Kazi Nazrul Islam, has many distinct features that set him apart from other more ordinary beings. Besides his literary talents, Nazrul was also an actor and a filmmaker, a fact that is hardly acknowledged. He is considered the pioneer filmmaker among the Bangalee Muslims of the subcontinent and his contributions to film range from direction, to music direction, songs, screenplay writing, acting and playback. He was directly involved in approximately 17 to 18 films.
Nazrul’s film career took off in 1931, when he recited his poem “Naari” and rendered a song for the experimental and first ever sound film in Kolkata titled “Jolsha” under the historical Madan Theatres, originally a collection of short pieces of film consisting of song, recital and drama act. He worked for the film company to brush-up the voice of actors, because in sound films, every actor had to sing and therefore required a vocal coach. The following year, he worked in two films, “Tohollaad” and “Bishnu Maya.”
His major contribution in film was in 1934 when he co-directed “Dhrubo” with Satyendra Nath Dey and wrote 17 out of 18 songs of the film. He also played the character of Narod under the Pioneer Film Company. His work in the fantasy film collected both appraisal and criticism as he illustrated a young Narod in the film instead of the conventional image of the character.
In 1935, he worked as the music director and lyricist for the film “Paatal Purri,” developed an experimental tune “santhal jhumur” for a film which was centered on the Santhal people and also enacted a short role in the movie.
In 1936, he gave music direction for “Groher Pher,” a murder-thriller-romance flick. Subsequently, he faced several obstacles when his capability as a music director was questioned by scholars of Bishyabharati when he got the opportunity to direct music in Rabindranath Tagore’s “Gora,” as all were Tagore songs. Following the incident, Nazrul got special permit from Tagore for the work.
His other remarkable work include the films “Bidyapoti” and “Sapurey,” the story and songs of both the films were written by Nazrul.
In 1941, under the chairmanship of Kazi Nazrul Islam, the first Bangalee Muslim production house was formed. Bengal Tiger Pictures, named after Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque had illustrious people in the committee including Abbas Uddin Ahmed, Humayun Kabir and others. However, the company never took off as Nazrul became seriously ill and their first project “Madina,” never came to light. His other noted work of 1941 include a song for the film “Nandini” and 8 songs for “Chourangi,” before he took to bed for his illness.
Nazrul’s love and devotion to God reflected in his works, while his political consciousness and activism was utterly absent in his films.
The Nazrul Institute has not yet archived the contribution of the literary doyen in the film arena. The films in which Nazrul worked are currently unavailable in any forms in Bangladesh, except for the one reel of his film “Dhrubo,” which has a total of 18 reels. The Nazrul Institute, sole research institute and autonomous body of the government, has no plan to collect this works and archive.
Anupam Hayat, Nazrul exponent and film historian said: “Nazrul revolutionised the art of filmmaking during that era, when the Muslim community faced many restrictions. Nazrul made an impression on his disciples through his songs and films. His works inspired many to indulge in arts, culture and the overall business of the expressive medium.”
Rafiqul Islam, litterateur and eminent Nazrul exponent said: “Film and theatre related endeavors of Nazrul were his occasional acts along with his literary and musical pursuits. Unfortunately, many of his recordings for the radio are unaccessible today due to the lack of the archiving process and his films faced the same fate. It has become a necessity to archive his works that are still accessible.”
Nazrul’s film contributions face the threat of obscurity . To carry on the legacy of Nazrul, his work should be collected in every available form and archived by the Nazrul research institutes and organisations.
