Remembering the Mohanayok Bulbul Ahmed

Today marks the 11th death anniversary of National Film Award-winning actor Bulbul Ahmed. Known for his charm and impeccable screen presence, the iconic artiste was born on September 15, 1941, in Dhaka. He started his acting career with a stage performance in 1965. In 1968, he made his first appearance on television.

He was seen in the role of Shafiq in the hit BTV series "Ei Shob Din Ratri", following along the footsteps of his role model and inspiration in acting, Abdullah Yusuf Imam. His performance in "Rupnogor" was thoroughly appreciated by the audience and critics. Some of his notable projects on television are "Borof Gola Nodi", "Shesh Bikeler Meye" and "Arek Falgun", adapted from the works of Zahir Raihan. Bulbul Ahmed was also appreciated for his role in "Idiot".

After appearing in numerous noteworthy roles on television, he made his silver screen debut in 1973 with "Iye Kore Biye", opposite Babita. 

He went on to bag the titular role in Chashi Nazrul Islam's "Devdas", based on Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name. It is the first Bangladeshi version of the story. He shared the screen with Kabori (Parboti) and Anwara Begum (Chandramukhi).

Following the success of "Devdas", Bulbul Ahmed reappeared on the silver screen with Kabori for the film "Aradhona". The song, "Ami Tomar Bodhu Ami Tomar Shami" voiced by Shammi Akhter, featuring the lead cast of the film, is quite famous to this day. Bulbul Ahmed shared the screen with Kabori in many other productions, including "Bodhu Bidai", "Choto Ma".

In his illustrious and successful career, Bulbul Ahmed worked in numerous superhit films, including "Mohanayok", "Shiraj Ud Dowla", "Jonmo Theke Jolchi", "Dui Jibon", "Shimana Periye", and "Wada", among many others. Throughout his career, he shared the silver screen with many Bengali heroines, including Shabana, Babita, Jayshree Kabir, Shuchorita, and Indian actor Tanuja, among many others. Before he ventured out into acting, Bulbul Ahmed worked as a banker for over a decade.

The actor was honoured with the National Film Award three times in the Best Actor category for his roles in the films "Shimana Periye" (1977), "Bodhu Biday" (1978), and "Shesh Uttor" (1980). Bulbul Ahmed was the producer, director, actor, and screenplay writer of "Rajlokkhi Srikanta", which won the National Film Award in four categories, including Best Film.

He was married to actor Daisy Ahmed. Together, they have three children, Wasif Ahmed Shubho, Tahsin Farzana Tilottoma, and Tazrin Farhana Oindrila, popularly known as Oindrila Ahmed. Oindrila worked with her father in a few tele-fictions, among which "Hoimonti" was very popular.

Bulbul Ahmed passed away on July 15, 2010, in Dhaka after suffering from diabetes and cardiac illnesses.