United News of Bangladesh

Singer Mainul Ahsan Noble was arrested by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police early Saturday. DMP Commissioner Khandoker Golam Faruk said he was arrested in a fraud case. Md Safayet Islam filed a case on May 16 on behalf of Shariatpur’s Vedorganj Headquarter Pilot High School’s HSC 16th  batch. According to the case details, Noble received TK 1.72 lakh for performing at the high school’s reunion programme but he didn’t perform at the event and  he did not even returned the money. Earlier, his ex-wife Salsable Mahmud complained to the police and wrote on social media about the constant physical and emotional abuse of Noble, citing that he is an avid drug addict and his demeanour got drastically changed in recent years due to his addiction. Noble won the 2nd runner-up position in the popular Indian TV reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’s West Bengal edition on Zee Bangla in 2019 and received the "Viewer's Choice" award, winning hearts in both countries. However, his addiction led him to several miserable acts one after another, degrading his popularity among his audiences.  

Filmmaker Anarya Murshid’s essay book on popular Korean pop music group BTS titled "BTS: Seoul to Soul" was released on Friday. The book -- about the rise of the Korean pop band – is now available in the market, said a press release. The book includes biographies of seven BTS stars, their struggles, a list of shows, albums and awards. An important article on the Korean Cultural Wave and the practice of soft power was published in the book. “I am making a film based on the cultural crisis of a Bangladeshi BTS fan. During the preproduction of the film, I felt the need for a book on K-pop,” said Anarya. The publisher of the book said he also wanted to publish some cultural, diplomatic books. In the past, his publishing house has also published such books. “I hope the book will play a role in the cultural bridge that Bangladesh is building with Korea for a long time. Through the book, elders will also see this generation in a positive light,” Anarya added. BTS fans can collect the book from Tobuo Proyas, Lalan and Chandal Books.

Dhaka-based music producer and journalist Khan Mohammad Faisal has been invited to Switzerland by Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council, for a research trip to explore the country's music and new media industries. Faisal, who co-founded the Dhaka Electronica Scene and The Akaliko Collective and Akaliko Records, is passionate about developing Dhaka’s cultural capital and promoting policy level reforms for the local music scene, according to a press release. During his visit to Zurich and Bern, he aims to gain an introductory understanding of the different types of entities, their organizational structures, and models that exist in these cities, including those that work with music, sound, and new media formats. The research will help plant the seeds for a circular economy in Dhaka's music ecosystem and identify opportunities for feasible projects for artists, cultural practitioners, and organizations from Bangladesh and Switzerland using digital methods, the press release reads. By studying Swiss entities' practices, Faisal hopes to adapt them to Dhaka's context where applicable and understand the local media's role in the ecosystem. This research will also gradually build a strategic gateway for Bangladeshi talents in Europe through sustaining new connection, it said. Khan Faisal produces music under the monikers The B Regiment and Dhaka Dub Hierarchy and is known for promoting emerging Bangladeshi artists through his DIY music compilations, music videos, documentaries, FM radio shows, events, and sound art projects. He has also received the BRAC Manthan Digital Innovation Award and was nominated as a Fellow for 'The Future of Audio Entertainment' at Berlin by The Do School.  

Abel Tesfaye. Does that name sound familiar to you? But anyone who listens to contemporary pop music would know who “The Weeknd” is. Canadian pop star The Weeknd has reverted to his birth name Abel Tesfaye on his social media accounts, BBC reports. In April, the singer, known for his famous pop songs such as “Blinding Lights”, asked his Twitter followers whether he should make the change. Read more: Farhan Akhtar looks to revive DON franchise; Shah Rukh Khan exits "ABEL formally known as The Weeknd?" — he asked his fans in a tweet that received over one hundred thousand likes. The award-winning artist revealed his plan to "kill The Weeknd" in an interview with W Magazine, prompting the name change, BBC reported. “I'm going through a cathartic path right now,” he said. "It's getting to a place and time where I'm getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter." According to the Daily Mail, the artist previously stated that he received the nickname after dropping out of school and "leaving one weekend and never returning home" with his mattress. Abel Tesfaye told W Magazine that he had said everything he could as The Weeknd and added that his next album would probably be his "last hurrah" under that name. Read more: 76th Cannes Film Festival kicks off with premiere of Louis XV period drama featuring Johnny Depp Tesfaye rose to prominence after uploading his first songs to YouTube in 2010, showcasing a dark, explicit R&B style that explored drug use, casual sex, and alienation. He was born in Toronto to Ethiopian parents. Later, famous Canadian rapper Drake then uploaded these early demos to his personal blog, enabling Tesfaye to construct a nine-track mixtape, “House of Balloons”, which he made available for free download, according to BBC. Throughout his musical career, he has won four Grammy awards, achieved platinum status for more than 45 recordings and albums, and broken numerous music records. In March 2023, the Guinness World Records crowned him the most renowned artist in the world based on his monthly Spotify listeners. Read more: Pathaan released in Bangladesh amid huge response As of March 2023, the 33-year-old had 111.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making him the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on the streaming service.    

The Cannes red carpet springs to life again Tuesday as the 76th Cannes Film Festival gets underway with the premiere of the Louis XV period drama “Jeanne du Barry," with Johnny Depp. This year's festival promises a Cote d'Azur buffet of spectacle, scandal and cinema set to be served over the next 12 days. It's unspooling against the backdrop of labor unrest. Protests that have roiled France in recent months over changes to its pension system are planned to run during the festival, albeit at a distance from the festival's main hub. Meanwhile, an ongoing strike by screenwriters in Hollywood could have unpredictable effects on the French Riviera festival. But with a festival lined with some much-anticipated big-budget films, including James Mangold's “Indiana Jones and the Dial of the Destiny” and Martin Scorsese's “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the party is sure to go on, regardless. Stars set to hit Cannes' red carpet in the next week and a half include Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Sean Penn, Alicia Vikander, the Weeknd and Scarlett Johansson. The festivities Tuesday will include an opening ceremony where Michael Douglas is to receive an honorary Palme d'Or. (Later, one will also be dished out to “Indiana Jones” star Harrison Ford). The jury that will decide the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, will also be introduced. This year, the jury is led by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, a two-time Palme winner who last year won for the social satire “The Triangle of Sadness.” The rest of the jury includes Brie Larson, Paul Dano, French director Julia Ducournau, Argentine filmmaker Damián Szifron, Afghan director Atiq Rahimi, French actor Denis Ménochet, Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Tourzani and a Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni. The opening night selection has attracted some controversy. “Jeanne du Barry,” directed by and co-starring the French actor-director Maïwenn, co-stars Depp as Louis XV. It's Depp's first new film since his trial last year with Amber Heard, his ex-wife. After both Depp and Heard accused each other of physical and verbal abuse, a civil jury awarded Depp $10 million in damages and $2 million to Heard. In remarks to the press Monday, Cannes director Thierry Fremaux defended the choice, saying Depp is extraordinary in the film and he paid no attention to the trial. “To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule, it’s the freedom of thinking, the freedom of speech and the freedom to act within a legal framework,” said Fremaux. “If Johnny Depp had been banned from acting in a film, or the film was banned we wouldn’t be here talking about it.”

A spokesman for Robert De Niro confirmed to CNN on Tuesday (May 09, 2023) that the actor has once again become a father. The Oscar winner broke the news in an interview with ET Canada on Monday, where he was promoting his new film, coincidentally titled “About My Father”. When the topic of paternity came up during the conversation, the 79-year-old gently corrected the interviewer when she said that De Niro had six children. “Seven, actually. I just had a baby,” the actor said. Read More: Netflix Originals in English Coming in June 2023

Renowned author and novelist Samaresh Majumdar died in Kolkata on Monday. He was 81. He breathed his last around 5:45pm at a private hospital in Kolkata, Anandabazar daily reported. He had long been suffering from multiple health complications. The Sahitya Akademi award-winning novelist was admitted to the hospital on April 25 due to brain haemorrhage. Later, his respiratory problems worsened. Samaresh Majumdar is the author of many timeless novels including Uttaradhikar, Kalpurush, Kalbela. He was born in 1942 in North Bengal. He spent his childhood in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. His other notable novels include Satkahan, Tero Parvan, At Kuthuri Noy Dorja, Anurag etc. Besides winning many national and international awards, Samaresh Majumdar has won the hearts of millions of readers at home and abroad.  

Presenting a high energy, festive song that combines Bangla folk genres ‘Shaari’, ‘Jaari’ and ‘Pala Gaan’ with electrifying urban grooves, Coke Studio Bangla released its fifth track “Deora” on Sunday (May 07) night across all its digital platforms. Composed, produced, mixed and mastered by Pritom Hasan – one of the most versatile contemporary musicians, “Deora” is dedicated to the boatsmen’s rhythm and energy during ‘Nouka Baich’ or traditional boat race, popular in rural Bangladesh and held during the monsoon and autumn seasons. The title of the song refers to ‘brother-in-law’ in the regional dialect of north Bengal, and this type of song is performed during the boat races – cheering on the racers – from the banks of rivers. The biggest surprise in the song has been the superlative performance by Islam Uddin Palakar, renowned in the ‘Pala Gaan’ tradition of Bangla folk songs. “The rich heritage of this genre usually requires elaborative theatrical performances where the actor takes on multiple roles – sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, and sometimes an inanimate object – to present stories to their audience. These performances can take up to 8 hours without a break.” – Coke Studio Bangla describes. Read More: Web series Hotel Relax hits a new record: Bongo Pritom jointly penned the lyrics with Fazlu Majhi, a boat racer himself who also performed in the song with his team. The first Bangladeshi Grammy Award-nominated artist Armeen Musa and her ‘Ghaashphoring Choir’ added another dimension to the song. Describing the fusion in detail, Coke Studio Bangla mentioned on the song’s YouTube description, “…’Shaari Gaan’, usually associated with physical labour, and ‘Jaari Gaan’ known for its motivational lyrics – the perfect combination for a sport that requires the participants to have quick bursts of intense energy for rowing their boat across the finishing line.”

Bongo’s latest web series, Hotel Relax, reached record subscription sales, thanks to its enticing plot and wonderful characters, said a press release. Hotel Relax, directed by Kajal Arefin Ome, is about a group of unusual individuals like dacoits, cloth merchants, pickpockets, conmen, etc, with intriguing back stories that gather at an infamous hotel - Hotel Relax. The web series followed the events that took place at and around this hotel. As a result of these individuals, Hotel Relax has shattered records in Bangladesh’s OTT space since its release on April 24. Hotel Relax was released during Eid-ul-Fitr as a six-episode web series with exclusive payment partner bKash. The casts of this web series are Purnima, Mishu Sabbir, Ziaul Hoque Polash, Marzuk Russell, Chashi Alam, Parsa Evana, Saraf Ahmed Zibon, Md. Saidur Rahman Pavel, Musafire Syed Bacchu, Abdullah Rana, Schumonn Patwary, Lamima Lam, Shimul Sharma. Within 10 days of release, it has reached a whopping 3 crore minutes of watch time, 4+ million plays and over 200,000 customers that have paid to watch it. Viewers from over 100 countries have viewed and praised this one-of-a-kind action comedy web series. Mushfiqur Rahman Manzu, Bongo's chief content officer, said, "Hotel Relax is our premium web series, which is released in pay-per-view (TVOD) mode." Since release, it has been performing wow! Hotel Relax has already set some records. Thanks and gratitude to Ome and his team for their passion, sincerity and courage. I am truly hopeful about our content industry's bright future. Welcome to “Hotel Relax." Director Kajal Arefin Ome said, "Nowadays almost all web series are based on thrills and crime, but I wanted to take another route and entertain my audience with fun. "I think this story hasn't been tried in Bangladesh before.”  

Showcasing heartfelt tribute to internationally popular bands across the world, a special concert titled 'Rock N Rhythm 3.0: Tribute Fiesta' is going to be held on Friday at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital. Being organised by Adventor Communications, the concert promises to be the ultimate music extravaganza, with a blend of contemporary music to suit every taste. The event will feature live performances by Artcell which will pave its ‘Tribute to The Legends’, Nemesis will cover Coldplay and Incubus, Cryptic Fate (Iron Maiden), Arbovirus (Linkin Park, Green Day), Powersurge (Metalica), Indalo (Audioslave), Mechanix (Alter Bridge, Pantera), Karnival (Radiohead, Nirvana), Ionic Bond (Eluveitie Children of Bodom), Echoes (Pink Floyd), Unmaad (AC DC, Guns n' Roses) and Shonar Bangla Circus will play tributes to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley. “Rock N Rhythm” was always focused on the next-gen lineups with their creative charisma. In this musical event, Bangladeshi mainstream bands will cover the songs of renowned international bands along with their own songs, the organisers informed the media. The concert is going to be held at ICCB Hall 4 and the gate will be opened at 1 pm. The live performances will begin at 2:30 pm. Tickets for "Rock N Rhythm 3.0" are available for purchase on www.tickify.live. More information about the event, including the full lineup of performers and schedule, is available on the Facebook Page of Adventor Communications.