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This was a musical soiree with a difference. The Bengal Foundation deserves praise for arranging a musical soiree at the historic Northbrooke Hall, widely known the Lal Kuthi, which is the first 'Town Hall' of the city in Farashganj. The hall was built to accord reception to the Governor General of the British India named Northbrooke in 1886. Rarely do the residents of Old Dhaka get an opportunity to enjoy cultural programmes of this kind.
   On Shrabon 6, July 21, the Bengal Foundation in cooperation with Shwashata Sangeetanuragider Asar of Gendaria arranged a musical soiree featuring the presentation of twelve promising singers, who had been selected for the final competition of the 'Bengal Bikash' from the southern part of the city.
   Veteran guru of classical music Gopal Chandra Das and noted musician Syed Lutful Haque were, among others, present in the ceremony. They appreciated the initiatives to promote traditional Bangla songs by the foundation and wished the contestants well and hoped that the singers will continue their practice for traditional Bangla songs and will be able to be established as good singers.
   Luva Nahid Chowdhury from the Bengal Foundation said in her speech that the foundation is committed to promoting the traditional Bangla music and art and culture. 'We are looking for a star; we are looking for a real music talent. We have been working in the field of traditional Bangla songs and art and culture for over twenty years,' she informed the audience.
   The singers presented five categories of Bangla music: Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Sangeet, songs of three poets, folk and modern songs. The soiree began with a Tagore song, 'Ma ke tor gharer dware' by Ummul Wayara.
   Following Wayara, Barnali Chakrabari sang 'Jekhane se dayal aamar'; Nurul Anwar sang 'Oi maha sindhur paar theke'; Dolon Das sang 'Aamar kon kule aaj bhirlo tori'; Nandita Dutta sang 'Pardeshi megh jao re phire' and Antara Das sang 'Rum jhum badal aaji barashe'.
   The other singers were Champa Banik, Soma Das, Sadia Islam, Farzana Begum, Biman Chandra Bishwas and Tapan Mandal.
   Though all the singers performed well, the audience highly enjoyed the songs of Tapan Mandal, who is a carpenter by profession. Mandal sang first a folksong 'Aami jare bhalobasi' and received huge ovation from the audience and upon request from them he later sang 'Shashur bari'.
   The audience also enjoyed the songs of Sadia Islam's 'Bimurta ei ratri aamar'; Antara Das' 'Rum jhum badal aaji barashe' and Champa Banik's 'Priya swapane eso nirojane'.
   In the function, Genghis played guitar while Gafur Rayhan played keyboard. Deb Dulal Roy was on tabla, Selim Ahmed on behala and Jalal Ahmed on banshi.

The maharat of the latest film of noted novelist and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed titled ‘Noy Number Bipad Sangket’ was held in the city on Saturday.
   The film is scripted and will be directed by Ahmed. It will be produced by Impress Telefilm.
   On his latest work the director said that the film would be made to provide the viewers with mere entertainment. ‘In most cases, the viewers complain that they do not get anything instructive from my films or books. I always answer that I simply work to entertain people,’ he continued. ‘This film will not be exceptional.’
   ‘I think that entertainment is a fundamental part of film and I want to infuse entertainment,’ he added, hoping that the viewers would enjoy his latest film.
   About the storyline, Ahmed just informed that it (the storyline) would run through some incidents of a family.
   In reply to a question he said, ‘I make films as I love it.’
   The managing director of Impress Telefilm, Faridur Reza Sagar, said that it was a good news that Ahmed agreed to work with them. Our organisation is committed to making quality films. Earlier, Ahmed’s film titled ‘Shyamal Chhaya’, which was produced by Impress, was sent to Oscar and we hope that the new work will also please the viewers,’ he added.
   In the maharat ceremony, Ahmed introduced three younger artistes, Antik, Mim and Esha, who were being cast for child roles.
   In the ceremony, the organisers also presented two recorded songs, which will be used in the film.

'Bride and Prejudice,' a UK based production, casting Bollywood superstar Aishwariya Rai and directed by Gurinder Chadha, finally received approval from the Bangladesh Film Censorship Appeal Board on July 20. The movie will be released at the popular Star Cineplex of Bashundhara City. Notably, this will be the first time a Bollywood megastar like Aishwariya Rai is showcased in cinema halls in Bangladesh.
   With Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha, the acclaimed director of 'Bend it Like Beckham,' marries Jane Austen's refined social comedy to a most unexpected partner: the all-singing, all-dancing spectacles of Bollywood. The result is a new twist of Austen's timeless tale of finding love - re-told as it has never been before with the cheeky humour, sweeping dance numbers and unabashed romance of Bombay's box-office hits. As in Austens 'Pride and Prejudice,' Bride and Prejudice brings together two people with polar opposite views, but this time they are also from opposite ends of the earth, as East literally meets West in a riot of colour, comedy and emotions.
   The story begins as the determined Mrs. Bakshi sets out to find marriage matches for her four beautiful daughters while there's a lavish wedding party in town. Right away, the smart and headstrong Lalita announces she will only marry for love, giving her mother nightmares. Then Lalita meets wealthy American Will Darcy, and sparks immediately fly. But is it love or hate? Darcy comes off to Lalita as an arrogant California snob. Lalita looks to Darcy like a small-town Indian beauty who knows nothing of the world. Alternately enchanted by and suspicious of one another, Lalita and Darcy nearly fall prey to assumptions, gossip and a comedy of errors--until pride is humbled and prejudice overcome so that love can triumph.

Indian film icon Amitabh Bachchan on Friday dismissed the notion that his country's films should aspire to win Oscars, saying that the Indian film industry was more creative than Hollywood.
   India turns out about 1,000 films in 12 languages each year. No Indian film has ever won an Oscar, although 'Mother India' and 'Lagaan' have been nominated.
   Bachchan, visiting Britain to receive several awards, told a news conference at the Houses of Parliament in London he did not believe that an Indian film winning an Oscar was the 'ultimate recognition for any great film' and added that it was offensive to suggest that.
   'I do believe that Indian film has its own exhibition,' Bachchan said, referring to the International Indian Film Academy's annual awards. 'Whereas we respect the Oscars and what they are, our creativity is the best,' he added.
   The Indian film industry, which makes three times as many films a year as Hollywood, has captivated cinema goers around the world with its escapist musical extravaganzas.
   With its centre in Bombay, Indian's film industry is popularly known as Bollywood. Bachchan doesn't like the term.
   He welcomed films that married Western and Indian cinema such as 2004's 'Bride and Prejudice', a co-production featuring Indian and Western actors.
   'Any kind of marriage is going to be good when creative interests are common,' Bachchan said.
   'I do believe that if the United Kingdom wants to make a film with India, there can only be benefits and vice versa.'
   Bachchan said that, although he had never appeared in any Hollywood film, he would certainly consider roles from the West.
   Known affectionately as the 'Big B', Bachchan has acted in over 150 films, playing rebels, smugglers and vigilantes in the 1970s and 1980s. He now plays more mature roles, many written specially for him.
   He was voted the most popular screen and stage icon of all time in a 2002 BBC Online survey, ahead of British legends Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness.
   Bachchan's 2005 hits-'Black', 'Waqt', 'Sarkar' and 'Bunty Aur Babli'-together grossed nearly 1 billion rupees ($23 million).
   Bachchan, 63, was visiting Britain to receive an honorary doctorate from a university in Leicester and awards for his four decades in film work and his humanitarian work, including his role as a goodwill ambassador for U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

The Bishwa Sahitya Kendra will organise a lecture on 'To what extent the constitution of Bangladesh is pro-people' at its hallroom at 6:00pm today. The professor of law at Dhaka University, Asif Nazrul, will deliver lecture on the theme while the advisory editor of the Daily Amar Desh, Ataus Samad, will preside over the programme.

Exhibition
   
   Contemporary Indian Art Exhibition from 10:00am to 1:00pm and from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, Shilpangan, House no. 13/A, Road no. 3, Dhaka
   
   Solo Art Exhibition
   Truth, Beauty and Me
   by Laila Sharmeen
   from 12:00pm to 8:00pm,
   Bengal Shilpalaya
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   
   Solo Art Exhibition
   by Kamrul Islam Nadim
   from 5:00pm to 8:00pm,
   Alliance Française, 26 Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   
   Photography Exhibition
   Russian Navy Day
   Venue: Vestibule
   Russian Centre of Science & Culture, House no. 510, Road no. 7, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   
   Recitation
   by Abriti Samanya Parishad
   7:00pm, Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segun Bagicha, Dhaka
   
   Display of Books
   To mark 100th birth anniversary of Russian painter Fyodor Reshetnikov
   Venue: Library, Russian Centre of Science & Culture, House no. 510, Road no. 7, Dhaka
   
   Theatre
   Prajapati by Natya Kendra, 7:00pm, Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mahila Samity, Bailey Road,
   Dhaka
   
   Film show
   
   Academy Film Society
   Cache, (drama), 117 minutes, France, 2005, 06:30pm, Jaijaidin Mediaplex, Love Road, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka