Dinat Jahan: An artiste of many dimensions
An early starter in the world of music, Dinat Jahan Munni has crossed many a milestone in her professional and personal life and can clearly be said to have arrived in the media world. Today she is a Programme Producer of ABC Radio, mother of two adorable kids, wife of renowned lyricist Kabir Bokul and a versatile singer in her own right.
“Sometimes it gets a bit hectic, but thanks to the love and support of my family and my colleagues, producers et al, I'm usually able to get things done well. I'm quite happy with the way things are,” says Dinat.
Dinat first received accolades way back when she was a child and won two national children's awards, one in 1985 and the other a decade later. She has done several live shows; one memorable performance was with the diva Runa Laila at an USAID programme. She has worked with composers Shawkat Ali Imon, Alauddin Ali, S.I. Tutul, Imon Saha, Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul and others.
Her first album was “Ami Opar Hoye Boshe Achhi,” a collection of Lalon songs. Dinat's next album, released in February this year, was a duet with Asif -- “Phirbo Na Aaj Baari”. Besides these, she had been quite prolific in her contribution to the film industry and does two/three playbacks on a regular weekly basis.
“Although in Bangladesh, playback is considered as the advanced stage of a singer, interestingly I started my musical career doing that. It has also been a challenge because of the diversity I found in this form of music. Here, while singing, I have to put myself in the part of the actress and reflect the various emotions that go through the scene at that particular instant of the song. It is challenging and I thoroughly enjoy it.”
Currently, viewers can find Dinat in “Priyo Shilpi Shera Gaan” on Baishakhi Channel. This Eid, she will be appearing on a show about couples, with her husband Kabir Bokul. She will be anchoring an Eid special programme on classic songs on BTV. Listeners will also find her on ABC Radio on an Eid special programme with Momtaj, Tamim, Tutul and others.
Dinat is an active social worker and has been involved with Prothom Alo's campaigns against acid violence and substance abuse.
So how does Dinat manage so many roles at the same time? “Life is like a test. There are so many dimensions to an individual -- mother, daughter, wife, working woman, musician and so on. None of these can be neglected.”
“One aspect of me is that I take my own time and patiently wait for what's to come, instead of adapting myself to a particular situation or time. I retain my style, and so acknowledge the fact that I have got endless things to learn. I had only brought out two solo albums in last 13 years and that is again because of my 'taking it slow-and-easy' trait. I get things done gradually. I am doing jingles, playbacks, songs, duets, etc but when I get to do an album it is an expression of my love for my fans and well wishers, so it has to be perfect.”
Dinat's peers are full of praise for this versatile personality. “Dinat is an amazing character, easy to the ear like a melodious song,” said RJ Sammy from ABC Radio. “She never asks for her songs to be played on the radio but we are compelled to air them on demands from fans.”
The writer is a freelance contributor.