The Daily Star shows due diligence towards the arts: Nuhash Humayun

Long before he was being interviewed about films or festivals, Nuhash Humayun was a child lingering over the comics pages of The Daily Star. As the newspaper marks 35 years, he recalls how it has been part of his life since childhood, and how, over time, it became a bigger part of his journey as his work began to be recognised through films and festival screenings.

“My earliest memories with The Daily Star are actually with Rising Stars,” he says. “I remember being very excited about that section as a kid, and very excited about the comics. I always wanted to make comics for it.”

That desire did not remain abstract. For a brief period, Humayun had his own comic strip in Rising Stars, titled “#esh”. At the time, it felt like an achievement tied to childhood ambition.

“What I never expected was that The Daily Star would end up being a bigger part of my journey,” he says. “Moving beyond Rising Stars to the bigger canvas of news was never on my mind.”

The move from contributor to subject unfolded alongside milestones that placed him in the public eye. Festival selections, awards and international recognition brought increased media attention, and it was in that space, he says, that he began to notice how coverage was handled.

“There were so many times where I had a great win at a festival or had some sort of achievement, and the Daily Star team always reached out,” he recalls. “They asked me for the facts, clarifying the details before reporting.”

“I have been reported wrongly faster in other places,” he says. “What I always appreciate is the due diligence The Daily Star has towards the arts.” For Nuhash, that diligence goes beyond professional courtesy. It shows an understanding of what culture means and what is at stake when it is misrepresented or reduced to headlines without context.
“And I think especially now, where we stand in the world,” he adds, “arts are more important than ever.”

“It’s important to celebrate art and culture,” and it could be a better way to find common ground in a sometimes divided world,” the filmmaker adds.

“I think that belief carries weight in a country where cultural expression has repeatedly come under pressure, where artistes are celebrated at times and sidelined at others, applauded on stage and questioned off it. In those times, how culture is covered, and by whom, becomes as important as the culture itself, and this is where The Daily Star comes in.