Sadia Ayman recalls beautiful ‘meow’ments with feline co-stars

Projects centred around furry actors remain a rarity in the local entertainment industry. Breaking that barrier, “Meu” received significant love from audiences, with the story revolving around a cat named Aloo — the real-life pet of actor Sadia Ayman. The film also featured Afsana Mimi and Azizul Hakim. 

Continuing her experience of sharing the screen with furry co-stars, Sadia is set to appear in another OTT project this Eid. Titled “Love Sitter” and slated for release on Bongo, the project again features a furry character who connects the central roles. The Daily Star caught up with Sadia about working with furry actors, the project, and her Eid plans.

In Chorki's ‘Meu’, directed by Atiq Zaman, Aloo was featured. What was the experience like? How did you prepare him?

Working with Aloo has been a wonderful experience. Since coming into my life, he has been a source of comfort and healing, especially during difficult times. There was a period when my previous cat, Mio, went missing, which was a very traumatic phase for me. 

Because of my bond with him (Aloo), sharing the screen felt very natural and pleasant. He turned out to be a wonderful co-actor — surprisingly responsible and quite professional in the way he did his work! I am a proud mother and a proud co-actor. 
On set, we did not really have to prepare him separately for anything. He is naturally very friendly. If someone visits our home, he lies down near their feet. He loves affection and has been raised with a lot of love and care. Because of that, he expects everyone to show him affection. 

In ‘Love Sitter’, you have worked with another cat.
 

We worked with Chhotu, whose screen name is Hypnosis. Alongside my co-actor, Ziaul Haque Palash, “Love Sitter” follows a journey involving a cat, and it also touches on themes of sacrifice and love. This project has been written and directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury and Mushficaa Maasud. It is also special because it is Amitabh bhai and Mushficaa bhabi’s first fiction work together, so it holds significance for them as well as for me. It will be released on the third day of Eid.

How challenging was it to act with a furry co-star?
 

I knew Aloo would give such adorable shots — no matter what he did, whether he looked around, played a little, or even sat quietly, he would look incredibly cute. For me, the challenge was ensuring people would still appreciate my acting alongside him. But honestly, I think the audience liked him even more anyway.

That said, animals can sometimes panic when there are too many people around, but he handled it well. There were moments when he had to stay in one place for a long time while the lights were adjusted and preparations were being made for a shot. After a while, he would become restless and walk away. He did not run around or become frightened; he would quietly observe what was happening and then walk away because he no longer felt like sitting there.

We always made sure he did not wander too far and would gently bring him back when needed. It was not just Aloo — there was also a younger cat playing Aloo’s childhood version in the story. In addition, several other cats appeared in the film. Some were stray cats that wandered onto the set when they heard food being opened, while others were brought in specifically for certain scenes.

How accommodating are film sets for furry actors?

The team was very supportive in this regard. From keeping the make-up room clean to ensuring that unnecessary visitors did not enter certain areas, they tried their best to maintain proper hygiene and a suitable environment.

I had informed the team beforehand about Aloo’s needs — his food, toys, cat food pouches, and other essentials — and everything was arranged very thoughtfully. Since Aloo is my pet and I was one of the main characters in the project, perhaps he received a bit of special attention. But even if that was not the case, I believe this level of care should be given to any animal involved in a production. Many stories may require cats or dogs in the future, and maintaining hygiene and providing a clean, safe space for them is extremely important.

What touched me the most was that a few members of the team eventually adopted some of those cats. I found that incredibly kind. In a way, through this shoot, a few stray cats from the sets ended up finding homes. If people continue to show that kind of kindness towards animals, it would truly make the world a much better place.

That said, I received wonderful support from the entire team. Everyone treated Aloo with a lot of affection. In fact, people on set — from the production team to the assistant directors and even the make-up artists — jokingly called him “Boss”. Whenever I arrived carrying Aloo from the car to the make-up room, they would say, “Boss has arrived!” After he finished a shot, if he wanted to rest for a while, they would playfully say, “Boss, please come and give us another shot.” I found it very amusing and quite heartwarming that everyone addressed him that way.

Is there anything you would suggest to improve the set environment going forward?

Make-up rooms often have many people coming and going, sometimes even those who are not directly involved. For animals, that can be a little overwhelming. This is something we are quite used to in our industry, but it can be uncomfortable not only for animals but for us as well. If these things were managed a little better, it would certainly improve the working environment for everyone.

Improving the environment on set is important not only for furry actors but for everyone involved. Make-up rooms, shooting houses, and especially washrooms should be kept properly clean. At times, the washrooms become so unclean that I cannot use them all day until someone cleans them thoroughly. 

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There’s no stopping Sadia Ayman

What can audiences anticipate from you this Eid? 

This Eid, I have not taken on too much work. The main project is the web film “Love Sitter”. Apart from that, I have also done a few other interesting projects. In terms of television dramas, there’s Sagar Jahan’s “Chhitkini”, Majumdar Shimul’s “Ek Chilte Chhowa”, and Prabir Roy Chowdhury’s “College Days”. I am now waiting to see how audiences respond to these projects.