The New Nation - Internet Edition

Festival: Selim Al-Deen Janma Utsab to begin Aug 18

Staff Reporter

The 59th birth anniversary of the late playwright Selim Al-Deen to be held on August 18. Bangladesh Shilkapala Academy and theatre group Dhaka Theatre are going to organise a six-day programme to observe his birth anniversary.

The anniversary will be inaugurated on August 18. The aim of the anniversary is to pay tribute to the eminent playwright. This was disclosed at a press conference at the Conference Room of Jatiya Natyashala of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Sunday.

Nasir Uddin Yousuf, Director of Dhaka Theatre and Convener of Selim Al-Deen Janma Utsab Parishad, read out a written statement and briefed the detailed outlined of the programmes.

Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, theatre personality Shimul Yousuf, Shafi Kamal, Ghulam Quddus, among others, were present at the conference.

Yusuf said, "The programmes include drama shows, screening of documentaries, display of mementos and installation arts and seminars. He is a bold, committed and powerful playwright with a highly individual approach, both in theme and style, in the contemporary Bengali drama."

The festival will end on August 23. Dhaka Theatre will honour six playwrights from India and Bangladesh during the festival for their contributions to theatre. Rasheda K Chowdhury, Adviser to the Ministry of Primary, Mass Education and Cultural Affairs is expected to inaugurate the festival as chief guest at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, said Nasir Uddin Yusuf.

In the festival, Dhaka Theatre and Swapnasandhani, a theatre group from Kolkata, will stage five plays - 'Jaibati Kanyar Mon,' 'Prachya,' 'Nimajjan,' 'Hargoj' and 'Binodini' - from August 19. Documentary screening on Selim Al-Deen will start on August 18 with two shows every afternoon, said the organisers.

A two-day seminar on the works of Selim will begin on August 22 where Prof Arun Sen, Mofidul Haque, Lutfar Rahman and Kazi Sayeed Hossain will present four key-note papers, said the organisers.

TV Show: Drama serial Chhayasongi on Rtv tonight

Drama serial 'Chhayasongi' to be aired on Rtv at 11:00pm on Tuesday.

Badrul Anam Soud has written and directed the serial. Azad Abul Kalam, Naznin Chumki, Hillol, Tomalika Karmaker, Chitralekha Guha and others performed in the serial.

Story of Chhayasongi:

Sujon, a 32 years old man, has been living in a mess. His living place is not suitable for him. Everyday he has to face various types of complications. He is a private tutor of a student. Besides, he has to read book for a middle-aged person as job. But he is searching a job. Raihan, student of Sujon, lost his parents and has been living with his uncle and aunty. His maidservant Kamala often tortures him. But nobody of the house cannot believe this. Only Sujon believes him. Haider, once a professor now a blind man waiting for Sujon to listen from Sujon about any story of the book. He wants a new life for his wife Sumona. He proposed her to get another marriage. Once Sujon was introduced with Azad. He wanted to be a partner of him for one day. As a result, lifestyle of Sujon gets rhythm.

Entertainment Desk

TV Watch: Daily soap Mohanagar on Banglavision tonight

Entertainment Desk

Daily soap Mohanagar to be aired on Banglavision at 8:25pm today. Ferdous Hasan has written the script of the serial jointly directed by Sajjad Sumon and Ferdous Hasan.

Khairul Anam Sabuj, Afroza Banu, Sumaiya Shimu, Apurbo, Litu Anam, Sharmin Shila, Probal, Mahmud Sajjad, Lina Ahmed, Lutfar Rahman George, Rafiqullah Selim and others being performed in the serial.

Story of Mohanagar:

A well reputed family in old Dhaka - Anfar Mian's family. Raj is a young man of the family. Raj is workless but indpendent and raises voice against irregularities. Once his grandfather was a reputed politician. He was also a businessman. Now Anfar Manjil, which was made by him, is on dilapidated condition. His traditional heritage is on the verge of ruination. His elder son Dalim Mia is a school teacher, middle son Angur Mia is a government official and younger son Akhrote Mia is workless. The story going on with various incidents.

Event: Film artist Amita Basu raises hand to destitute artists

Entertainment Desk

Veteran film artist Amita Basu has donated Tk 10,000 for helping the destitute film artists.

Earlier she got the money as a part of the donation from the Channel i to the destitute film artists who could not afford their livelihood and were passing hard life for the survival.

To keep in mind, Amita Basu took the decision and donated her money to the Bangladesh Film Artists Association recently.

She said, "Though this money was given to me as a destitute artist. But there are more destitute artists in the film artists who cannot survive properly and they are passing tough life. For this reason, I have donated my amount for them."

Film: Kshudiram to be made

Entertainment Report

The self-sacrificed 100 years of Kshudiram Basu was observed on August 11. A film titled 'Kshudiram' to be made to pay tribute to the unparalleled hero of the history of the struggle of thousands of years of the Bengali nation.

Umme Films will make the history-based film under the direction of Nurul Alam Milky. Kajal Rashid Shaheen has written the story and script of the film and carried out research on Kshudiram.

This was announced at a function and a memorial meeting at BIAM Auditorium in the city on Sunday to observe the 100 years of death of Kshudiram.

Cultural Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury was present as chief guest at the function and officially announced the name of the film.

Eminent film director Soovas Dutta, Prof Anisuzzaman, litterateur Selina Hossain, drama activist Nasiruddin Yusuf and Prof Israfil Shaheen of Dhaka University, were present at the event.

Martyred Kshudiram Basu is an unforgettable name in the history of freedom struggle of thousands of years of the Bengali nation. The revolutionary hero embraced martyrdom walking to the gallows on August 11 in 1908. To pay homage to him we have organised the function, said Nurul Alam Milky, director of the film.

Hollywood: Oscar winner Hudson ready for her CD release

Los Angeles, Agency

Jennifer Hudson doesn't drink coffee. Doesn't like it, she says. Doesn't need it, counters her manager, Miguel Melendez.

It's 6:20 a.m. on a Monday morning in July, and an unaffiliated Hudson is busting full throttle through her warm-ups during a sound check for a performance on "Good Morning America." It's her first TV appearance in support of "Spotlight," the debut single from her first album.

Hudson shakes off any concerns about the ungodly hour. ("The band got there at 4:30am," she notes.) Melendez clutches his Starbucks as he watches. "Good Lord, she makes me feel old," he sighs.

It's easy to forget Hudson's youth, perhaps thanks to the years she's already spent in the pop culture spotlight. At 26, her career path may be impossible to duplicate: She went from being a choir singer at her church in her hometown of Chicago to a Disney Cruise Line chanteuse to an "American Idol" contestant to an Academy Award winner for best supporting actress for her role in "Dreamgirls." Thanks to the ever-expanding entertainment landscape, what this means is that Hudson has built a significant career on a multiple-octave voice -- without releasing an album.

All that changes September 30, when Arista/RMG releases her self-titled debut, which offers up everything from pop to R&B to gospel. The theme of the album is simple: Play to the crowd rather than zeroing in on one particular segment of it.

Bollywood: I am not ready for movies yet: Sonali Bendre

Agency

Former Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre Behl, who took a break from the big screen post marriage, has no intentions of coming back to films at present.

"I am not really ready for movies yet. It calls for a bit too much commitment," Sonali said.

She was speaking on the sidelines of the Omega Olympics Evening organised here to honour the Indian contingent for the Beijing games.

Asked when she was planning a comeback to the silver screen, Sonali said: "It is going to take me a while and I won't call it a comeback.

Once an actor is always an actor. There is nothing dramatic as a comeback about it. Right now I am taking a break. I don't have the time to do movies now."

The actress, who was last seen in a cameo in Karan Johar's 2003 hit "Kal Ho Na Ho", has been on a sabbatical from acting since her marriage to filmmaker Goldie Behl in 2002.