Some actors leave behind famous films. Prabir Mitra left behind people audiences felt they knew; fishermen, common men, historical figures and fathers. Across more than five decades and more than 400 films, he became one of Bangladeshi cinema’s most recognisable faces.
Born on 18 August 1941 in Chandpur and raised in Old Dhaka, Mitra began acting at school in Rabindranath Tagore’s Dak Ghar. He entered cinema with H Akbar’s Jolchhobi, made in 1969 and released in 1971, alongside Farooque in his debut. After leading roles in Chabuk, Titash Ekti Nadir Naam and Rongin Nawab Sirajuddaula, he gradually established himself as one of the country’s defining character actors.
Kishore — Titash Ekti Nadir Naam
Ritwik Ghatak’s fisherman, shattered after his newlywed wife is abducted, embodies the vulnerability of river communities facing poverty, displacement and forces beyond their control. Kishore remains perhaps Mitra’s signature performance.
Lokman — Boro Bhalo Lok Chhilo
Opposite Abdur Razzak’s Yasin, Lokman represents an ordinary man navigating love, revenge, spirituality and social morality. The role earned Mitra the 1982 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Nawab Sirajuddaula — Rongin Nawab Sirajuddaula
As the tragic historical ruler, Mitra carried the weight of national memory. It was also his last major hero role before he transitioned into character parts.
Monto — Noyoner Alo
Monto marked his evolution into an older-generation presence. Mitra brought authority, restraint and emotional depth to a story centred on younger lives and complicated romance.
Rahmat Ali — Priya Amar Priya
The police constable and father of Shakib Khan’s character embodied Mitra’s later screen identity: the working father who quietly carries responsibility while others took the spotlight.
His vast filmography included Jibon Trishna, Sheemar, Teer Bhanga Dheu, Joy Porajoy, Angar, Putro Bodhu, Chashir Meye, Dui Poysar Alta, Abdar, Fakir Majnu Shah, Pratigya, Jaliat, Mintu Amar Naam, Fariyad, Rokto Shapath, Choritrohin, Tarulata, Gaayer Chhele, Madhumita, Ashanto Dheu, Alankar, Anurag, Nekabbarer Mohaproyan and many more.
Mitra won Bachsas Best Supporting Actor awards for Sheemar in 1984 and Rajlaxmi Sreekanto in 1988. He received the AJFB Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and the National Film Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018.
Mitra died aged 81 on 5 January 2025 at Square Hospital in Dhaka following severe oxygen deficiency, complications of old age and multiple long-standing health ailments.
Yet cinema refuses goodbye. On his birth anniversary, 18 August, Prabir Mitra lives on as Kishore, Lokman, Sirajuddaula, Monto and Rahmat Ali and through countless faces that generations still recognise as their own.
