Tele Samad no more

Renowned comedian and film actor Abdus Samad, popularly known as Tele Samad, passed away yesterday at the age of 74.

He breathed his last around 2:30pm at Square Hospitals in Dhaka, said his son Diganto Samad.

He had been battling different old-age complications, including kidney and heart diseases, over the past few years.

The popular actor had a bypass surgery in the USA in 2017. He returned to Bangladesh in September that year after recovery. However, he was admitted to hospital twice in October and November.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held today at 11:00am at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation premises. He will later be buried at his ancestral home in Naogaon, in Munshiganj. He left behind his wife, two daughters and two sons.   

Samad was a student at the commercial art department (now graphic design) at the East Pakistan College of Arts and Crafts (now faculty of fine arts in the University of Dhaka). One of his friends and classmates, Monirul Islam, an eminent artist, had many a memory to share.

“Tele Samad would sincerely do whatever he put his heart into. He would entertain us with skits. He could also sing Qawwali and play the harmonium. He was a hard worker, very good actor and a great soul,” said Monirul.

“We always received warm affection, love and adoration from him, when we -- Shahid Kabir, Biren Shome and I -- entered art college in the second half of the 60s,” said artist Matlub Ali, former dean at Faculty of Fine Arts in DU. “He was a celebrated personality… He was a great comedian, actor and above all a great human being. We are proud of him, and pray for his departed soul.”

Tele Samad was known to be humorous off-screen as well, and would keep his family entertained with his skits. “My father would tell me that whatever happens in life, just be strong, and you can conquer the world,” his son Diganto, a singer, mentioned in a Facebook post.

Born on January 8 1945, Samad started his career in the film industry through “Kar Bou”, directed by Nazrul Islam, in 1973, but shot to fame for the role he played in “Paye Cholar Path”. His fame skyrocketed further with the release of “Nayanmoni”, directed by Amzad Hossain.

He is best known for his work in “Mona Pagla” (1984), “Ondho Prem” (1993) and “Moina Moti” (1969).

In an illustrious career spanning over four decades, Samad acted in around 600 Bangla films, his last one being “Zero Degree” (2015), directed by Animesh Aich.

A beloved actor and comedian, Abdus Samad adopted the name Tele Samad when his movie career began taking off.

He was the music director of the movie “Mona Pagla” and he was also a play-back singer in more than 50 films.