
Maisha Islam Monamee
The author is a student of Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at the University of Dhaka and a contributor at The Daily Star.
The author is a student of Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at the University of Dhaka and a contributor at The Daily Star.
"When Life Gives You Tangerines" has sparked a frenzy on social media, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about K-dramas of the year. It is not just the powerhouse performances of IU and Park Bo-gum or its beautifully shot cinematography that have captured the audience’s attention but the way the series lingers, offering a meditation on love, family, and time that feels both universal and deeply rooted in Korean culture. The show, which takes its time to unfold, has become a viral sensation, with fans and critics alike drawn to its emotional depth and understated storytelling. But beyond the buzz, this show’s quiet power lies in the way it draws you in, inviting you to reflect on the intricacies of life, love, and the enduring bonds that shape us.
Business competitions are among the most rewarding experiences a BBA student can have. Participating in these competitions provides exposure to real corporate problems often presented by leading companies.
The world has changed, and with it, so has Eid. Yet, paradoxically, technology is bringing back the very elements we thought we had lost.
Netflix has long been at the forefront of digital entertainment, leading the shift from DVD rentals to streaming dominance. But its latest move—integrating user-generated content (UGC) into its platform—is perhaps one of its most ingenious strategies so far.
One ought to adhere to a certain level of reverence when talking about Hayao Miyazaki. The man has dedicated his life to a form of animation that values patience over production speed, detail over efficiency, and emotion over mere aesthetics. Back in 2016, he made a public statement regarding AI-generated art, where he called it an “insult to life itself”. To therefore understand the weight of the proclamation itself is to understand the nature of his art.
This year "The Electric State" arrived as one of Netflix’s most expensive gambits, a film burdened not only by a budget that exceeds $300 million but also by a creative lineage that promises much. The Russo brothers, known for their mastery of blockbuster spectacle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), bring their vision to a film set against the dystopian backdrop of a desolate, near-future world where robots and humanity are in a state of uneasy coexistence. Based on the acclaimed illustrated novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag, the film stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Anthony Mackie. Despite the star power, the enormous investment, and the high expectations surrounding its release, "The Electric State" struggles to live up to its ambitious...
"Adolescence", the Netflix miniseries created by Jack Thorne and directed by Philip Barantini, is an emotionally charged and deeply unsettling drama that tackles complex themes surrounding masculinity, identity, and societal failure. It presents a raw and unflinching look at the pressures faced by contemporary youth, particularly boys, and examines how these pressures can lead to radicalisation and violence. With a narrative rooted in realism, the show takes a refreshing, albeit harrowing, approach to storytelling, steering away from the expected tropes of crime dramas and police procedurals. It is a series that captivates not through high-stakes thrills but through its careful, painful exploration of human emotion and the systems that shape us.
The Netflix series "Dabba Cartel", currently trending within the top 10 most viewed in Bangladesh, attempts to carve out a unique space in the crime drama genre by marrying the mundanity of everyday life with the high-stakes world of drug trafficking. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s middle-class neighbourhoods, this Hitesh Bhatia directorial explores how five women from vastly different social backgrounds come together, not out of greed or ambition but out of necessity. Their journey, marked by unexpected alliances, betrayals, and moments of startling agency, should have made for a riveting watch—to some degree, it does. However, as the show unfolds, it becomes clear that its ambitions exceed its execution, resulting in a concoction that is fascinating in theory but...
"When Life Gives You Tangerines" has sparked a frenzy on social media, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about K-dramas of the year. It is not just the powerhouse performances of IU and Park Bo-gum or its beautifully shot cinematography that have captured the audience’s attention but the way the series lingers, offering a meditation on love, family, and time that feels both universal and deeply rooted in Korean culture. The show, which takes its time to unfold, has become a viral sensation, with fans and critics alike drawn to its emotional depth and understated storytelling. But beyond the buzz, this show’s quiet power lies in the way it draws you in, inviting you to reflect on the intricacies of life, love, and the enduring bonds that shape us.
Business competitions are among the most rewarding experiences a BBA student can have. Participating in these competitions provides exposure to real corporate problems often presented by leading companies.
The world has changed, and with it, so has Eid. Yet, paradoxically, technology is bringing back the very elements we thought we had lost.
Netflix has long been at the forefront of digital entertainment, leading the shift from DVD rentals to streaming dominance. But its latest move—integrating user-generated content (UGC) into its platform—is perhaps one of its most ingenious strategies so far.
One ought to adhere to a certain level of reverence when talking about Hayao Miyazaki. The man has dedicated his life to a form of animation that values patience over production speed, detail over efficiency, and emotion over mere aesthetics. Back in 2016, he made a public statement regarding AI-generated art, where he called it an “insult to life itself”. To therefore understand the weight of the proclamation itself is to understand the nature of his art.
This year "The Electric State" arrived as one of Netflix’s most expensive gambits, a film burdened not only by a budget that exceeds $300 million but also by a creative lineage that promises much. The Russo brothers, known for their mastery of blockbuster spectacle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), bring their vision to a film set against the dystopian backdrop of a desolate, near-future world where robots and humanity are in a state of uneasy coexistence. Based on the acclaimed illustrated novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag, the film stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Anthony Mackie. Despite the star power, the enormous investment, and the high expectations surrounding its release, "The Electric State" struggles to live up to its ambitious...
"Adolescence", the Netflix miniseries created by Jack Thorne and directed by Philip Barantini, is an emotionally charged and deeply unsettling drama that tackles complex themes surrounding masculinity, identity, and societal failure. It presents a raw and unflinching look at the pressures faced by contemporary youth, particularly boys, and examines how these pressures can lead to radicalisation and violence. With a narrative rooted in realism, the show takes a refreshing, albeit harrowing, approach to storytelling, steering away from the expected tropes of crime dramas and police procedurals. It is a series that captivates not through high-stakes thrills but through its careful, painful exploration of human emotion and the systems that shape us.
The Netflix series "Dabba Cartel", currently trending within the top 10 most viewed in Bangladesh, attempts to carve out a unique space in the crime drama genre by marrying the mundanity of everyday life with the high-stakes world of drug trafficking. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s middle-class neighbourhoods, this Hitesh Bhatia directorial explores how five women from vastly different social backgrounds come together, not out of greed or ambition but out of necessity. Their journey, marked by unexpected alliances, betrayals, and moments of startling agency, should have made for a riveting watch—to some degree, it does. However, as the show unfolds, it becomes clear that its ambitions exceed its execution, resulting in a concoction that is fascinating in theory but...
Cinema has long been shaped by the male gaze, a term popularised by Laura Mulvey in her seminal essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975), which dissected how classical Hollywood positioned women as passive objects of desire while men drove the narrative forward. This framework dominated filmmaking for decades, reinforcing a voyeuristic perspective where women existed primarily to be looked at, consumed, and defined in relation to male protagonists.
Bollywood gets many things wrong, but imbuing romance into love stories isn’t one of them. In fact, if this genre had a physical form, it would probably be a man standing in the rain, holding a mandolin, waiting for a train that has already left. Or, more accurately, it would be Shah Rukh Khan, arms wide open, standing in the middle of a mustard field. If there is one thing Bollywood has perfected over the decades, it’s the grand, sweeping, goosebumps-inducing love stories that make real-life relationships look like dull PowerPoint presentations. However, let’s face it—whether we admit it or not, we love every second of it.