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Curtain closes on BUP Film Fest 2022
The curtain closed on the two-day Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) Film Fest 2022 in Dhaka Wednesday with the prize-giving ceremony.
Two hundred and seventy-seven participants from 40 public and private universities joined the fest in five categories: short film, cosplay, script writing, poster design and quiz competition. Actors, actresses and the director of the much-talked-about movie "Hawa" attended the opening ceremony Tuesday.
Read: 8th Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival begins
BUP Vice-Chancellor Major General Md Mahbub-ul Alam joined the prize-giving ceremony as the chief guest. Actor Abul Hayat was present as the special guest. Director Giasuddin Selim was the judge at the film fest.
Major General Mahbub-ul Alam said a film is not only a medium of entertainment but also a tool to educate people and stimulate patriotism among them.
Read BUP Freshers’ Reception-2022 held on campus
"A good, thoughtful movie can broaden the window of our mind. It can also inspire us to think critically about society and our surroundings," he said.
Maiden book on Bangladeshi band music ‘Banglar Rock Metal’ launches on Friday
Envisioning a noteworthy publication dedicated to the rich culture of band music genre in Bangladesh, the first Bangladeshi band encyclopedia titled 'Banglar Rock Metal’ is set to be unveiled on Friday at Baatighar, Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in the capital.
Authored by journalist Haque Faruk and writer Milu Aman, the book not only carries a chronological history of the gradual development of the Bangladeshi band scene but also the authentic profile of 180 bands with their discography.
From their collective experiences of the authors as music journalists and writers in the past two decades combined with almost two years of relentless efforts, 'Banglar Rock Metal' is said to be the encyclopedia the band music enthusiasts needed, according to the book’s co-author Haque Faruk.
Read:Wind of 'Hawa' blows full
Sharing the journey with UNB, Haque said that he has spent hours at the archive section of different libraries apart from his regular professional responsibilities as a full-time journalist. “It has always been a dream project for us as band music enthusiasts, and we worked passionately hard to fine-tune this book from time to time.”
Haque informed that to write this book, the duo not only depended on the existing-secondary documents but also recorded the history through the first-person narration of the living band members.
"To ensure the accurate presentation of every band’s history, we have crosschecked the information with all the existing and even the former members of the bands who are still alive. We had to conquer the hurdles to find and contact some of the musicians from the past who had been almost forgotten from the band music scene and have been living in different parts of the world for decades now. Still, we managed to document them because of their cordial cooperation.”
Read Music Alliance Bangladesh cancels 'National Music Festival and Conference' in Sylhet
Published by Aajob Prokash along with a special poster, the book cover is designed by Niaz Ahmed Aungshu. Mustafiz Karigar made the cover typography, while the essential graphics are done by Kousik Zaman.
Joy Shahriar, a renowned musician and founder of Aajob Prokash said, "Preorders are open till launching but we have already started receiving overwhelming response from the band-music fans, and we hope the first-print copies of the book would stock out pretty soon, once the book is officially launched."
'Banglar Rock Metal' can be preordered via the Facebook page of Aajob Prokash at a discounted price. The printed price of this 450-page hardbound book, band encyclopedia, is Tk 1000 and available for preorder at Rokomari dot com.
Read Bongo brings Bangla dubbed 'Kaalidas'
Can love marriage happen without love?
There is a famous saying that Matches are made in Heaven. But what will happen if, between the couple, one strikes under a spell of romanticism where the other feels himself a victim of castaway? So why not enjoy the bittersweet scenario rather than drowning in loneliness and confusion? Arjun (Ashok Selvan), the story's protagonist, thought so. He is a confused carefree young man who has a close friendship with Anu (Ritika Singh) & Mani (Sha Ra). One Day in a friendly drinking session Anu out of the blue, asks for the hand of Arjun & that's the start of a rocky road of marriage.
At first, Arjun feels nothing wrong with being hitched to Anu. But then suddenly realize that he has no romantic feelings for Anu by heart. Now how will he resolve the tangled relationship? When Arjun struggled with Anu, his childhood crush Meera entered their life.
He knew what would come in his bittersweet life of loveless marriage! If you want to know what happened, How God came to rescue Arjun, or for Anu, you have to watch the movie of the week, "Oh My Kadavule," dubbed in Bangla 'Oh My God! “On Bongo, July 29, 2022. Famous director Ashwath Marimuthu directed the film, and the story was written by him too. Ashwath said, "Half of life's troubles start with getting married. And the other Half is trouble after marriage. So, this time, our story is about the dilemma of an unclued young man getting accidentally married and looking for a second chance to back out of the mistakes. And his urge for a second chance in life is responded to by God Himself (God's role played by Vijay Sethupati). What will happen next? Watch Bongo to enjoy the hilarious, fun-packed romantic comedy with a pinch of fantasy 'Oh My Kadavule aka Oh My God."
Read: Bongo brings Bangla dubbed 'Beauty and the Beast'
The film was first released on the Day of Valentine's on February 14, 2020. Korean Web Series "Operation Proposal Loosely Inspires this Movie."
The film was also selected for official screening at the International Indian Film Festival in Toronto, held in August 2020.
The film won South Indian International Movie Awards-SIIMA (Tamil) for Best Actor Critics (Ashok Selvan) in 2021. Also got five nominations for SIIMA Awards 2021: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Film, Best Cinematographer, Best Actress in a Supporting Role & Best Music Director.
Bongo's Head of Licensing and Distribution, Karoline Hoeppner, said, "Bongo is pleased to publish South Indian romantic comedy with a fantastic vibe for our entertainment-seeking audience. We believe our audience will love it wholeheartedly. Now they can see numerous English & South blockbusters across genres of their choice. Bongo is thrilled to enrich its content library with more enjoyable international titles, and Bongo aims to cater to the most diverse content portfolio in the country. We cannot wait to release more global content in Bangla and see how our country's audience perceives the titles."
Will Smith posts an apology video for slapping Chris Rock
Will Smith has again apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Oscar telecast in a new video, saying that his behavior was “unacceptable” and that he had reached out to the comedian to discuss the incident but was told Rock wasn’t ready.
“There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” Smith said in the video posted online Friday. “I am deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself.”
Smith, seated in a white polo shirt and white ball cap, spoke directly to a camera, answering pre-selected questions about his behavior at the March 27 Academy Awards, when he slapped presenter Rock after the comedian made a comment about the hairstyle of Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife.
Smith also apologized to Rock’s family and especially his mother, Rosalie, who was horrified to see her son hurt and told US Weekly that, “When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us. He really slapped me.” Smith also apologized to Tony Rock, Chris’ younger brother.
“I didn’t realize how many people got hurt in that moment,” Smith said.
Smith also apologized to his family “for the heat that I brought on all of us” and his fellow Oscar nominees to have “stolen and tarnished your moment.” He said his wife did nothing to encourage his slap. “Jada had nothing to do with it,” he said. “I made a choice on my own.”
Read: Will Smith resigns from film academy over Chris Rock slap
Following the altercation, the motion picture academy banned Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years. Smith apologized to Rock in a statement after the Oscars, saying he was “out of line and I was wrong.”
“I’m sorry really isn’t sufficient,” Smith said in the video.
23rd Young Artists’ Fine Arts Exhibition begins at BSA
The 23rd edition of the Young Artists’ Fine Arts Exhibition, one of the flagship art events of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), began on Wednesday at the National Art Gallery of BSA in the capital.
The month-long biennale exhibition, organised by BSA’s fine arts department, is showcasing 422 artworks by 356 artists this year.
This year’s edition received a total of 2,034 artworks under 11 categories - paintings, sculptures, print and video illustrations, craft-works, pottery crafts, architectural and oriental arts, performance art, photography and new media arts, from a total of 1,019 artists between the age of 21 and 35.
Planning Minister MA Mannan inaugurated the exhibition on Wednesday while State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, art critic Professor Nazrul Islam and art maestro Dr Farida Zaman joined as special guests and handed over the best artists’ awards to the recipients.
BSA's Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky presided over the ceremony, while BSA Director of Fine Arts Syeda Mahbuba Karim and BSA Secretary Md Asaduzzaman also spoke at the event.
The participating artists who were nominated as winners of 12 awards in 11 categories and one overall grand award winner in the exhibition, received their respective awards, certificates and prize money cheques at the ceremony.
Read: Curtain rises on Shilpo Bangla Art Exhibition
Artists Sajia Rahman Sondha received the title award as the best artist of all mediums in the exhibition, while artists Sujon Mahabub (performance art), Samia Ahmed (installation art), Halima Akter (ceramic), Md Fayez Alam Hasan (painting), Sushmita Mukherjee Misty (sculpture), Rumana Rahman (printmaking), Showrab Gosh (oriental art), Mahatab Rashid (graphics design), Rajan Nandi (crafts), Jewel Chakma (new media art), and Shahedul Islam Sadik (photography) won awards in respective categories.
A unique and specially curated subject-based art installation is being displayed at the 3rd gallery of the National Art Gallery by 10 educational institutions of the country including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Rajshahi University, Khulna University, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam University and more, which is planned and researched by BSA Director General Lucky.
The primary selection committee comprised Professor Pranab Mitra Chowdhury, artist Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, Professor Dr Nihar Ronjon Singha, artist Shayla Sharmin, photographer Ashfaque Ahmed and artist Zihan Karim.
The jury board for selecting the best artworks featured Professor Abul Barq Alvi, Dr Farida Zaman, artist Siddhartha Talukder, artist Lala Rukh Selim, artist Ziaul Karim and eminent photographer Nasir Ali Mamun.
Since 1975, the biennale exhibition has earned recognition from art-lovers around the whole nation as a festivity and celebration of modern artworks and crafts by artists from all over the country.
The exhibition will continue till August 25, every day from 11 pm to 8 pm and 3 pm on 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 number galleries and the sculpture arena at the National Art Gallery.
DB quizzes Hero Alom for controversial video content
The Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Wednesday quizzed Ashraful Hossen Alom, best known as Hero Alom, about his controversial video content shared on social media.
He was asked questions at the DB office in the capital's Minto Road in the morning as there were many "cyber allegations" against him, DMP Media and Public Relations wing Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Faruque Hossain said.
Recently, Hero Alom shared "offensive, defamatory, illegal videos" and other content on his official Facebook and YouTube channels. He also appeared in police uniform in videos without permission. These created a cascade of negative reactions from commoners, Faruque said.
Alom told the detectives that he creates and shares viral content on the internet, mainly to earn money. More views and revenue matter most to him.
Read: Accept Hero Alam’s nomination, HC orders EC
Asked about the obscene songs he created about several political leaders and models such as Palalo Palalo Murad Hasan, Rater Rani Piyasa, Mou and Pori Moni, Alom could not give a "proper answer."
Detectives let him go after he admitted his mistakes and assured DB that he will not repeat such activities, Faruque said.
Bollywood: Katrina Kaif & Vicky Kaushal get death threats
Bollywood's highest-paid actress Katrina Kaif and her actor-husband Vicky Kaushal have received death threats on Instagram, prompting the celebrity couple to seek police protection.
"Based on a complaint from the two actors, an FIR has been registered at Santacruz police station in the western Indian city of Mumbai. We have also initiated a probe," a police officer told the local media.
Katrina and Vicky Kaushal tied the knot in December last year. And Katrina had shared the first pictures of her and Vicky as newlyweds on Instagram only.
"Only love and gratitude in our hearts for everything that brought us to this moment. Seeking all your love and blessings as we begin this new journey together,” Katrina wrote, sharing the photos.
Read:It's official. Katrina Kaif & Vicky Kaushal are now husband and wife
Basically a model, the Hong Kong-born actress began her Bollywood career with 'Boom', an action film, in 2003 that flopped. Two years later, she earned commercial success -- thanks to the romantic comedy 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya'.
What followed was a series of hits -- 'Namastey London' in 2007, 'New York' in 2009, 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' in 2009, 'Raajneeti' in 2010, 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' in 2011, 'Ek Tha Tiger' in 2012, 'Dhoom 3' in 2013 and 'Bang Bang!' in 2014.
Katrina's other highest-grossing Bollywood films are 'Tiger Zinda Hai' in 2017 and 'Bharat' in 2019, co-starring Salman Khan. Her last action flick was 'Sooryavanshi', co-starring Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgan.
Born to action director Sham Kaushal and his wife Veena, Vicky ventured into Bollywood as an assistant to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in the crime drama 'Gangs of Wasseypur' in 2012.
His first leading role was in the independent drama 'Masaan' in 2015, but Vicky shot to limelight in 2018 with supporting roles in 'Raazi' and 'Sanju', two hits.
A year later, his lead role as a military officer in critically acclaimed action film 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', got him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
Bob Rafelson, New Hollywood era director, dies at 89
Bob Rafelson, an influential figure in the New Hollywood era of the 1970s who was nominated for two Oscars for “Five Easy Pieces,” has died. He was 89.
Rafelson died at his home in Aspen Saturday night surrounded by his family, said his wife, Gabrielle Taurek Rafelson.
Rafelson was responsible for co-creating the fictional pop music group and television series “The Monkees” alongside the late Bert Schneider, which won him an Emmy for outstanding comedy series in 1967.
But he was perhaps best known for his work during the New Hollywood era, which saw a classical studio system giving way to a batch of rebellious young voices and fresh filmmaking styles, and helped usher in talents like Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg.
Rafelson directed and co-wrote “Five Easy Pieces,” about an upper-class pianist who yearns for a more blue-collar life, and “The King of Marvin Gardens,” about a depressed late-night-radio talk show host. Both films starred Jack Nicholson and explored themes of the American dream gone haywire. “Five Easy Pieces” got Rafelson two Oscar nominations in 1971, for best picture and screenplay.
Read: Marvel teases new Avengers movies, ‘Black Panther’ sequel
He also produced seminal New Hollywood classics including Peter Bogdanovich’s “The Last Picture Show” and Dennis Hopper’s “Easy Rider.”
Coppola once called him “one of the most important cinematic artists of his era” and his fans include Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson.
Rafelson was born in New York City and was a distant relative of “The Jazz Singer” screenwriter Samson Raphaelson, who he said took an interest in his work. At Dartmouth he also became friends with legendary screenwriter Buck Henry.
He developed an interest in Japanese cinema and the films of Yasujiro Ozu, especially “Tokyo Story,” while serving in the U.S. Army in Japan.
After college, Rafelson married his high school sweetheart, who would work as a production designer on his films and others. He got his start in the entertainment business in television, writing for shows like “The Witness” and “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
But “The Monkees” was his first big success. The idea for The Monkees, he said, predated The Beatles and the musical comedy “A Hard Day’s Night,” but it hit the moment well when it premiered on NBC in 1966. It ran for two years and allowed Rafelson to take a stab at directing himself.
The Monkees also appeared in his feature directorial debut, “Head,” which would be the first of many collaborations with Nicholson.
“I may have thought I started his career,” Nicholson told Esquire in 2019, “but I think he started my career.”
Rafelson was proudest of the 1990 film he directed, “Mountains of the Moon,” a biographical movie that told the story of two explorers, Sir Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, as they searched for the source of the Nile, his wife said.
Rafelson's own adventures to places like Morocco, India, southeast Asia, Mexico and Guatemala influenced his work, she said.
“He loved nothing more than disappearing into strange pockets of the world,” Taurek Rafelson said.
Rafelson left Hollywood two decades ago to focus on raising two sons with Taurek Rafelson, Ethan and Harper, in Aspen. He and his first wife, Toby Rafelson, also had two children, Peter, and Julie, who died in 1973 when she was 10 years old.
Otilia grooves Dhaka musicophiles at ICCB
Romanian singer Otilia Brumă enthralled Dhaka audiences in her first-ever live concert in Bangladesh on Saturday, at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital.
The Romanian pop singer performed marking the exclusive launching of the Nokia G21 at the event titled ‘Otilia Live in Dhaka,’ organized by Rendezvous Asia Private Limited.
Internationally acclaimed for her worldwide hit track 'Bilionera,' Otilia kept the audience entertained for almost an hour by singing all her popular songs.
During the interval of the concert, Nokia G21 was launched and the singer then continued enthralling the Dhaka audience with western style dance to the rhythm of her popular songs.
Read: Batighar stages 'Radcliffe Line' at BSA
“I want to tell you that I am very happy to come to Dhaka for the first time. I am impressed and touched by your love and passion for my music, and hopefully, there will be more to come,” Otilia said during the concert, admiring the crazy crowd.
Earlier, the singer landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday. Addressing the fans and listeners, she wrote, “After 13 hours of flight I finally landed in Dhaka! I can't wait to meet you at the concert tomorrow.”
On Sunday, she posted an image on her social media handles wearing a red saree as a tribute to the traditional Bengali culture, which is being lauded and adored by the netizens.She announced her visit to Dhaka on her Facebook page earlier this month.Released in 2014, Otilia’s globally popular track ‘Bilionera’ currently stands with over 560 million views on YouTube, making her internationally famous.
Heard to appeal $10M judgment in Depp defamation case
Amber Heard notified a Virginia court Thursday that she will appeal the $10.35 million judgment she was ordered to pay ex-husband Johnny Depp during a high-profile defamation trial that exposed the inner workings of their troubled marriage.
Heard's lawyers filed a notice of appeal in Fairfax County Circuit Court, where a six-week trial featured riveting testimony from both Heard and Depp. The document notifies the Virginia Court of Appeals that Heard intends to appeal the judgment, as well as rulings the judge made after the verdict, including rejecting Heard's request to set aside the verdict and dismiss the lawsuit or order a new trial.
“We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment. We are therefore appealing the verdict,” a spokesperson for Heard said in a statement. “While we realize today’s filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice.”
Depp sued Heard for libel over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Depp’s lawyers alleged he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned him by name. Heard filed counterclaims, alleging that Depp's former lawyer defamed her by publicly characterizing her abuse allegations as a hoax.
Also read: Heard faces high legal hurdles seeking to reverse Depp win
The jury ordered Heard to pay Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 under a state cap. The jury awarded Heard $2 million on her counterclaim.
Much of the testimony during the six-week trial focused on Heard’s claims that she had been physically and sexually abused by Depp at least a dozen times. Depp insisted that he never hit Heard and that she was the abuser.
“The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp in multiple instances," a spokesperson for Depp said in a statement. "We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand."
Also read: Amber Heard says she doesn't blame jury in Depp libel case