“I was heartbroken when I got to know about his death”- Chanchal Chowdhury

National Film Awardee Chanchal Chowdhury has captivated audiences with his brilliant performances on the theatre stage, television and the silver screen for many years. The actor, who has a string of successes under his belt, talked about a special meeting with a fan in a recent conversation with The Daily Star.   

I usually avoid taking any gifts from my fans. However, around two years ago, Joel Modhu, an aspiring artist, contacted me through Facebook. He sent me a sketch of mine, which he had created on glass. He asked me for my contact number, and said that he wanted to meet me and gift me the glass painting. I was touched, and I agreed to meet him. Subsequently, I asked him to come over to Uttara, where I was shooting at the time. I couldn't offer him any remuneration for the painting, as I understood that it would definitely hurt his sentiments. So, I requested him to take his transport cost for the day from me. He handed over the gift to me and we took a picture together.

Before leaving, he held my hand and requested me to never throw the painting away, as he had put a lot of effort into it. He said that he would be happy if I hang up the painting somewhere in my house.  After coming home that day, I hung it up on a wall in my house right away. It is still in the same place. I kept in touch with Joel since then, and we talked occasionally.   However, few months ago, I got to know from a Facebook post that he passed away due to cardiac arrest. I was heartbroken when I got to know about his death. He was around my age.

A lot of my fans send me their sketches or paintings of me over the internet, but I never received those physically, until I came across Joel. I was truly touched by his admiration for me.