PHOTO: SHEIKH MEHEDI MORSHED

SADI MOHAMMAD SHAHNEWAZ

It was an otherwise unremarkable evening at The Daily Star – the newsroom not particularly abuzz with headlines as of yet. At least it was, before an entourage of 20+ people burst onto the scene, drawing eyes from the lobby. A towering figure got out of his classic white car, adorned with a suave green suit and an expensive-looking timepiece. His aviators reflected the dwindling sun onto the onlookers’ eyes. Shakib Khan had dropped by, to the surprise of many in the building. Accompanying him was his team – everyone from photographers and image consultants to makeup men and journalists.

“It’s been a while, huh?”, said Shakib, as he took the lift to the seventh floor. Affectionately called the ‘megastar’ by his fans, he has undoubtedly been the flagbearer of Bangla cinema for the better part of his 26-year career. In recognition of this, Blender’s Choice-The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards conferred to him the Silver Jubilee of Cinematic Excellence Award, which was to be handed over to him on the day of the event. “I apologise that I couldn’t make it to the event,” said Shakib, in conversation with The Daily Star’s Editor & Publisher, Mahfuz Anam. “My son was so sick, that he had to be hospitalised. I had to immediately fly back to the USA.”

The cameras rolled, even in conversation. “I was just an eager teenager, stumbling on to a film set. I was discovered because I probably looked handsome at the time,” jested the artiste. “I wanted to try out my luck for three months, and then get back to my studies. As it was probably written in fate, those ‘three months’ never really ended!’

As jam-packed as the conference room on the seventh floor was, the view outside was of more intrigue. People eager to click a selfie with the person they’d seen on the silver screen, someone who has successfully rejuvenated his career in the last decade or so. “I know it might sound cliché, but I owe every single thing I have to the fans. Without them, I would not be where I am right now – no one in my line of work would.”

Shakib also credited his co-stars for supporting him throughout his career. “Every director that I’ve worked with, and every other artiste with who I’ve shared the screen with– I am grateful to them,” he said, in a visibly reflective mood.

Before moving on to a photoshoot, Dhallywood’s ‘King Khan’ had a request for the journalists at The Daily Star, “Our film industry is a treasure-trove of possibilities. Even foreigners are watching subtitled Bangla films with utmost eagerness. Please, talk about our dwindling halls, and how our infrastructure needs to improve. We need to raise our voices.”

After the small-ish formal ceremony concluded, the Taandob star took the time to indulge his fans waiting to take a picture with him, before finally having to leave because of prior commitments. “I promise, I’ll be back to try some of the ‘famed’ canteen food of yours,” smiled Shakib Khan.