United News of Bangladesh

South Indian movies continue to amaze its audiences. Even in the second half of 2022, there is no exception. On the contrary, the level of surprise is increasing. Renowned filmmakers along with popular actors from the Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil film industries are going to present their best works in the coming month. This entertainment features a glimpse of the most hyped South Indian films set to release in August 2022. Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Movies in August 2022 Bimbisara | Telugu Fantasy  Release Date: August 05, 2022 Mallidi Vasishta, the writer and director of the film, focuses here on the time travel context. King Bimbisara of the 5th century BC Magadha Empire travelled through time and landed in the modern world.  The movie is produced by Hari Krishna K under NTR (Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao) Arts. Nandamuri Kalyan Ram played the role of King Bimbisar. Besides, Catherine Tresa, Warina Hussain, and Samyukt Menon played other significant roles. MM Keeravani looked after the music composition of the film. Read 'Operation Sundarban’ to hit the theatres on September 23 Sita Ramam | Telugu Romantic  Release Date: August 05, 2022 This extraordinary love story is written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. The story is basically set in the backdrop of 1960s Kashmir. An orphaned soldier sends a letter from his camp in Kashmir to the love of his life, Sita. The letter faces many obstacles on its way to the recipient.  The movie is produced by Baijayanti Movies and Swapna Cinema. The film marked the debut of actress Rashmika Mandanna in Telugu cinema. Dulquer Salmaan played the lead role with her in the film. Vishal Chandrasekhar worked here as the music director. Parakkum Pappan | Malayalam Superhero Release Date: August 06, 2022 Renowned music director Anirudh made his Malayalam debut with this film. It is also the directorial debut of Viyan Vishnu. The most exciting news is that popular actor Dileep will be seen in the role of the flying superhero in the movie.  Read Bangladeshi filmmakers receive grant from British Council for portraying climate change stories The movie, produced by Carnival Motion Pictures and Graand Productions, will revolve around the excitement of the villagers surrounding a superhero. The story of this film is written by Rafi, a veteran filmmaker.  Cobra | Tamil Thriller Release Date: August 11, 2022 The film, written and directed by R Ajay Gnanmuthu, revolves around a mathematical genius who uses his mathematical prowess to commit crimes under the guise of Cobra. SS Lalit Kumar has produced the movie under the banner of Seven Screen Studios. The music of the movie is composed by the famous music director AR Rahman. The film stars Srinidhi Shetty in the title role. The movie also stars a huge ensemble of star performers in various roles. The movie marks the Tamil debut of Shetty, Khalid, Mathew, and Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan. Apart from this, Mia George, Padmapriya, Kaniha, Mohammad Ali Baig, Meernalini Ravi, KS Ravikumar, and Meenakshi are also in the cast.  Read Marvel teases new Avengers movies, ‘Black Panther’ sequel Michael | Tamil Action Release Date: August 11, 2022 Versatile actor Sundeep Kishan is making his pan-India debut with this massive action movie directed by Ranjith Jayakodi. Michael is a joint production of Bharat Chowdhury and Puskur Ram Mohan Rao. The film will simultaneously release in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam along with Tamil. Renowned South Indian director Gautam Vasudev Menon will be seen playing the antagonist. Divyansha Kaushik is playing the female lead opposite Sudeep Kishan. Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi, Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, and Varun Sandesh will be seen in other important roles in the film.  Gaalipata 2 | Kannada Romantic Comedy Release Date: August 12, 2022 This is the fourth time that actor Ganesh and director Yograj Bhatt have worked together on a film. Written and directed by Bhatt, the film is a sequel to Galipata (2008). Like Galipata 2, it also features the same characters in two different timelines and two different locations. Three friends embark on a turbulent yet epic journey to find fulfilment in their love.  Read Bongo brings Bangla dubbed 'Beauty and the Beast'

Projecting the courageous and breathtaking role of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)'s historical operations to defeat the pirates of the Sundarbans, acclaimed director Dipankar Dipon directed 'Operation Sundarban' is set for release on September 23 this year. The official trailer of the much-anticipated action thriller film, produced by RAB Welfare Cooperative Society Limited, was released at a gala event on Friday night at the Laboni Point in the Cox’s Bazar sea beach, where the makers announced the release date of the film. The 2-minute and 40-second trailer of the film featured Dhallywood's celebrated superstar Riaz Ahmed, Siam Ahmed, Nusraat Faria, Ziaul Roshan, Shatabdi Wadud and others in the setting of the film at Sundarbans as the important characters, and the trailer is earning appraisal from audiences for showcasing the commendable narrative of the film’s remarkable plot, history and facts, alongside the breathtaking visuals. Also read: Wind of 'Hawa' blows full Inspector General of Bangladesh Police Benazir Ahmed attended the trailer launching event as the chief guest while RAB Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun joined as the special guest, alongside director Dipon and other higher officials and the cast members of the film. “Not only a wonderful documentation of history, but "Operation Sundarban" is the success story of solving a four hundred years old-problem. Without proper documentation, the glorious tale of our operation against the pirates in the Sundarbans would remain untold. From that perspective, we took the initiative, and Dipon made justice with proper research and development for this film," Benazir Ahmed said. Regarding his long-anticipated film, Dipankar Dipon said, “Our film is depicting this amazing story with the involvement of our 1,300 cast and crew members, narrating the saga of the mission against the water pirates and the aftermath of their post-pirate life, as well as the livelihood of the natives living around Sundarban. Without the cordial cooperation of RAB members and other elite forces officials, alongside the people of Sundarbans - this film would not see the daylight." Under the supervision of RAB, the shooting of the film has taken place in multiple remote areas in the Sundarbans. Actor Siam Ahmed, alongside Ziaul Roshan, Riaz Ahmed and others have undergone special training sessions from RAB before the shooting in he Sundarbans and were seen taking part in various expeditions on water, land, and air in the trailer. Also read: DB quizzes Hero Alom for controversial video content 'Operation Sundarban,' was initially scheduled to be released during Eid-ul-Adha in 2020, which got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The film was then scheduled to be released on Eid-ul-Adha in 2021, however that date was also pushed back. Alongside Riaz, Siam, Nusraat Faria and Roshan, the film also features Raisul Islam Asad, Shatabdi Wadud, Manoj Pramanik, Taskeen Rahman, Rawnak Hasan, Arman Parvez Murad and Indian-Bengali actress Darshana Banik in other important characters.

Moviegoers drifted with the wind of "Hawa" as Mejbaur Rahman Sumon's debut film, one of the most-anticipated Bangladeshi cinemas in recent times, hit theatres of the country Friday. Despite not being released during any major festivity, the film garnered an overwhelming response from the audience before and after its release. On the first day of its screening, Hawa hit 23 theatres all over Bangladesh and had 66 houseful shows. In Dhaka, Hawa is being showcased at nine theatres, including all branches of Star Cineplex – Bashundhara City in Panthapath, Shimanto Shambhar in Dhanmondi, Sony Square in Mirpur, SKS Tower, Mohakhali and Bangabandhu Military Museum in Bijoy Sarani – Shyamoli Cinema Hall, Modhumita, Blockbuster Cinemas, and Lion Cinemas. Tickets were sold out in most of these theatres almost two-three days ago. Massive crowds, eager to set sail with Hawa, were seen in front of the ticket counters in almost every theatre. There will be 23 showings of Hawa at Star Cineplex on its opening day. This is the first time that a movie will have this many showings upon its launch at the Cineplex, whose website was down due to the volume of people trying to buy tickets. "After so many days, Bangla movie fans have been to the cinema in such big numbers," Star Cineplex Senior Manager (Media and Marketing) Mesbah Uddin Ahmed told UNB. "Although there is a big audience for foreign films, Bangla films are now thriving as well and we feel really proud to see massive crowds of movie fans. I hope they will keep coming back to watch Bangla movies." "Our film has had houseful shows across the country. I am overwhelmed. I have not seen this kind of hype around a movie in the last two decades," Chanchal Chowdhury, who portrays the role of Chan Majhi, the leader of a group of fishermen stuck on a fishing boat, told the media after the screening of Hawa at Star Cineplex. "Only those who watch Hawa will realise what we had to go through to bring the movie to the theatre. It has never been easy."   "Now many people are coming to the movie theatres to watch the result of our hard work and determination. There cannot be a greater reward than this for us," Chanchal said. Read: 10 Best Upcoming Bengali Movies in Eid-ul-Adha 2022 Outside Dhaka, Hawa is being showcased in Sena Auditorium in Savar, Cinescope in Narayanganj, Silver Screen, Sugondha, Cinema Palace in Chattogram, Shankha Cinema and Liberty Cineplex in Khulna, Rupkotha in Pabna, Roots Cineclub in Sirajganj, Shapla in Rangpur, Modhuban Cinema and Momo in Bogura, Chhayabani in Mymensingh, and Borsha Cinema in Gazipur, and Grand Sylhet Cineplex in Sylhet. Hawa revolves around a water gipsy girl who appears unannounced on a fishing boat that has become trapped in the middle of the ocean while narrating a metaphysical story. The film features Chanchal, Nazifa Tushi, Sariful Islam Raaz, Sumon Anwar, Nasir Uddin Khan, and Sohel Mondal in the lead roles. Sukarna Sahed Dhiman, Zahin Faruq Amin, and Sumon wrote the screenplay. Sumon wrote the story and dialogue. Produced by Sun Music and Motion Pictures and distributed by Jazz Multimedia, Hawa's song "Shada Shada Kala Kala," written and tuned by Hashim Mahmud, and "E Hawa," Meghdol's tribute to the film, swayed the nation towards the movie.

A total of four young filmmakers, two from Bangladesh and two from Wales, have recently been selected during an online workshop, organized by Dhaka DocLab in collaboration with Wales One World Film Festival and funded by the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, on climate change stories. After completion of these projects, these four films will be premiered at the Wales One World Film Festival in Wales, UK in March 2023 , said a media release on Sunday.

Marvel Studios unveiled the first trailer for “ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ” — set to “No Woman No Cry” — to fans at Comic-Con on Saturday in San Diego. It was just one part of the massive Hall H presentation, which also included first-looks at “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and new information about Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will conclude with two Avengers movies in 2025: “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” “ Black Panther: Wakanda Foreve r” director Ryan Coogler was on site in San Diego to preview the highly anticipated film, which is due to arrive in theaters on Nov. 11 and serve as the conclusion to Phase 4. Coogler paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020. “The impact that he made on this industry will be felt forever,” Coogler said. After the massive success of “Black Panther” in 2018, plans for a sequel were quickly set into motion. But those were altered after Boseman’s unexpected death from colon cancer. The studio said it would not recast Boseman’s role of T’Challa. but very little has come out about the film in the years since. Production wrapped in March after several delays, one of which was due to an injury sustained by Letitia Wright, who plays T’Challa’s brainy sister Shuri. Also returning are Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett, but not Daniel Kaluuya, whose “Nope” schedule conflicted. Phase 5, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said, will kick off in February with “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and conclude with “Thunderbolts” in July 2024. The new “Blade,” starring Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, also got a release date of Nov. 3, 2023, and “Captain America and the New World Order,” featuring Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, will hit theaters on May 3, 2024. Read: 'Black Panther' makes Oscar history with best picture nod The “Guardians of the Galaxy” will also come to an end in the midst of Phase 5 in May. Director James Gunn showed up in San Diego to confirm that “Vol. 3” would be the last for the space rogues. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillian and Dave Bautista are all returning for the film. New cast members include Will Poulter, as Guardians adversary Adam Warlock, and Maria Bakalova. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors and director Peyton Reed made the trip to San Diego to show some footage from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Phase 6 will launch with a new “Fantastic Four” movie on Nov. 8, 2024, and finish with “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” set for May 2, 2025, followed by “Avengers: Secret Wars,” on Nov. 7, 2025. Marvel also showed trailers for Disney+ series such as “Secret Invasion,” with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, due in the spring, and the half-hour comedy “ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” starring Tatiana Maslany, debuting in August. The second season of “Loki” is also expected next summer.

Video streaming platform Bongo has released the Bangla dubbed version of romance-fantasy film "Beauty and the Beast." In the French-German co-production, Léa Seydoux performed as Beauty and Vincent Cassel as the Beast. Christophe Gans directs the film. The film first premiered in France on February 12, 2014, and was later released in Berlin, Germany, on February 14 that year. Beauty and the Beast originates from the original Grimm fairytale of Beauty and the Beast, which is taken from classic French folktales. The story starts when a widowed merchant shipwrecks on the sea and becomes bankrupt. He has to move countryside from the lavishing city with his six children. Despite this sudden change, nobody except the merchant's younger daughter Belle seems happy. Read: Bongo brings 'Harsh Times' as 'Bondhu Amar' Friday One day the merchant gets the news that one of his ships safely reached the shore. With a surge of happiness, he asked his children what they wanted as a return gift. When everyone has a choice on their list, Belle only wishes to bring her father back safely with a rose for her. With luck, the merchant takes refuge in a magical castle with a broken heart because he had to pay his debt with the ship's findings. But in the magical castle, all merchants' wishes came true until he took the liberty to take a mystical rose for her dear daughter Belle against the permission of the castle owner, The Beast. The merchant now needs to live with the Beast in his castle. Learning his father's fate, Belle took her father's place and went to the magical castle alone. The film earned $49.1 million internationally. In Japan, it topped the box office on its release, making it the first non-English-language foreign film to top the Japanese box office since Red Cliff II in 2009 and the first French film to top the Japanese box office since Mathieu Kassovitz's The Crimson Rivers in 2001.  

With the release of three much-anticipated films (Poran, Din - The Day and Psycho) on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha this year, multiplex and single screen owners are enthralled to observe the audience response of the moviegoers after two devastating business years. Although several hall owners are not satisfied with the absence of Dhallywood megastar Shakib Khan’s new films which always brought profit in the previous years, many are surprised to see the line of the audience for the tickets of the three mentioned films. Among the releases, Raihan Rafi-directed film ‘Poran’ which is based on the infamous Rifat murder case from Barguna in 2019, has been leading the race in terms of audience response and ticket sales. On Friday, this correspondent visited several branches of Star Cineplex in the city and observed the crisis of tickets for the Eid films. Interested moviegoers pilled up in front of the ticket counters to grab the tickets for the same-day shows, however, failed to manage due to the crisis.  Even the cast and crews of these films are not getting the tickets, which is a rare scenario in the industry. Many audiences have been looking for the next-day schedules, to be entertained with these Eid releases. Read:Three films to enthral moviegoers on Eid-ul-Adha “This is utterly surprising and at the same time a very much satisfactory scenario that our audiences are showing this much interest to watch our Bangladeshi films,” Star Cineplex Media and Marketing Department's Senior Manager Mesbah Uddin Ahmed told UNB. He informed UNB that due to audience demand, Star Cineplex had to increase the shows of ‘Poran’ which previously had less number of screens. Ananta Jalil’s ‘Din - The Day’ is also getting good responses, he said. The cast and crew members of these three films are also moving from one district to another in order to promote their films, namely ‘Poran’ and ‘Psycho’. These two films are getting very good responses in the first week, while ‘Din - The Day’ also is getting a dominant response across 115 screens all over Bangladesh, which secured the highest screens amongst these three films. “After the massive loss we suffered due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, these incredible crowd responses are again making us hopeful. These films are boosting the industry and we hope that the filmmakers will continue the practice of better filmmaking so that the audience response remains positive, not only for the festive occasions but throughout the years,” Mesbah told UNB.

Video streaming platform Bongo will release Christian Bale's "Harsh Times" dubbed in Bangla as "Bondhu Amar" Friday. Christian Bale (Jim) plays the role of a Gulf War veteran, and he believes it is his sworn duty to protect Americans by policing the streets of Los Angeles. His dreams are shattered when he is rejected by the Los Angeles Police Department. Read: Three films to enthral moviegoers on Eid-ul-Adha But, Jim is soon offered a position in the Department of Homeland Security, leading him to recruit his unemployed best friend Mike (Freddy Rodriquez). The story revolves around how they fight against a lurking crime. Bongo already released comedy film "The Good Girl" dubbed in Bangla as "Nishidhdho Prem.'' Here, Jennifer Anniston portrays the role of a depressed woman who lives with her husband in a small local town in Texas. Out of boredom, she starts an affair.

The Eid celebration brings extra excitement to the moviegoers, who expect to experience a different type of amusement through new movies across the years. Although producers keep their bird's eye vision on releasing new Eid films, the 2022 Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated with three new films.  This year's Eid movies have intrigued both optimism and frustration among the audiences and the hall-owners, due to the absence of the Dhallywood Superstar Shakib Khan’s new movie. Other superstars, including Arifin Shuvoo and Siam Ahmed, do not have any new films for this Eid. That being said, superstar Ananta Jalil has cashed in the spotlight for this Eid, coming after eight-year-long hiatus with his big-budget and one of the most anticipated films in recent times 'Din The Day,' set to be released on Eid day. Also read: Siam to make debut in Tollywood alongside Prosenjit Chatterjee Alongside the Bangladesh-Iran joint production, two other films - Anonno Mamun directed ‘Psycho’ starring Roshan-Puja Cherry, and Raihan Rafi directed much-hyped ‘Poran’ starring Bidya Sinha Mim, Yash Rohan and Sariful Razz, which is allegedly based on the infamous Rifat-Minni story that shook the nation to its core - are set to be enthralling the Eid moviegoers. 'Din The Day,' directed by Iranian producer Murtaza Otash Jamjam, is leading the promotional race for the last couple of days among these three films. With actor and producer Ananta Jalil and Barsha in the lead roles, 'Day the Day' has been made at a cost of more than 100 Crore Tk as a joint production of Bangladesh and Iran.Regarding his much-anticipated release, Ananta said, ‘Our beloved audiences have been waiting for this movie for such a long time. I promise - at the end of the day, everyone will like the film and remember the experience.” Also read: "Ratsasan aka Noropishach" starring Vishnu Vishal & Amala Paul set to give goosebumpsThe film has been shot in several places including Bangladesh, Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran. From the first day of Eid-ul-Adha, the film will run across 115 screens all over Bangladesh, according to Ananta Jalil.   On Eid-ul-Fitr, Puja Cherry’s two blockbuster films ‘Shaan’ starring Siam Ahmed and ‘Golui’ with Shakib Khan amazed the moviegoers. With Roshan being her co-star in Anonno Mamun directed film 'Psycho,' Puja and the rest of the team believe that the audience will love the movie, produced by RBS Entertainment and Celebrity Productions. Based on the infamous Rifat murder case in Bogra, ‘Poran’ is the other much-hyped movie of this Eid, directed by Raihan Rafi. With an ensemble cast featuring Shariful Razz, Bidya Sinha Mim and Yash Rohan in the lead roles, the team is highly optimistic about the release after being stuck for the past two years due to COVID-19.Besides these three films, Shakib Khan’s 'Golui' and 'Bidrohi', which were released on Eid-ul-Fitr, are set to be released in more than 20 theatres this Eid as well, for the fans who missed the opportunity to watch these films on Eid-ul-Fitr.

James Caan, the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of “The Godfather” and to television audiences as both the dying football player in the classic weeper “Brian’s Song” and the casino boss in “Las Vegas,” has died. He was 82. His manager Matt DelPiano said he died Wednesday. No cause was given and Caan’s family, who requests privacy, said that no further details would be released at this time. Al Pacino wrote in an emailed statement that, “Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend. It’s hard to believe that he won’t be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring. A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. I loved him, gonna miss him.” Robert De Niro also wrote that he was, “very very sad to hear about Jimmy’s passing.” A football player at Michigan State University and a practical joker on production sets, Caan was a grinning, handsome performer with an athlete’s swagger and muscular build. He managed a long career despite drug problems, outbursts of temper and minor brushes with the law. Caan had been a favorite of Francis Ford Coppola since the 1960s, when Coppola cast him for the lead in “Rain People.” He was primed for a featured role in “The Godfather” as Sonny, the No. 1 enforcer and eldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone. Sonny Corleone, a violent and reckless man who conducted many killings, met his own end in one of the most jarring movie scenes in history. Racing to find his sister’s husband, Corleone stops at a toll booth that he discovers is unnervingly empty of customers. Before he can escape he is cut down by a seemingly endless fusillade of machine-gun fire. For decades after, he once said, strangers would approach him on the street and jokingly warn him to stay clear of toll roads. Caan bonded with Brando, Robert Duvall and other cast members and made it a point to get everyone laughing during an otherwise tense production, sometimes dropping his pants and “mooning” a fellow actor or crew member. Despite Coppola’s fears he had made a flop, the 1972 release was an enormous critical and commercial success and brought supporting actor Oscar nominations for Caan, Duvall and Pacino. Caan was already a star on television, breaking through in the 1971 TV movie “Brian’s Song,” an emotional drama about Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo, who had died of cancer the year before at age 26. It was among the most popular and wrenching TV movies in history and Caan and co-star Billy Dee Williams, who played Piccolo’s teammate and best friend Gale Sayers, were nominated for best actor Emmys. Read: Shock, grief, and gratitude after untimely death of Boseman After “Brian’s Song” and “The Godfather,” he was one of Hollywood’s busiest actors, appearing in “Hide in Plain Sight” (which he also directed), “Funny Lady” (opposite Barbra Streisand), “The Killer Elite” and Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two,” among others. He also made a brief appearance in a flashback sequence in “The Godfather, Part II.” But by the early 1980s he began to sour on films, though Michael Mann’s 1981 neo-noir heist film “Thief,” in which he played a professional safecracker looking for a way out, is among his most admired films. Mann said “Jimmy was not just a great actor with total commitment and a venturesome spirit, but he had a vitality in the core of his being that drove everything from his art and friendship to athletics and very good times.” Caan had begun to struggle with drug use and was devastated by the 1981 leukemia death of his sister, Barbara, who until then had been a guiding force in his career. For much of the 1980s he made no films, telling people he preferred to coach his son Scott’s Little League games. Scott Caan also grew up to be an actor. “The fun of it was taken away,” he told an interviewer in 1981. “I’ve done pictures where I’d rather do time. I just walked out of a picture at Paramount. I said you haven’t got enough money to make me go to work every day with a director I don’t like.” Short on cash, Caan was hired by Coppola for the leading role in the 1987 film “Gardens of Stone.” The movie, about life at Arlington National Cemetery, proved too grim for most audiences, but it renewed Caan’s acting career. He returned to full-fledged stardom opposite Kathy Bates in “Misery” in 1990. In the film, based on Stephen King’s novel, Caan is an author taken captive by an obsessed fan who breaks his ankles to keep him from leaving. Bates won an Oscar for the role. Read: Ned Beatty, titanic character actor of ‘Network,’ dies at 83 Once again in demand, Caan starred in “For the Boys” with Bette Midler in 1991 as part of a song-and-dance team entertaining U.S. soldiers during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. The following year he played a tongue-in-cheek version of Sonny Corleone in the comedy “Honeymoon in Vegas,” tricking Nicolas Cage into betting his girlfriend, Sarah Jessica Parker, in a high-stakes poker game so he can spirit her away and try to persuade her to marry him. Other later films included “Flesh and Bone,” “Bottle Rocket” and “Mickey Blue Eyes.” He introduced himself to a new generation playing Walter, the workaholic, stone-faced father of Buddy’s Will Ferrell in “Elf.” Adam Sandler, who acted with him in “Bulletproof” and “That’s My Boy” tweeted that he, “Loved him very much. Always wanted to be like him. So happy I got to know him. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were best of the best.” Caan didn’t take a starring role in a TV series until 2003 but his first effort, “Las Vegas,” was an immediate hit. When the series debuted, he was a casino surveillance chief dealing with cheaters and competitors of the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino. His character rose to become boss of the Montecito but remained the tough guy who had learned judo in an undercover division of the U.S. government. Caan left the show during the fourth season and it was later canceled. Born March 26, 1939, in New York City, Caan was the son of a kosher meat wholesaler. He was a star athlete and class president at Rhodes High School and, after attending Michigan State and Hofstra University, he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater under Sanford Meisner. Following a brief stage career, he moved to Hollywood. He made his movie debut in a brief uncredited role in 1963 in Billy Wilder’s “Irma La Douce,” then landed a role as young thug who terrorizes Olivia de Havilland in “Lady in a Cage.” He also appeared opposite John Wayne and Robert Mitchum in the 1966 Western “El Dorado” and Harrison Ford in the 1968 Western “Journey to Shiloh.”   Married and divorced four times, Caan had a daughter, Tara, and sons Scott, Alexander, James and Jacob.