Ahmed Rubel: I wanted to be a politician

This article was published on 12 November, 2022. We revisit the article to celebrate the memory of actor Ahmed Rubel, who died today.

Instantly recognisable for his deep voice and chiselled profile, actor Ahmed Rubel, now into his 50s, still emanates youthful energy.  

His fit physique is only matched by his constantly evolving acting skills that get sharper with each new challengings role. Although he has not been seen on the screen for the past few years, he seems to have found a renewed passion for his craft recently, as picks up his acting cloak again. 

Rubel's career began as a stage performer, and then later he moved on to TV and movies, which made him a household name and a star actor. 

His father, a teacher by trade, wanted him to focus on and excel in his formal education. But the actor wanted to become a political activist in his late teens. 

"Even when I had not completed my SSC exams, I started leaning towards politics. I wanted to be a politician. My father was very strict, and my family did not like me getting involved in politics," Rubel told The Business Standard. 

He got away from politics and gravitated towards theatre. He formed a theatre troupe at his native Gazipur and practised theatre with others that joined him. The actor found himself joining playwright Selim Al Deen in the village theatre movement at that time. 

After completing his HSC in Gazipur, he came to Dhaka and wasted no time in joining the Dhaka Theatre and began to take lessons by professionals. 

Rubel's life began to change as he found himself in the company of theatre and acting legends like Selim Al Deen, Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu, Afzal Hossain, Humayun Faridi. His formative years in the acting career had just begun. 

"Before coming to Dhaka Theatre, I had an ego. But I soon realised that I had so much more to learn. Up until this point, all I had ever known about acting could be compared to the tip of the iceberg. I had a shallow understanding of acting," a candid Rubel said. 

Acting icons like Humayun Faridi became his mentors and Rubel absorbed all the valuable knowledge as a hungry student. 

"I learned day in and day out and let those learnings guide me. Then at one point, performing on the stage of Dhaka Theatre began. By then, acting had become a part of my existence. Times spent with Humayun Faridi Bhai while working at the Dhaka Theatre were really wonderful. Lessons of different kinds from him every now and then on acting only pushed me forward. I miss this noble man very much," he said. 

Rubel inched towards becoming the prolific actor we know him as today. He made his film debut before TV drama, although he was already an enlisted performer of Bangladesh Television. 

In 1993, Rubel made his debut on the big screen in Uttam Akash's 'Akheri Hamla'. His first movie became a commercial success and he went on to act in two more movies with the same director. By 1998, Rubel had acted in more than a dozen films. 

But at that point the actor began to reevaluate the direction that his career was heading in. 

"I was drifting away from the kind of acting career I had envisioned in the theatre. I was slowly getting trapped into movies, instead of the theatre. So, I decided to stop acting in movies altogether," he said.

He allowed himself a couple years of break and focused on acting for television in 2000. Since then, he has acted in over five hundred plays, single-episode dramas and serials. 

But he returned to film again with Humayun Ahmed's 2003 film 'Chandrokotha' by Mostofa Sarwas Farooki's 2004 film 'Bachelor'. 

Currently busy acting for TV, cinema and online platforms, his next film 'Deshantar' is set to release in theatres on 11 November. Directed by Ashutosh Sujon, he played a central role in the film. 

Based on a story by renowned poet and writer Nirmalendu Goon, Rubel plays the role of a farmer in 'Deshantar'. 

"Primarily, we know Nirmalendu Goon as a popular poet. But not many know that he could write such beautiful stories too. I felt very comfortable acting in it," said Rubel. 

In the meantime, he has also acted in the film 'Peyarar Subas' by Nurul Alam Atique, which is awaiting release. 

Preparing to act in a new web series next, Rubel feels invigorated to take his acting legacy to new heights.