One reason is that filmmakers working with sons and daughters of noted actors are usually intimidated. Hence these budding actors are not getting honest feedback. Often offspring of veteran actors are over-confident and they lack dedication as initially they get everything made for them, whereas an actor with no previous connection with the film industry has to work hard to get a foothold.

As a veteran actor you have certain responsibilities towards the society. How do you evaluate that?
Md. Rabiul Islam (Rabi)
322, Bangabandhu Hall
University of Rajshahi.
Razzak: Like personalities from other fields of the society, actors too have social responsibilities; more so because they can reach a wider part of the population. I have worked as a goodwill ambassador for UNFPA on campaigns against child marriage and for gender equality, safe motherhood, reproductive health and family planning. However, I would like to point out that if the government assisted us we could definitely achieve more in social reform.

As a director whom would your dream cast include?

Juthi Ashraf
Comilla
Razzak: When it comes to filmmaking, I'm not a firm believer of 'star value'. I pick actors according to what the characters demand. For instance when I started working on Chanpadangar Bou, I was supposed to play the lead role of a naive young man. But if I did that the character would lose its sense of credibility; I was 40 at that time. So I looked for a fresh face and when I couldn't find anyone to my liking, I cast my son Bappa in the role. It was his first film.

How is Bangladeshi cinema compared to that of our neighbouring countries?
Saiful Bari
Shantinagar, Dhaka
Razzak: Well, Sri Lankan movie industry is not that active due to political turmoil. Undoubtedly Mumbai film industry is going strong currently. We cannot compare our movies to that. And I don't think we want to either. There was a time when Dhaka and Kolkata movie industry enjoyed a healthy competition and both were producing quality movies. But that's history now. Thanks to some tasteless, crass "manufacturers" our movie industry is riddled with low grade, vulgar films.

We know you as "Razzak", do you have a nickname?
Swapan Dewan
Segun bagicha, Dhaka
Razzak: My parents and siblings call me "Raju".

What type of roles are more challenging -- the lover boy or the rebel?
Seema Rahman
Maharaja Rd, Mymensingh
Razzak: I'd have to say romantic roles. Unlike what most think, romantic roles are tougher. I think an actor who can manage to establish an image of a "romantic hero" has a God-gifted talent.

Maintaining that image is often a facade -- always attired in, behaving in a particular way and all that jazz.

Which one was the best role you have played so far?
Camellia Ahmed
Dinajpur
Razzak: I can think of two: my roles in "Bandi Thekey Begum" and "Beimaan". In "Bandi Thekey Begum" I played Nawab Naushad who buys a slave girl and falls for her but eventually realises she is in love with someone else. In "Beimaan" I played a misled young man who unknowingly kills his father and alienates himself from the world.

Which romantic song from your movies, can you relate to?
Adiba Yasmeen
New DOHS, Dhaka
Razzak: I was then a struggling actor, working in the film "Neel Akasher Nichey" and the song was "Neel akasher nichey ami rastaa cholechhi..." I felt I could relate to that song at that point of my life. I was young, I had a family to take care of and I knew I could make it on my own.

Which actress made the best on-screen couple with you?
Rozina Alam
Malibagh, Dhaka
Razzak: If romantic movies are concerned, definitely Kabori. We had a great understanding and that exuded on the screen. In serious drama, probably Shabana.

What was your first audition like?
Rehnuma Chowdhury
Biani Bazar, Sylhet
Razzak: My first audition was for the film "Hajar Bochhor Dhorey", to be directed by Zahir Raihan. It was where now the Gulshan Shooting Club is. In 1965, most of that area was submerged in water. I was asked to wait. So I waited, with make up on, from 11am to 5pm. Then the audition happened. Needless to say I was a little nervous. "Hajar Bochchor Dhorey" was shelved (the film was later made and released by Zahir Raihan's wife Shuchonda) but Zahir bhai cast me in another film "Behula".

Can movies change the society?
Khaled Khan
Nasirabad, Chittagong
Razzak: They certainly can. Zahir Raihan's film "Jibon Thekey Neya" created quite an impact when it came out in 1970. To this date I cannot think of a bolder movie made in our country. During the making of the film (in 1969) Zahir bhai and I were picked up by the police and interrogated why were making an anti-Pakistani movie.

Born on 23 January 1942, Abdur Razzak aka Razzak is perhaps one of the most popular names in the history of Bengali cinema. Though his introduction was on TV, Razzak soon joined movies in 1960s and continued his career as a lead actor till the '90s. Razzak has worked in over 300 movies and has also directed around 16 films.