Humayun Faridi

On this day in 1952, actor Humayun Faridi was conceived. The jewel of an actor left his impact in every acting genre in Bangladesh, from theater to commercial Bangla films.

Over the course of a four-decade career, Faridi rose to an elite level. His distinctive acting technique is still referenced in jokes, tribute videos, and social media posts.

In a newspaper article, Faridi’s close friend and fellow director Shaer Khan affectionately referred to the actor as “Pagla” and “Genius.” Shaer penned: “Humayun Faridi is one of a rare breed of actors. Similar to how Hollywood is still looking for the next Gregory Peck, we will have to wait 100 years for the next Faridi.” Humayun Faridi was referred to as the “Gregory Peck of Bangladesh” by Shaer. His eulogy wouldn’t be an exaggeration, given Faridi is widely recognized as one of Bangladesh’s all-time best actors.

In Bangla movies, Faridi has played a range of parts, some of which were adversarial. But despite playing a villain, he still stole the show. His portrayal of “Kan kata Ramjan” has become legendary in our nation’s TV history. One of his best performances, albeit slightly less well known, was as the chauvinist and abusive manager Mr. Hawladar in the cult classic movie Palabi Kothay. The movie seems more timely in the MeToo era, and it was undoubtedly ahead of its time.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Abir Ahmed Tanvir