Every time I settle in for a binge-watch, armed with snacks and the delusional belief that I have “just one more episode” worth of self-control, an OTT platform finds a new way to personally offend me by splitting a season into two. You open Netflix or Prime Video, click on a highly anticipated series, and halfway through, realise you are too early for the binge-watch. “Stranger Things” did it. “The Witcher” did it. “Bridgerton” and “Squid Game” Season 3 did it—and, more recently, the second season of “Wednesday” just did the very same. And don’t even get me started on the “Money Heist” final-season split, which had the entire internet in a chokehold for weeks.

Shabnam became a household name in Bangla and Pakistani cinema during the 1960s, winning hearts with her performance in the superhit song “Ami Rup Nogorer Rajkonna”.

Netflix has released the first trailer for “Steve”, a drama starring Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy as a headteacher struggling to save both his reform school and himself. Based on Max Porter’s 2023 novel “Shy”, the film will have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival, running from September 26 to October 13, before streaming globally on October 3. It will also open in select theatres on September 9.

Director Raihan Rafi is set to venture into horror with his latest project “Andhar”. While rumours have circulated for days about Siam Ahmed’s casting, it has now emerged that Nazifa Tushi will also star in the film.

Bangladeshi feature film “Noya Manush” will be showcased at the Toronto Multicultural Film Festival 2025, organised by the Toronto Film Forum in Canada.

Based on Arthur Miller’s “The Price”, the play has been adapted into Bangla by Asit Mukhopadhyay, with transformation and direction by Mohammad Bari. “Mulyo Amulyo” explores the steep emotional cost of eroding family bonds in the face of a profit-driven state, a fragmented society, and the relentless march of market capitalism.

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has revealed the first-look posters for her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”, offering fans a glimpse into what she describes as one of the most vibrant periods of her life. The album is scheduled for release on October 3.

After a two-decade hiatus, Bangladesh Television (BTV) is set to relaunch its popular talent hunt programme for children and adolescents, “Notun Kuri”.

To help Bangladeshi youth learn the art of drone programming from China, a specialised training programme has been launched as a joint initiative between the Chinese Embassy and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs. As part of this programme, 11 individuals have been selected to travel to China — nine as trainees, one as team leader, and one official.

Bangladeshi band Chirkutt lit up Manchester with an electrifying performance at Summerfest 2025 on August 7, held at the Aberna Campus of UK Management College. The event drew an eclectic crowd of international students and expatriates, many traveling specifically to see the band live.

Theatre ULAB, in collaboration with Bodhi Natya, is bringing Bertolt Brecht’s “Señora Carrar's Rifles” to the Experimental Theatre Hall at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Presented in Sukhamay Bose’s Bengali translation, the production is conceptualised and directed by Sarwar Jahan Upol, with production supervision by Munatasir Mamun of Theatre ULAB.

Netflix’s hit series “Wednesday” has returned in force, with its second season drawing 50 million views within just five days of release. The gothic comedy, which premiered its latest episodes on August 4, matched the viewership of its first season’s debut in November 2022.

Three-time Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis is set to return to the screen after eight years, starring in “Anemone”, a new drama making its world premiere at the New York Film Festival from September 26 to October 13.

Today marks the anniversary of his untimely death. On this day in 2011, Masud was killed in a tragic road accident in Joka, Ghior upazila of Manikganj, while returning from scouting locations for his film “Kagojer Phool”. Cinematographer Mishuk Munier, his close collaborator and creative partner, also lost his life in the crash, along with three others.

Netflix’s “Love, Death + Robots” led the tally with four wins. Its episode “400 Boys” earned two awards—for Character Animation (Daryl Graham) and Character Design (Robert Valley)—while “How Zeke Got Religion” won for Production Design (Gigi Cavenago) and Storyboard (Edgar Martins). The streamer’s “Arcane” followed with two wins: Background Design for the episode “The Dirt Under Your Nails” (Bruno Couchinho) and Color for “The Message Hidden Within the Pattern” (Faustine Dumontier).

The death of Val Kilmer left a void in Hollywood—a space once electrified by an actor who dared to dissolve into his roles, becoming less a performer than a vessel for the souls he channelled. Among his many transformations, none burned brighter or more dangerously than his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 psychedelic biopic “The Doors”. Kilmer didn’t just play Morrison; he haunted him, merging with the Lizard King’s Dionysian swagger, poetic brooding, and self-destructive magnetism. At the heart of this performance lies a scene that distils Morrison’s essence: his surreal, charged encounter with Andy Warhol at The Factory. Here, Kilmer’s acting transcends mimicry, offering a window into Morrison’s fractured genius and the cultural collisions of the 1960s.

Ayra Tahreem Khan, daughter of singer-actor Tahsan Rahman Khan and actor Rafiath Rashid Mithila, has made her acting debut. Her first on-screen appearance came in a television commercial released on Saturday, where she starred alongside her mother. Directed by Piplu R Khan, the ad promotes the cosmetic brand Himalaya Purifying Neem Face Wash, for which both mother and daughter now serve as brand ambassadors.

Angelina Jolie is set to headline the upcoming spy thriller “The Initiative”, reuniting with her “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” director Doug Liman. Universal Pictures is currently in talks to acquire the project, with F Scott Frazier — known for “Collide” and “xXx: The R eturn of Xander Cage” — attached to write the screenplay. 

Alliance Française de Dhaka is set to present “Troubling Rain”, a captivating solo photography exhibition by noted photographer and educator Abir Abdullah. The exhibition will be inaugurated tomorrow, August 14, at 6pm at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka, Dhanmondi.

Humble by nature, young musician Angel Noor has already created music in his short career that holds a special place in the minds of music lovers.