United News of Bangladesh

The costume designers of the upcoming film Ramayana have responded to criticism and online trolling over the looks of Sai Pallavi as Sita and Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi. Since the trailer was released, the film’s costumes have become a major topic of discussion on social media. While some viewers questioned the modern styling of certain characters, others posted memes comparing Lara Dutta’s Kaikeyi with characters from popular television serials. Costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula said they had expected different reactions to their work, given the cultural importance of the Ramayana. “We knew conversations and comparisons were inevitable. An epic like the Ramayana has lived in our collective consciousness for generations,” Rimple said. She said viewers would naturally have different opinions about the casting, costumes and visual effects. “What has kept us grounded is our honesty towards our craft,” she said. Why Sita’s costume was designed that wayRimple also explained the thinking behind Sita’s blouse, which has drawn criticism online. She said the design was a deliberate choice based on her personal understanding of Sita rather than an attempt to recreate historical or archaeological clothing. “When I close my eyes and think of Goddess Sita, I don't think about archaeological authenticity. I wanted my Goddess, the one sitting in my mandir, to look like the image that has lived in my consciousness,” she said. Symbolism behind Kaikeyi’s lookHarpreet, meanwhile, explained the thought behind Kaikeyi’s costume, which has also faced criticism online. He said the colours were chosen to represent different aspects of the character. “The green in her costume represents motherhood, while the deep maroon reflects the emotional strength and darkness of the decision she has to make,” he said. He added that Kaikeyi is caught between her own son and Rama, and every colour in her costume was selected for a reason. “Sometimes people react too quickly before understanding the thought behind it,” he said. Harpreet urged viewers to watch the film before reaching a final judgment about its visual choices. “This is our attempt to make an ancient epic speak visually to a new generation. There's thought behind every thread,” he said. “We want to appeal to viewers: don't decide before you see it. Watch it, experience it and then form your opinion.” The Ramayana trailer was released on July 30. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Yash as Ravana. Arun Govil plays King Dasharatha, Lara Dutta plays Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh plays Shurpanakha, Shobana plays Kaikesi and Vivek Oberoi plays Vidyutjihva. Jatayu also appears in the trailer. However, Sunny Deol’s Hanuman, along with characters such as Bharat, Shatrughan and Kausalya, does not appear in the trailer. Source: NDTV

Actor and cancer survivor Manisha Koirala has shared an honest account of her health and fitness journey, saying she learned that ageing changes the body and that healing requires patience rather than pushing harder. In a recent Instagram post, the 55-year-old actor said her gym updates are not about appearance but about regaining her health after years of putting it on the back burner. Koirala, who was diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer in 2012 and declared cancer-free in 2013 after surgery and chemotherapy, said she gradually lost healthy routines because of life's pressures, including less sleep, more stress and irregular habits. She said she decided to make her health her top priority before starting her next project. Believing that daily workouts and carefully tracking calories and protein would bring quick results, she expected to see major changes. However, despite exercising regularly, the number on the weighing scale did not change. She even bought a new scale, thinking the old one was faulty, but the result remained the same. Koirala admitted she became frustrated and emotional before consulting doctors and health experts, who explained that the body naturally changes with age. She said she eventually realised that her body no longer needed punishment or extreme effort but understanding and a different approach to wellness. After following a more balanced and holistic health plan for four months, she said she finally began seeing progress and now feels stronger, healthier and more hopeful, although she is still working towards her fitness goals. Koirala also encouraged people facing similar struggles not to lose hope if results take time. "Sometimes your body is asking for patience, not perfection," she wrote. Her post received widespread support from fans, many praising her honesty and thanking her for sharing the challenges behind her recovery and wellness journey. Source: NDTV

A banner displayed by Argentina’s national football team after defeating England in the World Cup semifinals has reignited public interest in the disputed Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas, turning the territorial issue into a nationwide cultural phenomenon. The hand-painted banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Malvinas are Argentine”) quickly spread across Argentina, appearing on T-shirts, murals, stickers, jerseys, artwork and social media. Thousands also downloaded a typeface inspired by the banner’s lettering. The Falkland Islands, administered by Britain since 1833, are claimed by Argentina. The two countries fought a 10-week war over the islands in 1982, leaving 649 Argentine and 255 British troops dead. Britain cites a 2013 referendum in which islanders overwhelmingly voted to remain a British territory. War veteran Edgardo Esteban said the World Cup had introduced a new generation to the Malvinas issue. Ahead of the semifinal, FIFA prohibited political messages inside the stadium, but Argentine players unfurled the banner after supporters threw it onto the pitch. The display drew criticism from British politicians and prompted FIFA to charge the Argentine Football Association. Meanwhile, the banner sparked a merchandising boom and renewed political debate in Argentina. Experts say the incident also boosted global awareness, with Google searches for “Malvinas” surging 2,400% after the semifinal.

Actor Sai Pallavi has said she turned down a reported Rs 2 crore endorsement deal for a fairness cream because she did not want to promote products that could make people feel insecure about their skin colour. The actor, who will play Sita in Ramayana: Part 1, said she believes people should feel confident about their natural appearance rather than try to meet society's beauty standards. Speaking in an earlier interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sai Pallavi said she has never endorsed beauty products because she rarely uses makeup and prefers to appear naturally on screen. "You need to be confident about who you are and your skin colour," she said. The actor explained that her decision was also influenced by her younger sister's experiences. She recalled that her sister was often encouraged to eat certain foods with the belief that they would make her fairer, which deeply upset her. "I felt I needed to stand up for that, at least for my sister's sake. Otherwise, what would I do with all that money?" Sai Pallavi said. She also shared that she had struggled with acne before entering the film industry and had tried many skincare products because she felt self-conscious about her appearance. "I didn't want to leave home because I thought people would only notice my pimples," she said. However, after making her acting debut in the 2015 Malayalam film Premam, she realised audiences accepted her despite her acne, which gave her greater confidence. Sai Pallavi said many young people later told her they felt encouraged after seeing someone succeed without hiding such skin conditions. She added that this inspired her to avoid promoting products that might make people question their appearance or feel less confident about themselves. While explaining her decision, the actor said she respects those who choose to endorse such brands but wanted to remain true to her own beliefs. Source: NDTV

A treadmill can be a simple way to stay active and support overall fitness. It is easy to use and widely available in gyms. Regular treadmill exercise can help improve cardiovascular fitness, support heart health, lift mood and keep the body active. A fitness coach has shared a 30-minute treadmill routine that gradually increases and decreases the incline. According to Usamaa, who uses the name usamaa.fitness on Instagram, following a structured routine can make treadmill workouts easier to maintain. The workout begins with five minutes at incline 5 as a warm-up. The incline is then increased to 8 for another five minutes, followed by incline 10 for five minutes and incline 12 for the next five minutes. After reaching the highest incline, the routine gradually becomes easier. The incline is lowered to 8 for five minutes before finishing with another five minutes at incline 5. The full workout takes 30 minutes. “It burns calories without wrecking your recovery. You’ll feel it, but you won’t dread coming back tomorrow, and you can actually stay consistent with it,” the trainer said. The coach recommends maintaining consistency while also allowing enough time for rest and recovery. For a balanced fitness routine, treadmill workouts can be combined with age-appropriate strength and other physical activities. Eating regular, nutritious meals and getting enough protein and other essential nutrients are also important for supporting an active lifestyle. Anyone starting a new exercise routine should choose an intensity that feels comfortable and gradually build up as their fitness improves. Source: NDTV

Visitors thronged the final day of 'Search Soul, Soil', a group art exhibition featuring works by seven contemporary Bangladeshi artists at Alliance Française de Dhaka in Dhanmondi on Tuesday.  Centered on themes of memory, landscape, the environment, cultural heritage, biodiversity and the relationship between people and the land. The exhibition showcased artworks by Banani Simlai, Dipro Bonik, Sithi Sinha, Lutfa Mahmuda, Md Faijul Islam, Md Hashem and Ruposhree Hajong before concluding its run. Drawing on personal experiences and observations, the artists engage with contemporary environmental realities, ecological transformation and broader questions surrounding human existence. Against the backdrop of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and the growing impacts of climate change, the exhibition encourages visitors to reflect on the relationship between nature, land and humanity.

Workers at one of Europe’s last remaining bell foundries are using modern technology alongside centuries-old techniques to keep the traditional craft alive. Wearing protective gear against the intense heat of molten bronze, workers at the Grassmayr Bell Foundry in Innsbruck carefully pour the metal into specially shaped molds to cast bells weighing several tons. The foundry is currently producing 12 bells for churches in Italy, Germany and Romania. Founded in 1599, the family-run foundry has survived wars, famines, epidemics and economic difficulties. Today, brothers Johannes and Peter Grassmayr run the business. Hundreds of bell makers operated across Europe during the Renaissance, but only a few remain today. The Grassmayrs say their survival has depended on persistence and innovation, including the use of 3D printing, scanning, lasers and computer simulation applications. “Certain things are just like they were 400 years ago. But we innovated a lot. Especially within the last 20 years, we've changed a lot,” Johannes Grassmayr told The Associated Press. Producing a bell takes three to four months. In the past, cleaning and polishing a newly cast bell accounted for about 30% of the production time. Modern equipment has reduced that process to roughly one-tenth of the time. The company keeps some of its production methods secret, including a special chamber where bells are cleaned using high-pressure sandblasting. It also uses specially developed applications to calculate the sound of individual bells. Despite the technological advances, designing and preparing molds for large bells can still take up to six months. “The important thing is that you have calculate, form and then cast the bell as a musical instrument,” Johannes said. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring the mold can withstand the pressure created by molten metal. When a bell weighing several tons is cast, liquid bronze can exert up to 125 metric tons (137 tons) of pressure inside the mold. To protect the molds, the foundry uses only high-quality clay, which is reinforced with steel sleeves capable of handling the extreme pressure. However, production challenges are not the only concern for the business. The traditional bell-making industry is under pressure as fewer churches are being built, changing demand for new bells. Higher energy costs linked to the war in Ukraine have added to the difficulties, while labor costs have risen by about 30% since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Still, materials remain the biggest expense. High-quality bells are made from bronze containing 80% copper and 20% tin. Johannes said bronze cost about 8 euros ($9.23) per kilogram a few years ago but now costs around 23 euros ($26.17). “That’s why I can’t even say how much a bell is going to cost in a year. I just hope the metal price is going to come down again,” he said. To sustain the business, the family has increasingly focused on restoring old bells, often using modern technology. According to the company, hundreds of damaged bells from 12 European countries have been restored at the Grassmayr foundry. Grassmayr bells are installed in more than 100 countries, from Japan to the United States. One of the largest bells produced by the brothers was made for Romania’s National Cathedral in Bucharest. Cast in 2016, it stands 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) tall and weighs more than 25 metric tons (27.5 tons). Another bell weighing 15 metric tons (16.5 tons) hangs at a church on Mount Tabor in Israel. Johannes recently showed AP several newly cast bells that were being left to cool for a week before being removed from their molds. The detailed imprint of the mold could still be seen in the clay. “This bell is for the church in Zethau, in Germany,” he said. “I’m very happy with the casting. I’m especially happy that the innovations of the past decades helped a lot to make the bells ever more beautiful and better.”

Immo Feldmer carefully tipped smoldering charcoal into a tall mound of earth, continuing an ancient tradition of charcoal making that has survived for centuries in Germany’s Harz Mountains. Inside the mound, beech wood is tightly stacked and left to smolder for weeks until it is transformed into charcoal — a craft that has been practiced in the Harz region of eastern Germany for hundreds of years. “We are making charcoal in traditional earthen kilns, just as it was done here in the Harz Mountains over 1,000 years ago,” Feldmer told The Associated Press in a recent interview as he stood among the mounds in the Harz forest near the small town of Hasselfelde. Feldmer and his brother Sascha took over the Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus charcoal-making business from their father. They also employ a small number of workers because the smoldering wood inside the mounds must be monitored and carefully tended day and night to prevent it from catching fire and turning into useless ash. Once covered with earth, the beech wood burns from top to bottom through carefully placed air holes. Beech is particularly suitable because of its high density and the intense heat it produces when converted into charcoal. After the process is complete, the charcoal is cleared of soil and allowed to cool before being packed into 10-kilogram (22-pound) bags for sale. Charcoal production was once essential to mining in the Harz Mountains. Valuable metals such as silver, lead, copper and zinc were extracted from hard rock by crushing the ore and smelting it in furnaces at extremely high temperatures — heat that could only be achieved with charcoal. Over the centuries, hundreds of families in the Harz region made their living as charcoal burners. Mining has since ended in the area, however, and only a small number of charcoal burners remain in Germany. The Feldmer brothers now mainly sell their charcoal to people who use it for barbecues at home. “Our charcoal is, first and foremost, made from pure beech wood,” Feldmer said, noting that much of the charcoal sold in German hardware stores is imported and made from “mixed woods, scrap wood, and waste wood” to keep production costs low. The brothers produce around 40 tons of charcoal a year, but the business alone is not enough to support them. They have therefore expanded the operation to include a museum showcasing the history of charcoal burning, a small shop and a restaurant serving local specialities, including steaks grilled over their own charcoal made from birch wood. Although charcoal burning has largely disappeared as a traditional craft in Germany, Feldmer hopes his family can keep the practice alive for future generations. “Of course, we hope ... that our business here will be taken over by our children, that it will continue to operate, and that the traditional craft of charcoal burning will be preserved here,” he said.

UNESCO on Sunday added Greece’s Mount Olympus, Japan’s ancient capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, and South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape to its prestigious World Heritage List during the World Heritage Committee session in South Korea. The committee, meeting in the southeastern city of Busan through Wednesday, is reviewing dozens of nominations from around the world. Mount Olympus, famed in Greek mythology as the home of the 12 Olympian gods, was recognized as a mixed cultural and natural heritage site after a 12-year campaign by Greece. Standing 2,918 meters above sea level, the country’s highest peak is renowned for both its mythological significance and rich biodiversity. Greek officials welcomed the recognition, saying it reinforces the country’s commitment to preserving the mountain’s unique natural environment amid concerns that increased tourism could put additional pressure on the site.  

Marvel Studios announced major casting updates at Comic-Con International on Saturday, naming David Jonsson as the new Black Panther and revealing Ryan Gosling will play Ghost Rider in upcoming films set for release in 2028. Jonsson will portray the son of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa in Black Panther III, which is scheduled to release on December 15, 2028. The 32-year-old actor, known for Industry, The Long Walk and Alien: Romulus, appeared on stage with director Ryan Coogler, Letitia Wright and Winston Duke. Marvel also confirmed that Gosling will star as Ghost Rider, reuniting with director Shawn Levy. Gosling said he had wanted to play the character for a long time. The studio further announced a theatrical re-release of Avengers: Endgame on September 25 with new footage connected to Avengers: Doomsday, which will arrive on December 18. A trailer shown at the event revealed more about Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor Von Doom and his connection with Fantastic Four characters Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Ryan Reynolds surprised fans by appearing at the panel in a new grey Deadpool costume, adding to the excitement of Marvel’s presentation. The announcements come as Marvel looks to boost interest in its superhero franchise following mixed reactions to some recent releases.