Sadi Mohammad Shahnewaz

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

My em dashes are showing – Am I AI?

My em dashes are showing – Am I AI?

4d 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.

1w 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.

1w ago

‘Esha Murder’ is the perfect detox from your Eid blockbusters

This is where Badhan steps in as the lead, playing officer Leena. From the get-go, she is a no-nonsense character. She is a strong police officer, but a heavily traumatised woman. It is the trauma that leads her to train, persist, and become a law enforcement officer in the first place, a plot device that pays off to its fullest near the end.

3w ago

Sabila debuts, ‘Taandob’ ensues

Once a sweetheart of television, Sabila Nur has hit the bullseye with her silver-screen debut with a leading role opposite Shakib Khan in “Taandob”. The film will go down in Bangladesh’s cinematic history for being rife with action, twists, and cameos.

3w ago

Jaya and Sharmin take over

As Jaya Ahsan and Mohsina Akhter, the two leads of the film, take sips of black coffee and rong cha respectively at The Daily Star’s studio, the excitement levels vary among the illustrious mega-star and respected theatre practitioner.

1m ago

Meghna Alam’s detention: Same script, new cast?

What was baffling was that her arrest was not even acknowledged by the authorities for 24 hours, the silence broken only by mounting pressure on social media

2m ago

Nuhash Humayun at a crossroads

Whether it's by crafting a groundbreaking IP with “Pett Kata Shaw”, making history by working with Hollywood juggernaut Jordan Peele, or by being a revered member of the Writers' Guild of America, Nuhash Humayun's journey in Bangladeshi showbiz is nothing short of remarkable. We sat down with the ambitious director days after the release of “Dui Shaw”, the second iteration of his horror phenomenon.

5m ago
May 15, 2022
May 15, 2022

Coke Studio Bangla: Arnob, Boga Taleb deliver an unforgettable bhawaiya experience

As “Chiltey Roud” headed towards its majestic outro, pairing Boga Taleb’s resounding, celestial vocals with Shayan Chowdhury Arnob’s calming delivery – the shehnai playing in the background almost brought me to tears.

May 8, 2022
May 8, 2022

Reinterpreting Rabindra Sangeet to a new generation

Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sadi Mohammad was one of my father’s favourite singers -- so much so that when I was born, I became his namesake. Today is Rabindra Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Kabi Guru, and also the day that my father reminds me of my ‘origin story’.

May 6, 2022
May 6, 2022

Eid breathes life into entertainment industry

‘Shaandar’ Shaan, ‘Golui’ not far behind

May 2, 2022
May 2, 2022

Oni Hasan: Chasing a bigger dream

From being Vibe’s exciting musical prodigy to a staple of legendary Warfaze, Oni Hasan has accomplished a lot in his musical career.

April 16, 2022
April 16, 2022

From TSC to Madison Square Garden

There are few bands in Bangladesh who are as internationally appealing and well rounded as Chirkutt. The folk rock pioneers will break new ground by performing with Scorpions at Madison Square Garden (MSG), New York at the Golden Jubilee Bangladesh concert, celebrating 50 years of our country’s Independence. We talked to Chirkutt about their preparations, excitement, and thoughts about the concert.

April 15, 2022
April 15, 2022

Coke Studio Bangla: Latin and Nazrul’s harmonious entanglement

It is difficult to maintain even a semblance of neutrality when a song bewitches you from the second it starts playing – that is what Coke Studio Bangla’s newest release, “Bulbuli”, did to my ‘trained’ musical ear. On the first day of the Bengali New Year, the musical production paid a perfect homage to our National Poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam.

April 12, 2022
April 12, 2022

Sainik fights on with his tunes

It was 1989 when T W Sainik first came from Nilphamari to Dhaka, as a culturally active young man. Even after two decades of successful work as a cinematographer – more than 500 tele-fictions, 40 TVCs and 4 films, we know the artiste as the voice behind “Tumi Amar Ghum”, a song that captured the hearts of music listeners regardless of taste.

April 9, 2022
April 9, 2022

My visit to the Grammys

When I was arriving in Phoenix, Arizona last year for my Humphrey Fellowship, I did not imagine that I would get to be a part of one of the most prestigious musical celebrations of the world – the Grammys.

April 7, 2022
April 7, 2022

'Film industry won't grow if we just sit and complain': Nuhash Humayun

Nuhash Humayun loves making “weird stuff’, as he jokingly phrases it. However, he is objectively one of the most open-to-experiment directors of our time.

April 2, 2022
April 2, 2022

Was the second serving of Coke as refreshing as the first?

Let us get this out of the way first: “Nasek Nasek” was so dynamic, energetic and well-executed musically, that it made it unusually difficult for any song to follow it up.