 Navine Murshid and Ekram Kabir
A multifarious actor of the golden days, Razzak, still glitters with youthfulness and
vibrancy. Today, an actor and director, he hopes for the day when Bengali cinema would
gleam like it did way back then, write Navine Murshid and Ekram Kabir
Romantic heartthrob of the 1960s, Abdur Razzak is
still very much present in the film arena. Till 1990, Razzak played roles of the hero,
often the romantic hero. He took a break for about five years. Then, quietly, but firmly,
he stepped back into the filmi world in 1996, as a character hero and a director with
films like Abhijan and Shantan Jokhon Chakor to his name. He still stars as the hero in
some films, but not as the kind of hero most are acquainted with, that is, not as the
lovey dovey sweetheart who sweeps his love off her feet! At a time when Bangladeshi films
are at its nadir, Razzak tries to make films that are social, realistic and of good
quality.
Razzak talked to The Daily Star on the sets of
Premer nam Bedona, a Purnima, Shilpi, Amit Hassan, Bappa Raj starrer, at FDC. His presence
was felt on entry to his set from the silence that prevailed there. It was learnt he liked
to work in a quiet environment, even when nothing is being recorded.
"From 1960 till today there has been a 95
percent decline in the quality of Bengali films. This is sad because in most other
countries, film industries improved and prospered. I would say, the quality of everything,
starting from theatre, music, dance to television has declined. This is not only
appalling, but it saddens me to see such a state. In my time, films were very good; we
depicted life as it was; we had social values; cinema had a social role to play. Today,
most movies are unrealistic, pretentious and melodramatic. They have no touch with the
real world; of what happens here. I don't know how we have allowed ourselves to come this
low" he said.
For this he feels that the lack of artists is to
blame.
"Who do we cast in our movies? What are the
criterions? We see a good looking girl walking down the street, we teach her to dance and
fight and there we have a heroine. Now, this is not how it should be done."Most other
countries have film institutes for training the artists. This is not so here. Actors and
actresses of the 1960s had another kind of advantage. They acted on stage (in theatre)
before they got into movies. But today, stage actors do not want to come into the movies.
One primary reason is that they do not feel the movies can act as the connector between
them and the people. Razzak feels that the entry of stage personalities into movies would
significantly improve performance.
"Since I was in Calcutta, I had the opportunity
to work in theatre groups. I worked with Ranga Shabha and Bahurupi. I learnt a lot from
there. That was way back in 1964, just before I came to Dhaka. Years later, people here
don't get even that much," he lamented.
On the other hand, he feels that the people have a
role to play in quality control. He divides the people into two groups: the regular
movie-goers, namely the rickshaw pullers, truck drivers etc. and the 'so called elite' who
managed to create a 'drawing room culture'. He feels that the 'elite' group goes crazy
watching performances of Indian and English film stars but do not care two pence about
Bengali movies. They have tagged Bengali movies as bad and they are adamant in their
belief.
"Not all Bengali films are bad. I would say my
films like Baba keno Chakor, Shantan jokhon Shatru have powerful messages to convey. And
they did well. Yet, the 'elite' do not know about this. Shantan jokhon Shatru is much
better than Hathat Brishti, yet we hear of Hathat Brishti from critics all around because
it was televised. I could've done that too, but why would I? People here feels elated to
see foreign names. If someone does a PhD from here, people would say he cheated. If
someone from abroad did it, they would say he really worked hard. This is something like
that. There was the name Basu Bhattacharya in Hathat Brishti. Since it was Abdur Razzak
here, no one cared. They look at the name, not the quality."
He points out the charity cricket where film stars
from Bombay participated. There was hardly any audience there. Why, he questions. Because
to our people, the Bombay film stars mean nothing. To them Razzak, Bobita, Kobori, Champa
means a lot. And those who can relate to Shahrukh Khan and the rest, they would rather
watch the game on television.
"The people who practice such culture would
never come out of their homes. They would say mighty things comfortably seated in their
living rooms. If they are our target market our films wouldn't do well, because they won't
be coming anyway," he said sardonically.
Other than shortage of artists, he feels that the
present status quo of the country is responsible for the decline in quality of films.
Today, people are restless. Crime and violence has gone beyond bounds. There is no
security, of property or life. Children disrespect their parents. Social and political
unrest is the order of the day. The film industry is not beyond society. These things get
reflected in films.
"Where a society is as turbulent as ours, how
can a film industry be healthy?" he questions.
He still insists that some movies are well made with
a good story line. He cites the example of Poka-makorer Ghor Basati as one of the good
movies of this time that was also commercially successful.
Razzak is worried about the shift in cultural
bondage.
"How many people listen to Bangla music? How
many watch Bangla movies? Perhaps, the elderly do, but mostly, people are inclined towards
foreign production. The other day, my grandson was telling me about a Shahrukh Khan
starrer that would be shown on TV.
'They'll show Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge,' he told
me excitedly. When I queried about one of my movies that would be shown, he simply
replied, 'I'll see yours if I get the time'! This is the trend today. We are going crazy
about band music. Yet, we hardly go to listen to Rabindra Sangeet or Nazrul Geeti
performances. The same goes for our movies."
He is disheartened by the disrespect that he finds
visible in the people of today towards Bangla language. Language was a major part why 1971
took place.
"Our language is our base. This is what binds
us together as a nation. When we disrespect this language, we disrespect ourselves. When
we disrespect this language, we move away from ourselves. Bangla is our strength, our
energy, our force. If we lose that, we have nothing."
Razzak has his own production unit called Rajlakshmi
Productions, which has quite a number of films to its credit. Razzak opened this
production house with the hope of producing pure Bangla movies for clean entertainment,
which also conveys social messages to the masses. So far, he has been very successful. He
makes movies that can entertain the whole family. He presents his messages in such a way
that it works indirectly on the people, thus making them more acceptable to the people.
"People don't like to be imposed upon. They
like to think on their own. I think my movies can make people think, even if for a little
while."
He feels that it is his duty to make some good films
for the industry. It is his duty to try his best in upgrading the present depraved status
of the film industry. With Rajlakshmi Productions, he aims to do just that. "The
industry has given me a lot. It is now time for some return. The least I can do is
contribute in making some healthy, social, entertaining movies. I can never repay what the
industry gave me, but I'll give it my best shot," he said. |
