September saw several notable developments in Bangladesh’s entertainment industry, from an incident involving actress Azmeri Haque Badhan in Venice to Bangladesh’s Oscar entry, the postponement of three concerts in Dhaka and a social media trend featuring stars in 1980s-inspired looks.
Badhan assaulted in Venice
Actress Azmeri Haque Badhan was assaulted and harassed in Venice, Italy, on 7 September while attending the Venice International Film Festival for the screening of Rubaiyat Hossain’s ‘The Difficult Bride’.
Badhan had gone out with family members when she was attacked at a park. She later filed a complaint with the local police.
The actress alleged that she was targeted because of her active role in the July-August 2024 movement. Artists in Dhaka later held a human chain in protest against the incident.
‘Roid’ becomes Bangladesh’s Oscar entry
Mezbaur Rahman Sumon’s ‘Roid’ was selected as Bangladesh’s entry in the International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards.
The Bangladesh Oscar Committee announced the selection on 27 September. Five films had been submitted for consideration.
Released during Eid-ul-Azha, ‘Roid’ stars Mostafizur Noor Imran and Nazifa Tushi.
Three concerts postponed
Three major concerts scheduled for 25 and 26 September were postponed at the last moment because of permission and security-related complications.
The 25 September ‘Max Republic’ concert was scheduled to feature James, Ali Azmat, Mustafa Zahid, Jal, Level Five, Nemesis and Shironamhin. On the same day, Pakistani singer Murtaza Qizilbash was scheduled to perform with Habib Wahid at ‘Sense It with Murtaza Qizilbash’.
The following day, Pakistani band Kavish was scheduled to perform with Shironamhin and Meghdol at ‘Wave Fest: Enjoy the Full Moon’. All three events were ultimately postponed.
Stars embrace 1980s looks
September also saw social media flooded with AI-generated images of celebrities styled in the fashion of the 1980s.
The images featured stars in period-inspired clothing, hairstyles and makeup. Many celebrities and ordinary social media users created and shared similar photographs on Facebook and Instagram.
Among the celebrities who joined the trend were Purnima, Apurba, Bhavna, Tawsif Mahbub, Tama Mirza, Pooja Cheri, Safa Kabir, Orchita Sporshia and Nabila.
Some images recreated the looks of heroines from old Bangla films, while others focused on hairstyles and clothing associated with the era. The trend prompted many viewers to revisit memories of an earlier period of Dhakai cinema.
