Humayun Ahmed’s birthday today

Staff Reporter:

On November 13, Bangladesh remembers what would have been the 77th birthday of Humayun Ahmed, a writer whose words shaped generations. We know him through the whimsical madness of Himu, the rational curiosity of Misir Ali, and the quiet introspection of Shubhra. Yet behind these beloved characters lay many lesser-known sides of the man himself a magician, a believer in the unseen, and a storyteller of life’s mysteries.

Humayun the Magician
Humayun Ahmed was not just a magician in literature; he was a real magician. Ever since his childhood, he was captivated by magic. His room number 564 in Mohsin Hall, Dhaka University was a place of mystery, where he would occasionally perform tricks that left everyone in awe.
As a student, Humayun would tutor in Kamrangirchar, and wherever he went on street corners, in tea shops he performed magic tricks whenever he could. Crowds gathered, clapping enthusiastically at his feats. On one occasion, he amazed Sunil Gangopadhyay himself, who stayed up all night asking, “How is this even possible?” Even the world-renowned magician Jewel Aich later said, “In close-up magic, Humayun was a treasure chest.”

In 1968, he performed magic on television for the first time, on the then Pakistan Television. He was also a member of international magician societies. His charming, sociable personality was as magical as his tricks, attracting people effortlessly.
The Unseen Humayun
But Humayun’s talents went beyond magic. Since his university days, he had a unique ability reading palms and predicting people’s fortunes. Rumors spread in Mohsin Hall that he could tell the future by examining hands, and his friends saw him as almost supernatural. This fascination only deepened as he grew older.

Even in filmmaking, Humayun approached life with a distinct, unconventional lens. When asked at a director’s forum at FDC, he cheekily remarked, “The director’s main job is like a cricket umpire sitting in a white cap, smiling, and coordinating with the actors.”
Once, the singer S.I. Tutul mentioned two palm readers in Kushtia who claimed they could predict everything. Humayun immediately said, “Bring them here.” At Nuhash Palli, fifty guests gathered, and the first palm reading left actor Riaz stunned “Your mother has passed away,” the reader said, though Riaz’s mother was sitting right there. The moment grew even more mysterious until Humayun revealed, “Are you cheating?” The readers fled, later confessing, “There was such a strong spirit in Sir’s house, our jinn couldn’t enter!”

Humayun believed in spirits too. For him, life was an enigmatic reality, much of which went unnoticed by ordinary eyes. He often said, “If jinns can exist, what’s the problem with ghosts?” Critics and readers alike admire how he maintained a perfect balance between logic and mystery in his works.

Cricket, Drama, and Cinema
Humayun Ahmed was passionate about cricket. Watching the Bangladesh team play, he would get caught up in excitement not necessarily because he was a cricket expert, but because each ball, each play, represented a story. “Every six balls carries six different stories,” he would say.

His drama Ei Shob Din Ratri gained immense popularity, but he suddenly stopped it mid-way. The reason? He had planned the drama’s episodes meticulously to save money for a color television. Once the target was reached, the drama ended.

Even in cinema, he was candid about his experiences, often showing his sharp wit and humor. Once, he performed magic in front of Sunil Gangopadhyay, who was astonished and curious all night. Jewel Aich confirmed it: in close-up magic, Humayun was unparalleled.
Who Was Humayun Ahmed?

The characters Humayun created were never perfect they mirrored real people, with all their flaws and eccentricities. Himu, for example, is an ‘outsider’ hero of Bengali literature, wandering around in his yellow panjabi. Shubhra, silent and thoughtful, and Misir Ali, logical yet adventurous, reflect the magical realism of Humayun’s mind.

So, who was Humayun Ahmed, really? It’s hard to define. He was a magician in words, stories, humor, and life itself. Even today, when a young person puts on a yellow panjabi to emulate Himu, one realizes the true magic of Humayun Ahmed an artist who continues to mesmerize us long after his passing.