Sadi Mohammad Shahnewaz

Editor, Arts & Entertainment and Star Showbiz, The Daily Star.

‘Jodi Lokkho Thake Otut’: Self-help done right

Review of ‘Jodi Lokkho Thake Otut: Shafolyer Khola Koushol’ (Anyaprokash, 2025) by Asif Iqbal

4d ago

What not to post during a national tragedy

In moments of national crisis, instead of silence or responsible support, we see people racing to post

5d ago

No chains could bind Shafin Ahmed

Amidst the authoritarian regime’s crackdown on protesters, the former Miles frontman was one of the first from the music industry to speak out without any filter whatsoever. He did that a good two weeks before musicians would be mobilized into “Get up, Stand up,” which culminated in a historical musical protest on August 3. Little did we know that we would lose him only 3 days after that Facebook post. He had lost his life to a heart attack while on a tour with his lineup in North America.

1w ago

The Man of Steel returns: Is it worth a trip to the Cineplex?

There’s a certain weight that comes with reviewing a “Superman” movie. For decades, the “Man of Steel” has stood as a pop culture monolith—a symbol of hope, morality, and larger-than-life heroics. I went in to enjoy James Gunn’s ambitious reboot, weighing whether this iteration of the Kryptonian saviour could soar above the fatigue of a superhero-saturated landscape. I came out with the realisation that Superman may not be flawless, but it flies high enough to remind us why this hero matters.

2w ago

Beating brainrot in Dhaka

Brainrot essentially describes the withering of mental faculties from overexposure to low-value digital content.

2w ago

My em dashes are showing – Am I AI?

My em dashes are showing – Am I AI?

3w ago

#hireajournalist – A LinkedIn movement uplifting the heroes of the newsroom

Let's face it – you're more likely to consume news from social media than a reputed news outlet, simply because of how firmly social media is embedded in most people's daily lives. While the unreliability of news adrift on social media is dangerous for the consumer, the steady decline of traditional news media is also career-threatening for journalists.

4w ago

Women are not spoils of war, stop letting your inner animals out: Jaya Ahsan

What was supposed to be a conversation on Jaya’s spectacular success in both “Taandob” and “Utshob” soon turned into a pseudo-political discussion on the future of women in the country. How could it not? The entire country has meanwhile been shaken to its core after the brutal rape of a woman in Cumilla.

1m ago
June 6, 2021
June 6, 2021

From billboards to Cannes: Afia Tabassum Borno shares her journey

Chances are, you are already familiar with Afia Tabassum Borno, owing to the numerous television commercials and billboard ads that she has starred in. The English department student from ULAB has now etched her name in history, having starred in an important role in Abdullah Mohammad Saad directorial “Rehana Maryam Noor”. The film is the first Bangladeshi project to be officially selected in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

May 29, 2021
May 29, 2021

Messianic Era’s 10-year journey to culminate in debut album

Progressive band Messianic Era have seen their share of vicissitudes throughout the years. The talented underground band, inspired by the likes of Dream Theatre, Opeth and Porcupine Tree, will release their self-titled debut album on June 18.

May 11, 2021
May 11, 2021

‘Cyber-bullying must end’

As the entire country celebrated mother’s day on May 9 with pictures, felicitations and tributes to the women who raised them, National Award winning actor Chanchal Chowdhury was harassed on his Facebook account for following a different religion.

April 22, 2021
April 22, 2021

“Doura Picchi” – The Attempted Band’s eccentric gem

When I turned on the song titled “Doura Picchi”, the last thing I expected was to curl up in a corner and ponder about my insecurities – but that is exactly what the six-minute song did to me. The EP, also titled “Doura Picchi”, is designed to catch one off guard, especially if it is their first time listening to The Attempted Band.

April 3, 2021
April 3, 2021

The mercurial success of Shunno’s “Behula”

At the time of writing this article, Shunno’s latest single “Behula” has been ‘trending’ as number one on YouTube’s music segment for the past 6 days. The music video, animated by Antik Mahmud, touched a million views almost instantaneously, and the song recently crossed the four million milestone.

March 12, 2021
March 12, 2021

‘For we are distant’ – Dameer’s coup de grâce

For a musician as young as Dameer Khan, emotionally charged love ballads might be commonplace. However, it is the execution where the talented artiste proves why he is deemed as the future of the Bangladeshi music industry, in his latest EP – “For We Are Distant”.

February 15, 2021
February 15, 2021

Musicians versus analytics

It will not be a stretch to say that releasing new music is easier than ever before—with little to no hurdles if you have a song ready to go, and access to either a third-party distribution app, or a manager who has access to the same.

February 4, 2021
February 4, 2021

Dameer’s ‘Amar Jaan’ is innovative and nostalgic at the same time

Young musician and producer Dameer Khan recently released his latest track, “Amar Jaan”. The song’s music video is unique, consisting of footage from his parents – Zareen Durdana and Shahbaz Khan Pilu’s wedding.

January 30, 2021
January 30, 2021

Dora impresses with "WTFry" performance

Nadia Dora’s earthy voice lends itself perfectly to folksy music, but the talented singer does not want to shy away from any genre that comes her way. Her recent releases, “Kolija Ki Shingara” in Zee5’s “WTFry” and the title track of Kajol Arefin Ome’s “Viral Girl”, have resonated with the audience. We catch up with the young artiste for more.

January 28, 2021
January 28, 2021

Jon Kabir opens up about podcast, future plans

The definition of a ‘podcast’ implies that it is primarily made for consumption in the audio format – on the road during commutes, while working on something ominously mundane or just closing your eyes to listen to a no-holds barred conversation between two people. However, the popularity of podcasts has outgrown its mould, and a particular Bangladeshi spin on it has become one of the most must-see content on the internet right now. Music and television star Jon Kabir talks to us about his latest podcast, titled “I started a Podcast”. We talk to Jon about his latest endeavor.