United News of Bangladesh

The 82nd Venice Film Festival began Wednesday with the world premiere of Paolo Sorrentino’s latest work, La Grazia, marking the return of one of Italy’s most acclaimed filmmakers to the prestigious event. Held on the Lido, the glamorous festival will showcase Hollywood stars including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Dwayne Johnson, as well as celebrated directors such as Guillermo del Toro and Kathryn Bigelow over the next 10 days. La Grazia stars Sorrentino’s longtime collaborator Toni Servillo, though details of the story have been kept secret. Festival director Alberto Barbera described the film as “a different Sorrentino from what we are used to — far less baroque and formalistic … It’s a very unexpected story.” Sorrentino, who won an Oscar for The Great Beauty, first premiered at Venice 24 years ago with One Man Up and later earned the Silver Lion in 2021 for The Hand of God. Many Venice debuts have gone on to receive Oscar recognition. World’s biggest live music event, Eurovision, set for Vienna next year Ahead of the premiere, anti-war activists announced plans to hold a news conference outside the red carpet to highlight the crisis in Gaza. La Grazia is one of 21 films competing for the Golden Lion, alongside del Toro’s Frankenstein, Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, and Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab. The festival runs through September 6. Source: Agency 

Global pop icon Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce are officially engaged, the couple announced Tuesday through a joint Instagram post that sent fans worldwide into celebration. The five-photo post, captioned “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married” with a dynamite emoji, confirmed the engagement after nearly two years of a highly publicized romance that has captivated Swift’s loyal fanbase and NFL followers alike. Kelce, a Kansas City Chiefs tight end and three-time Super Bowl champion, was already a household name in football, but his relationship with Swift brought him to a new level of global attention. From Swift cheering at Chiefs games to Kelce supporting her during her Eras Tour, their love story has been closely followed since 2023. While some had speculated the relationship was a publicity stunt, their engagement silenced doubts, highlighted by a ring said to rival the size of Kelce’s Super Bowl jewelry. Details of the proposal have not yet been disclosed, and representatives for the couple did not immediately comment. The announcement comes just weeks after Swift revealed her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set for release on Oct. 3, with Kelce and his brother Jason helping her promote it on their podcast. News of the engagement quickly spread across sports and entertainment worlds. Chiefs teammate Mike Danna called it “a blessing” and promised a playful engagement gift, while Brittany Mahomes, wife of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, shared her excitement online. The NFL itself congratulated the couple on X, albeit after briefly tagging the wrong Swift account. Kelce’s parents also welcomed the news, with his father, Ed Kelce, telling reporters: “She’s very good for him. They truly deserve each other.” Swift and Kelce’s relationship has even been chronicled in ESPN’s new six-part documentary “The Kingdom,” underscoring the cultural and sporting impact of their romance.

Rapper Lil Nas X has been charged with four felonies after allegedly charging at police officers who confronted him for walking naked along a Los Angeles street last week. The 26-year-old musician, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, pleaded not guilty Monday to three counts of battery on a police officer causing injury and one count of resisting an executive officer, the district attorney’s office said. The charges are significantly more serious than initial reports suggesting a misdemeanor. If convicted, he could face more than 10 years in prison. Police said they found Hill walking naked on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City around 6 a.m. Friday. When approached, he allegedly rushed at officers before being subdued and arrested. Authorities suspected a possible overdose and took him to a hospital before transferring him to jail, where he was held for three days. He was later released on $75,000 bail under the condition that he attend drug treatment. A court complaint states that he “unlawfully used force and violence and inflicted an injury” on each of three officers he should have known were peace officers performing their duty. Defense attorney Christy O’Connor told the court that Hill’s actions were out of character. “Assuming the allegations are true, this is an absolute aberration in this person’s life,” she said, noting his “remarkable” achievements, including two Grammy wins. Lil Nas X is scheduled to return to court on September 15 for a pre-trial hearing. The Atlanta-born artist rose to fame with his 2018 breakout hit Old Town Road, which spent a record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2021 debut album Montero reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart and earned a Grammy nomination for album of the year.

Popular Bangladeshi actor Anisur Rahman Milon has recently been honored with the prestigious ‘Best Humanitarian Award 2025’ at a grand ceremony held in Los Angeles, USA. Milon confirmed the news via a post on his social media handle after receiving the award on Thursday (August 21). “I’m honored to receive this award from the Church of Scientology, recognizing my contributions to the Greater Los Angeles community and beyond. Grateful for the acknowledgment and inspired to continue the work!” Milon wrote. Widely known for his versatile performances in numerous television dramas and films, Milon has long been a familiar face in Bangladesh’s entertainment industry. In recent years, however, he has been residing permanently in the United States, stepping away from regular engagements in Dhaka’s showbiz scene. Earlier, Milon revealed that he had joined the Actors’ Union in the United States, which has opened doors for him in mainstream Hollywood. He is now preparing to take on projects in the international arena. He is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), one of the most powerful unions representing actors in the U.S. Milon’s involvement in MR-9: Do or Die, a Bangladesh-US joint production, has already paved the way for his entry into Hollywood.  

Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) on Monday inaugurated a solo painting exhibition titled 'Ei Shooters pHawabibi' (Hawabibi In this City) by Dhaka-based visual artist Shaily Shrabonti at its La Galerie in Dhanmondi. Introducing Hawabibi as a mythical figure silently roaming the cityscape, the exhibition reflects on the cultural, social and symbolic forces shaping women’s lives. Shrabonti combines traditional Oriental art techniques with contemporary materials—including watercolor washes, acrylic, pen, clay and locally sourced elements—to depict how ancient and modern systems of control have historically confined women’s agency. Through this lens, the works explore the interplay of myth, memory and urban life in women’s experiences, highlighting subtle forms of resistance and the pursuit of freedom, identity and voice in patriarchal settings. ‘Shotoborshe Sultan’: Nasir Ali Mamun’s 65th solo photography exhibition begins Shrabonti, a Dhaka-based visual artist, completed her BFA and MFA in Oriental Art from the Faculty of Fine Art, Dhaka University. Her practice merges contemporary oriental techniques with mythological narratives, focusing on women’s resilience and transformation while reclaiming stories historically told for them. The exhibition, featuring 45–47 mixed-media works, will remain open to visitors till September 3. Visiting hours are from 3 pm to 9 pm, Monday through Saturday, at AFD’s gallery located at 26 Mirpur Road.

Avneet Kaur is preparing for the release of her upcoming film Love In Vietnam. During the trailer launch, she was asked about receiving support from prominent personalities on social media, a question prompted by the recent Virat Kohli incident. Responding, Avneet said, “May the love keep coming.” The controversy started on April 30 when Avneet posted photos on Instagram wearing a green crop top and printed wrap skirt. Fans quickly noticed that Virat Kohli had liked and then unliked the post, leading to a wave of comments such as, “Kohli saab what is this behaviour?” and “Akaay beta papa ko phone do.” As screenshots spread online, Virat clarified in an Instagram Story that the like was accidental while clearing his feed, urging people not to make assumptions. Amid the chatter, both Virat and Avneet were spotted at Wimbledon 2025, watching Novak Djokovic’s match against Alex de Minaur. Virat shared a post praising Djokovic’s performance, while Avneet also uploaded stories from the match. Virat and his wife Anushka Sharma, married since December 2017, are parents to daughter Vamika and son Akaay.

Veteran actor Farida Jalal has extended her best wishes to Aryan Khan for his upcoming directorial debut series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*. Speaking at the trailer launch of Love In Vietnam on Monday, Jalal fondly recalled meeting Shah Rukh Khan’s son on a film set when he was a child. “He has all my prayers. Yes, we met on set. He was very young, just a little boy. I’m very proud that he has now become a director. May God bless him with success,” she told reporters in Mumbai. Jalal, who has shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan in films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Yes Boss, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, also reflected on the bond she developed with him over the years. She said playing Shah Rukh’s mother in multiple films made her feel a genuine mother-son connection with him. “Since he didn’t have a mother in his life, I always felt I should give him as much mamta (motherly love) as I could. It came naturally to me,” she said. Jalal added that her feelings for Aryan are like that of a grandmother, proud to see him step into the spotlight. Aryan’s debut series is set to premiere on Netflix on September 18.   Source: NDTV

The grand premiere of Bigg Boss 19 saw Salman Khan return as host with a candid revelation about his love life. While interacting with contestant Tanya Mittal, he admitted, “I have never experienced true love.” The remark reignited public interest in the actor’s much-discussed relationships, previously linked to Sangeeta Bijlani, Somy Ali, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif. Rajinikanth’s ‘Coolie’ sees strong rebound at box office Earlier this year, Salman had shared his views on love and breakups on nephew Arhaan Khan’s podcast, advising people to move on quickly and value accountability in relationships. On the professional front, Salman will next appear in Battle of Galwan, portraying Colonel B Santosh Babu in a film based on the 2020 India-China border clash. Source: NDTV 

Rajinikanth’s action thriller Coolie recorded a significant bounce in domestic collections on its second Saturday, a week after its release. The film saw a 70% jump in India, earning an estimated Rs 10 crore nett on Saturday compared to Rs 5.85 crore on Friday, according to Sacnilk. With this, Coolie’s 10-day domestic total now stands at Rs 245 crore nett (Rs 291 crore gross). Overseas, the film continued its strong performance, taking in around $21 million (Rs 177 crore), pushing the worldwide gross after 10 days to Rs 468 crore. The surge helped Coolie surpass the lifetime earnings of recent Bollywood releases — Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 (Rs 464 crore) and Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki (Rs 454 crore) — despite both being commercially successful. Industry analysts say Coolie is now on track to cross the Rs 500-crore mark worldwide early next week. Coolie vs War 2 Box Office: No Saiyaara-like boom for Rajinikanth or Hrithik Roshan If it does, it will become the fourth Tamil film to achieve this milestone, joining Rajinikanth’s 2.0 and Jailer, and Vijay’s Leo. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie features an ensemble cast including Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, and a cameo by Aamir Khan. The film opened to mixed reviews but has gained momentum at the box office in its second week. Source: NDTV 

Coke Studio Bangla has released its latest track ‘Baaji’ on Saturday, a fusion of urban folk and indigenous music that celebrates the cultural diversity of Bangladesh. Featuring renowned musician and composer Emon Chowdhury as both lead vocalist and music director, alongside singer-poet Hashim Mahmud, the song marks the fourth release of the platform’s much-anticipated Season 3. Penned by Hashim Mahmud, ‘Baaji’ tells a tender story of innocent love, inspired by the charm of a simple girl from Bangladesh. The lyrics are enriched by the voices and sounds drawn from different regions of the country, while Emon Chowdhury’s composition blends traditional instruments like the sarod with modern arrangements to create a cinematic soundscape. The song features contributions from several traditional groups and communities, highlighting Bangladesh’s diverse heritage. Among them are Tangail’s Dhowa Gaan-er Dol, known for their century-old tradition of singing while dancing in circular formations. Flautist Kyo U Prue Marma from Bandarban performs alongside his grandmother, Mrakoiching Marma, who sings in the Marma language — preserving songs that are at risk of fading away. The Bawm community of the Chittagong Hill Tracts adds a tribal dance performance, incorporating bamboo sticks to create percussive rhythms, while Manipuri pung drummers showcase the acrobatic Pung Cholom, adding another layer of cultural depth. Expressing his excitement, Emon Chowdhury said, “It is great to have Coke Studio Bangla return, and we are excited to present ‘Baaji’ to our incredible audience. This is a truly special song, one where every artist poured their heart into the recording. It feels like a harmonious blend of everything that represents Bangladesh, encapsulated in a single song.” ‘Baaji’ is now available on Spotify and the official YouTube channel of Coke Studio Bangla.