‘Rabindranath’s philosophies greatly influenced my life’: Ramendu Majumdar on his birthday
Renowned thespian and Ekushey Padak winner, Ramendu Majumdar, has been an essential figure in the theatre arena of Bangladesh. He is one of the pioneers in Bangladesh's theatre movement, and has directly participated in mass movements to improve the state of theatre in the country.
The renowned cultural personality is one of the founders of the troupe, "Theatre", and is two-time president of the International Theater Institute (ITI) and the current honourary president of the ITI.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Today marks the 81st birthday of Ramendu Majumdar. In a candid conversation with The Daily Star, he reflected on the principles of Bangabandhu, theatre, arts, contemporary social issues, and the philosophy of Bengal's greatest poet, Rabindranath Tagore.
You have had an illustrious career in theatre. Can you tell us about your humble beginnings?
My journey as an artiste began when I entered Dhaka University in 1961. This is the year I started to discover the real me, the one who was a passionate young adult and wanted to pursue theatre.
I was able to unearth a new world that was completely unknown to me. This was all possible due to two remarkable individuals—Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta and Munier Choudhury. Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta introduced me to the noted playwright, Munier Choudhury, and both of them helped shape my career.
What is your personal philosophy, and how does it inspire you as an individual?
My philosophy in life is pretty simple—I want to lead an honest life. Honesty has been my biggest priority and a guiding angel in my life. Throughout my career, whatever I have achieved, I have done so with hard work and dedication. At the same time, I don't want to harm anyone, unconsciously, through my work. My life's philosophy lies in the welfare of people.
Did you ever struggle or face a crisis over the course of your illustrious career?
The start of my career was not as smooth. It was full of struggles and crises but I was able to resolve all of it with patience and dedication. I have worked in Karachi, Delhi, and Dhaka, and am fortunate to receive the love and appreciation from these places.
How big of an influence were Rabindranath Tagore and Bangabandhu in your life?
Rabindranath's philosophies and ideals greatly influenced my life. I was born exactly two days after the passing of Rabindranath Tagore. Similarly, Bangabandhu also helped shape my life through his virtuous ideologies.
While one influenced me in terms of arts and literature, the other influenced me in terms of the world of politics. Rabindranath is a man who could brilliantly portray the realities of society through his beautifully crafted words.
I first met Bangabandhu in 1964, when I was studying in Dhaka University. One day, a sudden riot erupted at the heart of our country. Trains were stopped and passengers were being brutally killed in the middle of the night. At that time, Ajit Guha, our relative, called Bangabandhu to help us. Bangabandhu arrived with his jeep in the early hours of the morning and rescued everyone from the massive riot.
He took us to his house in Dhanmondi, and Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib made breakfast for everyone. Bangabandhu is an idol and a visionary whose only dream was to help his countrymen. I don't think I have ever met such a brave and courageous human being, who would risk his life to save other people. I am really fortunate that I was able to witness his bravery during the Calcutta riot as well.
Many years later, I wrote a book on Bangabandhu called "My Bangladesh". I wrote this book in English and I presented it to Bangabandhu on January 31, 1972. He was really happy with the book and he told me to write it in Bengali as well. I wrote it in Bengali, unfortunately, he could not see it.
Currently, there is a lot going on in the country. Planned attacks are taking place on people of a specific faith. Teachers are being harassed. Inflation is also adding to the struggles of the working class. Do you think hope, alone, can keep us going through such difficult times?
Despite the fact that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had strictly warned us to never mix religion with politics, religion has become a powerful tool in politics these days.
Only knowledge and art can help eliminate such negative activities and beliefs from society.
In your opinion, what do you think has been our greatest achievements in our 50 years of independence?
Infrastructurally, we have developed a lot and Padma Bridge is one of the biggest examples of this development.
However, we have lost our humanity and moral values, and this saddens me. There is no doubt that we have come a long way, but if we keep losing our moral values, then we will not be able to sustain in the long run.
Today is your birthday. Any special plans for the occasion?
Now, it feels like I am almost at the end of the road. I wish I could live a little more, as I am still not ready to leave this world.
Translated by Rakshanda Rahman Misha
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