entertainment
Ellen DeGeneres ends daytime show with plea for compassion
Ellen DeGeneres brought her nearly two-decade daytime talk show to an end Thursday with a celebrity lovefest and a forceful assertion of her achievement as a gay woman daring to be herself.
DeGeneres and guests Jennifer Aniston, Billie Eilish and Pink shared memories and affection as “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” concluded its Emmy-winning, 3,200-plus episode run that began in September 2003.
“Twenty years ago, when we were trying to sell the show, no one thought that this would work. Not because it was a different kind of show, but because I was different,” DeGeneres said of the pushback from TV stations.
When the syndicated show went on the air, she was prevented from saying the word “gay” or even the pronoun “we,” DeGeneres said, since the latter would imply she had a partner. She didn't specify who imposed the ban.
“Sure couldn’t say wife, and that’s because it wasn’t legal for gay people to get married — and now I say ‘wife’ all the time,” DeGeneres added, with a touch of defiance, as actor Portia de Rossi watched from the studio audience. They wed in 2008.
The host, who became known for encouraging her audience to join her in impromptu dances, shared some last moves with her sidekick and DJ, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, to the tune “Best of My Love.”
Also read: Duchess of Sussex gets goofy on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show
The dancer-choreographer saluted DeGeneres as someone who inspires others because she has “the courage to step out and be your authentic self.”
Aniston, who as the first guest on the show's first episode gave DeGeneres a “Welcome” doormat, arrived with another that read, “Thanks for the memories." DeGeneres noted the “Friends” star has been on the show a total of 20 times.
“You're welcome,” Aniston said, teasingly, then turned serious.
“I love you, and I so appreciate you and what you have given to the world over the last 19 years. The contribution is endless," she said. She introduced a career retrospective video that also touted DeGeneres' philanthropic efforts, said to include more than $400 million in donations to charities and “deserving viewers.”
“I love you," a beaming Eilish told DeGeneres during their chat. “I love you so much, it’s dumb,” said Pink, who performed “What About Us."
DeGeneres' daytime reign hit a serious bump in 2020, when the show was alleged to be a toxic workplace and three producers exited amid the claims. On the air that fall, DeGeneres apologized for “things that shouldn’t have happened,” but defended herself as being the same genuine person — if an imperfect one — on- and off-camera.
The talk show represented a second major TV act for DeGeneres. In 1997, she made an indelible mark when she came out as lesbian and brought her character on the ABC sitcom “Ellen” with her. The series was axed the next year.
Also read: Ellen DeGeneres to end long-running TV talk show next year
“Twenty-five years ago, they canceled my sitcom because they didn’t want a lesbian to be in prime-time once a week. And I said, ‘OK, then I’ll be on daytime every day,’" DeGeneres said Thursday.
The comedian, actor and producer has said she'll take time to consider her next career move, but first she and de Rossi are making a trip to Rwanda. DeGeneres wrapped her daytime show with a plea to her audience, one she said was worth repeating.
“If I've done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I've inspired you to be yourself, your true authentic self. And if someone is brave enough to tell you who they are, be brave enough to support them, even if you don't understand,” DeGeneres said. “By opening your heart and your mind you're going to be that much more compassionate, and compassion is what makes the world a better place."
Khairul Anam Shakil appointed chair of Nazrul Institute trustee board
Eminent Nazrul exponent, researcher and Ekushey Padak conferred Nazrul singer Khairul Anam Shakil has been appointed by the government as the new trustee board Chairman of Kabi Nazrul Institute on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gazette notification on Tuesday regarding his appointment for the next 3 years.
Having graduated from Leeds Beckett University, UK in Industrial Engineering in 1984, Khairul Anam Shakil is one of the most renowned and respected Nazrul singers and researchers.
Also Read: Nazrul’s 123rd birth anniversary Wednesday
Before becoming successful in his genre, Shakil learned music from his uncle Mahmudur Rahman Benu and other music maestros in Bangladesh including Narayan Chandra Basak, Ustad Mohammad Sageeruddin Khan, Sheikh Lutfur Rahman, Sohrab Hossain and Anjalee Ray.
Khairul Anam Shakil is the current Vice President of Chhayanaut, General Secretary of Bangladesh Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha and a faculty member of the Department of Music at the University of Dhaka.
For his excellence in music as an eminent Nazrul exponent, he received Ekushey Padak in 2019 and Nazrul Award from the Kazi Nazrul Institute in 2017.
Kabi Nazrul Institute was established in February 1985, with prominent journalist Mohammad Nasiruddin, being the maiden chairman of the trustee board.
Surgeon: Johnny Depp's severed finger story has flaws
A hand surgeon testified Monday that Johnny Depp could not have lost the tip of his middle finger the way he told jurors it happened in his civil lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard.
The finger injury, which occurred in a March 2015 fight in Australia between Depp and Heard, has been one of several key points of dispute in the lawsuit. Depp says he was injured when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him. Heard has said she never saw specifically how it happened, but that it occurred on a night when an enraged Depp sexually assaulted her with a liquor bottle.
Depp is suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” His lawyers say he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.
Depp has denied he ever struck Heard, and says she was the abuser in the relationship. Heard has testified about more than a dozen separate instances of physical abuse she says she suffered at Depp's hands.
In testimony Monday, surgeon Richard Moore testified about the severed finger as jurors saw gruesome photos of the injury. He said that Depp described that his palm was down on a bar when it was struck by the bottle.
Also read: Jury sees pics of Heard's swollen face after fight with Depp
Moore, who did not treat Depp, testified that Depp's description is unlikely, in large part because his fingernail remained intact. Moore said the fingernail was exposed, as Depp described the placement of his hand, and would have been damaged. Moore also said there would have been other cuts on the rest of his hand from the glass that shattered on impact.
While Depp told the jury that Heard severed the finger by throwing a vodka bottle, at the time of the accident he told people and sent text messages saying he'd done it to himself. At one point he said the finger had been pinched between solid accordion doors.
Depp now says he lied to protect Heard. Moore testified that getting the finger pinched in accordion doors would be consistent with the injury.
The trial is now in its sixth week. Monday's testimony was relatively mundane in a trial that has provided an ugly glimpse into the couple's toxic relationship. There had been an expectation that Heard's lawyers were going to call Depp to the stand Monday, but that did not occur. Heard's lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, said at the end of the day Monday that they are still discussing whether to call him.
Jurors had already heard from both Depp and Heard extensively — each was on the stand for four days, undergoing grueling cross-examinations.
Also Monday, a psychiatrist testified that Depp's behavior fits the pattern of a person whose drug and alcohol abuse contributes to domestic violence.
Depp lawyer Wayne Dennison questioned the ethics and credibility of the psychiatrist's opinions, given that he never conducted an examination of Depp
Later Monday, Dennison extensively questioned another Heard witness, entertainment expert Kathryn Arnold, about her assertion that Heard lost out on a potential $40 million to $50 million when another Depp lawyer called Heard's claims of abuse a “hoax.” Heard has filed a counterclaim against Depp based on those statements.
Arnold said she measured Heard's career against “comparable” stars like Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa and Zendaya to show where Heard's career would have gone if Depp attorney Adam Waldman had not defamed her.
Also read: He said, she said: Accounts from Depp and Heard rarely match
Dennison, in his questioning, scoffed at the notion that Heard was in the same league as those stars. He was also dismissive of Heard's role as Mera in the “Aquaman” superhero film franchise, saying that the to-be-released “Aquaman” sequel is more like a “buddy comedy” than a film that will feature Heard as a romantic lead.
Heard "was on the precipice of a great career,” Arnold insisted.
The trial has drawn increasing public attention over its length. People camped out overnight and squabbled over places in line as they sought to get one of the 100 seats in the courtroom allocated to the public. During a morning break, one woman professed her love for Depp and asked when he was going to acknowledge that he was the father of the baby she was holding in her arms.
She was removed from the courtroom.
One more 'I do,' this time in Italy, for Kourtney and Travis
A trilogy of Kravis nuptials has been completed with a (probably) final ceremony in Portofino, Italy.
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker each posted to Instagram on Sunday a photo of themselves kissing at the altar, with the caption, “happily ever after.”
The photo showed a backdrop that included scores of candles and a Madonna-and-child painting. A smiling officiant looks on.
Kardashian later added another photo of the two smiling and facing the guests moments later, with the text, “ Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Barker.”
Also read: Kardashians take Portofino for Kourtney-Travis wedding
She wore a white corseted mini-dress and a floor-length veil with a giant Virgin Mary design on the side. He wore a black suit. Both were designed by Dolce & Gabbana, according to People Magazine.
The wedding was held at Castello Brown, a castle built in the Middle Ages overlooking the Gulf of Portofino, TMZ reported.
The ceremony came after an Elvis-impersonator-officiated “practice” wedding — with no marriage license — followed by a small ceremony — with marriage license — in Santa Barbara, California.
The wedding party arrived Friday in the jet set playground of Portofino, a seaside village known for its multicolored houses and crystalline green water on the Italian Riviera coast.
Photographers snapped the couple, along with the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan and Barker's daughter Alabama, as they arrived for dinner Friday and when they took to the streets again Saturday on their way to lunch. In a prelude to her wedding outfit, Kourtney wore a veil and short black dress emblazoned with a likeness of the Virgin Mary.
The reality star, 43, and the Blink-182 drummer, 46, are known for their PDA and didn't disappoint. They were seen Friday on a boat sharing a kiss in the abundant sun — she in a T-shirt of her beau's band and he in his favorite style condition: shirtless with his multiple tattoos on display.
A larger reception is planned later in Los Angeles, according to reports.
Also read: Potential jurors for Kardashians air disdain to their faces
Barker and the oldest Kardashian sister went Instagram official with their relationship early last year. He popped the question in October, beachside with a ring of red roses and white candles at a Montecito, California, hotel.
Kourtney had a long previous relationship with Scott Disick, with whom she had three kids. Barker has been married twice. His first marriage, to Melissa Kennedy, lasted nine months. His last divorce, from Shanna Moakler, came in 2008. They wed in 2004 and share two teen kids.
You can’t pass comment on a film by seeing only trailer, says Shyam Benegal
Apparently responding to criticism on social media, celebrated Indian film director Shyam Benegal has said it is very difficult for him to guess why some people are upset and noted that one cannot pass a comment on a film by seeing only its trailer.
“You cannot pass a comment on a film by seeing a 90-second trailer. You can comment on just the trailer,” he told The Telegraph, adding that he just got a message that there have been some comments.
Also read: Trailer of "Mujib --The Making of a Nation" is out at Cannes festival
Trailer of ‘Mujib - The Making of a Nation’ was released at Festival de Cannes on Thursday. The film is expected to ready by the end of 2022.
The filmmaker said the presentation in Cannes (where the trailer was launched) went off very well.
When Benegal had made a film on another Bengal icon, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, titled Bose: The Forgotten Hero, it had landed in court as the film had shown Bose getting married (to Emily Schenkl)¸which some people had taken to be incorrect and disrespectful.
But in Mujib’s case, Benegal said he had not foreseen any controversy coming. The film’s trailer describes him as a “devoted family man” and has some scenes of him interacting with family members.
“Bose had left Bengal and went far away from his original family. But Mujib wasn’t alienated from his family. He was very much there except for the period when he was put in prison and taken away to West Pakistan. That’s why I would like to know myself what it (the negative reaction) is about,” the film director quoted as saying.
Benegal said he was in Dhaka shooting the film and the entire cast was from Bangladesh. “Their pronunciation of some words is different from the Bengali spoken in West Bengal and they pride themselves on their Bengali. All of that is there in the film. That is why I had taken only Bangladesh actors as they would feel much closer to Mujib,” he said.
At the Cannes, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said the feature film on Bangabandhu was about the struggle, pain and suffering of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in liberating a nation.
“People of the world will know how he remained unwavering in the face of gallows and how he transformed an unarmed nation into an armed one and led the liberation war. It isn’t easy to capture the whole life of such great people in 3 hours but the team making the movie has done a great work," he said while talking about the movie "Mujib – The Making of a Nation."
The co-production agreement for the film “Bangabandhu” was signed on 14th January, 2020 between two Executive Producers - NFDC and Film Development Corporation (FDC), Bangladesh.
The total budget of the film is over US$ 10 million (INR 75 Crores) shared in the ratio of 40:60 by India and Bangladesh respectively.
The release is delayed owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The entire shooting of the film “Bangabandhu” has been successfully completed, spread in four schedules in India and Bangladesh.
Also read: Trailer of Shyam Benegal's 'Mujib - The Making of a Nation' premiered at Cannes
The actors in the lead roles Arifin Shuvoo and Nusrat Imrose Tisha, for the love of the nation & the emotion named Mujib, have worked for free and have taken only 1 Bangladeshi Taka as a token amount.
Arifin Shuvoo has played the role of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his life’s journey from early days to the Making of a Nation has been depicted in the film.
Tisha, plays the role of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa (Renu), the better half of Mujib. The film showcases her family, struggles, strength and her role in Mujib’s success as one of the greatest leaders in the World.
Delivering his remarks in a recorded message Benegal said, “The trailer is out and I hope the audiences will appreciate it."
"It was an absolutely marvellous journey working for this film as I got an opportunity to work with the artists and technicians from both the nations. And thankful to Ministries from India & Bangladesh for their overwhelming support," he added.
Kardashians take Portofino for Kourtney-Travis wedding
The Kravis wedding train has rolled into Italy.
After a Las Vegas practice wedding (no marriage license) with an Elvis impersonator officiating, followed by a small ceremony (with license) in Santa Barbara, California, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker stepped out Friday in the jet set playground of Portofino, a fishing village known for its multicolored houses and crystalline green water on the Italian Riviera coast.
Photographers snapped the couple, along with the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, as they arrived for dinner clad in Dolce & Gabbana. Notably absent was Scott Disick, the father of Kourtney's three children. They took to the streets again Saturday on their way to lunch, Kourtney in a veil and short black dress emblazoned with a likeness of the Virgin Mary.
Also read: Met Gala 2022: Kardashian as Monroe, a gilded Blake Lively
The wedding was to be held at some point over the weekend at the rented Castello Brown, a castle built in the Middle Ages overlooking the Gulf of Portofino, according to TMZ.
The reality star, 43, and the Blink-182 drummer, 46, are known for their PDA and didn't disappoint in Portofino, where they were seen Friday on a boat sharing a kiss in the abundant sun — she in a T-shirt of her beau's band and he in his favorite style condition: shirtless with his multiple tattoos on display.
On their way to dinner, “momager” Kris Jenner was in a black dress on the arm of Guilherme Siqueira, a brand ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana. With sis Kim's eldest child, North West, and her own daughter, Penelope Disick, at her sides, Kourtney wore a sheer corseted red gown and matching furry stole. Barker? Shirtless under a black suit as he walked with daughter Alabama.
The third wedding round was to include family and a small circle of close friends, with a larger reception planned later in Los Angeles, according to reports.
Barker and the oldest Kardashian sister went Instagram official with their relationship early last year. He popped the question in October, beachside with a ring of red roses and white candles at a Montecito, California, hotel. Last month, just hours after the Grammys, word of a Las Vegas wedding spread quickly, though no marriage license could be found. Kourtney later clarified they couldn't get one in the wee hours but went ahead with a drunken practice run.
In Santa Barbara, they posted photos after making it legal at the courthouse May 15, the bride in a short white dress with veil and the groom in black, his coat buttoned up for a change. Travis’ father, Randy Barker, and Kourtney’s grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, were in attendance.
Also read: ‘Kimye’ is no more: Kardashian files to divorce West
Kourtney didn't marry Disick. Barker has been married twice. His first marriage, to Melissa Kennedy, lasted nine months. His last divorce, from Shanna Moakler, came in 2008. They wed in 2004 and share two teen kids, Alabama and son Landon. Barker is also close with his 23-year-old stepdaughter, Atiana De La Hoya, from Moakler's previous relationship with former boxer Oscar De La Hoya.
The Kardashians ended their long-running “Keeping Up with the Kardashians" on E! last year and decamped to Hulu for a new iteration, “The Kardashians,” which debuted in April.
'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae debuts as director in Cannes
Lee Jung-jae, the award-winning star of Netflix's “Squid Game,” spent years developing the 1980s-set Korean spy thriller “Hunt” before electing to direct himself. He did it a little reluctantly, without big plans to continue filmmaking. But Lee did have a vision for what it could be — and where it could premiere.
“Before deciding to direct, I thought I just wanted to make a very fun film,” Lee says. “After I got my hands on it and started writing the script myself, I actually wanted to come to Cannes. Because I wanted to come to Cannes, I had to find the subject matter that would resonate with the global audience.”
Few actors know more about capturing the attention of the global audience than Lee. Already one of Korea's top movie stars, the 49-year-old Lee is at the nexus of the “Squid Game” phenomenon, starring in the dystopic series that — subtitles and all — became Netflix's most-watched show in some 90 countries.
Now, Lee is in Cannes to premiere “Hunt," which is playing in Cannes’ midnight section and being shopped for international distribution. The film will test how far Lee can further extend his already borderless career. Earlier this year, Lee signed with the Hollywood powerhouse agency CAA. And he grants that he has some Hollywood ambitions.
Also read: Walking the red carpet at Cannes, Shuvoo skims the zenith
“Working in Hollywood would definitely be a good experience for me,” Lee said in an interview in Cannes shortly before “Hunt” premiered. “If there was a good fit for me, a good character, I’d definitely like to join. But right now, I feel like global audiences are wanting more Korean content and Korea-made TV shows and films. So I would work in Korea as well very diligently. I might seem a little greedy, but if there was a role for me in Hollywood, I’d definitely like to do that, too.”
But if Lee's ascension to being an increasingly world-renown actor typifies the pop-culture power of today's Korea, his film is set in an earlier, less harmonious chapter in Korean history. “Hunt” takes place several years after South Korean president Park Chung-hee was assassinated in 1979 by the chief of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, a coup that ushered in the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan. “Hunt” is loosely inspired by his subsequent 1983 assassination attempt orchestrated by North Korea.
“The ’80s in Korea was when we had the rapidest growth ever,” says Lee. “But democracy didn’t grow as much because there was a military dictatorship and the media was under full control of the government. So I did hear a lot from the older generation and my parents about those government controls. I also witnessed myself college protests.”
“Hunt” grippingly follows a pair of agents (one is played by Lee, the other by Jung Woo-sung) who are both assigned to uncover a North Korean mole within the agency. Lee — not merely dipping his toe into a modest directorial debut — proves skilled at mounting large-scale action sequences and marshalling a dense plot while managing to keep the suspense up.
Also read: Tom Cruise and 'Top Gun: Maverick' touch down in Cannes
“A lot of people told me that I should change the setting to now,” Lee said, speaking through an interpreter. “But in the ’80s, there was a lot of control of information and people were trying to benefit from fake information and misinformation. I think that still exists now in 2022. Still there are groups that try to benefit from these controls of information and propaganda.
“We now live in a global world that’s connected,” he adds. “We don’t have any silos between us. If there’s a problem or issue, we have to all work on it to overcome it.”
Lee is often asked how his life has changed since “Squid Game” by Western journalists who might be less familiar with his nearly three decades as a top star in Korea in films like “An Affair,” “New World” and “The Housemaid.”
Lee laughs. “It’s natural because a lot of people in the West might not have known me before ‘Squid Game.'"
That's changing rapidly, though. Lee will return for season two of “Squid Game,” which the series' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk recently said should be expected in 2023 or 2024. The first season already led to Lee becoming the first Asian actor win the Screen Actors Guild Award for best male performer. Lee was so surprised — aside from considering himself an underdog, he’s a big “Succession” fan — that he never managed to pull out the speech he had written in his pocket.
“It still,” Lee says smiling and shaking his head, “seems like a dream to me.”
Walking the red carpet at Cannes, Shuvoo skims the zenith
Walking on the glamorous and prestigious red carpet of the 75th Cannes Film festival was like the utmost fulfillment of life, said popularBangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo.
The Dhallywood actor walked on the red carpet dressed in a white tuxedo by Dapper Bespoke on the fourth day of the festival Saturday.
After his glamorous appearance at the red carpet, the actor told Bangladeshi journalists, “It was like touching something out of a dream. I am grateful to my fans, audience, director and producer for bringing me this far. I’ll try to maintain the trust they have shown in me.”
Also read: Trailer of "Mujib --The Making of a Nation" is out at Cannes festival
On May 19, the trailer of ‘Mujib– The Making of a Nation’ was released at the festival's commercial counterpart Marché du Film (Film Market).
Shyam Benegal, director of the Bangabandhu biopic, said the film is currently going through a long VFX process while updating the media.
'Mujib: The making of a Nation' is slated to release in September this year.
Also read: Trailer of Shyam Benegal's 'Mujib - The Making of a Nation' premiered at Cannes
Arifin has played the role of Bangabandhu in the film while Nusrat Imroz Tisha plays Sheikh Fazilatunnesa (Renu).
The film is co-produced by the Bangladesh and India governments.
Siam to play male lead in Burqa Boxers spinoff
“Shaan” famed young Bangladeshi actor Siam Ahmed has joined the cast of “In the Ring (Story of a Burqa Boxer),” making his debut in a lead role for any Indian film project.
World-famous entertainment website Variety reported the news on Friday, stating that Siam joined the cast alongside young Indian actress Mithila Palkar, popularly known for Netflix’s “Little Things,” and veteran Indian comedian-actor Jaaved Jaaferi.
The film is a psychological thriller set in the female Muslim boxing society of Khidderpore, Kolkata, India, about Shama, a 17-year-old boxer who swaps places with her twin to fight in the national championship after she is accused of murdering her aunt.
Alongside Siam, Mithila and Jaaved, the film also casts Razia Shabnam, one of the first Indian women to become an international boxing referee and coach.
US-based Indian filmmaker Alka Raghuram will direct the Hindi-language film. She previously filmed the renowned documentary "Burqa Boxers," depicting the stories of Muslim women boxers in Kolkata.
Sreyashii Sengupta of Singapore-based Darpan Global and Souvikk Dasgupta of India's Oriizon Global are producing the film, with Rick Ambros of Los Angeles working as executive producer.
The film's principal photography will begin in India in December 2022.
Also read: 'Shaan’ portrays the story of real Bangladeshi heroes: Siam Ahmed
Trailer of "Mujib --The Making of a Nation" is out at Cannes festival
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said the feature film on Bangabandhu was about the struggle, pain and suffering of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in liberating a nation.
“People of the world will know how he remained unwavering in the face of gallows and how he transformed an unarmed nation into an armed one and led the liberation war. It isn’t easy to capture the whole life of such great people in 3 hours but the team making the movie has done a great work," he said while talking about the movie "Mujib – The Making of a Nation."
Trailer of ‘Mujib– The Making of a Nation’ was released at Festival de Cannes on Thursday.