Ananta Jalil


M. A. Jalil is a Bangladeshi businessman, actor, director and producer. He is known for his contributions to Bangladesh's textile industry as well as his performance in Khoj: The Search.

Early life and background

Ananta Jalil was born on April 17, 1978 in Munshiganj, Bangladesh. When he was 5 years old, his mother died. He was raised with his older brother by their father. He completed his O-levels and A-levels from St. Joseph [Higher Secondary School], Dhaka and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Manchester University in the UK.
In 1996, his 14 years elder brother set up a small apparel unit in Mirpur. It had a workforce of 400 and used to make shirts for European buyers. In 2001, Ananta began working as a production general manager in this company. Later, this small garment factory eventually grew into AJI Group. His elder brother died in 2008 in a car accident.
He was recognized by the Bangladesh government in 2014 as a CIP for his contributions to the Ready-Made Garment sector.
Ananta made his debut as an actor and producer with the 2010 film Khoj: The Search. The film headlined the debut of Ananta and Barsha, Bobby. Khoj: The Search was followed by Hridoy Bhanga Dheu in 2011.
In 2012, he appeared in two films, The Speed and Most Welcome. Both films were a comedic success and gave him access to the local crowd of Bangladeshi cinema. In The Speed, Ananta starred opposite to two foreign actresses, Malaysian actress Parveen and Russian actress Nana. The 2nd release Most Welcome was released on Eid.
In 2013, his only release was Nishwartha Bhalobasa. The film marked the directorial debut of Ananta and premiered at the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival. In 2014 Most Welcome 2 was released, the sequel of his 2012 film Most Welcome. Producer and actor Ananta Jalil's Din–The Day helmed by Iranian director Morteza Atashzamzam, was released on Eid al-Adha, July 10, 2022.
Ananta is the brand ambassador of Grameenphone, a telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh.

Personal life

Ananta married model-turned-actress Afiea Nusrat Barsha on September 23, 2011. Barsha is the managing director of Monsoon Films. In early 2013, Ananta and Barsha started divorce proceedings after Ananta claimed he caught Barsha having affairs with several men and claimed to have proof. Barsha sued Ananta for compensation for allegedly beating her. They later reconciled. Together they have two sons, Ariz Ibn Jalil and Abrar Ibn Jalil.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotesRef.
2010Khoj: The SearchMajor Mahmud / AnantaJahidul Islam JihadDebut film
2011Hridoy Bhanga DheuAnantaA Rahman Atik
2012The SpeedAnonnoFarhan Shahriar
2012Most WelcomePolice officer Si Shahin
2013Nishwartha BhalobasaAnantaAnanta Jalil
2014Most Welcome 2Police officer Ananta Jalil
2022Din–The DayAnanta Jalil Morteza AtashzamzamIran-Bangladesh joint production film
2023Kill HimSalman / PrinceMohammad Iqbal
Ananta Jalil, Ertagul Shakar, Upendra MadhavFilming
Rajiv Kumar BiswasFilming