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.

In remembrance of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a 15-day photo exhibition began at the Projection Hall of the Bangladesh Film Archive from August 5, 2021, following safety measures against Covid-19.

Renowned magician Jewel Aich has become a household name for his unique talents. Apart from being a magician, he is also a flutist. Besides that, he has a passion for painting.

Noted Rabindra Sangeet singer Kamal Ahmed’s 20th album, "Tomar Oashime’’ was released on August 6, 2021, marking Rabindranath Tagore’s death anniversary.

The ongoing dispute between Scarlett Johansson and Disney over the release of “Black Widow” has continued to grow, and most recently, Disney attorney Daniel Petrocelli has stepped in to say that Johansson’s lawsuit is nothing more than a public relations campaign.

Feroza Begum was a once in a generation artiste, having devoted her life to promote and teach Nazrul Sangeet, as well as becoming one of the most well-known exponents of the craft in South East Asia.

Vicky Zahed started his career as a director with short films. Striving towards his passion, he soon rose to fame on television. He is known for redefining the thriller, supernatural, and suspense genres on screen. His Eid-ul-Azha television productions, “Chirokal Aaj”, “Punorjonmo”, “Ditiyo Shuchona”, “Prio Adnan” and “Kaykobad” were well-received by viewers. In a candid chat with The Daily Star, Vicky Zahed talks about what his process of directing looks like, and more.

“I was born two days after the passing away of Rabindranath Tagore. That was the 24th day of Sravan in the year 1348 of Bengali calendar, or 9th August, 1941, in Christian calendar,” reads the first two lines of Ramendu Majumdar’s autobiography, the English translation of which is slated for release this month.

National Film Award-winning actor Zakia Bari Mamo has garnered her career with several accolades. She has been lucky in this respect. “Daruchini Dwip”, a film based on Humayun Ahmed’s novel of the same name and directed by Tauquir Ahmed, was the first movie she starred in. Her first film received immense praise. 

Architecture is a form of art that is most present in our lives. We are surrounded by urban design every day and while some buildings are more functional than decorative, others are designed to display architectural finesse and an abundance of skilfully crafted ornaments. Whether their appearance appeals to one’s personal liking or not, we can’t escape the effect architecture has on us.

Today marks the 80th death anniversary of Bengali poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter Rabindranath Tagore. The Nobel Laureate continues to inspire generations, years after his demise. On this day, young and promising Rabindra Sangeet practitioners reflect upon his legacy, and his impact on their lives. 

Different organisations will observe the 80th death anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore today, with online programmes featuring performances by noted Rabindra Sangeet singers, recitations, and discussions.

Indian filmmaker Hansal Mehta recently announced his next film, “Faraaz”. Billed as an action thriller, the movie will depict the Holey Artisan café attack that shook Bangladesh. It is backed by filmmaker Anubhav Sinha and producer Bhushan Kumar.

The first ever Bangla feature film, “Mukh O Mukhosh”, directed by Abdul Jabbar Khan, was released on August 3, 1965. Actor Pyari Begum played one of the main roles in the film. At that time, she was a first- year intermediate student at Eden College. She shared her fond memories of being a part of “Mukh O Mukhosh” with The Daily Star.

Popular actor Ferdous has written his first novel, which he hopes to release at the forthcoming Ekushey Boi Mela.

Johnny Depp has won a legal ruling from a New York judge that will force the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to reveal how much money his ex-wife, actor Amber Heard, actually donated to them after Heard claimed that she donated half of her divorce settlement with Depp to the organisation.

Filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon’s “Neel Mukut” was slated for release on March 27, 2020. However, the film had to be indefinitely postponed amidst the coronavirus pandemic.  Over a year has passed since the last announcement. The wait is finally over, as “Neel Mukut” is set to premiere on streaming platform Chorki on August 8, which also happens to be Kamar’s birthday.  

Rubaiat Habib from Bangladesh is one of the members of the ‘Character Animator’ team that won an Emmy last year, in the technology and engineering category. Currently living in Seattle, Rubaiat completed his undergraduate studies in Computer Science and Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. He is a senior research scientist at Adobe Research by profession and an artist by passion.

Shilpa Shetty has broken her silence on her husband Raj Kundra’s arrest for his alleged involvement in a pornography case. She urged everyone to respect the family’s privacy for the sake of their two children - Viaan and Samisha - and maintained that she is a proud law-abiding Indian citizen.

Thea White, who voiced Muriel on the animated series “Courage the Cowardly Dog”, has passed away at the age of 81. Her brother John Zitzner announced the sad news on Facebook, writing in another post that White died after battling liver cancer, which she was diagnosed with months ago. He said she underwent two surgeries, before passing away peacefully on the morning of July 30 at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.