Born and brought up in Russia, Farzana Ridy Sheikh is a Bangladeshi dancer, choreographer, model and actor. She gained immense popularity over the years, both at home and abroad.

The cultural centre Shadhona is arranging an online production, titled Moksha, to celebrate International Dance Day 2020. A video, featuring performances by renowned dance gurus, will be premiered on social media today at 8 pm from the official page of Shadhona on Facebook and YouTube.

International Dance Day is celebrated every year on April 29. On this day, dancers rejoice through concerts, dance recitals, and other forms of stage performances all around the world. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all celebrations have been cancelled this year. In such circumstances, dancers are celebrating this day in a different way.

Celebrated model and actor Monalisa ruled over the showbiz industry with her elegance, winning multiple awards over the years for her performances as an actor, including the Channel i Performance Award and Meril Prothom Alo 2002. She currently resides in the USA. The Daily Star caught up with her to know more about her recent activities.

International Dance Day (April 29) is a worldwide event that celebrates all genres of dance. It is commemorated through active promotion by the International Dance Council (CID). The day was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute. The date was chosen to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a French dancer and ballet master.

From working in theatrical productions to playing memorable roles on television and the silver screen, National Film Award-winning actor Fazlur Rahman Babu has built a remarkable career over the years. In a candid chat with The Daily Star, he shares how he is coping with the coronavirus crisis.

Celebrated actor Sabnam Faria has carved a space for herself in the industry over the years. She started her career with modelling and commercials, before working on television ventures and making her film debut in Debi. In a recent conversation with The Daily Star, Sabnam looks back on a special memory with a fan.

Netflix still has some surprises in store for subscribers as we're all still isolating. The latest is a Michelle Obama documentary that holds the same name as her best-selling memoir, Becoming. Directed by documentarian Nadia Hallgren, Becoming will follow the former First Lady on her 34-city tour following the release of her book in 2018. Hallgren seeks to offer an intimate look at Obama as she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, transitioned out of the White House. Netflix released the first clip along with the announcement about the film, and Obama shared a note to viewers.

To help people who are left unemployed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Bangladesh Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti distributed food to over 200 artistes and 600 underprivileged families residing in Mohammadpur, Banasree and Konapara. "The vice president of BCSS, actor Dipjol, donated the food while Misha Sawdagor and I personally supervised the distribution process," General Secretary of BCSS, Zayed Khan, told The Daily Star. "Instead of calling it relief, we prefer to call it Ramadan gifts."

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world essentially to a standstill. As a way of spreading hope amid the crisis, six expatriate Bangladeshi dancers are set to present the online production, ‘COVID Ke Korbo Joy Eksathey Mora Neiko Bhoy’, from their homes, on April 29, marking International Dance Day.

Auction 4 Auction, a newly formed charity organisation, took an initiative to stand beside those who are affected the most by the coronavirus pandemic. Prolific photographer Prito Reza and activist Arif R Hossain came up with the idea of a charity auction for fundraising. To begin with, ace cricketer Shakib Al Hasan donated his World Cup 2019 bat for the auction, which was sold at BDT 20 lakhs.

“Memory is the only lasting possession we have. I have made my life the subject of my work, using the images of home, the places I have visited, and the stars I have looked up to. I just want a reminder that I did not imagine my experiences”- Zarina Hashmi

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down major film, television and theatrical productions and big festivals in the country.

On February 28, 2020, eminent singer and cultural personality Fahmida Nabi went to visit her sister Tanzida Nabi Antora and her daughter Anmol in the UK. She was unable to return to Dhaka, due to the nationwide shutdown and travel restrictions. The artiste is currently at her sister’s house in London. She is keeping herself busy with writing, cooking, reading books, and watching movies at the moment. She is also participating in live discussions on the coronavirus pandemic on Facebook, with other artistes from across the world.

Bangladeshi filmmaker Noman Robin’s film, Blossoms from Ash, a research-based political documentary on the history and genocide of Rohingya refugees, won the Special Jury Remi Award at the 53rd Annual WorldFest- Houston International Film Festival 2020. The film has been produced by the Blum Family Foundation of America in 2018.

AKM Alamgir Huque, a scholar and artist, was a familiar name in the Dhaka art scene of the late 80s. In that period, he excelled in painting and printmaking, establishing an individual hallmark through his semi-abstract and pure abstract works.

As a way of coping with the coronavirus pandemic, UNESCO Dhaka initiated the online campaign, #BeCreative, featuring different artistes and cultural professionals.

Talented magician and ventriloquist Arif Asgar was passionate about puppets and magic from a young age.

Recently, BTV began re-running legendary litterateur and director Humayun Ahmed’s Kothao Keu Nei and Bohubrihi, much to the delight of television buffs.

Celebrated actor, producer and director Mahfuz Ahmed began his journey with the television drama, Kon Kanoner Phool (1989), written and directed by Imdadul Haq Milan. His performance in Humayun Ahmed’s Srabon Megher Din (2000) and Dui Duari (2000) were appreciated by the audience and critics alike. He also received the National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Sobuj in Azadi Hasanat Firoz’s Laal Sobuj (2005). His second television show, the critically acclaimed Kothao Keu Nei (1990), is back on Bangladesh Television (BTV). The actor looks back on his memories from the sets of the show and more in a recent chat with The Daily Star.