Washington Bangla Radio on Internet (WBRi) is an online streaming Bengali language radio station and associated news and entertainment web portal that operated from Washington, DC metro area in the United States. The free service was provided until July 2016 by privately owned WBRi Inc. headquartered at Germantown, Maryland, United States, which also owned the trademark [1] and has been featured in SPAN magazine published by the United States Department of State for bridging India-US cultures. [2]
Founded in 2008 by Indian-American computing enthusiast Supratim Sanyal, Washington Bangla Radio is one of the oldest legal online Bengali radio stations with a private test stream running from 2005.
Washington Bangla Radio pioneered digital music download sales in the Bengali music segment and provides a highly targeted digital sales channel to record companies from Kolkata. Its online store service remains the only MP3 download store dedicated to Bengali music.
WBRi became the first South Asia focused internet radio service to broadcast an event live globally from India on Sunday June 21, 2009, when it streamed Kolkata Music Academy's World Music Day Concert conducted by Abraham Mazumder directly from St. John's Church, the Oldest Cathedral in Kolkata where Job Charnock's Tomb is laid. It subsequently streamed more live events, with the first worldwide live video webcast from Kolkata of Balaka's Kali Puja from BD Block, Salt Lake in 2011. [3]
For its contribution to growth of technology-based media convergence, the Gazette weekly[4] published from Montgomery county, Maryland featured WBRi on its front page. [4]
Jhora Somoyer Gaan is a Bengali album by various musical groups and artists with collaboration and produced by the rock band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in 1996 by Asha Audio in India.
The culture of West Bengal is an Indian culture which has its roots in Bengali literature, music, fine arts, drama and cinema. Different geographic regions of West Bengal have subtle as well as more pronounced variations between each other, with Darjeeling Himalayan hill region and Duars showing particularly different socio-cultural aspects.
Birendra Krishna Bhadra (1905–1991) was a radio broadcaster, playwright, actor, narrator and theatre director from Kolkata, India and a contemporary of Pankaj Mallick and Kazi Nazrul Islam. He worked for the All India Radio, India's National Radio broadcaster for several years during its early, starting 1930s, and during this period he produced and adapted several plays.
Fossils (ফসিল্স) is an Indian hard rock band from Bengal formed in Kolkata, West Bengal, India in 1998. The group is considered one of the pioneering rock acts in Kolkata's Bengali music scene. The band currently comprises Rupam Islam, Deep Ghosh, Allan Temjen Ao, Tanmoy Das (drums), Prasenjit 'Pom' Chakraborty.
Abosheshey is a 2011 Indian film in Bengali starring Roopa Ganguly, Raima Sen and Ankur Khanna in lead roles. The film is the directorial debut of Aditi Roy. The film was screened at various international film festivals and received many accolades. The story is about a son who is trying to learn about his dead mother.
Tanusree Chakraborty is an Indian model turned actress in Bengali film and television.
Timir Biswas is an Indian playback singer of both Bengali and Hindi films. He also the lead singer of the band Fakira. He originates from Sreepally, Asansol, West Bengal and belongs to a Bengali family.
The Light: Swami Vivekananda (2013) is a bilingual film directed by Utpal (Tutu) Sinha and produced by Tri Colour productions private limited. The film is based on the life and teaching of Swami Vivekananda. The film was a tribute to Vivekananda on the 150th anniversary of his birth. The film was dubbed in 18 languages.
Eskay Video Private Limited is an Indian Company promoted by Dhanuka Family. The Company was incorporated in 1988 and since then it has been a vital part in the Media and Entertainment Industry in India. The company has produced more than 50 films and acquired another 200 films. Eskay group has digitized 80+ Cinemas, Operated Television Channels, owns 5 Theatres, produced Television serials, Reality shows and Webseries.
Indrasish Roy is an Indian film and television actor. He played the role of Tintin in serial Gaaner Opare. Later he played the lead role of Chandrakiran Chowdhury, the male protagonist of serial Adwitiya. He debuted in films with Kaushik Ganguly's Rang Milanti. He also won hearts by playing the role of Lalon in Star Jalsha's Dhulokona.
Samidh Mukherjee is an Indian singer, songwriter and music composer from Kolkata, India. Mukherjee mainly works on Bengali and Hindi language films and television shows,. He also part of the Bengali music director's duo Samidh-Rishi.
Maa...Tomay Chara Ghum Asena, also called Maa, was a Bengali television serial telecast by Star Jalsha. It was produced by Shree Venkatesh Films. The show narrated the bond between mother and daughter. It is one of the longest-running Bengali television series and Star Jalsha's longest-running serial.
Souvik Gupta, known as "Savvy", is an Indian music director who has composed and sung songs for Bengali movies from both West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Subhamita Banerjee is a Bengali singer from Malda, India, who specializes in modern songs, Ghazals etc. She has many Bengali albums to her credit and is one of the well known singers in the Bengali music industry.
Postmaster is a 2016 Bengali film based on Rabindranath Tagore's 1891 short story of the same name, directed and written by Srijon Bardhan, produced by Sri Media. The motion picture had its premiere on 7 December 2015 at the 4th Delhi International Film Festival, later being released commercially on 24 June 2016 at Star Theatres, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The film was also selected at the 14th Chennai International Film Festival, in 2017.
Ribhu Dasgupta is an Indian film and television director. He made his directorial debut with 2011 film Michael.
Prohor is a 2002 Bengali feature film directed by Subhadro Chowdhury. The film is based on Dulendra Bhowmick's short story Dash Number Bed. The cinematographer of the film was Amlan Dutta. It revolves around a nurse who, in one night, discovers that there is a patient in her hospital, who once raped her brutally. It stars Debashree Roy in the central character. The film was edited by Saurav Sharangi and the background score was composed by Chiradeep Dasgupta.
Kagojer Nouka is a Bengali language socio-political drama film directed by Parthasarathi Joarder and produced by Olivia Creation. This film was released on 13 May 2013. Nandan (Kolkata) theatre refused to screen this film. The film revolved around a chit fund scam. Director Joardar told the media that they sent the film to Nandan authority for preview, but he thought they did not even see the film before refusing it.
Payel De, also known as Payel Dey, is a Bengali actress. She began her career in 2006 with Zee Bangla's Ekdin Pratidin daily soap and portrayed the character Chandrayee as a supporting role. She is known for her work in television soap opera serials Durga and Behula where she played the title character, both of these aired on Star Jalsha. She started her career while she was studying in college. Afterwards, she starred as Aalo Moitra in the TV serial Bodhu Kon Alo Laaglo Chokhe which aired on Star Jaisha. She has also played lead characters in Maa Durga, Tobu Mone Rekho, Ardhangini, Jaahanara, Durga Durgeshwari, Chuni Panna and currently Desher Maati.
Bangla Bachao is a Bengali movie directed by Anup Sengupta, starring Prosenjit Chatterjee and Paoli Dam. The movie released on 28 January 2011.