cited examples of global figures such as Michael Jackson and Steve Jobs to illustrate that professional stature does not eliminate the need for humility. He also referred to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, noting that actors worldwide continue to audition regardless of their status.
The teaser for Jazz City indicates that the story is set against the backdrop of 1971. When asked whether his Bangladeshi identity influenced the casting decision, Shuvoo said he prefers to see himself as a global citizen.
He added that the character he portrays, Jimmy Roy, is an Indian role and required performances in multiple languages. The audition process took place in several locations including Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangladesh.
