The Cinema of Bangladesh is a diverse and vibrant entity, consisting of films produced across various regions, each contributing its unique linguistic and cultural perspective. Beyond the dominant Dhaka based Bengali-language film industry Dhallywood, which is a portmanteau of "Dhaka" and "Hollywood", Bangladesh is home to cinema in several other languages and dialects. For instance, Chakma cinema from Bandarban, Garo cinema from Sherpur, Meitei and Sylheti cinema from Sylhet, Chatgaiya cinema from Chattogram. These regional cinemas play a crucial role in preserving and promoting the linguistic and cultural heritage of the country. The dominant style of Bangladeshi cinema is melodramatic cinema, which developed from 1947 to 1990 and characterizes most films to this day. Cinema was introduced in Bangladesh in 1898 by the Bradford Bioscope Company, credited to have arranged the first film release in Bangladesh. Between 1913 and 1914, the first production company, Picture House, was opened. A 1928 short silent film titled Sukumari was the first Bengali-produced film in the region. The first full-length film, The Last Kiss, was released in 1931.
RTV is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel owned by Bengal Media Corporation. It is headquartered in the BSEC Building in Kawran Bazar, Dhaka. RTV began broadcasting on 26 December 2005 as a sister channel of NTV, and primarily airs entertainment and news programming. It is one of Bangladesh's most popular television channels, according to TRP reports.
SM Aslam Talukder Manna, known by his stage name Manna (মান্না), was a Bangladeshi film actor and producer.
Suchinta Chowdhury Chanchal, is a Bangladeshi actor. Chanchal is regarded as one of the finest actors in the country. He is notable for his performances in Rupkothar Golpo (2006), Monpura (2009), Television (2012), Aynabaji (2016), Debi (2018), Hawa (2022) and Toofan (2024). He has received three Bangladesh National Film Awards for Best Actor and three Meril Prothom Alo Awards for Best Actor.
Fazlur Rahman Babu is a Bangladeshi actor and singer. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor a record five times for his roles in Shonkhonaad (2004), Meyeti Ekhon Kothay Jabe (2017), Fagun Haway (2019), Bishwoshundori (2020) and Nonajoler Kabbo (2021). He also won Best Performance in a Comic Role for Gohin Baluchor (2017).
Masud Rana, better known by the stage name Shakib Khan, Bengali pronunciation:[ˈʃaːki:bxaːn], is a Bangladeshi actor, producer, businessman, occasional singer, film organiser, and media personality who works in Bengali films, both in Bangladesh and India. He is widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential figures in Bengali cinema and is considered to be one of the most successful actors in the country's history. In his career spanning about two decades and 250 films, Khan has been the propeller of the contemporary film industry, Dhallywood. As of 2022, he was the highest paid actor in Bangladesh and West Bengal.
Mehazabien Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi actress, model and the winner of Lux Channel I Superstar 2009. She began her acting career after winning Lux Channel I Superstar, (2009) a Bangladeshi beauty pageant. Her success in the pageant opened doors for her acting career. Mehazabien rose to prominence after featuring in a television commercial for Banglalink, a mobile phone operator, which brought her to the limelight. She made her debut in the television drama "Tumi Thako Shindhu Pare," which was broadcast on ATN Bangla. Since then, she has starred in several popular dramas such as "Boro Chele", "Chompa House", "Buker Ba Pashe", "Alo", “Lota Audio", “Chirokal Aaj”, “ Kajoler Din Ratri”. Mehazabien is widely recognized for her versatility in acting and has received numerous awards and accolades for her performances. Her notable awards include the Meril Prothom Alo Awards - 2017, 2018, 2019,2021, CJFB Performance Award-2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021. In 2018, she received the Babisas Award for her performance in the play Sonali Danar Chil. Bangladesh Police Women Network (BPWN) honoured Mehazabien Chowdhury for her drama, “Alo”, where she played the character of a sergeant.
Zulfiqer Russell is a Bangladeshi lyricist and journalist. He is currently the editor of the online news site, The Bangla Tribune. He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Lyrics for the film Putro (2018). He was the winner of the Channel i Music Awards in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2022 and also received the Mirchi Music Awards (Bangla) award for the Song of the Year in the Modern Song category for, "Shabuj Chilo". On 2020 he was awarded CJFB Performance Award 2019 as best lyricist. He had also worked with renowned Indian singers and composers including Grammy and Academy Award (Oscar) winner musician A. R. Rahman. He wrote the official theme song 'Ektai Achhe Desh' of the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh Independence sang by fifty renowned singers of Bangladesh.
Kazi Sharmin Nahid Nupur, known by her stage name Shabnur, is a Bangladeshi film actress. She won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the film Dui Noyoner Alo (2005).
Sadik Mohammed Symon, popularly known as Symon Sadik, is a Bangladeshi film actor, assistant director, lyricist, model and politician. His films are predominantly in Dhallywood cinema. He made his debut in as a lead role in the Bangladeshi film Ji Hujur (2012) and he won Bioscope Borsho-Sera Awards for Best acting in Poramon (2013). He also won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Jannat (2018).
Arifin Shuvoo is a Bangladeshi film actor and television personality. He is the recipient of several awards and nominations, including a National Film Award and two Meril Prothom Alo Awards. He made his debut in 2007, appearing in the television series Ha/Na before appearing in his first film Jaago in 2010.
Kazi Hayat is a Bangladeshi film director, producer, writer, and actor. In 2023 he performed in Priyotoma, which is the highest grossing Bangladesh film of all-time.
Shahid Hasan, known by professionally as Misha Sawdagor, is a Bangladeshi film actor known for playing villains. As of 2020, according to him, he has performed in more than 700 films. He won Bangladesh National Film Awards 3 times for his roles in the films Boss Number One (2011), Olpo Olpo Premer Golpo (2014) and Bir (2020). He first got noticed as a villain in the 1995 film Asha Bhalobasha starring Salman Shah. After Shah's death, he continued playing the villain opposite other actors, but failed to achieve any mainstream success or recognition. From 2006 onwards he started playing the main antagonist in a long string of hit movies starring Shakib Khan in the lead role and mostly Apu Biswas as the lead actress, and established himself as a leading antagonist in the Cinema of Bangladesh.
Mousumi Hamid is an actress and model from Bangladesh. She rose to prominence after becoming the 1st runner-up in LUX Channel I Superstar 2010. Since then, she worked in several TV shows such as Love Rectangle , Radio Cholocate and several others. Since 2013, Hamid has signed several films including Anonno Mamun's Blackmail (2015), Shafi Uddin's Full Length Love Story: Part II (2015) and Shamim Ahamed Roni's Mental (2015).
Rajneeti (transl. Politics) is a 2017 Bangladeshi political thriller film. The film directed by Bulbul Biswas and produced by Ashfaq Ahmed under the banner of Arrow Motion Arts. The film story and screenplay written by Bulbul Biswas himself and dialogue by Delowar Hossain Dil. It feature Shakib Khan, Apu Biswas, Anisur Rahman Milon, Sadek Bachchu, Amit Hasan in lead roles. The film soundtrack is composed by Habib Wahid, Fuad al Muqtadir and Pritam Hasan. It was released on June 26, 2017, on the occasion on Eid al-Fitr in Bangladesh.
Siam Ahmed is a Bangladeshi/Bollywood television and film actor. He made his debut Bangladeshi telefilm Bhalobasha 101 and he is best known for his debut role in the film Poramon 2 (2018) directed by Raihan Rafi. He is also well known for his various roles in Bengali TV dramas. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor twice for his roles in Bishwoshundori (2020) and Mridha Bonam Mridha (2021).
Alta Banu is a 2018 Bangladeshi romantic drama film directed by Arun Chowdhury and starring Zakia Bari Momo, Anisur Rahman Milon and Farzana Rikta. The screenplay, by Brindaban Das, is based on a story of the same name by Faridur Reza Sagar.
Kazi Abu Bakar Siddiky, known as Kazi Riton is a Bangladeshi producer, actor, writer and director. He is the owner of film and television production company Black & White. He was the International Affairs Secretary of Television Program Producers Association of Bangladesh (2019-2021). Currently, he is serving as an Executive Member of Television & Digital Program Producers Association of Bangladesh.
Mridha Bonam Mridha is a 2021 Bangladeshi courtroom film. Directed by Roni Bhowmik, the film stars Siam Ahmed, Nova and Tariq Anam Khan in lead roles.
