Entertainment
Bongo BD presents heartwarming love story of two nameless tourists in "Hello Stranger"
Bongo BD is set to captivate its viewers with a heartwarming Thai love story, "Hello Stranger." This charming film portrays the delightful encounter of two young tourists who meet abroad and embark on a journey of friendship and romance, all while keeping their identities a secret.
Despite the language barrier, Bongo BD has taken the initiative to offer the official Bengali version of "Hello Stranger" to cater to its diverse audience. The response to this romantic gem from various genres has been overwhelmingly positive, promising an unforgettable cinematic experience.
Bongo BD is renowned for delivering top-notch entertainment to its viewers, and "Hello Stranger" is no exception. The film beautifully unfolds the tale of two young souls exploring Korea, weaving a heartwarming narrative that is sure to resonate with audiences of all ages.
Starting from October 6th, "Hello Stranger" will be available for streaming on the Bongo platform. To embark on this extraordinary journey of love and discovery, simply download the Bongo app from your mobile's Google Play Store or App Store.
Rapper Aly Hasan collaborates with Toffee for World Cup song
Aiming to add some extra flares in the ICC World Cup 2023 festivities, entertainment streaming site Toffee released a new rap music video on Thursday, in collaboration with popular rapper Aly Hasan.
The song, titled "Toffee-te Cricket Bishwo Cup Dekhbe Bangladesh" (Bangladesh will enjoy Cricket World Cup in Toffee) is now available to stream on the social media platforms of Toffee.
The music video of the song is directed by musician-creative director Arafat Mohsin Nidhi.
This World Cup, Toffee is offering cricket lovers across the country the opportunity to enjoy all the World Cup matches.
Muhammad Abul Khair Chowdhury, marketing deputy director, Toffee, Banglalink, said: "Toffee is known for its cutting-edge technology and seamless streaming capabilities. We are delighted to release the music video to showcase Toffee’s streaming superiority contextually and creatively. Moreover, we hope it will add to the craze of World Cup celebrations across the country."
Toffee offers a wide range of content, most importantly its seamless streaming of live TV channels, national-international TV dramas and web series, user-generated content and more.
The app is available on the Google Play Store for Android device users and on the App Store for iOS users.
David Beckham’s highly-publicised alleged affair ‘hardest period’ of marriage, Victoria says
Victoria Beckham has talked openly about her husband David’s much-reported alleged affair, calling it the “hardest period” of their marriage.
Previously, the pair refuted allegations that David had an affair while playing for Real Madrid in 2003, reports BBC.
Also read: London Fashion Week: Victoria Beckham brings it home
“It was the hardest period for us because it felt like the world was against us,” said the former Spice Girl in a new Netflix documentary.
“Here’s the thing – we were against each other if I’m completely honest,” she added.
The couple did not reveal the facts of what transpired in the documentary, “Beckham,” which was released on Wednesday, added the report.
Also read: Beckham's Inter Miami taps Diego Alonso as first coach
“You know, up until Madrid, sometimes it felt like us against everybody else. But we were together, we were connected, we had each other,” said Victoria.
“But when we were in Spain, it didn’t really feel like we had each other either. And that’s sad,” she added.
“I can't even begin to tell you how hard it was and how it affected me,” she went on saying.
“It was a nightmare. From the minute we opened the press there were cars and everywhere we went, we were followed,” She mentioned the public attention she received after she and her children relocated to Spain to join her spouse.
“It was an absolute circus – it’s really entertaining when the circus comes to town right? Unless you’re in it,” Victoria said.
Also read: Modric wins best player in Europe vote; Beckham honored
When asked if she despised her husband at the time, the singer-turned-designer answered, “If I’m being completely honest, yes I did.”
“It was probably, if I’m being honest, the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life,” she said.
In the series, David, the former England and Manchester United player, who is now the owner of Inter Miami, also discussed how the rumours about his extramarital romance affected him and his family.
“There were some horrible stories that were difficult to deal with,” he said. “It was the first time that me and Victoria had been put under that kind of pressure in our marriage.
“I think we both felt at the time that we were, not losing each other, but drowning.”
“I don't know how we got through it, in all honesty,” he added.
David and Victoria, who married in 1999, and their four children attended the series’ London premiere on Tuesday.
Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival’s 12th edition to begin Friday
The 12th edition of the ‘Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival’ is all set to enthrall audiences from October 6 to October 17 at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and Mahila Samiti in the capital.
Known as one of the major cultural festivals in the country, the 2023 edition of this festival will showcase the performances of 145 troupes from both Bangladesh and India, representing a wide range of creative disciplines including theatre, dance, recitation, music, and more.
This year, an estimated 4,000 performers are expected to attend, making it one of the largest cultural festivals in the subcontinent as well, the organisers of the festival told a press conference on Wednesday at BSA’s National Theatre Hall seminar room.
The festival will be inaugurated by eminent thespian and cultural personality Ramendu Majumdar at the National Theatre Hall of BSA on October 6, Friday. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will be present as the chief guest.
Read: TikTok Shop Indonesia stops to comply with the country's ban of e-commerce on social media platforms
The inauguration ceremony will be presided over by Sammilita Sangskritik Jote President Golam Kuddus. Former Cultural Affairs Minister and eminent actor Asaduzzaman Noor, prominent thespian Mamunur Rashid and BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky will deliver speeches at the inauguration ceremony.
On the opening day, the drama troupe Theatre will showcase its popular play ‘Meraj Fokirer Ma’ at the National Theatre Hall after the inauguration ceremony, while Batighor will stage ‘Bhogoban Paliye Gechhe’ at the Experimental Theatre Hall; and Ekota Nattyagoshthi, Kishoreganj will showcase its play ‘1971’ at the Studio Theatre Hall.
Several renowned Indian theatre troupes, namely Onik, Ajker Projonmo, Gobordanga Noksha, Dolls Theatre and others will participate and showcase their theatrical and cultural performances in the festival.
Live cultural performances will be showcased every day from 4 pm to 6:30 pm at BSA’s Mukta Mancha, while the theatre productions will be presented every day at 7 pm at the three aforementioned BSA venues and Bangladesh Mohila Samity’s Neelima Ibrahim Auditorium.
Read: Sridevi’s accidental death: Husband Boney Kapoor says this was the cause
The festival is launching online tickets for the first time and tickets for stage dramas will be available online at www.bdeticket.com. Additionally, tickets can be purchased at the hall counters from 4 pm onwards, the organizers said at the press conference.
The festival will be concluded on October 17.
TikTok Shop Indonesia stops to comply with the country's ban of e-commerce on social media platforms
TikTok said it will halt its online retail operation in Indonesia on Wednesday to comply with the country’s decision to ban e-commerce transactions on social media platforms — a big blow to the video platform's fastest-growing market.
The Indonesian government announced the new regulation, which prohibits social media companies from facilitating sales of products on their platforms, on Sept. 28 in a bid to protect small businesses from e-commerce competition, accusing the popular apps and websites of predatory pricing.
Read: TikTok and 5 content creators ask federal judge to block Montana from banning app
The Chinese-owned video sharing app said in a statement it will stop facilitating e-commerce sales in TikTok Shop Indonesia by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“Our priority is to remain compliant with local laws and regulations,” said the statement released Tuesday on its website.
Indonesia’s Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the ban aims to “prevent the domination of the algorithm and prevent the use of personal data in business interests" and "create a fair, healthy and beneficial electronic commerce ecosystem,” according to a statement released by the Trade Ministry when the ban was announced. It said marketplaces and sellers can only offer or promote goods and services.
Read: 2 friends ‘making TikTok videos’ dead after truck hits their bike in Lalmonirhat
A week before the ban was announced, Southeast Asia’s largest wholesale market, Tanah Abang, came under inspection. Sellers at the market in the capital, Jakarta, were experiencing a more than 50% loss of profits because they could not compete with imported products sold online at much lower prices, according to Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Teten Masduki.
He said TikTok was involved in predatory pricing that caused damages to local small- and medium-sized businesses, and that the new regulation “will justly regulate fair trade online and offline.”
Days after the ban was announced, TikTok Indonesia said it regretted the government’s decision — particularly the impact it would have on the millions of sellers who use TikTok Shop. But the company said it will respect the regulations and “will take a constructive path forward."
Southeast Asia, a region home to more than 675 million people, is one of TikTok’s biggest markets in terms of user numbers, generating more than 325 million visitors to the app every month.
Read: China appeals for fair treatment after latest TikTok bans
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, is also facing scrutiny from some governments and regulators because of concerns that Beijing could use the app to harvest user data or advance its interests. Countries including the United States, Britain and New Zealand have banned the app on government phones, despite TikTok repeatedly denying that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government and would not do so if asked.
Sridevi’s accidental death: Husband Boney Kapoor says this was the cause
Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor has finally spoken out about his late wife, actor Sridevi’s death.Sridevi died in her hotel room in Dubai from accidental drowning on February 24, 2018. She was 54 at the time.
Also read: Joya Akhtar Film The Archies Featuring Big B Grandson, Sridevi Daughter, Shahrukh Daughter
Kapoor told The New Indian that Sridevi used to maintain a “rigid diet,” reports NDTV.The producer also discussed his questioning and lie detector test following Sridevi's death, it said.“It was not a natural death, it was an accidental death. I thought I would never speak about it because I spoke about it for almost 24-48 hours together, when I was being investigated and interrogated and that is how I got a clean chit from the Dubai police. In fact, the officer said that we had to do this, we had to go through this because there was a lot of pressure from the Indian media. They discovered there was no foul play. I went through all the interrogation, including the lie detector. The report which came clearly stated that it was an accidental death by drowning,” said Kapoor.
Also read: Don 3: Bollywood’s New Don Ranveer Singh Replaces Shah Rukh KhanSridevi used to have “blackouts” as a result of her no-salt diet, he said. Despite the doctor's advice to avoid a severe low-salt diet due to her low blood pressure, the actor was still following one of the same routines at the time of her death, Kapoor revealed.“Our family physician always used to tell Sri (Sridevi) whenever you diet, because whenever she used to start a new film, she used to want to look good because the fact is what you are in real life, on-screen especially for cinemascope you will look broader. She wanted to make sure that she is chiselled, in good shape so that on screen she also looks like it,” he said. “Since the time she was married to me, she has had blackouts on a couple of occasions. The doctor kept on telling her that you have a low BP issue, don't stick to a severe diet where you avoid salt. Because most of the females believe that salt creates water retention that's why your face is puffy. That is one reason why Sri used to avoid salt. We used to tell her that even if you are having some salad, just sprinkle some salt on it,” he continued.“Later, when she passed away Nagarjuna had come home to offer his condolences. He told me that during one of his shootings, she was again on a crash diet and how she fell in the bathroom and broke her teeth. I knew she had broken teeth and had those artificial casps,” the producer recalled.
Also read: Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt makes her Hollywood debut in Netflix's 'Heart of Stone'“Since I got married to her I knew she has this tendency of going on a strict diet, I used to push my daughters to tell her that she must have some salt. I used to push her myself. Whenever we used to go out for dinner, she used to say, ‘food with no salt.'” Kapoor recalled.Sridevi and Boney Kapoor married in 1996. Their first daughter Janhvi was born in 1997, while Khushi was born in November 2000.
Rockstar James celebrates 59th birthday
The music industry and concert scene in Bangladesh are highly indebted to some of the legendary rock icons who performed their hearts out to enamour music lovers with their musical offerings. Among them, one special name is the National Award-winning rock icon Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, popularly known as "Nagar Baul James" and "Guru", who turned 59 on Monday.
To date, music lovers get amped and geared up for any new concert spectacles in the country or anywhere in the world if the concert has James headlining with his electrifying performances. His name not only sells tickets but always ensures that the concertgoers are guaranteed to have marquee memories.
After 'I Love You,' James' new song coming soon
On the legendary rockstar’s 59th birthday, his friends in the industry and fans-admirers across the world showered him with tremendous respect and affection across the world and also on virtual platforms, sharing photographs and emotional posts on social media platforms regarding their celebrations and memories of attending his concerts.
"Nagar Baul," drummer and friend Ahasan Elahi Fanty, shared a couple of photos with James celebrating his birthday, wishing him prosperity with prayers. Many other prominent music artists and bands, including Shunno and others, have also wished the rockstar on his birthday.
Born in 1964 in Naogaon of Rajshahi, James was brought up in Chattogram due to his father Mojammel Haque's work who later became the Chairman of the Dhaka Education Board. His family did not approve of his wish to become a music artist; thus, he left home in 1976 and started living at Aziz Boarding in Pahartali.
Without the approval of his family, James started his profound journey in music in his youth during the late 1970's. He formed his band "Feelings" in 1977 as the vocal and lead guitarist and released the band's first album, "Station Road," in 1987. The band was later renamed "Nagar Baul", a moniker that James has also adopted as the music artist.
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Besides the other two companions, LRB and ARK, in the "Big Three of Bangladeshi Rock" in the 90's era in the Bangladeshi music industry, James garnered immense popularity among fans all over the world with his versatile style in psychedelic rock. He has also established his legacy as a solo artist and a successful playback singer in both Dhallywood and Bollywood.
In 2006, he debuted in Bollywood as a playback singer in Anurag Basu's film "Gangstar", and his journey in Bollywood was continued with three other films: 'Woh Lamhe' (2006), '"Life... in a Metro" (2007), and "Warning" (2013).
In his motherland, James received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer twice for the films "Desha: The Leader" (2014) and "Swatta" (2017). As a solo artist, he has released a total of eight albums and many mixed albums with renowned artists from Bangladesh.
"Taray Taray Rotiye Debo" (penned by legendary poet Shamsur Rahman), "Maa", "Bangladesh", "Pagla Hawaa", "Dushtu Chheler Dol", "Guru Ghor Banaila Ki Diya", and "Mirabai" are some of James's iconic Bengali rock numbers that cemented his legacy as 'Guru' to his fans all over the world.
12 years in the making: Rockstar James to launch new song on Eid-ul-Fitr eve
Besides being the most iconic living legend in the country’s rock scene, James has also proved his versatility in other mediums as a photographer and media entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of the board of the renowned Bangladeshi production house, Red Dot Entertainment.
Much-awaited ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’ to be released on October 13
‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’, the much-anticipated biopic of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is all set to have the nationwide theatrical release on October 13, Friday.
Master filmmaker Shyam Benegal's directorial film, a joint production of Bangladesh-India with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Bangladesh & Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India being the producers and Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) & National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Limited, India being the executive producers, the film is also scheduled to be released across India on October 27.
The official theatrical trailer of the highly-anticipated film was released on Sunday at the film’s Bangladesh distributor Jaaz Multimedia and India’s NFDC YouTube channels.
"Mujib: The Making of a Nation" premieres at Toronto International Film Festival
The 1:47-minute trailer uploaded on Jaaz Multimedia is dubbed in Bengali, while the 1:48-minute trailer on NFDC is in the Hindi language. The film received an uncensored certificate on July 31 this year from both of the censor boards.
Dhallywood’s popular actor Arifin Shuvoo leads the ensemble cast as the title character of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in this film, while Nusrat Imrose Tisha plays Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, the lifelong better half of the Father of the Nation.
'Mujib: The Making of a Nation' will remain as a document of history: Hasan Mahmud
Actress Nusraat Faria, who already found success in both the Bangladesh and West Bengal film industries, will portray Bangabandhu’s elder daughter and incumbent Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The trailer also features popular actor Chanchal Chowdhury, Prarthana Dighi, Tauquir Ahmed and others in different characters, and the entire trailer showcases some of the powerful and majestic moments from Bangabandhu’s epic journey to the road of the country’s independence.
Music of the film is produced by acclaimed Indian music director Shantanu Moitra, and theBengali dialogues are penned by Sadhana Ahmed, Gias Uddin Selim, Shihab Shaheen and Anam Biswas from Bangladesh.
PM launches Mujibpedia on Bangabandhu
Back in May 2022, an exclusive trailer of the film was premiered on the third day of the 75th edition of the world-famous Cannes Film Festival's Marche du Film section in Paris, France. Shooting of the film started in Mumbai, India in January 2021 and concluded in December of the same year.
'An Evening with Geet and Ghazal': AFD enamours Dhaka music-lovers
French cultural institution Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) organised an exclusive musical event titled “An Evening with Geet and Ghazal” on Saturday night at its “La Galerie”.
Ghazal artists Manzurul Islam Khan and Somdutta Banerjee performed at the event.
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak attended the event as the chief guest, while additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police AKM Hafiz Akhtar, and Chairman of Asian TV Limited and Director of FBCCI Alhaj Harun Ur Rashid were present as special guests.
Manzurul Islam Khan, a vocalist of the country’s mainstream music and semi-classical music, after completing his music education from Chhayanaut, obtained a higher degree in music from Mumbai University, India. He took training at different levels from the music gurus of both countries.
At present, Khan is working as a Coordinator at the classical music workshop of Alliance Française de Dhaka.
Somdutta Banerjee is a unique and popular artist of West Bengal and Indian Raagasrayi music. She obtained her higher degree from Calcutta University with training under eminent teachers of India.
The event was open to all.
Celebrity Cricket League postponed, cases filed against attackers
After the chaotic altercations happened at the Celebrity Cricket League on Friday night, organisers have postponed the league until further notice.
They also informed the media that cases have been filed against the assaulters on Friday night’s game at the Mirpur Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in the capital.
The brawl took place during a friendly group match between two teams headed by filmmakers Mostafa Kamal Raz and Dipankar Dipon, resulting in several players being injured, and six of them were taken to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in the capital.
Also read: Star-studded Celebrity Cricket League turns nightmarish amid chaotic fights
On Saturday night, the organisers arranged a press conference at the venue where the league was supposed to be concluded on the same day, instead, they had to clarify the foreseeable future surrounding the teams and the league itself.
The two team captains were present at the press conference, along with producer Arshad Adnan, who said neither Raz nor Dipon were behind the incident, but the organisers have evaluated the available video footage from multiple sources and filed cases against them.
Also read: I was blamed even though I did nothing wrong: Shakib Khan
However, the name of the police station and the alleged assaulters were not revealed at the press conference.
“The regrettable situation that occurred yesterday (September 29) is quite distressing. Everyone saw that we did not initiate the fight; it began when four or five individuals suddenly assaulted us. They were dressed in supporter t-shirts, and the assaulters even threatened one of our players, actor Manoj Pramanik,” said Dipankar Dipon.
“My assistant was brutally attacked by being thrown to the ground. We were stunned, wondering: who are they and where did they come from? After the incident, we demanded from the authorities that we would not leave the field if the situation failed to get resolved. They asked us for one day, and credit goes to them for taking action in the meantime,” he added.
Also read: 12 Bangla Dramas to Watch During Eid-ul-Fitr 2023
Meanwhile, producer Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Raj has apologised for his team’s behaviour. "I'm sorry," he said. “I am ashamed of this unexpected incident. Legal action has also been taken against those involved in my party. Since we belong to the same family, we are the ones who solved the matter.”
Mostafa Kamal Raj's team won the toss and elected to bat on Friday. They scored 119 runs in the stipulated six overs. Dipankar Dipan's team was scoring runs at a proportional rate when they came out to bat for a big score. But in the end, they lost by 7 runs. The team scored 112 runs in the stipulated 6 overs. The fight broke out after the match.
On the other hand, Mostafa Kamal Raz apologised for the behaviour of his team. At the press conference, he said, "I wholeheartedly apologise and am ashamed of this unexpected incident. Legal action has also been taken against the assaulters who were on my team. As we are members of the same family, our showbiz industry, we resolved the matter internally among ourselves.”
The organisers, however, did not clarify whether the league will resume shortly or will restart entirely. They did not provide a tentative timeline as well, but informed that it would be announced soon.