For listeners who grew up in the 1990s, Prince Mahmud’s music was not just sound. It was feeling, memory, and sometimes pain.
From Ayub Bachchu’s timeless ‘Bela Sheshe Phire Ese’ to James’s ‘Ma’, ‘Baba’ and ‘Bangladesh’, and Hasan’s ‘Eto Koshto Keno Bhalobasay’, his melodies defined an era.
This year, the state finally recognised that legacy.
Prince Mahmud won the National Film Award for Best Music for the song ‘Ishwar Ki Tomar Amar Milan Likhte Parto Na’ from the 2023 film Priyatama.
Yet, instead of celebration, his reaction was quiet and conflicted.
“There is no regret now, no joy either,” he said. “Of course, it feels good. Liking never ends. Even if it came late, it carries a different meaning. But more than happiness, it increases responsibility.”
Behind the honour lies a long history of disappointment.
More than two decades ago, Prince Mahmud was widely expected to receive the National Award for James’s iconic song ‘Ma’. It never came.
“That hurt me deeply,” he admitted.
The pain returned years later when ‘Jelkhanar Chithi’ from Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s film Third Person Singular Number went unrecognised. Repeated omissions slowly numbed him.
“After a point, you get used to it,” he said.
That is why the National Award for Priyatama arrived as a surprise, stirring emotions he thought he had buried. Not excitement, but a quiet sense of closure.
Prince Mahmud says he is currently committed to several projects that will run until 2026-27. However, age and health are now shaping his choices.
“I can’t take extra workload anymore,” he said. “I want to slow down, especially singing.”
Before becoming one of the most influential composers in Bengali music, Prince Mahmud was a vocalist and guitarist of ‘The Blues’ band in the 1980s.
In the early 1990s, he formed the band ‘From West’. Over time, he stepped away from singing and focused on lyrics and composition – a decision that reshaped modern Bangla music.
His body of work includes songs like ‘Ma’, ‘Baba’, ‘Janmadin’, ‘Bangladesh’, ‘Eto Koshto Keno Bhalobasay’, ‘Shesh Dekha’, and ‘Hoyni Jabar Bela’.
He has also composed popular tracks such as ‘Se Je Ekhon Amay Bhalobase Na’, ‘Mati Hobo Mati’, ‘Duniya Tor Sangate Nai’, and ‘Chhip Nauko’.
Though best known for band music, his film compositions – Zero Degrees, Third Person Singular Number, and now Priyatama – have cemented his place beyond any single genre.
The award may have come late, but Prince Mahmud’s music arrived exactly when it was needed. And for many listeners, that has always mattered more than trophies.