Cinema
India tightens Salman Khan's security after death threat
Indian authorities on Monday tightened the security for Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's and his father Salim Khan after the two allegedly received death threats.
"The security for the Khan family has been beefed up in the wake of a threat letter the Khans received on Sunday," a senior officer of Mumbai Police told the local media, after he visited Salman's house this morning.
In fact, Salman's father spotted the "threat letter" outside the family's house at Bandra Bandstand promenade in a posh Mumbai locality during his morning walk on Sunday.
Read: Shah Rukh, Katrina test positive for Covid
"You will meet the same fate as Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala," the letter stated.
The popular singer was recently shot dead by assailants in the state of Punjab after the local authorities reduced his security cover.
Police said they were taking the threat letter seriously as the Punjabi singer was killed by suspected members of infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang that threatened to eliminate Salman Khan in 2018.
Born as Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan in December 1965, the superstar has acted in over 80 films in his 33-year-long career. He is the third-richest Bollywood actor, with an estimated net worth of USD 360 million.
Apart from playing a range of popular roles from a romantic hero to a flashy action star, Salman is also a film producer.
Salman began his career in Bollywood in 1988, with a supporting role in Biwi Ho To Aisi. But his real success came a year later after his award-winning performance in romantic blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya.
Read: JK 1971: First English-Language Bangladeshi Film featuring Independence War
Action thriller Karan Arjun (1995), comedy film Biwi No 1 (1999) and the family drama Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999) were his other commercial hits.
After a brief decline in his career graph in the 2000s, Salman got greater stardom in next decade by playing the lead role in action films like Dabangg (2010), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Kick (2014) and Sultan (2016).
The 55-year-old is also a television presenter and runs a charity, Being Human Foundation.
But the bachelor has a dark side too -- one of his former girlfriends accused him of abusing her, and he was sentenced to five years imprisonment in 2018 for killing two black bucks, a protected antelope species, on a hunting trip. He is currently out on bail.
Shah Rukh, Katrina test positive for Covid
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and leading actress Katrina Kaif are the latest Bollywood celebrities to have contracted coronavirus. Both are currently in home isolation in the city of Mumbai.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to wish Shah Rukh a fast "recovery".
"Just came to know that our Brand Ambassador Shahrukh Khan has been detected covid positive. Pray for the fastest recovery for the superstar," Mamata wrote.
Shah Rukh is considered the most talented Bollywood star. Popularly called the "King Khan", he has acted in over 80 films in a career spanning over 25 years. And he has a net worth of USD 700 million.
Basically a model, Hong Kong-born Katrina began her Bollywood career with 'Boom', an action film, in 2003 that flopped.
Two years later, she earned commercial success in the Hindi film industry with her romantic comedy 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya'. And what followed was a series of box-office hits.
In December last year, the 38-year-old tied the knot with Bollywood heartthrob Vicky Kaushal at a fort in the princely state of Rajasthan in northwestern India.
A number of Bollywood celebrities, right from singer Kanika Kapoor to actors Aamir Khan, Sunny Deol and Amitabh Bachchan, have tested positive for Covid since the pandemic broke out in March 2020.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan's son gets clean chit in drugs case
10 Best South Indian Movies to Hit Silver Screen in June 2022
South Indian movies keep the silver screen busy every month to meet the expectations of their huge audience. Once the production work is over, every film enters the queue and the release chain starts eventually. Some outstanding movies from the South Indian film industries have got in line this month. This article has enlisted the 10 most hyped South Indian films set to release in June 2022. If you are a fan of Tamil, Kannada, Telugu or Malayalam cinemas, stay with us to know about the latest films of these industries.
Top 10 South Indian Movies in June 2022
Vikram | June 3, 2022
Tamil Action Film Starring Kamal Haasan
Film writer and director Lokesh Kanagaraj highlights two siblings here, one a gangster and the other a politician. The action movie follows the efforts of a retired police officer to rescue a high-ranking government official from their clutches.
This Raaj Kamal Films International production stars Kamal Haasan in the titular role of a police officer. The film also stars Vijay Sethupathi, Kalidas Jayaram, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Arjun Das, and Antony Varghese. Anirudh Ravichander has taken care of the music composition for this thriller movie.
Read: 10 Best South Indian Movies Released in May 2022
777 Charlie | 10 June 2022
Kannada Comedy Movie Starring Rakshit Shetty
Kiran Raj has directed and written this upcoming adventure film. Apart from Rakshit, this film stars Raj B Sethi and Sangeeta Sringeri in the lead roles. The film was produced by GS Gupta and Rakshit Sethi under Parambah Studios.
The setting of the comedy-drama revolves around a dog named Charlie, who revolutionises the life of the movie's protagonist Dharma. Nobin Paul is the music composer of 777 Charlie. Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu dubbed versions of the film are also going to be released.
Read: JK 1971: First English-Language Bangladeshi Film featuring Independence War
Maamanithan | June 23, 2022
Tamil Drama Starring Vijay Sethupathi
The title of the film means Great Human. Yuvan Shankar Raja has made the drama film under the banner of his own company YSR Productions. He even composed the soundtrack for the film along with his father Ilayaraza.
Apart from Vijay, this film, directed and written by Seenu Ramasamy, stars KPAC Lalita, Gayatri, Shaji Chen, and Guru Somasundaram. The story of the film depicts the miserable condition of an auto driver's family life.
Read Netflix K-Dramas: Top 10 Korean Series Dubbed in English
Major | 3 June 2022
Telugu Action Film Produced by Sony and Mahesh Babu
This action film is a biography of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an army officer who was killed by the Mumbai attacks in 2008. The movie is directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka and scripted by Adivi Sesh, who is also the lead actor in the film.
The cinema was co-produced by A+S Movies along with Sony and Mahesh Babu and was filmed in Telugu and Hindi at the same time. The film also stars Prakash Raj, Saiee Manjrekar, Sobhita Dhulipala, Anish Kuruvilla and Murali Sharma.
Read Best Rainy Day Movies to Excite Homebound Ecstasy
Maha | June 10, 2022
Tamil Thriller Film Starring Hansika Motwani
In this crime film, a police officer chases a killer to avenge the murder of a girl. This Dato Abdul Malik presentation is directed by UR Jameel and Mani Maran Seenivasan.
Sensational star Hansika Motwani played the title role in the movie. Besides writing the story and screenplay, director Jamil has also acted in this mystery movie. Srikanth, Silambarasan Rajendra and Sanam Sethi have also played important roles.
V Mathiyalagan produced this thriller film under the banner of Etcetera Entertainment. And the Music director was M. Ghibran.
Read: ‘Talash’ to hit screens on June 17
Made In China | June 17, 2022
The First Kannada Virtual Film
This is the first Kannada virtual movie where the interactions of its characters will be shown through digital media such as text or video chat. Apart from directing the film, Preetham Tegginamane has worked on the camera, VFX, and editing.
Along with Preetham, Nischal V has co-written the story, screenplay, and dialogues of the movie. The lead actors in this NK Studios production are Nagbhushan and Priyanka Thimmesh.
A year and a half ago, the Malayalam cinema C U Soon directed by Mahesh Narayan was shown as a computer screen film.
Read KGF Chapter 2: Expensive Kannada film made record for fastest grossing
Thuramukham | 10 June 2022
Malayalam Action Cinema on Historical Event
This movie plot is set on the labour movement against an immoral practice named 'Chappa' in the Cochin port of India. The title of the film means Harbor. Gopan Chidambaran wrote the screenplay for the movie based on the story of a play of the same title by his father K M Chidambaran.
‘Talash’ to hit screens on June 17
Movie buffs rejoice! National award-winning director Shaikat Nasir’s new movie ‘Talash’ will hit the screens across Bangladesh on June 17.
The movie features Shabnam Bubli and newcomer Ador Azad in leading roles. Asif Ahsan Khan, Masum Basher, Mili Basher and Jojon Mahmud are also part of the cast.
The movie has been made under the banner of Kleopetra Films. Asad Zaman has written the script jointly with the director.
Read: JK 1971: First English-Language Bangladeshi Film featuring Independence War
A total of five songs have been used in the movie, which have already been released. Besides, the first look, the trailer and the poster of the film have also been published.
Shaikat told UNB that the plot of the movie revolves around the protagonist, which has been played by Ador Azad.
“This is a small budget movie. Viewers have already liked its trailer and the songs. Almost all the major theaters have already been booked for the premier. I can say with confidence that the viewers are going to see something interesting," he said.
Actress Bubli said that the country’s cinema halls have incurred huge losses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Things started to change with the new releases during this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr vacation. It’s definitely a blessing for us," she added.
JK 1971: First English-Language Bangladeshi Film featuring Independence War
1971’s independence war-based movies are landmarks for the Bangladeshi film industry. Despite the widespread acceptance of film experts and viewers, the international position of the films has still questionable. And thanks to JK 1971, the demand is finally going to be met. The teaser of the film released on Saturday, May 28, has received quite a response across Bangladesh. This is the first time, Bangladesh’s independence war-based film has been made in English. Let's get to know about the movie.
Story Behind JK 1971
On December 3, 1971, an extraordinary event took place at the Orly Airport in France, a country about five thousand miles away from Bangladesh.
The protagonist of the incident was identified as Jean Kay, a 28-year-old Frenchman. He boarded a Boeing-720 of Pakistan International Airways (PIA) and went straight to the cockpit. At 11:50 p.m., he drew his revolver on the pilot and took hostage the entire aircraft.
Read 10 Best South Indian Movies Released in May 2022
The demand was 20 tons of medicine and necessary relief materials for the refugees of the liberation war stationed in India. And those medicines and reliefs have to be carried by this plane, or the whole plane will be blown up with the bomb in his bag.
With this demand in support of the independence war in East Pakistan, Jean Kay kept the plane on the runway for about five hours. The whole world was shocked when this groundbreaking incident was spread in the mass media of that time. This tense and exciting fact is going to come on the full-length screen this time.
JK 1971 Tied with International Actors
The casting of 36 artists includes Bangladeshi, Indian, Russian, and American actors and actresses. Shuvro Sourav Das from Kolkata has played the title role. He has previously acted in films like Byomkesh Returns, Byomkesh, Chiriyakhana, and Zulfiqar.
Read: Star Cineplex showcases ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in line with international release
Satyajit Ray's Feluda-famous Sabyasachi Chakraborty will be seen in the role of pilot. Francisco Raymond, an American actor, starred in the British movie Queen Warrior of Jhansi. He has also acted in an Indian movie named The Tashkent Files.
The foreign casting also includes newcomer Russian actresses Deria Gvrusenko and Nikolai Novominsky.
Fakhrul Arefin Khan, the Brightest Filmmaker of Bangladesh
Fakhrul Arefin Khan came into the limelight with his first government-funded film Bhuban Majhi in 2017. His second film, Gondi, won the National Film Award for Best Dialogue in 2020. Moreover, this talented director has already shown his skills in making documentary films. His Al-Badr movie won the National Film Award for Best Documentary.
Read Star Cineplex showcases ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in line with international release
After a poster and official trailer, the director hopes to release the film in December this year.
Those Who Made JK 1971 Possible
Rana Dasgupta has captured all the eye-catching scenes of the film in different locations. Music was composed by Debajyoti Mishra and Pranoy Dasgupta was in charge of film editing.
Masum Reza has turned the facts into a screenplay. His associate was screenwriter Liza Ahmed. The Fourth Dimension Visual Effect was responsible for the visual effects of the cinema. Israt Sultana and the director himself produced the movie under the banner of Gorai Films.
Read 'JK 1971' official teaser released
In a Nutshell
Bangladesh is known worldwide by virtue of the rich history of 1952’s language movement and 1971’s great liberation war. Now it's time to share the stories of courage and bravery of this nation with the global audience through international films.
The films featuring Bangladesh's independence war undoubtedly claim to be world-class screenplays. All that is needed is an international standard filmmaking style and universal language to spread it all over the world. Hopefully, JK 1971 is going to be a pioneer in making Bangladeshi movies at the international level.
Read 'Rickshaw Girl' continues to be screened in US
10 Best South Indian Movies Released in May 2022
The journey towards the end of the first half of 2022 was the best ever for the South Indian movies. They literally warmed up the showbiz at the beginning of the warm season of the year. Among them, the One-Man-Army-type movies have caused the most excitement. The heated month of May was also flooded with some thrilling and charismatic South Indian films. Let's take a look at the most popular South Indian films released in May 2022.
Top 10 South Indian Films Released in May 2022
We have compiled a list of 10 best-rated South Indian films of May 2022. However, the movie-ratings are subject to change.
F3: Fun and Frustration > Telugu Comedy > 27th May, 2022 > 6.4 (IMDB)
This is the second film in the Fun and Frustration series, which began in 2019 with the film F2. Anil Ravipudi wrote and directed the comedy film. Varun Tej, Venkatesh, Tamannah and Mehreen Pirzada have acted in this Sri Venkateswara Creations. The music of this film patched with three lovely songs is composed by Devi Sri Prasad.
In this installment, the main characters of the movie Venki and Varun will be seen falling into the trap of a horrible Gold Digger Pragathi family.
Read Star Cineplex showcases ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in line with international release
Nenjuku Needhi > Tamil Action > 20th May, 2022 > 8.1 (IMDB)
The title of this film means Justice for the Heart. This is a political drama highlighting a police officer's fight against the brutal caste system.
Directed by Arun Raja Kamraj, the cinema is basically a remake of Anubhav Sinha's 2019 Hindi film Article 15. Udayanidhi Stalin is seen here in the role of a formidable police officer. The film, produced by Bonnie Kapoor, also stars Shivani Rajasekhara, Tania Ravichandran, and Ari Arujunan.
Don > Tamil Drama > 13th May, 2022 > 7.7 (IMDB)
The film tells the story of a frantic man named Chakaravarthi who succeeds in filmmaking as well as gaining an engineering degree. The comedy film was both written and directed by Cibi Chakraborty.
Read ‘Agamikal’ to hit screens on June 3
And through this movie, he made his debut in film directing. Sivakarthikeyan, the lead actor in the movie produced by Alirajah Subaskaran of Leica Productions, also co-produced the film. This action-romantic film was also starring Priyanka Arul Mohan, S.J. Surya, Suri, and Samuthirakani.
Ranga > Tamil Thriller > 13th May, 2022 > 7 (IMDB)
After waiting for almost five years, this action movie was finally released in 2022. Binod DL, an emerging filmmaker, has directed the film based on a self-written story.
A newlywed honeymoon couple in Manali realized that their private moments were being secretly recorded at the hotel where they were staying and uploaded online. The thrilling screenplay slowly moves towards a startling twist.
Read 'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae debuts as director in Cannes
'JK 1971' official teaser released
The official teaser of Fakhrul Arefeen Khan's film "JK 1971," Bangladesh's first English language movie on the 1971 Liberation War, was released online Saturday.
The 1 minute 16 second teaser was released on Gorai Film's YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Based on a true incident, the film features the real-life story of Jean Kay, a young Frenchman, who hijacked a plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) just after the vehicle took off on December 3, 1971, in Paris, demanding 20 tonnes of emergency child medicine for Bangladeshi refugees during the Liberation War.
"This is really an exciting moment for us as we recently completed our post-production work. The audience reaction after the release of the teaser tells us that we need to bring this film to theatres as soon as possible," Arefeen told UNB.
Also, the "Bhubon Majhi" and "Gondi" director said the official trailer will be released in September this year, and the movie might hit the theatres in December.
Co-produced by Gorai Films and Tanvir A Mishuk, the film features American Francisco Raymond, West Bengal's Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Sourav Shuvro Das, Indrajit Mazumder; Russian actors Deria Gvrusenko, Nikolai Novominaski, and 36 foreign artists from the US, UK, and Spain.
Renowned scriptwriter Masum Reza and director Arefeen worked on the screenplay of the film.
Also read: 'Rickshaw Girl' continues to be screened in US
'Rickshaw Girl' continues to be screened in US
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury's film "Rickshaw Girl" is being screened in the US for four weeks after having its premiere in New York on May 5.
After the first showing of the film in the city's famous movie theatre Village East by Angelica, Rickshaw Girl is now scheduled to have a couple of screenings in June.
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury told UNB that the screenings will be held on June 4 and 5 at 5pm in Arizona, California and Denver.
The Bangladeshi English film is now being screened in 52 cities in 18 states of the US, according to the director.
Read: ‘Agamikal’ to hit screens on June 3
Hosted in the US by Bioscope Films, Rickshaw Girl is based on the Indian-American author Mitali Perkins' book of the same title.
Nasif Farooq Amin and Sharbari Johra Ahmed wrote the screenplay of the movie.
The protagonist of the movie is a teenager, Naima, who eventually takes pulling a rickshaw as a profession. Novera Rahman has played the character.
The film also stars Champa, Momena Chowdhury, Naresh Bhuiyan, Ellen Shuvro and others.
A joint production of Bangladesh and the US, the film has received several awards in various countries around the world, including the Prescott Film Festival in the US and the Schlingel International Film Festival in Germany.
Star Cineplex showcases ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in line with international release
Hollywood's iconic actor Tom Cruise starrer film ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ had its global release on Friday, and the country’s first multiplex chain Star Cineplex also brought the action-drama film to Bangladeshi cinephiles in line with its international release across its all five branches in the capital.
The movie, which brought Tom Cruise to the role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell after 36 years with the sequel to 1986's "Top Gun," has recently been screened at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 18 in an Official Selection Screening, where it received a five-minute standing ovation from the audience and Cannes paved a tribute to Cruise and his extraordinary career.
On Friday, Bangladeshi audiences and Tom Cruise fans showed up in Star Cineplex’s Bashundhara City, Sony Square, SKS Tower, Shimanto Shambhar and the newly launched Bangabandhu Military Museum branches and praised the film.
“I have been a fan of Cruise and the original ‘Top Gun’ movie and was waiting to watch its sequel once it hits the theatre. It feels good that we, the Bangladeshi audiences are also watching this film alongside the rest of the world on the same day,” Ashiqur Pial, a banker, told UNB after watching the film at the Sony Square branch of Star Cineplex in Mirpur.
Before releasing it on Friday across all of its five branches, Star Cineplex held a special press screening of the film on Thursday night at its SKS Tower branch in Mohakhali in the capital for journalists, media personalities and celebrities.
The advanced screening was joined by popular silver screen actor Riaz Ahmed, Taskeen Rahman, Sumon Patwary, director Taneem Rahman Angshu, youth celebrities and content creators including Salman Muqtadir, Shoumik Ahmed, Rakin Absar, Shouvik Ahmed and more.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ also has an ensemble cast featuring Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Monica Barbaro, and Val Kilmer.
Set 36 years after its prequel, the film recounts Maverick's return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (commonly known as "Top Gun"), where he must confront his past while training a cadre of younger fighter pilots, including the son of Maverick's closest buddy Goose.
The film was initially scheduled for a July 2019 release, which was delayed by efforts to shoot several complex action sequences, then by the COVID-19 pandemic and scheduling conflicts. Since its release, the film is receiving positive reviews and critical acclaim for Cruise’s incredible stunts as a dashing fighter pilot.
Also read: ‘Top Gun’ sequel a welcome trip to the danger zone
‘Agamikal’ to hit screens on June 3
Here's good news for movie buffs! Actors Emon- and Momo-starrer film ‘Agamikal’ will hit the screens across Bangladesh on June 3.
Mamnun Hasan Emon and National Film Award-winning actress Zakia Bari Momo will be seen together after 15 years in this film, following their silver screen debut in Tauquir Ahmed-directed 'Daruchini Dwip' in 2007.
Leading director Anjan Aich has directed the film, produced by Mancha International.
While talking about the release date, Emon told UNB, "Feeling glad that 'Agamikal' is being released just a month after Eid-ul-Fitr. Hopefully, it will be able to become a part of the positive transition our film industry is moving towards."
READ: You can’t pass comment on a film by seeing only trailer, says Shyam Benegal
"The story, character and my experience working for this film were altogether promising. Hopefully, the enthusiasm of people returning to cinema halls after Covid will continue with frequent releases of films," he added.
Apart from Emon and Momo, Tutul Chowdhury, Shuchona Azad, Faruk Ahmed, Shatabdi Wadud, Ashish Khandakar and Saberi Alam are part of the cast.