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With the aim of exchanging views on culture and tradition and disseminating the ideas of brotherhood among three neighbouring countries, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, a few art lovers organised a two-day art exhibition titled ‘Transcending Borders II’ at Utshab of Radisson Water Garden Hotel in Dhaka on February 7.
   This exhibition symbolises an effort to transcend borders and celebrate the opulence in the cultures of the three nations. Their aim also includes popularising of Asian arts among global audiences.
   140 artworks done by distinguished artists from the three countries encompass many styles, demonstrating the maturity of work realised through experience with the passage of time. 12 artists from Bangladesh, 10 artists from India and 10 artists from Pakistan participated in the exhibition of global art.
   Art enthusiasts also had an opportunity to savour the tastes of various styles, forms and subjects from the three countries as the artists portrayed their subjects in accordance with their own experiences which they gathered from their own regions.
   Noted Bangladeshi artists depicted their subjects, upholding their ethnic traditions, rural cultures, folk arts and landscapes, using figurative and abstract methods. To depict these subjects, Bangladeshi artists have used different methods.
   The artists from Pakistan have shown a profound understanding and appreciation of their country’s rich cultural heritage as well as the international trends. They have used a vibrant assortment of techniques and textures to present their emotions. Their artworks reflect the complexities faced by a developing nation encountering the challenges of transaction.
   Indian artists have presented their myths, emotions, music and traditions in their own way. They have used vivid colours to depict their subjects in figurative methods. Most of them are romantic in nature. Rich cultural heritage of India is a remarkable feature, which has brought about some changes in Indian society at different times and those changes have been aptly captured on canvas by the Indian artists.
   The organisers said that this exhibition had been named ‘Transcending Borders II’ because they had bordered their canvas to include artworks from three neighbouring countries to allow viewers a peep into the richness of cultures of these three sisterly nations.
   Foreign secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, BRAC Bank Limited chairman Muhammad A Ali, GMG Airlines Limited managing director Shahab Sattar, Partex Group vice-president Aziz Al Kaisar and Duncan Brothers chief executive officer Imran Ahmed were, among others, present at the inaugural session.

The grooming session of the beauty contest titled ‘Meril Splash and Personna: Inspiring Freshness’ began at the Mirpur Branch of the beauty parlour Personna Monday morning.
   Jointly organised by Square Toiletries Ltd. and Personna, the grooming session of the contest saw the participation of a total of 25 contestants who will take part in a number of events including make-over, debate and story writing competition and psychological test during the session.
   As part of the grooming session, the contestants will also work with the underprivileged children of the children’s welfare organisation Dhaka Project, one of the organisers said.
   Speaking at the session, eminent beautician and Personna managing director Kaniz Almas Khan said that it would be a different beauty contest altogether taking into account not only the appearance of the contestants, but also their inner beauty.
   ‘Events like story writing competition and working with the underprivileged children will be arranged to test not only the contenders’ outer beauty, but also their inner capabilities which, we think, are the prerequisite before declaring someone as beautiful,’ she added.
   The gala event featuring the three most beautiful contestants will be held on February 23.
   Eminent artist Qayyum Chowdhury, psychologist Shaheen Islam, noted singer Fahmida Nabi and fashion designer Shahrukh Shahid will, among others, conduct various events during the grooming session and act as judges in the gala event.

It had to happen sometime, but nobody expected the biggest film of all time to lose its North American box office crown this weekend to ‘Dear John,’ a low-budget ‘chick flick’ with a pair of little-known stars.
   The romantic drama opened at Number 1 with three-day sales of $32.4 million across the United States and Canada, crushing both industry forecasts and reigning champ ‘Avatar,’ according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
   James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi spectacular slipped to No. 2 with $23.6 million in its eighth weekend. But ‘Avatar’ remained the top pick overseas, earning $76 million. Its worldwide tally rose to $2.21 billion, divided between $630.1 million from North America and $1.58 billion from foreign markets.
   ‘Avatar’ last Tuesday surpassed the $601 million haul of Cameron’s 1997 release ‘Titanic’ to become the biggest movie of all time in North America. It had already taken the international and worldwide titles from ‘Titanic’ thanks to ticket-price inflation and the higher cost of 3D screenings.
   Pundits had forecast the 20th Century Fox release would lose its North American crown next weekend to ‘Valentine’s Day,’ which will take advantage of both the eponymous holiday and the US Presidents Day weekend.
   But few predicted that ‘Dear John’ would cause a stampede to movie theaters by young women. Moreover, the hardy demographic appeared to ignore the blizzard that shut down a large swathe of the mid-Atlantic region.
   ‘When they come out, young women come out in droves,’ said Geoffrey Ammer, president of worldwide marketing at the film’s closely held financier Relativity Media.

Britons have voted rock star Pete Doherty the country’s least desirable celebrity neighbour after a string of lurid headlines about his wild parties, a poll showed Monday.
   The Babyshambles singer’s infamous celebrations that have left his homes filled with litter and covered in blood pushed him to the top of the survey carried out by property website Zoopla.co.uk.

Private channel Ekushey Television will telecast the 50th episode of the drama serial ‘Johur Ali Johuri’ at 9:30pm today. Scripted by Khalilur Rahman and directed by Kaiser Ahmed, the drama deals with four families living in the old parts of Dhaka.
   Head of one of the families, Jahur Ali is an expert in jeweler and also a palmist.
   The cast includes Abul Hayat, Dolly Zohur, Anisur Rahman Milon, Litu Anam, Azizul Hakim and Kusum Sikdar.

Exhibitions
   Alluvial Soul
   By Kalidas Karmakar
   Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm and 5:00pm to 8:30pm
   Date: February 4 to February 16
   Venue: Alliance Française de Dhaka,
   26 Mirpur Road, Dhaka
   
   Epitaph To My Soul
   By Monirul Alam
   Time: 3:00pm to 8:00pm
   Date: February 5 to February 11
   Venue: Drik Gallery
   House 58, road 15/A (New), Dhaka
   
   Introspective Linearity
   By Habibur Rahman
   Time: 10:00pm to 8:00pm
   Date: February 5 to February 11
   Venue: Gallery Chitrak
   House no 21, Road no 4,
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   
   A Pilgrimage for Peace
   By Kazi Ghiyasuddin
   Time: 12:00pm to 8:00pm
   Date: January 29 to February 12
   Venue: Bengal Shilpalaya
   House 275/F, Road 27 (old),
   Dhanmandi RA, Dhaka 1209
   
   Pain and Beauty
   By Wazmun Nahar Runty
   Time: From 12:00pm to 8:00pm
   Date: January 16 to February 15
   Venue: Gallery Samatal,
   House 4, Road 95,
   Gulshan-2, Dhaka
   
   Photography
   Shared Vision
   By Pathshala-South Asian Institute of Photography, Bangladesh
   And Photomedia, Edith Cowan University, Australia
   Time: 3:00pm to 8:00pm
   Date: February 5 to February 12
   Venue: Drik Gallery
   House 58, road 15/A (New),
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka
   Theatre
   Mrittika Kumari
   By Palakar
   Time: 7:00pm
   Venue: Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium,
   Bangladesh Mahila Samity,
   Bailey Road, Dhaka
   Film Show
   Jaago
   Third Person Singer Number
   Narnia
   Venue: Star Cineplex
   Basundhara City Shopping Mall
   Panthapath, Dhaka
   
   Jaago
   Third Person Singular Number
   Venue: Balaka Cineworld
   Nilkhet, Dhaka