Dhallywood’s formidable villain: Revisiting ATM Shamsuzzaman’s memorable television roles

For many, ATM Shamsuzzaman remains synonymous with the formidable antagonists he portrayed in Dhallywood. Over the course of his career, he played numerous negative roles on the silver screen, earning immense affection from audiences. During his lifetime, he received several honours, including the Ekushey Padak and the National Film Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Beyond cinema, however, Shamsuzzaman also left his mark on television, appearing in numerous dramas that earned him widespread appreciation.

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Today, September 10, marks his birth anniversary. On the occasion, we look back at some of his memorable performances on television.

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One of them was the immensely popular long-running series “Ronger Manush”, jointly written by Selim Al Deen and Masum Reza and directed by Salahuddin Lavlu. Shamsuzzaman played Bostani Shah, a character that became a favourite among viewers. Just as audiences remember the series, Bostani Shah remains one of its most memorable characters.

Another popular series was “Vober Hat”, written by Masum Reza and directed by Salahuddin Lavlu. The drama notably brought Shamsuzzaman and Humayun Faridi face-to-face in a major television serial. Shamsuzzaman portrayed Marem Khan, delivering a memorable performance.

He also drew attention for his role in Mir Sabbir’s long-running series “Noashal”, in which he delivered his dialogues in the Noakhali dialect.

In the widely acclaimed drama “Noiboch Noiboch”, Shamsuzzaman played an idealistic teacher navigating the joys, sorrows, frustrations and disappointments of life. One particularly emotional moment, in which the teacher is humiliated by a student, moved many viewers to tears.

The original story of “Noiboch Noiboch” came from Shamsuzzaman himself, while Flora Sarker wrote the screenplay and dialogues. The drama was directed by Salahuddin Lavlu.

Shamsuzzaman also appeared in “Shilbari”, directed by Salahuddin Lavlu and written by Brindaban Das. Centred on the lives of an impoverished Shil family in a village, the drama featured him as Upen Shil. His performance earned appreciation from audiences across generations. Brindaban Das played his elder son, while Chanchal Chowdhury portrayed his younger son.

In “Napit”, Shamsuzzaman played a village man deeply attached to trees and determined to prevent one from being cut down. One of his memorable lines was, “I won’t let this tree be cut down.” The drama received praise from audiences at the time.

He took on the role of a miser in “Ei Je Duniya”, which also featured Ishita and Tony Dias. He also appeared in the comedy “Prem Piriti”, where his character spoke in the Noakhali dialect.

In the one-hour drama “Goruchor”, Shamsuzzaman played a cattle thief, a performance that earned him further recognition. Other notable television appearances included “Ghorkutum”, “Dholer Baddi” and the acclaimed “Ponditer Mela”.

These were only some of the many television dramas through which ATM Shamsuzzaman demonstrated a range that extended far beyond the negative characters for which he became widely known on the silver screen.