Shahid Mahmud Jangi pens nostalgic ode to Suchitra Sen

Celebrated lyricist Shahid Mahmud Jangi has written a new song inspired by Bengali cinema icon Suchitra Sen, with Parthibo vocalist Ashfaqul Bari Rumon lending his voice, composition and musical arrangement to the track.

Titled “Suchitra Sen”, the song was released on Rumon’s YouTube channel on Friday (August 7) and is also available on various online streaming platforms.

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For Jangi, the song is less a biographical portrait of the legendary actor than a nostalgic return to a time when Suchitra Sen occupied an almost mythical place in the imagination of Bengali audiences.

“When we were in school, Suchitra Sen was a huge phenomenon,” Jangi said. “We saw her as a symbol of beauty. Back then, people would often compare the person they liked with actors and actresses from films. Suddenly, I felt like writing a song about that time. That is how ‘Suchitra Sen’ came into being,” the lyricist told Ajker Patrika.

Jangi has been writing songs since 1977 and has penned numerous popular numbers for pioneering Bangladeshi bands and solo artistes, including Souls, Renaissance and LRB. His credits include “Ekdin Ghum Bhanga Shohore”, “Shomoy Jeno Katena” and “Hridoy Kada Matir Kono Murti Noy”.

For Rumon, the song also represents the fulfilment of a long-standing wish to compose and perform a lyric by Jangi.

“I had sung Jangi bhai’s lyrics before, but I had never composed one,” Rumon said. “I always wanted to compose and sing one of his songs. One night, he called and told me that he had written a song for me. I went to his home that day, read the lyrics and immediately liked them.”

Rumon said he subsequently prepared a demo of the song, which Jangi approved.

“Eventually, I was able to bring the song before the audience,” he said. “I hope people will like it.”

Rumon has been the vocalist of Parthibo for more than two decades and has also pursued a solo career in recent years. His solo releases include “Bhangchhe Pajor” and “Jhapsha”.