Veteran actor couple Professor Rahmat Ali and Professor Wahida Mallick Joly retired from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Dhaka a few years ago.
Since stepping away from their academic careers, the two have been embracing life with renewed enthusiasm.
Recently, they appeared in two significant roles in director Salah Uddin Lavlu’s upcoming television serial Phul Gao.
The drama has completed production and is currently awaiting its release. Apart from this project, the couple are not involved in any new television productions at the moment.
Many regular television directors have assumed that Rahmat Ali and Wahida Mallick Joly are either unwell or no longer interested in acting.
However, the reality is quite different. After retiring from university life, the couple now reside at their home in Uttara, Dhaka, where they are enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle.
Their two sons live abroad but frequently visit Bangladesh to spend time with their parents.
Both sons are currently in the country, making this period especially enjoyable for the couple.
Despite their retirement, they remain deeply interested in acting and emphasise that they are both healthy and doing well.
Rahmat Ali said, “I don’t consider this retirement in the true sense of the word. I still conduct examinations at different universities and participate in academic discussions and sessions. So, in that sense, I haven’t retired from teaching. Between writing, acting and working in advertisements, my time passes quite well.”
Wahida Mallick Joly said, “I retired from teaching in 2024. Since then, we’ve truly enjoyed this phase of our lives. To be honest, we were so occupied with teaching and acting that we hardly had any time for ourselves. Now, we spend our time reading books, watching good films and visiting relatives. Whenever an interesting project comes along, we take it. I’ve already worked as a model in a few commercials. And if I receive a well-written script, I will definitely continue acting. Most recently, I worked in the serial Phul Gao.”
