Through The Eyes Of Ramendu Majumdar
An eminent Bangladeshi theatre actor, director, producer and author, Ramendu Majumdar (born on August, 1941) has an amazing portfolio that is yet to be replicated. He studied Higher Secondary at Comilla Victoria College and English Literature at Dhaka University. He co-founded the Bangladesh Center of the ITI (International Theatre Institute). In 2008, the ITI elected him as the Worldwide President and in 2011, he was elected again for the same position. Interestingly, he was the second Asian to be elected to this position since ITI's establishment in 1948 as an initiative of UNESCO. In 2009, he was awarded the precious Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh.
He is the Editor of the quarterly publication 'Theatre' being published since 1972 and owns a theatre school. He is a Senate and Syndicate Member of National University and is a Senate Member of Dhaka University. Ramendu Majumdar is the Chairman and Managing Director of an advertising firm, Expressions Ltd. He founded Expressions in 1993 after working for the firm Bitopi Leo Burnett for 21 years. He will be cherished forever for his countless contributions in the cultural arena of Bangladesh.
INSPIRATION
Undoubtedly, the first inspiration of my life came from my parents. I am blessed with a very supportive and inspirational family which has greatly motivated me in my life. Since childhood, my family has been my inspiration. In my adulthood, I found the philosophers of my life who have become my inspirations. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Rabindranath Tagore and Munier Choudhury are the people who have left deep impressions on me. My audiences, co-workers and well-wishers have always been my inspirations.
PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of my life is to help others as much as I can. Humanity is the philosophy as well as the core belief of my life and I always try to work with honesty, sincerity and dedication.
VIEWS ON PROFESSION
I started my professional career as a teacher. Later on, I joined an advertising agency in Pakistan. Advertising became my profession and I started loving it. Theatre has always been my loyal companion. I think every successful artiste has a story behind their achievement, and the center of that success is his dedication towards his artwork. In my view, creativity is aesthetic and pleases you and the beholder. It is dedicated for the well-being of the people. That is art. Art has not been created for the sake of art; rather it has been created for the people. To become a successful artiste, there is no alternative to learning and constant practice. It's a matter of regret that some of our young artists are looking for easy ways to success, but this can never lead to success. In order to be a genuine artiste, one has to be passionate, sincere and dedicated towards their work. If a person has talent it would definitely be reflected in their work. I think it is important that we take initiatives to encourage the young artistes to take more interest in art and culture.
BOOKS
The books of Rabindranath Tagore are my favorites. I also love reading the books of Syed Shamsul Haque and Nirmalendu Goon.
FILMS
I watch a lot of movies, and among them I would consider Runway by Tareque Masud as one of my favorites.
MUSIC
I love listening to various kinds of songs. The songs of Pancha Kobi (five poets) are my favorites. The songs of Rabindranath Tagore, Atul Prasad Sen and Dwijendralal Ray have always charmed and enchanted me.
FUTURE PLANS
Expansion plans are in the pipeline. If we find a suitable place, we want to have our own building for our Theatre School in the coming days. We are running this school successfully for the last 28 years. I also want to continue my writing. So far, these are my plans for the future. Moreover, I am always preoccupied with my theatre and theatrical activities.
IDOLS
I greatly admire the philosophies of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Rabindranath Tagore and Munier Choudhury. They are my idols.
By Shawreen Rahman