Entertainment
Filmmaker Anarya Murshid’s book on Korean band BTS released
Filmmaker Anarya Murshid’s essay book on popular Korean pop music group BTS titled "BTS: Seoul to Soul" was released on Friday.
The book -- about the rise of the Korean pop band – is now available in the market, said a press release.
The book includes biographies of seven BTS stars, their struggles, a list of shows, albums and awards. An important article on the Korean Cultural Wave and the practice of soft power was published in the book.
“I am making a film based on the cultural crisis of a Bangladeshi BTS fan. During the preproduction of the film, I felt the need for a book on K-pop,” said Anarya.
The publisher of the book said he also wanted to publish some cultural, diplomatic books. In the past, his publishing house has also published such books.
“I hope the book will play a role in the cultural bridge that Bangladesh is building with Korea for a long time. Through the book, elders will also see this generation in a positive light,” Anarya added.
BTS fans can collect the book from Tobuo Proyas, Lalan and Chandal Books.
Dhaka-based music producer invited to a research trip to Switzerland
Dhaka-based music producer and journalist Khan Mohammad Faisal has been invited to Switzerland by Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council, for a research trip to explore the country's music and new media industries.
Faisal, who co-founded the Dhaka Electronica Scene and The Akaliko Collective and Akaliko Records, is passionate about developing Dhaka’s cultural capital and promoting policy level reforms for the local music scene, according to a press release.
During his visit to Zurich and Bern, he aims to gain an introductory understanding of the different types of entities, their organizational structures, and models that exist in these cities, including those that work with music, sound, and new media formats.
The research will help plant the seeds for a circular economy in Dhaka's music ecosystem and identify opportunities for feasible projects for artists, cultural practitioners, and organizations from Bangladesh and Switzerland using digital methods, the press release reads.
By studying Swiss entities' practices, Faisal hopes to adapt them to Dhaka's context where applicable and understand the local media's role in the ecosystem. This research will also gradually build a strategic gateway for Bangladeshi talents in Europe through sustaining new connection, it said.
Khan Faisal produces music under the monikers The B Regiment and Dhaka Dub Hierarchy and is known for promoting emerging Bangladeshi artists through his DIY music compilations, music videos, documentaries, FM radio shows, events, and sound art projects. He has also received the BRAC Manthan Digital Innovation Award and was nominated as a Fellow for 'The Future of Audio Entertainment' at Berlin by The Do School.
Cannes 2023: Johnny Depp overcome with emotion as film gets 7-min standing ovation
Johnny Depp was overcome with emotion as his film received a standing ovation at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
Variety uploaded a video on social media of an obviously affected Depp during a seven-minute standing ovation for his film "Jeanne du Barry," in which he plays the French King Louis XV, reports CNN.
It was the actor's first film role since a defamation trial last summer involving his ex-wife Amber Heard. In their defamation cases against one other, a jury held them both responsible for slander, but awarded Depp substantially more damages, it said.
At the film's Cannes press conference, Depp discussed “abstract whispers” and said that “the majority of what you have been reading the last four or five years…with regard to me and my life what you’ve read is fantastically, horrifically written fiction.”
"Jeanne du Barry" chronicles the narrative of Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry, also known as Madame du Barry, who was King Louis XV's mistress.
Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux told Deadline in April that the decision to launch the festival with the Depp feature was because it is "a beautiful film."
“The opening film also has to come out simultaneously in French cinemas; we don’t put platform films in that slot, because we want France to participate in the festival,” Frémaux said. “The film is a success, and Johnny Depp [as Louis XV] is magnificent in it.”
Iconic ‘I’ll be back’ catchphrase was an ‘accident’, The Terminator says
“I’ll be back.” The catchphrase that defined an era for sci-fi movie fans.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in and as "The Terminator" — the 1984 science fiction blockbuster that sealed his image as a box office juggernaut — is about as iconic as it gets, yet one of the film's most unforgettable sequences apparently happened by coincidence.In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter released on Tuesday, Schwarzenegger described the catchphrase in the film, "I'll be back," as an "accident" caused by a disagreement with his director, James Cameron, reports CNN.“Cameron and I were debating how to say the line because I was not comfortable with saying ‘I’ll,’” the former California governor reminisced. “I said, I think it’s stronger to say, ‘I will be back.’ Cameron said, ‘Are you the scriptwriter now? It’s just one word. Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act.’”Schwarzenegger recalled his reaction, telling his director that he told him how to act "every f**king minute!"But, in the end, the outspoken director triumphed, telling Schwarzenegger, “Arnold, you think it sounds weird. It doesn’t. What makes it great is that you sound different than me…That’s what makes it work.”Cameron then told his star to “just say it 10 times. Say it different ways. I’ll keep rolling the camera. Then we’ll choose one.”Of course, after a few trials, they found one that worked, said the report.“The movie comes out. I’m in Central Park. This guy comes up and says, ‘Say the line!’” Schwarzenegger continued. The line has followed him to this day, he said, adding, “A few days ago, I was skiing in Aspen, and the concierge comes up asking me to say the line.”“So that’s where it started and where it ended up. It’s wild.”In other parts of the interview, Schwarzenegger stated that while he may be done playing the Terminator — a robot from the future entrusted with either saving or killing mankind, depending on whatever series edition you're talking about — the franchise itself "is not done."“I’m done. I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to ‘The Terminator,’” he said. “Someone has to come up with a great idea. ‘The Terminator’ was largely responsible for my success, so I always would look at it very fondly. The first three movies were great.”
‘Kill The Weeknd’? Who’s Abel Tesfaye?
Abel Tesfaye. Does that name sound familiar to you?
But anyone who listens to contemporary pop music would know who “The Weeknd” is.
Canadian pop star The Weeknd has reverted to his birth name Abel Tesfaye on his social media accounts, BBC reports.
In April, the singer, known for his famous pop songs such as “Blinding Lights”, asked his Twitter followers whether he should make the change.
Read more: Farhan Akhtar looks to revive DON franchise; Shah Rukh Khan exits
"ABEL formally known as The Weeknd?" — he asked his fans in a tweet that received over one hundred thousand likes.
The award-winning artist revealed his plan to "kill The Weeknd" in an interview with W Magazine, prompting the name change, BBC reported.
“I'm going through a cathartic path right now,” he said. "It's getting to a place and time where I'm getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter."
According to the Daily Mail, the artist previously stated that he received the nickname after dropping out of school and "leaving one weekend and never returning home" with his mattress.
Abel Tesfaye told W Magazine that he had said everything he could as The Weeknd and added that his next album would probably be his "last hurrah" under that name.
Read more: 76th Cannes Film Festival kicks off with premiere of Louis XV period drama featuring Johnny Depp
Tesfaye rose to prominence after uploading his first songs to YouTube in 2010, showcasing a dark, explicit R&B style that explored drug use, casual sex, and alienation. He was born in Toronto to Ethiopian parents.
Later, famous Canadian rapper Drake then uploaded these early demos to his personal blog, enabling Tesfaye to construct a nine-track mixtape, “House of Balloons”, which he made available for free download, according to BBC.
Throughout his musical career, he has won four Grammy awards, achieved platinum status for more than 45 recordings and albums, and broken numerous music records.
In March 2023, the Guinness World Records crowned him the most renowned artist in the world based on his monthly Spotify listeners.
Read more: Pathaan released in Bangladesh amid huge response
As of March 2023, the 33-year-old had 111.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making him the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on the streaming service.
Farhan Akhtar looks to revive DON franchise; Shah Rukh Khan exits
Popular Indian action thriller movie franchise DON starring Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, is set to return with its third film but not with Shah Rukh Khan as its lead and the title character.
The director Farhan Akhtar and his team at Excel Entertainment are now looking to reboot the Don franchise with a new lead to play Don 3.0, reports Indian entertainment and lifestyle platform Pinkvilla on Tuesday.
The website reports that according to sources close to the development, Shah Rukh Khan has decided to exit the Don franchise. “Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani have had multiple detailed discussions with Shah Rukh Khan on Don 3. Before the pandemic, a couple of ideas were also discussed, which took the shape of a script through the pandemic. Meetings have happened recently too, but Shah Rukh is not too keen to get back as Don again at this point in time.
According to the report, Khan is willing to do commercial films that cater to a universal section of the audience, and Don certainly doesn’t fit the bracket of cinema that he is willing to do for the coming few years. “He has conveyed his decision to the stakeholders at Excel,” revealed a source close to the development.
To make the franchise bigger, Farhan and the team had also come up with a unique idea of bringing 3 generations of Don together – Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and a gen-next star – to lay down a platform for the generational shift of Don. “But SRK felt the idea of spinning Don's universe would be gimmicky and hence advised the team about his exit,” the source added.
Farhan meanwhile is working on a new script for Don reboot now. Amitabh Bachchan featured in Don back in 1978. The same was rebooted with Shah Rukh Khan in 2005. And now, come 2024, Farhan is planning to reboot the franchise with a new leading man, Pinkvilla reported.
“The talks are on with a hero who has done two films with Excel in the last decade. He is keen to step into the shoes of Don, but has his reservations too, as the legacy of the franchise and the actors who portrayed Don before can’t be replicated by anyone. Don will be rebooted once one of the younger actors takes up the challenge,” the source signed off.
Recently, the iconic Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan starrer film ‘Pathaan’ got its official theatrical release in Bangladesh on May 12, which is currently storming at the multiplexes in the country. Referred to in the media as the "Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", Shah Rukh Khan is currently busy shooting for the much-anticipated Rajkumar Hirani film ‘Dunki’ which is slated for a December 2023 release.
76th Cannes Film Festival kicks off with premiere of Louis XV period drama featuring Johnny Depp
The Cannes red carpet springs to life again Tuesday as the 76th Cannes Film Festival gets underway with the premiere of the Louis XV period drama “Jeanne du Barry," with Johnny Depp.
This year's festival promises a Cote d'Azur buffet of spectacle, scandal and cinema set to be served over the next 12 days. It's unspooling against the backdrop of labor unrest. Protests that have roiled France in recent months over changes to its pension system are planned to run during the festival, albeit at a distance from the festival's main hub.
Meanwhile, an ongoing strike by screenwriters in Hollywood could have unpredictable effects on the French Riviera festival.
But with a festival lined with some much-anticipated big-budget films, including James Mangold's “Indiana Jones and the Dial of the Destiny” and Martin Scorsese's “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the party is sure to go on, regardless. Stars set to hit Cannes' red carpet in the next week and a half include Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Sean Penn, Alicia Vikander, the Weeknd and Scarlett Johansson.
The festivities Tuesday will include an opening ceremony where Michael Douglas is to receive an honorary Palme d'Or. (Later, one will also be dished out to “Indiana Jones” star Harrison Ford). The jury that will decide the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, will also be introduced.
This year, the jury is led by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, a two-time Palme winner who last year won for the social satire “The Triangle of Sadness.” The rest of the jury includes Brie Larson, Paul Dano, French director Julia Ducournau, Argentine filmmaker Damián Szifron, Afghan director Atiq Rahimi, French actor Denis Ménochet, Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Tourzani and a Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni.
The opening night selection has attracted some controversy. “Jeanne du Barry,” directed by and co-starring the French actor-director Maïwenn, co-stars Depp as Louis XV. It's Depp's first new film since his trial last year with Amber Heard, his ex-wife. After both Depp and Heard accused each other of physical and verbal abuse, a civil jury awarded Depp $10 million in damages and $2 million to Heard.
In remarks to the press Monday, Cannes director Thierry Fremaux defended the choice, saying Depp is extraordinary in the film and he paid no attention to the trial.
“To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule, it’s the freedom of thinking, the freedom of speech and the freedom to act within a legal framework,” said Fremaux. “If Johnny Depp had been banned from acting in a film, or the film was banned we wouldn’t be here talking about it.”
Pathaan released in Bangladesh amid huge response
The release of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's film “Pathaan” in Bangladesh on Friday was greeted by sold-out tickets.
The moment finally arrived for Bangladesh fans. The movie was released at 41 movie theaters around the country. Every day, there will be 206 shows of the film.
“Pathaan” has been released in Bangladesh under SAFTA agreement. According to the import conditions, Shakib Khan's “Panku Jamai” has been exported to India. “Pathaan” has been imported in Bangladesh by Action Cut Entertainment.
Another Bollywood star John Abraham shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in Siddharth Anand's “Pathaan”. Deepika Padukone has once again shown glimpses against the King of Bollywood.
“Pathaan” has already made history in Bollywood. It has broken the records of many films of the past. And even in the international arena, “Pathaan” was the result of a long wait for Shah Rukh fans.
With “Pathaan”, the box office is opening for the first time in some halls of Bangladesh. Ananya Mamun, owner of Action Cut Entertainment, said initially 15 halls will be arranged for the box office. There will be an extension from the second week.
Films and TV Drama based on Samaresh Majumdar’s Literary Works
Samaresh Majumdar, the renowned Bengali novelist from West Bengal, India passed away on May 8, 2023. He was not only a prolific writer but also a source of inspiration for many filmmakers and TV drama producers. Majumdar's works were known for their realistic portrayal of social issues and human emotions. Some of his novels have been adapted into critically acclaimed films and TV dramas. From the Naxal movement in "Kalbela" to the character of detective Arjun in "Buno Haansh," Majumdar's works have taken the Bengali literary and cinematic world to a new height. Let’s explore some of the most memorable films and dramas based on Samaresh Majumdar's novels.
7 Films and TV Dramas based on Samaresh Majumdar’s Works to Watch
Kaalbela
Directed by Goutam Ghose the film "Kaalbela" was released on May 19, 2016. This film features a stellar cast including Soumitra Chatterjee, Santu Mukherjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh, Bratya Basu, Anandi Ghose, and others.
The story, based on a novel by Majumdar, revolves around the disillusionment of young Bengali students who take up the cause of revolution, only to be left with unanswered questions regarding the conduct of those who change their tracks midway.
The story is set against the backdrop of the political unrest in Kolkata during the 1960s, where we see Madhabilata fighting against societal norms as an unwed mother, while Animesh questions the ideology he once fought for. The film highlights the struggles faced by these young revolutionaries and the impact it has on their lives.
The film manages to capture the essence of the novel and brings it to life on screen. Overall, "Kaalbela" is a compelling drama that is worth watching for its stellar performances and thought-provoking storyline.
Read More: Netflix Originals in English Coming in June 2023
Buno Haansh
“Buno Haansh” is a Bengali action thriller film directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, based on a novel by Samaresh Majumdar. The film was one of the high-budget films of Tollywood and was released on 15 August 2014.
The main theme centres around Amal, who gets deeply involved in smuggling and eventually realises that he is a part of a dangerous game.
The film features Srabanti Chatterjee and Tanusree Chakraborty as the female leads and Moon Moon Sen as the central character.
“Buno Haansh” was produced by Bhushan Kumar and Arindam Sil served as the executive producer. The film was shot in various locations, including Mumbai, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
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Arjun – Kalimpong E Sitaharan
Bengali thriller film titled "Arjun - Kalimpong E Sitaharan," directed by Prem Prakash Modi and produced by Mukul Sarkar, was released in 2013. The movie starred Om Prakash Sahani and Sabyasachi Chakraborty as the lead actors.
Arjun is a famous Bengali fictional character created by the renowned novelist Samaresh Majumdar, primarily for a young audience. The film's storyline is based on two novels of Samaresh Majumdar, "Sitaharan Rahasya" and "Khunkharapi."
The storyline revolves around Sita, a teenage girl on the brink of adulthood, born and raised in the United States, who is brought to Kalimpong by her father to keep her away from her boyfriend, whom he considers a bad influence. The situation gets complicated when everyone appears to be part of a conspiracy and deception. The climax reveals that Sita's father is the culprit, as disclosed by Amol Shome (played by Sabyasachi Chakraborty). Arjun (starring Om) helps his mentor Amol solve the case in Kalimpong.
The film was shot in different locations in West Bengal and Sikkim, including the scenic spots of Kalimpong with misty mountains and dense jungles.
Critics and reviewers gave the film mixed reviews, with some criticising the weak dialogues and loud background score. Nonetheless, Om's depiction of Arjun, a sleuth of the Gen X, received praise.
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Garbhodharini
“Garbhodharini” is a TV adaptation of Samaresh Majumdar's novel that narrates the story of four friends who want to change the outlooks and values of their society.
This actor just became a father for 7th time at age 79
A spokesman for Robert De Niro confirmed to CNN on Tuesday (May 09, 2023) that the actor has once again become a father.
The Oscar winner broke the news in an interview with ET Canada on Monday, where he was promoting his new film, coincidentally titled “About My Father”.
When the topic of paternity came up during the conversation, the 79-year-old gently corrected the interviewer when she said that De Niro had six children.
“Seven, actually. I just had a baby,” the actor said.
Read More: Netflix Originals in English Coming in June 2023