Most actors enter the film industry with a sort of zeal that is difficult to replicate in other professions, such is the passion of aspiring actors. So, it is unusual when one hears a story of an accidental actor, someone who came into films only by chance. It is even more unusual once you hear that they were once a prisoner of war on death row.
The actor who was a prisoner of war
Born in 1922 in UP, Nazir Hussain grew up in a middle-class household. The actor had no dreams to enter showbiz as a child and instead followed his father’s footsteps, joining the railways, where he worked as a fireman. During World War 2, when he was barely out of his teens, Nazir joined the British Indian Army and was posted in Malaysia and Singapore, where he was taken prisoner.
When Nazir Hussain was sentenced to death
Upon being released in 1941, Hussain joined Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army and fought against the British. For his revolutionary activities, the British Raj declared him a traitor. The youngster was even apprehended and did not return home for years. His family even considered him dead but he somehow managed to slip them a message from captivity. It was only after the Independence that Hussain was freed and he was able to reunite with his family.
Nazir Hussain’s acting career
Unable to find jobs, Nazir Hussain joined the theatre where he impressed BN Sircar, who called him to Calcutta. In the city, Hussain met filmmaker Bimal Roy and became his assistant. He joined Roy to make a film based on his INA experience, titled Pahela Aadmi, in which he starred as well. The film, released in 1953, made him a star, and he then became a permanent fixture in Bimal Roy’s films. Over the next three decades, he worked in a number of hits such as Do Bigha Zamin, Devdas, Naya Daur, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Jewel Thief, Dharmatma, and Amar Akbar Anthony.
Nazir Hussain is called the father of Bhojpuri cinema, having established the industry. He made the first ever Bhojpuri film in 1963 (Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo) and also gave hits like Hamaar Sansar and Balam Pardesia. For a while, he was the biggest name in the Bhojpuri industry. The veteran actor passed away in 1987 at the age of 65.
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