In the cultural arena, veteran actress Farida Akhtar Babita, legendary late musician Ayub Bachchu, folk singer Islam Uddin Palakar, and pioneering rock band Warfaze have been selected for the prestigious award.

The initiative comes at a time when Hollywood remains wary of AI’s growing role, amid fears of job losses and long-term disruption to creative labour.

McLemore helped shape a sound that bridged mainstream pop and Black vocal harmony. The 5th Dimension scored a string of global hits and won six Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year twice—for “Up, Up and Away” in 1967 and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” in 1969.

The film, which premiered on January 30 after a highly successful theatrical run, surpassed the first-weekend viewership of major titles such as “Animal”, “Fighter”, and “Pushpa 2: The Rule”.

This Falgun and Valentine’s Day, popular OTT platform Chorki will unveil its latest flash fiction content, “Tiffin Box”, for viewers across the country.

A new romantic drama titled “Maya Boner Horin” is set to be released on Valentine’s Day, featuring the popular on-screen pair Niloy Alamgir and Jannatul Sumaiya Heme. The special drama has been produced with Valentine’s Day audiences in mind and will premiere on the NAF Entertainment YouTube channel.

The 55th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is currently underway in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, with three Bangladeshi films selected for the festival this year. Among them, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s political thriller “Master” had its international premiere on February 2.

Nawba Tahiya Hossain, one of the promising young faces of the entertainment industry, surprised fans on Wednesday after announcing her decision to step away from showbiz permanently.

The film also received international recognition, including screenings at major festivals abroad and winning the Best Feature Film award. The Daily Star spoke to Putul about the film, her career journey, and her newly launched theatre production house.

The music video of “Obishwasher Deshe” has been released under the “Ek Nirjharer Gaan” project on the YouTube channel “Gaanshala EKNC”. The video, featuring Megha as the model, has been directed by Mujahid Mijab.

The actor credited much of his personal and professional stability to his wife, Shirin. “Her contribution is immense. After marriage, I was working, acting, dedicating long hours to theatre and television. She held the family together. I would say ninety per cent of what I am today is because of her,” he said.

Directed by Azad Abul Kalam, the production approaches Tagore’s symbolic text through a contemporary lens, stripping away ornamental abstraction to foreground a blunt question: what happens when education trains conformity instead of thought?

Among the headline projects is “Ikka”, a courtroom drama pitching Sunny Deol against Akshaye Khanna. Deol plays a firebrand lawyer in a role that echoes his performance in “Damini” (1993), while Khanna takes the opposing stand. The cast also includes Dia Mirza, Tillotama Shome and Sanjeeda Shaikh, signalling a prestige legal drama aimed squarely at mass and OTT audiences alike.

Speculation around the much-talked-about wedding of Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda has intensified after the actress appeared to subtly acknowledge reports about their marriage date. For weeks, reports have suggested that the popular actor couple will tie the knot later this month in Udaipur. While neither Rashmika nor Vijay has issued an official announcement, a recent interaction with paparazzi has added fresh fuel to the rumours.

Actor Siam Ahmed has said he does not see Dhallywood megastar Shakib Khan as a competitor, stressing that his only focus is improving his own work as an actor.

Amar Bhashar Cholochitro Utshob 1432 kicked off yesterday at the University of Dhaka. Organised by the Dhaka University Film Society, this year marks the 24th edition of the festival.

Bangladeshi filmmaker Mezbaur Rahman Sumon’s latest feature film “Roid” has received a major international boost, with Widishaa Originals, the production house led by International Emmy Award-winning producer Apoorva Bakshi of “Delhi Crime” fame, joining the project as executive producer. The development was announced while the film is competing in the Tiger Competition section at the ongoing International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

Originally written in 1959, Pinter’s “The Applicant” examines the dehumanising structures of modern capitalist systems through the framework of a job interview. The adaptation highlights how institutional power often reduces individuals to objects of control in the name of discipline and professionalism.

A multiple-time National Film Award winner at home and a frequent recipient of honours in India, Jaya now returns to the big screen with her latest film, “OCD”, set for release on February 6.

The director’s second feature film “Mastul” has been screened and praised at several international festivals, including the Moscow International Film Festival. The film received clearance for theatrical release in Bangladesh last year, but has yet to reach cinemas. Its release has been stalled due to financial constraints.