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Famous Like Me > Director > A > Humayun Ahmed

Profile of Humayun Ahmed on Famous Like Me

 
Name: Humayun Ahmed  
   
Also Know As:
   
Date of Birth: 13th November 1948
   
Place of Birth: Kutubpur, Mymensingh
   
Profession: Director
 
 
From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia

Humayun Ahmed (Bangla:হুমায়ুন আহমেদ) is one of the most popular novelists and dramatists in Bangladesh. His stories and novels involve lives of the middle-class people and his down-to-earth approach endeared him to the masses.

Education

After graduating from the University of Dhaka, Humayun Ahmed joined the Department of Chemistry as a lecturer. He obtained a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from North Dakota State University. He is a former Associate Professor of University of Dhaka and an honorary fellow in writing at the University of Iowa.

Literature

Humayun Ahmed had a meteoric rise in Bangla literature. His first novel Nondito Noroke (In blissful hell), written while he was still a student of University of Dhaka, gained immediate popularity and critical acclaim. Ahmed Sharif, a famous critic, predicted the beginning of a great literary career. Equally successful was his second novel, Shankhanil Karagar (The ocean blue prison). Shankhanil Karagar was also made into a successful film by Nasiruddin Yusuf. Ahmed went on to become one of the most prolific writers in Bangla, publishing around a 100 novels to date.

Along with his more traditional novels and short stories, Ahmed is often credited with creating or maturing many a literaray genre in Bangladesh. The coming of age of Bangla science fiction can almost solely be attributed to Ahmed and Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, his brother. Ahmed also created the immensely popular Misir Ali and Himu characters, the first a rational psychologist committed to unravel the myteries around him, another a bohemian whose life goes back and forth between reality and myticism. Humayun Ahmed has said that these two characters, according to him sides of the same coin, are his favorite characters.

His contribution to comic genre also deep. His televised drama Bohubrihi, was one of the most succeessful productions of the national tv, its characters still household names after twenty years. The drama had a subtle combination of comic wit and a social message, as did his successful comic essay collections Elebele. Ahmed later rewrote Bohubrihi as a novel.

Though set in the realities of middle class life, Humayun Ahmed's works displays a particular penchant for the mysterious and unexplained. He himself and his literature are often referred to as "moon-struck", and truly the references to the full moon in his prose is numerous.

Liberation war

Another recurring theme in Ahmed's literature is the liberation war, which personally affected him deeply. His father was executed by the Pakistan Army during the war. He, along with his mother and siblings had to hide to survive. Humayun Ahmed has written a play named 1971, a novel named Aguner Parashmoni (The touch of fire) and a recent large novel named Jochhna o Jananir Galpo (Mother and moonlight) based on the Liberation War. His comic novel Bahubrihi ends with the character named Farid training parrots to say Tui Rajakar (you are a traitor), with the goal to send these parrots to Bangladeshi collaborators during the war.

Television and film

Humayun Ahmed has transformed himself as a prominent film and television personality. His first tv drama, "Ei Shob Din Ratri" (Story of our lives), gained huge popularity in the mid eighties. He followed that with the comedy series "Bohubrihi", the historical drama series "Ayomoy", and the urban drama series "Kothao Keu Nei" (Nobody is here). The last one featured an idealistic gang leader named Baker Bhai, who eventually is wrongly convicted, and executed. Baker Bhai became such a popular character that before the last segment was aired, people across the country brought out processions protesting the death of the character. The uproar created can be compared to that of the death of Sherlock Holmes. Public prayers and death anniversaries have been arranged for this fictional character.

Ahmed explored the film industry both as the author of screenplays and director. He usually directs most of the films based on his stories. His first film, "Aguner Parashmoni" was based on the Bangladesh Liberation War. This theme comes often in his stories, as Ahmed has deep memories of the war, during which his father, a police officer, was executed by the Pakistan Army. Ahmed's other films include "Srabon Megher Din", "Shyamal Chhaya" and "Chandrakatha".

Criticism

Humayun Ahmed has had his fair share of criticisms. One of the most common one levelled at him is that the quality of his work has gone down after he gained popularity and he now writes for money and/or the request of his publishers. Some lament that he simply didn't utilize his great talent, among them his brother Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, who once said "Humayun Ahmed has a great camera, but he only takes picture of birthday parties", referring to his fantastic prose but allegedly trivial subject matters. Some also crticize his decision to resign as a Professor of University of Dhaka to become a full time writer/film director. His family life and divorce from his first wife and subsequent marriage to a young actress caused a much-publicized scandal in 2004.

Awards

  • Bangla Academy Award 1981
  • Shishu Academy Award
  • Ekushe Podok 1994
  • National Film Award (Best Story 1993, Best Film 1994, Best Dialogue 1994)

Novels

  • Nondito Noroke
  • Shongkhonil Karagar
  • Mondroshoptok
  • Durey Kothai
  • Showrov
  • Ni
  • Ashabori
  • Kalo Jadukor (Black Magician)
  • Shomudrobilash
  • Jonom Jonom
  • Opekhkha
  • Brihonnola
  • Nripoti (Drama)
  • Omanush
  • Bohubrihi *Watch this Bangla Natok
  • Eishob Din Ratri
  • Shajghor
  • Ashabori
  • Daruchini Dip
  • Shuvro
  • Nokhkhotrer Raat
  • Himu
  • Ebong Himu
  • Devi
  • Nishithini
  • Amar Achhey Jol
  • Kobi
  • Kothao Kew Nei
  • Doiroth
  • Kuhok
  • Rojoni
  • Aguner Parashmony
  • Srabon Megher Din
  • Shyamal Chhaya
  • Lilaboti
  • Kohen Kobi Kalidash

Filmography (as Director)

  • Aguner Parashmony: 1995
  • Srabon Megher Din: 2002
  • Shyamal Chhaya: 2004

Television Drama

  • Eishob Dinratri (Story of Our Days)
  • Bohubrihi
  • Ayomoy
  • Kothao Keu Nei
  • Aj Robbar
  • Nokhkhotrer Raat
  • Uira Jai Bokpongkhi

Links

  • Library of Congress Entry on Humayun Ahmed
  • Bangla Book collection of Humayun Ahmed

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Humayun Ahmed