A BIOGRAPHY OF ABDULLAH AL MAMUN
Playwright and actor
(13 July 1942 – 21 August 2008)
Abdullah Al Mamun (1942–2008) was a storyteller who told stories through plays, films, and television dramas, reaching people’s hearts. He was born into a family that cared for education and creativity in Jamalpur. He had flashes of being able to tell a good story all his life, and as a boy, he was good at it. At the age of eight, with some mentors: Nurul Momen and Munier Chowdhury guiding him along the way, he learnt about the art of writing and his first play (Niyotir Parihas).
Mamun had a glorious investigative career. Looking for the joy and trouble of ordinary people, he produced powerful plays like Ekhono Kritadas and Meraj Fakirer Maa. From among his films, Sareng Bou as well as Dui Jibon, he bagged two National Film Awards. His serials on television, like Songsoptok, became hugely popular on television and set new standards for storytelling from Bangladesh.
However, Mamun was awarded the Bangla Academy Literary Award and Ekushey Padak throughout his life. More than awards, his true success was that he wrote stories people still relate to. His power was revealed even after his death in 2008, and his work continues to remind us of the power of art to connect, reflect, and inspire.
Introduction
Artwork always starts with a story, and a story requires a voice courageous enough to tell the narrative. To its credit, Abdullah Al Mamun was that voice for Bangladesh—a brilliant artist who, in simple, innocent paintings, summarized the spirit of a proud nation. Although Mamun Chowdhury was born in Jamalpur, on July 13, 1942, his crossover as an artist switched him into an icon of culture. He was a playwright, a filmmaker, a screen actor, as well as a novelist; his prostitution contained the middle-class experiences as a mirror of society.
Mamun was not merely an artist of the book but a pioneer in positions that he sought and occupied of art being allied with activism. His story utterances, filled with emotions and such deference to reality, impressed the listeners, and an imprint of his narrations remains imprinted in the generations. Mentioning the theatrical performances that the troupe used to perform, the moving picture hall shows, or the television dramas that turned into home favorite shows, everything that he created had the capacity to entertain, educate, and inspire. His is not only a portfolio of works, which is impressive but also a testimony to the living and enduring impact of art, and within the Bangladesh pulse, the testimony resounds.
Life of "Abdullah Al Mamun" at a Glance
Name: Abdullah Al Mamun
Profession: Playwright, Filmmaker, Novelist, Television Director
Date of Birth (DOB): July 13, 1942
Place of Birth (POB): Jamalpur, Bangladesh
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Religion: Islam
Education:Bachelor’s and Master’s in History (University of Dhaka, 1964)
Mentors: Natyaguru Nurul Momen, Munier Chowdhury
Spouse/Children: Not widely documented (private life)
Career Highlights:
- Founded the troupe Theatre.
- Wrote & directed 25+ plays, including:
- Ekhono Kritadas
- Meraj Fakirer Maa
- Amader Sontanera
First Play: Niyotir Parihas (1950, aged 8).
Debut Film: Angikar (1972).
Acclaimed Works:
- Sareng Bou (1978)
- Dui Jibon (1988) – National Film Award
- Ekhoni Somoy (1980) – National Film Award
Iconic Serials: Songsoptok, Joar Bhata (set new standards in BTV dramas).
Novels: Manhattan (travelogue), Amar Ami (autobiographical).
Awards & Achievements:
- Bangla Academy Literary Award (1978)
- Ekushey Padak (2000, for Drama & Film)
- 2× National Film Awards (Best Director)
- Tarokalok Padak, BTV Awards
Died: August 21, 2008 (Dhaka, from cardiac complications).
Legacy:
- Plays/films still celebrated; adaptations of Tagore/Marlowe.
- Pioneered poetic drama (e.g., Payer Awaj Pawa Jai, 1976).
- Mentored generations of artists.
Early Life and Background
Abdullah Al Mamun had a spark, and he was in a humble but intellectually sharp family in Jamalpur. Mamun was born to Professor Abdul Quddus and Fatema Khatun and raised in an environment where it instilled curiosity and creativity. His father was an academic and his mother saw to it.
Mamun was no natural-born storyteller from a young age. He would create imaginative tales to tell friends and family about rich characters with lots of intrigue. Eventually, he began to love stories and from there he moved on to literature and theatre. He later was sent to Jamalpur for his early education and later went to Dhaka for higher studies. By 1964 Mamun had earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in history, from the University of Dhaka.
Mamun became an enthusiast of theatre while in his student days. Najmul Huda Bacchu, who sought to be a mentee, introduced him to Natyaguru Nurul Momen. Mamun never thought his life would be opened to the world as Momen asked, “Have you read Bernard Shaw?” Mamun was guided under the luminaries of talents like Momen and Munrer Chowdhury and started digging into the drama doors and playing and directing the plays that helped his career to bloom. He wrote his first play, Niyotir Parihas, at eight years old, in 1950, a prodigious talent having come to actualization.
Career
Abdullah Al Mamun is every artist’s dream, so to make a mark but very few achieve the multifaceted success as him. With theatre, television, literature and cinema, he transformed his career into a cultural icon. Mamun began his professional journey in the year of Pakistan Television, later renamed Bangladesh Television (BTV). A pioneer in Bangladeshi media, he retired in 1991 as a director.
Mamun has made his mark on theatre. Over 25 plays, most dealing with the lives of middle-class people and their moral dilemmas, he wrote and directed. Remembered for their realism, emotional depth, and most historical hits, Ekhono Kritadas, Amader Sontanera and Meraj Fakirer Maa, these works had struck deep chords with audiences everywhere. Mamun was a founding member of the theatre troupe “Theatre,” which revolutionised stage performances in Bangladesh with storytelling that blended fun with political commentary.
Mamun also made a name as a filmmaker, having his debut beyond the big screen with Angikar in 1972. But his films, such as Sareng Bou (1978), Ekhoni Somoy (1980), and Dui Jibon (1988) were far more than cinematic landmarks, they were a kind of cultural marker. Mamun’s films tackled issues of society and celebrated the resilience of humans, earning him two Bangladesh National Film Awards for Best Director.
Mamun was also very creative in another field, television. His serials, like Songsoptok and Joar Bhata, were popular with audiences because of their complex characters and compelling stories. With the continuous serials, Mamun was one of the first to raise the bar for understanding television storytelling in Bangladesh.
Mamun left his mark not only on literature on stage and screen. He published seven novels including Manhattan, a travelogue, and Amar Ami, his autobiography (of sorts) which reveals his story from a creative perspective. Mamun proved through his career that art could both entertain educate, and also inspire.
Awards and Achievements
As is often the case after excellence, Abdullah Al Mamun’s career came with recognition. Popular for contributions in drama, film and literature and for influencing Bangladeshi culture, he earned numerous prestigious awards.
Mamun’s literary achievements were honoured in 1978 when he received the Bangla Academy Literary Award. It was an accolade for his being able to put his own take on the middle class, his aspirations and his struggles. In 2000, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak, one of Bangladesh’s top civilian honours, for his distinguished contribution to drama and filmmaking.
Mamun won two Bangladesh National Film Awards for Best Director for his films Ekhoni Somoy (1980) and Dui Jibon (1988) about which his cinematic excellence was noted. He pulled off social commentary in modulating entertaining tales and these films showed it.
Apart from these national honours, Mamun also won the Tarokalok Padak and Bangladesh Television Awards, so his legacy deserved to be cemented beyond these national honours. He may have also left a shiny glass name forever, but it’s the lasting effect of his work on audiences which is truly his greatest achievement. His name wrapped in traditions and accomplishments is not only a legacy but also a culture of man restored.
Personal Life
There was a man of profound simplicity and humility who was behind the spotlight and accolades. Famous Abdullah Al Mamun remained close to his roots and personal values. Personality and worldview were formed by his family. ‘In many of his works Mamun often spoke of the love and support he received from his parents, Abdul Quddus and Fatema Khatun’, said Anwarul Haq.
The artist was also closely connected to his personal life. It made him happy to mentor young talents and he was always keen to pass on his knowledge. He is many aspiring playwrights and actors who have credited him in helping their careers. Mamun recognised that although he was a busy man, balancing his professional and personal life, he was inspired by the very ordinary things that his family and friends did—the most mundane things, such as eating breakfast together as a family.
Mamun was known for his kindness and empathy, a true like with his peers. Meaningful relationships mattered to him, and he once said that his human connections made just as big a splash as his artistic exploits. It wasn’t just about awards or fame, says Mamun, it was about managing to touch someone’s life or make a difference through his work.
Death and Legacy
Legends may go out of the world, yet their impact stands for eternity. Abdullah Al Mamun breathed his last on Aug 21, 2008, in Dhaka after suffering from coronary syndrome; he also had diabetes and kidney and liver complications. For Bangladesh, unfortunately, it is passing, but he has done so much for Bangladesh’s culture and art, and that will stay with us forever.
Mamun’s death became a strange wave of grief across the country. They were mourning the loss of a man who had redefined Bangladeshi theatre, television, and cinema. Mamun’s influence even carried on in death, though. His works are still performed, his films are still celebrated, and his writings are still studied and cherished by scholars and aficionados alike.
His contributions have received numerous posthumous events and tributes. His works remain kept alive with festivals showcasing work, reprints of his books and commemoration of his plays. Mamun’s work inspires young creators to use art as a tool against social wrongs beyond the artist community.
‘Art must reflect the truth of its time,’ Mamun once said. His creations remain true to his word, still reflecting the sordid realities of life, the ups and the downs, and the hopes and despair that define humanity and we continue to ‘see’ his spirit, hear his words, and hold onto the images of him delivered through every performance, every reading, and every memory.
Unknown Facts
Lesser known funny but inspiring stories are available in the life of Abdullah Al Mamun about his dedication and creativity. Here are some highlights:
- Adapting International Classics for Bangladeshi Audiences: Mamun himself worked hard to improvise his Bangladeshi culture with international literary history. He had prime examples in his stage adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s Ghare Baire and the translation of Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus. These works made stories look timeless and took them to the average-class Bangladeshi, and added to the Bangladeshi theatre scene.
- Pioneering Poetic Drama: Mamun directed Payer Awaj Pawa Jai, the first original poetical play of independent Bangladesh in 1976. It was this absolutely groundbreaking initiative that placed poetic drama in the spotlight, and showcased Mamun’s bold attempt at innovation within the arts.
- Mentorship Under Natyaguru Nurul Momen: Nurul Momen was a foundational collaborator to Mamun’s first works. Mamun was guided, encouraged, and challenged by Momen as a playwright, actor, and director.
Conclusion
It is perhaps true that Abdullah Al Mamun lived life creatively, passionately, and ceaselessly, a symphony to the last. More than that, he was a playwright or filmmaker; he was a culture maker—the kind of man who grasped how storytelling could achieve that and create motion pictures that provided enlightenment, benefit, and change. This paper has aimed to depict that through his works Mamun was narrating the real voice of the voiceless, urging the stagnated middle class and reflecting the moral issues of the period.
He still heavily influences people to date. Whenever his plays are performed throughout Bangladesh and every time his films are screened and celebrated, every time his writings affect readers. There is more to see in Mamun other than a brilliant artist His work has demonstrated the uplifting effect of the truth, compassion and talent.
For Mamun, it was not a job but a calling in the line of art. He insisted on artists portraying truths about society and leading progress. In fact, this is evident in his life and is apparent throughout his culture and should be preserved for the next generations.
Thus, many of Mamun’s works stand as a mirror reflecting Bangladesh in transition and as a compass, pointing to the norms that are important for any society and aspirations that create a society. No, he was not an artist, but a ray of hope. That is why Abdullah Al Mamun.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_al_Mamun_(playwright)
https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Mamun,_Abdullah_Al
https://tritiyomatra.com/profile/255https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/631456
https://www.newagebd.net/post/theatre/243122/abdullah-al-mamuns-death-anniv-today
Disclaimer
All content on this website is provided in good faith and only for general information purposes. A Biography makes no guarantees regarding the information’s completeness, reliability, or correctness. Any action you take as a result of the material on this website is entirely at your own risk. A Biography is not responsible for any losses or damages incurred as a result of using our website