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Najma Anwar: A grassroots
actress
Getting under the skin of her
characters
Kavita Charanji
I never thought that The Daily Star would
come to my home for an interview,' says a
characteristically modest actress Najma Anwar. Yet
having agreed to a one to one dialogue, spread
across her house in Dhaka and on the way to
Sonargaon for a shoot, she took the trouble to
explore her life and times for this correspondent.
Some highlights
of the interview, given in Najma's words:
'I would
describe myself as a stage, radio, TV and film
actress. My major performances on stage are
Iblish, Shomotat and Nankar Pala. I also
manage an advertising agency called Ad Vision.
As for TV, I
have done a tele drama Kariman Bewa (2001),
based on the true story of a freedom fighter called
Taramon Bibi. She is a farmer's wife and the period
is the Liberation War. When her husband is killed in
the war, she takes up arms and is one of the few
women freedom fighters of Bangladesh. This TV play
was one of my major works and won the Bangladesh
Chalachitra Shangbadik Samity (BACHSAS) award.
I enjoy serious
characters but I feel I am popular in both humorous
and serious roles. I can perform as a rich lady and
even a poor struggling woman equally well. I can do
comedy roles such as in Humayun Ahmed's Kothao
Keu Nei.
My visits to the
villages for shooting are eye openers. For instance,
Tawkir Ahmed's film Joy Jatra took me to
Taranihat (about 45 minutes from Bogra). I was
appalled to see just how backward this region was.
There was no electricity except for the college,
neither were there any sanitary latrines.
At present, I am
working on some TV packages and cinema. I have just
finished shooting Joy Jatra, which is set in
the Liberation period. It is the country's first
film in cinemascope.
Favourite
roles
In my stage drama, Iblish, I have played the
role of a struggling woman called Atoshi. I am still
very fond of this character. Despite losing a child
and being thrown out of the house by her tyrannical
husband, she perseveres and ekes out a living as a
domestic help.
Struggle
I am struggling, so are you. Only the form of
struggle is different. I struggle with my
advertising agency, which faces tremendous
competition.
Low profile
presence in media
I am very choosy about my character and my work.
Therefore, people get to see me in very few dramas.
Also it has taken me a long time to get where I am
today.
Background
I was born in Munishganj, a culturally advanced,
Hindu populated area. My father was a professor of
Arabic in the Horoganga College. My family was
culturally oriented. There were no restrictions such
as using a burka. Nor were there fetters in the form
of curbs on free movement.
My family came
to Dhaka when I finished class six. After
Liberation, the group theatre system came into
being. Groups such as Nagarik, Theatre, Arannyak and
Dhaka Theatre are still the leading organisations in
theatre.
I joined Drama
Circle, the first modern group, switching to
Arannyak in 1981. However for the last seven years I
haven't had time for the stage. To work with a
theatre group means setting aside time daily for
rehearsals which I cannot do.
Films
I have done several films such as Shankhinil
Karagar, Dukkhai, Gontabbya Chottogram, Shonkhanad
and Hajar Bochor Dhore. The first film won
plaudits from the audience but no other recognition.
Frankly I don't care for awards but just want to do
my best as an actress.
Strengths
One of my greatest achievements is that I strongly
empathise with my struggling characters. So when I
go to a village, the people say that I seem to
belong to their community.
To do justice to
my character in Kariman Bewa, I learnt the
Rangpur dialect. Likewise I have picked up the
Dhakaiya, Noakhali, Jessore and Barisal dialects.
These dialects came naturally to me.
Future plans
I am interested in direction. I have made a TV drama
called Shonshar Shokhi, which was aired on
ETV. The play won applause from all over the country
and ETV gave me a commendation letter for this
work.'
Source:
The Daily Star
2004
Actress Najma
Anwar Dead
by Staff
Reporter (The New Nation)
Dec 15, 2004,
11:48
Noted drama and film actress Najma Anwar died of
heart attack Tuesday night. She was 55.
Her namaj-e-janaza was held at Dhaka University
Mosque after Zohr prayer yesterday.
Later, the body of Najma Anwar was taken to the
Central Shaheed Minar for her co-artistes, friends
and fans to pay last respect.
She was buried at Martyred Intellectual Graveyard at
Mirpur. Najma Anwar was a renowned actress of drama
and films. She acted in many dramas and films. A
pall of gloom descended on the country's theatre and
filmdom following her sudden death.
``````````````````````````````
Najma Anwar will
be missed
The
death of Najma Anwar leaves the world of Bengali
aesthetics that much poorer. She was a powerful
presence on stage, and an equally assertive force on
television drama programmes. Just how much of
versatility there was in her came through her
narration of the story of Taramon Bibi, the freedom
fighter for whom national recognition of valour came
a little too late in the day, twenty four years
after she had waged war in defence of the liberty of
this country. While narrating the exploits and the
agony of Taramon Bibi, Najma Anwar went deep into
the personality of her character and almost
convinced us that she was Taramon Bibi. That says a
whole lot about the artistic abilities in Najma
Anwar.
With Najma Anwar’s passing on Tuesday — and one
hardly need say that — a huge vacuum has been
created in our world. She was only in her early
sixties, which is not quite the age at which we
expect a person of Najma Anwar’s vigour and verve to
die. Observed from such a perspective, the death of
the artiste was a sudden occurrence as it were. We
do not of course know whether or not she was
suffering from any ailment, of the kind that results
in a quick and sudden end. Perhaps one reason why
many of us have not quite known the person behind
the personality in the artiste, because she appeared
to shun the kind of limelight which so many
celebrities are constantly yearning to be in, Najma
Anwar remained something of a private person for
people. It was only when she appeared on television
and played the many roles which were to take her to
a particularly high place in the theatrical scheme
of things that we were reminded of the force that
drove her. She had, apart from her acting skills, a
way with dialectical Bangla. Her use of
sophisticated dialogue came together with an ability
to speak the Dhakaiya version of the language in the
plays. She was equally at ease in upper class urban
roles and typical middle class representations of
life.
Najma Anwar will be missed, badly. Our heartfelt
tributes go out to her.
Source:
New Age |
