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A musical night to remember!
It was a musical night to remember, all thanks to Munich-based German collective JISR that cast a spell on music lovers in Dhaka on Tuesday with its performance of fusion melody -- from Arabic classical music to African Gnawa grooves and German Krautrock.
The concert was held at National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), celebrating the Mujib Borsho alongside 60 years of the Goethe-Institut in Bangladesh and 50 years of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Germany.
Organized by the German cultural organisation, the special concert -- “JISR // Brücke: From The Isar To The Ganges” -- was arranged in partnership with the German Embassy in Dhaka and BSA.
The concert was joined by Achim Tröster, Ambassador of Germany to Bangladesh, alongside Dr Kirsten Hackenbroch, director of Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, and BSA director general Liaquat Ali Lucky, as the special guests.
Read: German music collective JISR to perform in Dhaka
Lauding the special event, Ambassador Achim Tröster said, "This year marks 50 years of diplomatic relationship between Bangladesh and Germany. In 1972, Germany was one of the first countries in Europe to recognise the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
"A strong pillar of our bilateral relationship remains the development cooperation in the areas of climate change, good governance, renewable energy and recently also for the Rohingyas and host communities.
“However, the cultural and educational cooperation between Germany and Bangladesh dates back even before our diplomatic relationship. Today's concert is also a part of our cultural cooperation uniting musicians from the two countries."
Dr Hackenbroch, on her part, said, "I congratulate the people of Bangladesh on 50 years of being who you wanted to be: citizens of an independent country. Celebrating 50 years of German-Bangladeshi diplomatic relations, there is no one better on the stage than JISR - Arabic for 'bridge'.
Jaya Ahsan bags 'Black Lady' again!
Bangladeshi actor Jaya Ahsan has bagged the ‘Black Lady' Filmfare award for the third time -- this year, for the film 'Binisutoy' in the the 'best actress popular choice' category.
This again proved that Jaya’s unbeatable fame in Bangladesh had transcended the border and made her a trustworthy name for the Indian state of West Bengal’s film industry Tollywood.
The actress received the award at a gala ceremony of ‘Filmfare Awards Bangla 2022’ in Kolkata on Thursday night.
An overjoyed Jaya wrote on Facebook, "I am overwhelmed to be awarded with the prestigious #Filmfare award for the third time. The black lady has again come to me for being the winner in the best actress popular choice category for the film #Binisutoy.”
READ: Jaya Ahsan becomes UNDP goodwill ambassador
She thanked the audience and Filmfare "for giving this kind of love and encouragement".
She said that director Atanu Ghosh's dreamy creation is indeed being celebrated with this achievement and congratulated the entire team of 'Binisutoy' for achieving the titles of 'Best Film (critics) and 'Best Editing'.
“May the unspoken untouched bond of Binisutoy lingers in our life forever, congratulations once again!” she said.
In 2018, Jaya was awarded the Filmfare for the first time as best actress for her acting in the film ‘Bisarjan’. In 2019, she won the award again in the same category for ‘Bijoya’ and ‘Robibar'.
German music collective JISR to perform in Dhaka
Goethe-Institut Bangladesh is organizing a special concert titled “JISR // Brücke: From The Isar To The Ganges,” in partnership with the German Embassy in Dhaka and the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on March 22 at BSA’s National Theatre Hall in the capital.
The concert, featuring the German music collective JISR from Munich led by the charismatic linguist, singer, percussionist and Gembri player Dr Mohcine Ramdan, is being organized to celebrate the Mujib Borsho alongside the 60 Years Celebration programme of Goethe-Institut in Bangladesh and 50 Years of the eiplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Germany, according to the Goethe-Institute Bangladesh.
“The Munich ensemble JISR has been invited by the Goethe-Institut to tour in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. This concert is especially significant, as it is set to be the first tour by a German music collective in Bangladesh since the pandemic started,” the institute said in a press release on Wednesday.
The concert is a part of the project "The Sound of Faraway Lands," and the tour in South Asia is in many ways, about the exchange of musical cultures, according to the organizers.
Mohcine Ramdan's music project is a melting pot of diverse musical styles and traditions. The repertoire of musical influences is considerable: from Arabic classical music and poetry to African Gnawa grooves and German Krautrock, Balkan, Jazz, Tango and Andalusian Flamenco.
The project is described as a snapshot of a musical culture that breaks the boundaries between different musical genres and fills the imagination, unconventionally instrumented and with a great longing for new and unexplored realms of sound.
JISR collective features an ensemble group of talented musicians, and the line-up features Marja Burchard (Keys, Trombone), Roman Bunka (Oud, Guitar), Mohcine Ramdan (Percussion, Gembri, Vocals), Severin Rauch (Drums), Niko Schabel (Alto Sax, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet), Gergely Lukacs (Trumpet) and Marwan Fakir (Violin).
In this concert, a group of Bangladeshi guest musicians will also perform a number of songs together with the JISR and the musicians are Labik Kamal Gaurob (Vocal, Dotara, Khomok), Nazrul Islam (Dhol), Jalal Ahmed (Flute) and Baby Dewan (Vocals, Mondira).
Besides the concert, Goethe-Institut Bangladesh will be organizing a multi-disciplinary arts exhibition highlighting cultural projects from across the country with the signature name Goethe Pop Up starting from March 21-23, every day from 3 pm to 8 pm at the Studio space premise, level 8, DrikPath Bhobon, 16 Sukrabad, Panthapath in the capital.
Entry to the concert is free of charge, however, due to the pandemic situation the seating is limited, and the concert-goers are advised to email at [email protected] for the pass.
Soorarai Pottru: Bongo'sd Tamil Movie of the Month
Bongo again proudly presents the Tamil movie of the month. The film is based on a true story directed by award winning director Sudha K. Prasad. Popular Tamil Superstar Surya Shivakumar and Aparna Balamurali play the lead roles. Versatile Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal plays a main character too. Other renowned appearances are by Mohan Babu, Urvashi, Karuna and many more.
Blockbuster 'Soorarai Pottru', first released on Diwali (November, 2020) on Amazon Prime. To adapt to the movie's main character, Surya not only lost 20 kg of weight, but also learned a new dialect, thus acting as Madurai local.
Viewers will be able to enjoy the blockbuster dubbed in Bangla for free from March 16, 2022, on the Bongo OTT platform. This highly inspirational film is a cocktail of action, drama and undoubtedly powerful acting surge. The story is based upon the biography of GR Gopinath, a former Air Force captain and hero of the economy-cost air travelers who founded the company Air Deccan.
READ: 'Dragon Gang': Crime meets comedy in Bongo's upcoming original series
Nedumaran Rajangam, alias Maran (Suriya), is a former Air Force captain from a village in Madurai whose dream is to start an airline company and make the commoner's unimaginable dream of air travel come true. But instead, he falls in love with Sundari, alias Bommi (Aparna Balamurali) and marries her.
This breathtaking film is a must-watch for those who are true dreamers & strugglers. The film shows how Maran falls into a trap after meeting the head of one of the largest airlines in the country. To make his and the villager's dreams come true, and with constant inspiration and support by his mother and wife, he manages to rise from the ashes and turns his life from tragedy into what he is today.
Bangladeshi viewers would be interested to know that GR Gopinath also fought in our Liberation War as a fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force. 'Soorarai Pottru' also participated in the race for the best foreign-language film at the 78th Golden Globe Awards and and 93rd Academy Awards as India's entry. It did not make it to the final shortlist of nominees. The film was screened at the Chennai and Shanghai Film Festivals and was acclaimed worldwide.
Karoline Hoeppner, Head of Licensing and Distribution, Bongo, said, "After Vijay's action loaded Theri, we are now launching Surya's Soorarai Pottru. The title translates as Praise the Brave and is about a man from a village who dreams of creating a revolution by starting a low-cost airline. Please watch it on Bongo to find out if his dreams take wings, and stay tuned for more upcoming South Indian blockbuster movies."
Bongo plans to bring more exciting blockbusters this year, being released every month, so look out constantly on Bongo.
Legendary film director Azizur Rahman departs
Legendary film director Azizur Rahman passed away at a hospital in Canada on Monday night. He was 82.
Azizur breathed his last around 11.30pm (Bangladesh time) on Monday, said Sohanur Rahman Sohan, president of Bangladesh Film Directors Association.
Azizur began his career as an assistant to director Ehtesham in 1958 for the film 'Ee Desh Tomar Amar'. His first film 'Saiful Mulok Badiuzzaman' was released in 1967.
Read: Hadisur buried in Barguna
He directed as many as 58 films. And he is celebrated for works like Chhutir Ghonta, Ashikkhito, Matir Ghor, Janata Express, Sampanwala, Daktar Bari, Gormil, and Samadhan.
Azizur was born on 10 October, 1939, in the Santahar area of Bogura's Adamdighi upazila.
Sabrina Islam’s eclectic photo exhibit captures the beauty of Brazil
Renowned entrepreneur, photographer and writer Sabrina Islam’s second solo photographic exhibition 'Brazil – Beauty in Diversity', which concludes today, enthralled audiences with the picturesque beauty of Brazil at Edge Gallery in Gulshan.
The travel photography exhibition was inaugurated by Ambassador of Brazil to Bangladesh HE Joao Tabajara Jr.
Talking to UNB about her exhibition portraying the tantalizing beauty of the world-famous Rio Carnival and other monumental and assorted scenic beauties of Brazil, Sabrina Islam said that a total of 72 of her photographs are being exhibited in this exhibition.
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“In March 2019, I travelled to Brazil with the Ambassador and his wife Sandra at their invitation and I was thrilled with the diverse, colourful Brazilian culture. There I photographed the carnival in Rio, the Amazon rainforest, and Paraty on Costa Verde,” Sabrina Islam told UNB.
Bollywood actress Sunny Leone arrives in Dhaka
Popular Bollywood actress Karenjit Kaur Weber, more popularly known by her stage name Sunny Leone, arrived in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.
Posting a photo across her social media platforms from the airport, Leone wrote: "So happy to be in this beautiful country!"
Later she posted another picture on her Instagram, writing: "Time to have some fun with family in Dhaka!” and tagged Gaan Bangla television's Managing Director and CEO Kaushik Hossain Taposh on the post.
It is being speculated that Sunny Leone came to Dhaka to take part in a family event, most likely a wedding, alongside some other Indian artists. Social media posts throughout the day claimed sightings of Nargis Fakhri, Raima Sen, Mimi Chakraborty, besides Leone.
Bollywood stars offer a service whereby they can be booked through their agents or management companies to attend even total strangers' weddings, in return for a fee of course. This fee varies, but costs less than it would to hire them as performing artists, e.g. to do a song and dance routine. It has proven to be quite lucrative due to its immense popularity among India's burgeoning nouveau riche in the post-1991 era, and quite a few failed/out-of-work actors and actresses have been known to manage pretty decent incomes from this kind of 'work'.
Given the almost identical obsession with big, brash weddings, and of course Bollywood itself in neighbouring Bangladesh, it was always just a matter of time before the trend made its way here. And following the explosion in the number of high net worth individuals witnessed in the country in recent years, it would now seem to be well and truly here.
Sunny Leone was recently denied a work permit to act in the Shamim Ahamed Roni directed Bangladeshi film "Soldier," produced by Selim Khan.
The production company 'Chairman Film Syndicate' applied for the work permit, apparently in accordance with the rules.
On March 2, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting allowed Sunny Leone and 10 other Indian artists to come to Bangladesh to participate in the film.
However Leone's work permit got cancelled, according to a gazette issued on March 9.
The other Indian artistes however, were permitted to work for the film from March 5 to September 4 under certain conditions.
Leone is scheduled to leave Bangladesh later this week.
'Dragon Gang': Crime meets comedy in Bongo's upcoming original series
Gang culture arising from conflict of powers can be seen in the video streaming platform Bongo's upcoming original crime comedy "Dragon Gang."
The 12-episode drama series will be released on March 12.
Read:Bongo partners with Haier Smart TV
The cast of the drama includes Marjuk Russell, Chashi Alam, Mir Sabbir, Pirzada Harun, Ahna Rahman, Rimi Karim, and Mukit Zakaria
The story is written, scripted and directed by Fahrian Chowdhury Tanmoy.
The series is produced by Mushfiqur Rahman Manzu.
"The plot of the series is a mixture of crime and comedy. At the beginning of the drama, the audience may think they already figured out the story, but the twist comes at the very end," Tanmoy said.
Read: Kangana Ranaut's 'Thalaivii' released on Bongo as 'Netri'
"Everyone can easily distinguish it from the other dramas about comedy and crime. I believe that after a long time, everyone will enjoy the great performance of the Ahana-Marjuk duo."
Md Khaled Sajeeb, senior manager (content and publishing) at Bongo, said: "Through laughter, 'Dragon Gang' shows a different image of the society with the rhythm of allegorical stories."
Zayed Khan to remain gen secy of BFAA: HC
The High Court on Wednesday cleared the way for actor Zayed Khan to serve as the general secretary of the Bangladesh Film Artistes’ Association (BFAA) after declaring the decision of Election Appeal Board as illegal.
A division bench of High Court justices Mamnoon Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order after hearing a rule challenging the decision of the Board.
Read: BFAA election: Appellate Division orders HC to settle Nipun-Zayed dispute
With the court order, actor Zayed Khan will remain the general secretary of the Bangladesh Film Artistes’ Association.
Advocate Ahsanul Karim and Nahid Sultana Juthi stood for Zayed while Barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud and Barrister Mostafizur Rahman argued for actress Nipun Akter.
On February 24, the Appellate Division stayed the High Court order on the general secretary post of BFAA and upheld the decision of the Chamber court for maintaining status-quo over holding the post.
A six-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order and directed the High Court to settle the issue.
On February 9, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court said neither actor Zayed Khan nor his rival actress Nipun Akter can hold the office of the general secretary of Bangladesh Film Artistes’ Association until a full-bench hearing on the controversy is held.
On February 8, actress Nipun Akter moved the Supreme Court against the High Court’s stay on the cancellation of actor Zayed Khan's candidacy in the election over vote-buying allegations.
On February 7, a division bench of High Court justices Mamnoon Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman stayed the decision of the Election Appellate Board revoking the candidacy of Zayed.
The order was passed following a writ petition filed by Zayed challenging the validity of the decision of the Board.
Besides, the High Court had asked Zayed to continue with his activities as the general secretary.The High Court had also issued a rule, asking the authorities concerned to explain by February 15 why the decision to cancel the actor's candidacy should not be declared illegal.
On February 5, the Election Appellate Board decided to remove Zayed from the post of general secretary of the association over allegations that he had resorted to impropriety in the recent election.
Read: Nipun moves Supreme Court against HC stay on Zayed's disqualification
Sohanur Rahman Sohan, chairman of the Board, announced the decision a day after the newly elected committee of the BFAA led by Ilias Kanchan and Nipun Akter took the oath of office.
The association election was held on January 28.
Zayed was declared the winner for the general secretary post, after he defeated Nipun in a close contest. It was his third consecutive win.
Coke Studio Bangla first track 'Nasek Nasek' rocks the nation
Coke Studio Bangla swayed the country to the sound of its first track "Nasek Nasek," a Hajong fusion song of celebrations, Wednesday night.
The song is a tribute to the diversified and vibrant indigenous languages in the country.
Written, composed and sung by Animes Roy in his native language, the song was complemented by Pantha Kanai's electrifying performance of the legendary folk ballad "Dol Dol Doloni," written and composed by Abdul Latif and originally sung by folk legend Abdul Alim.
The song was released during a Facebook Live, hosted by popular singer-actor Tahsan, from the official page of Coke Studio Bangla and on its YouTube channel.
Curated and produced by popular singer-music director Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Nasek Nasek was composed and arranged by Adit Rahman.
The chief sound engineer of the song is Faizan R Ahmad (Buno). It was mixed and mastered by Yash Divecha. Jannatul Firdous Akbar, Warda Ashraf and Rubayat Rehman provided backing vocals.
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The track was performed by Adit (piano and backing vocal), Rahin Haider (saxophone), Sayonton Mangsang (saxophone), Mazruq Islam Nafi (drums), Faizan Rashid Ahmad Buno (bass), Imran Ahmed (guitar), Shuvendu Das Shuvo (mandolin and guitar), Saadul Islam (guitar), Pradyut Chatterjea (synths), Mithun Chakra (percussions) and Mubarak (mandira).
Directed by Krishnendu Chattopaddhyay, the video production of the song was done by Dope Productions Private.
With its fusion theme song "Ekla Cholo" released on February 7, the debut season of Coke Studio Bangla is showcasing an ensemble of popular singers and musicians including Tahsan, Momtaz Begum, Bappa Majumdar, Dilshad Nahar Kona, Samina Chowdhury, and Mizan.
READ: Runa Laila remembers friend, collaborator Bappi Lahiri
Music enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the fusion performances on Coca-Cola Bangladesh's official Facebook page, YouTube channel and Spotify.
Coke Studio Bangla is produced by Grey Advertising Bangladesh, with Syed Gousul Alam Shaon being the creative producer of the show.