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Film crew voiced complaints before fatal on-set shooting
Hours before actor Alec Baldwin fired a fatal gunshot from a prop gun that he had been told was safe, a camera crew for the movie he was filming walked off the job to protest conditions and production issues that included safety concerns.
Disputes in the production of the Western film “Rust" began almost from the start in early October and culminated with seven crew members walking off several hours before 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.
The crew members had expressed their discontent with matters that ranged from safety procedures to their housing accommodations, according to one of those who left. He requested anonymity for fear that speaking up would hurt his prospects for future jobs. Rust Movie Productions did not answer emails Friday and Saturday seeking comment.
At a rehearsal on the film set Thursday at Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe, the gun Baldwin used was one of three that a firearms specialist, or “armorer,” had set on a cart outside the building where a scene was being rehearsed, according to the court records.
Court records indicate that an assistant director, Dave Halls, grabbed a prop gun off a cart and handed it to Baldwin, indicating incorrectly that the weapon didn't carry live rounds by yelling “cold gun.”
When Baldwin pulled the trigger, he unwittingly killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her inside a wooden, chapel-like building.
Read:Sheriff: Baldwin fired prop gun that killed cinematographer
Baldwin, 63, who is known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” and his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” has described the killing as a “tragic accident.” He was a producer of “Rust.”
Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment.
A 911 call that alerted authorities to the shooting at the Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe hints at the panic on the movie set, as detailed in a recording released by the Santa Fe County Regional Emergency Communications Center.
“We had two people accidentally shot on a movie set by a prop gun, we need help immediately,” script supervisor Mamie Mitchell told an emergency dispatcher. “We were rehearsing and it went off, and I ran out, we all ran out.”
The dispatcher asked if the gun was loaded with a real bullet.
“I cannot tell you. We have two injuries,” Mitchell replied. “And this (expletive) AD (assistant director) that yelled at me at lunch, asking about revisions....He’s supposed to check the guns. He's responsible for what happens on the set.”
The Associated Press was unable to contact Hannah Gutierrez, the film's armorer, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with “Rust” did not receive responses Friday.
Court records say that Halls grabbed the firearm from the cart and brought it inside to the actor, also unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in a search warrant application.
It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say.
Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges intended to produce little more than a flash and a bang.
New Mexico workplace safety investigators are examining if film industry standards for gun safety were followed during production of “Rust.” The Los Angeles Times, citing two crew members it did not name, reported that five days before the shooting, Baldwin’s stunt double accidentally fired two live rounds after being told the gun didn’t have any ammunition.
Read:India's anti-narcotics police raid Shah Rukh Khan's house
A crew member who was alarmed by the misfires told a unit production manager in a text message, “We’ve now had 3 accidental discharges. This is super unsafe,” according to a copy of the message reviewed by the newspaper. The New York Times also reported that there were at least two earlier accidental gun discharges; it cited three former crew members.
Mitchell, the script supervisor, told The Associated Press she was standing next to Hutchins when the cinematographer was hit.
“I ran out and called 911 and said ‘Bring everybody, send everybody,’” Mitchell said. “This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman.”
Filmmaker Souza, who was shot in the shoulder, said in a statement to NBC News that he was grateful for the support he was receiving and gutted by the loss of Hutchins. “She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to be better,” he said.
Santa Fe-area District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said prosecutors will be reviewing evidence in the shooting and do not know if charges will be filed.
Hutchins’ husband Matthew Hutchins posted on social media to mourn his wife’s loss, ask for privacy for his family, and thank her friends and mentors at the American Film Institute, who he said “nurtured the success we had only just begun to see flourish.”
The institute's conservatory canceled cinematography classes Friday in response to Hutchins' death and plans to hold a memorial.
Production on “Rust” was halted after the shooting. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website.
The crew member that spoke to the AP said he never witnessed any formal orientation about weapons used on set, which normally would take place before filming begins.
He also said only minimal COVID-19 precautions were taken even though crew and cast members often worked in small enclosed spaces on the ranch.
Read:Russian filmmakers land after shoot aboard space station
The crew was initially housed at the Courtyard by Marriot in Santa Fe, according to the crew member. Four days in, however, they were told that going forward they would be housed at the budget Coyote South hotel. Some crew members balked at staying there.
“We packed our gear and left that morning,” the crew member said of the Thursday walkout.
The Los Angeles Times and Variety also reported on the walkout.
Gutierrez, the film’s armorer, is the daughter of a longtime Hollywood firearms expert. She gave an interview in September to the Voices of the West podcast in which she said she had learned how to handle guns from her father since she was a teenager.
During the podcast interview, Gutierrez shared that she just finished her first movie in the role of head armorer, a project in Montana starring Nicolas Cage titled “The Old Way.”
“I was really nervous about it at first and I almost didn’t take the job because I wasn’t sure if I was ready but doing it, like, it went really smoothly," she said.
In another on-set gun death from 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was killed by a bullet left in a prop gun after a previous scene. Similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds during historical re-enactments.
Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience.
'Nonajoler Kabbo' to hit theatres in Bangladesh on November 26
'Nonajoler Kabbo' (The Salt in Our Waters), a much acclaimed film by young writer-director Rezwan Shahriar Sumit which received awards at numerous international film festivals last year, will have its theatrical release in Bangladesh on November 26.The date for the theatrical release of the film was revealed at a press conference on Saturday noon at the Dhaka Club in the capital, joined by the cast and crew members of the film.Actors including Titas Zia, Fazlur Rahman Babu, and Tasnova Tamanna joined the press conference alongside director-producer Sumit, noted film director Amitabh Reza, Star Cineplex chairman Mahboob Rahman Ruhel and the music director for the film Arnob.
Sheriff: Baldwin fired prop gun that killed cinematographer
Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western and killed the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities are investigating what happened.
Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on “Rust,” and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe.
A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. Santa Fe County Sheriff's spokesman Juan Rios said detectives were investigating what type of projectile was discharged and how. No immediate charges were filed.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Baldwin of was seen Thursday outside the sheriff’s office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful. The 63-year-old actor is known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” as well as his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”
Prop guns fire blanks, gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but not a hard projectile. But when the trigger is pulled, the paper or plastic wadding is ejected from the barrel with enough force that it can be lethal at close range, as proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun.
Read:India's anti-narcotics police raid Shah Rukh Khan's house
Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to a medical center.
“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event,” International Cinematographers Guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine said in a statement.
Sheriff’s deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot there, said Rios, the sheriff’s spokesman. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western “News of the World.”
“This investigation remains open and active,” Rios said in a statement. “No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives.”
Hutchins, a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film “Archenemy,” starring Joe Manganiello. She was named a “rising star” by American Cinematographer in 2019.
“I’m so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set,” said “Archenemy” director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. “She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film.”
Manganiello called Hutchins “an incredible talent” and “a great person” on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with her.
Hutchins had Ukrainian citizenship, according to Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko. The country's consulate in San Francisco is clarifying what happened and is working together with law enforcement offici
Baldwin teamed up as a producer previously with Souza on the 2019 film, “Crown Vic,” which starred Thomas Jane as a veteran Los Angeles police officer on a manhunt for two violent bank robbers. Souza's first credited film, 2010’s “Hanna’s Gold,” was a treasure hunt adventure featuring Luke Perry.
Read:Russian filmmakers land after shoot aboard space station
Production was halted on “Rust.” The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s' Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.
In 1993, Brandon Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie “The Crow.” The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine.
A Twitter account run by Lee's sister Shannon said: “Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on ‘Rust.’ No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.”
In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series “Cover Up.”
India's anti-narcotics police raid Shah Rukh Khan's house
India's anti-narcotics police Thursday raided Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s house in the city of Mumbai, 18 days after they arrested his son Aryan in a cruise drugs case.
Sources told UNB that a team from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided Shah Rukh's multi-storey house Mannat around noon in connection with the case and also got some paperwork done.
However, quoting unnamed NCB officials, some TV channels reported that the anti-narcotics sleuths visited Mannat only for "some paperwork relevant to the case".
The raid comes hours after Shah Rukh visited his son at Mumbai's high-security Arthur Road jail in the morning. Aryan has been in judicial custody since October 8.
Read: Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan detained after rave party raid
Aryan was arrested by the NCB on October 3 after hours of grilling in connection with a rave party it busted on board a cruise ship near Mumbai a day before.
Acting on a tip-off, some 30 NCB sleuths, disguised as passengers, boarded luxury cruise liner 'Empress' on October 2 evening, which departed the Mumbai port for the neighbouring state of Goa.
The cruise ship was carrying mostly celebrities from Bollywood and the fashion industry. As soon as the rave party began, the NCB sleuths swing into action and caught red-handed those consuming drugs.
Aryan, his close friend Arbaaz, and eight others were soon detained. While two of the detainees had been freed after questioning, Aryan and seven others were arrested.
Aryan's father 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.
Read: Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana to make Bollywood debut soon?
Shah Rukh, in fact, rose to prominence after starring in 1995 romantic film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', the longest-running blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema. The film was shot in India and Europe.
Some of his other blockbusters include 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998). Shah Rukh was also widely praised for his superb performance in 2002 film 'Devdas', where he played an alcoholic.
The 55-year-old has also anchored many TV shows, and owns production company Red Chillies Entertainment and Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shah Rukh has a net worth of USD 700 million. The superstar is married to interior designer Gauri Chibber, a Punjabi Hindu. Apart from Suhana, they have two sons.
‘Chiroharith’ Kaiser returns with great music on YouTube
Famous lyricist, singer and composer ‘Chiroharith’ Kaiser Islam has recently made his remarkable re-entry into the realm of Bangla Music Industry on YouTube with a dozen of heartfelt hit songs putting an end to his seclusion for nearly a decade.
Some of the tracks from Chiroharith, that has made an impression on the viewers’ mind evident in their thousands of likes and shares of them; e.g. "E Kon Prithibi," "Orthohin Alape Cholche Ontohin Torko," "Aj Jeno Prithibitake Notun Kore Chena Holo," "Swapno Bhenge Geche," "Bujhini Age," and "Nivrito Sonnyasy" that are available on his own YouTube Channel [https://youtube.com/c/kaiserislamtao].
Read:Kalidas Karmakar’s 2nd death anniversary: Gallery Cosmos pays tribute with daylong event
All the songs are written, composed and sung by Kaiser Islam.
Chiroharith’s songs captivated the audience for the first time during the 2010-12s. Listeners who are looking for the reflection of their deepest essence in music, tend to become easy fan of Kaiser Islam.
In answering to the question regarding the absence and his self-imposed isolation, the poet, music teacher and artist said, "It’s been an hour of preparation. I was actually preparing myself to create something that is simple, yet strong and powerful. For me, it looks like, the time has arrived!"
After being stuck at home for a long time, due to the recent Covid-19 restrictions, Kaiser Islam has become busy again with stage shows being held in Dhaka and in Chattogram.
In addition to these shows, ‘Chiroharith Manusher Dal’ has also been invited from abroad to perform at Jamsedpur and in Kolkata. Leading percussionist and drummer of the country Shubho and the famous bassist Sushovan Rakshit Deep have joined in the team to showcase their performances.
Read:Rockstar James showered with love of fans, co-artists on 57th birthday
Kaiser Islam, the founder and trainer of Chiroharith Music School, articulates, "Music is the heartbeat of our life. Our faith. Some may sing, while others may listen, but we always cherish those songs deep in our heart till the end."
In addition to his musical career, Kaiser Islam is also a writer and lyricist. He has written over 18 books over a period of the last two and a half decade, and a collection of 200 of his selected songs is going to be published by December in this year.
Kalidas Karmakar’s 2nd death anniversary: Gallery Cosmos pays tribute with daylong event
Gallery Cosmos on Monday paid its heartfelt tribute to Ekushey Padak-winning internationally acclaimed painter and printmaker artist Kalidas Karmakar with daylong programmes.
The programmes were organized at Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier71 at the Cosmos Centre, Malibagh in the capital.
Kalidas Karmakar, acclaimed for his significant contributions to the Bangladeshi art sphere through his majestic and fascinating artworks, shocked the art world with his sudden demise on October 18, 2019 at the age of 73.
Distinguished artists and admirers of Kalidas Karmakar, a lifelong friend of Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier71, joined the daylong event.
Paul McCartney: John Lennon responsible for Beatle breakup
Paul McCartney has revisited the breakup of The Beatles, flatly disputing the suggestion that he was responsible for the group’s demise.
Speaking on an episode of BBC Radio 4’s “This Cultural Life’’ that is scheduled to air on Oct. 23, McCartney said it was John Lennon who wanted to disband The Beatles.
Read:From the Beatles to Elton John: Oldest DJ’s storied career
“I didn’t instigate the split,” McCartney said. “That was our Johnny.’’
The band's fans have long debated who was responsible for the breakup, with many blaming McCartney. But McCartney said Lennon's desire to “break lose'' was the main driver behind the split.
Confusion about the breakup was allowed to fester because their manager asked the band members to keep quiet until he concluded a number of business deals, McCartney said.
The interview comes ahead Peter Jackson’s six-hour documentary chronicling the final months of the band. “The Beatles: Get Back,” set for release in November on Disney+, is certain to revisit the breakup of the legendary band. McCartney's comments were first reported by The Observer.
Read:Billie Eilish becomes youngest star to headline Glastonbury
When asked by interviewer John Wilson about the decision to strike out on his own, McCartney retorted: “Stop right there. I am not the person who instigated the split. Oh no, no, no. John walked into a room one day and said, ‘I am leaving The Beatles.’ Is that instigating the split, or not?”
McCartney expressed sadness over the breakup, saying the group was still making “pretty good stuff.”
“This was my band, this was my job, this was my life. So I wanted it to continue,” McCartney said.
Billie Eilish becomes youngest star to headline Glastonbury
Nineteen-year-old pop singer Billie Eilish has broken numerous records in her short career. Now she will become the Glastonbury Festival’s youngest-ever solo headliner when she takes the stage at the 2022 event.
Eilish teased the news on Sunday on Instagram, posing herself wearing a Glastonbury hoodie in a photo captioned “2022." The festival's organizers confirmed Monday that the American singer will perform on June 24.
Read:Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan arrested after rave party raid
“This feels like the perfect way for us to return and I cannot wait!” organizer Emily Eavis said.
The festival was supposed to celebrate its 50th anniversary last year, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year it hosted a five-hour livestream event featuring Coldplay and Damon Albarn, among others.
Eilish has taken the world by storm since she broke onto the scene in 2015 with her debut single “Ocean Eyes.” The young singer has since won Grammys for record of the year, album of the year, song of the year and best new artist.
Read: Bad Bunny tops Billboard Latin Music Awards with 10 trophies
Eilish made her Glastonbury debut in 2019 after her set was upgraded from a slot on the John Peel stage during the five-day music festival held in Somerset, southwest England.
Eilish is also the youngest performer to write and record a James Bond theme song. She was among the stars at the “No Time To Die” Bond film world premiere in London last week.
Eilish will be 20 years and 6 months old when she headlines the Gastonbury festival in June 2022.
Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan arrested after rave party raid
India's narcotics police Sunday arrested Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan after hours of grilling in connection with a rave party it busted on board a cruise ship near Mumbai.
Acting on a tip-off, some 30 sleuths of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), disguised as passengers, boarded 'Empress' Saturday evening, which departed Mumbai for the neighbouring state of Goa late at night.
The ship was carrying mostly celebrities from Bollywood and the fashion industry. As soon as the rave party began, the NCB sleuths swung into action and caught red-handed those consuming drugs.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan detained after rave party raid
"Aryan, his close friend Arbaaz, and eight others were soon detained with drugs. The cruise ship was forced to return to the port of Mumbai. While two of the detainees were freed after questioning, Aryan and seven others have been arrested," an official said.
Aryan's father 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.
Shah Rukh, in fact, rose to prominence after starring in 1995 romantic film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', the longest-running blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema. The film was shot in India and Europe.
Some of his other blockbusters include 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998). Shah Rukh was also widely praised for his superb performance in 2002 film 'Devdas', where he played an alcoholic.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana to make Bollywood debut soon?
The 55-year-old has also anchored many TV shows, and owns production company Red Chillies Entertainment and Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shah Rukh has a net worth of USD 700 million. The superstar is married to interior designer Gauri Chibber, a Punjabi Hindu. Apart from Suhana, they have two sons.
Rockstar James showered with love of fans, co-artists on 57th birthday
National Award-winning rock icon Faruq Mahfuz Anam, better known as James, and celebrated as 'Nagar Baul' or simply 'Guru,' turned 57 on Saturday, and admirers showered the certified legend of the country's band music scene with genuine respect and affection in spades across the country, as well as virtual platforms.
Since the late 1980s, the most charismatic frontman of his generation with renowned rock band 'Nagar Baul' (formerly known as 'Feelings'), has entrenched his legacy in the hearts of his followers, who eagerly anticipate the rock legend's birthday celebrations each and every year.
While millions of fans across the globe have been celebrating the day with noteworthy events, his fans and admirers in the Bangladeshi entertainment sphere showered the iconic superstar throughout the day, sharing their special moments and tributes.
Read: Rockstar James turns 55
Marking the day, popular actors Ziaul Faruq Apurba and Afran Nisho shared their candid presentation of the song "Jodi Kokhono Bhul Hoye Jay," one of the popular songs of James from Apurba's official Facebook page as a tribute to the legend. Apurba sang the track while Nisho companied playing the acoustic guitar.
Aurthohin frontman and pioneer bass guitarist Saidus Khaled, also popularly known as 'Bassbaba Sumon', shared a picture with James with a heartfelt caption mentioning how he became a mainstream musician because of James.
"When I completed my SSC exam, I went to one of the practice sessions of his band 'Feelings' at his house with one of my friends, and he insisted me to play bass guitar at the session with the band. I did not have any experience nor a personal guitar, but after the session he invited me to join the band saying "Welcome to Feelings," which eventually launched my mainstream music career," Sumon wrote on his Facebook profile on Saturday.
Many other bands, musicians and celebrities have also shared their memories with the rock legend on Facebook and Instagram, showring the superstar with love and blessings throughout the day.
Besides, fans of the legendary singer under the banner ‘Dushtu Cheler Dol' have arranged numerous events in 64 districts throughout the nation, according to James Spokesperson Rubaiyat Tagore Robin. Seeking the well-being and good health for the rock superstar, special prayers have been held in Dhaka, Khulna, Jessore, Narsingdi, Rangpur, Meherpur, Kurigram, Bhola, Patuakhali, Kishoreganj, and other locations across the nation.
Fans in Kishoreganj have taken initiative to test blood groups for free from 10 am to 4 pm in several places inside the district .Meanwhile, the day is being celebrated by expatriate Bangladeshi fans in 16 countries of the world, most notably in the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Dubai etc.
They have also shared photographs and emotional posts in the social media platforms regarding their celebrations and memories of attending his concerts.
Robin further said that James has given a special message to the fans on the occasion of his birthday. "As long as you're here, I'm here," said the rock legend with gratitude to his fans and admirers.
Born in 1964 in Naogaon at Rajshahi, James was brought up in Chittagong due to his father Mojammel Haque's work who later became the Chairman of the Dhaka Education Board. His family did not approve his wish to become a music artist, thus he left home in 1976 and started living in Aziz Boarding in Pahartali, Chittagong.
Without the approval of his family, James started his profound journey in music in his youth during the late 70's. He formed his band 'Feelings' in 1977 with himself on vocals and lead guitar, and released the band's first album 'Station Road' in 1987. The band was later renamed as 'Nagar Baul', a moniker that James has also adopted individually.
Besides the other two companions, LRB and ARK in the 'Big Three of Bangladeshi Rock' in the 90's era in Bangladeshi music industry, James garnered immense popularity among fans all over the world with his versatile style in psychedelic rock. He has also established his legacy as a solo artist and a successful playback singer in both Dhallywood and Bollywood. In 2006, he debuted in Bollywood as a playback singer in Anurag Basu's film 'Gangstar', and his journey in Bollywood was continued with three other films - 'Woh Lamhe' (2006), 'Life... in a Metro' (2007) and 'Warning' (2013).
In his motherland, James received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer twice for the films 'Desha: The Leader' (2014) and 'Swatta' (2017). As a solo artist, he has released a total of 8 albums and many mixed albums with renowned artists of Bangladesh.
'Taray Taray Rotiye Debo' (penned by legendary poet Shamsur Rahman), 'Maa', 'Bangladesh', 'Pagla Hawaa', 'Dushtu Chheler Dol', 'Guru Ghor Banaila Ki Diya', 'Mirabai' etc. are some of James's iconic Bengali rock numbers that cemented his legacy as 'Guru' to his fans in all over the world.
James has also proved his versatility in other mediums as a photographer and media entrepreneur. He is the Founder and Chairman of the board of renowned Bangladeshi production house Red Dot Entertainment.