United News of Bangladesh

Popular Bangladeshi rock band Aurthohin has released its highly anticipated album “Phoenixer Diary 2” worldwide today (Friday), marking a powerful return to the country’s rock scene with a new sound and storytelling style. The album, filled with emotion, darkness, and the spirit of revenge, portrays a musical journey of transformation—from the rebirth of the Phoenix to an image of destruction. Each song in the album unfolds a narrative, with melodies that echo pain, loss, and a call for vengeance. Available from today on major streaming platforms including YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Qobuz, the full album can be streamed. With “Phoenixer Diary 2,” Aurthohin introduces a new sub-genre of Bangla rock titled Bangla Nu Rock. The album features international collaborations, including Grammy-nominated guitarist Frank Gambale, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, bassist Babbie Lewis, and Ahnaf Salehin, son of Aurthohin’s frontman and bassist Saidus Salehin Suman (Bassbaba Suman). The album is dedicated to the memory of late sound engineer and artist A.K. Ratul. Aurthohin also expressed gratitude for the sponsorship and partnership of Mercedes-Benz Bangladesh, Shell, Framework Finance Limited, Get Set Rock, Verse Imagine, and other supporting partners—Heavy Metal T-Shirt, Music Castle, SP Rhythm, Skyfall, Tune & Bite Music Café, Universal Medical College & Hospital Limited, and Cool Exposure—for making the release possible.  

The teaser of ‘Delupi’, the upcoming film by acclaimed OTT director Mohammad Touqir Islam known for hit web series ‘Shaaticup’ and ‘Sinpaat’, has officially been released. The 27-second teaser premiered on Friday afternoon, offering a glimpse into the intriguing storyline. Set against the backdrop of a serene village road lined with trees, the teaser opens with a young man, Partha, running hurriedly. The teaser can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg4d56n_q3I The teaser follows the recent official announcement of the film’s title last week, marking the next step in the promotional rollout. With ‘Delupi’, director Mohammad Touqir Islam makes his much-anticipated debut on the big screen. His previous works, ‘Shaaticup’ (2022), a Rajshahi-based story that won both critical and audience acclaim, and ‘Sinpaat’ (2024), which further established his storytelling capability, have set high expectations for his cinematic venture. ‘Delupi’ is expected to hit the theatres soon, according to the director. The film is produced by Footprint Film Production.  

Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Ana De Armas have ended their relationship after dating for less than nine months, according to a report by The Sun. Sources say the couple decided to remain friends after realizing that “the spark had gone” between them. A source close to the actors told The Sun, “Tom and Ana had a good time together, but their time as a couple has run its course. They are going to remain good friends but they aren’t dating anymore. They just realized they weren’t going to go the distance and that they are better off as mates.” The report added that both handled the breakup in a “mature and adult” manner. The couple had been planning to collaborate on a supernatural thriller titled “Deeper”, but some reports suggested the project was put on hold due to the breakup. However, sources confirmed that De Armas has already been cast in Cruise’s next film, and they will continue to work together professionally. Movie Review: ‘Blue Moon’ — Ethan Hawke shines in Linklater’s tender tribute to a forgotten lyricist Cruise and De Armas made their relationship public during a Vermont getaway, and later vacationed together in Madrid and London. Their romance attracted media attention during helicopter rides piloted by Cruise. The couple also attended events together, including David Beckham’s 50th birthday party and an Oasis concert at Wembley Stadium. Previously, Ana De Armas dated Ben Affleck for ten months, while Cruise’s last high-profile relationship was his marriage to Katie Holmes. He was also previously married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman. Source: NDTV

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama will promote her upcoming fashion book, “The Look,” through a six-part companion podcast series tied to her show “IMO” co-hosted with her brother, Craig Robinson. Her media company, Higher Ground, announced Thursday that “IMO: The Look” will debut on November 5, with new episodes released weekly. Guests will include Jane Fonda, model and activist Bethann Hardison, and designer Jenna Lyons. Obama’s new book, set for release on November 4, explores her fashion journey from the White House to public life. Her 2018 memoir “Becoming” remains one of the best-selling political memoirs in history. She will kick off the podcast series with a live event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music alongside entertainer Tracee Ellis Ross.

For a filmmaker once associated with the “slacker” generation, Richard Linklater has proven to be one of America’s most versatile and consistently outstanding directors. Among his two dozen films are thoughtful portraits of artists such as Me and Orson Welles and even School of Rock, which celebrated the joy of creative rebellion. This fall, Linklater presents two new films about artists: Nouvelle Vague, centered on Jean-Luc Godard and the birth of the French New Wave, and Blue Moon, which explores the final chapter in the life of lyricist Lorenz Hart. Both celebrate brilliant, uncompromising creative spirits — and both are pure cinematic pleasure. A night at Sardi’s Blue Moon, the first of the two to be released, unfolds over a single evening — March 31, 1943 — at Sardi’s in New York. Down the street, Oklahoma! is premiering, marking a new beginning for composer Richard Rodgers, who has teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein II, leaving behind his longtime collaborator, Lorenz “Larry” Hart. Within six months, Hart would die of pneumonia after a night spent unconscious on a city sidewalk. He was only 48. But Linklater’s focus is on Larry that fateful night, holding court at Sardi’s while nursing both his pride and his despair. He entertains bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale) and others, including writer E.B. White (Patrick Kennedy), in a witty, melancholic monologue about life, love, and lyrics — all while trying to resist another drink. “I’ve written a handful of words that are going to cheat death,” he says, referring to timeless classics such as My Funny Valentine, The Lady Is a Tramp, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, and Blue Moon. Larry’s love for language — and for the right turn of phrase — defines him. His favorite line from Casablanca is telling: “Nobody ever loved me that much.” He admires Humphrey Bogart, noting that the actor “proves you can be both short and a leading man.” Ethan Hawke’s finest performance Physically transformed and emotionally unguarded, Ethan Hawke delivers what may be the best performance of his career. His portrayal of Hart — a brilliant, closeted, self-destructive artist — is both magnetic and heartbreaking. Hawke captures the charm of a raconteur and the vulnerability of a man left behind by changing times and his own demons. When Oklahoma! becomes an overnight sensation, Larry’s bitterness turns reflective. He sees in the musical’s cheerful Americana an exclusion of the melancholy and irony that defined his own work. “It’s a fraudulent portrait of America,” he says. Yet amid the melancholy, there’s warmth. The late-night gathering at Sardi’s becomes a small, tender act of redemption. Cannavale’s Eddie and the other patrons form a circle of quiet empathy around Larry as they share jokes and toasts — a eulogy in real time. Also present is Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), a 20-year-old Yale student who fascinates Larry. His affection for her — drawn from real letters between Hart and Weiland — is less romantic than aesthetic. “I drink beauty wherever I find it,” he insists. A graceful farewellBlue Moon is adapted by Robert Kaplow, who also wrote Me and Orson Welles. His screenplay captures both Hart’s brilliance and fragility, balancing Linklater’s conversational filmmaking with moments of deep pathos. If Nouvelle Vague is expansive and crowded with cinematic icons, Blue Moon is its intimate counterpart — a one-man show that feels like a final performance. In its finest moments, the film becomes a loving salute not only to Hart but to every forgotten writer who tried, in his words, to “cheat death” through art. Source: AP

Pop star Katy Perry has stirred fresh buzz around rumours linking her to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after making a playful remark to a fan during her concert in London on Monday (October 13). During the first London stop of her Lifetimes Tour, a fan approached the stage holding a sign that read, “Katy Perry, will you marry me?” and got down on one knee. “You heard I was single? That’s interesting,” Perry replied, laughing as the crowd erupted in cheers. She then quipped, “You know, you really should have asked me about 48 hours ago,” seemingly referencing her recent yacht outing with Trudeau in California. Blake Lively’s $1.75m It Ends With Us deal included private jet, luxury perks The viral exchange, captured on TikTok, added fuel to the dating speculation that began after the 39-year-old singer and 53-year-old Trudeau were reportedly spotted kissing on a yacht off Santa Barbara late last month. As the fan was escorted off stage, Perry sang, “He’s just a little too late…” — playfully teasing the audience and keeping the rumour mill spinning. Source: NDTV 

Grammy-winning R&B singer Michael Eugene Archer, widely known as D’Angelo, has passed away at the age of 51 after battling cancer, his family announced on Tuesday. The family described him as leaving behind “a legacy of extraordinarily moving music” and urged fans to celebrate “the gift of song that he has left for the world.” D’Angelo was a pioneer of neo-soul, blending R&B with hip-hop, jazz, and other genres. He released three acclaimed albums, earning four Grammy Awards. His 1996 hit Lady reached No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and his 2000 album Voodoo won two Grammys. His 2014 comeback album Black Messiah also earned a Grammy for Best R&B Album in 2016. Born in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo began performing locally as a child and won a talent competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theater at 18, which led to a publishing deal with EMI. Over his career, he collaborated with Lauryn Hill, The Roots, and other prominent artists. Fans and fellow musicians, including DJ Premier, mourned his passing, praising his artistry and impact on music.   Source: BBC

Hollywood star Blake Lively was reportedly offered a $1.75 million package to lead It Ends With Us, complete with a private jet, family travel coverage, and other luxury perks, according to a draft contract obtained by Us Weekly. The proposed deal, though never finalized, detailed a base salary close to $2 million along with a 10% share of the film’s gross proceeds and multiple bonus clauses tied to box office milestones and award nominations. Lively would have reportedly earned $250,000 if the film’s revenue tripled its production cost, with additional rewards for surpassing higher targets. Beyond direct pay, the contract included extensive travel and lifestyle provisions — private jet trips to Las Vegas, expenses for her four children, two nannies, a personal assistant, and a security team. It also offered a private driver, on-location assistant, and weekly allowances for meals and fitness. While It Ends With Us—based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel—has achieved box office success, Lively’s final compensation remains undisclosed as the draft agreement was never officially signed.   Source: NDTV

Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has claimed that her journey to success in Bollywood was far more difficult than that of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, pointing to her humble beginnings in a remote village compared to his urban upbringing in Delhi. Speaking at a PHDCCI event in the capital, Kangana said, “Why did I get so much success? There is probably nobody else who came from a village and achieved such recognition in the mainstream. You talk about Shah Rukh Khan—he is from Delhi, convent-educated. I was from a village that nobody would have even heard of—Bhamla. Maybe others may disagree, but I feel it’s because I am brutally honest, not just with people but with myself too.” Leaving her hometown Bhamla in Himachal Pradesh at just 15, Kangana debuted in Gangster at 19 and went on to win four National Film Awards. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan, who began his career on television before moving to Mumbai in 1991, rose to become one of India’s biggest film icons. Kangana recently directed and starred in Emergency, portraying former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She will next appear in a Tamil psychological thriller opposite R Madhavan and in Bharat Bhagya Vidhata. Shah Rukh, on the other hand, will be seen in King, alongside Suhana Khan and Deepika Padukone, directed by Siddharth Anand.   Source: NDTV

Actor Kartik Aaryan had an emotional moment as he accepted his first Filmfare Best Actor Award, made even more special by the presence of his parents in the audience. Clearly moved, the Dhamaka star took to Instagram to share a video from the night along with a heartfelt message. He wrote, “This hits different when you remember where you started that night… every emotion I'd ever felt found its voice. From the small town boy who only dreamt of this stage, to the man living it — thank you, universe. I didn't just speak that night, I felt every word. This speech wasn't prepared. It was live.” In his acceptance speech, Kartik expressed disbelief and deep gratitude. “There are moments in life where you wonder if it’s all real — and this is one of those nights,” he said. Speaking about Chandu Champion, the film that earned him the honour, he praised director Kabir Khan and said the story of Murlikant Petkar — India’s first Paralympic gold medalist — deeply resonated with him. “When others stopped believing in Murlikant, he didn’t give up. That felt very personal to me. It wasn’t just a film; it was the most meaningful journey of my career,” Kartik shared. He credited Kabir Khan for his vision, saying, “You don’t just create films, you create worlds.” He also thanked producers Sajid Nadiadwala and Vardha Nadiadwala for their unwavering support during the making of the film, which brought Petkar’s story to the spotlight after nearly five decades. Kartik also noted the symbolic timing — shortly after the film's release, Petkar received the Lifetime Arjuna Award. The actor became visibly emotional as he acknowledged his parents, who were present during the ceremony. “Growing up, I remember watching award shows on TV, dreaming of holding that trophy. And now, it’s happening in front of them,” he said. Kartik also thanked Filmfare, his fans, and dedicated his award to dreamers everywhere: “My Godfathers are my fans… To everyone chasing a dream — even when you feel like giving up — remember, there’s a champion in you. A champion may fall, but never stops.” Kartik Aaryan won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his powerful performance in Chandu Champion, marking a major milestone in his career. Source: NDTV