The New Nation - Internet Edition

Special: 86th birth anniversary of artist Safiuddin Ahmed today: 1st ever solo exhibition in Bangladesh to be inaugurated at Bengal Gallery

Artist Safiuddin Ahmed

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Artist Safiuddin Ahmed is a distinguished name in the art movement of Bangladesh. He was the colleague and contemporary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. He is a dedicated purist who helped to establish modern art in Bangladesh. He is also called the 'Father of printmaking in Bangladesh.’ Today (June 23) is the 86th birth anniversary of artist Safiuddin Ahmed.

As an artist, he was already famous in the 1940s. Born in 1922 he trained in the Calcutta Government School of Art. He was able to develop a distinctly individualistic tone and tenor in his creative work. His prints in particular bear the signs of a mature temperament and occupied creativity and sublimation. He is also extraordinary expert in oil, drawing and watercolour. The nature of his work and the character that nurtures it give it a distinctive character.

Safiuddin played a role along with Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, in setting up the Art School in Dhaka in 1948. He joined the art school and took up fine arts as a mission. Safiuddin Ahmed is the pioneer printmaker of the Bangladeshi art world. He is also one of the eminent printmakers of modern printmaking in South Asia. Winning of his Academy President’s Gold Medal in 1945, the first prize of his 'Happy Home’ in the International Contemporary Art Exhibition in 1946 and the first prize for 'Santal Maiden’ (black and white, etching and drawing) in the inter Asian Art Exhibition, organised by the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society in New Delhi in 1847 prove that Safiuddin’s works received critical recognition in the whole Asian region, especially in undivided India.

The artist left his brilliant career in the undivided India and headed to the new state Pakistan just after the partition, along with his fellow Bengali Muslim artists, including Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and Patua Quamrul Hassan from Kolkata, with the dream of establishing a new art school in Dhaka, the then capital of the eastern wing of the country. As one of the founder members he worked, even though more passively than his famous contemporaries, in bracing the art movement of this region. He worked a long time as the head of the Printmaking Department and was involved with this institution till 2004.

Though he was contemporary of eminent artists of Bangladesh art world, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and Patua Quamrul Hassan, he attracted the art connoisseurs with his distinctive style in presenting the rural and people of working class.

On this occasion, the former students, disciples and well-wishers of the artist are preparing to celebrate the 86th birthday of the last living artist of 'Charukala’ (Fine Arts Institute) establishment Safiuddin Ahmed.

The Bengal Shilpalaya is going to arrange the first solo exhibition of Safiuddin Ahmed in Bangladesh.

The exhibition titled 'The Limitless Luminosity of Lines’ will be inaugurated at 6:00pm at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts on June 23. After nearly five decades, the artist known as isolated and introvert has agreed to arrange his solo exhibition, which will be his first ever solo show in Bangladesh.

Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Safiuddin Ahmed, Quamrul Hasan, SM Sultan and Mohammad Kibria are the pioneers of modernity in our fine arts. Safiuddin has consistently been creative and is still at work like new artists, spurred on by an innate creative urge.

Safiuddin has, however, kept himself somewhat out of the public glare.

This quiet and reserved, refined octogenarian has enriched our art tradition with his creative works and aesthetic disposition. The number of his well-wishers and students are numerous.

Celebrity News: Farah Ruma in 3 dramas

Farah Ruma

Entertainment Desk

Where every body is performing either in daily soaps or serials, there Farah Ruma is doing only single episode drama. Recently she has done three single episode dramas. These are - 'Attosigdho Ekjon’ by Monir Hossain, 'Chamatker’ by Habib Raja and 'Waiting for You Baby’ by Raju Alim. In the first drama, Jitu Ahsan is her co-artist. In the drama, she is acting as a university student. The drama 'Chamatker’ is based on village story, while in the 'Waiting for you baby’ she is acting with Tauqir Ahmed for the first time.

Bollywood: I hear I have a drinking problem: Akshaye Khanna

Entertainment Desk

Akshaye Khanna clears the air on the alchohol controversy, and his penchant for parody..!

Is it true Akshay that you had a drinking problem recently?

Certainly not!

Where did that come from?

It was one photograph taken outside a friend’s nightclub. It was blown a bit out of proportion. Isn’t it normal to unwind at a friend’s party? Suddenly I hear I have a drinking problem.

It was also rumoured that you went to a rehabilitation centre?

Says who? Oh God, no! I’m the last person on this earth to make a spectacle of myself. Yes, I did take a vacation.

A friend was quoted as saying you had gone to clean yourself out?

I don’t have friends who would talk like this.

Did this scandal bother you?

Come on, you can hardly call it a scandal. I can’t say I was unaffected because such a thing has never happened to me before. I can say with a certain amount of gratitude that so far the press has always been fair to me. I’m not bitter about it.

But I find a clear perspective missing in such rumours. But then we’re living in a world that’s constantly changing. Journalism in this country is also changing. I can see the humorous side of it. One lives and learns.Enough said on this topic.

You’re an introvert…

I am not.

But you are a private person. How comfortable are you doing a loud comedy?

I haven’t done that much comedy. Out of the 30 or 35 films only 4 have been comedies. And of course Salaam-e-Ishq where I thought my track was really funny.

In the long run would you be remembered by Gandhi My Father or the comedies?

I’ve no burning ambitious to be remembered. Once I’m gone I’m gone. It doesn’t make a damn difference. It’ s not my ambition to leave a legacy behind. It doesn’t matter to me what people think about me when I’m not there.

Do you think Priyadarshan has reached saturation point as far as comedies are concerned?

That’s not fair to him or to me. I’ve done only three comedies with him. And Priyan has done a lot more than just comedy in Hindi. In the South his oeuvre is phenomenal.

And he’s just made a Kanjeevaram which I believe is awesome. The kind of success he has had at the boxoffice with comedies completely justifies what he does. We keep discussing many other films and scripts besides the ones we’ve done together. He’s got such great ideas.

Event: Mesbah’s Ghazal Night held

Mesbah Ahmed

Entertainment Report

“I believe in perfection of music and try my best to improve myself day by day,” said promising 'Ghazal’ artiste Mesbah Ahmed at his solo 'Ghazal’ performance at the Alliance Francaise Auditorium in the capital on Saturday night.

The Alliance Francaise de Dacca organised the 'Ghazal Night’ to observe the 'Fete de la Musique’ (International Music Festival 2008). Mesbah started his performance with 'Jhuki Jhukisi Najar’ written by Kaif-e-Azmi. Then he performed other numbers including 'Tumhare Shehar Ka Maushum’ written by Kaisar Zafri. He performed about 90 minutes at a time, which enthralled the audience.

Mesbah Ahmed has devoted his music passion for 'Ghazal.’ He has dedicated his entire life to develop and concentrate on pure music to satisfy the souls of numerous music listeners with excellence and clarity of music. For this reason, he had to face up to the refutation influence of the present musical arena. Even though he never has been driven away from the moral values of the music. He has already won the love of his fans by his well-trained melodious voice and unique presentation style.

Mesbah was born in Dhaka in 1973. He started his childhood learning from classical music by Ustad Niaz Mohammad Chowdhury and continued for a long time. He started his musical journey from learning to listening music from many 'Ustads’ (music teachers) and scholars in country and abroad. He started live performance from his early age, which has helped him to develop his skill. This also helped him to improve his understanding about music and controlling of various compositions. Now he is learning with Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan from India, who is a living legend of classical music, at a workshop organised by Bengal Foundation. He trained and mastered himself with proper accent and style by listening the 'Ghazals’ cassettes and CDs of renowned 'Ghazal’ maestros. He has a record number 1500 live solo performances and awarded as the 'Ghazal Personality’ in country by the Rotaract Club of Metropolitan Dhaka in 2005. He also won a lot of awards including 'Best Ghazal singer among the Newcomers’ in 2007. His first musical album titled 'Bahanno Diner Sangsar’ is available in the market, which could give new dimension to the listeners.