OTT ushers in a brave new world
It was stars galore at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre as celebrities, influencers and artistes alike were keen on witnessing a unique celebration -- Blender's Choice - The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards 2021.
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"OTT platforms have begun a new era of creativity in the arts and entertainment world."
The event was organised to recognise the best OTT and digital contents from July 2020 to December 2021.
From 6:00pm onwards, stars walked the red carpet in a festive mood -- mingling with fans, having stylised glam shots taken.
At the stroke of 7:00, the excited audience settled down in the venue's Hall of Fame, with a thematic performance from the Alifia Dance Squad. The logo of the event was unveiled, with the hosts of the first segment, Rafsan Sabab and national award-winning actress Sunerah Binte Kamal, making their entry.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi graced the occasion as the chief guest.
Delivering the welcome address, Ispahani Group Chairman Mirza Salman Ispahani said they as an organisation were honoured to be able to present this award alongside The Daily Star.
"OTT is indeed the new normal of the media and entertainment industry. Thanks to government's patronisation of expanding ICT infrastructure and internet accessibility, a huge audience is now connecting with OTT platforms and digital contents. I am sure these platforms will grow rapidly in the near future," he said.
Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said OTT platforms have ushered in a new era of creativity in the arts and entertainment world.
"Here, all artists, directors, and producers -- be they famous or emerging -- can fully explore their potentials and creativity. In this way, we are getting new talents from these platforms regularly.
"We need a legal structure and a government policy for these platforms that will encourage the artists to fully utilise their creativity and latent talents. I would like to appeal to the government so that we can recognise and award these platforms and content creators to help them flourish and get inspired to create more positive contents," he said.
"OTT platforms and digital contents have truly initiated a new era in our promising entertainment industry."
The programme spared no expense to recognise talents from both in front of and behind the camera, conferring awards in 31 categories (see full list of awardees on page 6).
The awards were handed over by esteemed personalities from various industries.
Content creators took centre stage first, with the likes of Rafsan the Chhotobhai, Samina Sraboni and Free Motion Firoz winning in their respective segments.
The event took an unexpected turn when comedy duo Amin and Ashik took the reign away from the hosts after a light-hearted banter. The young comedians turned the venue into a rickety stand-up one just for a few moments, drawing laughter from an audience filled with the biggest stars in the industry.
The performances did not stop there.
A beautiful musical serenade was presented to the audience by Khayam Sanu Sandhi, accompanied by a mellifluous dance performance.
On this musical note, Abanti Sithi and Rehaan Rasul jointly picked up the Best Singer award for "Rupkothar Jogote" from "Networker Baire", one of the year's musical highlights, whereas Sajid Sarker won the Best Music Composer award for his masterful work in the same film.
"OTT is indeed the new normal of the media and entertainment industry... I'm sure these platforms will grow rapidly in near future."
"Bachelor Point" won the "People's Choice for Popular Digital Media Drama" award, and the entire team was present to celebrate.
"Poran" famed director Raihan Rafi, who is arguably in the prime of his career, received Best Scriptwriter (story) award for "Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi".
The awarding was soon followed by a dynamic dance performance from Shohel Mondol and Shirin Akter Shela.
The second segment of the event was hosted by Naziba Basher and none other than Yash Rohan, who has earned mainstream acceptance for his role in "Poran".
Afran Nisho's victory in the Best Actor in a Negative Role category was a pleasant surprise for the "Kaiser" famed star, who is used to play the role of a protagonist. This time, he was on the opposite end of the table for "Morichika".
Shuvashish Bhowmik and Rituraj, the adored "Baap Ka Beta" duo, melted hearts with their cutesy and energetic performance. Safa Kabir, who started her journey as prodigious prospect, showed through her performance with Alifia Dance Squad that she has blossomed into a full-blown entertainer.
The choreographer for the event, Mofassal Al Alif, deserves credit for his innovative work with the stars and his crew.
However, excited tension filled the room when the time came to crown the juggernauts of the industry.
Ashfaque Nipun won two back-to-back awards -- Best Director (film) for "Koshtoneer", and Best Director (series) for "Mohanagar". In complete shock with the audience and jury's verdict, the director thanked the viewers for showering him with love and appreciation.
Arguably two of the greatest actors of the generation, Chanchal Chowdhury and Mosharraf Karim, won Best Actor in the popular and critics categories respectively.
Chanchal's display in "Taqdeer" was an acting masterclass, whereas Mosharraf's portrayal of OC Harun was nothing short of iconic.
Accepting his award, Chanchal said, "This award belongs to the entire Taqdeer team who worked so hard and were so passionate about their work. We are working for the digital platforms and we shall continue to work in the future. I would like to thank The Daily Star and Ispahani Blender's Choice, along with all the organisers, for inspiring us by hosting this amazing event."
On behalf of Mosharraf, his wife Robena Reza, a renowned actress, received the award. He, however, sent a heartfelt video message, thanking the audience and critics for their appreciation.
"Mohanagar", one of the most ground-breaking Bangla OTT contents over the last few years, won the critics choice award for Best Film/Series.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said, "OTT platforms and digital contents have truly initiated a new era in our promising entertainment industry. They are also promoting positive values and good causes in the society. I wish them all the best and I believe that these new artists will bring honour and glory to Bangladesh."
The festivities reached a crescendo with a high-energy performance from none other than the ceiling-breakers of hip-hop -- Jalali Set.
After all was said and done, Blender's Choice – The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards not only lived up to the hype, but shattered all obstacles for any artiste previously restricted by mediums.
The message is clear -- the future is chalk-full of opportunities for any artiste who dares to dream beyond contemporary platforms for their art.
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