Mole on my cheek was born since ‘Rajmahal’ movie

Rozina (born April 20, 1955) is a heroine of the golden era of Bangladeshi cinema. She became Rozina from Roshan Ara Renu during the era of legendary heroines like Kabori, Shabana, Sucharita, and Babita. When the name Rozina is pronounced, the smile of a sweet girl appears in the eyes of Bangladeshi film lovers. The first thing that catches the eye is the black mole on her cheek. The traditional Bengali womanhood is reflected in her face.

She dominated the film world for three decades. She has given the audience many outstanding and popular films like 'Rajmahal', 'Bini Sutar Mala', 'Gayer Chele', 'Anar Koli', 'Sohag Milan', 'Reshmi Churi', 'Rosiya Bandhu', 'Naseeb', 'Shiri Farhad', ‘Anyay Abichar’, 'Chutir Phaande', 'Shesh Paarichoy'. Among the popular songs of the films she acted in are ‘Tumi Chokh Aalar How, Kache Ki Ba Dure Row', 'Chero Na Chero Na Haat', and 'Tumi Amar Koto Chena'. These songs still stir the memories of many.

Evergreen film actress Rozina recently came to the Views Bangladesh Studio. She shared the story about her film career journey and how she became Rozina from Renu. Views Bangladesh Editor Rased Mehedi accompanied her in the story session.

Views Bangladesh: Today, the Views Bangladesh studio is very shiny because a legendary enlightened person is with us today, the evergreen heroine of Bangladesh, Rozina. We welcome you on behalf of Views Bangladesh.

Rozina: Thank you. It feels good to have you here. Your studio is very beautiful. I often watch your Digital Views. We used to watch television or newspapers, now everything can be seen on mobile. I have seen many of your news and views.

Views Bangladesh: Rozina is actually the one and only in Bangladesh. You are not born in every age. You are born once. Then you live for ages, spreading light. Many people follow you, learn from you. They themselves also become enlightened. Today we are very proud that you have you in our studio. When you came to films, in the early 1980s or late 1970s, it was the golden era of West Bengal films, as directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Prabhat Roy were working then. Again, in our cinema landscape, after Zahir Raihan, we had directors like Alamgir Kabir, Narayan Ghosh Mita, Kabir Anwar, Sheikh Neamat Ali, Amjad Hossain, Kazi Zahir, Fakhrul Hasan Bairagi, and Matin Rahman. You stepped into the world of films at that bright time. You stood in front of the camera for the first time with a bold step. The one advertisement you acted in at that time was very bold. Now when the courage of women in the showbiz arena is talked about, your name comes up because of the courage you showed in that commercial. That is not the topic of today's interview. After that, you illuminated the film arena of Bangladesh. You dominated the film arena. Let's start from there. You were an ordinary Roshan Ara Renu, how did you become Rozina from there?

Rozina: My name has been Rozina since the start of my film journey. In the first film I was supposed to act, ‘Mintu Amar Naam’, I was named Rozina. The name was given to me by a very respected person of that time, Mohiuddin Sir. He was such a respected person that everyone called him Mohiuddin Sir or Saheb. Even the big directors of those days used to call him Sir. I came into films through the advertisement that you mentioned. There is a big journey behind my transformation from Renu to Rozina. The heroine of that story was named Rozina, from there I was also named Rozina, so that the audience could remember the name easily. My name was announced in the press conference - newcomer Rozina; but unfortunately, I was left out of that film. I don’t know why I was left out. I did not act in that film; but the name remained. I became known by this name. I am grateful to Mohiuddin Sir for giving me the name. I always talk about him in various interviews.

Views Bangladesh: You first became the heroine in F Kabir Chowdhury's Rajmahal, tell us something about your acting and experience in that film.

Rozina: I came to act in films. Ever since I learned to understand, I used to watch films. I was inspired by watching films. Our home was in Rajbari and my maternal grandfather’s home was in Goalanda. There was a cinema hall near our home. It was a 10-15 minutes’ walk. I used to watch films there secretly. I came to films after seeing them and being inspired. Coming means thinking about coming. My mother never wanted me to come to films. Before coming to films, I came to Dhaka with my parents. My father was in business. That's why I used to come to Dhaka frequently. My father’s business partner was one Ali Bhai who lived in Azimpur. I have to talk about him too, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have come to films. He was a very cultured person. He used to act in stage plays. When Ali Bhai used to visit our home in Rajbari, I used to have many conversations about dramas and films with him. I used to say, Ali Bhai, I will act, I will be Shabana, I will be Kabori, etc.

Ali Bhai used to say, “No, no, your mother will scold. When my mother heard that I wanted to act in films - she could never accept the idea. As a child, I often visited and stayed in my maternal grandfather’s house. When I grew up a little, I would go to my grandfather’s house alone. It wasn't very far. My mother was very disciplined. She always wanted us to study well. My mother was very strict about education. She was also cultured, she especially loved music. She would say, ‘you can sing’; but she couldn't accept that a girl would act in films.

One day, I was beaten up by my mother for being naughty and went to my grandfather’s house. The cinema hall operator lived next door to our house. We called him uncle. Sometimes we would go to his house and look at the actors and actresses by shining a light on the negatives. So, when I went to my grandfather’s house. I was standing at the Goalanda ferry pier and saw that uncle was standing there with a can of film in his hand. He used to take film negatives from Dhaka sometimes. He knew Ali Haider Bhai. He said, “What are you doing here?” I said, “I will go to Dhaka, to Ali Haider Bhai's house.” He said, “Does your mother know?” I said, “Yes, mother knows.” I came to Dhaka with him.

It was not as easy to come to Dhaka as it is now. There were not so many bridges. Ferries on all the rivers. When I started my journey, it was 9am, and by the time I arrived, it was 9pm. Ali Bhai's mother saw me and said, "You are alone!" I said, "I have come for some work." They didn't know that I had run away; but two days later, when my parents found out that I was not even at my grandfather’s house, they understood what the situation was! When my uncle went to the country two or three days later, he heard that I was missing. My uncle said, "She has gone to Dhaka with me. She is staying at Ali’s house." From there, Ali Bhai took me to the theatre, and while doing stage plays, I made my way to the cinema. That's how I got into the cinema.

Views Bangladesh: It can be said that you came in front of the camera as an ordinary person. What was your first feeling of standing in front of that camera?

Rozina: I first came in front of the movie camera in the film ‘Janwar’. I did not come with any preparation for shooting. The hero of that film was Wasim Bhai, and the heroine was Sucharita Madam. The director was Kalidas Babu. The shooting was going on in the palm garden in front of the parliament building. We went to watch the shooting. When I saw it, I was called and made to stand for a passing shot. I got Tk 10 for that shooting.

At that time, Ali Bhai was rehearsing an annual play. I also went to watch the rehearsals. Later one day I heard that the heroine of the play was sick. Then Ali Bhai said, “Renu, you do it.” I rehearsed for two-three days. After that play, I did a few more stage plays. I met many playwrights and directors. After that, I acted in that advertisement.

Views Bangladesh: How did you debut in Rajmahal? That was your milestone film.

Rozina: When I was dropped from ‘Mintu Amar Naam’, I felt very bad. I cried a lot. My mother said, “Don’t cry now. I told you not to go through all this. As you have entered the film industry, you have to be strong. You have to move forward.” This gave me a lot of courage. I sticked to the film industry.

Rajmahal’s director was FA Kabir Chowdhury Bhai. One day, Kabir Bhai’s assistant came to our house. We were living in Mohammadpur at that time. With the family. So Kabir Bhai’s assistant came and said that I have to go to their office for a while. I said, “No, I won’t go to anyone’s office. If you want to take me, you have to come to my house, and I have to be the solo heroine.”

Then one day Kabir Bhai came to our house. I didn't know Kabir Bhai at that time. When he came and knocked on the door, I opened the door. He said who is Rozina? Even though I didn't act in the film ‘Mintu Amar Naam’, my name was spread. I told Kabir Bhai, “I was dropped from the film 'Mintu Amar Naam'. Another heroine was taken in my place, and this created a feeling of anger in my mind. That's why I didn't want to go to anyone's office.” Hearing this, Kabir Bhai laughed out loud. He is no more today; I am grateful to him. After 10 days, he cast me in a new film. The story was written within a month. Wasim Bhai was the hero. He was very busy then. Wasim Bhai is also no more with us today. I am grateful to him too. May Allah grant him paradise. He has helped me a lot. He never made me feel that I am new, and he is a great artist.

The shooting of ‘Rajmahal’ was over within three-four months. But the mole on my cheek was born from the film Rajmahal. There is a story behind it. I had chickenpox before the shooting of that film. I was so nervous, God, the shooting is next month, what has happened now! I got better in five-six days with various treatments; but a scar on my cheek had become a little deep. Even after going to the shooting, I saw that the deep scar remained even after applying make-up. Even with foundation, it did not get better. Zaman bhai was a make-up man. He put a mole on that scar.

When the film was released, I was in the hospital undergoing an appendicitis operation. The hospital was next to Anand Cinema Hall. From the hospital, I could see my photo on a huge banner in front of the cinema hall. Many people came and told me, ‘your film is a superhit!’ That was the beginning of my journey, and since then I have not looked back.

Views Bangladesh: At that time, many popular heroines were working, Kabori, Sucharita, Shabana, Babita - they were all there. How was the feeling that you were working alongside the heroines of your dreams?

Rozina: No, I have never felt rivalry. They are much senior to me. We did our respective jobs then. As co-stars, I have worked with Shabana Madam and Babita Madam in many films. At first, I was a little nervous, that's normal; they are such talented actresses! They have cooperated a lot. Without cooperation, it would have been difficult to work.

Views Bangladesh: At that time, when Babita, Sucharita, Kabori and all of them were there, how did you get the opportunity to work in Shakti Samanta's film 'Anyay Abichar'? acting as the heroine of Mithun Chakraborty.

Rozina: I don't really know how it happened! Now, many people say what a superstar he/she is, what this or that is, but back then we didn't know all that. We just kept working. That was the custom then. There were many types of films, folk films, social films, social action films. If the weather was good, we would go outdoors with four or five films at a time. At that time, I was in Cox's Bazar. I was shooting in Cox's Bazar continuously for three or four months. One day, my assistant came and said, "Apa, Hasan Bhai has come to meet you." Hasan Bhai means Hasan Imam. I went ahead and brought him in. I respected him a lot. He said, "We are doing a film in cooperation with Bombay. You will be the heroine of that film. Mithun Chakraborty will be opposite you." Mithun Chakraborty was a very superhit hero at that time. His film ‘Disco Dancer’ had just been released. Then I also talked to director Shakti Samanta. He asked for a 20-day schedule a couple of months later.

Then I started thinking, “I don't know Hindi, I won't be able to work with Mithun Chakraborty”. Besides, we work through prompts, I heard that they don't do prompts. Thinking this, I said, “Hasan Bhai, I won't do the film!” He said why? I said, “I don't know Hindi, I don't know the prompts.” Hasan Bhai said, “Mithun is a Bengali, no problem, and prompt arrangements will be made for you. Even then, I didn't want to do the film. I was kind of scared; but they were also adamant. They would take me, because at that time, if they took Shabana, Babita, or Rozina, the hall would have been booked in advance.

Anyway, I finally agreed to do the film. I would have to go to Kuakata by helicopter. I got ready and went to Tejgaon airport. As soon as I got out of the car, I saw Hasan Bhai, Shakti Samanta, and Mithun Chakraborty standing there. Mithun Chakraborty was standing in front of the helicopter fifty-six yards away. He ran up to me and said, "Hey, Rozina! You made me late, you know how hungry I am!"

While going to Kuakata by helicopter, we became so close, he talked so much, I became easy-going. What a great person! I thought, these are real people! How easily they can make everyone their own!