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Charan, a business house specializing in craft, furniture and interior designing, is holding an exhibition at the Drik gallery in Dhanmondi.
   The exhibition, inaugurated on April 26, is open from 3:00pm to 8:00pm every day till May 5.
   A variety of office and home furniture and table lamps with stands, created by Sudipta Mallick Sweden, Subir Obayed and Manzurul Islam Khan, are on display in the exhibition.
   There are different kinds of handicrafts and decorative showpieces too.
   Blending traditional elements with modern concepts in their works, the organisers have been able to express their creativity.
   Their innovative designs have been appreciated by the viewers.
   A divan (Taka 5,200) and a sofa-set (Taka 13,400) made in the shape of a boat are attractive and unusual.
   The low-high sofa-set has also drawn the viewers’ attention.
   The garden set (Taka 8,350) with a glass top circular table has a nice unfinished look.
   Charon has been established with the promise of uplifting local heritage mixed with the makers’ own creative ideas, in making furniture, decoration pieces and doing interior designing, by using local timber, bamboo and metal.
   Their choice of colours adds to the harmony of the finished products.

Shah Alam Saju, a promising young actor in the celluloid world has already proved himself. He has performed in a number of dramas, which has aired on BTV, and other satellite channels. He talked to Marcel Khan recently about his career.
   ‘When I was a student of class seven in 1989, I first played a role of a prisoner on stage in Jail theke balchhi which was followed by quite a few performances.
   I was inspired with jatra, palagaan and other cultural events which used to take place in my locality. I was pursuing a dream and got admitted in the Prakash Sahitya and Sangskritik Sangatan, a TSC based organisation to learn dramatics, diction and other things related to theatre. I also worked in the Aranyak Natyadal as an apprentice’ Saju said.
   Other than being an actor, he has also published four novels so far and many of his stories have been published in different dailies.
   The novels are Brishtibheja bhalobasa, Tumi je amar kabita, Faguney dujoney and Mon Jarey chay.
   He was discovered in a magazine programme, Sutarang aired on ATN Bangla after which he got a call from Nuruzzaman Sheikh, a director of BTV, who wanted to cast him in his play, Pratik in the role of a journalist. Since then he has performed in Aponjon, Aaj Kichu Hotey Cholechhey, Kala Galar Mala, Tumi Kemon Achho, Lottery and How Is That. His performance in these dramas earned him considerable popularity.
   He owes it to Aranya Anwar, SA Haq Olik, Shahidul Islam Mintu, Saiful Islam Mannu, Moin Khan Roni for giving him the break.

Shuddha Sangeet Prasar Goshthi, an institution formed in May 1975 to promote and uphold classical music, is celebrating their thirty first year, with a three-day programme, starting today at 6:45pm at Isfendiar Zahed Hassan in Bishwa Sahitya Kendra in city.
   There will be a countrywide competition for singers and instrumentalists between the age of 16 and 25 under the organisation’s talent development programme.
   Participants from all over Bangladesh will take part in the competition.
   From Dhaka, Sanchiya Shahrin will play the sarod and Sidney Edvin Rodix the violin. SM Wadud, Atik Ahmed, Anima Christina Kosta, Sabina Yasmin Nasrin, Laila Binte Hossain and Syeda Tahrima Hossain will participate in the vocal category.
   All of the five contestants from Chittagong, Rita Tala Patra, Priyangka Das, Shampa Bhattacharya, Sharmina Chowdhury Tina and Tasmina Chowdhury Arin will compete in the vocal category also, as will, Mohammad Rokonuzzaman and Ali Ummul Fariha from Rajshahi, Nayeem Murtaza, and Mohammad Tawhidul Islam Khan from Jessore and Ridita Roy Chowdhury and Sharmila Majumdar from Sylhet.

You think that PG rating means the film at the local multiplex is appropriate viewing for your 10-year-old? Think again.
   A study released on Monday shows that one in five films rated PG, or ‘parental guidance suggested’ ––with some material that may not be suitable for children ––actually have more violent actions than the average for those listed as PG-13, or inappropriate for children under 13.
   It also found that one in 10 PG films had more violent acts than the average for those in the study that were rated R, or ‘Restricted’ ––meaning any viewer under 17 should be accompanied by an adult.
   ‘The most striking finding was that more than one quarter of the violence in each of the three rating categories was of lethal magnitude,’ said the report from the School of Film, Television and Digital Media at the University of California, Los Angeles, on a review of 100 top-grossing films.
   The Motion Picture Association of America rating system provides secondary information on violence, nudity and language, but it is often in the background in advertising. Thus parents who rely on the age-based categories are using what Theresa Webb, one of the report’s authors, called ‘the weakest of all the indicators’ to make viewing decisions.
   The findings were published in the May issue of Paediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Paediatrics.
   The study reviewed the 100 top-grossing films of 1994, including ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,’ ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral,’ and ‘Pulp Fiction.’
   Webb said there have been no structural changes in the rating system since 1994.

Dripta, a production House, has recently released a VCD, 'Bangalir Hasir Jhury'. The album is a compilation of humorous stories based on Bengali folk tales. There are altogether six stories including 'Puta loiya jao' 'Aatkola' 'Kichhu-michhu' 'Ek kothay eto' etc.
   Different roles are played by Fakhrul Hasan Boiragy, Muna Akhter, Keya Chowdhury, Zillur Rahman, Kajal, Sharbori Das Gupta and others.

Hollywood’s newest couple- Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes-may strike some as unlikely, but the match was foretold in Seventeen magazine.
   ‘I think every little girl dreams about (her wedding),’ Holmes told Seventeen in October. ‘I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise.’ Earlier this week, publicists for both actors confirmed the two had been dating for a few weeks. They have been photographed in Rome, where Cruise received a lifetime achievement award Friday at the David di Donatello Awards, the Italian equivalent of the Oscars.
   When asked by a reporter for syndicated entertainment show ‘Extra’ about Holmes’ suddenly realised dream, Cruise replied, ‘I don’t want to disappoint her.’
   Cruise, 42, wouldn’t divulge how he met the 26-year-old Holmes, but said it was ‘like a dream’ to have her with him for the awards ceremony.
   ‘She’s such an extraordinary woman,’ said Cruise. ‘It’s beautiful. I feel really happy. I’m more than enamoured.’ The interview was to air Friday night. Both actors have had high-profile relationships.
   Cruise’s marriages to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman ended in divorce. He had dated Penelope Cruz, but the pair split last year. Holmes and Chris Klein recently called off their engagement, after dating for five years.

A satirical comedy about the blind ambitions of two tycoons whose personal and business rivalry. escalates into an all-out media war. Set in the near future, the story begins when mogul Lionel Powers (Byrne) and his rival, Julian Messenger (Kingsley) attempt to purchase the same professional football team. But their business rivalry soon turns personal when the two strong-headed men embark upon a vicious campaign of blackmail and political intrigue.
   The Weapons of Mass Destruction
   HBO
   9:30pm
   Starring
   Gabriel Byrne, Ben Kingsley
   Genre: Drama