In 2025, fandom is a central part of storytelling, and studios and creators design worlds that fans can live in, expand, debate, and emotionally inhabit. Stories are co-owned and these fandoms are where ownership is vocalised.

More than 50 acclaimed artistes from India and around the world are set to convene at Mumbai’s National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) for “Maestro Forever”, a two-day tribute commemorating the first death anniversary of legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

The ‘24th Young Artist Fine Arts Exhibition 2025’ opens today at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, featuring 215 artworks by 191 emerging artists from across the country.

Jeff Garcia, the American voice actor best known for playing Sheen Estevez in the Jimmy Neutron franchise, has died at the age of 50.

“Tribunal”, a courtroom drama based on a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2001, is nearing completion with about 75 percent of its filming wrapped. The film explores the fraught intersection of justice, morality and political influence.

The year opened in a slump: eight January–February titles drifted through cinemas with little audience interest and almost no critical chatter. Then Eid-ul-Fitr arrived on April 1, and the box office finally showed signs of life.

Afran Nisho has opened up about the physically demanding and weather-challenged shoot of his upcoming film “Domm” in Kazakhstan, describing how the cast and crew pushed through harsh conditions to complete the schedule on time. The actor returned to Dhaka on December 6—just in time for his birthday on December 8—surprising fans who had assumed he would miss this year’s celebrations.

With the national election approaching, Hamin Ahmed, a leading member of the popular band Miles, has called on political parties to present clear plans for music and culture in their election manifestos.

The first poster for Kristoffer Borgli’s upcoming romantic comedy “The Drama” has been unveiled, with Zendaya sharing the image on social media. The film, in which she stars opposite Robert Pattinson, is set to release in cinemas on April 3, 2026 — and fans are already calling it the rom-com comeback moment.

Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan sparked a wave of excitement online after sharing a photo with Hollywood star Johnny Depp at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. The festival, which has drawn global celebrities to Saudi Arabia, saw a memorable meeting between the two actors.

Created by Mike White, the satirical drama first premiered on HBO in 2021 and has since captivated audiences with its sharp social commentary, dark humor, and visually stunning cinematography.

Mahfuj Alam did not shy away from the struggle behind the upgrades. “It was very, very difficult to come to this stage of development,” he said, underscoring the challenge of allocating budget in a sector long overshadowed by competing priorities.

Bollywood megastar and icon Shah Rukh Khan stands out as the sole Indian personality included in the New York Times list of the 67 Most Stylish People of 2025.

The organisers of the Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) have officially announced the jury board for the Asian Films Competition segment of its upcoming edition.

The actor captivated the audience by reciting shayari in the style of her iconic character, evoking memories of the beloved film.

The project was first announced in January, with plans to start shooting the following month. However, despite early buzz, production never commenced. Huda explained that the delays stemmed from unresolved issues in the story.

Cast and crew of “Café de Volte” — a Hunt Inc production — pose ahead of the play’s staging on 7 and 8 December 2025 at 7:30pm at the Studio Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Set in the quiet yet decaying town of Jinjira, the production follows Max D’Rosario, a gifted chef whose restaurant opening becomes a battleground of conscience. Directed by Diana Merline, the show features Md Shahzada Somrat Chowdhury, Abdullah Al Zadid, Priom Majumder, Yead Khorshid Eashan, Maliha Fairuz Farin Melisa, Noor E Jannat Orisha, Supriyo Ghosh, Progga Chanda, Diana Meriline and Shuvashis Halder.

"Wicked" has spent two decades dismantling that framework. What began on Broadway as a renegade act of revisionism has now expanded on screen into Jon M Chu’s two-part cinematic saga, which is unhurried, emotionally layered, and audaciously uninterested in letting romance or heroism overshadow the real heart of Oz: the evolving, often painful bond between Elphaba and Glinda. Chu’s adaptation understands that audiences come pre-loaded with assumptions.

To make his case, he pointed to the polished but hollow brilliance of AI-generated mashups — those uncanny clips that fuse iconic artists into impossible collaborations.

With post-pandemic crowds returning and pre-release ticketing now a regular phenomenon, the chain’s programming choices have helped define the year’s most commercially and culturally significant releases.