TV
Top five Bengali web series in 2021
Web series have created much buzz among the viewers worldwide.
In Bangladesh the popularity of the web series among the viewers increased during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. It has become more popular in 2021 with launching of a good number of web series.
Here is a list of 5 contemporary Bengali web series that might thrill you.
Ladies and Gentlemen
“Ladies and Gentlemen” was the debut web series of famous director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.
'Ladies and Gentlemen' premiered on July 9 on the OTT platform Zee5.
Tasnia Farin stands out as the protagonist in this series while actor Afzal Hossain has appeared frontline after a long time. The other cast of the series are- Mamunur Rashid, Hasan Masood, Partha Barua, Maria Nur and so on.
The series addresses some sensitive social issues including gender inequality, sexual harassment and complexities of men-women relationship and so on.
Netflix Web Series Decoupled Review
What happens to a couple who used to be in love, but later they don’t want to be together anymore? Well, in real life, the outcome is uncertain, while in the movies/ TVs, we predict a happy ending. Netflix’s new sitcom from India, Decoupled, seems to be trying to break the traditional outcome.
Released on December 17, 2021, Decoupled has become India’s No Netflix series in less than a week. This article will discuss the plot of Decoupled, review, actors, and director.
Decoupled Plot
In the face of an uncertain future, celebrity author Arya Iyer (R Madhavan) and finance manager Shruti Sharma Iyar (Surveen Chawla) decide to break their marriage. After several years together as a couple, they are now looking for separation on good terms with co-parenting responsibilities in regards to their school-going daughter Rohini. The decision is made easier when it comes time to finally announce this major change; both even planned to host a separation party in Goa. That’s how the series proceeds with humor and comedy. But what happens at the end? Well, you will need to watch the full 8 episodes.
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Decoupled Review
The series’ writer-creator Manu Joseph and director Hardik Mehta don't bother with going into the background of how Arya ended up in love with Shruti, but they do introduce us to them as an unhappy couple. The series begins with a narrative, and each of the eight episodes has a title. Each title represents the gist of the whole episode.
Even though Arya is a guy who speaks his mind and gets into trouble every single time, Shruti prefers him to be more careful with what he says. On rare occasions when she does hear him speak candidly in public places like restaurants or on trains- which happens more often than one would think -her embarrassment knows no bounds!
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Miss Universe is India's Harnaaz Sandhu, 70th winner
Harnaaz Sandhu of India was crowned the 70th Miss Universe on Sunday, topping a field of some 80 contestants in a pageant that was touched by politics and the pandemic.
The previously reigning Miss Universe, Andrea Meza of Mexico, crowned her successor, a Bollywood actress, in the Israeli Red Sea resort town of Eilat. The pageant was held in the middle of the night, wrapping up at 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST) to accommodate the primetime schedule in the U.S.
The pageant included traditional displays of national costumes, swimwear and a series of interview questions to test contestants' public speaking skills. The top 10 showed off intricately bedazzled full-length gowns in either gold, silver or bronze. The Philippines' Beatrice Luigi Gomez wore an asymmetrical cut dress with one sleeve, highlighting a new tattoo she said “celebrates her womanhood.”
Read:'Sesame Street' debuts Asian American muppet
But the contest also drew attention in recent weeks for other reasons.
A grassroots Palestinian-led boycott had urged contestants to skip the event to protest Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.
In the end, only Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country with close ties to the Palestinians, did not send a representative, citing the global COVID-19 situation. The South African government, which also strongly supports the Palestinian cause, withdrew support for the country’s representative over her participation.
In an interview last month, Meza urged contestants to leave politics out of the pageant, saying the gathering was meant to bring together women from different backgrounds. “When you are in there you forget about politics, about your religion,” she told The Associated Press at the time.
Sara Salansky, an official with the Israeli Tourism Ministry, said the country was selected to host the contest earlier this year because of Israel’s successful coronavirus vaccination program.
The contest suffered a last-minute hiccup with the arrival of the omicron variant, which forced Israel to close its borders to foreign tourists late last month.
Most of the Miss Universe contestants were already in the country before the new regulations came into effect. But those who came afterward were given special permission to enter, albeit with a mandatory 72-hour quarantine period.
Throughout the run-up to Sunday’s contest, all contestants were tested for the coronavirus every 48 hours and required to obey strict mask requirements.
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Amid all the safeguards, France’s contestant, Clemence Botino, tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after arriving in Israel. After 10 days in quarantine, she was declared virus free last week and allowed to rejoin the competition.
Last year’s pageant was delayed due to the pandemic before Meza was crowned in May for her abbreviated tenure.
Sunday’s contest was hosted by U.S. TV personality Steve Harvey. Organizers said the pageant was expected to reach an estimated 600 million viewers via the FOX network in 172 countries.
'Sesame Street' debuts Asian American muppet
What's in a name? Well, for Ji-Young, the newest muppet resident of “Sesame Street,” her name is a sign she was meant to live there.
“So, in Korean traditionally the two syllables they each mean something different and Ji means, like, smart or wise. And Young means, like, brave or courageous and strong,” Ji-Young explained during a recent interview. “But we were looking it up and guess what? Ji also means sesame.”
At only 7 years old, Ji-Young is making history as the first Asian American muppet in the “Sesame Street” canon. She is Korean American and has two passions: rocking out on her electric guitar and skateboarding. The children’s TV program, which first aired 52 years ago this month, gave The Associated Press a first look at its adorable new occupant.
Ji-Young will formally be introduced in “See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special.” Simu Liu, Padma Lakshmi and Naomi Osaka are among the celebrities appearing in the special, which will drop Thanksgiving Day on HBO Max, “Sesame Street” social media platforms and on local PBS stations.
Some of Ji-Young’s personality comes from her puppeteer. Kathleen Kim, 41 and Korean American, got into puppetry in her 30s. In 2014, she was accepted into a “Sesame Street” workshop. That evolved into a mentorship and becoming part of the team the following year. Being a puppeteer on a show Kim watched growing up was a dream come true. But helping shape an original muppet is a whole other feat.
“I feel like I have a lot of weight that maybe I’m putting on myself to teach these lessons and to be this representative that I did not have as a kid,” Kim said. But fellow puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph — who performs Abby Cadabby — reminded her, “It’s not about us ... It’s about this message.”
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Ji-Young’s existence is the culmination of a lot of discussions after the events of 2020 — George Floyd’s death and anti-Asian hate incidents. Like a lot of companies, “Sesame Street” reflected on how it could “meet the moment,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice-president of Creative and Production for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind “Sesame Street.”
Sesame Workshop established two task forces — one to look at its content and another to look at its own diversity. What developed was Coming Together, a multi-year initiative addressing how to talk to children about race, ethnicity and culture.
One result was 8-year-old Tamir. While not the show's first Black muppet, he was one of the first used to talk about subjects like racism.
“When we knew we were going to be doing this work that was going to focus on the Asian and Pacific Islanders experience, we of course knew we needed to create an Asian muppet as well,” Stallings said.
These newer muppets — their personalities and their looks — were remarkably constructed in a matter of a months. The process normally takes at least a couple of years. There are outside experts and a cross-section of employees known as the “culture trust” who weigh in on every aspect of a new muppet, Stallings said.
For Kim, it was crucial that Ji-Young not be “generically pan-Asian.”
“Because that’s something that all Asian Americans have experienced. They kind of want to lump us into this monolithic ‘Asian,'" Kim said. “So it was very important that she was specifically Korean American, not just like, generically Korean, but she was born here.”
One thing Ji-Young will help teach children is how to be a good “upstander.” “Sesame Street” first used the term on its “The Power of We” TV special last year, which featured Tamir.
“Being an upstander means you point out things that are wrong or something that someone does or says that is based on their negative attitude towards the person because of the color of their skin or the language they speak or where they’re from,” Stallings said. “We want our audience to understand they can be upstanders.”
In “See Us Coming Together,” Sesame Street is preparing for Neighbor Day where everyone shares food, music or dance from their culture. Ji-Young becomes upset after a kid, off screen, tells her “to go back home,” an insult commonly flung at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. But she feels empowered after Sesame Street's other Asian American residents, guest stars and friends like Elmo assure her that she belongs as much as anyone else.
The fact that Ji-Young was created to counter anti-Asian sentiment makes her more special to Kim in some ways.
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“I remember like the Atlanta shootings and how terrifying that was for me,” Kim said. “My one hope, obviously, is to actually help teach what racism is, help teach kids to be able to recognize it and then speak out against it. But then my other hope for Ji-Young is that she just normalizes seeing different kinds of looking kids on TV.”
Vanessa Leung, co-executive director of Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, is excited about Ji-Young. The organization was not involved in Ji-Young's creation but previously consulted on anti-racism content for Sesame Workshop. It matters when Asian American families, especially with many of them being immigrant families, can see themselves reflected in an institution like “Sesame Street," Leung said.
“It sparks curiosity and early understanding of the diversity of our community, the beauty in the diversity of our community,” Leung said.
Ji-Young will be heavily present throughout the show's 53rd season next year, Stallings reassured. She also won't just be utilized for content related to racial justice. She will pop up in various digital programs, live-action and animated.
As the new kid on the street, Ji-Young is looking forward to showing her friends and neighbors aspects of Korean culture such as the food. She loves cooking dishes like tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes) with her halmoni (grandmother). And she already has one “Sesame Street” friend who wants a sample.
“I would love to try it,” said Ernie, who joined Ji-Young's interview. “You know, I’ve tried bulgogi. I really like bulgogi. I’m gonna guess that maybe old buddy Bert has not tried Korean food.”
Having already made several famous friends on “Sesame Street,” is there anyone Ji-Young still really wants to meet?
“The Linda Lindas because they're so cool,” Ji-Young said, referring to the teenage punk rock band. “And they rock out and they’re cool girls and most of them are Asian. They’re my heroes. If we can get the Linda Lindas on ‘Sesame Street,’ I would show them around.”
Reliving the versatility of Aly Zaker, a muse for many
If there's one artiste in Bangladesh who has defined versatility in true sense, that's Aly Zaker -- a guiding genius for generations to come.
Saturday marks the 77th birth anniversary of the eminent Ekushey Padak-winning thespian and freedom fighter.
The cultural icon was born on November 6, 1944, in Ratanpur village of Nabinagar upazila in Brahmanbaria district.
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Theatre troupe Nagorik Natya Sampradaya is organising a special event at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) at 7 pm, commemorating the eventful life and works of the artiste.
Born to Muhammad Taher and Rezia Taher, Aly Zaker spent most of his childhood in places like Feni, Khulna and Kushtia, because of his father's transferable job as a government official.
After completing his Matriculation from St Gregory School, Dhaka, in 1960 and Class XII from Notre Dame College in 1962, Zaker took admission to the sociology department of the University of Dhaka, from where he obtained his Bachelor's degree.
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His glorious career as one of the most versatile cultural personalities began after the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. As a freedom fighter and artiste of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, he took part in the war.
He then started his journey as an actor and became one of the most successful performers on stage, television and silver screen, playing a wide variety of roles.
With renowned theatre troupe Aranyak Natyadal’s play 'Kabar', written by legendary playwright and intellectual martyr Munier Chowdhury, Zaker shot to limelight as a thespian in 1972.
Soon after that, he joined Nagorik Natya Sampradaya in the same year and remained with the troupe until the end of his life, eventually becoming its chairman.
Zaker directed 15 plays and acted in 31 plays for his troupe till 2019, including Kopenik-er Captain, Galileo, Nurul Diner Sarajibon, Macbeth, Achalayatan and Dewan Gazir Kissa.
His performances in the role of Nurul Din, Galileo and Dewan Gazi earned him acclaim from critics and fans. He also achieved prominence in television dramas, including Aaj Rabibar and Bohubrihee. Zaker also performed in more than 50 plays for Bangladesh Radio.
Zaker received Ekushey Padak, the country’s second-highest civilian award in 1999. He also won several other awards, including the National Academy of Performing Arts Award in 1977, Sequence Award of Merit in the category of outstanding theatre personality in 1984, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Award, Bangabandhu Award, Munier Chowdhury Award, and Naren Biswas Award.
In his personal life, Zaker was married to renowned and popular cultural personality Sara from 1977 till his death.
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He passed away on November 27, 2020, after a four-year battle with cancer. He had also tested positive for Covid-19, two days before his death.
Zaker is survived by his wife, son Iresh Zaker who is also a popular actor, and daughter Sria Sharbojoya.
Brazilian singer and Latin Grammy winner dies in plane crash
Marília Mendonça, one of Brazil’s most popular singers and a Latin Grammy winner, died Friday in an airplane crash on her way to a concert. She was 26.
Mendonça’s press office confirmed her death in a statement, and said four other passengers on the flight also perished. Their plane crashed between Mendonça’s hometown Goiania and Caratinga, a small city in Minas Gerais state located north of Rio de Janeiro.
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Minas Gerais state’s civil police also confirmed Mendonça’s death, without providing details about the cause of the accident, which occurred shortly before arrival. Photographs and videos show the plane laying just beneath a waterfall; Mendonça had posted a video this afternoon showing her walking toward the plane, guitar case in hand.
The rising star performed country music, in Brazil called sertanejo. She was known for tackling feminist issues in her songs, such as denouncing men who control their partners, and calling for female empowerment.
On Friday evening, the news triggered an outpouring of sadness on social media from all corners of Brazil, including fans, politicians, musicians and soccer players. Her Instagram account has 38 million followers.
“I refuse to believe, I just refuse,” Brazil soccer star Neymar, who is a friend of Mendonça's, said on Twitter after the news broke. Brazil's government also offered its condolences.
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also used social media to mourn the passing “of one of the greatest artists of her generation.”
“The entire country receives the news in shock,” he said.
Her album “Em Todos os Cantos” won her the 2019 Latin Grammy for best sertanejo album. She was nominated for the same award this year for “Patroas.”
Mendonça was also famous for her romantic songs, often expressing the loss of loved ones.
“You always make me cry, you’re unique and eternal,” said fan Michelle Wisla on Twitter.
Mendonça leaves behind a son, who will turn 2 years old next month.
Squid Game: Netflix Original Korean Web Series gets worldwide popularity
The latest vibe to the global tide of Korean pop culture is the Netflix Original Korean Web Series ‘Squid Game’. Most viewed TV shows of the week, most streamed web programs, most discussed topics on social media; all of these records are now in the possession of Squid Game. Within decades of the Gangnam style, Squid Games have made a royal appearance alongside BTS on social media. Let's take a look at the details of this sensational web series.
Netflix original ‘Squid Game’ at a glance
The South Korean TV series was released worldwide from Netflix on September 17, 2021. Hwang-dong-hyuk is the screenwriter and director of this thriller drama series.
The series, set in the context of the Dystopian period, is named after a game of Korean children. To win the game, a team tries to put their feet on the head of a squid painted on the floor. Another group, on the other hand, tried to prevent them from approaching the design.
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The drama shows 456 players competing to win the prize worth 45.6 billion.
However, the main purpose of the competition is to feed the entertainment of western investors. Gradually as the game pushes each player against each other, players realize they are stuck in a maze of death.
The series stars Park Hae-soo, Lee Jung-Jae, Wi Ha-Joon, O Yeong-Soo, Jung Ho-Yeon, Heo Sung-Tae, Kim Joo-Ryoung, and Anupam Tripathi.
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The TV series, produced by Siren Pictures Inc. has so far shown a season of 9 episodes.
Behind the popularity of ‘Squid Games’
One of the reasons behind the rise of Squid Games is the subtitles in 37 languages and dubbing versions in 34 languages. That’s why the screenplay of helpless adults winning children's games has been well received by the audience.
Moreover, the series lovers have been able to pay attention to the characters as they have not exaggerated the whole drama with the details of the game. And in this way, the TV show has tried to impress the viewers with the drama of various characters. The series surpassed 13 million followers on social media in the first three weeks of its premiere.
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Not to mention the credit for Netflix, which accounts for 45.8 percent of OTT's industry-leading digital content.
‘The Crown,’ ‘Ted Lasso,’ top Emmy Awards
“The Crown has won the best drama series Emmy Award, while Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” took best comedy series honors.
“The Crown” stars Olivia Colman and Josh O’Connor won the top drama acting honors Sunday, with Jason Sudeikis, star of the warm-hearted “Ted Lasso,” and Jean Smart of the generation-gap story “Hacks,” winners on the comedy side.
Colman and O’Connor were a winning fictional mother-son duo: She plays Queen Elizabeth II, with O’Connor as Prince Charles in the British royal family saga that combines gravitas and soap opera.
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“I’d have put money on that not happening,” Colman said of the award, calling it “a lovely end to the most extraordinary journey” with the show’s cast and creators. She cut her remarks short, explaining why she was growing tearful.
“I lost my daddy during COVID, and he would have loved all of this.” she said.
O’Connor gave a shoutout to Emma Corwin, who played opposite him as Princess Diana and was also a nominee Sunday, as a “force of nature.”
He also offered thanks to his grandparents, including his grandmother who died a few months ago, and his grandfather, Peter O’Connor, for the “greatest gifts” of kindness and loyalty.”
‘Networker Baire’ actors survive horrific car accident in Gulshan Avenue
Recently released web film ‘Networker Baire’ famed popular actors Sariful Raj, Nazifa Tushi, Khairul Basar and Jonayed Buktadi were injured in a horrific road accident on Gulshan Avenue in the capital at around 3 am on Friday.
The actors, alongside Raj’s friend Nafis Ismaeel, survived the accident with major to minor injuries and were rushed immediately to the United Hospital for treatment.
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According to Gulshan police, the car consisting of the actors who were returning from a success party of their latest web film on Thursday night, lost control and hit an electric pole on the side of the road.
Mizanur Rahman Aryan, director of 'Networker Baire', briefed about the current physical status of the actors through a Facebook post on Friday night.
“Jonayed (Buktadi) and Nafis (Ismaeel) are currently admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and both require surgeries, however, they are now out of danger. Jonayed’s surgery will be happening tomorrow,” he said.
Regarding the conditions of three actors of his web film ‘Networker Baire’, Aryan said, “Nazifa Tushi suffered a dislocated bone in her shoulder and Raj suffered a dislocated joint in one of his hands, while Basar was left with two broken ribs.”
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According to the hospital sources, Tushi, Raj, and Bashar were out of danger and undergoing treatment at the cabin of the hospital under the supervision of orthopaedic specialist Dr Rezaul Karim.
Inspired by a true story, the web film ‘Networker Baire’ was released on OTT platform ‘Chorki’ on August 19, garnering popularity for its jovial celebration of friendship.
“Ghotona Shotto” infuriates audiences for insensitive portrayal of children with special needs
An Eid special tele-fiction titled "Ghotona Shotto", starring popular actors Mehazabien Chowdhury and Afran Nisho, has sparked huge criticism for insensitively addressing children with special needs.
Directed by Rubel Hasan and released under the banner of Central Music and Video (CMV), the tele-fiction was enlisted as part of private television station Channel i’s Eid-Ul-Azha special programmes, and it was uploaded on CMV’s YouTube channel.
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The tele-fiction tales the story of a couple, acted by Afran Nisho as a driver and Mehazabien Chowdhury as a housemaid, who mischievously deceive their service-takers.
Later in the tele-fiction showcases that the couple was bestowed with a child with special needs, wondering if their child’s condition is a result of their misdeeds.
After the telecast of the tele-fiction, Amrin Zaman, a mother, first addressed the issue on Sunday at a Facebook live video. A large number of audiences have since expressed their disgust on social media over the portrayed message, raising questions about the sensitivity of the makers towards the topic of children with special needs.
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Members of several Facebook-based platforms including Autism Bangladesh, a public group to raise awareness and advocate for the persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndromes, Intellectual and Neurological Disabilities on behalf of the children and persons with special needs, have also expressed massive dissatisfaction and anger over the tele-fiction and its associates, with some even considering to file a case against the casts, crews and makers.
Amid the controversy, the fiction was then immediately taken down from CMV's YouTube channel. The cast and crew have also publicly apologised across social media through a joint statement, published on both the actor’s and the director’s official Facebook profiles.
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“On behalf of the director, artistes and entire cast and crew, we feel deeply sorry and have complete realization as well as full support for those who have reached out to us regarding our drama production “Ghotona Shotto”. We have taken down the content the moment we received the first message. The much-needed correction is being made to the content,” the joint statement said on Sunday.
It added, “We would like to send our love, support and apologies to every parent and child with special needs and promise to make content in future that spreads the right message and directs the audience towards the right path.”
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