Entertainment Desk:

National Film Award-winning actor Zahid Hasan has raised concerns over the frequent use of the title “Megastar” for popular Dhallywood actor Shakib Khan, questioning whether such designations should be earned rather than assigned.

His remarks came amid growing discussion over box office performances during the recent Eid film season.

Shakib Khan, widely regarded as the reigning face of Dhaka’s commercial cinema, has acted in over 200 films across his 25-year career.

Fans and promoters often brand him with titles like “King Khan,” “Superstar” and more recently “Megastar,” which was featured in the promotion of his latest film Taandob.

But Zahid Hasan; whose Eid-released film Utshob has reportedly outperformed Taandob in its fourth week—challenged the use of such titles.

“When it comes to Shakib Khan, we always hear ‘Megastar Shakib Khan’, but why this separate labelling? He’s an actor like the rest of us,” Zahid said. “I don’t know whether it’s good or bad for him, but the term surely draws attention. Still, only the audience should decide who qualifies as a true star.”

Despite his criticism of industry’s star politics, Zahid emphasized unity and need for collective success. “Taandob, Utshob, Esha Murder, Nilchakra and Insaf; these are all our films. I want them all to succeed. If a film is good, audiences will come. I genuinely want people to watch every film,” he said.

His comments have reignited debate about the role of stardom in Bangladeshi film industry and the need to let audiences; not marketing, define who the real stars are