From Office Desk to Spotlight
February 14, 2013, marked the start of Tawsif Mahbub’s acting career. He debuted in the telefilm All Time Dourer Upor. For him, it wasn’t just a project. It was the turning point of his life. Before the spotlight, Tawsif had a steady job. Fresh from graduating in 2011, he spent two years in the corporate grind. But deep down? He hated it.
Tawsif was a musician in a band. They played underground gigs. It wasn’t mainstream, but it gave connections. That’s how director Adnan Al Rajeev spotted him. Rajeev offered him the telefilm. Shooting would take 20 to 30 days. But giving up this much time as a full-time employee just isn’t possible in Bangladesh. He had to choose. He told himself, “I can do better with life,” and never looked back.
Picture: Tawsif Mahbub.
Thankfully, the risk paid off. All Time Dourer Upor became a massive hit. “Alhamdulillah, Allah saw my frustration and gave me something bigger,” Tawsif said. His hard work and hustle carried him forward, proving he wasn’t just a one-hit wonder.
Since then, he has appeared in hundreds of TV series, web series, mini-series, movies, and TVCs. He is best known for his roles in Bachelor Point, Time Pass, Khowabnama, Cholti Pothe, Chokro, and many more.
But what keeps Tawsif going? Not money or fame. It’s something else. “I am my own follower,” he says. And one mantra drives him: never stop learning. Every day brings a chance to pick up something new. He looks for optimism in everything. Glass half full, never half empty. He admires the dedication of actors, the discipline of athletes. He tries to mix both in his own life.
Picture: Tawsif Mahbub.
Finding Strength in Running
Then came COVID, when the second lockdown hit, Tawsif got infected with a 35% lung infection. “I was in the ICU for four or five days,” he said. That’s a wake-up call. Thanks to his wife’s support and his mother’s prayers, he pulled through. But the fight wasn’t over.
Post-COVID, Tawsif’s lungs were a mess. Simple tasks like running became impossible. “I’d take four or five steps and couldn’t breathe,” he said. Tawsif, a guy who thrives on challenges, was told to slow down. “My wife said I’d lose everything,” he recalled. That hit hard. But refused to give up. “The mind is bigger than the body,” he says. That belief became his weapon. Slowly, painfully, he rebuilt himself.
Picture: Tawsif Mahbub.
Tawsif started small. First came short walks. Then slow jogs. Then runs. One day, he met Arif Bhai, a mentor figure, who told him to jog 40 minutes a day. Slowly, he rebuilt his stamina. From there, he moved toward marathons. Running became more than exercise–it was survival, therapy, and proof he was still alive.
“I want to see how much I can endure,” he said. And he’s not stopping there. Tawsif’s got big dreams: competing in an Ironman and trekking Mount Everest. “It’s about testing myself,” he said.
He’s already done trekking on a trip to Nepal’s Pokhara, where he conquered the Dhaulagiri trek. Everest is next on his list, a challenge requiring insane endurance. But if anyone can do it, it’s Tawsif. For him, it’s not about glory. It’s about pushing his limits.
