United News of Bangladesh

The first trailer of Michael, the much-anticipated biopic on late pop legend Michael Jackson, has been released, giving fans a glimpse of the King of Pop’s remarkable journey. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the film stars Jaafar Jackson — Michael Jackson’s nephew — in the lead role, portraying the global icon’s rise to fame and lasting influence on music and dance. The movie also features Miles Teller, Larenz Tate, and Laura Harrier in key roles. It is scheduled for worldwide theatrical release on April 24, 2026, after being moved from its earlier October 2025 date, according to Variety. The trailer opens with the line, “I know you have been waiting a long time for this,” before taking viewers through the pop star’s meteoric career, signature performances, and creative brilliance. It highlights Jaafar’s stunning recreations of Jackson’s famous dance moves, including the moonwalk, with the tagline: “Honour your past and embrace the future.” Produced by Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain, Michael aims to celebrate the life and legacy of one of the most influential entertainers in history. Universal Pictures India shared the teaser on Instagram, calling the film “a powerful cinematic tribute to the King of Pop.”   Source: NDTV

The first teaser for Michael, the much-awaited biopic about pop legend Michael Jackson, has finally arrived. Released on Thursday, November 6, the preview offers audiences their first look at Jaafar Jackson portraying his iconic uncle. The film is slated for release in April 2026. Since the teaser’s debut, fans have been asking—who is the actor playing Michael Jackson? Why does he look so much like the King of Pop? And what’s the story behind his famous last name? Here’s everything to know about Jaafar Jackson. Who is Jaafar Jackson? The striking resemblance seen in the teaser is no accident. Jaafar Jackson is the late superstar’s nephew—the 29-year-old son of Michael’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson. Born in July 1996 in Los Angeles to Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, Jaafar didn’t initially plan to follow the family’s musical legacy. As a teen, he pursued golf before realizing his true passion lay in music. He began singing and dancing at 12 and later showcased his talent as a pianist. In 2019, he released his debut single, Got Me Singing. He also appeared in the reality series The Jacksons: Next Generation and has performed covers of classic artists such as Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. Music Runs in the Family Jaafar hails from one of music’s most celebrated families. His father Jermaine and uncles Jackie, Marlon, Tito, Michael, and Randy were members of the legendary R&B group The Jackson 5. His aunts—Janet, La Toya, and Rebbie Jackson—are also renowned musicians. A Close Bond with His Uncle Jaafar shared a close connection with his uncle Michael. “I recall being at Neverland, playing hide and seek, going on rides, watching movies, and just having a great time,” he told the South China Morning Post. Although he wasn’t pursuing music during his uncle’s career peak, he often wonders about the conversations they might have had about the craft. “I would have asked him many questions about the career I have chosen for myself,” he said. Losing his uncle was heartbreaking. “It was very tough. I can’t even put my mind back to how it felt that day,” Jaafar told Get Balanced. What to Expect from Michael The biopic promises to offer a deeply personal look at Michael Jackson’s life—his rise to global fame, his struggles, and the legacy he left behind. Jaafar’s casting was personally endorsed by Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, who said Jaafar “embodies” her son. The film also features Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Larenz Tate as Motown founder Berry Gordy, Miles Teller as Jackson’s attorney, and Kat Graham as Diana Ross. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan (Gladiator, Skyfall), Michael will chronicle the artist’s journey from his beginnings with The Jackson 5 to his reign as one of the most influential entertainers in history. According to the filmmakers, the movie will give audiences “a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before.” Source: Times of India

A primal punk spirit rages through Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love,” a jagged, go-for-broke psychodrama starring Jennifer Lawrence as an increasingly unhinged new mother and Robert Pattinson as her husband. In this cauldron of marital nightmare, set in a ramshackle rural Montana home, there are fires, real and imagined, and a variety of wildlife. There’s an incessantly yapping dog, brought home by Jackson (Pattinson) shortly after the couple move in from New York. There’s a horse in the road, inopportunely. And on the shirt on Grace (Lawrence) is a tiger. But, more than these animalistic flourishes, there is Grace, herself. In a moment early in the film, she prowls on all fours through tall grass, with a knife in her hand. The shorthand description of Ramsay’s film, adapted from a 2012 novel by the Argentine writer Ariana Harwicz, is that it’s about a woman with postpartum depression. But that’s not quite right. It’s more about the power and urges of a woman who, like a beautiful, feral creature, is not taking to domestication. That’s the appealing through line of “Die, My Love,” though it can be difficult to firmly grasp it in Ramsay’s piercing but tediously overamplified character study. Still, as unkempt and overwrought as “Die, My Love” is, it’s not a movie that’s timidly weighing in on parenting and gender roles. There’s plenty to admire in Ramsay’s uncompromising and delirious portrait of marital hell, particularly in the bracingly raw performance of Lawrence. The abandon with which she throws herself into the role is enough to make you exclaim “Mother!” Grace and Jackson have moved near his childhood home. Their house belonged to Jackson's uncle before he killed himself. Jackson’s parents (Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek) live nearby, and Spacek's knowing eyes suggest they went through something not so dissimilar long ago, casting Grace's struggles as part of a long, gothic American history. Soon after moving in, the couple dance ferociously before winding up naked on the floor. That scene is announcement of the pitch Ramsay, the great Scottish filmmaker of “Ratcatcher” and “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” is working at and of how much her stars are with her on the ride. This is the first movie together for the former teen idols. But I found myself wondering if Lawrence and Pattinson’s evident chemistry works against the film. Pattinson’s Jackson is some ways a stereotypical dude and foil to Grace. He drinks Budweiser, goes absent with work and can seem more interested in their young son, or the dog, than in Grace. But Pattinson has always exuded a bemused resistance to male tropes that makes him less of an oppositional force to Grace. Pattinson does a lot with concerned looks, as Grace’s behavior grows more extreme. But a more conventional leading man might have been better suited to the role, and clarified their dynamic. But clarity is also not what Ramsay is after. Working from a script she penned with playwrights Enda Walsh and Alice Birch, Ramsay sticks resolutely to Grace’s disturbed perspective. The sound design, by Tim Burns and Paul Davies, is purposefully chaotic, filled with barking and the children's music Grace blares as she stomps half naked through the house, ignoring housework and indulging in sexual fantasies. (LaKeith Stanfield has a small, peculiar part.) Grace is also a writer who isn’t writing, so her manic mindset has some echoes with Jack Torrance in “The Shining.” So, no, this isn’t postpartum, and Grace, herself, makes it clear. Her son is great, she says. “It’s everything else that’s f---ed.” What falls into everything else? It’s mostly the things that are trying to subtly and not so subtly conform Grace to a simple and restrictive mom persona. Heaven help the cheery suburban mothers who try to make small talk with her at a birthday party. Even the classic rock Jackson plays in his truck irks her. “I hate guitars,” she pronounces. It helps for “Die, My Love” to get out of the house, where the movie is overwhelmingly, even oppressively set. “Die, My Love” might have benefited from more scenes like these that let Lawrence use her comedic talents more. Instead, a live-wire performance gets suffocated, and the conceptual force of the movie ends up feeling more oppressive to Grace than anything else. “Die, My Love,” a Mubi release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some violent content. Running time: 118 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.    

Hollywood star and UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has made a surprise visit to Ukraine’s southern frontline city of Kherson, days after Russian drone strikes hit the war-torn region, Ukrainian media reported Thursday. This marks Jolie’s second visit to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. During her trip, she visited children’s hospitals and maternity wards, where she was seen wearing a bulletproof vest with Ukrainian insignia and interacting with young patients. Local media reported that Jolie arrived in Kherson wearing full protective gear, including a helmet, amid continuing Russian bombardment. Her visit drew wide attention both locally and internationally. According to reports circulating online, Jolie’s bodyguard was briefly drafted into the Ukrainian army during the trip, prompting her to contact authorities for his release before continuing her humanitarian mission. Kherson lies across the Dnipro River from Russian-occupied territory and remains a frequent target of airstrikes and shelling. Jolie, who served as a UN special envoy for refugees from 2012 to 2022, first visited Ukraine shortly after the invasion to meet displaced families in the western city of Lviv. On the work front, the Oscar-winning actress was last seen in Couture, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is currently filming Anxious People.   Source: NDTV

Celebrated filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan has revealed that she turned to YouTube content creation after her decade-long break from directing films — partly because of family expenses and partly for fun. Farah, who last directed Happy New Year in 2014, launched her YouTube channel in April 2024, starting with casual cooking vlogs featuring her and her longtime cook, Dilip. The series quickly went viral, earning her nearly 3 million subscribers on YouTube and 4.5 million followers on Instagram. Speaking on the latest episode of Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle, the 60-year-old filmmaker explained how she embraced YouTube when film projects weren’t materializing. “Even when my movie was not happening, I said, ‘chal (come on), let me do YouTube,’ because I could see where things were going. Also, I have three kids who go to university next year — and that’s bloody expensive,” she said, referring to her 17-year-old triplets Czar, Anya, and Diva, whom she shares with filmmaker-husband Shirish Kunder. Salman Khan faces legal notice over “misleading” pan masala ads Known for directing blockbusters like Main Hoon Na, Om Shanti Om and Tees Maar Khan, Farah said she finds joy and purpose in continuing to work. “Your life can’t revolve around another person. Happiness has to come from within and from your work. Work gives me a lot of pleasure,” she said, adding that she hopes to work well into her 80s. The new episode of Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle, featuring actor Ananya Panday alongside Farah Khan, premieres Thursday midnight on Prime Video. Source: NDTV

On November 4, 1979, 66 Americans were taken hostage at the US Embassy in Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis. Forty-six years later, their daring escape remains one of the most remarkable rescue operations in history. Six Americans avoided capture with the help of CIA officer Tony Mendez. He created a plan, known as the “Canadian Caper,” that disguised the diplomats as a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a science-fiction movie named Argo. After hiding in Canadian officials’ homes, the six diplomats followed Mendez’s plan to leave Iran safely in January 1980. The operation involved careful planning, fake documents, and a convincing cover story developed with Hollywood experts. The story inspired the 2012 Hollywood film Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, who played Mendez. The film also featured actors portraying the six Americans, Canadian Ambassador Kenneth Taylor, and the CIA and Hollywood team who helped make the escape successful. The rescue combined intelligence, courage, and creativity, showing how art and real-life espionage intersected to save lives during a critical moment in history.   Source: NDTV

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been issued a legal notice by the Kota Consumer Court following a complaint alleging that advertisements for Rajshree Pan Masala, endorsed by him, are “misleading.” The complaint was filed by senior BJP leader and Rajasthan High Court advocate Inder Mohan Singh Honey, who requested a ban on such ads and questioned claims that the product contains “saffron-infused cardamom” and “saffron-infused pan masala.” Honey argued that saffron, priced at nearly Rs 4 lakh per kilogram, could not realistically be an ingredient in a product costing just Rs 5. Shah Rukh, Priyanka were first considered for 2 States: Chetan Bhagat The petitioner also raised concerns about the influence of these ads on young people, noting the link between pan masala consumption and rising cancer cases. “Salman Khan is a role model for many. Celebrities should not promote products that encourage youth to consume pan masala, a leading cause of mouth cancer,” Honey told ANI. The Kota Consumer Court has taken cognisance of the matter and scheduled a hearing for November 27, 2025, while responses from the actor and the company are still awaited.

An exclusive solo exhibition of acclaimed Irish artist Oona Hyland titled "An Duanaire: Visual Poems of the Dispossessed," was inaugurated on Tuesday - the first of its kind by an Irish artist in Bangladesh. "Oona Hyland is spending three weeks in Dhaka for an artistic cultural exchange - the first Irish qartist to do it. She is a visual artist with over 25 years experience working as a professional artist," Ambassador of Ireland to Bangladesh Kevin Kelly, who is based out of New Delhi, said at the inauguration at the Garden Gallery in Baridhara. Honorary Consul of Ireland in Bangladesh Masud Khan hosted the event. The residency, jointly organized by Gallery Cosmos and the Embassy of Ireland as part of the Ireland-Bangladesh Art Exchange Programme, serves as a dynamic platform for cultural dialogue and artistic collaboration between the two nations. Thanking Masud Khan and his team for supporting, Ambassador Kelly said this initiative aims to foster artistic collaboration and deepen cultural ties between Bangladesh and Ireland, through the medium of printmaking. He said "Though we have no embassy in Bangladesh, we have a long history of partnership with Bangladesh, development co-operation and business and hope to grow the relationship." "During her time in Dhaka, Oona will explore how art connects memory, healing, and collective reflection. Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's vision of creativity as a moral and spiritual force, her work will focus on Bangladesh's history and artistic resilience," he commented. He also hoped that the success of this residency fosters deeper artistic collaboration between Ireland and Bangladesh not only have Irish artists come to Bangladesh but also Bangladeshi artists travel to Ireland. Welcoming all guests from home and abroad, Masud Khan, also Deputy Managing Director of the Cosmos Group, said: "You know, I was a little bit worried at first — whether we’d have enough time, and how everything would turn out. But thanks to all our efforts, and especially to Oona, who worked tirelessly every single day — very hard — it all came together beautifully." Mentioning the Irish artist as incredibly dedicated, hardworking, and "pleasant of personality", he said everyone has been saying so many nice things about her, and he truly hoped that she would come back here again. "We also had a wonderful exchange at Dhaka University — meeting the faculty and students there was really great. After today, you’ll finally have some free time, and we have a few more outings planned for you. Maybe you can visit some more galleries and explore the city a bit," he added.    

Author Chetan Bhagat has revealed that Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were initially considered for the film 2 States, before Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were finalized. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Bhagat said, “For 2 States, bigger stars were being talked about. Shah Rukh Khan was being considered. There was also a time when Vishal Bhardwaj was going to make it. Then names like Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra were discussed.” He added that he was unsure about the final casting when a new director and two relatively new actors were chosen. “Arjun was just one film old, and Alia had only done Student of the Year. I wasn’t convinced. But it turned out to be amazing casting — their freshness and youth made the film what it was,” he said. Bhagat also shared that several actors had turned down roles in Kai Po Che!, another film based on his novel The Three Mistakes of My Life. “All the stars rejected it, so we had to cast Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, and Amit Sadh. I had little hope from the movie, but it became one of the best adaptations,” he said. 2 States, produced by Dharma Productions, became a major hit in 2014, striking a chord with young audiences for its portrayal of an inter-cultural romance inspired by Bhagat’s own life.   Source: NDTV

Sunita Ahuja, wife of Bollywood actor Govinda, has once again spoken out about ongoing rumors surrounding their marriage and the actor’s alleged extramarital affair. Months after the couple appeared together publicly and insisted that “no one can separate” them, Sunita revisited the topic during a podcast interview with Paras S. Chhabra on his Abraa Kaa Dabra Show. When asked about Govinda’s rumored affairs, she said, “I’ve heard these things too — supposedly about a Marathi actress — but until I see it with my own eyes or catch him red-handed, I can’t believe or declare anything.” Sunita added that at this stage in life, her husband should be focused on their children, daughter Tina and son Yashvardhan, rather than on such distractions. “This isn’t the age to be doing all that. Govinda should be thinking about settling our daughter and Yash’s career,” she said. “I’ve told the media that I’ll always speak the truth — because I don’t lie. Until I say something myself, don’t believe the rumors.” She also used the opportunity to advise women to be financially independent, stressing the importance of earning one’s own income. “My YouTube channel is doing really well — I even received the Silver Button within four months,” she said. “A woman should stand on her own feet. Earning your own money gives you a different kind of happiness. When your husband gives you money, it comes after asking several times — but your own earnings are truly yours.” Sunita revealed that she currently lives in a four-bedroom home with her children, while Govinda stays elsewhere. “This house feels small for us,” she joked. “Through this podcast, I want to say, ‘Chichi, buy me a big five-bedroom house — or else see what happens!’” Rumors of Trouble in Marriage Speculation about Govinda and Sunita’s relationship has circulated since February, when she began sharing personal details in media interviews. An ETimes report quoted a source claiming that Sunita had even sent Govinda a separation notice, though no further action was taken. Later reports suggested that the couple had reconciled. On Ganesh Chaturthi, the two appeared together and denied any rift. “If something had happened between us, would we be standing so close today?” Sunita told the media. “No one can separate us — not even God or the devil.” Govinda and Sunita married in March 1987, keeping their relationship private until after their daughter Tina’s birth in 1988. The couple later welcomed their son Yashvardhan in 1997. Source NDTV