Living and breathing Manipuri dance
August 30, 2010
The dance form Manipuri, is now quite popular among urban Bangladeshis. The dance form is ritually practiced by the Manipuri community in India (Manipur state) and Bangladesh (Sylhet region). Rabindranath Tagore popularised this dance form among urban Bengalis. The form developed its own regulations and nuances. It originated as a religious dance form and the experience of it remains spiritual. Like other dance forms, Manipuri, too, narrates stories — traditionally focusing on Radha and Krishna. The “Ras Lila’ is often the central theme. The dance is accompanied by cymbals (kartal or manjira), double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mridang) and sankirtan.
Bangladesh is going to be represented at this year’s 67th Venice International Film Festival by Ishtiaque Zico’s short film “720 Degrees”. It should be considered an achievement for Bangladeshi films, considering this is one of the most prestigious international film festivals.
August 21, 2010
Bangladesh is going to be represented at this year’s 67th Venice International Film Festival by Ishtiaque Zico’s short film “720 Degrees”. It should be considered an achievement for Bangladeshi films, considering this is one of the most prestigious international film festivals.
Hridi Haq in a new avatar
August 19, 2010
Audiences in Bangladesh are familiar with Hridi Haq’s acting skills on TV and stage. They have also seen her as a TV show host, and enjoyed the serial “Amader Anandobari” written by her. However, in “Nineteen Twenty”, a serial aired on ntv, she displays her latest feat as a director. She has also been hosting a show called “Media Bhubon” on Banglavision.
Bringing an extinct musical tradition to big screen
August 18, 2010
Humayun Ahmed is perhaps the most celebrated contemporary Bangladeshi fiction writer. His immense contribution to the Bangladeshi literature over the last three decades has earned him international acclaim as well. The author has explored the film industry and TV as a director as well. His first film, “Aguner Parashmoni”, based on the Liberation War, received critical acclaim and won eight National Film Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Anika: A young dancer on the rise
August 17, 2010
Kathak, one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance, originated in North India. The term “kathak” is derived from the Sanskrit word “katha,” meaning story and “kathaka” means she who tells a story.
Bangladesh has quite a few accomplished Kathak dancers to boast of and young dancers such as Tahmina Anwar Anika are seemingly treading the right track to greatness.
Bangla Academy observes Tagore’s death anniversary
August 9, 2010
On August 6, Bangla Academy observed Rabindranath Tagore’s 69th death anniversary with a discussion and cultural programme at its seminar room. The focus was on Tagore’s life and his ageless works.
New Michael Jackson album due in November
August 3, 2010
An all-new Michael Jackson collection featuring 10 unreleased songs will be released this November, a rep for the Jackson estate exclusively tells Rolling Stone. At the time of his death Jackson reportedly left hard drives filled with unheard music, much of it recorded during the King of Pop’s ’80s peak.
Jackson’s manager Frank DiLeo told RS that he estimates that Jackson’s vaults contain more than 100 completed and unreleased songs, including collaborations with Akon, Will.i.am and Ne-Yo.
“Sitar Agni-Parikkha” gets a new look
July 31, 2010
Shadhona, a centre for advancement of South Asian music and dance, presented the monodrama “Sitar Agni-Parikkha” on stage in July, last year. Eminent Indian actor Averee Chaurey played the protagonist. This year, Shadhona is staging the play with some changes. The main change is re-casting of the lead.
Days of yore: Ferdausi Majumdar
July 26, 2010
Born on June 18, 1943 in Barisal, Ferdausi Majumdar was 11th among her parents’ (Khan Bahadur Abdul Halim Chowdhury and Umme Kabir Afia) 14 offspring.
“I was very fond of sports and games as a child. Skipping, badminton, shatchara, danguli, chhu-buli, marble…you name it. Once I passed out after scoring 966 in a skipping challenge; I received a crystal bowl as the prize for winning. Till class nine, I was into sports,” she said.
The very best of Naseeruddin Shah
July 25, 2010
There are some actors who can do absolutely anything.
Naseeruddin Shah is a thespian who has always been able to carry off anything with style, from bombastically delivering triple-barrelled echoes of commercial movie revenge to dancing spectrally in a photo frame, from being a conventional, even muscular action hero to playing a Bollywood-besotted autowallah; from a profane don to the father of the nation.