Talking nostalgic days with Ujjal

Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

“I worked with Kabori in Binimoy. She was so beloved at the time that her fans and admirers would crowd the sets whenever she arrived,” smiles Ujjal. “Some sequences of the film were shot at Madhabkunda at 500 feet. It was quite a hilarious situation because I couldn't understand what the director was telling me and neither could he hear me.” Post the tremendous success of Binimoy, there was no looking back for Ujjal.

He further worked opposite Shabana in Anubhab, which was released in 1974.  The song Jodi Shundor Ekkhan Mukh Paitam from the film is massively popular among the audience to this day.

Unfortunately, Ujjal met with a leg injury during the shooting of the film Oporadh.“It was a difficult time in my career because I was afraid I would not be able to pull of certain roles anymore,” says Ujjal. However, he still got roles in films like Janata Express, Kudraat and Phooler Shori after the accident.

Ujjal then tried his hand at the genre of action with Mumtaz Ali's Naalish in 1982 opposite Shabana. The film's success was unparallel at the time. For about two decades, his avatar as an action star earned him immense popularity with films like Naseeb and Usila among others. He has also worked in the notable film Shomadhi with the likes of Razzak, Babita and Sucharita. He describes that experience as a pivotal point in his career. Ujjal adds that he has spent some of the most memorable days of his life with actors Zafar Iqbal, Farooque and Sohel Rana.

He also spoke about the adoration he received from his fans. “I remember receiving thousands of fan mails and even love letters. I had a good time reading them,” says a nostalgic Ujjal.