Priyanka Chowdhury

In 1971, at the age of 17, Mamun photographed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 3, 1971. “I didn’t know he’d make the call for independence on March 7, but I happened to have witnessed and captured the moment,” he recalled. Ever since, Mamun grew a passion to capture portraits of famous personalities through his lenses. He captured portraits of more than 8,000 famous personalities till date.

Talented theatre actress and dancer Umma Habiba delivered a brilliant performance in “Marx in Soho”, a recent play by prominent theatre troupe BotTola, in association with Jatrik.

Prominent theatre troupe BotTola, in association with Jatrik, presented their play, “Marx in Soho” at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of Bangladesh Mohila Samity in Bailey Road, Dhaka, recently. The whimsical play by Howard Zinn has been translated into Bangla by writer Javed Hussen. The production is helmed by actor and director Naila Azad.

We all remember Mount Kilimanjaro from our general education books as Africa’s tallest peak, and the world’s tallest free standing mountain. For Mrittika Barua, however, it proved to be much more.

The ninth installment of the Ganga Jamuna Cultural Festival kicked off at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) this evening.

Celebrated director Amitabh Reza Chowdhury’s “Munshigiri”, starring Chanchal Chowdhury, releases on Chorki at 8 pm tonight. The Chorki original film also features Purnima and Shabnam Faria in pivotal roles. Based on the novel "Mriterao Kotha Bole" by Shibarata Barman, Amitabh Reza Chowdhury brings a first of its kind detective story of Bangladesh with his debut web film.

I grew up in a strict household at Indira Road, where reading for fun was prohibited because my parents believed it would hamper my academic pursuits.

The 24th edition of National Art Exhibition is currently underway at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), Dhaka. Along with the competition zone, this year, BSA introduced a curated section in Gallery 6 of Jatiya Chitrashala, for the first time. Curators Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Kamruzzaman Shadhin, Joydeb Roaja, and Zihan Karim are involved in the project.

The revolution that litterateur and musical polymath Kazi Nazrul Islam brought to Bengali literature is unparalleled.  It is known that he joined the British-Indian Army in 1917 during World War I, when he was just 18. Barely out of his teen years, Nazrul travelled across India to join his regiment at Karachi.

Tareque Masud's films compel us to think anew. An archivist and a brilliant storyteller, he was fondly known as the ‘Cinema Feriwala’. The artiste is an indispensable name when it comes to film studies. Masud and his close collaborator, cinematographer Mishuk Munier, passed away in a tragic car accident ten years ago, on this day.

With an array of popular television fictions under his belt, celebrated actor Intekhab Dinar has built a powerful presence on OTT platforms in recent years. From a convincing portrayal of a commanding chairman in "Taqdeer" to a whimsical fictional character in "Ovineta", he has made the best of his acting prowess. In "Dwikhandito", the final episode of the Chorki anthology series, "Unoloukik", Dinar aces an impeccable, breathless performance of over 20 minutes. He spoke to The Daily Star about his journey with the project, and more.

The Raas Leela is an important part of Manipuri culture. The term roughly means ‘dance of divine love and passion’. Dancers symbolise their spiritual love for Lord Krishna when they perform the Raas Leela. At 76, Krishnakumari Sinha is one of the most renowned artistes of this traditional art form in Bangladesh. For more than three decades, she has also been a guru to many. In a conversation with The Daily Star, Krishnakumari Sinha, along with her two disciples Sharmila Sinha and Jyoti Sinha, talk about the Manipuri Raas Leela, and their journey with it.

The Concert for Bangladesh, a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, were held on August 1, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from the then East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War. Expanding on the 50-year legacy of the concert, Samdani Art Foundation (Dhaka) and UBIK Productions (London) collaborated to host a mixed reality musical event, titled ‘Concert from Bangladesh’.  The initiative is supported by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund.

Since her first on-screen appearance in 2003, Moutushi Biswas garnered her career with well-known television fictions, reality shows, and movies. However, she was away from the limelight for one and a half years.

Eid special tele-fiction, “Ghotona Shotto”, directed by Rubel Hasan and released under the banner of Central Music and Video (CMV), has enraged audiences -- allegedly due to its insensitivity towards children with special needs.

Renowned actor Shahnaz Khushi paid a wonderful tribute to Kulsum, her house-help, who took care of her family for nine long years, through a social media post. Kulsum passed away recently, after a post appendicitis surgery.

OTT platform Chorki released the trailer of their anthology series, “Unoloukik” recently. It is based on four original stories by writer Shibabrata Barman -- “Moribar Holo Tar Shad", "Dwikhondito", "Jagar Bela Holo" (adapted to Mrs Prohelika), and "Television" (adapted to Hello Ladies). Barman penned the fifth story, "Don't Write Me”, especially for the Chorki original series. It will begin with “Moribar Holo Tar Shad” on July 12, with the commencement of the OTT platform itself.

With an aim to overcome challenges and neglect faced by musicians, several lyricists, composers, and vocalists have formed a committee called, ’Sangeet Oikya Bangladesh' for the first time in the history of the country. Three organisations, Gitikobi Sangha Bangladesh, Music Composers Society of Bangladesh and Singers Association of Bangladesh came under the umbrella. Through an online press conference, Kumar Biswajit, General Secretary, Singers Association of Bangladesh, unveiled the committee.

Hailing from Bagerhat, Mostafizur Noor Imran has a master’s in Drama and Dramatics from Jahangirnagar University.

In Indian classical performance art, the Guru-Shishya Parampara plays an integral role. It is handed down from teachers to their disciples. Traditionally attributed to traveling bards in the North of Ancient India, called ‘Kathakars’ or storytellers,