 |
| Haradhan Basu Mullick spends his days at a local tea stall at Ramrajatala. Picture by Anup Bhattacharya |
A new Bengali serial, based on Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Durgesh Nandini is being aired on ETV Bangla from April 15. Among the many characters in the serial is a poor fisherman, who steals fish in the dark of the night for a living. He is a rugged old man, who is caught by the zamindar’s men for theft. Those who are watching the serial will hardly notice this dark old man playing the poor fisherman, but Haradhan Basu Mullick has spent a lifetime doing such inconspicuous roles in Bengali films and serials.
The short dark man with dishevelled hair is a regular at a tea stall on Mahendra Bhattacharya Road, where he spends the day sipping tea and thinking about his next meal. His nights are spent at the club house at Vidyasagar Sporting Club at Choudhurypara, where he must wait till late night before the young boys finish a rowdy late night game of carrom or cards. He is popularly called ‘Haruda’ in Ramrajatala and is known to come to everyone’s assistance when required. Yet, he finds little help in his hour of need.
Without a shelter over his head and barely one meal a day, Haradhan is leading a life of uncertainty. His dreams of making it big in Tollywood have crashed and today he is penniless and without a proper job. “I used to live in a rented house in Ramrajatala but had to leave it because I did not have a steady income to pay the rent,” said Haradhan.
Life as an actor started when he was in school and was introduced to Haridas Sanyal, a producer of commercial theatre at Kashi Viswanath Mancha in Calcutta. He got to do small roles in Gyanesh Mukherjee’s Mullicka and Aghatan and Soumitra Chatterjee’s Namjibon. “Those days we would have hectic schedules as there would be regular shows at Kashi Viswanath Mancha on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I would get Rs 500 a month at that time,” said Haradhan. Plays like Namjibon and Aghatan were popular at that time and Haradhan remembers going to do call shows as well.
 |
| Haradhan as a poor fisherman in Durgesh Nandini aired on ETV Bangla |
Through commercial theatre, Haradhan came to know director Tarun Majumdar, who cast him in character roles in his films like Phuleswari (1974), Ganadebata (1979), Nimontran (1972), Thogini (1974) and others. Although some of the films won national award, nothing changed for Haradhan. Later, Majumdar included Haradhan in his production team as well. “I worked with him for a long time and also did small roles in other films. However, when Tarun babu gradually stopped working, I, too was left without any work,” said Haradhan.
He has worked with Satyajit Ray in films like Hirak Rajar Deshe where he played a poor farmer. In Ghare Baire, Haradhan played a Muslim character. He was a prisoner in Mrinal Sen’s Mrigaya. However, Haradhan considers his biggest break to be Saroj De’s Kony where he played an important character called Bhelo who was Khidda’s (Soumitra Chatterjee) close associate. The film had won the National award as well. In 2012, he did the role of a servant in Sandip Ray’s Jekhane Bhuter Bhoy.
“I had decided to make films my life because I loved acting. I had tried to do a job but that was not my cup of tea. I lived for some years in a house in Deshapriya Park in Calcutta so that I could regularly visit the studios. I have lived like a vagabond all my life,” said Haradhan.
Age has caught up with Haradhan and he wonders how long he can work. “My last work was in Durgesh Nandini and I am again waiting for something to come up now. But now I wonder how much physical stress I can take. Tarun Majumdar might direct another film in future and has promised me a role in it, but it is still uncertain. I have heard that the state government helps poor artistes. Do they come to know about artistes like us who have only struggled through our lives but have remained penniless?” asked Haradhan.
More about Haradhan
- DoB: October 19, 1937
- Born in: Howrah
- Family: None
- Education: Could not complete Matriculation
- Loves: Listening to music
- Hates: False promises