This Eid, Xefer Rahman surprised fans not just with new music, but also with her return to acting. After her debut in Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Monogamy”, she appeared in the highly anticipated web-series “Myself Allen Swapan 2”, directed by Shihab Shaheen. She not only shared the screen with Nasir Uddin Khan but also lent her voice to the series with the track “Boyam Pakhi 2.0”. Simultaneously, her song “Niye Jabe Ki” from the Eid film “Daagi” was added to the festive lineup.
As the film industry gears up for festival seasons, cinema hall owners eagerly anticipate the most hyped time of the year. This Eid-ul-Fitr, six films hit the silver screen: “Borbaad”, “Daagi”, “Jongli”, “Chokkor 302”, “Jinn 3”, and “Antaratma”.
Nidhi’s journey in the entertainment industry began as a composer and music producer. His first film project was Redoan Rony’s “Ice Cream”, and he continued to make his mark with other film scores, including his work on “DamaaI”, “Surongo”, and “Toofan”.
The summit was officially announced in Bangladesh at a launch event held at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka, today, alongside a discussion celebrating 111 years of Indian cinema. The event, organised by the High Commission of India in Dhaka, highlighted the objectives and potential global impact of WAVES. Ann Mary George, first secretary (Culture) at the High Commission of India, shared the vision for WAVES, stating, “We aim to make this an annual event, much like the World Economic Summit in Davos or the Raisina Dialogue for foreign policy. This will be a landmark platform for media and entertainment.”
Tota dreams of working in Bangladesh and collaborating with its filmmakers and actors. “Both our countries have immensely talented artistes. Why should bureaucratic hurdles stand in the way? Artistes have always been free-spirited, and complicating these exchanges only restricts creativity. We share the same language, culture, artistic sensibilities—our collaboration should be seamless.”
About a month ago, the musician performed at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris to celebrate the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. This monumental occasion marked not just a personal achievement but also a collective step forward for Bangladeshi music on the world stage. In an interview with The Daily Star, the musician discussed his experience, musical journey, and hopes for the future of Bangladeshi music.
Starting out as a model, he made his acting debut in Vicky Zahed’s “Ararat” (2024), portraying a jinn—a performance that caught the people’s attention. His latest release, “Neel Shukh”, has taken him even further, proving that he’s here to stay.
The rising star will be starring in four films this year—two Bangladeshi projects, including one directed by Tanvir Hossain Probal, and two Indian films, one from Tamil Nadu and another from Kolkata. “I have a significant fanbase in Kolkata, and that’s how I was approached for these projects,” he shared.
During the second wave of quota reform protests this year, young actress Shahnaz Sumi became actively involved as a student of the Government College of Applied Human Science, starting in the first week of July. In an interview with The Daily Star, she shared her perspective on the protests, the challenges facing the showbiz industry, and her hopes for the future.
The strike has garnered significant support from other key industry associations. The Advertising & Filmmakers Association (ADFA), the Bangladesh Alliance of Cinematographers (BAC), the Post Productions Association of Bangladesh (PAB), and the Art Directors & Costume Designers Association of Bangladesh have all united in solidarity with BAAcP. Additionally, the Bangladesh Association of Art Makers and Set Designers (BAAMS), along with groups representing makeup artists, production managers, and other essential crew members, have thrown their weight behind the strike.
Toya and her husband, Sayed Zaman Shawon, who is also an artiste, both joined the movement. They have also sent aid and volunteered to support flood victims.
At the outset of the anti-discrimination student movement, only a few artistes voiced their support. Among those who did was actress Safa Kabir, who felt a sense of duty and stepped out of her comfort zone to ask, “Why are these kids being beaten on the roads?” She also suggested that these students are young and need to be dealt with love, not aggression, leaving her message to the protestors, “Dear students, I’m with you all.”
On August 4, 2018, Nawshaba was detained by RAB from a shooting spot in Uttara. Under Section 57 of the ICT Act, she was charged with spreading rumours on social media about the student protest for the demand for road safety. It is to be noted that she was not the only one who was charged under that act. Photographer Shahidul Alam, lawyer Imtiaz Mahmood, journalist Kajol, and many other activists were charged under this act for speaking against the former AL-led government.
Over the Top (OTT) platforms are one of the major digital mediums of entertainment. The country has been suffering from a complete internet outage, resulting in huge financial losses for industry leaders.
Returning to Bangladesh after four years still refreshes the memories of Paoli Dam’s first visit. “It was in 2010, during the shoots of Gautam Ghosh’s 'Moner Manush', the Indo-Bangla joint venture,” shared the actress, whose origin is Faridpur. “I haven’t had the opportunity to visit Faridpur till now,” she sighed.
As many had lost their lives in violent clashes that upended the entire nation, cultural personalities welcomed the verdict that would look to re-establish peace across the country. The Daily Star reached out to some of the seniormost cultural figures in Bangladesh yesterday.
Vicky’s landmark “Punorjonmo” series reached such heights that to date, wherever he goes, people ask about a spin-off possibility. For the readers, he spilled the beans— “Hajot” is the prequel of the “Punorjonmo” universe. Since Rafsan Haque’s character has reached the mass audience, this time we plan to make it larger than life. Hence, for that, we need time to create something special.”
The talented artiste feels that the experience of working in “Ajob Karkhana” enriched his soul. “I used to look for the research works done on folk musicians and music genres and at that time, I didn't have the real experience of witnessing them performing live, which I had during the shoot. It seemed surreal to me when listening to Jari, Ghatu or Baul songs (in front of Lalon Shah’s shrine) in a rustic atmosphere with thousands of people.”
