Entertainment Desk:

On Thursday 14 August marks the birth anniversary of legendary Dhallywood actor, producer and fight director Jashim. Born on this day in 1950 in Nawabganj, Dhaka, Jashim was not only a silver screen icon but also a decorated freedom fighter.

Jashim made his film debut in 1972 with Debor, but it was Dewan Nazrul’s Dost Dushman — a remake of Bollywood blockbuster Sholay — that brought him into the limelight for his chilling portrayal of the Gabbar-inspired villain. He later transitioned into lead roles, most memorably through Sobuj Sathi.

Here are nine facts you may not know about the action hero who redefined Dhallywood masculinity:

1. His real name was Abdul Khair Jashim Uddin.
2. Jashim first appeared as a villain in Zahirul Haque’s 1973 hit Rongbaz, Bangladesh’s first film to feature action sequences.
3. His first lead role came in Sobuj Sathi under the same director.
4. As a freedom fighter in 1971, Jashim fought in Sector 2 under Major Haider against Pakistani forces.
5. His performance as Gabbar in Dost Dushman even earned praise from Amjad Khan, the original Gabbar Singh of Sholay.
6. After his death, a floor at BFDC was named in his honour.
7. Jashim remains the only actor to convincingly play both the lover and the brother of superstar Shabana in different films.
8. Jashim discovered future matinee idol Riaz in 1994 during a BFDC visit with his cousin, actress Bobita, and later cast him in Banglar Nayok (1995).
9. His first wife was actress Suchorita; he later married Nasrin, daughter of Purnima Sengupta, the heroine of Dhaka’s first sound film.

Jashim acted in more than 200 films including Rongbaz, Protigga, Surrender, Kalia, and Swami Ken Asami. He passed away on 8 October 1998, from a brain haemorrhage — still active as a leading man until his final days.