HIGHLIGHTS OF 2020
As we bid farewell to a year that brought forward world-shifting events, altering the course of life and our way of living over a deadly pandemic, we certainly are grateful to be alive with the hope for better days ahead. Here is a look back at our entertainment industry in 2020.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
This year, we lost many gems of our industry. We lost music composer Azad Rahman and National Award-winning musician Andrew Kishore. He was widely regarded as one of the best playback singers in the country. Composer and musical director Alauddin Ali, popular actor Sadek Bachchu, Ekushey Padak-winning stage and TV actor and director Aly Zaker, renowned actor Abdul Kader and Salim Khan, the proprietor of Sangeeta. The works of all these legendary personalities will always be reminisced for generations to come.
Official preservation of Ayub Bachchu's songs
In 2020, two years after band singer Ayub Bachchu's death, 272 of his songs have been preserved by the government. A website has been reated,
accompanied by a YouTube channel. He is the first ever Bangladeshi artist for whom the government has taken such an initiative.
Ferdous Wahid leaving music
Musician Ferdous Wahid has decided to not release any new music after the 31st of December this year. He also announced that he will no longer be performing onstage.
Songs that gathered attention
The song Keu Kotha Rakheni by Minar garnered over half a crore views on YouTube. Monir Khan's song, Onjona 2020, got over one crore views. Imran gifted his listeners by releasing both audio songs and movie songs. The song he did with Kona for the film Bishwa Shundori, called Tui Kobe Amar Hobi Re, gathered over three crore views, while Jani Pabona also got a lot of attention from fans.
Three films of Shakib Khan
A total of three films have been released in 2020 starring Shakib Khan: Bir, Shahenshah and Nabab LLB. Bir was directed by Kazi Hayat and produced by Shakib Khan. It is the fiftieth film of the director. Nabab LLB, directed by Anonno Mamun, was released on the OTT platform iTheater on 16 December. It is the first ever film in Bangladesh to be released solely online.
Jaya Ahsan won an international award
In Madrid International Film Festival 2020, Jaya Ahsan had won the Best Female Actor award in the Foreign Films category. She won this award for starring in the film Robibaar, directed by Indian director Atanu Ghosh.
Only twelve films were released!
In 2020, only twelve films were released which, compared to the forty-one that were released in 2019, seem overwhelmingly low. The reason behind the small number is the COVID-19 pandemic. Cinema halls, only sixty to seventy in number, had closed down in March, and finally opened on the 16th of October. Multiplexes followed by opening on the 23rd of October. Among the released films, Bir managed to make some profits.
Star Cineplex shutting down?
Around September, the first cineplex in Bangladesh, Star Cineplex announced that it would be shutting down the Bashundhara City branch. However, after further talks with Bashundhara City authorities, it was decided that the cineplex would remain there. Star Cineplex has been running in Bashundhara City since 2004.
Sabina Yasmin the music director
For the first time in her career, Sabina Yasmin became the composer and music director of a film. She did it in the Sarah Kabori directed film Ei Tumi Shei Tumi.
Pori Moni in 'asia's 100 digital stars'
On the 7th of December, American business magazine Forbes released their list of Asia's 100 Digital Stars. Bangladeshi actor Pori Moni has been featured in the list. Aside from this, socialbakers.com has also released the names of the top Bangladeshi digital artists, where Pori Moni can be seen at the top of the list.