The heartthrob of the '60s, Kabori Sarwar needs no introduction. With her girl-next-door looks and superb histrionics, Kabori made her way to the hearts of people in the country. Starting with the film Shutorang in 1964 when she was only 13, she took on roles in films that were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Her onscreen pairing with Razzaque lingers on in pubic memory.
Kabori did not limit herself to an acting career and is involved in several social activities for the welfare of underprivileged children and women. She made her debut as a director with the film Aaina that conveyed a strong social message on the plight of women. Kabori was also a member of the National Jury Board and the National Censor Board. Her dynamism has taken her to several international film festivals and other cultural programmes. The Daily Star recently caught up with the renowned actor.
Kabori made a trip to Boston in May. "I was invited to a cultural programme organised by a group of expatriate Bangladeshis called 'Amra Kojon'. Titled 'Nostalgic Tunes from the Silver Screen', the theme of the festival was the evergreen songs from Bengali feature films.
"The event was grand and I had the opportunity to get in touch with my old self. When asked, I took the stage lip-synching with one of my popular film songs. The audience was so welcoming that it seemed that I had gone back to my days of yore. It was really touching to see that continents away from their native land, people haven't forgotten us," she says.
Aaina, which won both the 'best film' and 'best director' award from the Bangladesh Cultural Reporters' Association, was released a couples of years back. Is she contemplating making more films?
"I want to make a film based on the novel Priyo by Imdadul Haque Milan. It should be an entertaining movie with a social message. I submitted the plan for the film to the Ministry of Information for a grant but it was turned down. That upset me and made me wonder about the criteria on the basis of which the grant is given. I don't understand why the government is so reluctant to give grants to mainstream films that can earn revenue. With minimal support from FDC, it is almost impossible for people like us to make commercial films without government grant or sponsors," says the annoyed actor-director.
"I didn't want Aaina to be labelled as anything other than a commercial film; my target audience were the masses -- the protagonist of the film represents them. My agreement with the Square Group stated that the film would be released at the important movie theatres of the country. But Masranga (the production house) sold the copyright to Impress Telefilm Ltd who, for some incomprehensible reason did not release the film nationwide. They did not even submit the film for the National Film Awards. That was a very frustrating experience," she adds.
But these obstacles could not deter the dedicated Kabori who loves to take on challenges. "I will obviously have to look for a sponsor for my film," she says. She did not sit idle in between either; she was busy shooting for several feature films and also worked for the small screen both as a performer and a producer.
"In the past, I decided not to become a frequent face in films, however I never said goodbye to the industry either. The industry seemed to lack able directors who can bring out the best in an actor. Moreover, there was a rampant trend of vulgarity, violence and plagiarism in films. However, it is impossible for me to stay away from the silver screen. After acting in Aaina, I felt this impulse even more strongly. As far as the roles are concerned, I'll try to give my best...why bother about the film when all I want to do is act?" -- says a candid Kabori.