The Bengali-language film industry based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has been significant since the early 1970s. It is better known by the popular term Dhallywood, which is a portmanteau of "Dhaka" and "Hollywood". The dominant style of Bangladeshi cinema is melodramatic cinema, which developed from 1947 to 1990 and characterizes most films to this day. Cinema was introduced in Bangladesh in 1898 by the Bradford Bioscope Company, credited to have arranged the first film release in Bangladesh. Between 1913 and 1914, the first production company, Picture House, was opened. A 1928 short silent film titled Sukumari was the first Bengali-produced film in the region. The first full-length film, The Last Kiss, was released in 1931.
Sarah Begum Kabori was a Bangladeshi film actress and politician. Her notable films include Sutorang, Sareng Bou, Abhirbhab, Shat Bhai Champa, Sujon Sokhi and Lalon Fokir. She received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the film Sareng Bou (1978) and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
There have been numerous works of art created as a result of the Bangladesh Liberation War. In 1971, a concert was organized by members of the British rock band, The Beatles, in support of Bangladesh. The songs recorded for and broadcast on Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra are still considered to be the best of Bangladeshi protest songs.
Syed Mohammad Aslam Talukder, known by his stage name Manna (মান্না), was a Bangladeshi film actor and producer.
Khan Ataur Rahman was a Bangladeshi film actor, director, producer, screenplay writer, music composer, and singer, best known for his role in the film Jibon Theke Neya (1970). He received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Screenplay for the films Sujon Sokhi (1975) and Danpite Chhele (1980). He was awarded Ekushey Padak posthumously in 2003 by the Government of Bangladesh.
Shakib Khan, Bengali pronunciation:[ˈʃaːki:bxaːn] ;, also known by the initialism SK, is a Bangladeshi actor, producer, businessman, occasional singer, film organiser, and media personality who works in Bengali films, both in Bangladesh and West Bengal. He is widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential figures in Bengali cinema and is considered to be one of the most successful actors in the country's history. In his career spanning about two decades, Khan has been the propeller of the contemporary film industry Dhallywood. Currently he is the highest paid actor in Bangladesh.
Maasranga Television is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel owned by the Square Group. It commenced broadcasts on 30 July 2011, and is based in Banani, Dhaka.
Montazur Rahman Akbar is a Bangladeshi film director, screenwriter, producer, social activist and entrepreneur. He is known for his work in the Bengali-language film industry, which is centered in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Akbar also fought in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Sadik Mohammed Symon, popularly known as Symon Sadik, is a Bangladeshi film actor, assistant director, lyricist, model and politician. His films are predominantly in Dhallywood cinema. He made his debut in as a lead role in the Bangladeshi film Ji Hujur (2012) and he won Bioscope Borsho-Sera Awards for Best acting in Poramon (2013). He also won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Jannat (2018).
Nasrin Akter Nipun, known by her stage name as Nipun is a Bangladeshi film actress. She won the National Film Awards twice - Best Actress for Shajghor (2007) and Best Supporting Actress for Chander Moto Bou (2009). As of 2014, she has acted in a total of 35 films including Pitar Ason, Rickshawalar Prem, Praner Shami, and Porichoi.
Kazi Hayat is a Bangladeshi film director, producer, writer, and actor. In 2023 he performed in Priyotoma, which is the highest grossing Bangladesh film of all-time.
Shahid Hasan, known by professionally as Misha Sawdagor, is a Bangladeshi film actor known for playing villains. As of 2020, he has performed in more than 700 films. He won Bangladesh National Film Awards 3 times for his roles in the films Boss Number One (2011), Olpo Olpo Premer Golpo (2014) and Bir (2020).
Rawshan Ara Rozina is a Bangladeshi film and television actress. As of 2018, she has performed in over 300 films. She was a prominent actress in the 1980s. She won Bangladesh National Film Awards for the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the films Jibondhara (1988) and Koshai (1980) respectively. She also starred opposite to Mithun Chakraborty in Anyaay Abichar. She was awarded Bangladesh National Film Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2023.
Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Uzzal is a Bangladeshi film actor, producer and director. In the film, he made his film debut with Subhash Dutta directed film Binimoy. In addition to acting in the film, he also produced and directed films. He acted in over 100 films and also in about 100 television plays. Notable films in which he starred include Arunodoyer Agnishakkhi and Nalish. His directorial films are Shakti Porikkha, Tibro Protibad, and Paaper Shasti.
Shakib Khan is a Bangladeshi film actor, producer, occasional singer, film organiser and media personality who works in Bengali films, both in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Khan has prolific career spanning over two decades, during which he has appeared in more than 247 films and described as one of the most successful actors in Bangladesh. Most of his films were commercially and critically successful. Khan is one of the most recognizable star of the present era of Bangladeshi film industry. As one of the most dominant actors in the Bangladeshi movie scene during the 2000s, 2010s and early 2020s, Khan is widely considered as one of the greatest and influential actors in the history of Bangladeshi cinema. He is critically acclaimed as one of the finest actors of Bangladesh. Following his debut in Sohanur Rahman Sohan's 1999 action romantic Ananta Bhalobasha, Khan did not lead to widespread fame, although his on-camera debut was with the Aftab Khan Tulu's romance Sobai To Sukhi Hote Chay, which was released the in following year. Subsequently, Khan established himself as one of the most successful actors in Bengali cinema. The Badiul Alam Khokon-directed Priya Amar Priya (2008) in which Khan played a college student with careless attitude, was a major commercial success in his career, which set several box office records. It is the highest grossing Bangladeshi film of 2008 and also one of the highest grossing Bangladeshi films of all-time. And also the highest grossing film of Khan's career until it was surpassed by his 2023 all-time blockbuster Priyotoma. After the release of the film, Khan gained widespread fame shortly and gained a large number of fan following. He is popularly known in the media as "King Khan" and "King of Dhallywood", also referred as "Number One Shakib Khan". Currently he is the highest paid actor in Bangladesh.
Agamee Prakashani is a Bangladeshi publishing house located in Dhaka.
Chowdhury Mazhar Ali is a Bangladeshi actor. He is mostly known for his villain role in Cinema of Bangladesh. In 1998, He started his film career as an actor with the film Matrivumi. His notable works as an actor are Commando, Tungiparar Miya Bhai, Bir, Abbas, Password, Naqaab, Captain Khan, Chalbaaz, Rangbaz, Premi O Premi, Rajneeti, Mental, ShikariWarning
Chachchu Amar Chachchu is 2010 Bangladeshi drama film directed by P.A. Kajal and produced by Mithun Chakraborty under the banner of Taaj Kothachitro. It features an ensemble cast including Shakib Khan, Apu Biswas, Abdur Razzak, Prarthana Fardin Dighi, Shuchorita, Mizu Ahmed, Subrata, Rehana Jolly.
