Rahsaan Noor says he knew Donald Trump would win. He watched the presidential election from the Democratic Headquarters in Chicago and gave up when Florida swung red. Disappointed, he promptly went to sleep. “When people are fed up, they want change,” he says. “Usually that change comes from someone outside of the establishment. Someone with fresh ideas. Or fresh enough ideas to fool the public in the case of Mr Trump.”
Who is Rahsaan Noor? The outsider
At two films old and internationally distributed, Noor still remains an enigma to the film industry. Where does he fit in? He laughs with his trademark charm, “Growing up in America, they called me Indian. In India they call me Bangladeshi and in Bangladesh they call me American.”
Noor has been an outsider all is life. It’s that experience that gives him the unique perspective from which his characters are born. Characters like a Yo Yo Honey Singh wannabe who becomes a police informant or a rickshaw-puller who competes in the Tour de France. It’s this image that has opened doors for him around the world. “Being an outsider is an advantage. They see me as different. And when you’re not the same as everybody else, then you’re a little less boring than everybody else.”
An actor-on-the-brink of fame
“I make people happy. Whether I’m a good actor or not, whether I’m in a hit film or a flop, the one ability I have is that I can go out into the streets and out of 10 people, maybe seven will smile. That’s still a good average.” It’s true. He is understandably adored – even more so outside Bangladesh – in a way unlike any of his peers; playing Noor to his public is perhaps his most successful role.
Yet however simplistic that view is, one should not lose sight of Noor’s accomplishments: He is the only Bangladeshi actor to star in a Bollywood film (The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim opposite Monica Dogra) and is the only Bangladeshi actor whose films have received a mainstream theatrical release outside of Bangladesh and India. He has taken Bengali film to a point where the Times of India noted last year that Noor had put new age Bengali cinema on a global map. To all this, he chimes with confidence, “If they haven’t heard about me yet, they will.”
What’s to come? Expect the unexpected
In an age where Bangladeshis are ready at the edge of their seats to immigrate to America, England, or Australia, Noor has done the opposite. He’s come back home. “People question me all the time. But I don’t mind. I know what I’m doing and who I’m doing it for. Most of my fans and supporters are Bengali and I know they’re fed up with the options that they have. I wanted to do something about that.”
To that end, Noor has settled in Dhaka in an effort to help take Bangladeshi movies abroad and to also bring international movies to Bangladesh.
His recently signed deal with digital platform Bongo, where his Simanaheen will be released on February 9 and their Grameenphone affiliates will make it easier than ever for Bangladeshi’s to watch Noor’s films. It’s all a part of his vision to bring more money and interest back into the industry, and more importantly Bengali culture.
Who is Rahsaan Noor? The outsider
At two films old and internationally distributed, Noor still remains an enigma to the film industry. Where does he fit in? He laughs with his trademark charm, “Growing up in America, they called me Indian. In India they call me Bangladeshi and in Bangladesh they call me American.”
Noor has been an outsider all is life. It’s that experience that gives him the unique perspective from which his characters are born. Characters like a Yo Yo Honey Singh wannabe who becomes a police informant or a rickshaw-puller who competes in the Tour de France. It’s this image that has opened doors for him around the world. “Being an outsider is an advantage. They see me as different. And when you’re not the same as everybody else, then you’re a little less boring than everybody else.”
An actor-on-the-brink of fame
“I make people happy. Whether I’m a good actor or not, whether I’m in a hit film or a flop, the one ability I have is that I can go out into the streets and out of 10 people, maybe seven will smile. That’s still a good average.” It’s true. He is understandably adored – even more so outside Bangladesh – in a way unlike any of his peers; playing Noor to his public is perhaps his most successful role.
Yet however simplistic that view is, one should not lose sight of Noor’s accomplishments: He is the only Bangladeshi actor to star in a Bollywood film (The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim opposite Monica Dogra) and is the only Bangladeshi actor whose films have received a mainstream theatrical release outside of Bangladesh and India. He has taken Bengali film to a point where the Times of India noted last year that Noor had put new age Bengali cinema on a global map. To all this, he chimes with confidence, “If they haven’t heard about me yet, they will.”
What’s to come? Expect the unexpected
In an age where Bangladeshis are ready at the edge of their seats to immigrate to America, England, or Australia, Noor has done the opposite. He’s come back home. “People question me all the time. But I don’t mind. I know what I’m doing and who I’m doing it for. Most of my fans and supporters are Bengali and I know they’re fed up with the options that they have. I wanted to do something about that.”
To that end, Noor has settled in Dhaka in an effort to help take Bangladeshi movies abroad and to also bring international movies to Bangladesh.
His recently signed deal with digital platform Bongo, where his Simanaheen will be released on February 9 and their Grameenphone affiliates will make it easier than ever for Bangladeshi’s to watch Noor’s films. It’s all a part of his vision to bring more money and interest back into the industry, and more importantly Bengali culture.
