About

**Masud Rana** is a fictional character created in 1966 by writer Qazi Anwar Hussain, who featured him in over 400 novels. Hussain created the adult spy-thriller series Masud Rana, at first modeled after James Bond, but expanded widely. So far 450 books have been published in this series which has gained a lot of popularity in Bangladesh. Written from the 1960s and continuing to present day, books are published almost every month by Sheba Prokashoni, one of the most popular publishing house of Bangladesh. Although Qazi Anwar Hussain started the series, it is an open secret that nowadays he doesn't write it any more. A group of ghostwriters are employed to produce all the new Masud Rana novels.

The **Masud Rana** books describes the adventures of its eponymous hero Masud Rana, an international Espionage Agent of Bangladeshi origin, closely resembling James Bond in his expertise with weapons and love for women. Although the soul author of the series is Qazi Anwar Hussain, it is known that Hussain liberally extracts segments of plots from popular Western spy thrillers of contemporary period. Nonetheless, the series became a boon for young people in post-war Bangladesh, who had few entertainment alternatives in an era pre-dating cable TV, the web sites and smart phones. The books caused concern among some middle-class parents because of their occasional racy contents, and reading Masud Rana was an activity often frowned upon. The series eventually ran to well over four hundred individual titles.

Masud Rana has also been adapted for one Bengali film and one TV Drama.

In July 2018, Biggest production house in Bangladesh Jaaz Multimedia received permission from author Qazi Anwar Hussain to make three movies based on first three novel of the series. The production house hopes to release the films in the next five years.

## Creation and inspiration

The character was created in 1966 by Bangladeshi novelist Qazi Anwar Hussain in an attempt to write an adult spy thriller for Bangladeshi readers. According to the preface of "Dhongsho-Pahar" (first book in the series), Hussain was inspired and encouraged by his close friend Mahbub Amin.

Qazi Anwar Hussain took the name for his character from the first name of Hussain's friend, lyricist Masud Karim, and Rana Pratap Singh of the Rajput clan who ruled Mewar, a state in north-western India from 1540 to 1597. Hussain admitted in a 1994 interview that he was heavily influenced by the Ian Fleming character James Bond.

## Masud Rana in other media

A full-length feature film about Rana was made in 1974 titled *Masud Rana*. Masud Parves, who is known by his stage name Sohel Rana directed and starred in it. The film is based on the story *Bishmaron* [Amnesia] (which in turn is based on *Strictly for Cash..* by James Hadley Chase.) It is the 11th story in the series and was first published in 1967.

Three films based on first three novels from the series are on the cards.
In July 2018, Production house Jaaz Multimedia announced, they are going to make the films based on- Dhwangsha Pahar, Bharatnatyam and Swarna Mrigya.

"We recently received permission to make films on the widely read Masud Rana series from Qazi Anwar Hussain." they stated.

These three movies will be made and released over the course of next five years. The first film, which will be based on Dhongsho-Pahar, will go on shooting floors in January, 2019.

The first package drama in the history of Bangladesh, *Prachir Periye* (Beyond the Wall) was telecast in 1994 and is based on *Pishach Dweep* (The Island of Evil) with screenplay by Atiqul Haque Chowdhury and stars Bipasha Hayat.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.thedailystar.net/shout/literature-0/the-spy-who-lives-50-years-masud-rana-1229497
2. ↑ https://dailyasianage.com/news/133453/masud-rana-coming-back-after-44-years
3. ↑ http://archive.dhakatribune.com/op-ed/2016/apr/25/masud-rana-50
4. ↑ http://www.newagebd.net/article/47274/three-films-on-masud-rana-series-on-the-cards
5. ↑ https://www.dhakatribune.com/feature/2018/07/31/masud-rana-on-silver-screen-again-after-44-years