Entertainment Desk:

Rawshan Ara Rozina, popularly known as Rozina, is one of the most beloved and recognisable names in Bangladeshi cinema. It all began in 1977 with “Rajmahal”, her debut film. A newcomer then, Rozina had no idea that her very first role would become a superhit and mark the beginning of a legendary career.

“With just one film, audiences knew who I was,” Rozina recalls. “After that, I never had to look back.” The producer of “Rajmahal” was new to the industry as well, and buoyed by its massive success, the producer went on to make three or four more films.

At one point, her name would often be mentioned alongside the iconic Shabana. Rozina starred in over 300 films—social dramas, action-packed blockbusters, romantic tales—she did them all.

“Sometimes I was shooting several films at once,” she says. “There was no break. I worked day and night. I never felt tired.”

Rozina’s range was remarkable. She found success in every genre she touched. “‘Rajmahal’ brought me luck,” she smiles. “From that point on, success followed me. It lit up my entire career.”

In 1991, she made the decision to step away from cinema—not out of resentment or disappointment. “I didn’t leave with a heavy heart. I was simply too busy shooting to have time for any grievances. In this glamorous world, you’re a hero only as long as there’s demand. Once that’s gone, so is your value.”

Her passion for the craft, she believes, was the driving force behind her success. “I genuinely loved what I did. I made a name for myself in my time, but that only happened because I respected the work, and I was committed to it. I never slowed down. I always tried to learn and improve.”

Even after her official retirement in 1991, Rozina remained active for two more years, completing ongoing projects. By 1993, she wrapped up her final shoots and moved to London. Occasionally, she would go to Kolkata for brief periods in Bengali films.

Over her long career, Rozina shared the screen with many actors—including India’s own Mithun Chakraborty, during the peak of his “Disco Dancer” fame. She and Mithun starred in “Aar Paar” and “Abichar”, both released in 1985.

She fondly remembers how their collaboration began— “I was shooting in Cox’s Bazar when Hasan Imam bhai told me there would be a joint production with Mithun Chakraborty. He asked me to be part of it. I was already swamped with projects, so I told him I could only do it in two or three months. He agreed—we’d start filming then, but you have to do the film.”

When the time finally came, Mithun arrived in Dhaka, and the cast prepared to shoot in Kuakata. “I was a bit nervous,” Rozina admits. “But when we first met, I was taken aback. He said, in Bengali—’Rozina, I’ve been waiting for you. Why are you late?’ He spoke so politely and in perfect Bangla. I had expected him to speak in Hindi. That broke the ice completely. From then on, I wasn’t nervous at all.”

The film went on to be a major success. “There are countless stories like that in my acting life,” Rozina reflects. “Every film holds its own memories. As long as I live, I’ll carry those stories with me.”