Exclusive Interview-1: Shabnam
“Actresses have a certain coquettishness and pride, but I never learnt that”
She began acting in the 1960s and continued working steadily until the late 1990s. For several decades, Shabnam reigned as the undisputed top actress in the hearts of audiences. Such unparalleled success is rare in the film industry. Yet, as a child, she never wanted to become an actress. She was a tomboy who loved all kinds of sports, including cricket, kite-flying and playing marbles. Yet before she had even completed school, she became a full-fledged leading actress. Her name went on to feature among the most influential actresses in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Shabnam rose to popularity with the 1961 film “Harano Din”, when she was only 15. The following year, she gained stardom across what was then Pakistan after appearing in the Urdu film “Chanda”. Two films were released from Dhaka, after which “Talash” was released across Pakistan and became a commercial success. By the mid-60s, Shabnam had established herself as Pakistan’s most popular actress. She acted in more than 180 films across the Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Born as Jharna Basak, she eventually became Shabnam to movie goers in both countries. She remains Shabnam to this day. In recognition of her contribution to Bangladeshi cinema, she has been selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 National Film Awards. On 17 August this year she turned 80.
Recently she spoke at length with Prothom Alo at her home in the diplomatic area of Baridhara, Dhaka, discussing various aspects of her life, including her birthday and the Lifetime Achievement Award. She spoke candidly about her life in Bangladesh and Pakistan and also explained why she did not return after Bangladesh gained independence. She was interviewed by Monzur Kader. This is the first part of the interview.
You have turned 80 on 17 August this year. Do you have any regrets or remorse about your life?
Shabnam: I could not give my son enough time. That is the biggest thing missing from my life. When he needed us most in his life, we could not give him the time he needed. We could not stay by his side. We did not even understand it at the time. I understand it now. When I look back, it feels as though everything, acting, family life and raising my son, happened in the blink of an eye. There are certainly some things unfulfilled, but I do not have many regrets. What I have received, and all the love I have received, are the greatest achievements of my life. Now, I simply want to spend the rest of my time laughing and enjoying life with my son.
You have been selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award announced under the 2023 National Film Awards.
Shabnam: It is a tremendous honour that the state has selected me for such an award. I am extremely happy. When I was a child and received small prizes at school, I used to be so happy. And at this age, I am receiving such a major award, and the state itself is presenting it, of course, that makes me very happy. I am sincerely grateful to Bangladesh and its people. Even after all these years, people at home and abroad still remember and love me, that is the greatest achievement for an artist.
At the beginning of my acting career, I performed in the song “Rupnogorer Rajkonna” in the film “Harano Din”. Even today, many people remind me of that song whenever they meet me, and some even sing it for me. I often have such experiences at airports and various other places. At those moments, I feel that, as an actress, my work has succeeded in finding a place in people’s hearts. This love and recognition are my greatest achievements. The Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Film Awards has made that happiness and gratitude even greater.
This time, I would like to go right back to the beginning of your life. You spent your childhood in Nawabpur in Old Dhaka. What were those days of your childhood like?
Shabnam: My childhood days were certainly fun. I used to play all kinds of games with my cousins, including marbles, kite-flying and cricket. I was a tomboy when I was young. I played almost every sport except football. My cousins would wait for me and call, “Jharna, come on out!.” They all used to have a lot of fun with me. I even had pockets in all my frocks so that I could carry my marbles.
Tell us something about your family.
Shabnam: I was born in 1946 on Madanmohan Basak Lane in Nawabpur, Dhaka (now Tipu Sultan Road). My mother, Usha Basak, was a housewife. My father, Nani Basak, was a teacher at Graduate School and also a football referee. I never saw either of my paternal grandparents. I did meet my maternal grandparents, but I cannot remember either of their names.
How many siblings did you have?
Shabnam: We were two sisters; I had no brothers. My elder sister’s name is Shondha Basak. My real name is Jharna Basak.
What does your elder sister do, where does she live and who is in her family?
Shabnam: My elder sister, Shondha Basak, lives in Kolkata. She got married at a young age. She has a son and a daughter. Her daughter is married. Within the past year, both my sister’s son and her husband have passed away.
What were you like as a child—lively or quiet by nature?
Shabnam: I certainly would not say that I was very quiet. I was extremely naughty as a child. My elder sister, however, was very calm. She always had a great deal of affection for me. There were times when I failed a school examination while didi (elder sister) passed with very good marks. Yet, because I had failed, she would start crying! Seeing her cry, I would say, “Didi, why are you crying?” Didi would say, “Because you have failed.” I would say, “Oh, stop it.” As soon as we entered the house, my mother could tell from didi’s face that Jharna must have failed.
You entered the world of acting when you were very young, at a time when you did not really understand anything. We would like to hear how it all began.
Shabnam: My elder sister used to learn dancing, and I learnt by watching her dance from a distance. I would watch her dancing and then go back to my room and try to imitate her movements. My father would watch all this from a distance. He would say, “My younger daughter seems far more interested than my elder daughter. Why don’t we teach her to dance properly?” He then enrolled me at the Sadarghat branch of Bulbul Lalitakala Academy. My father would take me there once a week. I learnt dancing with great dedication.
Ehtesham, the film director, was a friend of my father, although I did not know that at the time. He was making a film called “E Desh Tomar Amar”. The film needed four girls and four boys for a chorus song, with the scene set at a school function. I was one of the four girls selected from Bulbul Academy. At that time, I knew nothing about what a film or a camera was.
Which class were you in at the time?
Shabnam: I think I was in class seven then.
How did you enter acting professionally?
Shabnam: Ehtesham told my father, “Give me your daughter; she will act in the film.” Among the girls he saw while they were learning dance at Bulbul Lalitkala Academy, I looked the prettiest in the photographs. My father could not give Ehtesham chacha (uncle) an answer that day. He only said, “All right, let me see. But will she be able to do it? Jharna is so naughty. She cannot even sit in one place for very long.” Ehtesham chacha then said, “Give her to me. We will teach her the rest.” My father came home and told my mother about it. As soon as she heard, my mother said, “Absolutely not. Have you lost your mind? She would go into films, where she cannot sit in one place for even five minutes. With all the mischief in her head she is going to work in films! It will bring nothing but disgrace.”
My father would ask my mother every day, but she kept refusing. Meanwhile, Captain chacha (Shabnam used to call Ehtesham "Ccaptain chacha") continued to pursue my father relentlessly. He would say, “What’s the matter? Won’t you give me your daughter?” At that time, there were only a few women in the film industry. Sultana Zaman was there. Sumita Devi was there. Chitra Sinha was there. Rowshan Ara was there. But my mother would not agree under any circumstances.
My paternal and maternal family both were zamindars (land-owners). When my maternal uncles heard about it, they became extremely angry. They told my mother, “Have you lost your mind? You are going to let your daughter act in films?” But my father talked to my mother. He said, “Ehtesham is insisting so strongly. Jharna has an artistic spirit. Let her do it. Let her act in one film. If she cannot do it, she can come back.” Then my mother could no longer refuse. She said, “All right, let her go. Let her do it.”
And that was it. I went, I acted, and I kept acting and I never stopped. I never had to look back.
Do you remember the days when you were shooting your early films?
Shabnam: My first film was “E Desh Tomar Amar”. We shot the first day at the Film Development Corporation (FDC). At that time, there was only one shooting floor. After that, I worked in “Rajdhanir Buke”. Chitra Sinha played the heroine in that film. There was a song in the film, a baiji song. I gave the right expressions in that song. It had a close-up shot. After seeing that song, Mustafa Chacha decided to make me the heroine of his next film. That one song made me a heroine.
Besides that, I played Khan Ata’s younger sister in another film. I also acted in Fazlul Haque’s “Ajan”, which was released under the title “Uttaran”. My first film as a heroine was Mustafa’s “Harano Din”. However, before becoming a heroine, I acted in five or six films in small roles.
Surely people at the time said you were so beautiful, you should be a heroine?
Shabnam: Everyone said that. I have always liked to remain well-groomed. I was quite conscious about my appearance. But I never once thought that I would become a heroine.
Surely becoming a heroine disrupted your education?
Shabnam: My maternal uncles were highly educated. So everyone in my family took education very seriously. I did too, although never to the extent my elder sister did. I studied up to the matric level and sat for my examination from Banglabazar School. Then I entered college, but after that I could not continue my studies.
Why?
Shabnam: By the time I entered college, I had become a full-fledged heroine. 'Harano Din' had been released. 'Chanda' and 'Talash' had also been released. Whenever I went to class, people talked mostly about my films. My classmates would sit eagerly and wait to hear stories about the shoots. They would ask things like, “What did you do yesterday? What is such-and-such hero like? What is this or that artiste like?” I found all this very irritating. Every time I went to college, everyone wanted to know, “Who were you shooting with yesterday? What dialogue did you deliver?” So I told my father, “I cannot do both at the same time. Either let me continue my studies or let me work in films. Both require concentration.”
I had to memorise dialogues for films, along with doing many other things. After I told my father, he left the decision to me. By then, 'Chanda' and 'Talash' had become hits. I had also started enjoying this profession. I found it very interesting. So I gave up my studies and chose films.
Did you ever regret giving up your studies later in life?
Shabnam: No matter what one becomes, education always has a value of its own. I established myself as a heroine, but it would have been wonderful if I had continued my education alongside my acting career. It is very important. When I was a full-fledged heroine during the Pakistan period and journalists used to come from different places, I sometimes felt that it would have been better if I had continued my studies. However, what I achieved was not insignificant either. Now, sometimes when I am lying or sitting idle, I wonder, how did I manage to work in so many films? I learnt Urdu, learnt to write and read it, and acted in one Urdu film after another! When I first received a script for an Urdu film, I could not understand many things. There was someone there who was like a teacher. Whenever I got stuck, I sought help from that teacher. That is how I trained myself.
You had never even considered entering films. Yet you gradually became busy with cinema. When you first started shooting, you did not really know much about filmmaking. In which film did you realise that you were acting and becoming a heroine?
Shabnam: It really amazes me. I think about it and wonder, how did it happen! I realised I had become a heroine while shooting 'Harano Din'. But actresses tend to have a certain coquettishness and pride, and I never learnt that. Perhaps Allah gifted me with this quality. If I had known how to behave that way, Jharna could never have become Shabnam; I would have remained Jharna. Because I had no sense of false pride, I was able to move forward. I have never misbehaved with anyone in my life. I worked in Pakistan for 30 years, and not a single person can say that Shabnam ever harmed anyone. Nor can anyone say that they were hurt because of something I said.
How did you first meet Robin Ghosh?
Shabnam: Robin Ghosh was the music director of 'Harano Din'. I met Robin while working on that film. We used to meet at Ehtesham Sahib’s office. Datta da (Subhash Dutta) and I would go to Ehtesham chacha’s office in Kaptan Bazar for rehearsals. Robin Sahib would come in the afternoons. Although we knew each other in Dhaka, our romantic relationship began in Lahore. We all went to Lahore including Sumita Devi, Rosy Samad, Nasima Khan and me, to play a friendly cricket match to raise funds for flood victims. Neither my mother nor father accompanied me that time. Sumita didi was our guardian. After the match, we were preparing to return to Dhaka. In the meantime, Sumita didi suggested that we do some shopping. Everyone went their own way. I was alone at the hotel, and Robin Ghosh took this chance to propose to me. We were then in a relationship for five years. We eventually got married while Talash was being made.
Did either of your families object to your marriage?
Shabnam: My mother agreed on this one matter. Yet she was the very person who had opposed my entering films. Initially, my father objected to my marriage to Robin. My mother said, “My daughter will marry the person she likes, as long as she is happy with him.” Robin was a very calm person. We had a wonderful understanding, and he understood me extremely well. I became Shabnam with his guidance. He supported everything I did. When we first went to Pakistan, he accompanied me to my early shoots. Once he realised that I had adapted to the environment there and understood how to conduct myself and how to speak to different people, he stopped accompanying me.
How did you begin working in Urdu films?
Shabnam: After 'Chanda' and 'Talash' became hits, Captain chacha (Ehtesham) explained to us, “You should work in Urdu films. It would be better if you made Urdu films. We would earn more money and be able to make better films.” At that time, a film was made on a budget of only around Tk 150,000 to Tk 200,000. After 'Chanda' and 'Talash' became hits, many people started making Urdu films. Although not all of them were hits, most of them flopped. After those films flopped, filmmakers turned towards folk-style films. Then 'Rupban' was made. Around the same time, we also became interested in Urdu films.”
How many Urdu films did you work in before going to Pakistan? Which films were they?
Shabnam: Perhaps six or seven. At that time, we made only one film a year. 'Chanda' and 'Talash' were superhits. Then there were 'Naz Ghar', 'Kajol', 'Preet Na Jane Reet' and several others.
After “E Desh Tomar Amar”, you worked in “Rajdhani’r Buke” and then became a heroine with “Harano Din”. “Chanda” and “Talash” were released, and eventually you began working in Pakistani films as well. How did you establish a connection with Pakistani cinema?
Shabnam: When I became well-known in Bangladesh, journalists from Pakistan would call me. I received the Nigar Award 16 times, and somehow Ilyas Rashidi, the leading figure at Nigar Publications, obtained Robin Ghosh’s telephone number. He used to call quite often. He was also a wonderful patron of cinema. He would frequently say, “Robin, come to Pakistan. The market here is much bigger. You should come over.” Robin never told them that we did not know Urdu. Later, he came to me and asked, “Shall we go?” I said, “Why should I go there? I do not know Urdu. I will not be able to speak. People will laugh at me and think I am uneducated.” After discussing it back and forth, I spent 10 years without making a decision. During those 10 years, I gained some command of the Urdu language.
One day Robin said to me, ‘Let’s go to Pakistan and see what happens. If you like it, we will stay; otherwise, we will come back to our country. If you get to work in good films there, you will become very famous because the market is much bigger.” I did not understand all that much at the time. Anyway, we initially went to Karachi, Pakistan. We stayed at the Jabees Hotel in Karachi. About a week later, Waheed Murad came to the hotel. We spoke, and he made a film in which he was the producer, I was the heroine and he was also the hero. The film also did well.
Did you go to what was then Pakistan after receiving an offer to act in a film, or did you receive the offer after you arrived?
Shabnam: After I went there. I had already told journalist Ilyas Rashidi that we were coming. We went to Karachi intending to stay for a year. If something worked out during that time, fine; otherwise, we would return home. After we arrived, Waheed Murad came, and after some discussions, he finalised the shooting dates. We started shooting exactly a month and a half after I arrived in Pakistan. Other filmmakers and producers there were also ready to work with me after I arrived. Before I went to the first film’s shoot, I made it clear that I had to receive the script before filming. I would memorise it and then go to the shoot. They told me that I would receive the script on the shooting set. I then said, “If I receive it on the set, I will not be able to act. This is not even my language.” Later, they said, “All right, we will send it to you. You can go through it.” I read the script and felt that the language was not particularly difficult because, by then, I had learnt Urdu. The first film was Samundar, produced by Waheed Murad’s production house, with Waheed Murad himself as the hero. Rafiq Rizvi directed the film. We shot the entire film in Karachi. Around 1970, I moved to Lahore.
Had you taken on work in other films before your first film, Samundar, was released?
Shabnam: Yes, I had. By then, more or less everyone there knew that I was in Karachi, Pakistan. People from Lahore were also telling me, “Come to Lahore.” I was still in Karachi. People there would say, “The Karachi film industry is nothing compared with Lahore. Lahore is a much bigger market. Come here.” Later, Ilyas Rashidi Sahib himself said, “What they are saying is true. Since you have already come here, you can now go to Lahore.” Instead of staying in Karachi for one year, I stayed there for two years. I made several Urdu films there, and they became superhits. Then I went to Lahore.
How many films did you act in altogether in Karachi, and who were your leading men?
Shabnam: I worked in five or six films in Karachi. The first was Samundar, followed by Jahan Tum Wahan Hum, Ladla, Dhamaka and a few others that I cannot quite remember. Waheed Murad was the hero in most of my films in Karachi. Parvez Malik also acted as my leading man in some films. Gradually, the Karachi productions were no longer doing very well. That was when I started receiving invitations from Lahore.
How much was your fee for your first film in Pakistan?
Shabnam: I do not remember the exact amount of my fee. However, I do remember that I used that money to buy a small house. It was a two-bedroom house in Karachi. After staying in a hotel for a year, I no longer felt comfortable living there. By then, I had already signed three or four films in Karachi. Someone told me that a two-bedroom house with a drawing and dining room was for sale in the Karachi Society area. It was a beautiful house. I went to see it and liked it. After shoots, I had started feeling very uncomfortable about travelling back and forth to the hotel and staying there. So I bought the house. It was just right for the two of us. My parents were still in Dhaka, and my son Roni was there too. After buying the house, I took my son and my parents there as well.
How much was your fee for films in Dhaka?
Shabnam: There is no shame in saying it. I worked for it; I did not ask anyone for money. I received Tk 1,200 for acting in Harano Din. I gave that money to my mother. She said, “You don’t need to give me your money.” I told her, “Buy yourself a sari with it, Ma.” I received nothing for “E Desh Tomar Amar” and Rajdhani’r Buke.”
When did you go to Lahore?
Shabnam: I went from Karachi to Lahore to act in films. My first film in Lahore was Naz, in which Mohammad Ali was the hero. I then acted in Dosti. Sharif Nayyar directed both films. Music artiste Noor Jehan produced Dosti, while her husband, Ejaz, played the hero. There were even times when I worked on the shoots of four films simultaneously.
You worked on so many films. How did you manage to coordinate everything?
Shabnam: When I had so many films on my hand, I honestly could not figure out how I would manage everything. Then Mohammad Ali, the popular Pakistani actor, told me, “Shabnam, you are good at managing your time. Do one thing: divide your time into shifts. One shift from 6:00 am to 10:00 am, another from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, another at a different studio from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm and another from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.” That is how I sometimes shot four films in a single day.”
I would enter the shooting location already prepared for the character. As soon as they called for me, I could become that character within moments. Once I entered a scene, everything would automatically fall into place in my mind. If a song sequence followed the scene, I would have that completely clear in my mind as well. I had a van in which I kept suitcases full of costumes for different films, along with various types of jewellery for different characters. My van had a refrigerator, wardrobe and bed, it was my own van. After I moved to Lahore, Robin bought it for me to make my work easier. Then there was the work involved in dubbing and releasing the films. I managed everything and worked accordingly.
Is it true that everyone in Pakistan called you “Bhabi (sister-in-law)”?
Shabnam: They used to call me Madam, but I did not like it. Because of Robin Ghosh, everyone later started calling me Bhabi. At the shooting studios, everyone considered me their Bhabi.
Was there only competition within the heroines, or did you also form friendships?
Shabnam: Can you really be friends with everyone? I became friends with Zeba from the very beginning. We are still friends. We speak every few days. She asks me to come to Lahore, and I ask her to come here as well.
Among the male actors in Pakistan, you worked most extensively with Nadeem...
Shabnam: I acted in more than 50 films with Nadeem. I was so busy with work that I never had time for casual conversations. I would be at the studio from 6: 00 am until 10:00 pm. However, because of Captain chacha, Nadeem and I had a family-like relationship. For example, if I performed a good action sequence during a shoot or gave good expressions during a dance, Nadeem would say, “That was very good.” We always rehearsed before shooting. Sometimes, what I had done perfectly during rehearsal did not come out quite right during the actual shoot. If I could not get it right, I would do the shot again. I felt most comfortable working with Nadeem.”
What was your own strategy for going from Bangladesh to Pakistan and becoming an influential heroine there? What strategy did you follow to maintain your position?
Shabnam: I went from one country to another. So, at the beginning, my main objective was to learn and adapt to the rules, customs, clothing and culture of that country. I was a Bengali girl. I went to school and wore frocks, I started acting in films at a young age. After going there, I started wearing saris. In Pakistan, I had to wear various types of clothing for films, all according to the requirements of the characters. But my main goal was to work. Whenever I received a character, I would concentrate on that character. I would think, “The character is really interesting. I have to do this role well, whatever it takes.” I would try to become that character.
One thing was always on my mind: 50 to 100 people are present during the shooting of a film, and many more people are involved behind the scenes. If I arrived late for a shoot, everyone else would be delayed. If I arrived on time, we could complete the work properly. If the film did well, the producer would make a profit. If the producer made money, I would be able to work in their films again. If I wanted to stay there, this was how I had to conduct myself. I had to make sure that my actions did not cause any harm to anyone.Of course, alongside good producers, there were also bad producers who created problems over money. At the time, I saw many people thinking, “Some has such big house, and some has Mercedes-Benz; I must have those things too.” But my thinking was different. Since I had already bought a house in Karachi, I would certainly buy a house and a car in Lahore too, everything would happen in due course. But above everything else, I had to act well. I had to win people’s hearts. If producers made profits, they would make more films. In short, I believed that if I acted properly, everything else would happen automatically. So I devoted myself to acting, and everything else fell into place at the right time.
How long did it take you to have a house and car in Lahore?
Shabnam: As far as I remember, I had a house and a car within three years of starting work on my first film. The house in Gulberg, Lahore, was bungalow-style. It stood on around three bighas of land. Robin gave me a great deal of support in helping me move forward. He never praised me directly. For example, if a film became a superhit, he might say something when we went to watch it together. Robin would simply say, “It was good.” However, he always gave me constructive criticism, which helped me improve later. If he did not like a particular hairstyle or felt that I had not worn a sari properly, he would tell me immediately. He would say, “Don’t do this hairstyle again.” I would follow his advice.
Pakistani producers and directors certainly welcomed you warmly. Surely the heroines did not welcome you in the same way! Or were they also genuinely cordial towards you?
Shabnam: When I had just arrived in Lahore, an influential actress there said, “There comes Shabnam. She will do two or three films and then leave. There is no way she will survive the competition in Lahore.” The comment reached my ears. I heard it but said nothing. I told myself, “All right, let’s see what I can do.” That comment sparked a determination in me. I decided that I would prove what we Bengalis could do. Then the rest was Allah’s grace, I could not have achieved anything on my own. Without Allah’s support, it would have been impossible to work in such a huge industry. Otherwise, how could two films based on similar stories both become superhits and, moreover, be released in the same week?
Which was your first big-hit film in Lahore?
Shabnam: I had my first big hit with my second film. The film was Dosti. It was such a superhit that there was nothing more to say about its success. I played the role of a village girl in that film. Andheli was also a superhit afterwards.
Could you name your 10 best films released in Pakistan?
Shabnam: Andheli, Dosti, Bandagi, Aaina, Bandish, Anmol, Qurbani, Zeenat (I played both the mother and daughter in this film), Pehchan and Dehleez. Three of my films were remade in India, with Rekha playing the heroine: Saas Meri Saheli, Main To Meri Dulhan and Rani Beti Raj Karegi. Before I permanently moved to Bangladesh in 1999, I completed work on Rani Beti Raj Karegi. Among the films I made in Bangladesh were Nacher Putul, Sandhi, Kajol, Shart, Akhiri Station and Ammajan. I played the role of a mentally disturbed woman in Akhiri Station.
Although you and Robin Ghosh both worked in the entertainment industry, your mediums were different. You were both extremely busy. What was the greatest strength of your relationship?
Shabnam: We had a wonderful understanding. Knowing each other and having trust in each other were always important to us. It was never the case that someone could simply come along and say something and suddenly create mistrust between us. Robin had a parrot-coloured car. Everyone we knew in Lahore recognised that car. Sometimes someone might see Robin driving somewhere with another person in the car. I had a sister-in-law, Suraiya Chowdhury, the wife of cinematographer Afzal Chowdhury, who was also quite well-known and influential in Lahore. One day she came to me and said, “I saw Robin Bhai driving along Mall Road with someone in the car.” After finishing shoot, I would ask Robin, “Who did you take in the car?” I would also joke about it. That does not mean we never quarrelled. We certainly did. But afterwards, everything would become fine again. We would both return attention to our respective work.
You were also someone many people dreamed of. Didn’t you receive proposals of love?
Shabnam: No one in the industry dared to propose to me. I also never gave anyone that kind of opportunity. I always had my assistant with me during shoots. Once the shooting ended and my belongings had been loaded into the car, I would go straight home. I never had the opportunity to sit and chat with the heroes or producers after shooting. However, I received countless marriage and romantic proposals from people outside the industry so many that they cannot be counted. Some prominent people also approached me. I would tell them, “I already have my hero at home, so why would I go outside to find love?” Besides, Robin himself was very handsome.
How did you manage your family life alongside your career?
Shabnam: Robin was more supportive in this regard. We had taken a boy with us from Bangladesh to Pakistan, and he looked after the household. He did all the shopping and other household chores. There was not much else to manage, taking Roni to school and bringing him home. There were only the two of us, so we had to manage everything together. However, we used to host a lot of parties at our home. There were no mobile phones at the time. When I was shooting four films in a single day, I might not have told Robin or might not have had the opportunity to tell him. So I would leave a note for him, writing something like, “I will be at this studio from 10:00 am until this time, and then I will go to another studio.” I would tell him to call if necessary. We both had a clear understanding of each other’s work. If Robin needed me, he would call the studio. Robin was equally transparent with me about his work.
You went to Pakistan in 1968 and acted with Waheed Murad. Then you worked with Nadeem most frequently—around 50 films. Surely, after working together in so many films, your relationship went beyond a professional association. What was your relationship actually like?
Shabnam: My first film with Nadeem was Tum Mere Ho, which we made here (in Bangladesh) in the 1960s. Then came Harano Din, Chanda and Talash. I cannot remember which films we made after I went to Pakistan. But, as I said, our relationship was like that between family members. We used to work together with a lot of laughter, jokes and fun. Everyone at the studio knew that we were connected as a family.
Nadeem was very sincere about his work. However, he was always a little afraid when he had to shoot with me, not afraid of me in that sense, but because I was very strict about maintaining time. Nadeem used to arrive late for shoots. Whenever he heard that Shabnam was the heroine for the next day’s shoot, he would say, “Oh dear, there goes my sleep tonight.” It was even more difficult when we had morning shoots. He would tell me, “Can’t you come a little late to the shoot?” I would ask, “Why should I come late?” He would say, “You arrive so early that I cannot sleep at all. If I have a 6:00 am shoot with you, I stay awake from 3:00 am.”
Did you address Nadeem formally or informally?
Shabnam: Formally. Respect has to be earned. I addressed almost everyone there formally.
Although you acted in around 150 films in Pakistan, why do you think your pairing with Nadeem became so popular?
Shabnam: I never really thought about why people liked us so much in that way. However, I think Nadeem and I were close in age. We looked very good together on screen. At the time, everyone thought of us as husband and wife. Even now, we often see comments asking, “Why didn’t you two become husband and wife?” Nadeem was even asked why he had not married Shabnam. He replied, “Shabnam had already got married before she entered films.” It is true that, after watching us together on screen, people started to believe that we were actually a married couple. There was even a time when two films were released at the same cinema within two weeks, with us playing the hero and heroine in both. However, Nadeem got married after I had married.
If you had not married earlier, do you think there might have been a possibility of marrying Nadeem?
Shabnam: Perhaps it could have happened; it was not impossible. Our on-screen chemistry was so wonderful that people had already assumed Nadeem and I were husband and wife. At that time, however, we were more focused on our work. If Nadeem performed well, I could not afford to perform poorly. So I never let my concentration waver on set. I had to give the right reactions and perform properly.
When you say that you might have married Nadeem had you not married earlier, does that mean your relationship went beyond being merely familial and professional and developed, at least to some extent, into a romantic relationship?
Shabnam: My relationship with Nadeem never developed into a romantic relationship. We were friends. There were certain things I could not tell anyone else but could speak about freely with Nadeem. That was the nature of our relationship.
Many people believe that, despite working together for such a long time, you and Nadeem managed to maintain the freshness of your on-screen pairing. What would you say about that?
Shabnam: I always followed a diet. I was very conscious about fitness. There were times when Nadeem would be eating rice on the set while I would not. He would often tease me about it. He would say, “You will never be able to improve. You are a heroine and will always remain a heroine; you will never be able to become an actress."
How comfortable were you with Nadeem as a co-star?
Shabnam: I really liked the fact that once Nadeem came onto the set, he would not leave until he had finished his work. You know how, during a shoot, someone might receive a phone call and leave the set? I never saw Nadeem do that. Although he would arrive late at the set, once he came in, he would never leave without completing the entire day’s work. I really appreciated that. Sometimes he would choose a particular make-up or look, and I would tell him, “Don’t go with this look; it won’t suit you.” He would listen to me. The same happened with me—something I could not do with the other co-stars. We were very friendly with each other. That is why people still like us together. I worked with 10 or 12 heroes in Pakistan, but I was not as comfortable with anyone else as I was with Nadeem. With the others, I would simply think, “He is my hero and I am his heroine” and work accordingly.
After Nadeem, which of your co-stars in Pakistan were you most comfortable with?
Shabnam:
With the others apart from Nadeem, we made films together, finished the work, and that was it. Our relationship remained limited to the shooting set. However, I was professional with everyone on screen.During that period, six new heroes made their film debuts opposite me in Pakistan. If they acted in a film with me, it became a hit, and they never had to look back afterwards. Among the newcomers were Javed Sheikh, Faisal, Shafi Muhammad and a few others whose names I cannot quite remember. They all worked in television at the time, and they made their film debuts opposite me.
How many films did you act in altogether in Pakistan?
Shabnam:
I acted in around 150 films in Pakistan.
To be continued...