After spending more than 15 months in the UK for medical treatment, veteran actor Ilias Kanchan has returned to Bangladesh and has been receiving visits from colleagues and well-wishers.
On Saturday night, veteran actress Shuchanda and her younger sister, actress Champa, visited Kanchan at his Gulshan residence.
Their reunion soon turned into an evening of old memories, laughter and music.
Suchanda and Champa arrived at Kanchan’s Gulshan-1 residence around 8pm, accompanied by director Gazi Mahbub and several others from the film industry.
Kanchan had been sleeping after Maghrib prayers when his son Joy brought him to the living room around 9pm.
Seeing Shuchanda and Champa, the actor was visibly surprised and soon broke into a smile.
The sisters presented him with a bouquet before settling down for a conversation about their years in the film industry.
Their discussion brought back memories of several projects, including Tin Konya, produced by Suchanda and featuring Kanchan.
At one point, Suchanda asked Kanchan to sing. He responded by performing the popular song “Ar Jabo Na America” from the film Ochena.
Suchanda and Champa joined him by lip-syncing to the song, after which Kanchan performed a few more numbers.
The evening continued with songs, laughter and stories from their years in cinema, creating a warm atmosphere at Kanchan’s home.
More members of the film industry later joined the gathering, including actor Subrata, Jacky Alamgir and producer leader Khorshed Alam.
Film Artistes Association representatives Joy Chowdhury and Abir Chowdhury were also present.
Champa also brought Zamzam water for Kanchan and personally gave it to him.
She additionally gifted him several Punjabi outfits and asked him to take them with him when he returns to London.
Kanchan returned to Bangladesh on 3 August after undergoing treatment in the UK for more than 15 months.
The actor, who also chairs the Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA) movement, had been receiving treatment in London since April last year.
He underwent brain surgery at a London hospital in August last year after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Doctors were able to remove a significant portion of the tumour but could not remove it completely because of the risks involved. He was later diagnosed with brain cancer.
Following the surgery, Kanchan underwent several phases of chemotherapy and oral therapy.
According to his family, he received more than 60 chemotherapy sessions over 12 weeks during the initial phase, followed by further rounds of oral therapy.
Since returning home, Kanchan has received visits from several prominent figures in the film industry, including actors Alamgir, Rozina and Anwara, as well as Anwara’s daughter Mukti and Diti’s daughter Lamia Chowdhury.
However, Saturday’s gathering stood out for its intimate, nostalgic mood. Surrounded by longtime colleagues, Kanchan briefly returned to the world of songs, stories and memories that shaped his long career.
