Entertainment

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on the life and philosophy of the great baul maestro Lalon Shah.

Titled ‘Baramkhana’, the play is written by Pantha Shahrier, and will be staged by Theatre.
Being inspired after reading the novel ‘Moner Manush’ by Sunil Gangopadhaya, Tropa planned for a theatre production on baul philosophy. Later, she gave the novel to Pantha for reading. ‘Our play is mainly inspired by that novel. However, we have included some other things related to our present socio-political context,’ Tropa told about her new ventures.
According to her, the ‘canvas’ of the play will be wider. It will cover Lalon’s life, works and the situation after the Partition of India in 1947. Tropa, who earlier directed the play ‘Chhay Beharar Palki’ with Jaglul Alam and later, had her solo directorial debut by the play ‘Mukti’, says that the latest play will include more than twenty persons as cast and most of them are new. She hopes to bring the play on stage within two months.
Tropa expects to bring some variations in the play which will uphold Lalon’s philosophy and the culture based on the mazar (shrine) in the country as well. In the play, Lolon’s songs will be incorporated with dialogues. ‘No doubt, music will play an important role in the play, but variation in style will also be there,’ she added.
Tropa believes, some people tried to Islamise Lalon’s secular philosophy after the Partition. ‘Many people have also been doing politics with his ideals to meet their own vested interest. I want to show these odds by presenting Lalon as a symbol,’ she said.
Tropa is also performing in the popular drama serial ‘Poush Faguner Pala’, directed by Afsana Mimi and telecast on ATN Bangla. Adapted from Gajendra Mitra’s novel ‘Trayee’ and jointly scripted by Iraj Ahmed and Mansur Rahman Chanchal, the play is set against the backdrop of the capital and its outskirt areas at the sixties and seventies, ‘For the first time in my performing career I am playing the role as a daughter of my mother Ferdousi Majumdar in the serial,’ says Tropa.
For the approaching Eid, Tropa has completed shooting for a one-hour play written and directed Subarna Mustafa. In the play, Tropa played a kleptomaniac woman.
She is also regularly performing on stage in the plays ‘Meraj Fakirer Ma’, ‘Madhabi’ and ‘Mukti’ by Theatre Expressing her optimism about theatre she said that the theatregoers are getting better productions in recent time. Many of the contemporary plays have interesting aspects to move the audience, she said. While appreciating the tendency to experiment on the form and style of theatre, she mentioned that the experiments should be done carefully.

Many city dwellers likely to miss watching satellite TV after Aug 31

Many city dwellers are likely to miss watching satellite television channels during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr as Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd has taken steps to remove the risky overhead cables from Abdullahpur to Kuril Biswa Road by August 31.
Cable operators said though DESCO served a notice for the removal of overhead cables from the area by August 31, it was impossible to relocate the cables within such a short time.
Former president of the Cable Operators’ Association of Bangladesh Anwar Parvez told the news agency that there was no adequate infrastructural facility to take the cable lines underground.
If the government takes steps to remove the overhead cables, a huge number of city dwellers will not be able to watch satellite TV channels after August 31 as they would not be able to relocate the cables within the stipulated time, he said.
Parvez said although DESCO had signed an agreement with a private organisation, Fiber@Home, for taking overhead cables underground, it has no capability to take the hanging cables underground properly.
‘We will never hand over our old business to an unknown private company,’ he said.
A senior DESCO official said that they would take decision in this regard today after a meeting with the power ministry.
Earlier, DESCO had asked the cable operators to remove the risky hanging cables from Abdullahpur to Kuril Biswa Road by August 31.
Recently, the government has decided to set up underground cable network system by removing the hanging cables from the electric poles for increasing beauty of the city.
As per the government directive, the DESCO served a notice to the cable operators to remove the risky hanging cables by August 31.

Jackson items on show in Tokyo before Macau auction

Crystal-studded gloves and socks, a set of Jackson five jumpsuits and other items from Michael Jackson’s career went on display in Tokyo on Tuesday ahead of their auction in Macau later this year.
The exhibition features more than 60 items from the late ‘King of Pop’ that will go under the hammer – along with other western pop and Hollywood memorabilia – in the glitzy gambling resort near Hong Kong in October.
‘It’s the best collection of Michael Jackson items that we’ve ever assembled, and all come to us from his family and from friends he gave them to,’ said Darren Julien, chief executive of US-based Julien’s Auctions.
The items include a right-hand black crystal-studded glove, a jacket Jackson wore during filming of a 1984 Pepsi commercial in which he suffered serious burns in an accident, and white cotton socks encrusted with clear crystals.
Also on display is an orange shirt he wore for the 1992 ‘Jam’ video session with basketball legend Michael Jordan and a complete set of red-and-gold jumpsuits he and his siblings – collectively the Jackson 5 – sported in the 1970s.
The exhibition continues in Tokyo until September 6 before travelling to Santiago, Chile. It then heads to Macau for the auction of 115 items on October 9 at the former Portuguese colony’s Ponte 16 gaming resort.
The auction, also to include items from Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Princess Diana and other celebrities, will be the first of its kind in Asia and is expected to fetch over two million dollars, says Julien’s Auctions.
Fans and collectors can participate in real time at www.julienslive.com provided they register before hand.
‘What’s really great for the Japanese people is that it’s in Macau. For the actual auction, they fly to Macau and they bid in US dollars, which is a good exchange for the yen,’ the chief executive said.

 

Kaniz Suborna and Singer SI Tutul in film

Popular singer and musician S. I Tutul and sensational pop singer Kaniz Suborna, for the fist time, have taken part both in the audio and visual part of a film.
This duo will be seen to sing a duet, in the film ‘Moner Ghare Basat Kare.’
Last Saturday, Tutul and Kaniz have taken part in the shooting held in FDC’s 3rd floor. Elated Tutul says, ‘Previously I have taken part in drama. But this is the first time I have sung as well as acted in a film. Hope my fans and viewers would enjoy the film.’
Kaniz Suborna says, ‘I had the experience to lip my own song in a film. So this is only a continuity of my previous venture. This is nice duet and this will surely conquer the hearts of millions.’
Directed by Khorshed Alam and Iqbal Hossain, the film ‘Moner Ghare Basat Kare’ is featuring, among others, popular actor Sakib Khan, heroine Apu Biswas, Chanchala and Misha Saudagar.

Mim all the way in this Eid

This Eid, Lux-Channel i superstar Biddya Sinha Mim will be seen in nearly 20 TV plays to be aired on different TV channels. The plays include Partha Sarkar’s ‘Will You Marry Me?’,Mohon Khan’s ‘Patro Chaina’ and ‘Krishnapakkha’ and Nazrul Qurashey’s ‘Anmona 

A first year student of drama and dramatics department at Jahangirnagar University, Mim told that most of the plays were shot before her first year final examination. ‘Since my examinations have started, I am totally into my study now. I have not acted in any plays recently. I hope I will be back in the scenario again after the exam,’ said Mim.
The young actor’s role in the play ‘Krishnapakha’ is that of a girl who marries the man she had a long-run love affair with. The newly married couple falls in difficulty when the groom’s family declines to accept the marriage.
‘I found it challenging to portray the diverse character in all these plays, at the same time, it was exciting.’ said the enthusiast Mim.
She particularly mentioned her character in another play, where she is played a mischievous girl who makes fun of a man who always shies away from women. At one point however, she falls in love with the man.
After being crowned as the Lux Channel i superstar in 2007, Mim made her debut in silver screen in 2008 with Humayun Ahmed’s ‘Amar Ache Jol’ where her co-actors were Zahid Hassan, Ferdous and Shaon. Her second feature film, ‘Amar Praner Priya’ was released in 2009.
About her next venture in film, Mim said, ‘I was approached by a film director recently, I think we will settle down the matter soon after Eid,’ said Mim. However, she did not disclose anything more about the film.

Azam Khan on his way home

Ailing Bangla pop guru and freedom fighter Azam Khan will return on Monday after a month-long treatment in Singapore, his family has said.
The pop-song pioneer has been suffering from mouth cancer and flew to Singapore on Aug 14 for better treatment.
The operation on him was done successfully at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on Aug 21.
Azam's elder daughter Ima Khan told bdnews24.com: "He is almost healed but will be given Tomotherapy to cure the affected place."
For this, the pop guru will fly to Singapore on Sept 10, the Tomotherapy will start from Sept 13.
"My father's verbal condition is not quite stable yet," Ima added.
Azam Khan will reach Dhaka on 9pm.
Before going to Singapore on Aug 13, Azam, in an exclusive interview, told bdnews24.com that he felt a piece of flesh under his tongue but didn't take it seriously. The doctors later examined his mouth cancer.
He was born in the capital's Azimpur on Feb 28, 1950. He has released 17 solo albums to date. A large number of his songs were also released in mixed albums.
'Ore Saleka, Ore Maleka' is one of his songs that became very popular in the eighties.
-bdnews

Nova’s glamour world career continues

Lured by the fun of it, Nova started modelling. At one point of her modelling career in 2006, she received an offer for acting in Animesh Aich’s TV play ‘Prem O Ghamer Galpo’ which went on air on Banglavision as special TV play on the occasion of Eid.

Since then, Nova became a regular face on the small screen. Despite she was very ill for more than two weeks and admitted to a hospital, Nova will be seen in several TV plays on the occasion of Eid. She has already acted in five TV plays that are expected to go on air on different television channels. Raihan Khan’s ‘Nashto Sukh’ and ‘Samudre Chandragrohan’ Mizanur Rahman Labu’s ‘Sharto’ and Nazrul Islam’s ‘Nibhrita Nirjane’ are among the plays.
According to Nova, the most challenging role was her character in the play ‘Nibhrita Nirjane’, which deals with the struggle of a single mother.
‘I have played the role of the daughter. Her mother develops a romantic relationship with a person but remain confused whether to move forward with it. RJ-actor Nawsheen played the mother. It was quite hard for both of us, as Nawsheen is only two or three years older than me,’ said Nova.
‘Another funny thing was I had to address actor Apurba as uncle in the play,’ Nova added with a big grin on her face. She had been paired with the popular actor in many TV plays.
In ‘Nashto Sukh’, Nova played a girl who betrays her lover by marrying someone else. Mosharraf Karim has acted against her in the play. And the story of the play ‘Sharto’ centres on the relationship between two sisters. The relationship is strained when both the sisters fall in love with a same guy. About her characters in these plays, Nova said, ‘Honestly, I enjoyed every character I have played, each were different from the others’.
Recently, Nova has completed shooting for a TV commercial for Diamond Melamine which is expected to be on air from this week. The TVC, also featuring Fair & Lovely superhero Sohan Khan, was shoot at the spectacular location of Himchori and Inani beach of Cox’s Bazar.