"Quality is the first and foremost requirement in theatre”--- Shimul

Illustration: Aloke

The sweetest thing about you
My voice.

What's your idea of a perfect day?
When we finally stage a play, it's like giving birth to a child. After extensive rehearsals for months, it is possibly the happiest moment and a perfect day for me.

How did you step into the theatre world?
It was sometime during 1974. I had just come back from Baroda. Before that I was studying at the Institute of Fine Arts in Dhaka (IFA). From the grapevine, I learnt that the group Dhaka Theatre was to stage a play, but the heroine was gravely ill. The organisers were on the look out for the lead female artiste. As a matter of fact, while I was a student of IFA, I had played the role. So you could say that my fate was tied to theatre and was perfectly timed.

What do directors look for in stage performers?
First and foremost is quality. While looks carry a lot of weight on TV and the silver screen, it is actually secondary on stage. The artiste should be capable of memorising the lines, be innovative and expressive.

Any funny incidents during a performance?
Once we were staging Joiboti Konnar Mon. My co-star forgot his lines and failed to come up to the stage. I sensed something was wrong and after a few minutes, I continued to say his lines. Since, the play was narrative, the audience hardly noticed the sweat on my brows.

When and who named you "Moncho Kusum"?
In 1991 Dr Selim Al Deen dedicated the play Chaka to me . He wrote, the play is dedicated to the Moncho Kusum(Flower of the Stage) of our times, Shimul.

Your dream role
The play I am presently working on is Binodini--based on an autobiography of Noti Binodini Dasi. She was the most famous theatre artiste during British rule of India, with a dark past as a prostitute. But her talent was unsurpassed by any theatre artiste at that time. Binodini had the amazing talent to portray seven characters in one play titled Meghnaad Bodh Kavvya and donned the role of four characters in Mrinalini as Monoroma. It took almost two years for me to complete a research on her life. Finally, I will do a solo act, coming up next month for the stage. Till now, this is my dream role and I hope my fans will appreciate it.

Are you satisfied as a stage performer?
Immensely

You want to be remembered as a singer or an actress?
I can never imagine myself either as a professional singer or an actress. It is more of a passion. It is undeniable, that, I am more inclined towards theatre. I have been directing music for theatre and have several Lalon, Nazrul and patriotic songs on CD as well. These are well appreciated by the Bangalee community all over the world.