Celebrated actor Sabnam Faria has carved a space for herself in the industry over the years. She started her career with modelling and commercials, before working on television ventures and making her film debut in Debi. In a recent conversation with The Daily Star, Sabnam looks back on a special memory with a fan.

Netflix still has some surprises in store for subscribers as we're all still isolating. The latest is a Michelle Obama documentary that holds the same name as her best-selling memoir, Becoming. Directed by documentarian Nadia Hallgren, Becoming will follow the former First Lady on her 34-city tour following the release of her book in 2018. Hallgren seeks to offer an intimate look at Obama as she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, transitioned out of the White House. Netflix released the first clip along with the announcement about the film, and Obama shared a note to viewers.

To help people who are left unemployed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Bangladesh Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti distributed food to over 200 artistes and 600 underprivileged families residing in Mohammadpur, Banasree and Konapara. "The vice president of BCSS, actor Dipjol, donated the food while Misha Sawdagor and I personally supervised the distribution process," General Secretary of BCSS, Zayed Khan, told The Daily Star. "Instead of calling it relief, we prefer to call it Ramadan gifts."

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world essentially to a standstill. As a way of spreading hope amid the crisis, six expatriate Bangladeshi dancers are set to present the online production, ‘COVID Ke Korbo Joy Eksathey Mora Neiko Bhoy’, from their homes, on April 29, marking International Dance Day.

Auction 4 Auction, a newly formed charity organisation, took an initiative to stand beside those who are affected the most by the coronavirus pandemic. Prolific photographer Prito Reza and activist Arif R Hossain came up with the idea of a charity auction for fundraising. To begin with, ace cricketer Shakib Al Hasan donated his World Cup 2019 bat for the auction, which was sold at BDT 20 lakhs.

“Memory is the only lasting possession we have. I have made my life the subject of my work, using the images of home, the places I have visited, and the stars I have looked up to. I just want a reminder that I did not imagine my experiences”- Zarina Hashmi

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down major film, television and theatrical productions and big festivals in the country.

On February 28, 2020, eminent singer and cultural personality Fahmida Nabi went to visit her sister Tanzida Nabi Antora and her daughter Anmol in the UK. She was unable to return to Dhaka, due to the nationwide shutdown and travel restrictions. The artiste is currently at her sister’s house in London. She is keeping herself busy with writing, cooking, reading books, and watching movies at the moment. She is also participating in live discussions on the coronavirus pandemic on Facebook, with other artistes from across the world.

Bangladeshi filmmaker Noman Robin’s film, Blossoms from Ash, a research-based political documentary on the history and genocide of Rohingya refugees, won the Special Jury Remi Award at the 53rd Annual WorldFest- Houston International Film Festival 2020. The film has been produced by the Blum Family Foundation of America in 2018.

As a way of coping with the coronavirus pandemic, UNESCO Dhaka initiated the online campaign, #BeCreative, featuring different artistes and cultural professionals.

Talented magician and ventriloquist Arif Asgar was passionate about puppets and magic from a young age.

Recently, BTV began re-running legendary litterateur and director Humayun Ahmed’s Kothao Keu Nei and Bohubrihi, much to the delight of television buffs.

AKM Alamgir Huque, a scholar and artist, was a familiar name in the Dhaka art scene of the late 80s. In that period, he excelled in painting and printmaking, establishing an individual hallmark through his semi-abstract and pure abstract works.

Celebrated actor, producer and director Mahfuz Ahmed began his journey with the television drama, Kon Kanoner Phool (1989), written and directed by Imdadul Haq Milan. His performance in Humayun Ahmed’s Srabon Megher Din (2000) and Dui Duari (2000) were appreciated by the audience and critics alike. He also received the National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Sobuj in Azadi Hasanat Firoz’s Laal Sobuj (2005). His second television show, the critically acclaimed Kothao Keu Nei (1990), is back on Bangladesh Television (BTV). The actor looks back on his memories from the sets of the show and more in a recent chat with The Daily Star.

With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, art galleries across the globe have taken an enormous setback. The economic and cultural shift in the axis of the art world has catapulted its institutions into an unfamiliar direction.

Lionsgate revealed that a long-anticipated The Hunger Games prequel movie is in the works, as trilogy writer Suzanne Collins is set to release her latest novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snake on May 19.

Renowned South Asian thespian and founder of Rangakarmee Usha Ganguly passed away on April 23 at the age of 75, due to a heart attack, at her residence in south Kolkata.

People the world over are confined to their homes, due to the coronavirus outbreak, and our celebrities are no different. Arifin Shuvoo, one of the most beloved actors of our time, discussed how he is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and developing good habits during self-isolation in a recent chat with The Daily Star.

Whitney Houston mesmerised audiences with her performances for over two decades. The singer was cited as the most awarded female artiste of all time by the Guinness World Records and remains one of the best-selling musicians of all time even today.

Acclaimed Manipuri dancer and choreographer Sweety Das Chowdhuri conveys contemporary thoughts through dance, along with raising awareness on the global coronavirus pandemic, in her production, One World, One Fight. It is choreographed and performed by Sweety herself, with guidance from her husband and acclaimed Bharatnatyam dancer, Amit Chowdhuri.