Film
Director seeks PM’s intervention in ‘recovering footage of govt-funded film Mike’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's intervention has been sought to recover footage of the government-funded full-length children's film 'Mike' based on Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech.
This request was made at a press conference organized at Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday.
In a written statement read out at the press conference, director and producer of the film FM Shaheen said, “Anytime between 10 pm on February 8 and 10 am on February 9, at the office of bbarta24net.com and Jagran TV on the 11th floor of Padma Islami Life Insurance Bhaban, miscreants stole the portable hard disk containing the latest edited footage of the film 'Mike' that was kept in my desk drawer. The estimated value of the footage is Tk 1 crore 25 lakh.”
Shaheen also said, apart from this, Tk 5.35 lakh cash was taken from the drawer of bbarta24net.com editor.
The media outlets have been operating since May 3, 2021, by renting a part of the 11th floor of this building as an office.
They also claimed that police did not cooperate with them to find the culprits from the beginning.
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'Films, television can be strong drivers of social transformation, change'
Films and television can be strong drivers of social change and can have a transformative effect on society, Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman said Monday.
He was speaking at the 11th-anniversary celebration of the Department of Television, Film, and Photography of DU.
"This department not only provides professional training but also teaches the students to think critically. It helps them develop an innovative mindset too," Akhtaruzzaman said.
"Also, there is an opportunity for this department to further strengthen the industry-academia relationship as the guest teachers of this department are directly connected with the media industry," he added.
The daylong programme was held at the Teacher-Student Center (TSC) auditorium of the university.
Akhtauzzaman inaugurated the event as the chief guest around 12.30pm. Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor ASM Maksud Kamal and the founding chairman of the Department of Television, Film, and Photography Professor AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan were also present.
Read more: Open master’s programs at DU to start from 2022-23 academic session
Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy
Three days after the trailer for Hansan Mehta’s much-talked-about Bollywood film ‘Faraaz’ was released, Ruba Ahmed, the mother of Abinta Kabir who was killed by militants in the Holey Artisan Attack on July 1, 2016, alongside Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, Tarishi Jain and Ishrat Akhond, among others, said that she is against releasing the film and will try to stop projecting the film in Bangladesh.
Ahmed, who is already fighting a legal battle alongside Tarishi Jain’s mother in the Delhi High Court to stay the release of ‘Faraaz’ which is scheduled to hit theatres in India on February 3, said in a press conference at the Abinta Kabir Foundation on Thursday that the filmmakers have violated their privacy and made the film without their proper consent.
“For the last six years, I have been dealing with the enormous pain of losing my only daughter, Abinta Kabir, whom we lost due to that horrific incident. When we first came to know in 2019 that Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was planning to make a film on the incident, we sent him a letter to which he replied that he respects my decision and will not continue the film,” Ruba Ahmed said at the press conference.
Stating that she was shocked to discover the poster of ‘Faraaz’, realising that the filmmakers did not stop making the film. She then contacted Hansal Mehta, director of the much-acclaimed biographical financial thriller television series ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ and asked about the project.
“I asked him what gave him the right to make the movie as this incident happened in Bangladesh and it is being made in Bollywood, and he answered that he wanted to draw attention against violence through the film. My question is, a number of terrorist events took place in India between 2016 and 2023 - why can’t they make movies based on the events that happened in India?”
Outlining her concerns about the film, Ruba Ahmed said, “We lost 22 people in that incident including Abinta Kabir, Tarishi Jain, and Faraz Hossain, to name a few. However, as the name also suggests, there is undoubtedly more emphasis on one character in the film. The filmmakers did not observe the incident in person, how could the film portray only one of them as a hero?”
“In this film, they changed Abinta's name to Ayesha, Tarishi's name to Tari, and even I was also portrayed as Rabeya. In the trailer, they showed a riot scene where my daughter's picture was also visible. Without our consent, how they got the right to invade and violate our privacy?” she questioned.
At the press conference, she was also asked about Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s much-talked-about film ‘Shonibar Bikel’ (Saturday Afternoon) which is also fictionalized on the same incident and battling with Bangladesh Film Censor Board for its release since 2019. "Farooki received my legal notice and responded to me. The decision to proceed with the film now totally rests with the Bangladeshi government and the censor board," she said.
“I don’t want anyone to imagine the pain of witnessing your daughter's last moment on the silver screen. This movie should not come to Bangladesh. This type of personal tragedy should not be screened on Netflix or Amazon or any other OTT platform," Ruba Ahmed said at the press conference.
Produced by T-Series and Benaras Media Works, ‘Faraaz’ features an ensemble cast with six newcomers including legendary Indian actor Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahaan Kapoor marking his Bollywood debut in the title character. The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 15 last year.
The release date was finalised after the Delhi High Court recently refused to grant a stay for release in a suit filed by the mothers of Abinta Kabir and Tarishi Jain, who claimed their right to privacy with respect to their deceased daughters. “To ensure that the film doesn't get to come to Bangladesh, I will go to the Supreme Court of India," Ruba Ahmed said.
Read more: Holey Artisan Victim Faraaz's Heroism is Now on the Silver Screen
Curtain rises on 21st Dhaka International Film Festival
The 21st edition of the Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF), one of the longest-running cultural festivals in the country, officially began in the city Saturday, with 252 films set to be showcased from 71 countries till January 22.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the festival as chief guest, while civil aviation and tourism secretary Mokammel Hossain and popular West Bengal actor Sabyasachi Chakrabarty were present as special guests at the inaugural ceremony.
Presided over by the DIFF chief patron and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, the welcome remarks were delivered by festival director Ahmed Muztaba Zamal, founding organiser of this coveted festival.
Inaugurating the 21st edition, Foreign Minister Momen said that the DIFF has given young and aspiring filmmakers in Bangladesh and elsewhere the opportunity to interact with contemporary artistic trends, greatly influencing the development of a strong and positive national cinema culture.
"I commend Rainbow Film Society's initiative and effort, which since 1977 have been devoted to fostering a strong film culture in Bangladesh. It truly is one of the Bangladeshi film society movement's most active film organizations, and I wish the festival a great success," Momen said at the ceremony.
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‘Top Gun,’ ‘Black Panther’ advance in Oscars shortlist
Blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick,”“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” and pop stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna just got one step closer to getting Oscar nominations.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 95th Oscars, including documentary feature, international film, makeup and hairstyling, score, original song, sound, visual effects and shorts.
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” was along the 15 films shortlisted in the international film category, one of the most competitive. The category also includes already decorated films like “Holy Spider” (Denmark), “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany), “Saint Omer” (France), “Corsage” (Austria), “EO” (Poland), “Return to Seoul” (Cambodia), “Decision to Leave” (South Korea), “Close” (Belgium) and “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina).
The inclusion of “Joyland” marks the first time Pakistan has ever made the shortlist. Most of the directors are first-timers on the shorlist too, with the exception being Iñárritu.
India’s official submission was not S.S. Rajamouli’s popular action epic “RRR,” but rather Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” which made the cut becoming the first film from the country to do so in over 20 years. “RRR” could get nominations in other categories, including for the shortlisted original song “Naatu Naatu.”
Jafar Panâhi was also not put forward to represent Iran, whose selection was not among the 15 and Russia did not submit a film this year.
Read: Iran authorities arrest actress of Oscar-winning movie
Documentaries advancing to the next stage of voting include Laura Poitras’s Venice-winning “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” about photographer Nan Goldin’s work and activism, Brett Morgen’s David Bowie film “Moonage Daydream,” Daniel Roher’s “Navalny,” about the Russian opposition leader, “The Janes ” about pre-Roe v. Wade activists, “All that Breathes,” “Descendant,”“Fire of Love” and “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song.” It is a rather diverse group of stories and filmmakers: Eight were directed by women and four by people of color.
With many below-the-line categories at hand, big budget sequels like “Avatar,”“Top Gun,” and “Black Panther” were well represented in the effects and sound categories, as well as original song which included Gaga’s “Hold My Hand,” The Weeknd’s “Nothing is Lost” from “Avatar: The Way of Water” and Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther.”
Also on the original song shortlist are Swift’s “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” Drake’s “Time” from “Amsterdam,” LCD Soundsystem’s “New Body Rhumba” from “White Noise,” Selena Gomez’s “My Mind and Me” from the documentary of the same name and Rita Wilson’s “Til You’re Home” from “A Man Called Otto.” Diane Warren also gets another shot at a competitive Oscar with “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman.” Doja Cat’s song from “Elvis” was not eligible.
For the most part shortlists are determined by members in their respective categories, though the specifics vary from branch to branch: Some have committees, some have minimum viewing requirements.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” got quite a few spots on the shortlist, including original score, makeup and hair, sound and visual effects.
Read: Oscar winners cut off their hair to support Iran protests
Among the visual effects selections were “Jurassic World Dominion, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” while makeup and hairstyling includes films David Cronenberg’s body horror “Crimes of the Future.”
Other films advancing in makeup and hairstyling include “The Whale,” in which Brendan Fraser transforms into a 600-pound man, “Elvis, “Emancipation,” “The Batman” and the Marilyn Monroe film “Blonde.”
The 15 original scores selected were winnowed for from 147 eligible and include “Women Talking” from Hildur Guðnadóttir, “The Fabelmans” from John Williams, “The Banshees of Inisherin” from Carter Burwell, “Babylon” from Justin Hurwitz, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” from Alexandre Desplat and “The Woman King” from Terence Blanchard. Also in the mix are Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Nicholas Britell (“She Said”) and Son Lux (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”).
Guðnadóttir’s “Tár” score was not eligible, nor was the “Top Gun: Maverick” score, written by Hans Zimmer, Harold Faltermeyer, Lorne Balfe and Gaga.
Nominations for all categories will be announced on Jan. 24. The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12 and broadcast live on ABC.
Pakistan’s ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ hits Rs 100 crore mark in 10 days
Bilal Lashari is the director and writer of the 2022 Pakistani Punjabi action drama movie The Legend of Maula Jatt. It is a remake of the cult favorite Pakistani movie Maula Jatt from 1979. Ammara Hikmat and Dr. Asad Jamil Khan have made the film under the production banner of Lashari Films and Encyclomedia. Scriptwriter Nasir Adeeb has defined the stories and characters in this movie.
Fawad Khan plays the title role in the movie. The other casts include Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malik, and Mahira Khan.
Read More: After string of blockbusters, Mim envisions another ‘sold out’ experience with ‘Damal’
In the movie, Maula Jatt, a local heroine, battles Noori Natt, the violent clan's leader. The story begins with Jeeva Natt and his clan attacking Sardar Jatt's Haveli. Even though they are more numerous, they are defeated, and Sardar Jatt and his wife are slaughtered.
Maula, the only survivor of the assault and the son of Sardar Jatt, is brought up by a woman by the name of Daani. One day, Mooda, the biological son of Daani, brings Maula to his coach's wrestling class. Maula impresses Mooda's coach, who offers to train him. As the storyline advances Maula grows up and became a popular wrestler. Later, he kills Noori and becomes the hero of the village.
Read More: Makers, lead performer of 'Hawa' served legal notice for 'breaching tobacco control law'
As of October 28, 2022, The Legend of Maula Jatt had made PKR 33cr ($1.5M) in Pakistan and PKR 82cr ($3.7M) in other nations, for a total of PKR 115cr ($5.2M) globally. This movie smashed a number of box office records, including being the third-highest-grossing Pakistani movie of all time.
New Releases: Top 10 South Indian Movies to Watch in October 2022
In recent years, a bunch of South Indian films have outshined Bollywood's big-budget mainstream Hindi movies in both ratings and earnings. The Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries are enthralling the cinema world with great films in terms of unique story-telling, eye-catching visuals, and superb acting performance. Holding this legacy, South Indian film industries are releasing quality films every month. Let's take a look at the upcoming South Indian movies in October 2022.
10 Most anticipated South Indian Movies releasing in October 2022
Swathi Muthyam | Telugu Romantic Comedy
Varsha Bollamma and Ganesh Bellamkonda are the main stars of this Lakshman K Krishna-directed film. The movie tells a young man's story about celebrating life, falling in love, and his growing views on marriage. He is naive and pure at heart.
Surya Teja Musunuru did the cinematography, while Mahathi Swara Sagar created the music. The film editing was done by Navin Nooli. Suryadevara Naga Vamsi produces the film under the banner of Sithara Entertainments.
The movie will premiere on October 5, 2022.
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GOD Father | Telugu Political Action
It is a remake of the 2019 Malayalam film Lucifer, which is being helmed by Mohan Raja. Salman Khan, Nayantara, Puri Jagannadh, Satyadev Kancharana, and Chiranjeevi will star different roles in the movie.
S. Thaman composed the music, and Nirav Shah was in charge of the filming. Ram Charan, R. B. Choudary, and N. V. Prasad produced the movie under Konidela Production Company and Super Good Films.
The movie Godfather is slated for release on October 5, 2022, which also happens to be Vijayadashami.
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Borrder | Tamil Spy Thriller
This movie was directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam and produced by Vijaya Raghavendra under the name All in Pictures. Arun Vijay, Regina Cassandra, and Stefy Patel are all featured in the movie.
The theme of the movie is patriotism, and it has a military setting. Rajasekar handled the cinematography, and Sam CS composed the soundtrack. The movie was supposed to open in theaters on November 19, 2021. However, the release date has been postponed because of the flooding in Chennai. The current release date is October 5, 2022.
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The Ghost – Killing Machine | Telugu
For his forthcoming film The Ghost, King Nagarjuna is back again in the fierce action. The movie portrays an extremely skilled and lethal agent who can turn into an unstoppable "Killing Machine" when he becomes enraged.
Sonal Chauhan, who plays an Interpol agent, will appear in the movie alongside Nagarjuna. Furthermore, Gul Panag and Anikha Surendran have glorified the major casts of the movie.
The Ghost's screenplay and direction are both by Praveen Sattaru. The movie was made by Suniel Narang, Puskur Ram Mohan Rao, and Sharrath Marar under the auspices of Northstar Entertainment and Sree Venkateswara Cinemas LLP.
For the movie, Saurabh and Bharatt composed the soundtrack. The film's release date, which is set for October 5, 2020, has already been announced by the producers.
Read “RAB freed Sundarbans from robbers and inspired a quality film”
Kasethan Kadavulada | Tamil Heist Comedy
The movie title means ‘Only money is god’. R. Kannan is the film's producer and director. It is a remake of the 1972 Tamil film which was in the same name. The movie stars Priya Anand and Shiva. Other actors include Yogi Babu, Manobala, Urvashi, Karunakaran, Thalaivasal Vijay, Sivaangi Krishnakumar, and Pugazh.
The storyline of the film centers a man who is planning to steal money from his stepmother with the help of two other individuals. Raj Pratap composed the music, and Prasanna Kumar handled the photography. The movie is slated to hit theaters on October 7, 2022.
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Sardar | Tamil Spy Action
This movie is being written, produced, and directed by P. S. Mithran. S. Lakshman Kumar has produced the film under Prince Pictures banner. The movie stars Karthi in a dual role as the title character. Other significant roles have been played by Raashii Khanna, Munishkanth, Rajisha Vijayan, Laila, Chunky Panday, and Murali Sharma.
Yuvan Shankar Raja, who had previously been Mithran's go-to composer, is replaced as the music composer for the movie by G. V. Prakash Kumar. George C. Williams serves as the film's cinematographer. Ruben made the edits, and Dhilip Subbarayan choreographed the stunts. The film will premiere in theaters on October 24, 2020.
Read ‘Illegal immigrants’ stealing jobs in India's Bollywood?
Champion | Kannada Thriller
The movie’s premiere is set for October 14, 2022. Shahuraja Sindhe is directing the film. Its storyline tells the story of a small-town child who overcame all of life's challenges to become successful.
Shivam Productions, Shivanand S. Neelannavar, and Lahari Music are the producers of this suspenseful movie. Sachin Dhanpal, Aditi Prabhudeva, Sunny Leone, and Suman will star in this film. Pradeep Rawat is another well-known actor who was brought on board for Champion.
Read “Many thought my decision to quit job for acting was a mistake”
Shabari Searching For Ravana | Kannada
The movie's screenplay was written by Chetan Keshav. Naveen Shetty and Viday Sagar Chinta directed the film.
In spite of a few small romance and emotional storylines, this movie is mostly a suspense thriller with a heroine-centric theme.
The lead actresses in the film are Rachita Ram and Archana Kottige. Anoop Seelin was the music composer, Vishal Kumar Gowda shot the film, and Naveen Shetty made the edits. The movie was produced by Kiran Kumar under the production companies KK Production, and ATM Studios. The film's premiere is scheduled on October 2, 2022.
Read UNESCO Mondiacult 2022: Bangladesh lauded for creating Bangabandhu International Award
Rorschach | Malayalam Psychological Thriller
This film was written by Sameer Abdul and directed by Nisam Basheer. The main character in the movie is Mammootty. Sharafudeen, Grace Antony, Kottayam Nazeer, Jagadish, Sanju Sivram, and Bindu Panicker round out the film's ensemble cast. The film was made by Mammootty himself under the name of Mammootty Kampany.
Midhun Mukundan took care of the music composition of the film music, while Nimish Ravi was the head of cinematography. The release date for Rorschach is October 13, 2022.
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Marthanda Varma | Malayalam Historical
‘Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma-The King of Travancore’ is the full title of the film. The famous Bahubali antagonist star Rana Daggubati is coming back with this historical drama in the titular role. This project is his debutant work in the Bollywood industry.
The movie will prominently feature the grandeur of Marthanda Varma, a well-known king of Travancore who lived in the 18th century A.D. Peter Hein coordinated the stunts for the movie, which was directed by K. Madhu. The movie's sound will be handled by Oscar winner Resul Pookutty. M M Keeravani, best known for his work on the Bahubali series, will write the soundtrack. The movie is going to hit the theater on 25 October 2022.
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Bottom Line
So far, we have discussed 10 South Indian movies expected to release in October 2022. It can be expected that some of these latest South Indian Films can join the ranks of the past blockbusters from the same industry. As the South Indian cinemas are entertaining the film enthusiasts worldwide quite successfully, it's only a matter of time to dominate the entire Asian glamor world.
Censor Board can question films showing half-truths: Hasan on 'Shonibar Bikel'
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said that the Bangladesh Film Censor Board can question if a film is made based on true events but doesn’t show the complete truth.
The minister said this at the Secretariat replying to journalists when asked about the necessity of censor board in Bangladesh in light of banning director Mostafa Sarwar Farooki's film "Shonibar Bikel", loosely based on Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery attack.
“India has the largest film industry and it has censor boards for each of its states. Censor board is a must and those who question its necessity their understanding of it itself is questionable,” added Hasan.
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Bangladesh has a censor board since the birth of film industry in Bangladesh and it will remain so, he said.
“We keep it under surveillance so that censor board doesn’t take any unnecessary steps. Questions that have been raised regarding censor board are being inspected,” Hasan added.
About the film grant, he said, “The grant is not only to provide for art films ignoring the mainstream ones. Grants are for all types of movies and it should be admitted that of all genres, mainstreams are mainly the commercial films.”
He said cases have been filed against all those who did not produce the films they received grant for.
“At first notices were served, then when non-complying, cases were filed. After that many who
failed have refunded money whole some of them arr now making the films,” he said.
Bongo brings 'The Groomsmen' as 'Bhai Brothers'
Video streaming platform Bongo has released American comedy film "The Groomsmen," dubbed in Bangla as "Bhai Brothers."
The story revolves around a groom and his four groomsmen.
The Groomsmen stars Edward Burns, Jessica Capshaw, Spencer Fox, John Leguizamo, Matthew Lillard, Brittany Murphy, and Donal Logue.
Read: Bongo brings Bangla dubbed 'Beauty and the Beast'
The film's screenplay was written and directed by the film's protagonist Edward. And it was said the inspiration for the film comes from the real life of Edward and her then-girlfriend, supermodel Christy Turlington.
Paulie (Edward), a writer by profession, is getting ready to marry her long-term girlfriend Sue (Brittany), who is five months pregnant. He feels a little bit frightened of this greater responsibility of being both husband and father.
When Paulie is fighting with greater confusion, his childless envious big brother Jimbo influences him not to get married. But the story does not end here.
Read Bongo brings Bangla dubbed 'Kaalidas'
Bongo's Bangla dubbed film 'Bhai Brothers' is expected to get good response from the movie enthusiast.
Bongo brings Bangla dubbed 'Kaalidas'
Video streaming platform Bongo has released the Bangla dubbed version of South Indian film "Kaalidas," a true mass suicide story-based action, crime, mystery-thriller starring Bharath Srinivasan and Ann Sheetal.
The story is about Kaalidas (Bharath), a dedicated policeman who is tasked with investigating a series of apparent suicides in his city. However, it puts a strain on his marriage with Vidyaa (Ann Seethal), who soon seeks solace in their new tenant Aarav.
The film opens with an aerial shot of a multi-storey apartment. A girl falls from the terrace and dies on the spot. A small police team, headed by Kaalidas, examines the body and assumes it to be a suicide case.
Read: Bongo brings Bangla dubbed 'Beauty and the Beast'
The case turns interesting when several other such incidents happen that leave Kaalidas perplexed. His superior, ACP George (Suresh Menon), also assists Kaalidas in solving these mass suicide mysteries. But unknown to Kaalidas, his wife Vidya parts with him as she feels her husband does not spend enough time with her.
Also, Vidya falls for Aarav who is not only their tenant but also seems to have connections with the murder traces that Kaalidas follows.
Written and directed by Sri Senthil, storyline for the South Indian crime mystery thriller film "Kaalidas" was developed over five months, from October 2017 to February 2018. In March 2018, the shooting started. Finally, it was released on December 13, 2019, and became a box office success.
Read Best South Indian Movies Releasing in August 2022