United News of Bangladesh

If Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar succeeds in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, he could end a 49-year gap by becoming the first film star to serve as chief minister since M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) transformed the state’s political landscape in 1977. MGR’s sweeping victory that year marked the last time a cinema icon directly captured power in Tamil Nadu. He turned fan loyalty into a structured political force, embedded welfare politics into governance, and redefined the link between charisma and policy. While figures like Jayalalithaa rose to power later, her success came through consolidating MGR’s AIADMK rather than building an entirely new political platform. Early trends in the 2026 elections indicate that Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), founded just two years ago, is performing strongly, with projections placing it between 100 and 118 seats. Even at the lower end, this positions Vijay among the state’s top political power at the higher end, it brings him close to the 118 seats needed for a majority in the 234-member assembly. What makes Vijay’s rise notable is its speed and strategic planning. Unlike many actor-politician who maintained parallel careers in cinema, Vijay began laying the groundwork much earlier. His political journey can be traced back to 2009, when he reorganised his fan clubs into Vijay Makkal Iyakkam, initially focusing on welfare activities. Over time, this network expanded its grassroots presence through relief efforts, educational support and community engagement. In 2011, the organisation backed the AIADMK alliance, marking Vijay’s first direct involvement in electoral politics. In the years that followed, his public appearances increasingly addressed broader issues such as youth unemployment, corruption, exam stress and governance concerns, resonating especially with younger voters. The organisational strength of his network became evident during the 2021 local government elections, where candidates linked to Vijay’s movement secured a majority of the seats they contested. When Vijay formally launched TVK in February 2024, he made his intentions clear: the party would contest independently in 2026, avoid pre-election alliances, and position itself as an alternative to the long-standing DMK-AIADMK dominance. He reinforced this commitment by stepping away from films after a three-decade career spanning around 70 movies. Over the next two years, TVK evolved from a loosely organised welfare network into a structured political party with district and booth-level organisation. Its campaign focused on education, employment, anti-corruption and institutional accountability, while projecting Vijay as a responsive and accessible leader. The journey has not been without challenges. A deadly stampede at a TVK-linked event in Karur in 2025 tested Vijay’s leadership. His response—measured and corrective—offered an early glimpse into how he might handle political crises. Current projections suggest that even without a clear majority, a strong showing could place Vijay at the centre of government formation, either as chief minister or a key power broker. His refusal to form pre-poll alliances also means any post-election arrangement will be closely scrutinised. The emergence of TVK has already reshaped Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. Alongside the DMK-led alliance and a diminished but relevant AIADMK, the state is witnessing a credible three-way contest for the first time in decades. Smaller parties now have a potential third force to align with. Comparisons with MGR are inevitable, but the contexts differ. While MGR rode a wave of populism and political rupture, Vijay’s appeal is tied to generational concerns, dissatisfaction with governance, and the promise of cleaner politics. Whether he ultimately takes power or simply transforms the political dynamics, the 2026 election has already marked a turning point. Vijay may either become the first actor in nearly half a century to lead Tamil Nadu—or demonstrate that such a shift is now within reach. Source NDTV  

Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar on Sunday said that everyone has the right to promote their ideas through creative works, responding to debates over films being labelled as propaganda. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after receiving a special award from a city-based jewellery brand, when asked about criticism surrounding films like Dhurandhar. "I don't know what you mean by propaganda films. I loved Dhurandhar; it was an excellent film. I liked the first one more than the second," he said. "Every story takes a stand, but does it become propaganda because the narrative doesn't suit a section of the audience? Everyone has the right to propagate their ideas. What is wrong with propaganda films? The task of every filmmaker is to present the truth," Akhtar added. He said that every story carries a viewpoint, and even films based on fictional or fairy-tale themes reflect an underlying ideology. The veteran writer also noted that films often convey a moral message, though audiences may interpret or label it differently. About Dhurandhar, the project features actors including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera and Danish Pandor. The two-part film series centres on a high-risk covert counter-terrorism mission. The first instalment follows an undercover Indian intelligence agent who infiltrates criminal syndicates and political networks in Karachi, Pakistan, aiming to dismantle a terror network targeting India. The sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, continues the storyline, with the agent pursuing those behind the 26/11 attacks while confronting broader threats. The narrative is loosely inspired by real geopolitical events and conflicts in South Asia.  #Via NDTV

Les Fleurs du Manguier – Lost Land (2025), an acclaimed feature film portraying the plight of Rohingya refugees by Japanese director Akio Fujimoto and co-produced by Japan, France, Germany, and Malaysia, had a special screening at the Alliance Française de Dhaka on Saturday. Winner of the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, the 138-minute film follows two Rohingya siblings, Shafi, 4, and Somira, 9, as they leave a refugee camp in Bangladesh and embark on a perilous journey to Malaysia in search of their family. Made in the Rohingya language, with both French and English subtitles, the film highlights the broader human dimensions of displacement, particularly the importance of safety, security, and dignity for Rohingya communities in Bangladesh and beyond. The film’s portrayal of vulnerable journeys also echoes the urgent need to protect individuals from risks that may lead to dangerous or irregular migration pathways, while promoting livelihoods, safety, and self-reliance. The screening, held at 5:00 PM at Auditorium Nouvelle Vague, was open to all and was followed by an engaging and interactive discussion. The session brought together audience members to reflect on the Rohingya crisis, exploring its ongoing challenges and humanitarian dimensions, as well as discussing the film's future trajectory and global outreach. France supports the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Rohingya refugees and continues to play an active role in their assistance through sustained financial support and political engagement. Akio Fujimoto is a celebrated filmmaker known for focusing on Southeast Asian migrant experiences. His previous works, Passage of Life (2017) and Along the Sea (2020), have received international acclaim for their sensitive portrayal of displacement and human rights. Drawing on personal and cultural experiences, his work blends fiction and documentary with subtlety and humanism, often focusing on the lives of people on the margins.

The romantic drama Ek Din attempts to explore love and memory but ultimately falls short, offering a predictable and emotionally underwhelming experience despite an intriguing premise. Backed by Aamir Khan Productions and directed by Sunil Pandey, the film opens with a familiar idea that life rarely mirrors what is shown in movies. However, it struggles to build on that promise in a meaningful way. Junaid Khan plays Dino, a socially awkward and overly kind IT employee in Noida who quietly harbours one-sided feelings for his colleague Meera, portrayed by Sai Pallavi. Dino’s affection borders on obsessive as he remembers minute details about her life, while Meera is involved in an affair with her married boss Nakul, played by Kunal Kapoor. The story takes a turn when the office team travels to Japan for a five-day work trip. There, Dino makes an unlikely wish to spend just one day with Meera as his partner. In a dramatic twist, his wish appears to come true after Meera suffers an accident and develops Transient Global Amnesia, losing her memory for 24 hours. This sets the stage for the pair to share a fleeting day together before she forgets everything. Despite this emotional setup, the film fails to create a lasting impact. The chemistry between Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi remains limited, and the narrative does not fully capture the depth of love, loss or longing it aims to portray. The film also drew comparisons on social media with other memory-loss romances, prompting Aamir Khan to clarify that Ek Din is entirely different. While that may be true, it also lacks the emotional intensity and engagement seen in similar films. Sai Pallavi, making her Hindi film debut, delivers a committed performance as Meera, a free-spirited and somewhat unpredictable character. However, her role lacks depth, leaving her talent underutilised. Junaid Khan shows improvement and growing confidence, though his performance alone cannot elevate the film. Visually, the winter setting of Japan, particularly Hokkaido, adds charm and stands out as one of the film’s highlights. However, scenic beauty alone cannot compensate for the lack of strong storytelling and emotional connection. Overall, Ek Din joins the long list of romantic dramas centred on memory loss but fails to distinguish itself, leaving little lasting impression on viewers. #From NDTV

Ranveer Singh is set to begin filming his upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller Pralay in August 2026, with insiders rejecting recent reports of “creative differences” between the actor and director Jai Mehta. The project, which gained attention following the success of the Dhurandhar franchise, had recently been the subject of speculation suggesting it faced delays due to disagreements between the lead actor and the filmmaker. However, a source close to the production dismissed the claims, saying the film is progressing as planned. “Reports suggesting any uncertainty around Pralay are completely baseless,” the insider told NDTV. “Ranveer and Jai have been in continuous discussions and have firmly locked the script. The project has already moved into pre-production, with the entire team actively gearing up to create a never-before-witnessed gigantic spectacle out of Indian cinema. As it stands, Pralay is on track to go on floors by August 2026.” The film is being developed as a large-scale, VFX-driven action thriller set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, with elements of the zombie genre rarely explored at this scale in Hindi cinema. Jai Mehta has reportedly spent the past year shaping the project, which is expected to be mounted with a budget of around Rs 300 crore. The screenplay has been written by Mehta along with Vishal Kapoor, known for his work on Lootere. The film is being produced by Hansal Mehta under his banner True Story Films, along with Ranveer Singh’s Maa Kasam Films, in collaboration with Applause Entertainment. For Ranveer Singh, Pralay marks a major shift as he explores a new genre and prepares to adopt a completely different look for the role. The actor has not officially signed any other project at the moment, though discussions are underway for a possible collaboration with Aditya Dhar after the completion of Pralay. With pre-production underway and a clear timeline in place, the film appears to be moving ahead as planned despite recent rumours.  #By NDTV

The biopic Michael has made a strong debut at the box office, earning $97 million in the United States and Canada and setting a new record for music biopics, despite receiving poor reviews and facing production challenges. The film, based on the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, easily beat previous top openings in the genre, including Straight Outta Compton and Bohemian Rhapsody. Internationally, the movie also performed strongly, earning $120.4 million overseas. This brings its total global opening to $217.4 million, another record for a music biopic. While Lionsgate handled the release in North America, Universal Pictures distributed it in most international markets. Earlier projections had estimated a much lower opening, around $50 million, later revised to $70 million. However, the film far exceeded expectations, attracting a wide audience. The movie was a major gamble, as it portrays a hugely popular but controversial figure. Jackson’s legacy has long been overshadowed by allegations of child sexual abuse. He denied wrongdoing and was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial, though questions have persisted over the years. Some members of the Jackson family were not involved in the project. Janet Jackson did not participate, while his daughter Paris Jackson criticised the film as unrealistic. The project was announced years after the release of Leaving Neverland, which focused on abuse allegations. Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson played the lead role. Production faced serious setbacks. After filming was completed, the team realised part of the story focused on a legal case involving Jordan Chandler, which could not be included due to a prior settlement. As a result, large sections of the film were removed, and expensive reshoots were carried out. The story was eventually reworked to end in 1988, before the allegations surfaced. Despite the difficulties, the film has turned into a major commercial success. Its production cost was close to $200 million, with plans already underway for a sequel and possibly more films. Critics largely panned the movie, accusing it of ignoring controversial aspects of Jackson’s life. It received a low rating on review platforms, but audiences responded much more positively, giving it strong feedback in cinema surveys. The film’s release also boosted a successful period for Hollywood, alongside hits like Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. After leading the box office for three weeks, the Mario sequel dropped to second place with $21.2 million over the weekend. “Project Hail Mary” continued its strong run, crossing $600 million globally in its sixth week. According to estimates, the top films at the North American box office this weekend were led by “Michael,” followed by “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Project Hail Mary.”

The box office battle between ‘Bhooth Bangla’ and ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ remains intense, with both films continuing to draw audiences in theatres. Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bhooth Bangla’ has crossed the Rs 100 crore mark in its second week, while Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ is still performing strongly even in its sixth week. According to Sacnilk, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ earned Rs 10.75 crore on its second Saturday from 9,266 shows. With this, the film’s total India gross reached Rs 120.10 crore, while its India nett stood at Rs 100.90 crore. The horror-comedy had collected Rs 84.40 crore nett in its first week in India and Rs 135.45 crore globally. On its seventh day, it made Rs 5.15 crore, showing a steady trend during weekdays after a strong opening weekend. Meanwhile, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ continues its impressive run. On its 38th day, the film collected around Rs 2.95 crore, taking its India nett total to Rs 1,127.14 crore, Sacnilk reported. The two films also show different audience trends. ‘Dhurandhar 2’ saw high occupancy between 54 percent and 76 percent in its early days, but this has now dropped to single digits. In contrast, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ recorded weekday occupancy between 12 percent and 20 percent, with better turnout on weekends. Earlier, Akshay Kumar said both films cater to different audiences. He described ‘Dhurandhar’ as a film for adults, while ‘Bhooth Bangla’ is aimed at families and children. "There are different kinds of films being made. Dhurandhar is a great film, I've seen it. This (Bhoot Bangla) is a different film. Dhurandhar is an adult film, this (Bhoot Bangla) is for kids and families. When we made this film, we didn't look at what the current trend is. We rather looked at whether the story was good or not, and accordingly, we made this film. We never thought about the trend," he told PTI in an interview.

Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar, has made a stronger-than-expected start at the box office, maintaining momentum as it approaches one week in theatres despite the dominance of Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Bhooth Bangla earned ₹6.15 crore on Day 6 across 11,584 shows, taking its total India net collection to ₹78.90 crore and gross collection to ₹93.87 crore. The film has also performed overseas, collecting ₹2.00 crore on Day 6, with total overseas earnings reaching ₹33.50 crore. Its worldwide gross now stands at ₹127.37 crore. Released with paid previews a day before its official opening, the film had already collected ₹3.75 crore ahead of release. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film marks his reunion with Akshay Kumar after 14 years. It features an ensemble cast including Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Wamiqa Gabbi and veteran actor Asrani. The film is produced by Balaji Motion Pictures in association with Cape of Good Films, with Akshay Kumar, Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa Kapoor backing the project. Meanwhile, Dhurandhar 2 continues its blockbuster run, earning ₹1.70 crore on Day 35 across 3,910 shows. Its total India net collection has reached ₹1,121.09 crore, with gross earnings at ₹1,341.90 crore. The film added ₹0.25 crore overseas on the same day, taking its total overseas gross to ₹422.25 crore and worldwide collection to ₹1,764.15 crore. With global earnings nearing ₹1,759 crore, Dhurandhar 2 has pushed its franchise total past ₹3,019 crore, becoming the first Indian film franchise to cross the ₹3,000 crore mark, surpassing series like Baahubali and Pushpa. Starring Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan and Sanjay Dutt, the film was released on March 19 and is now eyeing the record for the highest-grossing Indian film (net), aiming to surpass Pushpa 2. #From NDTV

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone is continuing to shoot demanding action scenes for upcoming film ‘Raaka’ despite being pregnant, according to media reports. Deepika and her husband Ranveer Singh announced their second pregnancy on Sunday, surprising fans. The actor is currently working on two major projects ‘Raaka’, starring Allu Arjun, and ‘King’ alongside Shah Rukh Khan. A report by Hindustan Times said Deepika plans to continue shooting throughout her pregnancy. Citing a source close to the actor, the report said she is filming intense action sequences for ‘Raaka’, with necessary safety measures in place. The source added that both ‘Raaka’ and ‘King’ are on tight production schedules with release dates already announced, prompting Deepika to stay committed to her work timeline. The couple shared the pregnancy news through a joint social media post, showing a glimpse of their daughter holding a positive pregnancy test kit. Deepika captioned the post with a nazar amulet emoji. Several Bollywood celebrities, including Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor, congratulated the couple. ‘Raaka’, a sci-fi action film produced by Sun Pictures, marks the first collaboration between Allu Arjun and director Atlee. The project was announced in April on Allu Arjun’s 43rd birthday. Reports suggest the film has a massive budget, with significant spending planned for production and visual effects. Meanwhile, ‘King’, directed by Siddharth Anand, will see Deepika reunite with Shah Rukh Khan. The film also features Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Arshad Warsi and Rani Mukerji in key roles. ‘King’ is scheduled to be released in cinemas on December 24, 2026. Source: NDTV

The Hindi film Dhurandhar 2 has broken a series of box office records within just one month of its release, setting new benchmarks both in India and globally. Released on March 19, with paid previews starting a day earlier, the film made a strong impression even before its official opening. It earned around Rs 43 crore from previews alone, the highest ever in India, signalling massive audience interest. The film also recorded the highest advance booking in history, selling nearly 925,000 tickets across national cinema chains ahead of release. On its opening day, the film collected Rs 102.55 crore nett in India, the biggest-ever Day 1 figure for a Hindi film. Of this, the Hindi version contributed Rs 99.10 crore, marking the highest single-day collection for a Hindi-language movie. Including previews, the domestic Day 1 total reached Rs 145.55 crore. Globally, the film earned about Rs 236.63 crore on its first day, making it one of the biggest worldwide openings for an Indian film. The strong momentum continued over the opening weekend, with total earnings of Rs 674.17 crore nett in India, among the highest ever. By the end of the first week, the film had collected around Rs 745 crore domestically, the highest first-week total for a Bollywood film, with the Hindi version alone contributing over Rs 546 crore. The film maintained steady earnings in the following weeks, with its third-week performance ranking among the strongest for Hindi cinema. In terms of milestones, the film became the fastest Hindi movie to cross Rs 500 crore, achieving the feat in just six days. It crossed Rs 800 crore within 11 days and went on to surpass Rs 1,000 crore in India by Day 18, becoming the first Hindi film to reach that mark. Dhurandhar, the first instalment of the franchise, had collected around Rs 840 crore in its lifetime, a figure the sequel surpassed within just 11 days. Internationally, the film also performed strongly, crossing Rs 1,000 crore globally within a week. Overseas collections exceeded Rs 260 crore early on and went past Rs 400 crore by the end of the first month. The film also set a unique record by becoming the highest-grossing Indian movie excluding the Gulf and China markets, with global earnings crossing Rs 1,700 crore within weeks. By the end of its first month, the film’s India nett collection had crossed Rs 1,100 crore, making it the highest-grossing Hindi film in the country. Worldwide, the film’s total earnings have reached over Rs 1,700 crore, placing it among the top three highest-grossing Indian films of all time and close to challenging long-standing records.   With inputs from NDTV