Stars set to rock the stage

The gala event for the National Film Awards 2021 will take place at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka today.

The National Film Awards is the highest honour in Bangladesh’s film industry, which honours and recognises the contributions of everyone involved in the industry each year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to attend the event as the chief guest. She will hand over the awards to the award winners. MP Hasanul Haq Inu, former information minister, will also be present as the special guest and Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud will chair the event.

Bangladesh Television (BTV) will air the programme live.

Several popular faces from the cultural arena are set to rock the stage for the 46th edition of the award function, which will be hosted by popular actress Nusraat Faria and actor Ferdous Ahmed.

As many as 26 stars, including Apu Biswas, Nipun Akter, Tareen Jahan, Zayed Khan, Mamnun Hasan Emon, Nirab Hossain and Puja Chery, are set to perform on the stage.

Apart from them, several popular singers, including Partha Barua, Akhi Alamgir, Sania Sultana Liza and Nishita Barua, are also set to enthral the audience.

National Film Awards are given in 28 categories every year. However, 34 awards in 27 categories were announced this year as no candidate was recognised as eligible for the “Best Dance Director” category.

Veteran actors Ilias Kanchan and Dolly Johur will be jointly awarded Lifetime Honours for their significant contributions to the country’s film industry.

Eminent playwright Matia Banu Shuku’s “Lal Moroger Jhuti” and director Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s “Nona Joler Kabbo” have been jointly announced as winners in the best film category. Sumit has also won the best director award.

Siam Ahmed and Mir Sabbir Mahmud have been named best actors for their leading roles in the films “Mridha Bonam Mridha” and “Raat Jaga Phool,” respectively.

The best actress in the leading role went to Ajmeri Haque Badhon for the film “Rehana Maryam Noor” and Tasnova Tamanna for “Nona Joler Kabbo.” The best lyricist award will go to the late Gazi Mazharul Anwar for the song “Ontore Ontor Jala” from the film “Joiboti Kannyar Mon.”

Veteran actor Fazlur Rahman Babu (Nona Joler Kabbo) won best actor in a supporting role while best actress in a supporting role went to Shampa Reza (Padmapuran). Md Abdul Mannan Joyraj (Laal Moroger Jhuti) won best actor in a negative role.

Also, Aka Reza Ghalib’s “Dhor” won best short film and Kawsar Choudhury’s “Boddhobhumite Ekdin” won best documentary.

A total of 45 films released in 2021, including 21 full-length films, 17 short films and seven documentaries, were submitted for the National Film Awards.

The Information Ministry formed a 13-member jury board on August 16, 2022, to choose the winners.