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.

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.

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.

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.

This Eid, Xefer Rahman surprised fans not just with new music, but also with her return to acting. After her debut in Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Monogamy”, she appeared in the highly anticipated web-series “Myself Allen Swapan 2”, directed by Shihab Shaheen. She not only shared the screen with Nasir Uddin Khan but also lent her voice to the series with the track “Boyam Pakhi 2.0”. Simultaneously, her song “Niye Jabe Ki” from the Eid film “Daagi” was added to the festive lineup.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the introduction of a new Oscar category: Achievement in Stunt Design. This award will debut at the 100th Academy Awards in the year 2028, honouring films released in 2027.

Netflix has announced the lead cast for its upcoming “Pride and Prejudice” limited series, with Emma Corrin set to play Elizabeth Bennet and Olivia Colman taking on the role of Mrs Bennet. They will be joined by “Slow Horses” star Jack Lowden as Mr Darcy.

The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is set to bring some of cinema’s most celebrated voices back to the Croisette, as new films from Wes Anderson, Ari Aster, and Richard Linklater have been officially selected to compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or, festival organisers announced on Thursday (April 9).

Neha highlighted concerns over favouritism, where social media popularity and industry cliques often overshadow genuine talent and dedication.

Prime Video has officially greenlit “Carrie”, a television series based on Stephen King’s acclaimed novel. The series will be spearheaded by Mike Flanagan—known for “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “Midnight Mass”—who will serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner, while also directing a number of episodes. 

A total of six movies were released during Eid-ul-Fitr this year. Among the songs from these films, “Chand Mama” from “Borbaad” and “Konna” from “Jinn 3” have each surpassed 10 million views on YouTube.

Dhallywood’s leading actor Shakib Khan’s production house SK Films (Shakib Khan Films) has officially launched its international film distribution wing. The company will now regularly distribute films across North America (as SK Films USA) and the Gulf region (as SK Films UAE).

What was once a limited series might not stay that way for long. Netflix’s hit drama “Adolescence”—which has soared to become the fourth most-watched English-language series on the platform with 114 million views—is reportedly being considered for a second season.

As of today, the number of screenings at Star Cineplex has jumped to 14 per day—an unusual development for a Bangladeshi film post-Eid. The reason is not flashy promotions or star power, but the deeply personal way audiences have embraced it, said Siam Ahmed, ‘Jongli’s lead star in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star.

For the longest time, Mizanur Rahman Aryan’s drama “Boro Chele”, released eight years ago and starring Ziaul Faruq Apurba and Mehazabien Chowdhury, held the record as the most-viewed Bangladeshi drama on YouTube. The drama has garnered 54,188,000 views to date, making it a benchmark in the local entertainment scene.