MAN OF MANY TALENTS

[Continued from last issue]

On that night of 1966 at the newsroom of Shongbad office Zaman Ali Khan was appreciating Abdullah Al Mamun's ideology and the style of story writing through his words. Zaman Ali Khan took Abdullah Al Mamun to his home on that night. There, Farid Ali was working with the script of a television drama. The rehearsal of that drama will kick off from the next day. Abdullah Al Mamun has been involved in working with the script. That was the start. The first touch of Abdullah Al Mamun's pen for any script of television program has been happened. Since then Abdullah Al Mamun has produced many television dramas.

Besides producing dramas Abdullah Al Mamun has acted in the lead role in many plays. He has played the opposite role of Bobita in the film “Ekhoni Shomoy”. Once upon a time there used to be a program in television for letters and feedback. He had anchored the program for a long time. Due to all these things Abdullah Al Mamun has become the star producer. But from the administrative side of television Abdullah Al Mamun didn't get sufficient appreciation. The designation of commissioner of Dhaka center is an essential post for the television officers. Abdullah Al Mamun has worked in this post for 13 times. But every time he worked as acting commissioner due to which he couldn't get his name in the board of the commissioners' name.

On the other hand after being appointed in Television Abdullah Al Mamun was able to bring and combine lots of intellectuals from Newspapers, theater and films into the television Industry.  From Nurul Momen, Ashker Ibne Shayek, Shayed Ahmed, Obaydul Haque, Anis Chowdhury, Sayed Shamshul Haque, Zahir Raihan to Nilima Ibrahim he has written serials for such Talented Individuals and has also even produced it. He was able to bring high class actor like Fateh Lohani to the mini screen. Written by Anish Chodhury and acted by Faten Lohani and Razzak the serial “Karigor” was of such high quality that after seeing it the then former Television workers brought the series to the Pakistani Television Networks and since then the telecasting of programs was started under the Transmission act of Television network. Moreover for the first time in Pakistan decision to make a high quality serial was ensured. The serial was named “Nawab Siraj-Ud-Doula”. These two hours long serial was the first ever biggest serial made in the history of television. It is better to say, the main producer of the serial was Abdullah Al Mamun. It was a great pride to see a young Bengali guy is being given the responsibility among the entire Pakistan. On top of that he had the biggest challenge to produce the series successfully. With Regular rehearsals on each day different scenes would be recorded. As per as like the movies the telecast date of the serial was also fixed. But moments before that day during the recording period of the serial a severe accident happens. That was the day when the DIDR floor was used for all night long recording. A really crucial scene was enacted at that time. At that Abdullah Al Mamun gets a call from the house saying that his pregnant wife is at a critical stage. Abdullah Al Mamun heard the news but he did not left the panel after hearing that. If he would leave the panel then the entire serial would be at greater risk.  In order to telecast the serial on its specified date it would have to be finished by today.

The next day when he goes back to the house he finds that the entire house is grieve stricken.  At night Abdullah Al Mamun's wife do give birth to a child but the child doesn't survive. Abdullah Al Mamun's friend Television director Keramot Mawla's performed all the duties at the house at that time. From calling the doctor to burying the child in the graveyard he did the entire thing with the help of others. It is really devastating to see in order to produce a serial one had to go through such cruel hardships. Before the Independence the serials Abdullah Al Mamun produced was not only tested but it also presented the audience with different aspects. 

The writer is Managing Director, Channel i
Translated by Imtiaz Salim