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Shilaidah Kuthibari, an old edifice that bears the marks of our resplendent past. It still carries the memories of the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore who made frequent visits to this place and used to stay in connection with the administration of his zamindari. The simplicity of the people, the lyrical beauty of nature, and the river Padma near the Kuthibari attracted Tagore. During these years he published several poetry collections, notably Sonar Tari (1894; The Golden Boat), and plays, notably Chitrangada (1892; Chitra).
   Sixty-four years have passed since the demise of the great poet, but the memories still remain fresh. To observe the death anniversary of the poet, Dhaka Photographic Institute recently organised a 3-day long photography exhibition titled Rabindranath O Kuthibari delineating the poet’s intrinsic relationship with the edifice and its surroundings, at the Gallery Chitrak.
   Inaugurated by eminent photographer Dr Nawajesh Ahmed and artist Kanak Chanpa Chakma the exhibition feature 31 photographs by 15 photographers, who are mainly the students of the institute.
   ‘It was the occasion of the great poet’s 144th birth anniversary and we, a group of 15 aspiring photographers began our journey to frame a slice from the poet’s life,’ said Shahiduzzaman Badal, director of Dhaka Photographic Institute; he continued, ‘the majestic old building, the pastoral surroundings and the colourful carnival, the enthusiastic people were just so amazing that our photographers didn’t have to struggle to find their subjects.’
   ‘In 1891 Tagore went to manage his family’s estates at Shilaidah and Shazadpur and spent 10 years of his life there. He often stayed in a houseboat on the river Padma, in close contact with village folk, and his compassion for them, their poverty and backwardness became the keynote of much of his later writing. Most of his finest short stories, which examine “humble lives and their small miseries,” date from the 1890s and have a poignancy, laced with gentle irony, that is unique to him,’ said Nawajesh and added, ‘And this venture by the students of the institute to display the memories of Tagore through their camera lens is indeed appreciable. But it could have been more meaningful if they diversified their angles and conceptions with which they portrayed the poet’s life.’
   ‘This was in fact, our first field trip; amazingly, some of us used the SLR camera for the first time,’ said Khandaker Jannatul Ferdaus, one of the participants. ‘We could expand the horizons of our subject, but unfortunately we were not allowed to go inside the Kuthibari as there was a government programme to be held on the next morning.’
   Most of the photographs displayed in the exhibition were centred on the structure itself. Some photographs showed the grandiose branches of the hundred-year old mango and rain trees, while some captured the scenes of the splendid and kaleidoscopic village fairs and the wholehearted people. Although to some extent the exhibition seemed rather monotonous, the use of verses from the poet’s poems and songs gave the whole exhibition an added dimension. Three photographs could easily draw the attention of the viewers; the speciality of that three snaps showed the Kuthibari’s original red colour which, recently has been changed into white unfortunately.
   It can be treated as an exhibition with a difference because of its subject.

Written and directed by Sakhawat Hossain, the first episode of drama serial, Titumirer Bansher Kella, will be telecast today at 8:25pm on NTV.
   The 22-part play is based on the historic event of Mir Nisar Ali, widely known as Titumir, who led a rebellion against the British rule in India.
   Jayanta Chattapadhaya and Dibyendu Das will both play the role of Titumir. ATM Shamsuzzaman, Mamunur Rashd, Dr Enamul Haque, Abul Hayat, Ferdousi Majumdar, Khairul Alam Sabuj, Toukir Ahmed, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Rokeya Prachi, Momena Chowdhury, Masum Aziz, Pallab, Ahsanul Haque Minu and Iqbal Babu are among the cast.
   The playwright has presented both the peasants’ rebellion against the farming of indigo and Titumir’s role in this historic event in the nineteenth century. He had fought for the liberation of Bangalis.
   Hossain hopes that this play will make the younger generation know the history of the country.

Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, Bangladesh Chapter (AMIC, Bangladesh) and MCJ Film Club, an organization of the students of Mass Communication and Journalism of the Dhaka University will arrange a day long conference at 9:30 in the morning at R C Majumder Auditorium, University of Dhaka on August 13.
   Eight articles will be read out in two sessions and the theme of the conference is ‘Politics of Popular Culture: Film Industry in Bangladesh’.
   Kabari Sarwar and Amjad Hossain will be present as the discussants at the conference.
   Zakir Hossain Raju, Matin Rahman, Humayra Bilkis, Moon Shakhawat, Najrana Chowdhuty, Fahmidul Haque, Lotte Hoek, Tapan Bagchi and Abdullah Al Mamun will present papers on the prospect and possibilities of Bangla films as well as the present condition of Bangladeshi cinema.

The 21st episode of drama serial Sukher Lagiya will be telecast today at 8:30pm on ATN Bangla.
   The play, written by Nasir Ahmed, is directed by Kamal Khan.
   Mousumi, Azizul Hakim, Shams Sumon, Mahbuba Islam Sumi, Sohel Arman, Mukti, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Ilora Gouhar, Apan Ahsan, Oli, Swagata, Nasima Khan, Masud Ali Khan and Khaleda Aktar Kalpana among other cast.

Pop star Kylie Minogue’s brush with breast cancer this year sparked a dramatic increase in the number of Australian women undergoing tests and could save many lives, researchers found.
   “The significant ‘Kylie effect’ on screening may further reduce breast cancer deaths,” University of Sydney professor Simon Chapman said in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.
   Minogue was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in May and, in a blaze of publicity, quickly had surgery to remove the lump.
   The announcement that Minogue, one of the world’s most successful pop singers, had been diagnosed with cancer at just 36 shocked millions of women.
   Over the two weeks after the announcement, the number of women seeking mammograms for the first time more than doubled, the researchers found.
   Crediting media coverage with raising awareness of breast cancer, the researchers said that Minogue’s age “and the notion that breast cancer was no respecter of celebrity status, wealth or youth were often emphasized.”

G Series ha released Juwa on VCD. The drama is scripted and directed by Bipul Raihan.
   Different roles are played by Ilias Kanchan, Litu Anam, Tarin and others.
   The VCD is available in the market.

FBI agent Sascha Petrosevitch (Seagal, Glimmerman, Under Siege) goes undercover in the Big House to infiltrate a gangland kingpin's operations. Petrosevitch's investigation comes to a standstill when he takes a couple of bullets in the back after a botched FBI raid.
   Eight months after, his investigation resumes in the new Alcatraz Penitentiary. But his assignments are about to get reshuffled. Seems convicted and soon-to-be executed killer Lester has stashed away 200 million bucks, a sum enough to earn him a friend in high places -- the warden's assistant Donny.
   Before long, Donny's got the warden, a Supreme Court justice and a handful of expendable dignitaries hostage. If upholding the law is the main order of the day, Seagal's the man to call -- he's above the law, and better yet, hard to kill. Cover or no cover, Petrosevitch is taking Donny down.
   Half Past Dead
   HBO
   9:30pm
   Starring
   Steven Seagal, Ja Rule, Morris Chestnut
   Genre
   Action/Adventure