After coming from Bara to Kathmandu and entering Mandala Theater in 2010, there has been no looking back for Najir Husen. An absolute art admirer and an acclaimed artist of Nepali theater and cinema, Najir made a debut in ‘Punte Parade’ in 2014. He is much known for his roles in films such as ‘Gaatho’, ‘Raja Rani’, ‘Hostel Returns’, and ‘Timi Sanga’. Juggling between theater and films, he has recently been occupied directing his first play ‘Ugly Duckling’ which is being staged on Mandala Theatre and also working on his next films ‘Kagaj Patra’ and ‘Garud Puran’.

In conversation with My City’s Sonam Lama, Najir revealed the five things that many may not know about him.

Loves cooking 
One of the favorite spots in his house is the kitchen where he loves experimenting with spices and flavors. He learned cooking quite early from his mother and to this day he can make the most delicious ‘Najir-style Palak Paneer’. “It has been about 10 years that I have been cooking. My mother used to prepare meal for me in the morning and leave for work, while I would have to carry out with the household chores for the rest of the day,” said Najir.

Ballet and Katthak dancer
Attending a five-week workshop in contemporary ballet in Kathmandu, he is also a keen Katthak dancer. A passionate dancer, he has been continuing with dance on his own after the completion of formal course and workshop.

Keen reader
He makes the most of his time reading fairytales, autobiography and novels. Although he is a little picky about novels, he indulges in reading autobiographies. The recent one that he read was ‘Pina Baush’ which is an autobiography of a German dance performer. “I am currently reading ‘Bhuiya’ by Yagnesh. One of my favorite novels is ‘Seto Dharti’ by Amar Neupane. Other than that, ‘Saranarthi’ is the novel that I read 11 times and every time I read it I enjoy it,” he added.

Fond of writing
Writing poetry and daily notes grabs much of his fascination. He enjoys writing about issue that makes him contemplate and shares it among his friends. He takes inspiration for his poetry reading Bimala Tumkhewa and Upendra Subba’s poetry collection.

Ukulele player
He has been playing ukulele for a couple of months now and within a short time of learning on his own, he has also composed few songs. He shares fond memories of ukulele as it was gifted to him. “I vividly remember the day when I visited a store in Jawalakhel to get a ukulele for me and the owner of the store ended up gifting me one,” he added.