The uncompromising star

Being the only child of an actor, I have been used to the smell of film scripts stacked in a room, the smell of betel leaves munched by dance and music directors and the smell of food laid out on the table during drama or film rehearsals at my house. Yet, amongst all of that, the smell of my mother, Ajmeri Zaman Reshma, was the most significant. Others may have deemed it as the smell of a superstar passing by, but to me, she carried the warm scent of motherhood.

To the world, she was a gifted actor, who had attained stardom in films, radio, television and the stage, back in the 60s. She was a name to be reckoned with in the film industry of Bangladesh. People who knew her swore by her glamorous personality and audiences were astounded with her acting prowess.

However, as her son, I observed some of her innate personal attributes, especially that of an uncompromising attitude towards her craft. She personified sincerity and truthfulness to the core. Unfortunately, in the later years, the superstar became a recluse.  

She married my father, Zaman Ali Khan, one of the pioneers of Bangladesh Television, in 1961.  Thereafter, my father was posted to Karachi in 1966, and all of us moved there. My mother's heart, however, laid deeply rooted in the land of her people. In 1970, I witnessed her frantic urge to do something for her people, when during the devastating cyclonic storm in that year, the coastal belt of Bangladesh was hit. She proactively raised funds for those who were harshly affected by the storm.

Few years down the line, my parents went through a separation. Nonetheless, I am grateful to them for never letting their personal problems affect my relationship with them. After we moved back to Bangladesh, my mother continued acting in films, television and radio. However, being the bold personality that she was, she was often misunderstood for expressing her honest opinions. Perhaps it was her straightforward nature that wasn't well received by many around her. I realised that as time went by, she turned aloof, detaching herself from the outside world, withdrawing towards a spiritual self and ultimately, becoming a recluse.

She detested a world that was slowly becoming devoid of moral values and seemed to be false and fabricated. She refused to compromise with her creative truthfulness and honesty. She retreated into a cocoon-like existence away from the world. After suffering two brain strokes in a span of four years, my mother passed away on 20 May, 2020.

As a true artiste, she left this world without making any compromises in her craft. That is how I choose to remember her – an uncompromising star.

Rahber Khan is Ajmeri Zaman Reshma's son. Reach him at:  boby63khan@yahoo.com