Profile - Abdullah Al Mamun

Abdullah Al Mamun

General Information

Actor, playwright, director and film director

Full Name: Abdullah Al Mamun

Current Position: Deceased

Date of Birth: July 13, 1942

Date of Death: August 21, 2008

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Jamalpur

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Abdullah Al Mamun (13 July 1942 – 21 August 2008 was a Bangladeshi playwright, actor, director and filmmaker. He earned the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 and the Ekushey Padak in 2000 from the Government of Bangladesh. As a filmmaker, he won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Director twice for the direction of the films Ekhoni Somoy (1980) and Dui Jibon (1988). Mamun joined BTV as a producer in 1966 and retired in 1991 as a director. He served director general of the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMCO) and director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Mamun was born in Amla Para of Jamalpur sadar of Jamalpur district. His ancestral home is in Malamari village of Kakilakura union in Sreebardi upazila of Sherpur. His father is Principal Abdul Quddus and his mother is Fatema Khatun. He completed his bachelors and masters in history from the University of Dhaka in 1964. He wrote in his memoirs "Aamar Kotha", which was serially published in the fortnightly 'Tarokalok', "When Mamun first got admitted in the Dhaka University, he turned to Najmul Huda Bacchu to get a chance in theatre. Bacchu took me to Natyaguru Nurul Momen. Momen asked Mamun, "Have you read Bernard Shaw?" He cast Mamun in his next play. That was Mamun’s beginning. Since then he never had to look back". In 1950, he wrote his first stage play, Niyotir Parihas. Subsequently, under the guidance of Muneir Chowdhury, he further developed his skills as a playwright, director, and actor.

Since 1965, Mamun was associated with Pakistan Television (PTV), later renamed Bangladesh Television (BTV). He wrote 25 dramas, seven novels, an autobiography titled Amar Ami, and a travelogue titled Manhattan. His literature mostly depicts the middle-class lifestyle of Bangladesh. His notable plays include Ekhono Kritadas, Tomari, Amader Sontanera, Kokilara, Bibisab, Meraj Fakirer Maa, Mayik Master, Songsoptok, Pathar Somoy, Jibon Chhobi, and Baba. He was a founding member and playwright-director of the Theatre.

Mamun was also a filmmaker. He made his debut as a filmmaker with Angikar in 1972. His other notable films include Sareng Bou (1978), Ekhoni Somoy, Dui Jibon, Sokhi Tumi Kar, and Bihanga. He wrote stories and songs for films including "Oshikkhito". His last films, Doriya Parer Doulati and Dui Beayar Kirti, were released in 2010 and 2015 respectively.

Mamun was suffering from acute coronary syndrome along with diabetes, hypertension, and kidney and liver complexities. He died on 21 August 2008.

Awards