Khan Ataur Rahman

{{Short description|Bangladeshi actor, director, producer, writer, composer and singer (1928-1997)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Khan Ataur Rahman

| caption =

| native_name = খান আতাউর রহমান

| native_name_lang = bn

| image = Khan Ataur Rahman.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1928|12|11}}

| birth_place = Singair, Manikganj, Bengal Presidency, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1997|12|01|1928|12|11}}

| death_place = Dhaka, Bangladesh

| other_names = Tara, Anis, Khan Ata

| occupation = Actor, film director, Music composer, Singer

| yearsactive = 1963–1997

| nationality = Bangladeshi

| alma_mater = Dhaka College
University of Dhaka

| spouse = {{plainlist|

Shirley Wheaton
Mahbuba Rahman
{{marriage|Nilufar Yasmin|1968|}}{{cite news |last=Khokan |first=Liaquat Hussain |date=4 February 2010 |script-title=bn:রোমান্টিক নায়ক আনিস |trans-title=Anis, The Roamntic Hero |url=http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2009/12/01/7819 |newspaper=Amar Desh |language=bn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303042206/http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2009/12/01/7819 |archive-date=3 March 2012 |access-date=3 February 2010}}

}}

| children = Rumana Islam Khan
Agun

}}

Khan Ataur Rahman (known as Khan Ata; 11 December 1928 – 1 December 1997) was a Bangladeshi film actor, director, producer, screenplay writer, music composer, and singer, best known for his role in the film Jibon Theke Neya (1970). He received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Screenplay for the films Sujon Sokhi (1975) and Danpite Chhele (1980).{{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|publisher=Bangladesh Film Development Corporation|work=Government of Bangladesh}} He was awarded Ekushey Padak posthumously in 2003 by the Government of Bangladesh.{{cite news |url= http://www.moca.gov.bd/site/page/c706da0c-29ee-4f0f-95d9-fa6705e19001/|script-title=bn:একুশে পদকপ্রাপ্ত সুধীবৃন্দ|access-date=23 August 2017|publisher=Government of Bangladesh|language=bn|trans-title=Ekushey Padak winners list}}

Early life and education

The son of Ziarat Hossain Khan and Zohra Khatun, who lived in Singair Upazila, Manikganj District, Ataur Rahman was born on 11 December 1928. When he was a student in class three, he won the first prize of the Dhaka Zilla Music Competition. He rendered the song Mon paban-er dinga baiyya.{{cite news |last=Waheed |first=Karim |date=11 December 2007 |title=Khan Ataur Rahman: The eternal bohemian |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/story.php?nid=14982 |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=3 February 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://www.bangladeshnews24.com/manabzamin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1141&Itemid=69 |title=12th death anniversary of Khan Ata |last=Aowlad Hossain |first=Mohammad |date=30 November 2009 |publisher=Manabzamin |language=bn |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707210733/http://www.bangladeshnews24.com/manabzamin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1141&Itemid=69 |archive-date=7 July 2011 |access-date=4 February 2010}}

Ataur Rahman attended Dhaka Collegiate School, Dhaka College, and Dhaka University, completing a Bachelor of Science degree. Ataur Rahman was extremely obsessed with films. After enrolling in Dhaka Medical College, a career he later decided not to pursue, he made an attempt to escape from the family home and join the film industry. He had only Taka 60 in his possession at the time. His brother-in-law spotted Ataur Rahman in the Rail Station and he was forced to return home.

As a result of Ataur Rahman's bohemian attitudes, he left Dhaka University in 1949 and ran away from home for the second time. This time he went to Bombay (present-day Mumbai).{{harvnb|Hossain|2012}} He started frequented the film industry and slept on the side walks. He met Jyoti Studio's cameraman Jal Irani, who gave Ataur Rahman the chance to work as an apprentice but it was not satisfying enough for him.

Career

In 1950, Ataur Rahman went to Karachi and took a job as a News Presenter for Radio Pakistan. Here he met with another notable Bengali media personality, Foteh Lohani. At this time, Ata started taking music lessons from renowned Pakistani Sarnagi player Jawahari Khan. After some days Foteh Lohani moved to London. In 1952, Khan Ata went to London as well. There he performed as a singer and actor in several Bengali programs. He met with artist SM Sultan and helped him with his savings to buy art supplies. Ataur Rahman and his companions also made arrangements for displaying and selling Sultan's paintings.

In 1953, Ataur Rahman enrolled in the Theatre department at City Literary Institute. Ataur Rahman studied in the Netherlands when he was awarded a UNESCO fellowship in 1954. Thereafter, he worked as a teacher in London but also took to the stage for several years. In 1956, he returned home and starred in a film called Jago Hua Severa directed by AJ Karder. He played many roles with notable Bengali actress Tripti Mitra.

In 1963, Ataur Rahman made his directorial debut with the film Anek Diner Chena, and continued making many notable films like Nawab Sirajuddaula (1967), Sat Bhai Champa (1968), Arun Barun Kironmala (1968), Abar Tora Manush Ho (1973), Sujon Sokhi (1975), Ekhono Onek Raat (1997).

In addition to acting, Ataur Rahman was a songwriter with over 500 compositions, some of which remain popular.

Personal life

Ataur Rahman married three times. When he was in London, completing a higher course in Cinematography, he met an English woman named Shirley and married her. On their return to Bangladesh and after having a child, they got divorced. Shirley returned to London with the child. Then Khan Ata married Mahbuba Rahman. They met in a radio station. They had a daughter named Rumana Islam, a Bangladeshi singer.{{cite news |last=Sen Gupta |first=Asish |date=15 May 2009 |script-title=bn:বিনোদন জগতে আত্মীয়তার বন্ধন |trans-title=Relationship bonds is Entertaining Media |url=http://glitz.bdnews24.com/details.php?catry=2&showns=51 |work=Glitz |publisher=bdnews24.com |language=bn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517082317/http://glitz.bdnews24.com/details.php?catry=2&showns=51 |archive-date=17 May 2008 |access-date=3 February 2010}} In 1968, Ataur Rahman married Nilufar Yasmin, a Bangladeshi singer. They had a son, Agun, who is also a Bangladeshi singer.{{cite news |title=Happy Birthday, Khan Ata! |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/happy-birthday-khan-ata-185773 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=11 December 2015}}{{Circular reference|date=July 2020}}

Filmography

= As director =

{{columns-list|colwidth=17em|

Anek Diner Chena (1964){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=254}}{{harvnb|Kabir|1979|p=38}}
Raja Sanyasi (1966){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=257}}
Nawab Sirajuddaula (1967, Bengali/Urdu){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=258}}
Sat Bhai Champa (1967){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=259}}
Soye Nadia Jage Pani (1968, Urdu){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=260}}{{harvnb|Hoek|2014|p=109}}
Joar Bhata (1969){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=265}}
Arun Barun Kiranmala (1969)
Sukdukha (1973){{harvnb|Noble|Moore|1991|p=35}}
Abar Tora Manush Ho (1973){{cite news |title=Khan Ataur Rahman |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/khan-ataur-rahman |work=The Daily Star |date=13 December 2013}}
Sujon Sokhi (1975)
Din Jay Kotha Thake (1979)
Arshinagar (1987)
Parash Pathar (1987)
Ekhono Onek Raat (1997)

}}

=As actor=

{{columns-list|colwidth=17em|

Jago Hua Savera (1959, as Anis)
Ei Desh Tomar Amar (1959){{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
Je Nadi Maro Pothey (1961){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=250}}
Kokhono Asheni (1961){{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
Kancher Deyal (1963){{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
Nawab Sirajuddaula (1967, Bengali/Urdu)
Sat Bhai Champa (1967){{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
Moner Moto Bou (1969)
Jibon Theke Neya (1970){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=268}}{{cite news |title=Razzak, Amjad and Suchonda to be honoured for Jibon Theke Neya |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/showtime/2017/02/20/razzak-amjad-suchonda-honoured-jibon-theke-neya |work=Dhaka Tribune |date=20 February 2017}}
Abar Tora Manush Ho (1973)
Sujon Sokhi (1975)
Chhutir Ghonta (1980)
Choto Bou (1990)

}}

=As composer=

{{columns-list|colwidth=17em|

Ei Desh Tomar Amar (1959){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=248}}
Kokhono Asheni (1961)
Kancher Deyal (1963){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=252}}
Sangam (1964, Urdu){{harvnb|Gazdar|1997|p=253}}
Bahana (1965, Urdu)
Nawab Sirajuddaula (1967, Bengali/Urdu)
Soye Nadia Jage Pani (1968, Urdu)
Arun Barun Kironmala (1969)
Joar Bhata (1969)
Moner Moto Bou (1969)
Jibon Theke Neya (1970)
Abar Tora Manush Ho (1973)
Sujon Sokhi (1975)

}}

Awards

Pakistan Film Festival Award
Nigar Award
International film festival awards at Moscow and Tashkent
Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Screenplay
Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Lyrics (1980)
Ekushey Padak (2003)

References

= Footnotes =

= Bibliography =

{{cite book |last=Gazdar |first=Mushtaq |author-link=Mushtaq Gazdar |year=1997 |title=Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-577817-0}}
{{cite journal |last=Hoek |first=Lotte |date=2014 |title=Cross-wing Filmmaking: Urdui Urdu Films and Their Traces in the Bangladesh Film Archive |journal=BioScope |volume=5 |issue=2 |doi=10.1177/0974927614547989|s2cid=154148790 }}
{{cite book |last=Hossain |first=Ayub |year=2012 |chapter=Rahman, Khan Ataur |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Rahman,_Khan_Ataur |editor1-last=Sirajul Islam |editor1-first= |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}
{{cite book |last=Kabir |first=Alamgir |author-link=Alamgir Kabir (film maker) |year=1979 |title=Film in Bangladesh |publisher=Bangla Academy |oclc=475556557}}
{{cite book |editor1-last=Noble |editor1-first=Peter |editor2-last=Moore |editor2-first=Oscar |year=1991 |title=Screen International Film and Television Yearbook 1991/92 |publisher=International Thomson Business Publishing |page=35 |isbn=1-85032-044-6}}