Entertainment Desk:

Earlier this year, Prarthana Fardin Dighi was announced as the lead actress for the film “Tagar”, a project that generated significant buzz with its initial teaser, featuring the actress. She was praised for her appearance and expressions. However, as the filming dates approached, unexpected news surfaced—Dighi was dropped from the film, and popular actress Puja Chery replaced her. Director Aalok Hasan cited “unprofessional behaviour” as the reason for Dighi’s removal.

Aalok Hasan revealed that the shooting for “Tagar” had commenced that very day at Chittagong’s BTCL Colony, with lead actors Ador Azad and Puja Chery among those present. Initially, Dighi was also supposed to join the shoot, but due to her dismissal, that did not happen.

When asked about the claim of unprofessional behaviour, Dighi shared her side of the story with Dighi expressed her disagreement with the accusation, stating, “I completely disagree with the claim that I’ve behaved unprofessionally.”

She referenced her recent appearance in the teaser for “Jongli”, stating, “If you watch the teaser for ‘Jongli’, you’ll see proof that I am anything but unprofessional. In the teaser, I was filmed from an incredibly unflattering angle. If I were unprofessional, I would have never allowed such a scene to be filmed in the first place. It’s true that not everyone will find me to be a perfect fit—perhaps the director felt that way—but that doesn’t make his accusation valid.”

Dighi remained calm about being dropped from “Tagar”. “I find this situation quite normal,” she said. “Actors being replaced happens in Bollywood and other industries all the time. I don’t have any personal issues with it. If the director feels that I don’t fit a role, he has the freedom to replace me. There was no issue from my end, and there still isn’t.”

“I’ve worked with many others, and I’ve never faced an accusation of being termed unprofessional. Let those I’ve worked with be the judge of my professionalism. Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal has worked with me, and I’ve never heard such a complaint. This is the first time someone has said this about me,” she added.

Reflecting on the situation, Dighi noted, “I don’t want to take a dig at the director. I could have easily said something like, ‘I don’t agree with you, why you would say that?’ But I believe taking a shot at him would only make the issue bigger. I’m staying quiet for now. While I don’t accept his accusation, I also respect his decision. I’ve made sure not to do or say anything that would be disrespectful to him or put me in a bad light. He has shared his point of view, and I don’t think I need to defend myself further. My work will speak for itself. Those who have worked with me know what I’m like.”

Earlier, at one point, Dighi spent some time in the United States, which reportedly created a communication gap between her and the production team. Addressing this, Dighi explained, “While I was in the US, there might have been some difficulty maintaining communication due to the time difference. All in all, the director may have found the situation challenging. Later, he informed me that he no longer wanted to work with me on this project, and I didn’t argue.”

Even though Dighi will not be part of “Tagar”, she expressed her best wishes for the film and its team. “The announcement poster generated a lot of excitement, and many people appreciated it. I’ve been associated with this project for a good while, and of course, it feels a little sad for me to not be a part of it now. But from the bottom of my heart, I want their work to succeed. I know the story and the character well, and even though I’m not in the role anymore, I can say that it’s a strong story with great casting. I hope no controversy tarnishes the beauty of the project.”