Becoming the Nayakraj

Razzak, arguably the biggest icon of Bangladeshi films, is fondly addressed as “Nayakraj”, as he made tremendous contributions to Bangla cinema and won the hearts of millions over the years.

In a career that spanned over five decades, Razzak acclaimed vast popularity and has been widely recognised as one of the finest actors Bangla films ever had.

Read more: Legendary film star Razzak passes away

Razzak had been given the now famous title of “Nayakraj” by journalist Ahmed Zaman Chowdhury, editor of the film magazine Chitrali, in 1973. For Razzak, it was a humbling experience, and, instead of letting pride and arrogance enter his heart, he took the honour in the right spirit: he used it as a motivation to work harder.

Read more: Nayak Raj - A Tribute to Razzak

Since his first big break in Zahir Raihan’s film Behula in 1966, the film that took him to the height of stardom whilst also making him a household name, Razzak went on acting in leading roles in many popular as well as critically acclaimed films including “Jibon Theke Neya”, “Maynamati”, “Obujh Mon”, “Rongbaj”, “Neel Akasher Niche”, “Chutir Ghonta”, “Beimaan” to name a few.

With Zahirul Haq's “Rongbaj (1974)”, he also became the first action hero of the country, and by then Razzak's career had taken off with mold-breaking roles, and the title “Nayak Raj” had begun to stick.

Read more: NAYAK RAJ forever

In his bright career, Razzak acted in over three hundred films in Bangla and Urdu. He had been a real heart-throb at his prime, with his good looks and powerful acting, making him arguably the most famous and widely acclaimed actor in Bangladesh.

He won the National Film Awards for Best Actor for five times for his performances in “Ki Je Kori” (1976), “Oshikkhito” (1978), “Boro Bhalo Lok Chilo” (1982), “Chandranath” (1984), and “Jogajog” (1988), alongside numerous other accolades. In 2015, the Government of Bangladesh honoured him with the Independence Day Award for his contributions to the Bangladeshi films.

It must be said that Razzak earned the title “Nayakraj” rightfully. The once struggling actor had, after all, succeeded in becoming a superstar, in fact, the very first superstar of Bangladeshi film industry.