BAFA gave me the best days of my life - Laila Hasan

May 17 marked the 62nd death anniversary of prominent Nrityaguru Bulbul Chowdhury, a pioneer of modern dance in Bangladesh. A beacon of inspiration to artistic talents, Chowdhury unfortunately passed away at the young age of 35. His wife Begum Afroza, however, kept his memory alive through Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA) which she founded in 1955 to groom a fresh crop of talented artistes. Many contemporary artistes around us have at one stage or another passed through the portals of the Academy. One of them, noted dancer-choreographer-actress Laila Hasan began her journey at BAFA. Laila talked to The Daily Star about what BAFA means to her:

What was BAFA like as an organisation?
Laila Hasan: BAFA was an institution by itself. Affiliation of various artistes was seen as trainers- Sree Ajit Sanyal (Bulbul Chowdhury's student), Bhaktimai Das, Atiqul Islam, Ostad Khadem Hossain Khan, Ostad Mir Kashem Khan, Bedaruddin Ahmed. The organisation was run by note worthies like Dr. Anisuzzaman, Anwara Bahar Chowdhury, Syed Mohammad Ali, Syed Ahmed Ali, Selina Bahar Chowdhury. BAFA was a relatively large organisation. Located near the river Buriganga, it had a perfect ambience for artistes. We were dreamers back then and joining the Academy was our little step to turn our dreams into reality.

Share your training and working experience with BAFA?
Laila Hasan: I got the opportunity to work in and outside the country at the very start of my career. From 1960- 1965 along with the troupe I visited countries like Pakistan, Middle East, Russia and China. I had the enviable opportunity to work in “Nakshi Kathar Maath”, “Chandalika”, “Prokritir Lila” and a lot more. I worked as a choreographer, for the first time, in “Chitrangada”. The first dance-drama directed by me was “Shyama”.

Are you still associated with BAFA?
Laila Hasan: My last affiliation with BAFA was back in 1966 for “Chitrangada” and a charity event at Chittagong. Later in 2010 they honoured me with a lifetime achievement award. Now they invite me as an external examiner and guest at some of their events.

Any special memories of BAFA?
Laila Hasan:  I remember going abroad for the first time to represent BAFA. That was for my first opportunity to travel by plane. When I recall all those exciting and happy days, I realise that my precious memories of BAFA will always remain alive. BAFA gave me the best days of my life, helping me to grow as a successful artiste.