Nayakraj Razzak’s birthday today

Today marks the 83rd birthday of the legendary Bangladeshi actor Nayakraj Razzak. He was born on January 23, 1942, in India's Kolkata. His real name was Abdur Razzak. He started his acting career in Kolkata’s theatre. Later, he completed a film studies diploma from Filmalaya in Mumbai. After that, he returned to Kolkata and acted in several films, including 'Shilalipi'.

In 1964, communal riots in Kolkata forced Razzak to move to Dhaka with his family. In Dhaka, he began working as an assistant director in Kamal Ahmed's film 'Ujala'. He started acting in Dhaka’s film industry with a supporting role in Salauddin’s movie '13 Feku Ostagar Lane'. Later, he made his debut as a lead actor in Zahir Raihan’s film 'Behula', where he starred opposite Shuchanda.

After the success of 'Behula', Razzak starred in many hit films and won the hearts of audiences. He remained the top actor in Dhallywood until 1990. His last movie as a hero was 'Mala Moti', where he acted with Nuton.

Some of Razzak’s famous films are 'Neel Akasher Niche', 'Maynamati', 'Jibon Thekey Neya', 'Pich Dhala Path', 'Rangbaz', 'Abujh Mon', 'Beiman', 'Alor Michil', and 'Ora Egaro Jon'. He acted as the lead in almost 300 movies and received many awards both nationally and internationally. He also worked as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Razzak was not just an actor; he was also a producer. His first production was the movie 'Rangbaz'. Later, he started directing with the film 'Ononto Prem'. His work as both an actor and director in this movie is considered a milestone in Bengali cinema.

Razzak’s contributions to Bengali cinema will always be remembered. His last acting role was in the movie Kartooz, directed by his eldest son, Bapparaj. The title "Nayak Raj" (King of Heroes) was given to him by Ahmad Zaman Chowdhury, the editor of the film magazine Chitrali. Since then, he has been lovingly called Nayak Raj, the king of heroes.