#Title

MERIL-PROTHOM ALO AWARDS 2023

Glamour and talent shine bright at new venue
The highly anticipated 25th edition of the Meril-Prothom Alo Awards, one of Bangladesh’s most prestigious entertainment events, dazzled the capital on Friday (May 24) evening. Celebrating its silver jubilee, this year’s ceremony was grander than ever, adding an extra layer of excitement and significance.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DESK
This year’s event took place at the Grace Convention Hall at the United Convention Centre in the capital’s Uttara.
The awards honoured outstanding achievements across various categories, including web-series, short films, feature films, and web-films. The night also featured the Popular Choice Awards, which recognised the most beloved actors, actresses, singers, and newcomers, as voted by the audience.
Esteemed veteran artiste Masud Ali Khan was awarded the Meril-Prothom Alo Lifetime Achievement Award 2024. Masud Ali Khan, an Ekushey Padak-winning artiste, received the award in recognition of his steadfast commitment to the nation’s cultural sphere. Noted artist Rafiqun Nabi had the honour of presenting the award, a crest, and a cheque of Tk 3 lakhs to Masud Ali, accompanied by Anjan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Toiletries Limited, and Matiur Rahman, editor of Prothom Alo.
The audience, filled with admiration, gave a standing ovation to this distinguished artiste. Masud Ali Khan’s acting career spans seven decades, during which he has made significant contributions to theatre, television, and film.
Amongst the notable winners, the web series Mohanagar-2 received the Best Web-Series Award from the critics, while Aam Kathaler Chhuti was named Best Film. Ashfaque Nipun and Mohammad Nuruzzaman were celebrated as Best Directors for Mohanagar-2 and Aam Kathaler Chhuti , respectively. In the short film category, Sakib Fahad was awarded Best Director for Shomoy Shob Jane .
Tariq Anam Khan was honoured as Best Actor for Buk Pockete Jibon , and Tanjim Saiyara Totini took home Best Actress for her performance in Shomoy Shob Jane in the short film categories.
The Critics’ Choice Awards also recognised outstanding performances in web-series and web-films. Azmeri Haque Badhan won Best Actress in the web-series category for Guti , while Tasnia Farin for Nikosh and Leon Ahmed for Aam Kathaler Chhuti were awarded Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively, in the web-film category.
Robiul Alam Robi, Abu Sayeed Rana, Zahin Faruq Amin, and Shankha Dasgupta won Best Screenplay Writer for Guti in the web-series category, while Moumita Hussain received the same accolade for Shomoy Shob Jane in the short film category.
The Popular Choice Awards celebrated audience favourites. Naznin Nahar Niha was named Best Newcomer Actress, while Abanti Sithi and Imran Mahmudul took home Best Female Singer and Best Male Singer awards, respectively.
Mehazabien Chowdhury for Ananya , Afran Nisho for Punorjonmo Antim Porbo and Surongo , and Nusrat Imrose Tisha for Something Like an Autobiography were honoured as the Best Actors and Actresses in their respective categories under the popular category.
The jury board from Critics’ Choice (film and web-film) included directors Akram Khan, N Rashed Chowdhury, and Kamar Ahmad Simon. The panel of Critics’ Choice (short-film) consisted of Wahida Mollick Jolly, Jayanta Chattopadhyay, and Rokeya Prachi.
The star-studded evening concluded with the iconic song Tumi Ki Dekhechho Kobhu , leaving the audience with lasting memories of a night that celebrated the best of Bangladeshi entertainment.