Art and Culture
‘Shoroter Joba’ marks Kusum Sikder’s directorial debut
On January 14, 2025, at the main auditorium of the National Museum during the 23rd Dhaka International Film Festival, I watched Shoroter Joba, a film directed by popular television actress Kusum Sikder. This film marks Kusum Sikder’s debut as a director. She also wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogue for the film. Shoroter Joba was produced under the banner of Impress Telefilm Limited and Pahardanga Pictures, jointly by Kusum Sikder and Faridur Reza Sagar.
Controversy Over pavilion cancellations, stall allocation
It is reported that the Bangla Academy has allocated stalls to 86 new publishing houses without verification, excluding many regular participants.
Book fair faces uprising aftermath, chaos feared
The year 2024 passed through political instability and anxiety. In July-August, the largest mass uprising in Bangladesh's history took place, leading to the fall of the long-standing autocracy, corruption, and the criminalization of the Awami League. The impact of the uprising was felt not only in politics, economy, business, and sports but also in art, literature, and culture. Cultural and intellectual institutions, including the Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, and the International Mother Language Institute, also experienced the widespread effect of the popular uprising.
Priyo Malati: A film worth watching!
Today, I watched Priyo Malati, directed by the young filmmaker Shankha Dasgupta, at Basundhara Cineplex. After a long time, and more specifically after watching Pantha Prasad's Sabitri, I watched another excellent Bengali film today. After watching this film, I have truly fallen in love with Mehazabien! Such beautiful and natural acting!
Names those will be written in tears
A year has passed. Before we knew it, 2024 is now behind us. The Earth has once again orbited the Sun. So many words and stories have accumulated over the past year. In the new year, a new story will begin. However, some names will not be part of that story. This past year, we have lost many dear people. Some have lost family members, while others relatives. Even if they weren’t family, there are people who connect with us in such a way that they become like close friends, or even family. At the end of the year, their names are recorded in the annals of memory. Newspapers have published tributes to them under the heading, "Those We Lost This Year." It seems like just a list of names, numbers, and individuals. But their contributions to our arts, literature, and culture are so significant that they can’t simply be captured in a biographical account. Even though they have passed from our sight, their names continue to be written in our tears.
Will the winds of change reshape Bangladeshi cinema in 2025?
Will the winds of change reshape Bangladeshi cinema in 2025?"
Dear Uma, dear Durga
Durga is dead. Harihar's family is leaving the village of Nischindipur. Leaving the village filled with memories, Apu will go far away, to Kolkata. All the belongings are being loaded onto a bullock cart. Mother and father are busy. Apu thought to check what secret items he should take with him. While moving a clay pitcher from the top shelf, something rolled down. Apu saw a golden box, the very same one that had been stolen from Sej Thakurun's house the previous year.
I’ll celebrate it quietly tonight
2024 literature laureate Han Kang had just finished dinner with her son at her home in Seoul when she received the news. In this interview, she reflects on being the first South Korean literature laureate and talks about how writers as a collective have influenced her: “All their efforts and strengths have been my inspiration.” Han Kang also talks about her writing process on the international hit The Vegetarian, and recommends her most recent book We Do Not Part for anyone who’s curious to start reading her books.
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