Iresh Zaker (Bengali: ইরেশ যাকের; born 6 November 1976) is a Bangladeshi advertising executive, television and film actor and a musician. He is the managing director of Asiatic 360, a marketing and advertising company, owned and operated by his parents, actors Aly Zaker and Sara Zaker. Most of Iresh Zaker's work as an actor has been in television, but he has also played negative roles in several films. He won the National Film Awards Best Performance in a Negative Role in 2015 for his portrayal of antagonist Danny in Chuye Dile Mon.

Iresh Zaker
ইরেশ যাকের
Born (1976-11-06) 6 November 1976 (age 48)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
NationalityBangladeshi
Alma materLawrence University
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Occupations
  • actor
  • Advertising executive
  • musician (vocals)
  • singer


Years active2006–present
Spouse
Meem Rashid
(m. 2018)
Parents
RelativesRafiath Rashid Mithila (sister-in-law)
Srijit Mukherjee (co-brother-in-law)

Early life

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Zaker was born on 6 November 1976 to actors Aly Zaker and Sara Zaker.[1][2][3] He spent his early childhood with his younger sister Sriya Sharbojoya in Bangladesh. He completed his initial schooling from Scholastica in Dhaka in 1994.[4][5] After that, he went to the United States and enrolled at Grinnell College, in Iowa.[4][6] Then he moved to Wisconsin and graduated from Lawrence University in 2000. Two years later he finished his master's degree in development economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.[4][5]

Personal life

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Zaker married Meem Rashid in 2018.[7] Meem is the sister of actress Rafiath Rashid Mithila.[8]

Career

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In his education life, he and some of his friends formed the musical group Cryptic Fate which became popular, but he later left the band.[9]

After completion of his graduation, he got a job in the United States and planned his future there. After some years, however, he returned to Bangladesh.[10] At first he worked as a voice artist, doing radio dramas, documentaries, and commercials. He did a voice-over for Sisimpur, the popular Bangladeshi version of the children's television series Sesame Street.[11]

He debuted as a television actor in 2006 as Shahed in the single-episode TV play Batasher Khacha, with his father, Aly Zaker, playing his on-screen father.[12] In 2012, he debuted on the big screen in the film Chorabali, directed by Redoan Rony.[13] He won the 2015 National Film Awards Best Performance in a Negative Role for his portrayal of antagonist Danny in Chuye Dile Mon, produced by his mother, Sara Zaker.[14][15][16]

As well as his TV and film work, Zaker is Group managing director of Asiatic 360 (his family's marketing and communication company) and a director of Radio Shadhin, one of the Asiatic Group companies.[17][18][19]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Notes
2012 Chorabali [13]
2015 Zero Degree [20]
2015 Chuye Dile Mon [14]
2018 Swapnajaal [21]
2018 Debi [22]
2020 Mission Extreme
2022 Gunin
2022 Mukhosh
2024 Pulsirat Filming[23]

Television

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Year Title Notes
2006 Batasher Khacha [12]
2007 Ujan Pother Jatri [24]
2008-2009 Hetmundu Urdhapad [25][26]
2009 Eid Vacation [27]
2009 Babar Hotel [28]
2010 Anchor Mofiz
Manpower [29]
Opekkha [30]
2012 The Fortune [31]
Amader Golpo [32]
Chhobir Haat [33]
2013 Kajoler Dinratri [34][35]
@18 [36]
Ekti Oporadh Bishoyok Kolpona [35]
Chili Chocolate [35]
2014 Durotto [37]
Alpana Kajol [38]
2015 Monkey Bizness [39]
Proyo Podrekha [40]
Proshno [41]
Osthir Parvez [42]
Amar Naam Ke Rakhchhe [43]
Sikander Box Ekhon Nij Grame [44]
Prem Othoba Duhshopner Raat Din [45]
Aguner Phul [46]
2016 Girlfriend [47]
X Factor [48]
Talk-Show Master [49]
Oshompurno [50]
Tumi Na Thakle [51]
2017 Punch Clip
2018 Nongor Feli Ghate Ghate

Web series

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Year Title Character Director OTT Notes
2020 Ekattor Major Wasim Tanim Noor Hoichoi
2021 Contract Tanim Noor and Krishnendu Chattopadhyay ZEE5 [52][53]
Ladies & Gentlemen DB Officer Mostofa Sarwar Farooki ZEE5 [54]
Unoloukik Ashraf Robiul Alam Robi Chorki [55]
Boli Joynal Shankha Dasgupta Hoichoi
2022 Bite Size Halloween Season 3 Nuhash Humayun Hulu [56]

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ ""My father always instilled a sense of independence" --Iresh Zaker". The Daily Star. 8 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Father, son share birthday Sunday". The Independent. Dhaka. 6 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Sriya Sharbojoya, Iresh Zaker at Aamar Ami". The New Nation. Dhaka. 17 May 2014. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "Iresh Zaker Verified Profile". Facebook.
  5. ^ a b Sultana, Fauzia (25 September 2011). "Master of Many Trades". Star Campus. The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Reprint from 1996: InterVarsity promotes homophobia, not Christianity". The Scarlet & Black. 3 September 2011.
  7. ^ "A Star-Studded Wedding!". The Daily Star. 2018-03-17. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  8. ^ "The Marvelous Mithila". The Daily Star. 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  9. ^ "Heavy Metal in Academia". The News Today. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  10. ^ Hossain, Rafi (12 July 2014). "Time to settle down?". The Daily Star.
  11. ^ Hossain, Rafi (8 March 2015). "Iresh Zaker: Most Eligible Bachelor on TV". The Daily Star.
  12. ^ a b "Iresh Zaker: On the heels of actor parents". The Daily Star. 20 November 2006.
  13. ^ a b "'Chorabali' gets uncut censor". The New Nation. 28 November 2012. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017.
  14. ^ a b Shahriyar, S.M. Intisab (4 April 2015). "Shuvo and Mamo Heats up the Silver Screen". The Daily Star.
  15. ^ Malik, Shadma (8 June 2014). "Iresh Zaker turns gangster". Dhaka Tribune.
  16. ^ a b "Iresh named best villain". New Age. 8 June 2017.
  17. ^ Shams, Tanvir (25 June 2017). "Words with Iresh Zaker". The Daily Observer.
  18. ^ "Radio Shadhin up and running". The Daily Star. 21 March 2013.
  19. ^ প্রযোজকদের নতুন নেতা ইরেশ যাকের. Samakal (in Bengali). Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Zero Degree premières at Star Cineplex today". Dhaka Tribune. 6 February 2016.
  21. ^ "Munia's dream for big screen comes true". The Independent. Dhaka. 14 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Misir Ali coming to the big screen". The Daily Star. 17 March 2017.
  23. ^ "'পুলসিরাত' সিনেমায় বুবলী | Bhorer Kagoj | ভোরের কাগজ". Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  24. ^ "'Ujan Pother Jatri' on Channel i". The Daily Star. 28 September 2007.
  25. ^ "Telefilm Hentmundu Urdhopad on ATN Bangla". The Daily Star. 13 December 2008.
  26. ^ "Hetmundu Urdhapad on ATN Bangla". The Daily Star. 17 February 2009.
  27. ^ "New release of G-Series, Agniveena". The New Nation. 12 August 2009. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017.
  28. ^ "Babar Hotel tonight on Banglavision". The New Nation. 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017.
  29. ^ "'Manpower' on Rtv tonight". The New Nation. 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017.
  30. ^ "Chayanika's seven plays on air this Eid". The Daily Star. 14 September 2010.
  31. ^ "7 productions in this Eid and 33 productions in 2.5 years - 32179.php-16-07". The Daily Observer. 16 July 2014.
  32. ^ "Airtel presents Amader Golpo". The Daily Star. 12 April 2012.
  33. ^ "Apel Mahmud writes script for serial 'Chhobir Haat'". The New Nation. 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017.
  34. ^ "Kajoler Dinratri premieres today". The Daily Star. 29 December 2012.
  35. ^ a b c "Eid Delights". The Daily Star. 8 August 2013.
  36. ^ "Airtel's Valentine's Day celebration with telefilm '@18'". The New Nation. 7 February 2013.
  37. ^ "Telefilm Durotto on ntv". The Daily Star. 22 July 2014.
  38. ^ "Eid play Alpana Kajol". The New Nation. 1 August 2014.
  39. ^ "'Monkey Bizness' premiered". The Daily Star. 13 February 2015.
  40. ^ "Works by Humayun Ahmed to glow in this Eid with Channel i". The Daily Observer. 3 July 2015.
  41. ^ "Iresh Zaker-Babor-Siddique in Eid telefilm Proshno". The New Nation. 6 July 2015.
  42. ^ "Eid Delights!". The Daily Star. 17 July 2015.
  43. ^ "Aupee Karim to appear in Eid special tele-drama". The Independent. Dhaka. 30 August 2015.
  44. ^ "Six-day drama serial 'Sikander Box Ekhon Nij Grame'". The Independent. Dhaka. 24 September 2015.
  45. ^ "Mosharraf, Purnima, Iresh together in Eid tele-drama". The Independent. Dhaka. 28 September 2015.
  46. ^ "Iresh, Mili in Victory Day tele-drama". The Independent. Dhaka. 8 December 2015.
  47. ^ "Romantic comedy on SATV tonight". The Daily Observer. 26 February 2016.
  48. ^ "Apurba, Momo, Mithila in new 'X Factor'". The Independent. Dhaka. 30 May 2016.
  49. ^ "Comedy drama on talk-shows tonight". The Daily Observer. 4 June 2016.
  50. ^ "Bhabna has her hands full with TV plays". The Daily Star. 16 June 2016.
  51. ^ "Tumi Na Thakle - on Rtv tonight". The Daily Star. 18 September 2016.
  52. ^ "Bangladeshi stars in new ZEE5 series". The Business Standard. 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  53. ^ "ZEE5 Global announces its first four Bangladeshi originals". ZEE5 Global announces its first four Bangladeshi originals | theindependentbd.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  54. ^ "ZEE5 Bangladesh's Big Catch: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's First Series, 'Ladies & Gentlemen'". 14 June 2021.
  55. ^ "A sneak peek into Chorki's 'Unoloukik'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  56. ^ "'Foreigner's Only' film review: Interesting take on internalised racism".
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