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The opening show of the play ‘Kanthal Bagan’ was held at the Experimental Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city on Saturday. It is the 40th production of the theatre group Nagaraik Natya Sampraday.
   ‘Kanthal Bagan’, based on the play ‘The Cherry Orchard’ by Anton Chekhov drew a packed audience on the day. The play is both scripted and directed by Aly Zaker. He also played one of the central roles of ‘Kanthal Bagan’.
   The subject of the play is about a decaying feudal family and the rise of new wealthy group.
   The play deals with a once wealthy and honoured Syed family and the loss of their estate —the ancestral family home and lands, including a vast and beautiful jackfruit orchard. Johra, her daughter Tamanna and her brother Tasadduk are the descendents of Syed Azmat Ali.
   Tasadduk, an unscrupulous businessman takes a big loan from bank by mortgaging the whole property.
   He finds himself incapable of avoiding the sale of their estate to pay for his debts. The action of the play revolves around the characterization of the ineffectual idleness and vanity of Tasadduk.
   In ‘Kanthal Bagan’, memory is seen both as source of personal identity and as a burden preventing the attainment of happiness. Each character is involved in a struggle to remember, but more importantly in a struggle to forget, certain aspects of their past. Johra wants to seek refuge in the past from the despair of her present life; she wants to remember the past and forget the present. But the estate itself contains awful memories of the death of her son.
   The Baul and folk songs used in the play deserve special mention. Aly Zaker wrote the songs and AK Azad set those to music and acted in the Baul role.
   Set design and lighting were passable. Asaduzzaman Noor gave the backstage voice.
   Aly Zaker played the role of Adu, Sara Zaker acted as Johra and Pantha Shariar as Tasadduk.
   Among others, Jhumu Majumder played the role of Mizu, Sundar Lal of Md. Fakhruzzaman Chowdhury and Tamanna of Tahnina Islam.

The film director Taher Chowdhury passed away on Friday. He was 69. He directed the films ‘Zina Vi Mushkil’, ‘Matir Maya’, ‘Pratibad’ and ‘Laxmibadhu’.
   Taher Chowdhury, who hailed from Comilla, was born on January 7, 1940 in Kolkata. He began his career as an actor in Kolkata. Bangladesh film directors mourned his death.

Laser Vision organised an audio album launching programme at Bengal Shilpalaya in Dhanmondi on the evening of July 4. The album ‘Sraboner Brishti Kandey’ includes the songs of Subir Nandi and Haimainti Shukla. All the lyrics of the songs are written by the young lyricist Sharafat Ali.
   Noted lyricist KG Mustafa unveiled the cover of the album as chief guest while eminent cultural personality Masud Ahmed was present as special guest.
   KG Mustafa said, ‘The responsibility of an artist or a singer and a performer is to work with sincerity. But now unfortunately many of them go with commercial interest and for that reason they cannot sustain for long.’He further said, ‘I am pleased with the lyricist Sharafat because he has proved his creative power in his work.’
   ‘Sharafat as a new lyricist has presented ‘nature’ in his songs. I hope he will do better in future,’ said Masud Ahmed.
   The album includes thirteen songs of which six are sung by the noted Bangladeshi singer Subir Nandi, six by the eminent Indian singer Haimanti Shukla and one track is instrumental.

Star Cineplex arranged the Bangladesh premiere show of the much-talked-about Hollywood film ‘The Pink Panther 2’ at Level 8, Bashundhara City Shopping Mall on Thursday.
   Star Cineplex chairman Mahbubur Rahman and managing director Cristina Rahman were present at the press conference.
   The organisers said, ‘As in the previous years, we have tried to surprise the audience with new films. Keeping this thing in mind we have arranged the show of ‘The Pink Panther 2’ for the audience.
   They also told the media that they would present some new films on the occasion of upcoming Eid.
   The film is directed by Harald Zwart and the cast includes, Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Yuki Matsuzaki, Aishwarya Rai, John Cleese and Lily Tomlin, among others.

Music entrepreneur Allen Klein, blamed by many for contributing to the demise of The Beatles, has died in New York at 77 after suffering from Alzheimer’s.
   His funeral will take place in New York on Tuesday
   In a career spanning five decades, Klein earned a reputation as a ruthless operator, extracting lucrative deals from labels for his clients.
   In the mid-1960s, he managed The Rolling Stones for five years.
   Later managing The Beatles, he tried and failed to secure control of copyrights on their behalf.
   Though reviled by many, others admired his ability to negotiate with record labels.
   ‘Don’t talk to me about ethics,’ he once told Playboy magazine. ‘Every man makes his own. It’s like a war.’
   He said John Lennon had hired him to protect his interest in The Beatles, because he wanted what he called ‘a real shark - someone to keep the other sharks away’.
   Klein helped the Stones negotiate a new contract with their label but the relationship soured after he bought the rights to the band’s 1960s songs and recordings - classics like (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and Jumpin’ Jack Flash - from a former manager.
   Keith Richards later described Klein’s time with the group as ‘the price of an education’.
   The Beatles hired Klein in 1969 over the objections of Paul McCartney, who preferred his father-in-law, Lee Eastman.
   At the time, a New York Times profile referred to him as ‘the toughest
   wheeler-dealer in the pop jungle.
   Klein himself once sent out a holiday card parodying the 23rd Psalm:
   ‘Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because I’m the biggest bastard in the valley.’
   His copyright battle for the Beatles came as tensions among the four reached breaking-point.
   Eventually he did score a rich recording deal for The Beatles but by then John, Paul, George and Ringo were not even on speaking terms, and the band dissolved in 1970.
   One year later, however, George Harrison hired Klein to put on the all-star Concert for Bangladesh
   at Madison Square
   Garden in New York - the forerunner of the mammoth charity gigs of the 1980s and 1990s.

Abba’s songwriting team Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are to take part in a concert featuring some of their biggest hits in London later this year.
   Thank You For The Music... A Celebration Of The Music Of Abba will be held in Hyde Park on 13 September.
   Hosted by Radio 2, the show will see guest vocalists performing songs from the Swedish band’s back catalogue.
   ‘This must be the greatest honour that can be bestowed on any songwriter,’ said the duo in a statement.
   ‘We are absolutely delighted and we hope thousands of Radio 2 listeners will join us there.’
   The line-up for the show is yet to be announced.
   The news comes amid reports that the Eurovision-winning quartet are to reform for some of the dates Michael Jackson would have played at London’s O2 arena.
   But Andersson, who is recording and touring Swedish traditional music with his 16-piece Benny Andersson band, has denied the rumours.
   ‘No-one’s asked us, and if they did we wouldn’t say yes,’ he said on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.

Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint is recovering from a “mild bout” of swine flu, his publicist has said.
   Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, took a few days off filming but has now returned to the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
   And he is well enough to attend the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in London on Tuesday.
   ‘He has now recovered and is looking forward to joining his fellow cast members,’ his publicist said.
   She said that Grint’s doctor had confirmed the 20-year-old actor had recovered and was no longer contagious or at risk of infecting others.
   ‘Other scenes were shot in his absence which did not require his involvement and thus filming was not disrupted,’ she added.
   Grint, who comes from Watton-at-Stone in Hertfordshire, has starred in all the Harry Potter films as well as British comedy film Thunderpants and the comedy drama Driving Lessons with Julie Walters.
   He is currently filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling’s final book about the teenage wizard and his friends.

Exhibitions
   Solo Painting Exhibition
   Paharia Pathey
   By Sohag Parvez
   Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm and 5:00pm to 8:00pm
   Date: From July 2 to July 16
   Venue: Alliance Francaise De Dhaka
   26 Mirpur Road,
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   
   Solo Photography Exhibition
   The Face of Bangla
   By Nayeem
   Time: 3:00pm to 8:00pm
   Date: from July 3 to July 11
   Venue: Drik Gallery
   House 58, road 15/A (New),
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   Solo Art Exhibition
   New Crop
   By Jamil Akbar Shamim
   Time: 10:00am to 8:00pm
   Date: from June 27 to July 7
   Venue: Gallery Chitrak
   House no 21, Road no 4,
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   
   Barshar aro Kisu Gaan
   Organised by Nitya Upahar
   Time: 10:00am to 8:00pm
   Date: June 27 to July 27
   Venue: Gallery Nitya Uphar,
   Aziz Co-Operative Super Market
   Shahabagh
   
   Group Photography Exhibition
   Summer in Russia
   Organised by Russian Centre of Science and Culture
   Time: from 10:00am to 7:00pm
   Date: From July 2 to 31
   Venue: Russian Centre of Science and Culture
   House 42 (new), road 7
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   
   Display of Books and Literary Materials
   Celebrating 115th birth anniversary of Assach Babel
   Organised by Russian Centre of Science and Culture
   Time: from 10:00am to 7:00pm
   Date: From July 1 to 14
   Venue: Russian Centre of Science and Culture
   House 42 (new), road 7
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   Cultural Programme
   Organised by North Bengal Express
   Time: 4:00pm
   Venue: Sufia Kamal Auditorium
   National Museum,
   Shahbagh
   Dhaka
   Theatre
   Kanjush
   By Lokonatyadal (Siddeswari)
   Time: 7:00pm
   Venue: National Theatre Hall
   Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
   Segun Bagicha, Dhaka
   
   Founding Anniversary
   Of Lokonatyadal (Banani)
   Time: 7:00pm
   Venue: Experimental Theatre Hall
   Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
   Segun Bagicha,
   Dhaka
   
   Founding Anniversary
   Of Lokonatyadal (TSC)
   Time: 7:00pm
   Venue: Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium
   Bangladesh Mahila Samity
   Bailey Road, Dhaka
   Films
   Film show at Cineplex
   Pink Panther 2
   Monpura
   Forbidden Kingdom
   Basundhara City Shopping Mall
   Panthapath, Dhaka