Partha Pratim Majumder | |
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| Born | Premanshu Kumar Biswas (1954-01-18)18 January 1954 (age 71) Kalachadpara,Pabna,East Pakistan |
| Citizenship | Bangladesh France[1] |
| Occupation | mime artist |
| Relatives |
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| Awards | Ekushey Padak (2010) |
| Honours | Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2011)[1] |
Partha Pratim Majumder (Bengali:পার্থ প্রতিম মজুমদার; born 18 January 1954[1]) is a Bangladeshimime artist who is considered the "forerunner" of mime art in Bangladesh.[2][3] Born inPabna District in thenorth-western part of the country, Partha went toFrance in early 1980s under a scholarship program and trained underMarcel Marceau. Since then he has been performing in several countries throughout the world earning international recognition. In 2010, he was awarded theEkushey Padak, one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh. In 2011, theFrench government awarded him theChevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.[4] He is the elder brother of musicianBappa Mazumder and music composer Partha Sharothi Mojumdar.
Partha was born to Himangshu Kumar Bishwash and Shusrika Bishwash in Kalachadpara of Pabna district which was then part ofEast Pakistan. Born as Premanshu Kumar Biswas, Partha was later adopted by UstadBarin Mazumder andIla Majumder. After receiving primary education at Jubilee School, he was sent toChandannagar,India and was admitted in Dr. Shitol Prasad Ghosh Ideal School. There he met withJogesh Dutta, an Indian mime artist and became interested in mime. Between 1966 and 1972 he studied at the Jogesh Dutta Mime Academy and received basic knowledge about the art. Meanwhile, Bangladesh became independent after anine-month war and Partha moved back to his country. In 1972 he was admitted to Government Music College in Dhaka before graduating in 1976.The major lift up in his life was when he presented a solo performance at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 1979.[5]
Partha started his career in the 1970s through singing and occasionally acting in some television and radio programs. His career got a break-through in 1979.[1] His solo performance atShilpakala Academy impressed the then French Ambassador to Dhaka, Loic Moreau and the director ofAlliance Française, Gerard Grousse, who offered him a scholarship in 1981 to obtain professional training on mime under the French mime artistEtienne Decroux.[1] He was then introduced to Marcel Marceau who trained him from 1982 to 1985. In 1986 Partha performed a solo titledBoatman of Padma at theUNESCO Headquarter in Paris which was the first mime act at theWorld Heritage Centre. In 1994 he wrote, choreographed and stagedThe Nightmare which was the first mimodrama pertaining tochild abuse to be staged in South Asia.[6][7]