Abdullah al Mamun (playwright)

{{Infobox person

| name = Abdullah Al Mamun

| image = Abdullah Al Mamun (playwright).jpg

| native_name = আবদুল্লাহ আল মামুন

| native_name_lang = bn

| birth_date = {{birth date|1942|07|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Jamalpur, Bengal Presidency, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|8|21|1942|7|13|df=y}}

| death_place = Dhaka, Bangladesh

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Film director
actor
playwright

}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Farida Khatun|1984|end=d}}

|nationality=Bangladeshi

|alma_mater = University of Dhaka

|education = MA (history)

|awards= {{Unbulleted list|Ekushey Padak|Bangla Academy Literary Award}}

}}

Abdullah Al Mamun (13 July 1942 – 21 August 2008) was a Bangladeshi playwright, actor, and filmmaker.{{cite news|title= Abdullah Al Mamun passes away |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=51388 |newspaper=The Daily Star|date= 22 August 2008|access-date=7 August 2017}} He earned the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 and the Ekushey Padak in 2000 from the Government of Bangladesh.{{cite web|url=http://banglaacademy.org.bd/?page_id=1315|script-title=bn:পুরস্কারপ্রাপ্তদের তালিকা|language=bn|trans-title=Winners list|access-date=7 August 2017|publisher=Bangla Academy}} 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).{{cite web|url=http://www.fdc.gov.bd/site/page/f3bb17fe-d9ad-4b61-bd8a-5824262691ad/১৯৭৫-২০১২|script-title=bn:জাতীয় চলচ্চিত্র পুরস্কার প্রাপ্তদের নামের তালিকা (১৯৭৫-২০১২)|language=bn|trans-title=List of the winners of National Film Awards (1975-2012)|access-date=25 March 2019|work=Government of Bangladesh|publisher=Bangladesh Film Development Corporation}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/author/correspondent|title=Abdullah Al Mamun|date=2015-02-05|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2019-07-27}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/event/remembering-abdullah-al-mamun-1604071|title=Remembering Abdullah Al Mamun|date=2018-07-12|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2019-07-27}}

Early life and education

Mamun was born on 13 July 1942 in Jamalpur District. He completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of Dhaka. He wrote in his memoirs Aamar Kotha, which was serially published in the fortnightly Tarokalok, "When I first got admitted in the Dhaka University, I turned to Najmul Huda Bacchu vai to get a chance in theatre. He took me to Natyaguru Nurul Momen. Hearing that besides acting, I write plays also, Momen Sir asked me, 'Have you read Bernard Shaw?' He cast me in his next play. That was my beginning. Since then I 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.

Career

Since 1965, Mamun was associated with Pakistan Television (PTV), later renamed Bangladesh Television (BTV){{citation needed|date=February 2023}}. 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, Tomrai, 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 troupe Theatre.{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-45276|title=Birthday felicitations for Abdullah Al-Mamun|date=12 July 2008|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star|first=Shamsher|last=Chowdhury}}

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".{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/showbiz/showbiz-column/television-lifetime/man-many-talents-82448|title=Man of Many Talents|first=Faridur|last=Sagor|date=16 May 2015|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star}} His last films, Doriya Parer Doulati and Dui Beayar Kirti, were released in 2010 and 2015 respectively.{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-123122|title="Doriya Parer Doulati": Abdullah Al Mamun's last film to hit the big screen|date=24 January 2010|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star}}{{cite news |script-title=bn:ছোটপর্দা বড়পর্দা বলে কিছু নেই |trans-title=There is no such thing as small screen or big screen |url=https://samakal.com/todays-print-edition/tp-others/article/1505139983/%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%81-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87 |work=Samakal |date=29 May 2015 |language=bn}}

Mamun joined BTV as a producer in 1966 and retired in 1991 as a director.{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-193949|title=Abdullah Al Mamun: In retrospect|date=13 July 2011|access-date=7 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star}} He served director general of the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMCO) and director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Health and death

Mamun was suffering from acute coronary syndrome along with diabetes, hypertension, and kidney and liver complexities.{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-46768|title=Abdullah Al Mamun's condition still critical|date=21 July 2008|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star}} He died on 21 August 2008.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

Works

;Theatre plays

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|

Spordha
Meraj Fakirer Ma
Mayik Master
Ekhon Dusshomoy
Shopoth
Bibishab
Shenapoti
Shubochon Nirbashone
Tritiyo Purush{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-96026|title=8 July 2009|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star}}
Ekhono Kritodash{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-120326|title=Abdullah Al Mamun's "Ekhono Kritodash" staged|date=4 January 2010|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star}}
Aaina-e Bondhur Mukh{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-92005|title=Theatre school stages Abdullah Al Mamun's "Aaina-e Bondhur Mukh"|date=11 June 2009|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star|first=Nadia|last=Sarwat}}
Payer Awaj Pawa Jae{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-242348|title=Syed Shamsul Haq's memorial lecture on Abdullah Al Mamun|date=17 July 2012|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star|first=Jamil|last=Mahmud}}}}

;Films

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|

Sareng Bou (1978)
Sokhi Tumi Kar (1980)
Dui Jibon (1988)
Bihanga (1999)
Tumi Acho Hridoye (2007) as Tina's father
Doriya Parer Doulati (2010){{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-18708|title="Doriya Parer Doulati": Abdullah Al Mamun's upcoming feature film|date=11 January 2008|access-date=8 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star|first=Jamil|last=Mahmud}}
Dui Beayar Kirti (2015)}}

;Television plays

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|

Shubachan Nirbashaney
Ekhon Dushomoy
Shapath
Meherjaan Arekbar
Songsoptok (1971)
Shirshabindu
Jibon Chhobi
Uttaradhikar}}

Awards

Bangla Academy Literary Award (1978)
Ekushey Padak (2000)
Bangladesh Television Award
Alakta Sahitya Purashkar
Tarokalok Padak{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-51494|title=Abdullah Al Mamun laid to rest|date=23 August 2008|access-date=7 August 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star}}