Desk Report,
“The leaders said, ‘You have to act.'”
Syed Hasan Imam has acted for more than 50 years. No medium has been left out – stage, television dramas, films. Apart from this, he has also acted in numerous radio dramas. Hasan Imam has received various awards including the Swadhinata Puraskar, Ekushey Padak, National Film Award, and a lifetime achievement award. Today is the 90th birthday of this actor.
“The leaders said, ‘You have to act.'”
He has been completely away from acting for a few years. Various ailments have befallen his body. That is why he has been receiving treatment from his son in Washington, USA, for a few years. Despite completing 50 years in acting, Syed Hasan Imam did not want to become a regular actor. Whether it is a profession, it was never in his nature. He spent 50 years of his life on that unwanted path. That is why this actor considers the time he left behind as a strange life. At the beginning of his career, Syed Hasan Imam wanted to be a singer. At the age of 17, in 1952, he came first in the Barindra section of the All India Youth Festival. At that time, everyone knew that he was a good Rabindra Sangeet artist. Singing was supposed to be his everything. But once he got a serious illness. That’s why he had to give up singing. In his words, ‘I was never in one profession. At one time I played football. At one time I also played cricket. I studied mechanical engineering. In my early life, I worked in Darshana Chinikole. From there, I moved to a bank. Then to TV dramas. Then to movies. I also acted on stage for a long time. Many years ago, I directed movies. I recited. I sang. I fought the liberation war. I agitated for the trial of war criminals. That’s why I say, I have lived a strange life. That life was meaningful.’
When asked how he sees life, Hasan Imam said, ‘To be honest, life is very beautiful. Being alive is more beautiful. Nothing can be more beautiful than being alive. Look, I have lived a strange life. I am still alive with strange experiences. The idea about life is that people grow old, people get old, but the mind never gets old. The mind remains forever young. I have always worked in the field during all the epidemics and disasters that have come to this country. Now, even if I want to, I cannot do so because of my age. Even then, I can help those who are poor among my close and acquaintances from home. This is also not less. It is not a profession, I always consider myself a human being. I have tried to be a human being by the side of people. Life is not just for myself, but for all people.’
Cultural personality Syed Hasan Imam acted as a hero in films with great power in the sixties. Although his first film released was ‘Dharapat’, he made his name in the film ‘Janajaani’. After that, he became a hero in many films. He has made a great contribution to television dramas. He has been acting in television dramas for more than 50 years. He once acted regularly on stage. Apart from this, he has also acted in radio dramas. He was a skilled organizer in various struggles and crises, including the country’s liberation war.
Regarding his thoughts on birthdays, he told Prothom Alo, ‘Somedays birthdays were not celebrated. Cakes were not even cut. But on this day, good food was cooked in the house. Everyone ate together, that’s all.’
Reminiscing about his childhood, Syed Hasan Imam further said, ‘No one forbade me from doing anything as a child. A conscious family. My maternal uncles were members of the Communist Party. They were big leaders. No one stopped us. I played sports. I sang. Later, I did student politics. I went to college and did drama. I was able to live my own life, that’s my good fortune. To be able to live my own life, first of all, you need your own willpower. Second, everyone’s cooperation. I have always had both. Many families prevent their children, do not let them go their own way. My family did not do that, we did what we wanted to do.’
