Mosharraf Karim reminisces a life gone by
For Mosharraf Karim, some of the most precious chapters of his life have little to do with fame. They belong to a time when long conversations stretched late into the day, when theatre rehearsals were reached on foot, when friends gathered simply to talk, and when the value of an evening was measured not by productivity but by the people sitting beside you.
Today, Mosharraf Karim is one of the busiest and most popular actors in television drama. For years, he has remained at the top of the industry, while his acclaimed performances on OTT platforms and in films have further cemented his reputation as one of the country's most versatile actors. His popularity has also travelled beyond Bangladesh, particularly to Kolkata, where he has built a strong following and appeared in Indian Bengali films.
Yet, during an informal conversation at The Daily Star office recently, it was not his fame or achievements that occupied his thoughts. Instead, he found himself returning to the past — to friendships, theatre, adda and the people who made those years special.
“I love hanging out and having conversations. I really enjoy adda,” Mosharraf Karim said.
During the early years of his theatre career, adda was an important part of his life. Hours would disappear in conversation, surrounded by friends and fellow artistes.
“I spent a lot of time in adda during the early days of my theatre career. I still make time for it whenever I can. But the adda doesn’t have the same life in it anymore. I don’t think I will ever get those beautiful moments back,” he said.
When Mosharraf Karim thinks about those days, one name inevitably comes to mind — the late popular rhymester Obaidul Gani Chandon.
“Whenever I think about the memories of those adda sessions, I remember Chandon. I miss him,” he said. “Chandon was the one who kept our adda lively. We have hundreds of memories from those gatherings and from the journey we shared together.”
Those gatherings also brought together actor Fazlul Kabir Tuhin, lyricist and rhymester Bakiul Alam, Obaidul Gani Chandon and Mosharraf Karim.
“We spent many years together in adda. We never imagined that life would become this busy. And no one could have imagined that Chandon would leave this world so soon,” Mosharraf Karim said.
As he speaks about those years, there is a distinct sense of longing in his voice. “Whenever I look back on my past, I remember those golden days. It feels like that was what life was truly meant to be,” he said.
Before television and OTT made him a household name, Mosharraf Karim was a theatre actor committed to the craft. He remains one of the prominent members of Natyakendra, the theatre troupe founded three decades ago under the leadership of Tariq Anam Khan.
His memories of that period are inseparable from the physical effort involved in being part of a theatre group.
“At the time, I lived in Khilgaon. I would walk all the way from Khilgaon to Bailey Road to go to the theatre and attend rehearsals at the troupe’s office,” he recalled.
The nostalgia is not simply for theatre itself, but for the life surrounding it — the friendships, the adda and the sense of community.
Not all his memories from that period are sentimental. Some are simply funny.
Mosharraf Karim recalled an incident from the early days of his acting career, when he was paid Tk 20,000 for a drama. “Back then, Tk 20,000 was a lot of money. After receiving the payment, I counted it and realised there was Tk 40,000,” he shared.
He counted the money again. The result was unchanged. “I started to panic. I looked for the person who had paid me, and he was looking for me too.”
Eventually, he returned the extra money. “Later, I returned the extra money to him and finally felt relieved.”
Away from the stage and screen, Mosharraf Karim finds another kind of escape in books. He reads extensively, particularly fiction and novels, and occasionally writes poetry himself. “I love reading poetry. I also love stories and novels. I try to make time for reading. Right now, I am reading Mihir Sengupta’s ‘Siddhiganjer Mokam’. I am really enjoying it,” he said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. He also fondly remembers novelist Rashid Karim's ‘Uttam Purush’. “I really liked novelist Rashid Karim’s ‘Uttam Purush’. I also enjoy Shawkat Ali’s novels. The works of many other writers draw me in as well.”
While he occasionally puts his own thoughts into verse, he is more comfortable as a reader. “I write poetry occasionally. However, I love reading poetry much more than writing it.”
Perhaps one of the most unusual memories Mosharraf Karim carries from his career came not from an acting performance, but from poetry.
Several years ago, renowned Indian poet Joy Goswami wrote a poem about him. The poem was later published in a prominent newspaper in Bangladesh. For Mosharraf Karim, the memory remains special.
“Joy Goswami is one of my favourite poets. I am a great admirer of his poetry,” he said. “I have other favourite poets as well, but Joy Goswami’s poems have a special hold on me.”
Having a poet of Joy Goswami’s stature write a poem about him was something he never expected. “When a poet of his stature wrote a poem about me, I was both surprised and deeply moved. It was a great honour for me,” he said.
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