THROUGH THE EYES OF RAISUL ISLAM ASAD

INSPIRATION

I never dreamt of being an actor. Interestingly, I started my acting career in 1972. During the great Liberation War of Bangladesh, I was very close to some great personalities who were inclined in the cultural arena. Basically, they introduced me to the wonderful sight of arts and culture. After the great Liberation War, they inspired me to start acting. That was the beginning of my eternal journey toward this wonderful path. In 1973, I received the opportunity to learn from the eminent theatre activist, actor and director Bazlul Karim who was one of the founder members of Drama Circle (1956). He went abroad in 1963 and returned to Bangladesh in 1973, and then revitalized Drama Circle. That time, there wasn't any acting school or academy. But I utilized my opportunity to learn and know about acting by being attached with Sir Bazlul Karim for long six months. Therefore, he is my inspiration. Additionally, many artists and their acting motivated me a lot.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is evanescent. I love to live life as simple as possible. Along with Pijush Bandyopadhyay and Humayun Faridi, I used to watch cricket matches in the gallery with the general people so that we could enjoy the belongingness. Moreover, I cannot find the meaning of running after money, because in this short-span journey, each and every moment is precious. I think after achieving a goal, a person should stop himself wishing for more. A huge number of people of our country are still considered as the poverty-stricken people. Therefore, we have a lot to do for the welfare of the society as well as the welfare of our country.

VIEWS ON HIS PROFESSION

Behind each good work, dedication is mandatory. In my view, acting is a form of art which makes the audiences believe in the characters presented in the drama. For being an actor, the first and foremost condition is to have proper skills and knowledges about acting. If he doesn't have proper knowledge and skills of acting, later on, he may face unexpected troubles. The way of acting varies from person to person. But there are some basic ingredients needed to deliver proper acting. To become a successful and sustainable artist, there is no alternative to practice. I always appreciate the artists who are confident at what they do.

BOOKS

I have no boundary in case of reading books, and I love to keep myself busy in reading. In fact, I have a habit of reading story books repeatedly if I find them interesting. The books which gives a new perception about life are my favorites.

FILMS

I love to watch the movies of unique thoughts. I always appreciate movies which give a new dimension to a person's way of thinking and thus motivate one to create something new.

MUSIC

Music has an amazing charm which never fails to baffle me. I love listening to the patriotic songs of our country as well as the songs which portray the image of the general people of our country. Therefore, the Polli Geeti and Lalon songs are my favorites and they greatly enchant me. 

FUTURE PLANS

I have no specific plan for the future. In fact, I never thought of being an actor; yet, I have been acting since 40 years. My life is like a flowing river. If I find any obstacle which hampers my spontaneous flow, I try to break the barrier. And if not possible, I try to find the way to escape from the unfavorable situation.

IDOLS

I have learnt many things from some great personalities. Among them, the names I strongly admire are Bazlul Karim, Bismillah Khan, Utpal Dutt, Shabana Azmi and Sombhu Mitra.