A Nomination That Said It All: Iresh Zaker at the OTT DC Awards 2024
The evening of the Blender’s Choice – The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards 2024 was more than just a glamorous night for Bangladesh’s entertainment industry. It was a statement. A statement that digital storytelling in this country has grown up, and the names being celebrated on that stage were proof of it. Among those names was Iresh Zaker, one of Bangladesh’s most respected and versatile performers, standing in the spotlight for his work in the web-film Osomoy.
What Is the OTT DC Awards?
Before diving into the night itself, it is worth understanding why this recognition carries real weight.
The Blender’s Choice – The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards, popularly known as the OTT DC Awards, is organised by The Daily Star in association with Ispahani Tea Limited. It is Bangladesh’s most credible platform for honouring excellence in OTT content, digital filmmaking, and social media creativity.
The 2024 ceremony marked the fourth edition of the awards, featuring:
- 27 competitive categories
- Both Popular and Critics’ segments
- Recognition spanning acting, direction, writing, and digital content creation
In a media landscape where OTT and digital platforms are rapidly reshaping how Bangladeshi audiences consume content, this awards show has positioned itself as the definitive benchmark of quality. A nomination here is not incidental. It is earned.
Iresh Zaker and Osomoy: The Nomination
Iresh Zaker received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Male) in the Popular Category at the OTT DC Awards 2024, for his performance in the web-film Osomoy, directed by the acclaimed Kajal Arefin Ome.
In Osomoy, Iresh delivered a performance that audiences and critics took notice of. His on-screen pairing with fellow actor Saraf Ahmed Zibon became one of the most talked-about dynamics of the film, with their chemistry drawing widespread appreciation from viewers across platforms.
The Best Supporting Actor (Male) – Popular Category was a highly competitive field. The nominees were:
- Iresh Zaker for Osomoy
- Saraf Ahmed Zibon for Osomoy
- Imtiaz Barshon for Golam Mamun
- Manoj Pramanik for Baaji
- Partho Sheikh for Baaji
The fact that two performers from the same film, Osomoy, were both nominated in the same category says a great deal about the film’s overall quality and the depth of performance it offered.
The Outcome and a Moment Worth Noting
Saraf Ahmed Zibon won the award that evening. But what followed in his acceptance speech made headlines of its own.
Zibon took a moment to acknowledge Iresh Zaker directly, recognising the role their on-screen partnership played in making the film resonate the way it did. It was a public gesture of respect from one artist to another, and it underlined something that the nomination itself had already signalled: Iresh Zaker’s performance in Osomoy was not just noticed, it was genuinely felt.
A nomination in a field this competitive, acknowledged by the very person who won, is its own form of recognition.
Why This Moment Feels Earned for Iresh Zaker
To understand why this nomination carries the weight it does, one needs to look at the career that preceded it.
Iresh Zaker has never been an artist who chased visibility. He has built his reputation the slow, deliberate way — through craft.
A few milestones that define his journey:
- Television debut in 2006 with Batasher Khacha, where he shared the screen with his father, the legendary Aly Zaker
- Film debut in 2012 with Chorabali
- National Film Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role (2015) for his portrayal of antagonist Danny in Chuye Dile Mon
- A founding member of the iconic Bangladeshi rock band Cryptic Fate
- Managing Director of Asiatic 360, one of Bangladesh’s leading marketing and advertising agencies
He comes from theatrical royalty. Born to Aly Zaker and Sara Zaker, two pillars of Bangladeshi theatre and screen, Iresh did not coast on legacy. He carved his own path and built a body of work that stands independently.
The OTT DC Awards 2024 nomination is a natural extension of that trajectory.
Iresh Zaker and the Bigger Picture of OTT in Bangladesh
The significance of Iresh Zaker being nominated at an OTT-focused award also reflects a broader shift happening in Bangladesh’s entertainment industry.
Established actors of his calibre choosing to invest seriously in web-films and digital content sends a clear message: OTT in Bangladesh is not a secondary space. It is where serious storytelling is happening, and serious artists are showing up for it.
When names like Iresh Zaker appear on a nominations list alongside emerging digital talent, it signals that the gap between “mainstream cinema” and “digital content” is closing fast. The audiences for both are, increasingly, the same people.
Looking Ahead
Iresh Zaker continues to be one of the most compelling performers working across film, television, and digital platforms in Bangladesh today. His nomination at the OTT DC Awards 2024 was not a surprise to those who have followed his career. If anything, it was confirmation.
In an industry that is evolving faster than ever, Iresh Zaker remains exactly where he has always been: right in the middle of the conversation, doing the work.
