Cinema
High Court bans streaming of ‘Faraaz’ in Bangladesh
The High Court has banned the streaming of “Faraaz” – an Indian film based on the 2016 terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s Gulshan – on online platforms in Bangladesh.
The HC bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir today passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed against the screening of the movie directed by Hansal Mehta.
Barrister Rokan Uddin Mahmud and the lawyer Ahsanul Karim stood for the petitioner at the court. Deputy Attorney General Bipul Bagmar represented the state.
Read more: Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy
The petition was filed against the streaming of the film online and screening at movie theatres by Ruba Ahmed, mother of Abinta Kabir who was one of the victims of the attack.
“As the film is yet to be approved by the Censor Board, today’s directive does not mention a ban on screening in cinema halls,” the petitioner’s lawyer Ahsanul Karim told UNB.
Produced by T-Series and Benaras Media Works, “Faraaz” is loosely based on the terrorist attack at Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1, 2016. At least 22 people, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed in the attack. Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain and Abinta Kabir were among the victims alongside Tarishi Jain and Ishrat Akhond.
Read more: Abinta Kabir Foundation sends legal notice to FARAAZ movie producers
Two police officers were also killed in the attack.
Since the trailer of Hansal Mehta’s much-talked-about Bollywood film “Faraaz” was released, Ruba Ahmed took to the media to express her objections to releasing and promoting the film in Bangladesh.
Ahmed, alongside the mother of Tarishi Jain, an Indian national who was killed in the attack, has also fought a legal battle at Delhi High Court to stop the release of “Faraaz”. However, the Indian court refused to block the film which was released in theatres across India on February 3.
Read More: Holey Artisan Victim Faraaz's Heroism is Now on the Silver Screen
Director seeks PM’s intervention in ‘recovering footage of govt-funded film Mike’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's intervention has been sought to recover footage of the government-funded full-length children's film 'Mike' based on Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech.
This request was made at a press conference organized at Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday.
In a written statement read out at the press conference, director and producer of the film FM Shaheen said, “Anytime between 10 pm on February 8 and 10 am on February 9, at the office of bbarta24net.com and Jagran TV on the 11th floor of Padma Islami Life Insurance Bhaban, miscreants stole the portable hard disk containing the latest edited footage of the film 'Mike' that was kept in my desk drawer. The estimated value of the footage is Tk 1 crore 25 lakh.”
Shaheen also said, apart from this, Tk 5.35 lakh cash was taken from the drawer of bbarta24net.com editor.
The media outlets have been operating since May 3, 2021, by renting a part of the 11th floor of this building as an office.
They also claimed that police did not cooperate with them to find the culprits from the beginning.
Read more: 'Golpo Bolar Swadhinata Chai': Artists place five-point demands
Shuvoo and Bindu Starrer “Unish 20” to Hit Chorki on 13th February
Like every year, the season of love is upon us. As romantics from all over the world celebrate love on the 14th of February, Chorki has lined up content to fit the occasion. This year too, Chorki has decided to make valentine’s day memorable with their latest web film “Unish 20” starring Arifin Shuvoo and Afsana Ara Bindu. Here’s a look back at the star cast and their works.
Shuvoo’s Critical Run Continues
Arifin Shuvoo has been a regular in the movie scene of Bangladesh. However, Shuvoo became an overnight sensation with the release of Mission Extreme in 2021. His dedication to the role and the grueling physical transformation got heaps of appreciation. The movie was an instant box office hit in Bangladesh and revived the struggling industry. The same year Shuvoo was featured in the Zee5 web series called “Contract”. And likewise, Shuvoo’s performance received rave reviews.
Read More: Pathaan Movie Box Office Collection: Breaking Records in 2023
Fast forward to 2023, and the critical acclaim continues with the release of Mission Impossible 2: Black War. The scale and grandeur at which the movie is pitched are unprecedented in the local cinema scene. This year Shuvoo also has several lineups ready with Raihan Rafi’s Noor and Shyam Benegal’s Mujib: The Making of a Nation based on the life of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Unish 20” is Shuvoo’s first collaboration with Mizanur Rahman Ariyan with the movie being Shuvoo’s second release for 2023.
Bindu’s Comeback
Afsana Ara Bindu’s first appearance was on Lux Channel i Superstar back in 2006. She was the first runner-up in that season and became an instant face in the media. Bindu started her career with modeling and then subsequently moved to drama and movies.
Read More: Vicky Zahed's First Web Series 'Silence' to Hit Binge this February
ULAB hosts 9th Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival
Showcasing 26 films made by mobile filmmakers from 25 different nations, the 9th edition of Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival (DIMFF) was inaugurated on Saturday at the permanent campus of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) campus in the capital’s Mohammadpur.
A flagship event of the Media Studies and Journalism Department of ULAB, the festival’s inauguration ceremony was joined by media personality and Grey Group Bangladesh Managing Partner and Country Head Syed Gousul Alam Shaon as the chief guest.
The jury chair for the newly introduced Open Door and Vertical Film categories and ‘Hawa’-famed executive producer-filmmaker Shimul Chandra Biswas also joined the inauguration ceremony as the special guest.
ULAB Media Studies and Journalism Head of Department Professor Dr Jude William Genilo inaugurated the screening sessions at the ‘Black Maria', a dark tent set at the ULAB open ground for film screenings at daylight.
“No matter what type of ethnicity you belong to, films bring us all together,” Dr Genilo said at the ceremony.
Gousul Alam Shaon congratulated DIMFF for successfully continuing the festival over the years, saying: “To continue the magic of storytelling, we need to create myths - and films are the best medium for that. Our film industry is continuously growing and mobile filmmaking is certainly a great addition to that, and I am honoured to share the day with young film-enthusiastic filmmakers-audiences here.”
Festival Director Md Sambitul Islam said, “I am very grateful to my team who worked hard the entire year together since our last festival to make this event a reality.”
'Birkonna Pritilata' premieres at Star Cineplex
"Birkonna Pritilata," a government grant recipient movie based on the life of revolutionary Pritilata Waddedar, premiered Wednesday at Star Cineplex.
The film, based on the novel "Bhalobasha Pritilata" by novelist Selina Hossain, is set to hit the theatres on Friday.
Popular actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha played the role of Pritilata, one of the leaders and the first female martyr of the anti-British movement, and Manoj Pramanik the role of revolutionary Ram Krishna in this film.
Team Birkonna joined today's event alongside director Pradip Ghosh.
Trisha said, "Portraying Pritilata was very challenging as we had no video documentation of her time. We had to prepare ourselves by reading books to get into the characters. But we tried our best."
Pritilata was born in a middle-class Vaidya Brahmin family on May 5, 1911, in Dhalghat village in Patiya upazila of Chattogram. In 1929, she got admitted to Eden College before joining the Independence Movement of the Indian Subcontinent in 1932 to liberate the region from British colonial rule.
Regarded as "Bengal's first woman martyr," she ended her life by consuming potassium cyanide on September 24, 1932, at the age of 21.
Read more: 'Omanush' released in 41 theatres
Pathaan Movie Box Office Collection: Breaking Records in 2023
Pathaan is a highly anticipated Bollywood movie that has recently been released in theaters. The movie features Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role and has been directed by Siddharth Anand. The film has been making headlines for its impressive box office collection, which has been breaking records left and right. In this article, we will take a closer look at the Pathaan movie box office collection and explore the factors that have contributed to its success.
Pathaan was released on January 25th, 2023. Since then, the movie has broken several records of recent blockbuster films. The film has received a positive response from audiences and critics alike, and this has translated into impressive box office numbers. According to a report by Box Office India, Pathaan earned Rs. 45.50 crores on its opening day, making it one of the highest opening day collections for a Bollywood film. This impressive start was followed by strong collections over the weekend, with the film earning Rs. 120 crores in its first three days.
Read More: Michael Jackson's nephew to star in King of Pop biopic
Earnings of Pathaan Film
A breakdown of the day-to-day box office collection of Pathaan:
Day 1 (Jan 25, 2023): Rs. 45.50 crore
Day 2 (Jan 26, 2023): Rs. 50 crore
Day 3 (Jan 27, 2023): Rs. 30 crore
Day 4 (Jan 28, 2023): Rs. 25 crore
Day 5 (Jan 29, 2023): Rs. 20 crore
Day 6 (Jan 30, 2023): Rs. 18 crore
Day 7 (Jan 31, 2023): Rs. 15 crore
Read More: Halum, Tuktuki set to return in new season of Sisimpur
Michael Jackson's nephew to star in King of Pop biopic
Michael Jackson's 26-year-old nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play the King of Pop in the planned biopic “Michael” to be directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Lionsgate announced Jackson's casting Monday for the film being produced by Oscar-winning “Bohemian Rhapsody” producer Graham King. Jackson is the second-youngest son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother. He’s put out music of his own; in 2019, he released his debut single, “Got Me Singing.” “Michael” will be Jackson's acting debut.
Read more: Michael Jackson: The story of the troubled star's final day, 10 years on
“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” said King in a statement. “It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role."
On Instagram, Fuqua shared a black-and-white photograph of Jackson in character. Fuqua added in a statement that Jackson “has a natural ability to emulate Michael and such a great chemistry with the camera.”
On Twitter, Jackson said he's “humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life.”
“Michael" will be an authorized portrait of the pop star, who died in 2009. The film, scripted by “Gladiator" and “The Aviator” screenwriter John Logan, is being produced with the cooperation of the singer's estate.
Read more: Michael Jackson family condemns new documentary on accusers
“Jaafar embodies my son," Katherine Jackson said in a statement. “It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”
“Michael” is to begin shooting this year.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ tops box office for 7th weekend in a row
“Avatar: The Way of Water” claimed the No. 1 spot on the domestic box office charts for the seventh weekend in a row with an additional $15.7 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
It was a quiet weekend overall, notable mostly for the Hindi language blockbuster “Pathaan” that broke into the top five and the post-Oscar nominations rereleases of films like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Fabelmans.”
“Avatar 2’s” first-place North American run has only been matched by the first “Avatar,” and, in the past 25 years, bested by “Titanic” (which stayed in first place for 15 weeks). All three were directed by James Cameron.
Read more: 'Avatar 2,' 'M3GAN' hold onto top spots at the box office
Globally, “The Way of Water” has now grossed an estimated $2.1 billion, passing “Star Wars: The Force Awakens," to become the fourth-highest grossing film of all time (of which Cameron has directed three).
“James Cameron just keeps ticking off all the records and milestones,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “And it's still got a wide-open marketplace.”
Second place went to Universal and DreamWorks’ family-oriented offering “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish,” which made $10.6 million in its sixth weekend. The animated spinoff has earned over $140.8 million in North America and was recently made available to stream at home, too.
Third place went to Sony's “A Man Called Otto" with $6.8 million from 3,957 locations. The meme-able horror “M3GAN,” a Universal release, snuck into fourth place with $6.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $82.3 million.
The Indian film “Pathaan,” starring Shah Rukh Kha in his first role in five years, settled in fifth place with $5.9 million from only 695 screens.
“A top five appearance is really impressive,” Dergarabedian said, noting that the marketplace over the past several years has presented opportunities for Indian films to break into the domestic top 10.
Neon also launched the horror movie “Infinity Pool,” written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg and starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård, in 1,853 locations following its Sundance debut. It made an estimated $2.7 million. The romantic comedy “Maybe I Do,” with Diane Keaton, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandan, made $562,000 from 465 screens. And Lukas Dhont’s Cannes-winning boyhood drama “Close” opened on four screens in New York and Los Angeles, earning $68,143.
Read more: 'M3gan' dolls up with $30.2M while 'Avatar' stays No. 1
Many studios boasting best picture nominees also chose to capitalize on the buzz of Tuesday’s Oscar nominations with sizable re-releases. “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which got a leading 11 nominations, came back to theaters in force playing on 1,400 screens where it earned another $1 million. The A24 release has made $71 million domestically to date. Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” nominated for seven Oscars, also expanded to 1,962 screens in North America and took in an additional $760,000, bringing its domestic total to $16 million. And Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” also added a few hundred screens, earning $1 million over the weekend. It’s made $2.4 million to date. The Oscar boosts could continue over the coming weeks, too — the show isn't until March 12.
“We are seeing in real time the halo effect of the Oscar nominations on these best picture nominees,” Dergarbedian said. “The Oscar bounce is back, something we haven’t seen over the past couple of years.”
Several of the highest profile releases of the weekend were both star-driven comedies that went straight to streaming: Netflix had “You People,” with Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jonah Hill and Lauren London and Amazon Prime Video offered “Shotgun Wedding,” with Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Coolidge.
Seven weekends into “Avatar 2,” theater owners are also likely looking for the next big blockbuster, which is still a ways off. “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” doesn’t arrive in theaters until Feb. 17.
But, as Dergarabedian said, “2023 is already looking more like 2019 rather than the last three years."
“This is great news for theaters,” he said. "You have the Oscar bounce in play, an Indian film in the top 5 and ‘Avatar’ breaking records left and right.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $15.7 million.
2. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $10.6 million.
3. “A Man Called Otto,” $6.8 million,
4. “M3GAN,” $6.4 million.
5. “Pathaan,” $5.9 million.
6. “Missing,” $3.8 million.
7. “Plane,” $3.8 million.
8. “Infinity Pool,” $2.7 million.
9. “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist,” $2.4 million.
10. “The Wandering Earth 2,” $1.4 million.
National Film Award recipients for 2021 announced
The names of the recipients of the National Film Awards 2021 have been announced.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued a gazette notification on Thursday (January 26).
Eminent artists Doly Jahur and Ilias Kanchan have been honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for their contributions to the film industry.
Every year, the government honours artists in various categories, for their contributions to the film industry.
The award is considered to be one the most prestigious prizes given for films in Bangladesh.
Thirty-four awards will be given in 27 categories this year.
Noted artistes Doly Jahur and Ilias Kanchan have been honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for their contributions to the film industry.
"Lal Moroger Jhuti" and Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's "Nonajoler Kabbo" have been jointly announced as winners in the 'Best Film' category.
The 'Best Director' prize will go to Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, for "Nonajoler Kabbo".
'Dhar', directed by Aka Reza Ghalib, won the award in the best short film category, while 'Bodhobhumite Ekdin' got the award for the best documentary category.
Siam Ahmed and Mir Sabbir Mahmud were named the best actors for leading role in film 'Mridha Bonam Mridha' and 'Raatjaga Fool, respectively'
The best actress in leading role award 2021 went to Ajmeri Haque for the film 'Rehana Maryam Noor’ and Tasnova Tamanna for 'Nona Joler Kabbo'.
The best-supporting role award went to Fazlur Rahman Babu for the film ''Nona Joler Kabbo' while Shampa Reza won the best supporting actress award for the film 'Padma Puran'.
Md Abdul Mannan (Joyraj) was awarded best actor in a negative role for film 'Lal Moroger Jhuti'. Probhash Kumar Bhattacharya (Milon) got the award for comedy in the film 'Mridha Bonam Mridha.'
Afia Tabassum (Afia Jahin Jayma) won the best child artiste award for the film 'Rehana Maroam Nur', while a special award on the children division went to Jannatul Mawa Jhilik for the film 'Ja Harie Jai'.
Sujeyo Sham bagged the best music director's award for the 'Joiboti Kannyar Mon' film. KM Abdullah Al Murtaza Muhin won the award in the best singer category for film 'Padma Puran', while the best singer female award went to Chandana Majumder (film 'Padma Puran').
The best lyricist award went to the late Gazi Mazharul Anwar for the song of the 'Joiboti Kannyar Mon' film.
Sujeyo Sham won the best composer award for the film 'Joiboti Kannyar Mon'. The best story writer award went to Rezwana Shahriar Sumit for the film 'Nona Joler Kabbo'.
The other award winners are: Nurul Alam Atik (screenwriter), Towqir Ahmed (dialogue), Samir Ahmed (best editing), Shihab Nurun Nabi (best art direction), Syed Kashef Shahbazi, Sumon Kumar Sarkar and Mazharul Islam Razu (jointly for best cinematographer), Shaiba Talukder (sound designer), idila Kasrin Farid (costume and design) and Md Farukh and Md Farhad Reza Milon jointly won the best makeup artists award.
Read more: Siam in line for first National Award, Nonajoler Kabbo to win big
Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in February 2023
The Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries have made an elite start to the New Year. South Indian films are going to grace the second month of the 1st quarter of 2023 as well. Though movie lovers have to wait for the year busters, these films can give them a good quality time till then. Let's get up-to-date with the 10 most-hyped South Indian Films set to release on February 2023.
10 Best South Indian Movies Releasing in February 2023
Bommai Nayagi/ Tamil/ 3 Feb 2023
This musical drama film is the debut of young Tamil director Shaan. Produced by Pa Ranjith under Neelam Productions, the film cast Yogi Babu in the lead role, with GM Kumar and Harikrishnan Ambudurai in supporting roles. The core story of the socio-emotional movie is about a beautiful emotional bond between father and daughter, which will give the audience a feel-good feeling.
The film's cinematography was done by Athisayaraj R, music by Sundarmurthy KS, and editing by Selva RK.
Read More: ‘Shonibar Bikel’ gets censor clearance on a Saturday afternoon
Vaathi/ Tamil/ 17 Feb 2023
Vaathi, which means master or leader, is the title of the new action drama starring Dhanush. It is a simultaneous Tamil and Telugu film directed and written by Venky Atluri, while the Telugu version is titled Sir. Several changes were made to the Telugu version of the period film, including changing the name of the lead character to Bala Gangadhar Tilak and changing the name of the school to Tirupati Educational Institution.
Dhanush's role here is that of a third-class junior lecturer in an educational institution, who stands up to institutions whose commercial interests are bigger than educating children.
Produced by Fortune Four Cinemas and Seethara Entertainments, Dhanush's lead co-artist is Yukta Menon. After the theatrical release, Netflix took over the OTT streaming rights of the film.
Read More: 2022 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies
Borrder/ Tamil/ Feb 24, 2023
This spy film based on patriotism is a much-awaited movie. Directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam, the thriller movie stars Arun Vijay, Steffy Patel, and Regina Cassandra. The movie, which features a military campaign, is the cinematography by B Rajashekar and produced by Vijaya Raghavendra of All In Pictures. The music of the film is composed by Sam CS and overall editing is supervised by VJ Sabu Joseph.
Shaakuntalam/ Telugu/ February 17, 2023
It is a historical film directed and written by Gunasekhar and produced by Neelima Guna under Guna Teamworks. The main story is adapted from Kalidasa's popular play Abhijananam Shakuntalam. The film will feature Samantha in the title role and Dev Mohan as King Dushmanta. Besides, Madhu, Ananya Nagalla, Gautami, and Aditi Balan will be seen in other roles.
Along with Telugu, the movie will also be released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam in 3D format on the same day. The film's music is scored by Mani Sharma, the cinematography is handled by Sekhar V. Joseph and Prawin Pudi looks after the film editing aspect.
Read More: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania
Michael/ Telugu/ 17 February 2023
A young man takes it upon himself to settle a conflict between several gangs over a single place. This crime thriller film revolves around the story of how much his attempt will see the light of day. Karan C Productions and Sri Venkateswara Cinemas production is directed and written by Ranjith Jeyakodi. The action movie stars Sundeep Kishan and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles.
The film's music was composed by Sam CS, film editing by R Satyanarayan and sound recording by Babychen Paul.