bpl to bring out Bangla film legend’s biography ‘Nayak Raj Razzak: Tollygunge Theke Dhallywood’

bdnews24 publishing limited or bpl is bringing out the biography of Abdur Razzak by filmmaker-screenwriter Chhatku Ahmed.

For Bangladeshis, Razzak was a legendary actor while film critics considered him the heartbeat of Bangla film industry.

A spokesperson for the publisher said they hope to provide the readers with the book titled, ‘Nayak Raj Razzak: Tollygunge Theke Dhallywood’, in the next Amar Ekushey Book Fair.

Chhatku Ahmed said he had started writing Razzak’s biography with the actor’s permission and inspiration when he was alive. He is also binding many ‘untold’ stories of the actor’s personal life and his heroines along with the story of him becoming Nayak Raj or The King of Heroes.

The national award-winning scriptwriter was speaking at a programme to mark the signing of a contract on the book with bpl at the bdnews24.com offices on Friday.

 

bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi, bpl directors poet Mohammad Nurul Huda and Gazi Nasiuruddin Ahmed, Head of Operations Mutasim Billah Pinto, and bdnews24.com News Editor Jahidul Kabir attended the programme.

With more than 500 films under his belt, Razzak reigned supreme in Bangladesh’s entertainment industry for five decades.

But the path to becoming Nayak Raj was long and hard. Razzak had his mind set on being a film hero. It was in college that he acted in his first film, but the Kolkata and Mumbai film industries were not for him.

Fading next to Bangla film’s favourite heroes, and propelled by the horror of riots between Hindus and Muslims, Razzak came to Dhaka in 1964.

In the next decades, he made his way to doing a dazzling array of films, creating his star persona opposite to heroines like Suchanda, Shabnam, Kabori, Babita, Shabana and Sujata.

Neel Akasher Niche, Swaralipi, Jibon Theke Neya, Etotuku Asha, Rongbaz, Baadi Theke Begum, Ananta Prem, Alor Michhil, Obujh Mon, Anarkali, Chhutir Ghanta, Oshikkhito and Dui Poishar Alta are some of the films that helped him emerge as the iconic hero of his industry. He received Bangladesh’s highest civilian honour, Independence Award, in 2015 for his role in the cultural arena.

On Aug 21 this year, the matinee idol of yesteryear breathed his last at a Dhaka hospital at 75.

Chhatku Ahmed, who joined the film industry as an assistant director of Ritwik Ghatak’s Titas Ekti Nodir Naam, debuted as a full director through Nat Bou, with Razzak in the lead role.

Mohammad Mohiuddin’s film Barho Bhalo Lok Chhilo, with Razzak as the protagonist and Chhatku Ahmed’s screenplay, won national award. Chhatku also wrote the script of Prem Shakti, directed by the Nayak Raj.

Chhatku, who has written stories and dialogues of over 300 films, said he had finished a third of Razzak’s biography when he was alive. “Now it’s time to finish the rest.”

“I want the people, especially the youth, to get inspiration from reading the book.

Toufique Imrose Khalidi delivered the welcome speech at the programme.

Khalidi, who is also Managing Director of bpl, said it would publish both hardcover and paperback editions of the book so that the readers can carry and read it easily during travel while the collectors can also have it.

An e-book version of the book will be available.  

Mutasim Billah, on behalf of bpl, signed the contract with Chhatku Ahmed.

He said bpl, a spin-off of bdnews24.com, has published 37 books since the start of its journey in the Ekushey Book Fair of 2015.