In Bangladesh, the hardest thing for many women to own is not a dream; it’s placing her name on a deed. Barir Naam Shahana begins there, with the stubborn courage it takes to write a woman’s name into a house, a life, a future. That stubbornness has carried writer-director Leesa Gazi from a 2011 novella to an Oscar journey she still calls “unexpected.” 

After disappearing from the industry following her 2020 film “Direct Action”, Popy cited personal reasons for her long absence. In an interview with Prothom Alo, she revealed that filmmaking has always been her true passion and that production offers her deeper fulfillment than acting.

“It is truly an honour to receive such recognition from The Daily Star. I am humbled by the endless love and support of my fans over the years. This award belongs to them. It doesn’t feel like 25 years have passed; I still feel like the boy who stepped into films, planning to stay for just three months,” Shakib said.

South Indian cinema has a new storm at the box office. Power star Pawan Kalyan’s latest action film “They Call Him OG” has taken theaters by storm, breaking records within days of release. According to Hindustan Times, the film has grossed Rs 154 crore worldwide in just two days, overtaking the much-anticipated “Pushpa 2: The Rule” in premiere earnings.

Rancho was portrayed not only as a talented student but also as a kind-hearted one. He absorbed knowledge from what he saw and read, and opposed rote learning, advocating instead for practical education and creativity. His repeated message in the film was that success follows when one pursues passion. Some of the film’s iconic scenes were shot in Ladakh. The emotional climax reunion of the main characters was filmed on the banks of Pangong Lake. The residential school where the character Phunsukh Wangdu worked was Druk White Lotus School, located near Shey in Ladakh.

Abraham Khan Joy, son of megastar Shakib Khan and Apu Biswas, turned 10 years old today. The child has been a subject of public interest—because he is the only child of film actor Shakib.

Bangladesh has joined the list of nations announcing their contenders for the 98th Academy Awards.  At a press conference at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka this morning, the Bangladesh Oscar Committee declared Leesa Gazi’s film “Barir Naam Shahana” (A House Named Shahana) as the country’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category.  

The awards’ focus on technical categories is an act of cultural intervention, asking audiences and peers alike to reconsider who counts in the making of art.

Claims series misrepresents anti-drug agencies

The documentary follows Sagar’s journey to Old Dhaka in search of the ancestral home where Ritwik and his twin sister were born and spent their childhood.

Three local films and one Hollywood release set to entertain audiences

Diljit Dosanjh’s global streak continues, with the actor-singer earning a nomination at the 2025 International Emmy Awards. The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the full list on Thursday (September 25), confirming Dosanjh’s place in the Best Performance by an Actor category and a nod for his film “Amar Singh Chamkila” in the Best TV Movie/Mini-Series segment.

At the 30th Busan International Film Festival, the Kyrgyz-language film "Kurak" was honoured with the Bangladesh July Memorial Prize.

Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio returns to the big screen with his much-anticipated film “One Battle After Another”, set for worldwide release on September 26. Bangladeshi audiences will get to experience the epic action-thriller on the same day, with Star Cineplex confirmed as the local distributor.

Universal Pictures has unveiled the final trailer for “Wicked: For Good”, the sequel to director Jon M Chu’s 2024 musical fantasy hit. Running three minutes and five seconds, the trailer continues the story after the events of the first film, revealing how the friendship between Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba evolves against the backdrop of a divided Oz.

Experimenting with dark content has always been one of director Vicky Zahed’s strengths as a storyteller. This time, his web series “Chokro”, based on a dark yet real-life plot, earned him the Best Director (Series) award at Blender’s Choice – The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards this year.

At its heart, the film is a story of Krish Kapoor, a volatile and ambitious young musician played by Ahaan Panday, and Vaani Batra, a lyricist played by Aneet Padda, who together discover not only the soaring highs of romance but also the fragility of time when Vaani is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. What begins as a meeting of music and words gradually turns into a meditation on the meaning of love when memory itself starts slipping away.

Warner Bros Pictures has released the first official trailer for “The Bride”, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bold reimagining of the Frankenstein myth. The gritty horror film stars Jessie Buckley as the Bride and Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster, set against the backdrop of 1930s Chicago.

Claudia Cardinale, the Tunisian-born Italian actor who became one of the defining faces of European cinema in the 1960s and 70s, has died at the age of 87.

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio describes his upcoming action thriller “One Battle After Another” as a sharp commentary on today’s polarised world.