Partha Pratim Majumder revisits his hometown after 30 years

9 March 2011, 18:00 PM

Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu, Pabna

Partha Pratim Majumdar speaks at the reception.Photo: STAR

World renowned mime artiste Partha Pratim Majumdar revisited his hometown Pabna on March 7 after 30 years. After a daylong visit to his ancestral home of Kalachandpara village in Pabna district, Majumdar reminisced on his early life at a reception held at the Pabna Press Club auditorium last Monday night. “I am fortunate that I had the opportunity to meet Marcel Marceau, the father of mime. As a son of this soil, I feel proud that Marceau called me his son,” said Majumdar. “A mime artiste soundlessly speaks to the audience through gestures. Though mime is a famous art form across the world, in the Bangladeshi context it lags behind because there is a great need to groom a new generation of artistes,” said Majumdar. “It is my duty to groom young aspiring performers what I have learnt from the world,” he said adding that he had taken the initiative to launch a mime academy in Bangladesh. However, he pointed out, he could not go at it alone. “I need the support of the people and have collaborated with Grameen Phone towards this end.” Earlier in the day along with his friends, Majumdar visited his paternal residence. Prominent among those who accompanied him was film director Jean Nesar Osman, Firoz Rahman and Samir Kushari. Majumdar, son of photo-journalist Himangshu Biswas of Pabna, was born in 1954. He was a student of Pabna Mahim Chandra Jubilee School. After completing his schooling in his hometown, Majumdar went to Chandannagore, India for higher education. Later he trained at Jogesh Dutta's mime academy in Calcutta (Kolkata) from 1966 to 1972. Returning to Bangladesh after independence, he gained admission to Music College. At this time, classical music guru Barin Majumdar took him under his wing. A nostalgic Majumdar said, “During the Chaitra Sankranti, a group of people performed in 'Hazra', a special kind of play. When I was a young boy I observed how the people performed through gestures. Later I came in touch with Jogesh Dutta, a mime artiste of India, and received training from him. “When I returned to my country after the Liberation War and was admitted to Music College, I often performed mime for my friends. I observed the casual life of the city and tried to incorporate those elements in my acts. My friends then introduced me to a television director. I enacted the casual city life on camera and my performance gained popularity. In 1981 Majumdar moved to Paris to study mime with Etienne Decroux. From 1982 to 1985 he studied at Marcel Marceau's mime school in Paris and was a member of his touring company. Majumdar is still based in Paris. Recalling his life in Pabna, Majumdar said, “There was a good cultural environment here back in the day. Jatrapala and musical programmes were organised regularly in the district town. I have visited many countries, but I can never forget my childhood in Pabna.”