Two-time Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks was named the principal speaker at Harvard’s commencement on May 25, the Ivy League university announced Tuesday. Hanks, 66, has appeared in almost 100 films. Nominated for an Oscar six times, he won best actor for “Philadelphia” in 1993 and “Forrest Gump” the following year. Harvard President Lawrence Bacow called Hanks “a true master of his craft.” “In addition to his brilliance as an actor, Tom has demonstrated both an innate empathy and a deep understanding of the human condition,” Bacow said in a statement. “He has contributed to our national culture and expanded our ability to appreciate stories and histories that have been previously unexamined.” Recent Harvard commencement speakers included former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, late civil rights activist and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. A comedic actor early in his career, Hanks transitioned seamlessly to dramatic roles, from his breakout performance in 1988′s comedy “Big” to “Saving Private Ryan,” “Apollo 13,” and “Captain Phillips.” He voiced the character Woody in the “Toy Story” animated films and voiced several characters in 2004′s “The Polar Express” animated film.He produced several projects exploring U.S. history including “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific,” and “John Adams.” He’s also known for his philanthropic work and advocacy, raising support for the national World War II Memorial in Washington and serving as campaign chair for Hidden Heroes, increasing awareness around issues faced by caregivers who work with veterans. Following his performance in “Philadelphia” as a lawyer with AIDS, Hanks became an advocate for AIDS awareness and supporter of The Foundation for AIDS Research and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. His other accolades include the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award and the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2014. President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

“Naatu Naatu”, the song from Indian film “RRR”, has caused a worldwide frenzy following its Oscar victory. Celebrities, cricketers, and even diplomats have been inspired by the high energy dance performed by actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan. Now, a video of Tesla cars creating a light show to the beats of the Oscar-winning song has appeared on the internet, reports NDTV. The now-viral video was uploaded by RRR's official Twitter account. In the video, multiple Tesla cars in New Jersey, US light up to the beats of the song. “In New Jersey, @Teslalightshows light sync with the rhythms of #OscarWinning Music #NaatuNaatu. Thank you for all of your support. @Tesla @elonmusk, #RRRMovie.” — the caption of the post reads. The Tesla cars' headlights were blinking in sync, and the light display was spectacular, the report said. After only a few hours, the video has received over 175,000 views and 13,000 likes on Twitter. Tesla Light Show also responded to the post, saying, "Amazing! What a night... Congratulations." Many comments were also left on the video. "Damn that's so cool!" one person said. "Nice But how was it done?" — another netizen asked. "Goosebumps," another tweet said. “Naatu Naatu” was the first Telugu song to be nominated for an Oscar in the “Original Song” category. It won, beating out famous names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, as well as director SS Rajamouli and star actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan were present on the occasion.

Popular Bollywood film actress Rani Mukerji returned to the big screen after two years with the film 'Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway.' At the same time, Anirban Bhattacharya, the heartthrob of Bengali films, made his Bollywood debut through this film. The film is based on a real-life story and plotted from Sagarika Chakraborty's 2022 book The Journey of a Mother. The film has been released on Friday, March 17, 2023, and appears to be a blockbuster. Details about the Film Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway Main Casts Rani Mukerji as Debika Chatterjee; Anirban Bhattacharya as Aniruddha Chatterjee, Debika's husband; Jim Sarbh as Daniel Singh Ciupek, lawyer of Norway; Neena Gupta as Vasudha Kamat, Indian External Affairs Minister (the character based on Sushma Swaraj). Plot Debika and her family - husband Aniruddha, son Shubha, and five-month-old daughter Shuchi - live in Stavanger. During their last visit, Sia and Matilda of Velfred, a child welfare service, take away Shubha and Shuchi, leaving the Chatterjees in shock. They are informed that they are not allowed to keep custody of their children as they are considered unfit. Read More: 10 Netflix Originals Coming in April 2023 Debika then decides to battle the government to regain her children. In the process, she discovers the shocking truth about the child custody system in Norway, prompting her to take drastic action. The rest of the story follows her journey. Director and Producers Ashima Chibber is an Indian film director who began her career as an assistant director for films such as “Rockstar” and "Chakde! India." Ashima's fame in Bollywood has been enhanced by her appearances in multiple blockbusters and collaborations with elite directors, allowing her career to flourish. Her entry into television was concurrent with a new phase in Indian TV. This Hyderabadi girl, who has studied in Delhi and the UK, made her cinematic debut under the direction of acclaimed filmmaker Shimit Amin. In 2013, she made her directorial debut with the romantic comedy "Mere Dad Ki Maruti." The film received positive reviews and was a box-office success. Now she is back with another sensation, “Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway.” The film is produced by Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani, and Nikkhil Advani. Read More: Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Movies in March 2023

Three leading film societies chose to abstain from the Federation of Film Societies of Bangladesh (FFSB)'s golden jubilee celebration event which was held on Sunday at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Zahir Raihan Film Society and Jahangirnagar Cine Society, two film societies affiliated with Jahangirnagar University, as well as Jagannath University Cinema Society, a member of the FFSB, boycotted the ceremony once it emerged that the Bashundhara Group was one of the sponsors of the event. In a joint statement signed by its president Nafis Mahmud and general secretary Bhabna Mukherjee, the Jahangirnagar Cine Society announced its decision to abstain from the ceremony, stating that the celebration event lost its moral position due to taking sponsorship from such an entity. They expressed their disappointment and sadness at learning that Bashundhara Group was the sponsor, as the allegation of the rape and murder of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia against Bashundhara Group managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir is listed as one of the most talked-about topics in recent times. In a joint statement, Moutusi Zubaida Rahman and Rifat Khan Anik, the president and general secretary of the Zahir Raihan Film Society, made clear their intention to boycott the FFSB's event, expressing similar disappointment. In fact the society named after Bangladesh's pioneering filmmaker was the first to boycott on these grounds. The Jagannath University Film Society stated in its boycott statement that the FFSB could not maintain its moral stance "while accepting funding from the Bashundhara group and Anvir"; however, it also stated that it would participate in FFSB events in the future if it could regain its moral stance. Despite these three associations’ boycotting, FFSB held its celebration event at BSA’s National Theatre Hall on Sunday, which was joined by Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud as the chief guest. Regarding the decision of the three film societies over the sponsorship, FFSB general secretary Belayat Hossain Mamun said that FFSB approached many for sponsorship as it needed funds to organise such a big event and Bashundhara Group stepped forward with sponsorship. The members of FFSB have the right to take their decisions and FFSB welcomes their stances, he said. In the event, the 'Best Film Council of Six Decades Award' was given to the selected film councils out of hundreds of film councils for their special contribution to the excellence of the country's film culture, including the Zahir Raihan Film Society. On April 26, 2021, police recovered the hanging body of Munia from a flat in the capital's Gulshan area. Munia's elder sister, Nusrat Jahan Tania, filed a case against Anvir that night accusing him of incitement to suicide, stating that Munia was in a relationship with Anvir who regularly visited her at the Gulshan apartment. The police however, in September 2021 saidt hat it has not found any evidence against Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir and eight other accused in college student Mosarat Jahan Munia rape and murder case. Later however a rape and murder case was filed against Anvir at the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, which appointed the PBI to investigate. However PBI has been unable to submit the investigation report as yet.

Dhallywood actor Shakib Khan went to the Detective Branch (DB) office of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Sunday eveing and filed a written complaint with DB against film producer Rahmat Ullah who brought a rape allegation against him. DB’s additional commissioner Harun or Rashid assured that he would bring the fraudster under the law, Shakib said. “He listened to everything and saw all the evidence taking enough time. He also saw all the claims of that scammer,” said Shakib Khan. Shakib said that he is very confident after hearing the DB chief’s words. “I believe DB will catch the criminal quickly as they solve other cases quickly and catch other criminals quickly” “I have filed a written complaint and he has taken my complaint”, said the Dhallywood actor. Earlier on Wednesday (15 March), Rahmat Ullah, a producer, filed a written complaint against the actor in the Bangladesh Film Artists Association accusing him of sexual misconduct and raping an Australian woman, a co-producer of the film "Operation Agneepath".  

The live performance of the high energy “Naatu Naatu”, from the Indian blockbuster “RRR”, received a standing ovation at the Oscars. The song, that went viral worldwide, is the first song from an Indian film to win an Oscar.  Despite all the positivity surrounding the song, the live performance at the award show has been called out as many netizens pointed out that “none of the dancers were of Indian descent”. International media have identified the two men who danced the key roles — played in the film by South Indian actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR — as Billy Mustapha and Jason Glover, who are Canadian and American, respectively, reports NDTV. Several netizens have openly criticized this, stating that using non-South Asian dancers weakens the song's anti-colonial message in the film, set in pre-independence India. Read More: Oscars 2023: Vogue misidentifies Deepika Padukone as Camila Alves Bollywood star Deepika Padukone introduced the thrilling performance of “Naatu Naatu” at the Oscars, which was sung live by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, the singers behind the now worldwide popular number. The authenticity ended there, said many, as none of the dancers appeared to be South Asian, yet were misidentified as such.  Although Indian audiences enthusiastically enjoyed the performance, which was undeniably exciting and a highlight of the Oscars event, the South Asian community in the United States protested the lack of representation. "The Oscars Naatu Naatu performance was meant to have been a tremendous celebration of pride for all of us, and yet we were left feeling empty-handed and rejected," US-based dancer Joya Nandy Kazi wrote on Instagram. Read More: This is how Oscar winners are decided “Two brown passing guys sang a song about colonialism with lyrics that said no dance is as wonderful as a villager's dance. They were fantastic, but why weren't two skilled dancers from our own community selected as leads with a mostly South Asian ensemble?” — Joya asked. “The colonists are the butt of the joke of this song, and trying to replicate the movie scenario even with a bunch of men who should represent the natives as anything other than South Asian leaves me balancing between being stunned and smiling at the absurdity. We need to do better," she said. Shivani Reddy, a Telugu-American film critic, told CBS News, “It just felt very exclusionary that the one race they didn't include was the one that was supposed to be represented because of the film and where it's from…It's unfortunate because there are so many South Asian dancers that I know that are in the industry trying to get into those spaces that just don't get afforded those opportunities. And for the one time that we maybe could have gotten access, we were denied.” Raj Kapoor, Oscars producer, said in an interview that the initial intention was for lead actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR to dance to “Naatu Naatu”, overseen by “RRR” choreographer Prem Rakshith.  Read More: First Indian film song to win Oscar: ‘Natu Natu’ from ‘RRR’ makes history “In late February, we were informed that Ram Charan and NT Rama Rao Jr would be attending the Oscars, but they did not feel comfortable performing the live number on stage. The change was brought on because of their other professional commitments and the limited amount of time to rehearse,” Kapoor stated. “Naatu Naatu”, from SS Rajamouli's mega hit “RRR”, won the Oscar for Best Original Song, beating out Lady Gaga's “Hold My Hand” and Rihanna's “Raise Me Up”, among others.

James Gunn is directing a Superman film. “Superman: Legacy,” which Gunn also wrote, is also set for a July 11, 2025, he and his co-chair and fellow CEO of DC Studios Peter Safran announced Wednesday. The film, Gunn said, deals with the superhero’s journey to make sense of both his aristocratic Kryptonian heritage and his small town, midwestern upbringing as Clark Kent. The legacy of Superman has been somewhat fraught recently. In October, Henry Cavill announced that he would be returning to the role starting with a cameo in “Black Adam.” Two months later, though, Cavill was back on social media with the news that he was out. “This news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life,” Cavill wrote. “The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build.” Gunn and Safran were announced as the new DC leaders just a few days after “Black Adam” opened in October, replacing Walter Hamada, who had headed DC Films for four years. And Cavill as Superman was one of the casualties of the new guard. “It has been a long road to this point,” Gunn wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “I was offered Superman years ago - I initially said no because I didn’t have a way in that felt unique and fun and emotional that gave Superman the dignity he deserved. ... Then a bit less than a year ago I saw a way in.”Gunn also said the release date is the same as his late father’s birthday. “He was my best friend,” Gunn wrote. “He didn’t understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and my love of film and I wouldn’t be making this movie now without him.” Gunn has for several years been the rare director to bounce between both DC and Marvel films. He first came to DC after directing Marvel’s well-regarded “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. When the Walt Disney Co. temporarily dropped Gunn over old tweets that joked about rape and pedophilia, he jumped to DC and made the supervillain film “The Suicide Squad,” a kind of blockbuster do-over that followed David Ayer’s much-maligned “Suicide Squad.” He and the veteran producer Safran came aboard with several upcoming DC films already on their way to theaters, including “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (March 17), “The Flash” (out June 16) and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (Dec. 25). And he still has “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” coming on May 5. “Superman: Legacy” will be the first film in the new iteration of the connected DC Universe, followed by Matt Reeves’ “The Batman Part II,” which is set for an Oct. 2025 launch. That film, like Todd Phillips’ “Joker” sequel coming in 2024, will lie outside of the DCU.

The 9th Edition of World Art Dubai 2023 was held at the Dubai World Trade Center from March 9 to 12, and for the second time, four Bangladeshi self-taught artists participated in the event. Artist Mahfuzur Rahman, Moonstasir Haque Moon, Kadizatul Qubra and Masuka Nourin Heya participated in this event under Mahfuz Canvas, which collaborated with Dubai-based Funun Arts under the patronage of Mahfuz Canvas’s founder Mahfuzur Rahman and Funun Arts’s founder Shiba Khan and Farah Khan. The goal of the event was to give established and new artists a place to show off their work and give collectors and art admirers easy access to affordable art. The event, comprised of an art fair, also featured workshops, live performances, and talks on a variety of art topics. Mahfuzur Rahman was the first Bangladeshi artist to be chosen to represent the country at World Art Dubai in 2022. “Artists from Bangladesh are gaining international recognition and showcasing their unique styles and works alongside artists from around the world, through such events. This is a significant accomplishment and evidence of Bangladeshi artists’ growing presence on the international art scene,” Rahman told UNB.  

A Romanian court on Tuesday rejected a bail request from the divisive social media influencer and former professional kickboxer Andrew Tate who is detained in the country on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking, an official said. Tate, 36, a British-U.S. citizen who has 5.3 million Twitter followers, was initially detained in late December in Romania’s capital Bucharest, along with his brother Tristan, and two Romanian women. None of the four has yet been formally charged in the case. After a morning hearing Tuesday at the Bucharest Tribunal, a judge rejected Tate’s bail request, said Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for Romania’s anti-organized crime agency DIICOT. It is not clear what bail conditions were proposed by Tate’s legal team. In Romania, it is rare for defendants under preventative arrest for serious crimes to request posting bail. More common are requests to be placed under other judicial conditions such as house arrest or geographical restrictions. The court’s decision comes after the Tate brothers lost an appeal last month against a judge’s Feb. 21 ruling to extend their arrest for a third time for 30 days. It was the third separate appeal they lost against decisions to extend their detention while investigations continue. A January court document explaining a previous arrest extension noted “the possibility of them evading investigations cannot be ignored,” and said they could “leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition.” Tate will remain in detention until at least Mar. 29. Before Tuesday's court decision, a post appeared on Andrew Tate’s Twitter account, that read: “If you want a life people will aspire for, you’ll need to be prepared to defend it.” Tate, who has lived in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech. He has repeatedly claimed Romanian prosecutors have no evidence and alleged their case is a “political” conspiracy designed to silence him. DIICOT said in a statement after the December arrests that it had identified six victims in the human trafficking case who were allegedly subjected to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion” and sexually exploited by members of the alleged crime group. The agency said victims were lured with pretenses of love and later intimidated, placed under surveillance and subjected to other control tactics while being coerced into engaging in pornographic acts for the financial gain of the crime group. End/UNB/AP/MB

The Embassy of Japan and Japan Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute of Modern Languages (IML) of the University of Dhaka, and the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), presented the "Japanese Film Festival 2023" from March 9 to 12. The event featured six acclaimed Japanese films from a wide range of genres, including drama, musical romance, and anime. The festival 2023 was inaugurated at the IML. For the first time, the AIUB hosted the screening of two films on the closing day. During the screening, "Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue," a contemporary film by Japanese director Yuya Ishii, received great acclaim from the audience and critics alike.