By Raisa Anan
For the Spring 2025 issue of Muse, Raisa Anan interviewed K.M. Kaisarul Islam (AKA Rahik), a talented DEH student who pursues a wide range of hobbies. Rahik, currently in his third semester, shares his love for storytelling through different hobbies like photography, music, and writing. He is a dreamer who is unafraid to share his story through various media. He appreciates loyalty, believes in a light-hearted approach to life, and is unafraid to love, making him a source of light and joy to his peers. He wishes to continue his journey of storytelling while remaining authentic and sharing his life stories with others.
- Can you describe your different hobbies and explain, in brief, how you got into each one?
My hobbies are music, photography, and writing short stories and films. I have always been a learner. I don’t like to sit with one skill or one specific art form. Because I call myself a storyteller, I was always looking for ways I could share these rather vibrant stories of my life. Back in 2015, I found this YouTuber talking about how easy it is to make films and take photos on your phone. Through him, I learned a few things about taking photos. Then, I got into film cameras. Very quickly, I got into a lot of black-and-white films. I became a huge fan of Satyajit Ray. I also became a fan of Christopher Nolan and Wes Anderson. Then I watched Barfi! and it changed my life. This film is the reason I started writing songs. I loved the way the songs were written in the film. They basically consist of dialogues, telling the stories of the film and I found that to be very cool.
Back in 2018 or 2019, I bought a friend’s guitar but I didn’t write a song till 2020. Then, in 2021, I wrote my first Bangla song. Around 2022, I wrote my first short film called “Kere”. So that’s how it all started.
- How do you ensure that your interests don’t interfere with your studies?
Great question. I have a rule. I have four pillars in my life and I keep balance in every pillar just so that I can provide enough love to every side of my life. Art, for me, is a very important thing, as I call myself a storyteller. I have film, I have music. I don’t look at either of them as more important than the other.
I chose to study literature because it somehow balances out and actually makes me improve my art in general. Because of literature and because of the department, I got to do a stage play, which helped me gain another skill. Also, I never even realized how much I loved acting. I never understood how much I loved putting in the work and rehearsing with people who are also very talented. So, my hobbies don’t interfere per se.
For example, currently, I am studying Pride and Prejudice and the movie helped me learn a lot about filmmaking and writing. I also enjoyed watching Little Women. While studying literature, I developed an interest in these types of period films, which I am very glad for. So, I think my studies have become a part of my life and art in such a way that it never feels like it’s interfering but rather feels like an extension.
- Do you see yourself pursuing one of these hobbies professionally?
Yes, one hundred percent. I don’t think I can choose one over the other because I love storytelling. Sometimes, I think, what if I become deaf or blind? I want to learn enough art forms that if I lose every limb and become a completely disabled person, I can still do something. I want to tell stories. I feel like that is my purpose. If you take that away from me, I am nothing.
I worked as a content writer for almost 3 years and I did that just so I could lean on something because I wasn’t sure. I mean, education doesn’t always work out. Of course, I want to study hard enough but many people get degrees from prestigious universities only to stay home and do nothing. So, I dropped two years of my education to do that. I gained the respect of my family. Now, I am serious about my education because I want to ensure that I don’t have to tell my art something like, “Hey, music. I am broke. Give me money.” Because I feel like the minute I do that, I am suddenly making music to appeal to a certain audience and I never want to do that. I want to do it for myself.
I have these dumb stories. I have written songs about stupid things. For example, I wrote a song about a tree because I was sitting in front of it. Something about that tree and the way the leaves were dancing and the birds were singing gave me a realization that really inspired me. As long as I can do this, as long as I can tell my stories, I am fine. I don’t care about money and fame a lot, so I want to pursue what I truly like. So yes, I will definitely pursue my hobbies professionally, whether they get me fame and success or not.
- If you had to pick only one creative field to focus on, which would it be and why?
If I am being realistic, I have made the most amount of improvement in music. I have advanced the most in this art form. I am writing a song almost every other day. Obviously, not every song is good. Out of every two hundred songs I write, around ten are actually good. But all two hundred songs are important to me. So the fact that I can do that and my university has recognized me for my music— I haven’t put out any songs yet but there is already so much respect and love for me and I find that crazy. So focusing on music just makes sense for me. For filmmaking, I’m not sure yet. Hopefully, in a few years, I will be more confident, so we will see then.
- Do you think your creative hobbies express different sides of you, or do they all connect in some way?
I think they connect back to each other almost always. Something that happens to me a lot is that when I am writing a song, I don’t know what I am writing about until I have actually finished writing it. Once I am done and I listen to it, I realize, “Oh, I wrote this song about that one day I spent with that friend of mine. Or that one memory I have with my father, or that one instant where I felt the most amount of love for a woman I have ever felt in life.” I am not doing this knowingly; it just happens.
Even with my films, when I am writing a short horror film, I am writing about a deep fear that I have. For example, I have a fear that someone is lurking around my home. I cannot see anyone but I feel like someone is around. That is the story of my first short film, “Kere.” My short film “Leguna” is inspired by a time in my life when I was so broke but so in love. I’d take the leguna to see her because that was the only way, spending twenty minutes of hell with twelve other sweaty men in a box. So yes, in the end, it all connects back to me.
Also, my music persona’s name is Brishti and Brishti is a better person than I am. Brishti doesn’t have all the issues that I have in life. He is just happy to be alive. He doesn’t know how to talk but he knows how to sing. His outlook on life and his relationship with others, like his father, whose name he doesn’t know— he calls him “Babuji”— is completely different and unique. To me, that is life and it comes from my childhood. My brother is a little special, and his carefree outlook on life inspires me a lot. So yes, all my hobbies express a different part of me, but they all connect back to who I am at my core: a storyteller.
- What has inspired you to pursue these interests?
Many people will say that they pursue different hobbies and interests for the love of art. At the same time, they want to make a living out of it. But I don’t have that desire. It is purely selfless for me. I don’t care about making money. I do care about respect, however. For instance, in a show, if someone else is getting paid ten taka for performing, then I’d like nine taka at least. However, money is not the most important thing. For me, the most important thing is storytelling. My inspiration is my life. At the end of the day, I am a storyteller and I just want to share my stories.
- Describe a moment from your creative journey that stands out to you.
My first-ever show was at TSC. To many, that is their dream. I dream pretty small, but I also dream big. I have crazy dreams that I’ll perform in Amsterdam. That is a huge dream, especially for my genre of music but I like to dream. It is fun.
My second show ever was at the EMK Center with already established artists. I remember when the host first said my name and introduced me, no one clapped. But I was smiling because that was expected. I got on stage with a round of pity claps. After I finished my first song, I looked at the crowd and they were all shell-shocked. Almost as if they were thinking, “He can sing?” And then, the mic went out and the guitar was not connecting, and I was just sitting in front of 100 people. As nerve-wrecking as it was, I decided to make the best of that moment because I was already there. So I started talking to the crowd and breaking the ice. So, after my first song, the crowd was surprised, and after my second one, they looked almost teary-eyed and somehow, I was myself in their faces. At that very moment, I knew that I was living life.
Generally, musicians announce that it is their last song before they start performing it, and I forgot to say that before I started my last number. When it was over, I just said, “Oh, guys, that was the last song.” The crowd was really disheartened and they all kept asking for more even though my time was up. Then, when I went backstage for a coffee, many people followed me, saying that they wanted to take a picture with me in case I became popular one day. So, that is a memory I will never forget. It is a lovely memory and one of the best things to ever happen to me.
- What would be your advice to those who want to explore different creative hobbies but are too intimidated to start?
I think I am the worst person to ask this question because I just do it. My philosophy is uncommon and I have noticed that people very rarely agree with it. I have heard things like, “This is risky, “You will never get success,” and “You cannot continue this because there is no money down the line,” etc. I let them know that I don’t care about it. Of course, money and recognition are important. I care about them if they can help my art.
The best advice I can share is that we are our worst enemies most of the time. We are not afraid to release a song because people won’t like it. Most of the time, we are afraid of disappointing ourselves. We have set a certain expectation that we, ourselves, are afraid to meet. And I think that holds us back. The point of making art is to tell the stories you would not be able to put into words. You simply tell those stories. You just let them go away. There are billions of people around the world, and someone out there has to like it.
Another thing you have to understand is that when you are making art, you might get called weird. You will hear discouraging things, but you need to ask yourself what your priorities are. What truly matters to you? In today’s world, it is easy to go viral by putting together a few words and a few beats. You’ll see everyone is dancing to it. Maybe you write a song with multiple chords and a piano, and four of your friends are harmonizing in it, and no one might actually give it any attention. I have seen some amazing songs by some amazing artists go overlooked. They barely have a thousand views.
So, I think it is important to understand what truly matters. Is it worth it to spend our lives trying to create something that could possibly attract the masses? Or, is it cooler to be able to tell our grandchildren about our first piece of music or art and tell them about a special memory, and how we spent our youth doing what we love?
At the end of the day, whatever you are doing, do it because you love it. Do it for the little moments. Don’t do it for the money and materialistic aspects. Do it for love.
