Filmmaker Belal Ahmed’s demise is indeed a great loss to the country’s film industry as he was one of the very few filmmakers who used to make films with good tastes even in the era when Dhallywood was producing cheap commercial films on a large scale.
Belal Ahmed never preferred to be known as an ‘art house filmmaker’, but all his nine mainstream films contained art, which is very rare in the contemporary film industry Dhallywood. Though he set his narratives against the backdrop of rural life, Belal’s films have the capacity to attract people from all walks of life.
He was a brilliant filmmaker and screen playwright, who loved to make films based on novels. Above all, he was a nice gentleman and was loved by his fellows for his amicable behaviour.
Born on November 28 in 1948 in Jamalpur, Belal Ahmed breathed his last at city’s Square Hospital on Monday morning at the age of 64. He was suffering from cardiac complications.
Belal Ahmed stepped into film world as an actor through Kazi Hayat’s Urdu film Bandhan in 1964. Three years later, he became assistant director to renowned filmmaker Nazrul Islam in Swarolipi, which was released in 1970.
Subsequently, he worked with many renowned filmmakers in 1970s as an assistant director.
But, Belal Ahmed got attention through his debut film Nagor Dola released in 1979. The film based on Nazmul Alam’s novel Phulmati featured popular on screen duo Faruq and Suchorita.
His second film Nayaner Alo, released in 1984, is considered as one of the best romantic films ever produced in the country. The film featuring Zafar Iqbal, Subarna Mustafa, Raisul Islam Asad and debutant Kajori was a huge box-office hit.
Young people thronged the cinemas to watch the romantic film.
Playbacks of the film such as Amar Buker Moddhye Khane and Amar Sara Deho Kheyo Go Mati are still very popular romantic songs.
During 1980s, Belal Ahmed made some other social dramas such Bandhan, Ghar Amar Ghar and Ganga Jamuna.
After release of his commercial film Criminal in 1990, Belal Ahmed left the industry as he could not match well with the flow of the cheap entertaining commercial films produced during the period in Dhallywood, allegedly displaying vulgar visual content.
He switched to small screen productions and directed drama serials like Taraf Ali Hazari, Manda Bhalo Sadakalo and Bidu Noy Britto.
Fifteen years later, Belal Ahmed made a comeback in 2005 with Nandito Narokey, based on iconic writer Humayun Ahmed’s novel with the same title. The film featuring Ferdaus and Joytica Joyti, however, did not fare well at the box office.
His last film was Anishchit Jatra, which is based on Mahmudul Haque’s novel Matir Jahaj. The government’s grant winning film was released in 2012.
Three days before his death, Belal Ahmed completed shooting of the first installment of his unfinished film Tabuo Bhalobashi.
He was buried at Banani Graveyard on Monday.
-With New Age input
