Today marks the birth centennial of legendary musician Hemanta Mukherjee. Born on June 16, 2020, in Varanasi India, the singer is also known as Hemanta Kumar. His family shifted to their ancestral home Baharu of West Bengal. His family soon migrated to Kolkata, where Mukherjee attended Nasiruddin School and later Mitra Institution school of Bhawanipore area. He grew up in the company of his two best friends, renowned poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay and noted writer Santosh Kumar Ghosh. With their influence, the artiste started writing short stories.

The 2021 Oscar ceremony was moved to April from February recently, due to the havoc caused in the movie industry by the coronavirus pandemic.

Shaheen Reza Rassel has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease known as Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD). Despite the adversities, he has been exploring his talents as a writer, poet, playwright, singer, music composer and painter. He has garnered popularity amongst the youth for his unique creations. Currently, he is the Assistant Director of National Art Gallery Auditorium, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Today marks the birthday of celebrated actor and ten-time National Film Award winner Shabana, who won the hearts of millions ever since she stepped into films. Born as Afroza Sultana Ratna in Chittagong in 1952, she changed her name when she came into the industry. Shabana began her career in the 60s as a child artiste.

Chitrokola Gallery -- Bangladesh’s first 3-D virtual gallery, has organised a solo art exhibition, titled Pandemic Mood: Freedom in the days of Corona, by renowned artist-professor Mostafizul Haque. The artist’s 35 works, done from March 20 to date, will be exhibited in the gallery. 50 percent of the proceeds from the sales will be spent for the welfare of corona-affected individuals. .

Masud Rana, one of the most popular spy thriller series in the country, has enthralled readers with around 500 books in the past decade. Though readers have known that these books are authored by Qazi Anwar Hussain, writer Sheikh Abdul Hakim filed a complaint to Bangladesh Copyright Office regarding their copyright on July 29, 2019. According to Sheikh Abdul Hakim, 260 novels from the Masud Rana series and 50 novels from the detective series Kuasha are written by him.

Labik Kamal Gaurob has many accolades, both nationally and overseas, as a renowned folk singer. In these times of distress, Gaurob's Onek Achey Baaki serves as a soothing and emotional tribute to someone close to his heart. Written by Leesa Gazi, the song was composed as a tribute to his aunt, who unfortunately passed away in 2015. Suhail Yusuf Lhan and Saadul Islam contributed to the music with their sarangi and guitar respectively. The video, while shot on a phone, had tasteful and minimalistic direction by Tanvir Alam Shawjeeb.

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has been found dead in his house in Mumbai’s Bandra, his representative and Mumbai Police said today, according to media reports.

Amid the coronavirus crisis, Shilpangan is hosting the online group art show, ‘Art for Life Again’.

Celebrated director and screenwriter Ashfaque Nipun is known for dealing with contemporary and political issues in his stories.

Known for his playback and adhunik songs, celebrated musician and Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artiste Rafiqul Alam has been a powerful presence in the Bangladeshi music industry for decades. Recently, on a candid chat with The Daily Star, the artiste looks back at his memorable experiences.

While artistes are exploring different digital platforms as makeshift performing spaces, the once crowded physical venues and auditoriums now remain deserted, amid the coronavirus crisis.

Binge, an online platform for entertainment, was recently launched in Bangladesh with plenty of local and international content, including films and web shows.

Samdani Art Foundation (SAF) is a private arts trust based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 2011 by collector couple Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani, it supports the work of the country’s contemporary artists and architects. Led by Artistic Director and Curator Diana Campbell Betancourt, SAF seeks to expand the audience engaging with contemporary art across Bangladesh and increase international exposure for the country’s artists.

Bangladeshi model Tangia Zaman Methila will be seen in the role of Husne Ara, a Rohingya genocide survivor, in Rohingya: People From Nowhere. Produced by Thunder Dragon Production, this Bollywood feature film is directed by Haider Khan. According to Methila, nearly two-thirds of the film was shot in Assam, India.

After being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego Comic-Con announced that Comic-Con@Home, the at-home edition of the event, will take place from July 22 to 26.

Jas Waters, TV writer and journalist, passed away recently.

Celebrated model and actor Nusraat Faria started her journey as a TV and radio host. She went on to work on hits like Badshah: The Don (2016), Inspector Notty K (2018) and Premi O Premi (2016), which brought her acclaim both at home and abroad. She recently announced her engagement to Rony Riad Rashid on social media. In a candid chat with The Daily Star, the actor talks about her aspirations and upcoming projects.

Marché du film de Cannes, or the Cannes Film Market, is the biggest film market in the world. Established in 1959, it is held annually in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival. Renowned singer Krishnokoli Islam’s No Objection Certificate has been selected for the platform this year, by Cannes Docs. The film, which is a story of Bangladeshi single mothers claiming guardianship over their daughters, looks to unfold many sides of patriarchy in the society. Produced by Tareq Ahmed, No Objection Certificate is looking for a co-producer in the marketplace. The 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Market will take place online from June 22-26.

The 2020 editions of the Coachella music festival and its country music counterpart Stagecoach have been cancelled due to concerns over a possible autumn resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Riverside County health office said late Wednesday. “I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall,” said the County’s Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser, who signed the order cancelling the festivals.