Humayun Ahmed was a Bangladeshi novelist, dramatist, screenwriter, filmmaker, songwriter, scholar, and academic. His breakthrough was his debut novel Nondito Noroke published in 1972. He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books. He was one of the most popular authors and filmmakers in post-independence Bangladesh. Pakistani English newspaper Dawn referred to him as the cultural legend of Bangladesh.
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.
Jaya Maswood popularly known as Jaya Ahsan, is a Bangladeshi film actress, model, producer and playback singer. Starting her career as a model and, later, as a television actress, she currently works mostly in Bangladeshi and Indian Bengali films. She won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress six times for her performances in the films Guerrilla (2011), Chorabali (2012), Zero Degree (2015), Debi (2018), Alatchakra (2021), and Beauty Circus (2022). She also earned four Filmfare Awards East, Zee Cine Awards, and Meril-Prothom Alo Awards.
Ahmed Reza Rubel was a Bangladeshi theatre, film and television actor. He started his career in Selim Al Deen's theatre group "Dhaka Theatre". Later he concentrated on mainstream commercial cinema, starring in six feature films. Rubel then left the film industry to work in tele-dramas.
Monpura, is a 2009 Bangladeshi Bengali film, directed by Giasuddin Selim. It is considered as one of the greatest Bangladeshi films ever made. Over the years, this film has been a cult-classic due to lead's performance and the music album.
Suchinta Chowdhury Chanchal, is a Bangladeshi actor. He is notable for his performances in Rupkothar Golpo (2006), Monpura (2009), Television (2012), Aynabaji (2016), Debi (2018) and Hawa (2022). He has received three Bangladesh National Film Awards for Best Actor and three Meril Prothom Alo Awards for Best Actor.
Salahuddin Lavlu is a Bangladeshi television film director, actor, and screenwriter. His works generally consist of single episode television dramas and telenovelas. His notable works include Ronger Manush (2004), Vober Hat (2007), Ghor Kutum (2008), Alta Sundori (2009) and Sakin Sarisuri (2009), Har Kipte (2011), Kobuliotnama (2015), The Village Engineer (2016), Shonar Pakhi Rupar Pakhi (2017) and Priyo Din Priyo Raat (2018). Salahuddin Lavlu is the president of the Directors Guild.
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).
Mamunur Rashid is a Bangladeshi actor, director and scriptwriter. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2012 and Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1982 by the Government of Bangladesh.
Afsana Mimi is a Bangladeshi actress, model and director. She won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Paap Punno.
Nusrat Imrose Tisha, known mononymously as Tisha, is a Bangladeshi actress, model and producer who has appeared mainly in Bengali television and films. She has garnered popularity with her performances both on television and the silver screen.
Dilruba Yasmeen Ruhee is a Bangladeshi model and actress.
Shahiduzzaman Selim is a Bangladeshi theatre, television and film actor. He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor in Negative Role for his performance in the film Chorabali (2012). He is currently the president of Actors’ Equity Bangladesh. In 2023 he performed in Priyotoma, which is the highest grossing Bangladesh film of all-time.
Shahidul Alam Sachchu is a Bangladeshi film and television actor. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film Britter Baire.
Azad Abul Kalam is a Bangladeshi actor, director, writer and activist. He is one of the founders of Prachyanat and Prachyanat School of Acting and Design. He won Meril Prothom Alo Award for Best Playwright in 2012, for his television adaptation of Muhammed Zafar Iqbal’s novel, "Sabuj Velvet".
Maqsud Jamil Mintoo is a Bangladeshi music composer and director. He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Music Director for the song "Ekta Chilo Sonar Konya" in the film Srabon Megher Din (1999).
Adhiar is a 2003 Bangladeshi period drama film directed by Saidul Anam Tutul from a story written by Giasuddin Selim. It stars Raisul Islam Asad, Pijush Bandyopadhyay, Champa and Litu Anam in lead roles. The film is set in Bengal during the Tebhaga movement of the late 1940s.
Gunin is a 2022 Bangladeshi supernatural romance film directed by Giasuddin Selim. He also wrote the screenplay, based on Hasan Azizul Huq's short story of the same name. The film stars Pori Moni, Sariful Razz, Dilara Zaman, Iresh Zaker, Mostafa Monwar, and Azad Abul Kalam. It is produced and distributed by Chorki and was released on theatre on 11 March 2022.
Paap Punno is a 2022 Bangladeshi Bengali-language romantic drama film written and directed by Giasuddin Selim. It is third film directed by him and also it is the last part of his Love Trilogy. The film marks the debut film of Shahnaz Sumi as lead actress.
