Jaya Ahsan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jaya Ahsan
জয়া আহসান
Ahsan in 2018
Born	Jaya Maswood 1 July Gopalganj, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Occupation	Film actress model producer playback singer
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Faisal Ahsan Ullah ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2012)​
Awards	Full list

Jaya Maswood (born 1 July), known as Jaya Ahsan, is a talented actress, model, producer, and singer from Bangladesh. She started her career as a model and then became a film actress. Jaya mostly works in films from Bangladesh and Indian Bengal.

She has won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress six times. These awards were for her roles in Guerrilla (2011), Chorabali (2012), Zero Degree (2015), Debi (2018), Alatchakra (2021), and Beauty Circus (2022). She has also received many other awards, including four Filmfare Awards East, Zee Cine Awards, and Meril-Prothom Alo Awards.

Early Life and Beginnings

Jaya Ahsan was born in Bangladesh to A. S. Maswood and Rehana Maswood. She has a younger sister and a brother. Besides her regular schooling, Jaya also studied Rabindra Sangeet and classical music.

She first appeared on television in a TV drama called Panchami. Later, she modeled for a calendar, which caught the attention of Afzal Hossain. He then offered her a role in a commercial for Coca-Cola. After this, she focused on her studies and even worked for a newspaper called Bhorer Kagoj. She also taught at a children's school for a short time before returning to modeling. Jaya also enjoys crafting and painting.

Career Highlights

Television Roles

Jaya Ahsan's first TV appearance was in a Coca-Cola ad in 1997. Her acting debut on television was in the drama Panchomi.

She has worked in many TV dramas and series since the late 1990s. She became well-known for her roles as Monika in Labonyo Probha and Pushpo in Toukir Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat's play Shonkhobash. She also played a challenging role in Hatkura, where she had to learn a special dialect. In the 2010–2011 TV series Choita Pagol, she played a rural woman named Alta, which she said was one of her favorite characters.

Film Journey

Jaya Ahsan first appeared in a film as a guest in Bachelor (2004). Her first main role was in Nasiruddin Yousuff's film Guerrilla (2011). This film was about the Bangladesh Liberation War. Jaya played Bilkis Banu, a freedom fighter looking for her husband. The film won many awards, including Best Actress for Jaya.

Her second film, Chorabali (2012), was an action thriller. She played a journalist and won her second National Film Award for Best Actress.

In 2013, Jaya acted in her first Indian Bengali film, Aborto. She was even invited to the 66th Cannes Film Festival. That same year, she starred in the Bangladeshi romantic film Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini with Shakib Khan. They also starred in its sequel, Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini 2, in 2015.

After a short break, her next film was Zero Degree (2015), a psychological thriller. She won another National Film Award for her performance. In 2015, she also worked in two other Indian Bengali films: Rajkahini, about the separation of Bengal in 1947, and Ekti Bangali Bhuter Goppo.

In 2017, Jaya starred in Bishorjan, for which she won several awards, including the Filmfare Awards (making her the first Bangladeshi to win this award). She was also honored with the ABP Ananda Sera Bangali award for her acting.

In 2018, Jaya appeared in the courtroom drama Ek Je Chhilo Raja and Crisscross. She also produced and starred in Debi, a film based on a novel by Humayun Ahmed. For Debi, she won her fourth National Film Award for Best Actress.

In 2019, her films included Bijoya (a sequel to Bishorjan), Brishty Tomakey Dilam, and Konttho, where she played a speech therapist. She also worked with Atanu Ghosh on Bini Sutoy and Robibar. She finished filming Alatchakra, the first 3D Bengali movie, and Ardhangini.

In December 2023, Jaya Ahsan made her Bollywood debut in the thriller film Kadak Singh. Her performance was highly praised.

In 2025, Jaya Ahsan starred in two Eid-ul-Adha films: Taandob and Utshob. Her upcoming films include Dear Maa and Putulnacher Itikotha.

Singing Career

Jaya Ahsan is also a singer. She has studied Indian classical music and Rabindra Sangeet. She has sung in a few films, including "Tomer Khola Hawa" in Dubshatar and "Jongoler Daak" in Mesidona.

Other Activities

Jaya Ahsan is a talented craftswoman and visual artist. She has shown her artistic skills in 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, she also became the brand ambassador for the Bangamata U-19 Women's International Gold Cup.

Personal Life

Jaya Ahsan married Faisal, a television model, in 1998. They also worked together in a TV commercial and ran an event management company.

Filmography

Films

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2004	Bachelor	Shaila	Special appearance
2010	Dubshatar	Renuka Rahman	Debut as lead role film
2011	Phirey Esho Behula	Tanima
	Guerrilla	Bilkis Banu
2012	Chorabali	Noboni Afroz
2013	Aborto	Charu Sen	Debut Indian Bengali film
	Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini	Zara
2015	Zero Degree	Saniya
	Ekti Bangali Bhooter Goppo	Amrita Datta	Indian Bengali film
	Rajkahini	Rubina
2016	Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini 2	Mitu
	Eagoler Chokh	Shibangi	Indian Bengali film
	Bhalobashar Shohor	Annapurna Das	Indian Bengali Short film
2017	Bishorjan	Padma	Indian Bengali film
	Khacha	Sarojini
	Aami Joy Chatterjee	Dr Aditi Roy	Indian Bengali film
2018	Putro
	Debi	Ranu
	Ek Je Chhilo Raja	Mrinmayee Devi	Indian Bengali film
	Crisscross	Miss Sen
2019	Bijoya	Padma
	Brishti Tomake Dilam	Brishti
	Konttho	Romilla
	Robibaar	Sayani
2021	Alatchakra: Circle of Desire	Tayeba
	Binisutoy	Srabani Barua	Indian Bengali film
2022	The Beauty Circus	Beauty
	Jhora Palok	Labonya Probha Das	Indian Bengali film
2023	Ardhangini	Meghna
	Dawshom Awbotaar	Moitreyee Ghatak
	Kadak Singh	Naina	Debut Hindi Film
2024	Peyarar Subash	Peyara
	Bhootpori	Bonolota	Indian Bengali film
	Nakshi Kanthar Jamin	Rehana
2025	Putulnacher Itikatha	Kusum	Indian Bengali film
	Jaya Aar Sharmin	Jaya
	Taandob	Saira Ali
	Utshob	Jaya Ahsan
	Dear Maa	Brinda Mitra	Indian Bengali film
TBA	Mesidona	TBA	Filming
	Kalantar	0TBA	Filming; Indian Bengali film
	Fereshta	0TBA	Iran-Bangladesh joint production
	OCD	0TBA	Filming; Indian Bengali film

Web Series

• Paanch Phoron
• Jimmi (2025)

Television Series

Television Films

Awards and Nominations

National Film Awards

Meril Prothom Alo Awards

Bachsas Awards

Filmfare Awards Bangla

Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards

Zee Cine Awards

Tele Cine Awards

International Bangla Film Critic Award

ABP Ananda Sera Bangali Award

Dhaka International Film Festival

Lux Channel i Performance Award

CJFB Performance Award

Charuniram Award