United News of Bangladesh

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff escaped unhurt in a shooting incident in Mumbai on Sunday evening, with police saying he did not sustain any gunshot wounds. The 36-year-old actor was inside a car leaving a football club in the Juhu suburb when gunmen opened fire, according to Indian police investigating the incident. Several news outlets have published video footage showing at least two gunmen firing multiple rounds at close range towards the front passenger seat of a slowly moving car as it passed a crowd. The shooting has raised fresh concerns over the safety of public figures in India, where several prominent personalities have been killed or injured in targeted attacks in recent years. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose state includes Mumbai, said such acts of intimidation would not be tolerated. "These attempts to intimidate people will not be tolerated, and we will put an end to this hooliganism," he said. Shinde visited Shroff on Sunday evening following the incident and said the actor and his mother had been left "shaken" by the attack. Local media reported that two people were injured in the shooting, including Shroff's driver. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks targeting prominent figures in India in recent years. In 2024, Indian police arrested two members of a criminal gang over a shooting targeting the residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan. In the same year, influential politician Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai. Shroff, the son of two actors, made his acting debut in 2014 with the romantic film Heropanti and has since appeared in several movies. He is also a football enthusiast and plays for professional football club Mumbai FC. #From BBC

Hollywood veteran Al Pacino has been selected to receive the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, the highest honour presented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The 86-year-old actor, known for his roles in “The Godfather” trilogy, “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Scent of a Woman”, will become the 62nd recipient of the award. Pacino said on Thursday that working with scripts and fellow actors had brought him some of the greatest joys of his life. “It's an honor to be recognized by SAG-AFTRA in celebrating the journey,” he said in a statement. He will receive the award on Feb 28 at the 33rd annual Actor Awards ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The event will be streamed live on Netflix. The award also recognises humanitarian contributions. SAG-AFTRA praised Pacino for supporting disaster relief, efforts to fight hunger and poverty, and local theatre organisations, including the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Born in New York, Pacino was primarily known for his stage performances when director Francis Ford Coppola cast him as Michael Corleone in the 1972 film “The Godfather”. The decision came despite opposition from the studio, which wanted an established star for the role. The performance earned Pacino an Academy Award nomination and helped establish him as one of the leading actors of his generation. He received Oscar nominations in each of the following three years for “Serpico”, “The Godfather Part II” and “Dog Day Afternoon”. He won the best actor Oscar in 1993 for “Scent of a Woman”, the same year he was also nominated for supporting actor for “Glengarry Glen Ross”. Pacino has received nine Academy Award nominations in total, with his most recent coming in 2020 for “The Irishman”. His other honours include two competitive SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Golden Globes' lifetime achievement honour. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin praised Pacino's acting ability, describing him as both a dedicated student of his craft and a master performer. He said Pacino's courage, intensity and emotional depth had set a high standard for acting, adding that his performances remained entertaining to watch. Established in 1962, the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award has previously honoured prominent performers, including Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Pearl Bailey, Frank Sinatra, James Cagney, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Paul Newman, James Earl Jones, Jane Fonda and Harrison Ford.

Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using artificial intelligence (AI) to write his award-winning short story, which is under review following allegations of AI use. He said the story was inspired by his family's experiences and raised concerns that AI-detection tools could be biased. Kundizeza won this year's $10,000 Caine Prize for African Writing last week for his story The Blue Fighter. However, a report published in The Atlantic magazine said the AI-detection tool Pangram had identified almost the entire story as AI-generated, except for an excerpt from a poem by another author. Kundizeza rejected the allegation in a post on X late Tuesday. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, he urged African writers and readers to challenge such accusations. " There is need to use technology responsibly so that it is not deployed to create a bias against natives who seek to write about their own experiences and cultures," he said. Although he acknowledged that he was not very familiar with the technology, he said AI systems were known to show bias against Africans and called for the issue to be examined. He added that such treatment would not stop. The Caine Prize organisers have not withdrawn the award but confirmed that the case was under review. They said they had a responsibility to examine allegations involving AI while ensuring that writers were treated fairly. "We aim to do this by taking a human-centered approach, ensuring that writers are supported and cared for during the process. We have initiated that process in this case," the organisers said this week. In his statement on X, Kundizeza maintained that The Blue Fighter, which explores family relationships and economic hardship, was entirely his own work and had gone through standard editorial processes. He said the story reflected his family's experiences during Zimbabwe's years of economic turmoil. Some of its characters and settings, he added, were based on events from his own life. He described it as "a deeply personal story about economic collapse and familial relationships." Kundizeza also challenged suggestions that differences between the winning story and his earlier writings raised questions about its authorship. He argued that writers could explore different styles and genres and improve their skills over time, adding that expecting an author to follow a single writing pattern misunderstood the creative process. The allegations have sparked a wider debate on social media, with some users questioning whether Black writers are being unfairly targeted by AI-related accusations. Radical Books Collective, an international group that organises online book clubs, literary events and podcasts on political literature and ideas, described the controversy as part of a wider pattern of allegations against Black authors. "The digital lynchings continue as Black authors are being targeted in AI/plagiarism scandals: Jamir Nazir, Jerry Falade, Thélyson Orélien and now Simbarashe Kundizeza," the group posted. Nhlandla Duba, a Zimbabwean linguist who researches English literature at the University of Pretoria, also defended the writer, saying the story appeared to be written by a human. "That story sounds human. Zimbabwean literature is alive!" Duba wrote on X.

Daisy Edgar-Jones had one important question after being cast as Elinor Dashwood in the new film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”: who would play her younger sister, Marianne? A longtime Austen fan, Edgar-Jones had read all the author’s novels and watched as many adaptations as possible. She now stars as the sensible elder sister in the new film, which opens in theatres Friday. Directed by Georgia Oakley, it is the first major film adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility” directed by a woman. For Edgar-Jones, however, finding the right actress to play Marianne was just as important as landing the role herself. The film also features George MacKay, Frank Dillane and Herbert Nordrum. “The film, as I saw it, would kind of live or die by the relationship between those two actors,” Oakley said, recalling the challenge of finding actresses who could convincingly portray sisters. The search led to Esmé Creed-Miles, who already had a history with Edgar-Jones. The two actresses had spent a summer in Yorkshire as teenagers while filming the independent movie “Pond Life” and watching the reality show “Love Island” together. Edgar-Jones said their shared experiences helped them quickly connect with their characters. Their chemistry became clear during an audition session in which they performed challenging scenes, including one where Elinor finally tells Marianne that she is also heartbroken over a man. Creed-Miles said Edgar-Jones felt like family to her, adding that they felt deeply connected to the characters. Their off-screen friendship also impressed Oakley. During the audition session, Creed-Miles even ate some of Edgar-Jones’ lunch while waiting for her turn. Oakley said their natural humour and playful exchanges immediately reminded her of the relationship between Elinor and Marianne. Creed-Miles, whose parents are actors Samantha Morton and Charlie Creed-Miles, began acting at the age of six in a Harmony Korine film. She later starred in the Amazon Prime series “Hanna” but has explored interests beyond acting. Her other pursuits include photography, music and filmmaking. Her photographs from the set have appeared in “Vogue”, while she is also a member of the alternative rock band Cusk and has directed a short film. She was particularly interested in working with Oakley, whose debut film “Blue Jean” follows a closeted gym teacher in England in the late 1980s. Oakley said she was drawn to Austen’s ability to explore complex and challenging themes without presenting her work as an explicit political statement. A more natural look at the Regency era The new film tells the story of the Dashwood family, four women who must rebuild their lives after losing their fortune. Caitríona Balfe plays their mother, while Bodhi Rae Breathnach portrays the youngest sister. Oakley wanted to move away from the polished appearance often associated with period dramas set during the Regency era. Instead, she aimed to present the characters as more natural and relatable. To develop the film’s visual style, she drew inspiration from Andrea Arnold’s “Wuthering Heights” and Kelly Reichardt’s “Meek’s Cutoff”. She also created playlists featuring violin music and referenced dresses marked with raspberry stains and soil. Oakley said she wanted audiences to feel close to the characters rather than view them from a distance. The family’s difficult circumstances, she explained, meant they would not always be concerned about their appearance or how others perceived them. Edgar-Jones welcomed the approach, saying she had not seen an Austen adaptation presented in this way before. Creed-Miles said the film was not intended to reject traditional Regency-era hairstyles or makeup. Instead, it sought to explore aspects of the women’s inner lives that had not been fully shown in earlier screen adaptations. Working on the film also deepened her appreciation of Austen’s work. Creed-Miles said the two actresses’ different levels of familiarity with the author could help make the film appealing to a wider audience, including people who had never read Austen’s novels. She hopes the adaptation will introduce a new generation of viewers to the author and her characters.  

Actor and disability rights advocate RJ Mitte, who drew on his experience with cerebral palsy to portray a key character in the acclaimed television series “Breaking Bad,” died on Monday at the age of 34, authorities and his representatives said. Cameron County Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa told The Associated Press that she declared Mitte dead at around 1:30pm at what she believed was his home in Brownsville, Texas. She said the cause of death was not immediately known and that an autopsy would be conducted. Mitte played Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston’s chemistry teacher-turned-methamphetamine dealer Walter White, in nearly every episode of the five-season AMC series. The show was recently ranked the best television series of the 21st century in a New York Times poll. Cranston expressed profound grief over the actor’s death, describing Mitte as his “sweet son.” “I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr., a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm,” Cranston wrote in a Facebook post on Monday night. “Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never — ever — allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination,” he added. In an interview with the AP in 2014, Mitte said his experience with disability, including physical therapy, family challenges and high medical expenses, had helped him become a better actor. These issues were also among the themes explored in the series. “You develop a different mentality and you develop a different look at how the world sees you and how you see the world,” he said. “You're able to use that. And I think it's an asset instead of something that would hinder.” Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Mitte moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to pursue an acting career. He initially landed small guest roles on sitcoms before securing his role in “Breaking Bad” in 2007. The series aired from 2008 to 2013. Cranston recalled that Mitte was relatively inexperienced when filming began but gradually developed into a talented actor. “That kid was pretty raw when we started shooting the pilot,” Cranston wrote, “but little by little we watched him grow into a really fine actor.” He added, “I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed.” In a statement announcing his death, Mitte’s representatives said he had brought authenticity to his role while using his public profile to raise awareness about disability and promote inclusion. They said he had used “his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation.” Mitte’s subsequent acting credits included the ABC Family series “Switched at Birth” and the superhero satire “Guardians of Justice.” He also worked as a producer on several independent films. Beyond acting, Mitte served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. He also led his own Mitte Foundation, which supported philanthropic and community initiatives related to disabilities.

British actor Robert Pattinson has turned to a darker subject in his new film “Primetime”, portraying the host of an American television programme that targeted suspected child abusers. Pattinson, who has already appeared opposite Zendaya in “The Drama” and played a key role in the summer blockbuster “The Odyssey”, takes on the role of NBC journalist Chris Hansen, the host of “To Catch a Predator”. The television show, which aired from 2004 to 2007, featured sting operations targeting men suspected of seeking sexual encounters with children. It attracted large audiences but also raised questions about the boundaries between investigative journalism, police work and reality television. Speaking to BBC News at the London Film Festival screening of “Primetime”, Pattinson said the film's subject was particularly disturbing to him as a parent. He welcomed his first child with partner Suki Waterhouse in March 2024. “It's both the most terrifying thing that can happen to you, whether you're a parent, or even if you're not,” he said. “It's the most unimaginable sin possible,” he added. The A24 crime thriller examines how the television programme turned efforts to expose suspected child abusers into compelling entertainment. Pattinson said the show presented the idea that society could tackle child abuse quickly, but its popularity also raised difficult questions about turning such cases into television entertainment. “The show was this kind of microcosm of saying, 'oh, we can do something about [child abuse], and we can do something about it really, really, really quickly,” he said. “And in some ways, that's correct, but it also makes for incredibly powerful TV, and that's when it gets into slightly dicey territory.” Asked whether public attitudes towards such entertainment had changed, Pattinson said mainstream television had moved away from the format, but similar content had found a new home on social media. He said he became interested in the project after noticing the return of predator-catching videos that followed a format similar to the early 2000s television show. “And I was just interested as to why that was happening,” he said, adding that the trend had grown into a major form of social media content. Hansen himself has criticised the film, describing it as “bizarre” and “detached from reality” in a video posted on X. Director Lance Oppenheim acknowledged the criticism, saying the film was deliberately designed that way. “I always thought of this movie as more of a fever dream than something that was representational portrait,” he said. Oppenheim said the film examines the longstanding public fascination with watching people face punishment in front of others. “It's happened for thousands of years,” he said. “I wanted to make something that interrogated that.” Oppenheim is also co-directing a much-anticipated documentary about Elizabeth Holmes with Nathan Fielder. He described the project as a special film that he hoped everyone would watch. From ‘Twilight’ to possible Oscar recognition Pattinson, 40, first gained widespread popularity as vampire Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” film series, alongside Kristen Stewart. He had earlier attracted attention as Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. Since then, he has appeared in major productions, including Christopher Nolan's “Tenet”, while also building a reputation for taking on unconventional independent films. The actor has had a busy year, with “Dune: Part Three” still to come. He is also expected to return as Batman in the next film in the franchise, although production has reportedly been paused. Asked when work on the Batman film would resume, Pattinson offered little detail, saying, “We don't know yet, but yeah, working on it.” His performance in “Primetime” has also prompted speculation that he could receive his first Academy Award nomination. Reflecting on his recent projects, Pattinson said he felt grateful for the opportunities he had received. “I am eternally grateful that I got these jobs,” he said. “But then [to have] been able to even do them, this is one of the best years of my life.” Source: BBC

Actor Imran Khan and his girlfriend Lekha Washington were among more than 400 people detained in Mumbai during protests linked to the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police detained protesters at August Kranti Maidan and other locations across the city to prevent unauthorised gatherings. Before his detention, Imran told ANI that he had joined the protest as a citizen to question restrictions on freedom of movement and the suppression of people’s voices. He said he was not representing any organisation or making specific demands. Zayn Marie, who was detained alongside her cousin Imran, later shared a video from inside a police van, making a humorous reference to his debut film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. The CJP called the protest in New Delhi against alleged manipulation of voter lists during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes involving Form 6, which is used for voter registration. Imran made his lead acting debut in the 2008 romantic comedy Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, produced by Aamir Khan. He later starred in films including I Hate Luv Storys, Delhi Belly and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan before taking a break from acting. Source: NDTV

Ajay Devgn and Tabu-starrer Drishyam 3: The Conclusion continued its strong box office performance on Friday, October 9, earning Rs 14.50 crore nett in India on its eighth day and taking its domestic nett collection to Rs 260 crore. The film's worldwide gross collection has crossed Rs 400 crore, reaching Rs 407 crore, according to trade tracker Sacnilk. Its India gross collection stands at Rs 312 crore, while overseas markets contributed another Rs 6 crore on the second Friday, bringing the total overseas gross to Rs 95 crore. The film recorded around 5.83 lakh admissions on Day 8, taking its cumulative footfalls to approximately 1.07 crore. Its Friday collection also marked an 11.5% increase from the previous day. Drishyam 3 opened with Rs 62 crore nett in India on October 2. It earned Rs 53.50 crore on Saturday and Rs 61 crore on Sunday, taking its opening-weekend total to Rs 176.50 crore. Collections declined during the following weekdays, with the film earning Rs 21 crore on Day 4, Rs 19.50 crore on Day 5, Rs 15.50 crore on Day 6 and Rs 13 crore on Day 7. Its first-week domestic nett collection stood at Rs 245.50 crore. About Drishyam 3Directed by Abhishek Pathak, Drishyam 3: The Conclusion is the third and final instalment in the Hindi Drishyam franchise. Although the original story originated in Malayalam cinema, the Hindi third instalment follows a different storyline from its Malayalam counterpart. The film follows Vijay Salgaonkar, a family man who has repeatedly used careful planning to protect his loved ones. In the latest chapter, he faces renewed pressure as another investigation threatens to uncover his long-hidden secrets. Ajay Devgn returns as Vijay Salgaonkar, while Tabu reprises her role as Meera Deshmukh. Jaideep Ahlawat plays SP Rajveer Singh Tomar. The ensemble cast also includes Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Prakash Raj, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav, Kamlesh Sawant, Saurabh Shukla and Neha Joshi. Written by Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh, the film is produced by Alok Jain, Ajit Andhare, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak. Star Studio18 presents the film.

Songs, dance and recitations featuring works by Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam marked Chhayanaut’s Autumn 2026 cultural programme at St Joseph Higher Secondary School in the capital on Friday, bringing together students from four educational institutions and artistes of the cultural organisation. The programme, titled “Jog De Re Aj Soman Tane”, was jointly organised by Chhayanaut and St Joseph Higher Secondary School on the school premises in Mohammadpur. Students from St Joseph Higher Secondary School, St Joseph International School and College, Excel Academy and Nalanda High School took part alongside Chhayanaut performers. The programme opened with a collective song and dance presentation of Rabindranath Tagore’s “Shorote Aaj Kon Otithi”, with students from all participating institutions singing and Chhayanaut artistes performing the dance. The Nalanda High School segment featured a collective song and dance presentation of Tagore’s “Alor Omol Komolkhani”, followed by a group recitation of his “Shorot (Aji Ki Tomar Modhur Muroti)”. Mehereen Fatema performed “Tomra Ja Bolo Tai Bolo”, while Sudarshana Alokananda Kundu sang “Bhorer Jhiler Jole”, a composition by Kazi Nazrul Islam. The segment also included a group recitation of Sunirmal Basu’s “Sobar Ami Chhatra”. Excel Academy presented a collective song and dance performance of Tagore’s “Dekho Dekho, Dekho, Shuktara Ankhi Meli Chay”, with students singing and Chhayanaut artistes dancing. Arunabho Dey performed “Tomar Mohan Rupe”, while Epshita Sikdar sang “Shorot, Tomar Arun Alor Anjali”, both by Tagore.

Members of Linkin Park spent years uncertain about the band's future following the death of lead singer Chester Bennington. A new documentary, “Linkin Park: Unshatter,” offers fans an inside look at their grief, doubts and creative challenges as they considered returning to music, featuring early recording sessions, personal conversations and experiments that eventually led to Emily Armstrong joining the group. Formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996, Linkin Park became one of the most influential rock bands of the 2000s by blending alternative metal, hip-hop and electronic music. The band achieved worldwide success with its diamond-certified debut album, “Hybrid Theory,” released in 2000, followed by “Meteora.” Both albums featured the distinctive combination of Mike Shinoda's rapping and Bennington's powerful vocals. Bennington died by suicide in 2017 after the release of the band's album “One More Light,” leaving the group facing an uncertain future. Linkin Park returned in 2024 with Armstrong as co-lead vocalist, releasing the album “From Zero” and beginning a new series of world tours. In an interview with Armstrong and DJ and creative director Joe Hahn, Shinoda said he did not want to decide in advance what a possible reunion would look like or whether the group would continue under the Linkin Park name. “Emotional stuff aside, which was very heavy,” Shinoda said, he wanted to remain open to different possibilities, including having a female singer, working with multiple vocalists or even forming a different project. Shinoda met Armstrong, lead singer and co-founder of the band Dead Sara, in 2019. He said he immediately felt she should meet the other members. “I was like, ‘Oh, I got it. She has to meet the band. Like I have to introduce them because she's cool. I love how she sings,’” he said, describing his initial reaction. Armstrong said watching the documentary's footage reminded her of the uncertainty she experienced during her first encounters with the band. The film, which is now showing in theatres, was co-directed by Hahn and Mark Ritchie. She said she appeared more confident on camera than she actually felt while adjusting to a new band, different singing styles and feedback from other members. Armstrong acknowledged that the comeback involved creative risks, as the band could not be certain how fans would respond, but said they believed in the music they were making. Hahn said returning to music together also helped the members begin to heal, as they supported and encouraged one another throughout the process.