Pori Moni

Shamsunnahar Smrity (born 24 October 1992), known by her stage name Pori Moni, is a Bangladeshi film actress. She was one of the highest paid actresses in Bangladesh.

Moni began her career as a model and made her acting debut in the film industry with the movie Rana Plaza in 2015. She gained widespread recognition for her performance in the movie Dhumketu in 2016, which was a commercial success. Her most notable films include Swapnajaal (2018), Gunin (2022) and Antor Jala (2017). She has won several awards for her performances, she won the Special Critic Award at 21st Meril-Prothom Alo Awards. In 2020, she was listed in Forbes Asia's "100 Digital Stars".

Early life

Shamsunnahar Smrity was born on 24 October 1992, in the Satkhira District in Khulna Division to a Bengali Muslim family. She lost her parents in early age and was raised by maternal grandfather, Shamsul Haque Gazi, in Pirojpur. She completed her SSC and HSC exams. In 2011, while studying for a BA Honours degree in B M College, she moved to Dhaka to pursue for dance lessons at Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts.

Career

Moni's first film, Rana Plaza, based on the Rana Plaza disaster, was denied certification by the Bangladesh Film Censor Board, who stated that it was a national disaster that people may misunderstand. Her second film Bhalobasha Shimaheen was released on 13 February 2015. She co-starred with Shakib Khan in Aro Bhalobashbo Tomay and Dhumketu.

Personal life

Moni married her cousin, Ismail Hossain, in 2010 and divorced him in 2012. She then married footballer Ferdous Kabir Sourav in April 2012. In 2019, Moni was engaged to RJ Tamim Hasan, but later they broke up. In 2020, she was married to film director Kamruzzaman Roni for a short period.

In October 2021, she married actor-model Sariful Razz. They have a son, Shaheem Muhammad Punno (also Rajya), born on 10 August 2022. On 31 December 2022, Moni confirmed her separation with Razz via social media later stating that she left his house with son Rajya a day prior. Later on, they patched up and started living together again on-and-off. After alleging several relationships of Razz with other actresses, including Tanjin Tisha, Nazifa Tushi, and Sunerah Binte Kamal, Moni divorced him on 18 September 2023.

In May 2024, Moni revealed that she had adopted a girl, Safeera Sultana Priom, in an online post written on Anandabazar Patrika.

Controversies

On 8 June 2021, Moni accused Nasir Uddin Mahmood, a businessman and politician of the Jatiya Party, of sexual assault on her at the Boat Club in Ashulia, Uttara. She asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for justice on Facebook. On 14 June, Mahmood and businessman Tuhin Siddique Omi were arrested by the Bangladesh Police, but Mahmood was later released on bail. A week later, Moni was accused of vandalism at the Gulshan All Community Club. The club's president, K.M. Alamgir Iqbal, accused her of vandalizing the club on the night of 7 June at a press conference. However on 18 April 2024, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a investigation report that found proof of a murder attempt on Nasir Uddin Mahmud by Pori Moni and her costume designer Junayed Bogdadai Jimmy and vandalism inside the club.

Detention

On 4 August 2021, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided Moni's house in Banani. She was arrested on alleged charges of possessing lysergic acid diethylamide, crystal methamphetamine, and 30 bottles of foreign liquor from the house. On 5 August, Dhaka court magistrate Mamunur Rashid granted a 4-day remand against Moni, film producer Nazrul Islam Raj, and two of their associates in connection with separate narcotics cases filed under the Narcotics Control Act 1990. On 31 August, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes granted Moni bail and she was released the next morning after 27 days of detention.

Works

Films

Television

• 2nd Innings (2013–2014) - Directed by Idris Haider
• Exclusive
• Extra Bachelor
• Nari
• Nobonita Tomar Jonno
• Oshomapto Valobasha
• Mon Bhalo Nai
• Kotha Dilam
• Epar Opar
• Keno Miche Nokkhotrera
• Aktukhani

Short films

• Preeti (2018)

Awards

Notes

Further reading

• [Pori Moni: Popular heroine of FDC from Pirojpur]. The Business Standard (in Bengali). 14 June 2021.

External links

• Media related to Pori Moni at Wikimedia Commons
• at IMDb
• at the Bangla Movie Database (in Bengali)