Sadi Mohammad Shahnewaz

Editor, Arts & Entertainment and Star Showbiz, The Daily Star.

‘Was about to do a song with him, ended up marrying him’

Even though she started her journey in “Close Up 1” in 2006, Abanti Sithi finally gained the recognition that she deserved in 2018 in Kolkata’s “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” in 2018. Besides her prodigal singing prowess, she is also known as the ‘whistle-queen’ because of her pitch-perfect whistling skills. From a simple cup to a foil-paper, Sithi can make random paraphernalia sing as well. She has entered a new phase of life, and talks to The Daily Star while on the runway to Sylhet.

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A thriller that subverts expectations

It is usually a good sign when a director acknowledges the intelligence of his target audience, respects it when putting the finishing touches on a story. While entering Mohakhali Cineplex to watch the premiere of Shihab Shaheen’s “Baba, Someone’s Following Me”, the pessimist in me instantly assumed that it’d be a straightforward tale of racism faced by South Asian students in Australia. In reality, the Binge original takes a more nuanced task to convey much more than that.

When the guitar weeps for a nation: Bangladeshi musicians unite to aid Gaza

“I don’t know how else we can help a nation that is repeatedly being wronged other than through our art,” said Ahmed Hasan Sunny, a rising star in the music industry. “We’ve remained an audience, helpless after seeing bombs dropped on civilians, hospitals and innocent children in Gaza. We decided to do something about it.” The young artiste took the challenge to organise a concert in support of Gaza’s hand-in-hand with artist Morshed Mishu, who was already planning to make graffiti to speak up for the oppressed people of Gaza.

A new cinematic duo on the horizon

Intense, passionate, riveting – the trailer of Badrul Anam Saud’s new movie, “Shyamakabbya”, is likely to invoke these feelings within any reader. While the seasoned director’s vision goes a long way toward making this possible, much credit will also go to the leads, Shohel Mondol and Neelanjona Neela.

What makes Karnival stand out?

Karnival started as a passion project between friends Tinu, Sabbir, Tonmoy and Sunny in 2006. Together, they made their debut album, “Indraloy.”

‘Punormilone’ bucks all trends and showcases riveting family drama

Action-packed, fantastical, nail-biting: Mizanur Rahman Aryan’s Punormilone is none of those things. In spite of that, or perhaps because of that, the family drama succeeds in subverting audience expectations amidst OTT’s “Thriller Fatigue”, with a powerful reminder of the age-old phrase la familia es todo (Family is all).

A man that keeps evolving

He was one of the undisputed kings of Bangla rock in the 2000’s when he was the frontman for Black. When he left the band to make Indalo, he took on an entirely new genre of music. Having also left his mark on television as an actor, he is now knee-deep into the world of podcasts, where I started a podcast is one of the most enticing shows on Youtube. Star Showbiz has a heart-to-heart with Jon Kabir.

Dhaka’s burgeoning concert industry: Organisers scramble to find their niche

In a city where most youth are confined to social circle jerks of restaurants and malls; these concerts are much-needed injections of life. Whilst there is a risk of fatigue and overuse, as it is with any industry, it is important that organisers persevere and stick to what makes them unique.