Once upon a time in this very land, we had TV dramas that were hilarious, original, and driven by good content. Humayun Ahmed himself gave us wonderful pieces of comedy, drama, and satire that portrayed amazing observations of both urban and rural Bangladeshi people. Beyond fan favourites such as Aaj Robibar, here are some of the wackiest and most absurd situations that can only be experienced in a Humayun Ahmed drama.

Pretend-attack a random rich guy in the park to land a job

Tara Tin Jon depicted the hilarious journey of three unqualified, untalented, unemployed men as they try every idea to earn a living.  The men land in every type of trouble imaginable from ending up in jail to being chased by a mob due to their rather inventive entrepreneurial ideas.

A particularly comical moment is when one of them pretends to attack a wealthy businessman during his regular jog in the park while the others come and 'save' him in the hope they will be rewarded with a job. This drama will be relatable to every 20-something-year-old trying to come up with their own business ideas.

 Allow a film producer to choose which of your perfectly healthy teeth should be knocked out so you can be a "hero"

Package Shongbad is an absolute gem of a comedic piece that depicts the insane lengths a tone-deaf man and his insipid nephew will go to to make their own TV show. If you are tired of people that kiss boots and flatter their way to get what they want, prepare to see a man who literally walks around with a bag of red roses and hands them to people after a conversation to express his admiration for them. A diva film actress, a skeleton, and an atrocious 'original' song that will haunt your ears till you die, Package Shongbad has a lot to offer. 

When you are up in the air in a movie crane and a snake starts hissing in your purse  

Jomunar Jol Dekhte Kalo is a hilarious and clever satire on the film industry and the many tropes and cliches that are attributed to the people who work on a movie set. Secret affairs between stars, overenthusiastic choreographers, nosy journalists who want the inside scoop, a naïve new actor hoping for his big break – this drama tells the story of an entire film crew. An unforgettable scene features the heroine's domineering mom being stuck with a live snake high in the air when a certain person bribes a spotboy to teach her a lesson. 

"Kaifa Haluka!"

Brikkho Manob is a story of a man who everyone thinks is crazy because he talks to trees (he also sings to them). But because trees know things that humans don't, our protagonist ends up helping many in the village by revealing to them things others are keeping from them.  A man back from the Middle East who believes in dressing the part, a couple whose honeymoon is ruined by the girl's nosy mother refusing to leave them alone, and the school's headmaster with questionable intentions all cross paths with the tree whisperer and the results are every bit as comical as one would expect.

All these and many more Humayun Ahmed gems are available on YouTube. 

Mrittika Anan Rahman is a daydreamer trying hard not to run into things while walking. Find her at anan_rahman7@yahoo.com