Bongo BD, an OTT platform of Bangladesh, is going to release the Bengali version of South Indian comedy film 'F2: Fun and Frustration' on its platform this week. Cast by renowned actors including South superstar Daggubati Venkatesh, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Varun Tej, 'F2: Fun and Frustration' this movie promises a riot of laughter and a rollercoaster of emotions. 'Nun 2' narrowly edges 'A Haunting in Venice' over quiet weekend in movie theaters The film's narrative takes a hilarious twist as it unfolds the story of two Indian young men who find themselves in a sticky situation, caught by foreign police under allegations of molesting two women on the street. However, there's a comical twist—these men claim that one of the women is the wife of one, and the other is destined to be the wife of the other! Yes, they were indulging in what's colloquially known as "Eve teasing" with their own wives. To uncover the secrets behind this uproarious scenario, viewers are encouraged to tune in and enjoy the rollicking ride of 'F2: Fun and Frustration.' Masud Karim to bring Assam’s historic Bengali language movement into documentary This South Indian comedy gem offers a delightful blend of action, romance, and emotions, all wrapped up in the side-splitting quarrels and escapades between husbands and wives. Ariful Islam, Assistant Manager of Digital Marketing at Bongo BD, expressed his excitement about bringing this unique comedy genre film on the platform. English Language Netflix Originals Coming in October 2023 He stated, "Bongo always strives to offer diverse and engaging content to our audience. 'F2' is a prime example of such eclectic content. We're delighted to bring this comedy masterpiece to our viewers, with the hope of putting smiles on their faces. The movie is already generating buzz on various social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, which is a source of great joy and pride for us."

After many dramatic ups and downs, popular film actor couple Pori Moni and Shariful Razz are apparently divorced, according to their family sources. Pori Moni posted a status on her verified Facebook page that raised rumours of divorce on social media. Salahuddin Zaki, director of ‘Ghuddi’, passes away “Tomorrow (September 17) is a very important day in my life! A... (signature emoji)... Trust in Allah,” the actress wrote. However, there have been no direct comment from either Pori Moni or Razz on the subject so far. 'Nun 2' narrowly edges 'A Haunting in Venice' over quiet weekend in movie theaters Razz and Pori got married on October 17, 2021. The star couple then completed the formalities in January 2022. ‘We’re not just co-stars’: Deepika on working with Shah Rukh

Syed Salahuddin Zaki, renowned Bangladeshi filmmaker-screenwriter-author and a pioneer in the country’s movie industry, passed away on Monday night at the age of 77. The Ekushey Padak and National Award winning filmmaker, widely revered for his critically acclaimed 1980 film “Ghuddi”, breathed his last while undergoing treatment at United Hospital in Dhaka, according to several sources. Read: 'Nun 2' narrowly edges 'A Haunting in Venice' over quiet weekend in movie theaters Nasir Uddin Yousuff, founder of Dhaka Theatre of which Zaki was a founding member, said that the eminent filmmaker was declared dead by the doctors at the hospital at 11:53 pm. Decision regarding his burial is yet to be made after his son and daughter return to Bangladesh from Canada, according to the sources. Celebrities and members of the country’s film fraternity, along with Zaki’s close acquaintances, have been sharing their grief and love for the renowned filmmaker on social media platforms as news of his death broke. Read: Curtain rises on European Film Festival 2023 Born on August 26, 1946, in Tangail, Syed Salahuddin Zaki’s maiden film “Ghuddi” – starring actors Raisul Islam Asad and Suborna Mustafa – was released in 1980. The critically acclaimed film is still remembered for several of its songs composed by the late Lucky Akhand, including “Abar Elo Je Shondhya,” “Ke Bashi Bajay Re,” and “Ghum Ghum”.  Zaki went on to direct and produce several films including “Laal Benarasi” and “Aaina Bibir Pala”. He also served at BFDC as the operative director and Bangladesh Television as its director general for five years. Read: Comedian Russell Brand denies allegations of sexual assault published by three UK news organizations Zaki received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Dialogue for “Ghuddi” and was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2021, the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, for his contributions to the country’s film industry.

"The Nun 2" and "A Haunting in Venice" virtually tied for the No. 1 spot in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, with a slight edge carrying the horror sequel over the Hercule Poirot mystery, according to studio estimates Sunday. In its second weekend of release, Warner Bros.' "The Nun 2," a spinoff from the studio's lucrative "Conjuring" franchise, grossed $14.7 million. If numbers hold, that will give "The Nun 2" (up to $56.5 million total and $158.8 million worldwide) the top spot at the box office for the second straight week. Very close behind was "A Haunting in Venice," Kenneth Branagh's third Agatha Christie adaptation following 2017's "Murder on the Orient Express" and 2022's "Death on the Nile." It opened with $14.5 million. Final box-office figures will be released Monday. Also read: Comedian Russell Brand denies allegations of sexual assault published by three UK news organizations After the successful run of "Murder on the Orient Express" ($352.8 million worldwide against a production budget of $55 million) and the less-stellar global haul of "Death on the Nile" ($137.3 million against a $90 million budget), the sluggish start for "A Haunting in Venice" may have signaled the death knell for Branagh's detective. The 20th Century Studios film, released by the Walt Disney Co., grossed $22.7 million internationally. And it cost less than its predecessor, carrying a production budget of about $60 million. "The Equalizer 3," starring Denzel Washington, dropped to third place with $7.2 million. In three weeks, its grossed $73.7 million domestically and $132.4 million worldwide. Fourth place went to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" with $4.7 million in its second weekend of release. It's grossed $18.5 million domestically. It was one of the quietest weekend in movie theaters this year, as Hollywood — which has spent much of the last two weeks promoting its films at the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals — treads water in between the summer smashes of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" and awaits its top fall movies. Some of those, like "Dune: Part Two," have already postponed until next year due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Also read: ‘We’re not just co-stars’: Deepika on working with Shah Rukh One anticipated fall film, Sony's "Dumb Money," opted for a platform release, debuting in eight theaters over the weekend before expanding next weekend and going wide Sept. 29. The film, a rollicking dramatization of the GameStop stock frenzy, grossed $217,000, for a per-location average of about $27,000. And "Barbie" also remains in the picture. For the ninth straight weekend, Greta Gerwig's box-office sensation ranked in the top five films. It added $4 million to bring its domestic total to $625 million and its global haul to $1.42 billion. Meanwhile, "Oppenheimer" has reached $912.7 million, making it the highest grossing biopic ever, passing "Bohemian Rhapsody." Also read: English Language Netflix Originals Coming in October 2023 Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. "The Nun II," $14.7 million. 2. "A Haunting in Venice," $14.5 million. 3. "The Equalizer 3," $7.2 million. 4. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3," $4.7million. 5. "Barbie," $4 million. 6. "Jawan," $2.5 million. 7. "Blue Beetle," $2.5 million. 8. "Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story," $2.4 million. 9. "Oppenheimer," $2.1 million. 10. " Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," $2 million.

Showcasing the brilliance of young European and Bangladeshi filmmakers, the five-day European Film Festival started at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's National Theater Hall auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday evening. With the tagline “A Celebration of European and Bangladeshi Young Cinema,” the festival is being organized by the European Union in Bangladesh with the Daily Prothom Alo as the prime associate. On Sunday evening, the inaugural ceremony began with an intriguing discussion session, conducted by Charles Whiteley, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) in Dhaka. Prothom Alo executive editor and poet Sajjad Sharif, renowned filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, and former Dhaka University Visual Anthropology Club president and film activist Simin Ibnat Dharitree participated in the discussion, titled 'Youth in Cinema'. “This festival is taking place during such an exciting time for our film industry, and our young filmmakers are searching for new languages, presenting unknown experiences of the society. They are looking forward to changing the obstacles in our cinema, in which festivals like this can guide and help them,” Sajjad Sharif said at the panel discussion. Filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury said, “Whenever I ask people from our new generation, most of them say that they want to leave the country. We need to ensure an environment where they can thrive with their talents. If our cinema cannot tell our stories or cannot resonate with our lives and our own context, this problem will remain with us and we need the support of global film instructors-associates to guide our new generation filmmakers.” Read: ‘Eternal Existence’: Curtain rises on Sourav Chowdhury's 5th solo exhibition at AFD Simon Ibnat Dharitree said that the influence of cinema is very strong in the life of the youth and movies can be useful in the field of intellectual practice and social awareness apart from entertaining audiences. The film screening of the festival began with the screening of the Dutch film ‘Mally Can Fly’, after the inaugural panel discussion. After that, Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman expressed his gratitude to the European Union Embassy in Bangladesh for organizing this film festival and thanked the associate organizers including Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, Alliance Française de Dhaka and British Council Bangladesh. Earlier, the festival authority organized a 'Masterclass' with young filmmakers to enrich the cultural diversity of Europe and Bangladesh through creative work. Last Friday and Saturday, director Syeda Nigar Banu, cinematographer Apu Rozario, and filmmakers Amitabh Reza Chowdhury and Piplu R Khan conducted the masterclasses at the British Council in Dhaka. At the festival's inauguration ceremony on Sunday, these instructors were honoured by the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Dhaka Charles Whiteley and Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman. Read: Curtain rises on 25th National Art Exhibition at BSA A short film competition was organized as part of the festival, and the filmmakers were honoured in three categories. Young director Mostofa Monowar received the Best Story award for his film ‘Passenger’ while Akib Mahmud won the Best Director award for the film ‘Ashlesha’. The festival crowned Mehedi Hasan Joseph's short film ‘Poster’ as the Best Film, and the inauguration ceremony concluded with the screening of the film. EU Ambassador to Dhaka Charles Whiteley, Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman and Chorki CEO Redoan Rony handed over the prizes to the winners. The film screenings will be held at several venues across the country till September 23, including the Alliance Française de Dhaka, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Modern Language Institute of Modern Language in Dhaka University, the Dutch Club, Khulna University, Barendra University in Rajshahi and Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University in Mymensingh. Ambassador Whiteley thanked all the partners and the panellists who have made the festival a reality with brilliant films from the Europe and Bangladesh. He also congratulated the winners of the short film competition. Read more:  Curtain rises on Bangladesh Fashion Week 2023

Three British news organizations reported Saturday that comedian and social influencer Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse based on allegations from four women who knew him over a seven-year period at the height of his fame. Brand denied the allegations and said that all of his relationships have been consensual. The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's "Dispatches" said that one woman alleged she had been raped, while three others accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive. The women said that they only felt ready to tell their stories after being approached by reporters, with some citing Brand's newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer as a factor in their decision to speak. Before the stories were published, Brand posted a video online denying the allegations, which had been outlined in two "extremely disturbing letters" from a "mainstream media" television company and a newspaper. He didn't identify the news organizations by name. "Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," he said. "These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies and, as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous." "Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual," he added. "I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well." Brand also suggested that the reports were part of a coordinated attack designed to discredit him because of his views. Brand has been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewing contentious podcasters like Joe Rogan. "To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question is there another agenda at play," Brand said. Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comic in Britain in the early 2000s, which led to starring roles on Channel 4 and later BBC Radio, where he capitalized on a reputation for outrageous behavior and risque banter. He later made the jump to Hollywood, appearing in films such as "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" in 2008 and the remake of "Arthur" in 2011. Brand was married to U.S. pop star Katy Perry from 2010-2012. In recent years, he transformed himself into a political commentator and influencer posting YouTube videos on subjects such as personal freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has discussed being a part of the latest blockbuster “Jawan” and how her working experience with Shah Rukh Khan was remarkable because of their friendship. Deepika stated that while she was in Hyderabad for work, Shah Rukh and “Jawan” director Atlee approached her and explained her role in the film, reports NDTV. Also read: ‘Hero or villain?’ Shah Rukh Khan teases with new ‘Jawan’ posterShe said both SRK and Atlee told her the duration of her character was irrelevant, but the impact of her role was immense. "I was shooting for Project K in Hyderabad, and both of them flew down and came to see me, and they narrated the whole story to me. And told me this very important part of Aishwarya and for me it wasn't about the length of the role but it was about the impact this character is going to have on the entire film." Also read: Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Jawan’ makes historic debut in Bangladesh"So for me it was two-fold, one is everyone knows my love for him (SRK), but also the movie was so so special that any actor not just me if they would have offered this part would have said yes to it because it was about the vision and all of us have invested in that vision. For me, it was about the story we are telling, the impact this film is going to have on this amazing audience,” she said. "When Shah Rukh and I are working together, we are not just co-stars, it's not formal, there is just a lot of love and that's what always comes through in our work," the actress said. Shah Rukh said that the idea of approaching Deepika for the role of Aishwarya in “Jawan” came to him while she was filming “Besharam Rang” in “Pathaan”. Also read: Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Jawan’ releases tonight in Bangladesh, making history SRK said he asked if she was ready to play a mother."It's a celebration. We rarely get a chance to live with a film for years. The making of Jawan has been going on for four years due to Covid and time constraints. There were a lot of people involved in this film, especially people from the South who came and settled in Mumbai and have been living in Mumbai for the last four years and working day and night for this film, which is the hardest work ever," Shah Rukh said during the “Jawan” press conference, the NDTV report also said.

Uniting Turkish and Bangladeshi Artistic Visions, the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka initiated an exclusive diplomatic outreach on Friday evening, marking the inauguration of the upcoming "Rising From the Ashes Exhibition 2023." The exclusive exhibition is scheduled to take place from September 22 to September 26, at the Aloki Convention Center, Tejgaon in the capital, aiming to bring together the artistic finesse of Turkish and Bangladeshi creators in a vibrant display open to the public. On Friday, the outreach event was attended by the Turkish Ambassador to Dhaka Ramis Şen, alongside esteemed Turkish diplomats, art connoisseurs, and social leaders, and the event underlines the strengthening of cultural connections between Turkey and Bangladesh. Istanbul's esteemed fashion designer and artist Tuba Ahsan and the "Cemal Toy" Art School spearhead the "Rising from the Ashes 2023" series. Their united cause channels funds to support the construction of sustainable wooden homes for victims of the tragic Turkey-Syria earthquake which occurred on February 6th, this year. Read: PM opens Shahabuddin’s special arts exhibition in city In Dhaka, Tuba Ahsan expands the exhibition, amalgamating talent from Turkish and Bangladeshi artists. This synergy symbolizes her relentless passion for art and charitable causes, capturing the essence of the "Rising From the Ashes Exhibition 2023.”

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman have decided to end their marriage after 27 years and two children. “We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,” they said in the joint statement. Their separation was first reported by People magazine. ‘Love doesn’t exist’: Immigrants defy forced marriage abroad They said the statement would be their only one on their breakup. They added that their family is their highest priority and that they’ll undertake “this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.”   The couple met in 1995 on the set of an Australian television show where both were actors. Deborra-lee Furness at the time was the more established of the two. They married in 1996 and had two children: Oscar, now 23, and Ava, now 18. Jackman also ascended to major stardom in Hollywood and on Broadway. The couple have been red carpet mainstays for years, posing together at the Oscars, at Broadway events and at the Met Gala, including the most recent edition in May. They attended Wimbledon together in July. Biden signs gay marriage law, calls it ‘a blow against hate’ In April, Jackman celebrated their 27th anniversary with a tribute on Instagram. “I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life,” he wrote. “Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.” Furness, 67, is an advocate for orphans and adoption, especially in her native Australia, and one of the founding members of National Adoption Awareness Week. Bubly reveals dates of marriage with Shakib, son’s birth Jackman, 54, who played the superhero Wolverine in several movies, is reprising the role in “Deadpool 3,” which is on hold due to the actors strike.

The Biopic titled "Mujib: The Making of a Nation," directed by renowned Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal, made its debut at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on 13 September 2023. The film, depicting the life and political odyssey of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, resonated deeply with the audience, filling the entire TIFF Bell Lightbox hall to its capacity during the screening. In a statement, Director Shyam Benegal expressed his delight at unveiling the film at this prestigious festival.  "I’m sure the story of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his journey to create the Nation of Bangladesh will echo with people and communities across the globe. It has been an honour to be able to tell this inspiring story of the Making of a Nation."