February 17 is not merely a date for Bengali cinema. It marks a profound sense of loss. On this day in 2008, Manna died of a heart attack at the age of 44. Dhaka’s film industry was shaken by the sudden passing of a hero who was at the height of his popularity.
Manna was a man wholly devoted to cinema. His thoughts, time and relationships all revolved around films. Whenever one of his films was released, he would visit the cinema hall and sit among the audience. If the film failed, he would break down in tears, as though it were a personal defeat.
In an interview, producer Kazi Hayat once remarked that Manna had grown up eating burnt food. That experience, he said, shaped him to become the hero of the people.
Born ASM Aslam Talukder on December 6, 1964, in Kalihati, Tangail, Manna moved to Dhaka after completing his higher secondary education. An advertisement changed the course of his life. In 1984, he entered the film industry through the FDC’s ‘Searching for a New Face’ programme. His first film was ‘Tauba’, although his first release was ‘Pagli’.
In 1991, ‘Kashem Malar Prem’ established him as a leading man. From then on, there was no looking back. He acted in more than 400 films, worked with over 100 directors and shared the screen with 61 leading actresses. He also found success as a producer. His company, Kritanjali kothachitra, delivered a series of commercially successful films throughout the 1990s.
Manna carved out a distinct identity through socially conscious commercial cinema. He portrayed the complex realities of the 1990s, including political unrest, student politics, unemployment, terrorism, sexual violence and opportunistic leadership, within mainstream narratives.
In ‘Jibon Jontrona’, he reflected the misguided anger of unemployed youth. In ‘Danga’, he addressed the corruption of the post-independence state. ‘Tras’ depicted the climate of fear within educational institutions, while ‘Deshodrohi’ exposed the brutality of cadre politics. In each of these films, Manna became a voice of protest.
A scene in Danga, where he delivers a powerful speech in front of the sculpture of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, remains widely discussed. Another moment, in which he covers a rape survivor with the national flag, moved audiences deeply.
In films such as ‘Loottoraj’, ‘Teji’, ‘Dhor’, ‘Koshto’ and ‘Ami Jail Theke Bolchi’, he highlighted the human crisis underlying crime.
‘Ammajaan’ stands not only as a commercial success but also as an emotional milestone in Manna’s career. His portrayal of maternal devotion brought audiences to tears. Kazi Hayat revealed that Manna would become genuinely emotional while performing the title song sequence.
Although many remember him primarily as an action hero, his craft went far beyond physical performance. He possessed remarkable voice control, a strong sense of dialogue rhythm and expressive eye contact. His portrayal of a mentally troubled man in Koshto remains memorable, just as he was convincing as a composed underworld figure in ‘Rajdhani’.
At one point, it was often said that despite being the most popular hero in Dhakaite cinema, he portrayed more villains and police officers than anyone else. This contrast was part of what made him distinctive.
Manna left this world 18 years ago. Yet his status as a hero of the people remains intact. Whenever the crisis of Dhaka cinema is discussed today, his name inevitably returns. He proved that entertainment can carry a message and that commercial films can serve as a mirror to society.
