Since his debut into the limelight with “Hotath Brishti”, Ferdous has continued on a steady path of success that extends beyond Bangladesh. Today marks the National Film Award winning actor's birthday, and Ferdous talks about his plans for the occasion with The Daily Star. Excerpts:

“To be honest, my birthday plans are never in my hands anymore now that I have children. I take pleasure in their joy and excitement, and the first thing I look forward to is my wife and kids wishing me at exactly 12:01 am.”

“I never have grand celebrations, and this year my birthday occurs during Ramadan. In the morning I will pay a visit to my father's final resting place before joining a live TV show. After that I will be home, enjoying iftar with my family.”

“Unfortunately, my mother is in America this year, and I shall miss her dearly. If she were here, she would continue with her birthday ritual of making payesh (rice pudding) for me. My mother-in-law is here, and she never fails to give me a present. There will be a flurry of phone calls as my siblings, relatives and fans call to wish me, and this gives me great pleasure.”

“I receive countless bouquets on the occasion. To share an interesting story; on my first birthday after the release of 'Hotath Brishti', my father, who was alive then, shook me awake in the morning to tell me that our house was full of flowers. And true to his word, when I went to the living room of our Cantonment house, there were flowers on almost every surface. This expression of love from so many rendered me speechless. This was soon followed by many phone calls from fans to wish me. I will always look back on that day fondly.”

“Now my eldest daughter, Nuzhat, bakes me a cake while my younger daughter Namira makes birthday cards. They also go out of their way to find the perfect presents for me. I don't have words to express the joy I feel at this.”

“My only wish for this day is to continue doing good work, and for my fans to continue to give me love. I would like everyone's blessings and prayers.”