Rahsaan Noor

Rahsaan Noor (born Rahsaan Nur Islam; 24 September 1986) is an American film actor and filmmaker of Bengali descent. He made his debut with the Bengali language movie Simanaheen and gained further international recognition with his portrayal of the title character in The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim. Noor's 2018 film, Bengali Beauty shot him to international fame as the film went on to receive the largest international theatrical release of any Bengali film in history and its total worldwide gross of US$21,327,428 (BDT 180.5 Crores) make it the all-time highest grossing Bengali language film at the worldwide box office.[3][4][5][6][7]

Rahsaan Noor
Noor at event for Bengali Beauty in 2018
Born
Rahsaan Nur Islam[1]

(1986-09-24) September 24, 1986
Chicago, USA[2]
OccupationActor, producer, writer
Years active2013 –present

He is considered the leader of the Bengali New Age Movement with the Tribune India noting that Noor has "put new-age Bengali cinema on a global map.[8][9]

Early life

Noor was born in Chicago to Bangladeshi parents. His father immigrated to the US in the 1970s and is a software engineer; Noor's mother is a physician. He grew up in Chicago with his younger brother who is an IT consultant. Noor's paternal grandfather was the editor of Bangladesh's two largest newspapers, Dainik Bangla and The Daily Ittefaq, and his maternal grandfather was the managing director of Adamjee Jute Mills.[10]

In 2002, while in high school, Noor auditioned for and landed a role with a new Disney campaign, however, he decided to instead focus his attention on his basketball aspirations.[11] Noor would go on to play Division III college basketball at Lake Forest College and participate in the Midwest Conference Championship game.[12] Playing the point guard position for the team, he was named an Academic All-American.[13] Noor graduated from college with honors in economics and international relations.[14] While in college, Noor also interned for Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus.[15]

Career

Noor began his career by appearing in independent movies and Bengali television commercials. In 2013, he made his debut in international cinema opposite Ismat with the Bengali romantic drama movie Simanaheen. The movie depicting a Hindu-Muslim relationship became a major commercial success and Noor's performance received critical acclaim.[16][17] The Dhallywood Report wrote, "(Noor) took the challenge of learning to act in a new language and succeeded. A very fine young actor, Rahsaan (Noor) is someone to watch out for."[18]

For his work in Simanaheen, Noor was presented with the Outstanding Contributions to Bengali Cinema Award by the Bengali Writers Association.[19] He is considered the leader of the Bengali New Age Movement with the Tribune India noting that Noor had "put new-age Bengali cinema on a global map."[20]

Noor's next effort saw him portraying the struggling rapper Taz Rahim in the 2015 crime drama movie, The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim, also starring Bollywood actress Monica Dogra. His portrayal of Taz Rahim was described by critics as a "charming, fun, and exciting experience".[21] The movie further positioned Noor as a "global desi on the cusp of becoming a dominant global player" with Grazia India calling him an actor "on-the-brink-of-fame".[22][23]

In 2018, Noor directed and starred in Bengali Beauty. The film also starred Mumtaheena Toya, Sarah Alam, and Ashfique Rizwan in pivotal roles. Noor's debut directorial venture garnered much controversy as the film was banned in Bangladesh in March 2018 and later the ban was overturned in June 2018. The film went on to receive the largest international theatrical release of any Bengali film in history and its total worldwide gross of US$21,327,428 (BDT 180.5 Crores) make it the all-time highest grossing Bengali language film at the worldwide box office.[3][4][5][6][7]

Filmography
YearTitleRoleNotes
2013SimanaheenAmar/RaiyanBengali film
2015The Spectacular Jihad of Taz RahimTaz Rahim
2018Bengali Beauty[24][25]Afzal Khan Released 16 February 2018 in US
2019Tarika[26]Pre-production

References
  1. "Charmed by the Magic of Indian Films". Deccan Herald. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  2. "Charmed by the Magic of Indian Films". Deccan Herald. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  3. "Die Before Death: A New Venture of Rahsaan". The Business Standard. September 16, 2019.
  4. "Bengali Beauty actor and director Rahsaan Noor". BBC.
  5. "Bengali Beauty enters 3rd week in China". Bangladesh Post. May 19, 2019.
  6. "Bengali Beauty to be first Bangladeshi film in China". The Daily Observer. April 21, 2019.
  7. "Suburban Man Makes It Big in Dhallywood". NBC. February 18, 2018.
  8. "Being Islam". New Indian Express.
  9. "Charmed by the Magic of Films". Deccan Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  10. "Interview: Actor Rahsaan Islam". Washington Bangla Radio. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  11. "The Spectacular Man" (July 2015). Grazia India.
  12. "The Spectacular Man" (July 2015). Grazia India.
  13. "Monica Dogra is Back". Asian Age. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  14. "The Spectacular Man" (July 2015). Grazia India.
  15. "The Spectacular Man" (July 2015). Grazia India.
  16. "Simanaheen - A New Release". New Age. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  17. "I was a Yo Yo Honey Singh wannabe: Rahsaan Islam". The Hindu. July 11, 2015.
  18. "Movie Review: Simanaheen". Dhallywood Report. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  19. "Going Great Guns". Tribune India.
  20. "Charmed by the Magic of Films". Deccan Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  21. "Charmed by the Magic of Indian Films". Deccan Herald.
  22. "The Spectacular Man" (July 2015). Grazia India.
  23. "Being Islam" (June 2015). New Indian Express.
  24. "Rahsaan Noor Signs Three-Film Deal with Universal Group!". Urban Asian.
  25. "Rahsaan Noor and Ridy Sheikh to be seen in Bengali Beauty". Dhaka Tribune. March 28, 2017.
  26. "Bengali Beauty actor and director Rahsaan Noor". BBC.
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