Ahsan was born to A. S. Maswood (d. 2012) and Rehana Maswood in Bangladesh.[5][6] She has a younger sister and brother. Along with her formal education, she took a diploma course in Rabindra Sangeet and training in classical music. She first appeared on television when she performed in the teledrama Panchami. She modeled for a calendar which caught the eye of Afzal Hossain, who later offered her work on a promotional advertisement for the soft drink Coca-Cola.[7] Afterwards, she left modeling and continued with her studies. She joined the newspaper Bhorer Kagoj, a national daily. After a brief stint at a children's school, she returned to modelling. Thereafter, she worked in Giasuddin Selim's Shongshoy. She also practices crafting and painting, which she demonstrated in art house productions like Enechhi Shurjer Hashi.[5]
Career
Television
Ahsan first appeared on television in an ad for Coca-Cola in 1997.[8] She debuted her acting career on television through the drama Panchomi, written by Shahidul Haque Khan.[8]
Having begun her career as a model in the late 1990s, Ahsan has since worked in numerous television dramas and serials. She established her reputation as an actress with roles as Monika in Labonyo Probha, Pushpo in Toukir Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat's teleplay Shonkhobash, and in Hatkura. She found Hatkura, set on the edge of a village in Rangpur District, a challenge. "I had to learn the dialect of Rangpur for the role. Actually, I had never been to a village before that. And it was a completely new experience for me", she said.[7] In Channel i's 2010–2011 serial Choita Pagol, she played the role of rural woman Alta. Ahsan said, "Alta is one of my favourite characters. I liked playing the role."[7] Her performance in Mejbaur Rahman Sumon's Tarporo Angurlata Nondoke Bhalobashe also cemented her position as an actress. She portrayed various characters in teledramas including: Sixty Nine (69), Tevaga, Shahortolir Alo, Tarpor Paruler Deen, Amader Choto Nodi, Mayesha, Jostna, Nodi Othoba Roshider Kichu Kolpo Drisyo, Amader Golpo and many more.[citation needed]
Ahsan played the role of a sex worker in the television play Tarporo Angurlata Nando Ke Bhalobashey in 2009.[9]
Film
Ahsan debuted her film career as a guest artiste in the film Bachelor (2004), directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.[10] As the lead actress, she debuted in Nasiruddin Yousuff's film Guerrilla (2011). Adapted from the novel Nishiddho Loban by Syed Shamsul Huq, the film was based on the events of the Bangladesh Liberation War. It narrates the tale of Bilkis Banu, played by Ahsan, a freedom fighter, who actively participates in the Liberation War while searching for her lost husband.[11] The film won National Film Awards in ten categories, including the Best Actress Award for Ahsan.[12]
Ahsan's second film, Chorabali (2012), was an action thriller directed by Redoan Rony.[13] She portrayed Noboni Afroz, a journalist, and won her second National Film Award for Best Actress Award.[14]
After a one-year break Zero Degree was her next venture. The film is a psychological thriller written and directed by Animesh Aich and was released on 15 January 2015. Ahsan won a National Film Award for best actress for her performance in the film. In 2015, Ahsan worked in two other Indian Bangla films — Rajkahini based on the 1947 east and west Bengal separation directed by Srijit Mukherji and Ekti Bangali Bhuter Goppo, a psycho-horror film directed by Indranil Roychowdhury. Ekti Bangali Bhuter Golpo was set for a world TV premier in Kolkata on 17 May in Zee Bangla Cinema. Jaya's much anticipated Rajkahini starring alongside Rituparna Sengupta, Abir Chatterjee, Parno Mittra, Sohini Sarkar, Rajatava Dutta and many others was released on 16 October 2015.
In 2017, Ahsan acted in Bishorjan alongside Abir Chatterjee and Kaushik Ganguly directed by Kaushik Ganguly himself, for which she received awards including Filmfare Awards (first Bangladeshi to win so), Zee Cine Awards and BFJA Awards for her performance portraying the character of Padma. In the same year, Jaya was honoured with the ABP Ananda Sera Bangali for achievement in acting. Her other two releases that year are Akram Khan's Khacha: The Cage and Manoj Michigan's Ami Joy Chatterjee.
Ahsan is also a singer and took diploma courses in Indian classical music and Rabindra Sangeet. She did playback in few films, such as "Tomer Khola Hawa" in Dubshatar and "Jongoler Daak" in Mesidona.[22][23]
Other activities
Ahsan is a craftswoman and a visual-artist, which she demonstrated in art-house movie productions like Enechhi Shurjer Hashi. She was chosen as a brand ambassador for USAID (US Agency for International Development) to help women and children. In 2019, Ahsan was chosen as the brand ambassador of Bangamata U-19 Women's International Gold Cup.
Personal life
Ahsan married Faisal, a television model, on 14 May 1998.[24] The couple was also seen in same television ad.[10] Together they ran an event management company.[25]
Media reports speculated a romantic relationship between Ahsan and director Srijit Mukherji during the filming of Bishorjan (2017).[26] The duo was reported to be dating before Mukherji married actress Rafiath Rashid Mithila in 2019.[27][28]
^ abAhsan was born on 1 July, but sources disagree over the year. News18.com claims 1972.[44]The Times of India used to list Ahsan's year of birth as 1972,[45] but has since updated it to 1983.[46] In a December 2019 interview, Ahsan described herself as "not more than a day of 37 years".[47]
