Runa Laila's concert, Pori Moni's "wedding," Venice and Odyssey

Last month, July, saw several cultural events take place in the capital. There were plays, concerts and film screenings. Meanwhile, social media was buzzing throughout the month with discussions on the FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup final was held on 19 July. The tournament dominated online conversations throughout the month. Celebrities posted photos wearing their favorite team's jerseys, shared reactions to wins and losses, and engaged in lighthearted banter with fellow stars.

Toward the end of the tournament, however, actress Pori Moni became part of the World Cup conversation. After Argentina defeated England in the semifinal, this Argentine supporter jokingly declared that if Argentina won the final, she would get married again.

That playful Facebook post went viral almost instantly, attracting hundreds of thousands of reactions and thousands of shares, sparking widespread discussion on social media.

After the final, following Argentina's defeat, Pori Moni jokingly remarked, "Looks like I won't have to get married after all. My beloved Argentina, we'll meet again." The comment kept the Dhallywood star in the spotlight for several more days.

Before the buzz had faded, Pori Moni made headlines again by surpassing cricketer Shakib Al Hasan in Facebook followers. She currently has more than 17 million followers on Facebook, while Shakib has over 16 million. As a result, Pori Moni is now the most-followed Bangladeshi celebrity on Facebook, once again making news.

There was a time when concerts were rarely held during the monsoons. In recent years, however, live music events have become a regular feature even during the rains. Despite challenges such as permit issues and a shortage of suitable venues, concerts are once again being held consistently throughout the monsoon.

\July was packed with musical events. Among the highlights was the Overload Festival, held on 10 July, featuring performances by Arthohin, Artcell, Black, Cryptic Fate, Powersurge, Nemesis, Level Five, and RockSalt. The festival also marked Arthohin's return to the stage with a new lineup after nearly a year and a half.

The concert generated significant buzz among young audiences. Another major highlight was Pakistani singer Atif Aslam's concert on 24 July, which was also widely praised.

The most talked-about event, however, was Runa Laila's solo concert at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. She was also honored at the event for her contributions to music. Tickets were sold to raise funds for flood relief, and they sold out almost immediately after becoming available, reflecting the overwhelming enthusiasm among fans.

Following the event, Runa Laila announced that she plans to hold a larger-scale concert in the future.

Amid the many musical events, there was also disappointing news. Indian singer-songwriter Anupam Roy was scheduled to perform at a concert in Dhaka today, but the event was postponed at the last moment following a government directive. This marked the second time in a month and a half that one of Anupam Roy's concerts in Bangladesh had been called off.

For the first time, a Bangladeshi feature film has been selected for a competitive section of the Venice International Film Festival. On 23 July, it was announced that Rubaiyat Hossain's The Difficult Bride had been selected for the prestigious Orizzonti section of the festival.

Previously, in 2010, Ishtiaq Zico's short film 720 Degrees was selected for the Venice Film Festival. That film was also produced by Rubaiyat Hossain''s production company, Khona Talkies, which is likewise a Bangladeshi co-producer of The Difficult Bride.

The film stars Zainin Karim in the lead role, alongside Azmeri Haque Badhon, Rikita Nandini Shimu, Sunerah Binte Kamal, Shatabdi Wadud, Saberi Alam, and Mohammad Bari.

On 26 July, Mustafa Nur Rahman passed away. He was one of the leading directors and producers of Bangladesh Television's (BTV) golden era.
Over the years, he was involved in numerous acclaimed television dramas and films, including Shomoy Oshomoy, Eishob Dinratri, Parle Na Rumki, and Shonkhonil Karagar. Later in his career, he served as the Director General of Bangladesh Television and also played a key role in establishing Banglavision and Gazi TV (GTV), making significant contributions to the development of Bangladesh's television broadcasting industry. His passing cast a shadow of grief over the country's cultural community.

Two Hollywood releases generated enormous excitement among moviegoers in Bangladesh this July.

On 17 July, Christopher Nolan's Odyssey was released in the country, followed by Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day on 30 July. Like audiences around the world, Bangladeshi viewers showed tremendous enthusiasm for both films.

Each movie was given more than 50 screenings across multiplex cinemas, and tickets for the first several days sold out almost immediately after advance sales opened.

Notably, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was released in Bangladesh one day ahead of its international release, making the local premiere especially noteworthy.