Apu Biswas, ‘Shikar’ crew return home after Nepal disaster

Bangladeshi film actress Apu Biswas and the crew of her upcoming movie Shikar have returned safely to Dhaka after severe flash floods and landslides disrupted their shooting schedule in Nepal.

The production was suspended amid the worsening weather conditions, with the entire team returning home on Friday (August 28).

Apu said the crew narrowly avoided a potentially serious disaster after their travel plans changed by just one day.

According to the actress, a major disaster struck a mountainous area around two to three hours from Kathmandu on August 26. The team had originally planned to travel through the affected route on August 27, but the disaster made the journey impossible.

Apu described the change in schedule as a blessing, saying the road near Kathmandu they had planned to use has reportedly been closed to traffic for 15 to 20 days because of the damage.

With floods and landslides disrupting transport in several parts of Nepal, Apu said continuing the shoot would not have been appropriate.

“Filming songs while people are suffering would not have felt humane,” she said, adding that the decision to suspend production was taken after discussions with the entire team.

The Shikar crew had been filming in Nepal for several days before the disaster struck. Directed by Kamruzzaman Roman, the film features Apu alongside several Bangladeshi and Kolkata-based actors.

News of the disaster had sparked concern among fans over the safety of the film unit. Apu had earlier confirmed that all members of the team were safe.