Pahela Baishakh heralds new beginning

The Bengali New Year is being celebrated today with vibrant arrangements unfolding across the country. From lively concerts to musical performances, renowned artistes and bands are taking the stage to delight audiences and spread festive cheer nationwide.

Today marks the birth anniversary of late legendary actor Aslam Talukder Manna. Born on April 14, 1964, in Kaitla village of Kalihati, Tangail, Manna made his silver screen debut in 1984 through the BFDC-organised talent hunt programme, “Notun Mukher Shondhane”. His first released film was “Pagli”.

Kids can enjoy all-day long shows on the channel and celebrate Pahela Baishakh 1432 today.

For Jaya, the Bengali New Year holds deep personal significance. “Pahela Baishakh is a special day for us — a day of celebration and joy,” she said.

As the Bengali New Year arrives, four prominent cultural figures—Abul Hayat, Tariq Anam Khan, Fazlur Rahman Babu, and Fahmida Nabi— have shared their cherished memories of the cherished Bangladeshi festival with The Daily Star.

Thousands of Bangalees ushered in Bengali Year 1432 at Ramna Batamul on Monday morning, as Chhayanaut’s iconic Pahela Baishakh celebration marked its 58th edition with renewed hope, harmony, and heritage.

As the sun rose over Dhaka, Chhayanaut’s Pahela Baishakh celebration for the Bengali year 1432 began at Ramna Batamul. The theme of Chhayanaut's Pahela Baishakh celebration this year is "Amar Mukti Aloy Aloy" (my freedom lies in light). Through this theme, Chhayanaut aims to convey a message of hope, resilience, and renewal.

As the nation now stands on the cusp of renewal, Pahela Baishakh 1432 arrives at a time when the people of Bangladesh are eager to reclaim their cultural voice—seeking a deeper connection to its identity, heritage, and hope. For centuries, it has been an occasion of collective celebration, resilience, and unity.

The Chaitra Sankranti Band Show and Cultural Programme officially commenced this afternoon at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, celebrating the end of the Bengali calendar year with a vibrant celebration of traditional music and modern performances.

Popular theatre troupe Prangonemor was all set to stage their acclaimed adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s “Shesher Kobita”, with a fresh perspective, as part of the upcoming Chaitra Sankranti and Pahela Baishakh celebrations.

After spending nearly 10 years working on “Stranger Things”, Finn Wolfhard has mixed emotions about the show—and his character—reaching the end of the road. The actor, who first stepped into the role of Mike Wheeler in November 2015, opened up to People about the flood of feelings he experienced while filming the series finale.

A new documentary, “One to One: John & Yoko”, offers an intimate look at John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s early years in New York following the breakup of The Beatles.

The eighth edition of the London Bengali Film Festival (LBFF) will officially kick off from April 22-27 this year.

The family drama series “Nonsense” is set to premiere this Pahela Baishakh on the OTT platform Bongo. Directed by Rakesh Basu, the six-episode series features Zakia Bari Mamo, Intekhab Dinar, Aisha Khan, Naziba Basher, Mili Basher, Shahidul Alam Sachchu, and Tony Michael Gomes, among others.

Directed conceptually by actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, the shoot masterfully intertwines the joyous rituals of Biju and heartfelt reunions among friends, reflecting values of empathy, unity, and the universal language of human connection.

This Eid-ul-Fitr, the overwhelming popularity of Bangladeshi films has led Star Cineplex to halt screenings of Hollywood blockbusters at its branches nationwide. Initially, the multiplex scheduled local and international films, hoping to offer a diverse cinematic experience. However, due to the overwhelming demand for domestic productions, the organisation has shifted its focus entirely toward Bangladeshi releases.

Warner Bros is moving forward with a remake of “The Bodyguard”, with director Sam Wrench attached to helm the project. Wrench previously directed the hugely successful concert film “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”. The screenplay will be written by Jonathan Abrams, who made his feature writing debut with Clint Eastwood’s legal drama “Juror #2”, which premiered last fall. Casting for the remake has not yet been finalized.

Hoichoi has released the official teaser for its upcoming supernatural thriller “Bhog”, directed by Parambrata Chattopadhyay and based on a novella by Avik Sarkar. The series is slated to premiere this May on the platform.

However, just 12 days after its debut, Star Cineplex removed “Jinn 3” from its screens, and the film is no longer being shown in any theatres across the country.