MOST TALKED ABOUT CELEBS of 2013

It was an eventful year for our much-adored celebrities; a year, amongst other things, full of weddings and mainstream film debuts. In the last issue of the year of Star Showbiz, we decided to sum up the most talked about Bangladeshi celebrities and events of 2013.

Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan is not only the top all-rounder in global cricket, he is a celebrity! He is also a model and brand ambassador, promoting various companies' products, such as Pepsi, Le Reve, Boost and Standard Chartered Bank, to name a few. His wedding has stirred up a lot of attention, breaking hearts of millions of unmarried Bangladeshis who would dream of becoming Shakib's wife – but no more! And what a beauty for a bride to match the international star! As beautiful as she is talented, Shakib's wife Umme Ahmed Shishir is a software engineer by profession. They first met in 2010, when Shakib went to England to play cricket on behalf of a local English cricket county club, Worcestershire. Although the duo already tied the knot a year ago on December 12th, 2012, they held a gala reception recently. Star Showbiz joins the nation in celebrating the celebrity couple's wedding and wish them a lifetime of happiness together.
Jaya Ahsan

The term slow and steady wins the race reminds us of Jaya. Her career progress is strong and stable, and always on the rise. Starting as a model and being a model for many years, she took her time before taking the lap to television acting, which she also did for quite some time while simultaneously maintaining her modeling career. As her career progressed, she built herself fast! Once she became an actor, she played challenging roles in a versatile manner, proving her skills. Her skills eventually landed her leading roles in films, including one this year in Kolkata (Aborto), and her performance has widely well received by both critics and the audience. Not to mention her performance in Guerilla, directed by Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu, which has been praised greatly as well. It is rare for a leading female actor to be so successful with many kinds of films, on top of her alternative character roles, more traditional films she has acted in have been commercial successes, the most recent of which is 'Purno Dorgho Prem Kahini', with leading man Shakib Khan. Showbiz is very happy to see Jaya in diverse leading roles in movies, and for making such good films for the Bangladeshi audience at a time when not many movies are doing that well.
 

Arefin Shuvo

Well known model in Bangladesh, Arefin Shubvo also did some television dramas. He decided to become a film actor a few years back, but his first initiatives did not pan out as some did not get released and some got halted in production. But, after much ado, this year, the audience saw his acting skills in 'Purno Dorgho Prem Kahini', although in the role of the antagonist. Shuvo is not like the atypical male leads that are cast in movies in Bangladesh. He looks different, and has a distinct impression in scenes he is seen in. Although he played a villain in this movie, he did a good job of playing the bad guy! His first lead role in a movie is in Bhalobasha Zindabad, released very recently this year, which has been been drumming up a lot of noise in the media world. Show Showbiz hopes that Shuvo continues to make such films, keeps improving with each one, and keep entertaining the audience for years to come!
 

Airin Sultana
After modeling for a few years, Airin Sultana began  her acting career this year, with lead female role in Bhalobasha Zindabad. Acting alongside Arefin Shuvo who was also a model, she has played the role of the heroine beautifully and has been well accepted by the audience. She is grateful to the skills she gained through her modeling career, which she believes has helped her in acting. As recognition of her talent, there are already filmmakers in talks with her to cast her as the female lead in upcoming movies. But, this is just the start, and time is the best test of success. Star Showbiz believes Irene has the skills to become a top actor of Bangladesh in the near future, and will be following her career with great interest.
 

Bijori Barkatullah 
Bijori Barkatullah is a very well-known face in Bangladesh. She is both a dancer and an actor, and was married to music director Shawkat Ali Emon, about 15 years ago. They have a daughter together, named Urbana. Unfortunately due to various issues, their marriage ended, and we did not hear much about Bijori's love life in the last few years. Then in 2013, almost with no indications to lead to it, Bijori married Intekhab Dinar on Pahela Boishakh. Dinar is a television actor, and although there were many rumours about who he was in a relationship with, no one knew about his relationship with Bijori. Bijori is again part of a full family, and Star Showbiz wishes her, Dinar and Urbana best wishes of the New Year.