Dhaka's cultural world remembers Habib Tanvir

They noted with deep appreciation Tanvir's bringing to the cities indigenous theatre forms, using motifs and ideas from the rural areas.

Syed Shamsul Haq, Ataur Rahman, Aly Zaker, Sayeed Ahmed and Ramendu Majumdar, among others, recalled the "inspiring presence" of Tanvir who had visited Dhaka to interact with them, The Daily Star newspaper said.

Haq said: "When talking about Tanvir, we tend to focus on his unique theatrical style. But to me, the application of his theatrical approach is just a means to reach where he wanted to take us actually -- towards several basic philosophical questions regarding humanity."

"Tanvir will continue to live in the world he created on stage, a world with so many diverse characters," Mamunur Rashid noted.

"As a director, Tanvir believed in nurturing the spontaneity of an actor, rather than teaching him/her 'acting'. This is what made his productions so endearing," commented Ramendu Majumdar.

For his contribution to theatre, Habib Tanvir had received several prestigious awards and titles.