Famous Bangladeshi Film & Theater Personalities

Shakib Khan, also known as the King of Dhallywood, or King Khan, is a Bangladeshi actor who first soared to fame with the film Anonto Bhalobasha and then established himself as the highest-paid Bangladeshi actor. His marriage to co-actor Apu Biswas was kept a secret for years.

A freelance music video model and actor, Hero Alom began his career as salesman, selling CDs and videos. Currently involved with satellite TV business, he started making music videos as a hobby and became popular. Concurrently, he also acts in films, mostly in side roles.

Bangladeshi novelist and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed boasted of a PhD in polymer chemistry and had even taught at the University of Dhaka. His mostly depicted the struggle of the middle-class through his works. His films such as Aguner Poroshmoni won him multiple National Film Awards. He died battling colon cancer.

Tahsan Rahman Khan is a Bangladeshi model, actor, singer, composer, and songwriter. He also serves as a professor at BRAC University in Dhaka. He is credited with composing Alo Alo, which has become one of the most famous songs in Bangladesh. A multi-talented personality, Tahsan Rahman Khan has also appeared as a judge at popular events like Miss Universe Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi actor Salman Shah started his career with the film Keyamat Theke Keyamat, a remake of the hit Indian film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. His mysterious death at the early age of 24 was initially suspected to be a murder but was later ruled as a suicide.

Popular Bangladeshi actor Joya Ahsan soared to fame with Bangladeshi films such as Chorabali and Debi. She has also appeared in several Indian Bengali films, such as Aborto, Bishorjan, and Rajkahini. Her performances have also earned her awards such as the Zee Cine Award and the Bangladesh National Film Award.

Popular Bangladeshi actor Pori Moni was raised by her maternal grandparents after being orphaned in childhood. She made headlines when the Rapid Action Battalion raided her house and arrested her for possessing illegal drugs and foreign liquor. She was released on bail after spending 27 days behind the bars.

Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury began his acting career with theater, joining the Aranyak Natyadal, though his parents wanted him to be an engineer. The 2-time Bangladesh National Film Award winner has been appreciated for his performances in films such as Moner Manush, Aynabaji, and Monpura.

Starting her career with Humayun Ahmed’s Amar Ache Jol, Bidya Sinha Saha Mim later won the Bangladesh National Film Award for her performance in Jonakir Alo. She also worked in Tollywood with Indian filmmaker Raja Chanda. She also won the reality show Lux Channel I Superstar in 2007.

A much-acclaimed veteran Bangladeshi actor, Mosharraf Karim began his career on stage as an eighteen year old boy, before debuting on television and films. Since then, he has been appearing in numerous film and television productions, bagging several best actor awards for his performances.

Bangladeshi actor Mahiya Mahi, also known as the Princess of Dhallywood, soared to fame with her hit movies such as Agnee and Bhalobasha Aaj Kal. In 2015, her friend Shahriar Islam Saon uploaded a photo on Facebook, stating he was married to her, though she denied the allegations.

Bangladeshi model and actor Mehazabien Chowdhury soared to fame after winning the reality show Lux Channel I Superstar. She is best known for her role in the series Boro Chele and has won several awards, such as the Meril Prothom Alo Awards. The Chittagong-born actor also has a fashion diploma.

One of the most popular Bangladeshi actresses and models, Apu Biswas began her career with a side role in 2005, bagging a star role in the very next year with Koti Takar Kabin. Since then she has been appearing in lead roles in numerous films including My Name Is Khan and Devdas, receiving multiple awards and nomination for her acting.

Bangladeshi-British actor Dino Shafeek was trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later gained fame with his roles in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Mind Your Language. He has also been associated with several charities. He is best remembered for his iconic role of Chaiwallah Muhammad.

Shabnur is a Bangladeshi actress best known for her portrayal of Sejuti in the 2005 romantic drama film Dui Noyoner Alo, which earned her the prestigious Bangladesh National Film Award under the Best Actress category. A critically acclaimed actress, Shabnur has also received the Meril Prothom Alo Award on a record 10 occasions.

Bangladeshi actor Rafiath Rashid Mithila was an academically brilliant student and also a talented dancer in her younger days. She had once exhibited her oil paintings and has penned children’s books, too. She has been associated with BRAC and is married to Indian filmmaker Srijit Mukherji.

Bangladeshi National Film Award-winning actor Nusrat Imrose Tisha initially gained fame as a TV actor, with roles in series such as Otopor Nurul Nuda, and then starred in films such as Television and Doob. She has also modeled for brands such as Meril Lip Gel, Parachute, and Coca-Cola.

Bangladeshi actor Manna is also known as the Dhallywood Yuvraj and the Mahanayak of Dhaliwood. His role in the film Bir Soinik won him a National Film Award. He also headed the Bangladesh Film Actors Association as its general secretary. His film Ammajan remains one of the Bangladeshi film industry’s most successful films.

Legendary Bangladeshi actor Abdur Razzak, also known as Nayak Raj Razzak, is best remembered for his hit films such as Boro Bhalo Lok Chhilo and Jibon Theke Neya. The 5-time Bangladeshi National Film Award winner was also the first Bangladeshi actor to be named a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador.

Bangladeshi TV actor Ahammed Fazle Rabbi better known as Afran Nisho, soared to fame with the TV series Jog Biyog. The Tangail-born actor had started his career as a model and later also appeared in web series such as Morichika and Beauty and the Bullet.

Born in present-day Bangladesh, Bimal Roy rose to be one of the most legendary filmmakers of India. Known for films such as Do Bigha Zamin, Devdas, and Bandini, he had won 11 Filmfare Awards and 2 National Film Awards. He had future icons such as Gulzar and Hrishikesh Mukherjee as his assistants.

Tall and handsome, Ziaul Faruq Apurba is a very popular Bangladeshi actor, who has been appearing in numerous television drama series since 2006, starring in his only film in 2015.  Known simply as Apurba, he is also a successful model and currently owns a production house, debuting as a director with a telefilm in 2012 through his own organization.

Five-time Bangladesh National Film Award winner Ferdous Ahmed has been a successful actor in both the Bangladeshi and Indian Bengali film industry. He is known for hits such as Dada Thakur and Ek Cup Cha. He has also campaigned for West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Bangladeshi actor Dilara Hanif Rita, also known as Purnima, is known for her award-winning roles in films such as Ora Amake Bhalo Hote Dilo Na and Hridoyer Kotha. The Bangladesh National Film Award winner was also appreciated for her role in Shuva, a film based on one of Rabindranath Tagore’s short stories.

Bangladesh National Film Award winner Humayun Faridi had initially started studying organic chemistry but had to abandon his studies due to the Bangladesh Liberation War. Starting his acting career with theater, he later acted in series such as Songsoptok and Kothao Keu Nei, and films such as Din-Mojur.

Three times Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress winner, Moushumi aka Arifa Pervin Zaman is also successful television personality and a well-known film director. Beginning her career with television commercial, she debuted in films with a star role in Keyamat Theke Keyamat, eventually acting in more than 150 films. She made her debut as director with Kokhono Megh Kokhono Brishti.

Habib Wahid is a Bangladeshi singer and composer. He is best known for winning the Bangladesh National Film Award under the Best Music Director category for his work in the 2011 film Projapoti: The Mysterious Bird. Habib Wahid has also received five Meril Prothom Alo Awards under the Best Singer category so far. 

Bangladeshi actor Nusraat Faria initially wished to be an army officer but later began her career as a model. A University of London law graduate, she later soared to fame with films such as Aashiqui and Badsha - The Don. She has also won honors such as the Meril Prothom Alo Awards.

Bangladeshi actor Siam Ahmed began his career as an Airtel Bangladesh model. He later made his acting debut with the Bangladeshi telefilm Bhalobasha 101 and then soared to fame with films such as Bishwoshundori, winning the Bangladesh National Film Award. Educated in England, he is a qualified lawyer, too.

Bangladeshi National Film Award-winning actor Arifin Shuvo is best known for hits such as Chuye Dile Mon and Musafir. His blockbuster film Dhaka Attack is the highest-grossing Bangladeshi movie worldwide and the third-highest-grossing Bangladeshi movie of all time. He also voiced a character in Detective, the first animated film of Bangladesh.

Sabila Nur began her career as a model for the leading Bangladeshi telecom company Grameenphone. She later soared to fame as The Imaginary Girl in the telefilm Monkey Bizness. In 2017, she was the most-searched Bangladeshi celebrity on Google. She has also hosted programs such as Lux Style File.

Shabana is a Bangladeshi retired film actress who received ten Bangladesh National Film Awards during her 30-year-long career. Her contribution to the Bangladeshi Film Industry was honored by the Prime Minister with a Lifetime Achievement Award in July 2017.   

Marzuk Russell is a noted Bangladeshi lyricist, poet, model, and actor, born a year after his country’s liberation from Pakistani rule. He began writing poems while in the eighth grade, debuting as a lyrist in late 1990s and as an actor in 2000; he published his first collection of poems in the same year.

Known for his roles in films such as Ma O Chhele and Desh Premik, Bangladeshi actor Alamgir is also a 9-time winner of the Bangladesh National Film Award. Born to a film producer, he was no stranger to films as a child. He is also the husband of famed Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila.

Ekushey Padak-winning Bangladeshi actor Suborna Mustafa is best known for her roles in films such as Notun Bou and Durotto. She is also known for her hit series Kothao Keu Nei, and has been a cricket commentator and a Censor Board member. She is now a Bangladesh Awami League MP.

Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is best known for his critically acclaimed and commercially successful films such as Television, Third Person Singular Number, and No Bed of Roses. He also launched a youth film movement named Chabial and is known for merging realism and escapism through his works.

Bangladeshi actor Riaz is a 3-time National Film Award winner and a 7-time Meril Prothom Alo Award. Though he began his career as a Bangladesh Air Force pilot, he was dismissed later due to a tiff with the authorities. He is known for his award-winning roles in films such as Daruchini Dwip.

Bangladeshi TV actor and model Sadia Jahan Prova is known for films such as Porer Meye and Sikandar Box. In 2010, she made headlines when a sex tape featuring her and her ex-boyfriend was leaked on the internet. Though her career was significantly damaged by the issue, she returned to TV soon after.

Ilias Kanchan is a Bangladeshi activist and actor. He is best known for winning the Bangladesh National Film Award under the Best Actor category for his performance in the 1986 movie Parineeta. A well-known road safety activist, Kanchan was honored by the Government of Bangladesh with the prestigious Ekushey Padak in 2018.

Ananta Jalil is a Bangladeshi actor, producer, director, and businessman. Jalil, who started his career as a businessman, is credited with starting a garment factory which came to be known as the AJI Group. He then went on to establish himself as an actor and is renowned for his performance in Most Welcome, which earned him the CJFB Performance Award.

Shomi Kaiser is a Bangladeshi actress who has worked in critically acclaimed films like Hason Raja and Lalon. In addition to being an actress, Shomi Kaiser is also a producer and owns a company called Dhansiri Production. She also serves as the managing director of the event management and advertising company, Dhansiri Communications Ltd., a subsidiary of Dhansiri Production.

Prarthana Fardin Dighi is a Bangladeshi model and film actress. She is best known for her contrbution as a child artist in films like Kabuliwala, Ek Takar Bou, and Chachchu Amar Chachchu. Prarthana Fardin Dighi received three Bangladesh National Film Awards under the Best Child Artist category between 2006 and 2010.

Best known for his comedic roles in various television series, Bangladeshi actor-director Zahid Hasan began his career on stage, working with a theatre group before switching to television and films, regaling his audiences with his tremendous performances. Winner of several awards, he has also appeared in several commercials and has directed number of television serials and teleplays.  

Anika Kabir Shokh is a Bangladeshi model, dancer, and actress. She achieved national prominence when she was chosen as the brand ambassador of a telecommunication service provider called Banglalink. Anika Kabir Shokh is also famous for appearing in many popular Bengali television dramas such as Friends n Family (FNF), Diba Ratri Khola Thake, and Fifty 50.

Known simply as Diti, Parveen Sultana Diti was a Bangladeshi film and television actress, who had more than two hundred works to her credit. Also a good singer, she appeared in various programs for Bangladesh television before debuting in acting with the television drama, Laili Majnu. A famed silber-screen idol, her untimely death from cancer was mourned by the entire nation.  

Starting his career with Bhalobasar Rong, Bangladeshi actor Bappy Chowdhury later won 3 Meril Prothom Alo Awards. He has also appeared in movies such as I Don't Care, Shoshurbari Zindabad 2, and Bhalo Chele.

Abul Hayat is a Bangladeshi actor, writer, director, and civil engineer. He is best known for his performance in the 2007 Bengali-language film Daruchini Dwip, which earned him the Bangladesh National Film Award under the Best Supporting Actor category. In 2015, his contributions to Bangladeshi cinema were honored with the Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh.