Mainul Hossain Pinnu | Bangladesh Trial Report
Actor Zaher Alvi’s reported “disappearance” or fear of being targeted by a mob has largely been overshadowed by the alleged on-set altercation involving Tanzin Tisha and Samia Othoi.
On Tuesday (March 3) afternoon, junior actress Samia Othoi went live on Facebook in tears, accusing Tanzin Tisha of seriously assaulting her. Later that night, Tisha claimed that the alleged “assault” had taken place as required by the script.
Amid the conflicting accounts, senior actress Sohana Saba offered a sharp reaction. Sharing Tisha’s statement, Saba expressed her relief in the caption, writing, “Thankfully, the script didn’t say to kill someone with a knife..!”
Saba appeared to suggest that what Tisha allegedly did to Othoi at the shooting location on March 2 under the pretext of following the script was an incident that could have ended far worse. Had the script called for Tisha to stab Othoi to death, Saba seemed to imply, the shooting set could have witnessed a fatal incident.
Saba did not stop there. She also warned Tisha’s co-actors to be cautious in the future.
“If a future script mentions knives or blades, co-actors should be careful,” she wrote.
The actress, known for her role in Ayna, then appeared to take a direct swipe at Tisha, saying, “There has never been another actor as methodical as this in the world, brother!”
Saba’s remarks appeared to express disbelief at the idea that an actor could subject a co-star to such treatment in the name of a script or character.
Meanwhile, the Actors’ Association of Bangladesh has responded to the incident. In a statement, the organisation said that if any unpleasant incident occurs, members should inform the association before disclosing it on social media or to the news media. Otherwise, such conduct would be considered contrary to the organisation’s principles.
According to the association’s statement, the message was directed at Samia Othoi, who went public with the incident through a Facebook Live shortly after leaving the shooting location.
The controversy erupted after Tanzin Tisha, a prominent actor, faced widespread criticism over allegations that she physically assaulted her younger co-star Samia Othoi on a shooting set. Since Tuesday (March 3) afternoon, the incident has sparked intense discussion across social media and news outlets.
Although Tisha initially made no comment, her account emerged later that night. According to her, her actions toward Othoi were dictated by the requirements of the character.
In a tearful Facebook Live on Tuesday afternoon, Othoi said she had been assaulted while shooting an Eid drama in Manikganj. She alleged that Tisha had physically attacked her during a scene involving a slap.
Responding to the allegation, Tisha said, “This was not a personal attack. Everything that happened was entirely in accordance with the character and the demands of the story.”
Explaining why she had taken time to respond, Tisha said, “I was shooting the same drama all this time. I did not want to disrupt the production by leaving before finishing the scene. But the person who went live [Samia] left the entire unit in a difficult position.”
Addressing the allegation of assault, Tisha said, “I was simply playing my character. In this drama, I play a special child—meaning an autistic person—who, as required by the character, may hit, bite or even drown someone. The character can do many things like that. You will understand when the production is released.”
Tisha further alleged, “She [Samia] went live in such a way that it appeared I had attacked her personally. There was nothing personal about it; she misunderstood the situation. Whatever I did, I did because the character required it. I did only what was written in the script. I did nothing outside the character. It is her shortcoming that she has taken a professional issue personally.”
Earlier, on Tuesday (March 3) afternoon, Othoi alleged in her Facebook Live that Tisha had forcefully slapped and scratched her during the filming of the drama in Manikganj, leaving her injured.
Besides Tisha and Othoi, the drama also features Shahiduzzaman Selim, Momena and Mir Rabbi, among others.
Othoi said the incident began over a gift. After hearing news about Tisha’s upcoming film, Othoi travelled from Dhaka to the shooting location on March 2 with a gift for her co-star. Tisha allegedly refused to accept it and behaved rudely, leaving Othoi embarrassed and silent.
According to Othoi’s account, during filming later that day, Tisha deliberately scratched her outside the script. The scratch reportedly scraped the skin on Othoi’s hand and drew blood. The incident allegedly took place in front of other people present on the set. Othoi said she did not immediately protest despite the humiliating and painful experience.
Actor Shahiduzzaman Selim and director Rinku were watching the scene on the shooting monitor. Selim was reportedly surprised by what happened and asked Othoi why Tisha had behaved that way and whether there had been any previous dispute between them. Othoi then told the senior actor about an alleged threat she had received from Tisha in the past.
Othoi told Selim that Tisha had previously called and threatened her while she was working with actor Mushfiq R. Farhan. She also alleged that Tisha had warned her and several other actresses, including Keya Payel, against working with Farhan. When asked why, Tisha allegedly claimed that Farhan was her “son-in-law” or jamai.
Othoi said she informed Farhan about the incident afterwards and did not work with him again.
Othoi further alleged that another unpleasant incident involving Tisha occurred during her final scene on March 3. She claimed that Tisha struck her in the face and around the eyes during filming, even though those actions were not included in the script. As a result, Othoi said, her face and eyes became swollen. She also accused Tisha of verbally abusing her.
Othoi alleged that lingering resentment over actor Mushfiq R. Farhan was the underlying reason for the physical mistreatment, which she said took place under the cover of the shooting.
/March 6, 2026/SA/
