Women are not spoils of war, stop letting your inner animals out: Jaya Ahsan

"Wait, let me move into another room," said Jaya Ahsan over the phone from Kolkata, not wanting the staff in her makeup room to hear what she had to say. "We are turning into animals. I already knew that we are in a male-dominated society, but what happened yesterday is in no way a reflection of the country that we want Bangladesh to be."

What was supposed to be a conversation on Jaya's spectacular success in both "Taandob" and "Utshob" soon turned into a pseudo-political discussion on the future of women in the country. How could it not? The entire country has meanwhile been shaken to its core after the brutal rape of a woman in Cumilla. 

A gut-wrenching video of the victim is making rounds on social media, angering every sane citizen who has come across it. "It doesn't even matter which political party is in power; women are always marginalised and treated as spoils of war," she said, insinuating that there are people who change political allegiances to enjoy power and, at times, quench their animalistic desires. "We need to protect our women and minorities, and I am waiting to see what our government does about it."

She continued in anguish, "Women are not spoils of war or objects. We need to treat them with respect, and we need to make sure that our inner animals are controlled. Actually, it's not fair to animals if we compare (the criminals) to them." When I brought up if women should unite and take to the streets in protest of these actions, Jaya had a different perspective. 

"When I protest an injustice as a gender, I am automatically conceding that we are perceived to be 'weaker.' We are humans, entities, institutions. I should not have to say it out loud that we deserve respect; it should be a given, especially in this day and age."

Jaya, who is now across the border to promote "Dear Maa", is redefining herself with every role she takes on. After all, 2025 has been one of resurgence for her. "While I was proud of my box office hits during 'Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini' and 'Debi', this Eid has been special. I knew 'Taandob' would do well fiancially, but none of us—and I really mean that when I say it—none of us thought that it would go on to be so beloved by the audience." 

At the time of writing, "Utshob" has grossed around a total of Tk 3.5 crores in multiplexes in the country and $93,000 in its first week in North America.

When the conversation turned to why younger actors aren't consistently stepping up to the plate, the National Award-winning actress shared an interesting observation. "No one really hits their stride in acting before they're 32," she said, while audibly smirking over the phone. "The more you age, the more you see life and mature, both as a person and as an artiste. That being said, so many talents, like Shoumya Joyti and Sadia Ayman—who you've seen in 'Utshob'—are doing well." 

"However, it's important to remember to be consistent. An actress like Meryl Streep can come to your screen for the thousandth time, but her work will still feel fresh. A great actor has to reinvent themselves like that if they want to have a serious career."

A lot is yet to come this year for the superstar, the earliest of which is the July 18 release of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's directorial "Dear Maa", which claims to 'reimagine' motherhood through the lens of adoption as an act of courage, intimacy, and resistance. If Jaya's track record in 2025 is anything to go by, we are in for another emotional roller-coaster.

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