Alamgir Kabir (film maker)

Alamgir Kabir (film maker)

 

Alamgir Kabir (December 26, 1938 – January 20, 1989) was a renowned Bangladeshi film director and cultural activist. He has made some of the most seminal films in Bangladesh film history. Three of his feature films are featured in the "Top 10 Bangladeshi Films" list by British Film Institute .

Early life and career

He was born on 26 December 1938 at Rangamati. He completed the matriculation in 1952 from Dhaka Collegiate School and the intermediate in 1954 from Dhaka College. After completion of bachelors from the Dhaka University in Physics, he went to England to study Electrical Engineering at Oxford University. It is during this period that he came across the Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman. He watched it several times and became attracted to filmmaking. He went on to complete a number of courses on the history of the film industry, film direction and aesthetics.

He also got involved with the Communist Party of England and became a reporter of the Communist Party newspaper, the Daily Worker. As a reporter of the communist daily, he took interview of Cuban President Fidel Castro.He also took part in the wars of liberation of Palestine and Algeria. Alamgir was the founder of organisations such as East Pakistan House and East Bengal Liberation Front at London and was active in the campaign against racial discrimination.

In 1966, Alamgir came back home. The Ayub government imprisoned him for his involvement with the leftist movement. Later, he started his professional life as a journalist and very soon became popular as a serious film critic. With the start of the war of independence in 1971, he joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra as the chief of its English section. He also worked as the chief reporter of the Bangladesh government in exile. This period also marks the start of his directorial life with the making of documentaries.

After the war of independence, he started making feature films. His films were critically acclaimed and were very popular.

 

Filmography  Feature films

• Dhire Bahe Meghna (Quiet Flows the Meghna), 1973

• Surya Kannya (Daughter of The Sun), 1975

• Simana Periey (Across The Fringe), 1977

• Rupali Saikate (The Loner), 1979

• Mohana (The Mouth of a River), 1982

• Mahanayak (The Great Hero), 1985

• Parinita (The Wedded), 1984

Short films

• Liberation Fighter

• Pogrom in Bangladesh

• Culture in Bangladesh

• Sufia, Amulya Dhan (The Invaluable)

• Bhor Halo Dor Kholo (Open the Door now at the Dawn)

• Amra Dujan (The Two of Us)

• Ek Sagar Rakter Binimoye (At the Cost of a Sea of Blood)

• Manikanchan (The Diamond)

• Chorasrot (The Unseen Trend)

Awards

• Cine Journalists Award

• Zahir Raihan Film Award of Uttaran

• Syed Mohammad Parvez Award

Personal life

In 1968, he married Manjura Begum. After separation from her, he got married to actress Jayasree Kabir in 1975. He was the father of three daughters. He was killed in an unfortunate road accident on 20 January 1989.

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Kabir, Alamgir (1938-1989) film director, cultural activist. Alamgir Kabir was born on 26 December 1938 at rangamati. His parents originally hailed from banaripara of barisal. Alamgir Kabir started his schooling in Hughli Collegiate School and in 1948, he was admitted to Dhaka Collegiate School. He passed the matriculation examinations in 1952 from this school with distinction in Mathematics. After passing the ISc examinations in 1954 from Dhaka College, he took admission in the Department of Physics of the University of Dhaka.

He completed the honours courses of the university and went to England, where he studied Electrical Engineering at Oxford University. In England, he saw the Seventh Seal of the famous filmmaker Ingmar Bergman several times and became attracted to filmmaking. He also developed a liking for leftist politics and became a member of the Communist Party of England. Then he became a reporter of the Communist Party newspaper the Daily Worker. He completed a number of courses on the history of the film industry, film directing and aesthetics.

Alamgir Kabir was the founder of organisations such as East Pakistan House and East Bengal Liberation Front at London and took active part in the 'campaign against racial discrimination'. During his work in the Daily Worker, he became acquainted with the strategies and methods of guerilla warfare and had the opportunity to take an interview of President Fidel Castro. Later, he took part in the wars of liberation of Palestine and Algeria. The French government arrested him on one occasion and he spent eight months behind the bars then.

Alamgir Kabir returned home in 1966 and got involved in the leftist movement. The Ayub government had arrested and committed him to prison. Even after being released from jail, he was confined under house arrest for a year. He started his professional life in East Pakistan as a journalist for the Daily Observer. Later he associated himself with the weekly Holiday. Very soon, he became popular as a serious film critic. He then joined the Express, a weekly, as its editor. With the start of the war of liberation in 1971, He joined the swadhin bangla betar kendra (the radio centre of independent Bangladesh) as the chief of its English section. He used the pseudonym Ahmed Chowdhury in reading English news and features over the radio. He also worked as the chief reporter of the government in exile. During this time he also started making films. One of his first documentary films is on the liberation fighters. His voice was used for playback purpose in some films made by others.

After the liberation of Bangladesh, Alamgir Kabir made a number of feature films of high standard. Those included Dhire Bahe Meghna (Quiet Flows the Meghna, 1973), Suryakanya (Daughter of the Sun, 1976), Simana Periey (Beyond the Borders, 1977), Rupali Saikate (Along the Silver Beach, 1979), Mohana (The Mouth of a River, 1982), Mahanayak (The Great Hero, 1985), and Parinita (The Wedded, 1984). The short films of Alamgir Kabir include the Liberation Fighter, Pogrom in Bangladesh, Culture in Bangladesh, Sufia, Amulya Dhan (The Invaluable), Bhor Halo Dor Kholo (Open the Door now at the Dawn), Amra Dujan (The Two of Us), Ek Sagar Rakter Binimoye (At the Cost of a Sea of Blood), Manikanchan (The Diamond) and Chorasrot (The Unseen Trend). Alamgir Kabir is the author of a number of books including Film in East Pakistan, Film in Bangladesh, Suryakanya, Simana Periey and Mohana. He also prepared cinematic adaptations of two plays, the Dhire Bahe Meghna and This was Radio Bangladesh in 1971. He was honoured with the Cine Journalists Award, Zahir Raihan Film Award of Uttaran, and Syed Mohammad Parvez Award.

Alamgir Kabir was first married to Manjura Begum in 1968. After separation from her, he married Jayasri Kabir in 1975. He was the father of three daughters. His life was cut short by a tragic road accident on 20 January 1989.

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