Three Bangladeshi films have secured places on the list of Asia’s 20 Best Films of 2025, compiled by film-focused website Asian Movie Pulse. Mahde Hasan’s “Balur Nogorite” ranks fifth on the list, while “July 36: Rastro Banam Nagorik” by Soumitra Dastidar stands at 17th position, and “Dui Shaw”, directed by Nuhash Humayun, is placed 19th.

Getting down from the bike before the YAMAHA Flagship Center at 5:45pm last Friday, January 23, I spotted a short, lean man; hardly looking older than 40–45, walking out of the parking lot. As he moved closer, it became clear who I was looking at: Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal, the legendary guitarist of Warfaze, who was in town to lead “Guitar Master Class 4”, a special session featuring him as the guest mentor.

In a recent conversation with The Daily Star, Rakayet spoke about his upcoming projects, his collaboration with director Raihan Rafi, and his enduring commitment to meaningful storytelling.

Published by Unicorn and distributed locally by University Press Limited, the book resists the narrow frames through which Bangladesh has often been viewed since its independence in 1971. International narratives have long leaned on images of poverty, disaster, and despair. Grey’s work proposes something far more radical: a Bangladesh alive with texture, dignity, contradiction, and irrepressible energy.

Under his direction, the troupe has staged 16 productions, including “Kanjus,” “In Search of an Honest Man,” “Election Caricature,” “Shakuntala,” “The Mousetrap,” and “Dewan Gazir Kissa”. These productions have earned praise from audiences and critics alike on stages across Sydney and Melbourne.

Late playback singer Bashir Ahmed will receive a posthumous honour, while legendary vocalist Syed Abdul Hadi and iconic magician Jewel Aich will be conferred lifetime achievement awards.

Bangladeshi actor Jaya Ahsan has left a strong impression with the newly released trailer of the Kolkata psychological thriller “OCD”, hinting at another promising year for the actor after a successful run across both Dhaka and Kolkata cinemas last year.

Pop star Harry Styles will appear on stage as a presenter at the upcoming Grammy Awards, organisers confirmed on Monday.

She made the remarks during a press conference at the Sundance Film Festival while promoting her new film “The Gallerist”. Portman said many strong films made by women did not receive proper recognition.

Legendary singer Runa Laila’s unique approach to practice and her illustrious musical journey have recently come to light, with insights shared by her husband, film actor Alamgir.

Parsa has also been drawing attention for her fresh on-screen pairings. She was recently seen opposite Mosharraf Karim in “Dimlight” and will next be paired with Yash Rohan in “Ekshathe Alada”.

Written in 1899, “When We Dead Awaken” was Ibsen’s last dramatic work before his death. Often described as his most autobiographical play, it confronts the cost of artistic ambition, the burden of unrealised desire, and the uneasy space between creation and human intimacy. More than a century later, its themes remain strikingly contemporary.

The song will premiere on the YouTube channel Gaan Janala as part of its Eid special programming.

With demonstrations continuing in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent, several high-profile figures attending Sundance have publicly condemned the actions of law enforcement and the federal government. Many, including Olivia Wilde, Zoey Deutch and Natalie Portman, have been wearing “ICE Out” pins at premieres and festival events.

According to IMDb data, “Dhurandhar” currently holds a strong rating of 8.5/10, based on more than 100,000 user votes.

Celebrating this legacy, Old Dhaka-based multiplex Lion Cinemas has organised a special week-long film screening dedicated to the late actor.

The recipients of the Padma Awards 2026 have been announced, recognising contributions across fields including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, medicine, literature, sports and civil service.

In an interview, poet Richard Siken says, “Art doesn’t come from trauma, art comes from curiosity.” And we are most curious when the emotions we feel are so intense that even more than tending to them or managing to live through them, understanding them feels as crucial as breathing. Living with grief is painful, but living through meaningless grief is impossible. It is easy to mistake this exhibition as portrayals of trauma, of grieving, but such can’t be said when that is the reality people exist within. But it is just an exhibition of resistance, resilience and endurance than of torture and exploitation, sometimes more former than the latter.

Internationally acclaimed actress Babita and the late actor Ilias Javed acted together as a pair in many films. Those films have left a lasting mark on audiences’ hearts. One of the most successful and super-duper commercially successful films of this duo was “Nishan”. The film ran in theatres continuously for more than a year. “Chupi Chupi Bolo Keu Jene Jabe”, a song from “Nishan”, remains popular even today.

The international thriller "White", starring Vikrant Massey as global spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is steadily positioning itself as one of the most ambitious cross-border film projects to emerge from India in recent years. With its scale, subject and international footprint already drawing attention, the film is now generating fresh buzz for a potential global musical collaboration that could significantly widen its reach.