Chanchal Chowdhury presents a self-drawn portrait to Mamunur Rashid as ‘Guru Dakshina’

On eminent theatre and cultural personality Mamunur Rashid's 75th birthday, one of his most celebrated disciples, Chanchal Chowdhury, presented him with a self-drawn portrait of his. In a way, the "Hawa" actor hence commemorated the long-withstanding ancient tradition "Guru Dakshina".

The Sanskrit word "Guru Dakshina" refers to a concept that requires a student to voluntarily offer a pledge or a tribute to his teacher or guru as a form of appreciation for the wisdom imparted to the student.

Celebrated playwright and theatre activist Mamunur Rashid's birthday comes every four years, as he was born on Leap Day (February 29), 75 years ago. His well-wishers and admirers eagerly await the birthday of this renowned playwright, actor, and director.

This much-anticipated birthday celebration has been organised to colour the occasion with festivities and joy.

Chanchal Chowdhury, who initiated his acting career under the guidance of his guru Mamunur Rashid, has sketched a portrait of the versatile thespian in celebration of the occasion and presented it to him as a token of gratitude. 

Alongside the portrait, Chanchal Chowdhury wrote in an emotional post, "If I hadn't come into contact with this person, perhaps I wouldn't have become an actor. To pursue any creative endeavour, you need a mentor, and my acting guru is Mamunur Rashid. Today is his birthday, so this is my small token of gratitude for him. Happy birthday, guru."

This gesture reflects the deep respect and gratitude that Chanchal Chowdhury holds for Mamunur Rashid.

Additionally, to mark Mamunur Rashid's birthday, a special three-day celebration has been arranged by his theatre group Aranyak. The celebration will feature the staging of plays written and directed by Mamunur Rashid himself, designed with performances and activities such as music, dance, seminars, exhibitions, book launches, tributes, and theatre gatherings. 

The event will run from February 29 to March 2 at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), Channel i premises, and Mohila Samity.

On the morning of February 29, the birthday celebration commenced at the office of Channel i. A book unveiling ceremony took place on the same day featuring the artiste. Various individuals related to stage, television, and film have contributed to this book. 

On the second day (March 1), at 10:00am, a special seminar will be held in the BSA seminar room. During this seminar, a documentary created by the academy and an initiative on him will be showcased. In the afternoon, at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, organised by the Mohila Samity, two performances of Mamunur Rashid's directed and written play "Rarang" will be staged. The performances will feature senior actors from Aranyak Theatre Group, including Chanchal Chowdhury and A K M Hassan.

On the third day, March 2, at 10:00am, another seminar will be organised by the Actors Equity. A documentary crafted by Sujat Shimul featuring Mamunur Rashid will be presented alongside book readings. In the evening, the three-day celebration will conclude with a staging of the play "Kohe Facebook", directed and written by Mamunur Rashid, at Mohila Samity.

Mamunur Rashid was born in 1948 in Kalihati, Tangail. He became involved with the theatre stage during student life. During the Liberation War of Bangladesh, he joined the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, and following the country's independence, he returned to Bangladesh and founded the Aranyak Theatre Group.

Mamunur Rashid played a significant role in the post-independence stage movement in Bangladesh. Some of his notable stage dramas include "Ora Kodom Ali", "Gandharva Nagari", "Che'r Cycle", "Sankranti", "Rarang", "Target Platoon", "Iblish", and more. He has also written numerous dramas for television. Mamunur Rashid continues to act regularly in stage, television, and film productions.