A day to remember

I was very lucky to witness Mamunur Rashid, one of the pioneers of modern theatre in Bangladesh, at the programme “Celebrity Footprints” organised by University of Asia Pacific and The Daily Star. To see Mamunur Rashid for the first time off-screen was a great pleasure.
The programme started with the speech of our respected VC, Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, who praised the organisers of The Daily Star for their support and gave a little introduction of our chief guest, Mamunur Rashid.
When the thespian came onto the stage, everyone was very enthusiastic about what he was going to say, and he did not disappoint. He shared interesting events and experiences of his life; some of them were engrossing stories, such as, once he skipped rice for 20 days to prepare himself for a role he was going to play.
Mamunur Rashid also expressed anxiety about the current situation of today's television plays and movies. He said that if this trend continued, our media would face a crisis. He also gave examples of some overseas artistes and how hard they worked for their roles. Rather than monotonous speeches, he took pauses while his ensemble of musicians sang some very nice songs from his theatre productions to entertain the audience.
His experiences were enriching to us. Now I have a little knowledge about how theatre plays work. His honesty and dedication towards this country were also evident; he has always wanted to inspire people with his work, and even at this age, he is working relentlessly. I hope that The Daily Star will organise more such programmes and help this generation gear up for their future.