|
SM Sultan's birthday celebrated
Sultan Mahmood
People from the all walks life in Narail on Monday celebrated the 85th birth anniversary of world renowned artist SM Sultan.
A number of colourful programmes were jointly arranged by the SM Sultan Foundation and the national SM Sultan Birthday Celebration Committee at the Sultan Mancha of the Narail Government Victoria College.
SM Sultan Shishu Charu o Karukala Foundation and the Bengal Foundation have jointly organised a three-day Sultan Festival 2009 that began at the Narail Shisu Swargo on Sunday.
Mobile operator Banglalink sponsored festival of terracotta exhibition, art competition and art camp was inaugurated by deputy commissioner Anwar Hossain. District civil surgeon Sukumar Kunda and police superintendent SM Fazlur Rahman were present as special guests at the programme with this year's slogan 'Jibaner range alokita hok natun din'.
Monday's programme started with laying of wreaths on the grave of the artist at 8:00am and was followed by a colourful precession joined by people from the all walks of life.
The Khulna divisional commissioner Yunusur Rahman inaugurated a discussion at the Victoria College. Presided over by deputy commissioner Anwar Hossain, the discussion meeting was participated, among others, by member secretary of the foundation Munshi Hafijur Rahman and Narail district council's chief executive officer Mohammad Gaus. The speakers in their deliberations portrayed Sultan's works featuring the industrious life of the peasant, labourers, fishermen and potters of the country. An art competition, held in the morning at the Sultan Mancha, was participated by more than 200 hundred children of the district. A boat race was also held on the Chitra river in the afternoon. On the concluding day today, prizes will be distributed among 15 child artists. Artist Qayyum Chowdhury is expected to hand over the Sultan Smriti Padak to Ekhlasuddin Ahmed, Amal Sen and Waliur Rahman for their contribution to the cultural arena. Nazrul sangeet artiste Fatima-tuz-Zohra and Bengal Foundation's director Luva Nahid Chowdhury will attend as special guests on the occasion.
 ^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE
Breakfast Club creator dies
BBC
The US film director and writer, John Hughes, who created some of the most famous comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 59.
The director died after a heart attack in New York, his spokeswoman said.
Hughes was the director of such successful films as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
He was also a leading scriptwriter, penning films such as Pretty in Pink and Home Alone.
Over the past decade, Hughes withdrew from Hollywood and became a farmer in the Midwestern state of Illinois.
Hughes had been in Manhattan on a family visit when he died.
Hughes had not directed a film since Curly Sue in 1991, but the BBC's Vincent Dowd says it did not matter - his early movies had become part of the 1980s zeitgeist.
If, in 1986, Ferris Bueller's Day Off owed something to the on-screen energy of the young Matthew Broderick, it also benefited from Hughes' sharp script and direction, our correspondent says.
He worked well with young talent, as he demonstrated a year earlier in 1985, with cult film The Breakfast Club, starring Emilio Estevez and Mollie Ringwald.
In the high school tale, Hughes portrayed the lives of teenage Americans with dramatic, and comic, flair - and the box office returns were enormous.
'Many filmmakers portray teenagers as immoral and ignorant, with pursuits that are pretty base,' Hughes told the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 1985.
'They seem to think that teenagers aren't very bright. But I haven't found that to be the case. I listen to kids. I respect them. I don't discount anything they have to say just because they're only 16 years old,' he added.
Born in 1950 in Michigan, Hughes started out as a journalist and advertising copywriter before turning to script writing.
His biggest hit of all came in 1990 with Home Alone, which he wrote and produced, but did not direct.
The film made the central character, the 10-year-old Macaulay Culkin, the biggest child star for decades and grossed almost $500m (£300m) worldwide.
'I was a fan of both his work and a fan of him as a person,' Culkin said. 'The world has lost not only a quintessential filmmaker, whose influence will be felt for generations, but a great and decent man.'
In a statement, Matthew Broderick said: 'I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend John Hughes. He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family.'
Actress Molly Ringwald said, 'I was stunned and incredibly sad to hear about the death of John Hughes. He was and will always be such an important part of my life.'
By the mid-1990s, Hughes had disappeared from the public eye almost totally, though he continued to produce and write screenplays.
He wrote under the pseudonym of Edmond Dantes, a character in the Alexandre Dumas novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.
His credits under the name include Beethoven and Maid in Manhattan.
Dowd says Hughes will above all be remembered for a small number of movies which perfectly captured the spirit of 1980s America.
^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE
Discussion on Sikander Abu Jafar held
Cultural Correspondent
Speakers at a discussion meeting on Sunday recalled the important role of Sikander Abu Jafar in the historic Language Movement and during the country's war of independence.
They said the eminent poet, novelist, playwright, critic and the editor of monthly 'Samakal', Sikander Abu Jafar through his literary works had also inspired the nation during the movements.
The discussion, organised by the Bangla Academy at it's auditorium to mark the 34th anniversary of the death of Sikander, was addressed by poet Abdul Mannan Syed, professor Abu Bakar Siddiq and professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed.
Bangla Academy's director general Shamsuzzaman Khan presented the complementary speech at the function presided over by the Academy's president and national professor Kabir Chowdhury. The speakers termed Sikander Abu Jafar as 'the second Nazrul' for his inspirational songs.
They said Sikander's edited 'Samakal' was quite effective and provided a platform for the young litterateurs.
The discussion was followed by a cultural function which included recitation of Sikander's poems. Sahadat Hossain recited 'Bangla Chharo' while artistes of Jagaran Shilpigosthi presented 'Amader Sangram Cholchhe, Cholbe'.
^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE
Sadat's daughter takes on
Hollywood movie
Culture Desk
The daughter of Egypt's former president Anwar Sadat has filed a complaint against the makers of I Love You Man, a 2009 Dreamworks film, for naming a dog after her father, her lawyer has said Gulf News. Egypt's prosecutor will look into the complaint, but it is unclear what sort of action Egyptian courts could take against the Hollywood movie company.
In the movie, actor Jason Segel's character has a dog named Anwar Sadat. When asked if it is because he likes the former president's policies, the character replies it is due to the dog's resemblance to the Egyptian leader.
The name of the dog also appears in the credits as Anwar Sadat, playing himself, the dog.
"This is a disaster, a serious affront," said Samir Sabri, the lawyer for Rokaya Sadat, daughter of the former president and peace Nobel prize winner.
The film, directed by John Hamburg, opened in Egypt last month, but the scene with the dog had earlier been excised by the distributor.
^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE
World Dance Alliance assembly held
Rahad Abir
An assembly of the Asia Pacific region of World Dance Alliance was held at the conference room of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka on Saturday.
The Dance Artistes' Association of Bangladesh organised the daylong programme that began in the morning, featuring seminars, demonstrations and exchange of views.
President of the WDA-Asia Pacific, Dr Anis Nor of Malaysia and its vice-president Dr Urmimala Sarkar of India conducted the seminar in order to introduce the WDA-Asia Pacific and open its Bangladesh chapter. Noted Bangladeshi dance artiste Minu Haque presided over the programme.
Anis Nor said, 'Bangladesh is so rich in dance. For three years I've been planning to come to Bangladesh. It's a beautiful opening of World Dance Alliance-Asia Pacific in Bangladesh.'
Dr Urmimala in her speech stressed the need for networking work of dance alliance. As there is no specific office of World Dance Alliance she asked the interested individuals and dance organisations to keep in touch by networking. Sarkar mainly highlighted the opening works of India during their joining with WDA and arranging their programmes in West Bengal. She also talked about the forthcoming WDA-Asia Pacific assembly titled 'World Dance Alliance India Event 2009', which will take place in New Delhi between November 28 and December 1, 2009.
The programme was followed by exchange of views and a question-answer session and then presenting papers and discussions on dance. Lubna Marium spoke on history and performance of folk dance in Bangladesh. Shaikh Mehedi Hasan spoke on the brief history of dance in Bangladesh.
In the second session, an adhoc committee was constituted for the Bangladesh chapter of WDA-Asia Pacific. Lubna Marium, general secretary of Shadhona, was elected chair of Bangladesh chapter. The session also decided to hold an assembly of World Dance Alliance Bangladesh Event in Dhaka in December 2010.
^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE
Premiere of drama Pashapashi held
Ariful Islam Mithu
The premiere show of the drama serial 'Pasapashi', to be telecast on ATN Bangla, was held on Wednesday at Monalisa hall of the hotel La Vinci in the capital.
The ATN Bangla's chief adviser Saiful Bari was chief guest at the function presided over by the television channels programme advisor Nawazish Ali Khan and addressed by channel's sales and marketing chief M Shamsul Huda, Pasapashi's director Abu Sayeed and drama artiste Laila Hasan.
Saiful Bari in his speech said, 'The country is suffering from a severe cultural crisis. A section of people are making substandard programmes and unfortunately they have been able to create an audience. In this situation Abu Sayeed's drama will work as a protest.'
The director, Abu Sayeed said, 'Most of the time I make films giving importance on my liking. But this is the first time I have made a serial considering the taste of audience.'
The serial will be telecast every Thursday and Friday at 9:20pm from the August 13.
The drama is scripted by Kumrul Ahsan and Abu Sayeed, and the cast includes Mirana Zaman, Enamul Huq, Laila Hasan, Jayanto Chattapaddaya, K S Firoz, Challenger, Afroza Banu, Lina Ferdousi, Sayka Ahmed, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Ahmed Rubel, Ejazul Islam, Tanveen Sweety, Mir Sabbir, Sabrin Saka Mim, Moutushi Biswas, Nupur Islam, Sonia Hossain, and Tanvir.
The drama zeros in on two families living in separate flats of a building. The family members of the two families get involved in conflicts while some of them fall in love.
^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE
|
