Shomi Kaiser

Early life and family

Kaiser was born to Shahidullah Kaiser and Panna Kaiser. Shahidullah was a writer-novelist. Panna is a writer and a former member of the parliament. Kaiser has a younger brother Amitabh Kaiser. Former President of Bangladesh A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury's wife Maya is the sister of Panna. That makes Shomi and politician Mahi B. Chowdhury cousins.

Career

In 1989, director Atiqul Haque Chowdhury was looking for a young girl who could speak the native Noakhali dialect for his play Keba Apon Keba Por. And that's how Kaiser got her first role in acting. Next she worked on three episode play Joto Durey Jai, based on a novel of Imdadul Haque Milon, directed by Abdullah al Mamun and got the break-through. She then moved on to act in Nakkhotrer Raat, Chhoto Chhoto Dheu, Sparsho, Ekjona, Ariyana, Akashey Anek Raat, Mukti, Antorey Nirantor, Swapno, Thikana and others.

Kaiser worked for Dhaka Theatre for 12 years. She played Haat Hodai with co-actor Shahiduzzaman Selim. She appeared in movies like Lalon (2004) and Hason Raja. She was featured in another film, The Name of a River (2002), based on the biography of filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak.

Kaiser is also a producer. She owns Dhansiri Production since 1997. It produced Mukti and Antorey Nirantor. In November 2013 her firm, Dhanshiri Communication Limited, got license for a private radio channel named Radio Active.

In May 2017, Kaiser was elected as one of the directors of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). She was nominated in the election as a representative of the Sammilita Ganotantrik Parishad panel.

Personal life

Kaiser married Ringo in 1999 and divorced two years later. On July 24, 2008 she married Mohammad A Arafat.