Diti remembered at BFDC

Actors and other members of the Bangladeshi film industry remembered Parveen Sultana Diti, who lost her life, fighting cancer last year. Marking the first death anniversary of one of the most celebrated film actresses of the country, a commemorative program titled “Shilpi Hridoye Diti” was held at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC), on March 20. Chalachitra Shilpi Samiti (film actors’ guild) organised the program. In his speech, veteran actor Mizu Ahmed said, “To be a good artist, one has to be a good human being as well. Diti had a kindly generous disposition as we witnessed on numerous occasions. Her qualities as a good human being delineate how good of an artist she was.” Actor Subrata, with whom Diti first appeared in front of the camera for a black-and-white film called Cholar Pothey, remembered his co-star, and said, “We worked in many films together. However, our first film never came out in theatres, though it was cleared by the censor board.” Lastly, the acting duo appeared in Rajababu. Diti worked in three films with Dilara, who said, “Diti, Sohel Chowdhuy (Diti’s late husband) and I were very close to each other. We even travelled abroad together, on several occasions. She was like family to me.” “Diti was a really open-hearted person. She used to laugh and talk slightly louder than usual. And when I asked her about this, she cheerfully responded by saying that it was part of her identity,” she added. Amit Hasan said, “In most of the films where we’ve worked together, she played my sister or sister-in-law. Taking everything into account, I considered her as a member of my family. There was hardly anyone who she ever got into a dispute with.” Zayed Khan said, “As far as I’ve known her, she was full of laughter and happiness. Participation in today’s program proves how she still resides in everyone’s heart.” Held at the Zahir Raihan Color Lab of BFDC, the commemorative program was also attended by notable figures of Dhallywood, including Ahmed Sharif, Nasrin, Omar Sani, Symon Sadik and Emon, among others. One of the prolific figures of Dhallywood, Diti appeared in more than 200 films in her career. She won the National Film Award for the Best Supporting Actress in 1987, for her performance in Swami Stree.