United News of Bangladesh

A fire broke out at the Banani residence of prominent singer and composer Bappa Mazumder on Thursday morning but the artiste and his family escaped unharmed. According to Bappa, the fire originated from the ground floor of the building due to an electrical wiring issue and quickly spread toward the upper floors. Sharing the harrowing experience on social media, Bappa wrote on Facebook, “Just got saved from a fire in our building on 2nd floor (we live on the 3rd floor) due to electrical wire issues. But we all are safe. Thanks to the Fire Brigade Service for their prompt response. Otherwise it could have been something very different. And… well… can't even think about it” Speaking to media, Bappa recounted the terrifying moment: “I was alerted through an intercom call that there was a fire in the building. I tried to get my family out, but the smoke was so thick we couldn’t see anything,” he said. Miles members reunite with founding father Farid Rashid in New York He added, “Suddenly, I felt the heat of the fire on my face and panicked. We stood on the balcony for a while, then I contacted lyricist Shahan Kabondho, who was nearby. With his help, we managed to get out safely.” Bappa married actress Tania Hossain in 2018. The couple has two daughters. No casualties were reported in the incident and further investigations are underway to determine the full extent of the damage and cause of the fire.

Renowned Indian singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan has embraced artificial intelligence in music creation by collaborating with Google to develop a new song using its generative music model, Lyria. The Grammy-winning artist showcased the capabilities of the AI tool during a virtual appearance at Google’s annual I/O developer conference held on May 20 in Mountain View, California. Google used the event to introduce its latest AI innovations, including tools designed for filmmaking and music generation. As part of the unveiling of Lyria 2, Google Research Scientist Jason Baldridge introduced a “music AI sandbox” created in collaboration with musicians. “It is a tool for professionals to explore the possibilities of our generative music model Lyria, in their work. Let's watch a clip starring legendary Grammy-winning singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan putting the music AI sandbox and Lyria to use,” said Baldridge, reports Hindustan Times. The featured video shows Shankar Mahadevan in his studio, where he shares his experience working with the AI tool. “I am a music composer, singer, producer and a happy man... Working with Sandbox is great. We inputted our requirements and it gave us a bed. We used that bed and we came up with this song,” he said. Javed Akhtar says he'd choose hell over Pakistan amid troll attacks Titled ‘Rubaro’, the song was created using Lyria and developed in collaboration with Shankar’s team. The video highlights their creative journey, including selecting beats and adjusting pitches, offering a glimpse into how AI can assist musicians in shaping their artistic vision. Reflecting on the experience, Shankar added, “For a musician, it is such an inspiring tool. You open a door and you see there’s another room... And then you open another room, and you have another door... That is what AI does.” Known for his versatility across Bollywood, classical, and devotional music, Shankar Mahadevan has lent his voice to hit tracks like Maa, Dil Chahta Hai, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Desi Girl, Kajra Re and Uff Teri Adaa.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a regular at the Cannes Film Festival, has finally made her much-anticipated appearance — and she didn’t disappoint. Making a grand entrance at the premiere of The History of Sound, the Bollywood star exuded Indian royalty in a white sari, adorned with traditional jewelry and a touch of sindoor. Images and videos of the actress quickly went viral, showing her striking graceful poses for photographers. Her ensemble featured a dramatic long pallu draped over her left shoulder and an elegant lace train on the right. Aishwarya greeted the paparazzi with a warm namaste and radiant smile, while also charming fans with waves and flying kisses as she ascended the iconic steps of the Palais des Festivals.  

Members of the iconic Bangladeshi rock band Miles recently reunited with the band’s founding member Farid Rashid in New York, where the band is currently on its Legacy Tour 2025, rekindling memories of their early days and a decades-long musical journey. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the band shared a photo from their meeting with Farid Rashid on May 18, identifying him as a singer, songwriter, and the original founder of Miles. In the photo, the band's longest-standing members Hamin Ahmed and Manam Ahmed posed placing Farid  in the middle. Prior to forming the band, Farid was a member of the once-popular band 'Lightnings' which enjoyed wide recognition in Bangladesh during its time. According to the post shared by Miles, Farid Rashid was the person who named the band 'Miles' to signify an ongoing musical journey - an idea that carries meaningfulness in both English and Bengali. ‘Keeping Childcare in the Picture’: ILO, BILS launch photo exhibition on childcare in Bangladesh Farid was also the person who introduced Hamin, Manam, and the late Shafin Ahmed to the band when they were teenagers. Together, they helped shape Miles into one of the most influential rock bands in Bangladesh’s history, the post mentioned. Shafin, who passed away on July 24, 2024, was a central figure in the band, widely admired for his distinctive vocals and bass guitar work. His contributions played a crucial role in establishing the band’s identity and popularity. Miles is best known for iconic tracks such as “Firiye Dao,” “Neela,” “Prottasha,” “Jala Jala,” “Chand Tara Shurjo” and more - songs that continue to resonate with fans across generations. Describing the New York reunion as a meaningful and emotional encounter, the band expressed their enduring respect and affection for Farid Rashid, calling him a gentleman, talented musician, and cherished mentor. Formed in 1979, Miles remains a pioneer in Bangladesh’s rock music scene, celebrated for blending Western rock influences with local lyrical depth.

Tamil film stars Vishal and Sai Dhanshika have confirmed they are set to marry on August 29, 2025. The couple, who recently began dating, made the announcement during a press conference for the film Yogi Da in Chennai, after reports about their relationship went viral. Sai Dhanshika shared that she has known Vishal for over 15 years but their relationship turned romantic only recently. “We planned to keep it private, but once the news spread, we felt there was no need to hide,” she said. Praising Vishal’s support during tough times, she added, “No hero has visited my home before. His gesture touched me.” Vishal also confirmed the engagement, saying, “My marriage is fixed. I’ve found my partner. God saved the best for last—he saved Dhanshika for me.” Akshay Kumar reportedly plans Rs 25 crore lawsuit against Paresh Rawal over Hera Pheri 3 exit He emphasized their strong bond and mutual trust and assured fans that Dhanshika will continue her acting career after marriage. Vishal is known for films like Madha Gaja Raja, Aambala, Sandakozhi, and Mark Antony. Sai Dhanshika has appeared in Peranmai, Solo, Paradesi, and Kabali. Tamil star Vijay hosts iftar in Chennai during Ramadan Source: With inputs from NDTV

Jennifer Lopez is facing legal trouble for sharing photos of herself on social media without permission. The singer and actress posted images from her appearance at the Amazon MGM Studios and Vanity Fair party in Los Angeles, held on the eve of this year’s Golden Globe Awards in January. Photographer Edwin Blanco and the paparazzi agency Backgrid, who claim ownership of the photos, have filed separate lawsuits. They argue that Lopez used the images “to promote Ms Lopez's public appearances, boost user engagement, increase shareability, and lend credibility to her branded content.” The two photos in question show Lopez in a white dress and a white faux fur coat outside the Chateau Marmont. She posted them on Instagram and X with the caption, “GG Weekend Glamour.” The images were later widely circulated by fan accounts and fashion pages. Backgrid and Blanco are each seeking damages of up to $150,000 per photo. Hrithik Roshan, NTR Jr face off in explosive ‘War 2’ teaser The lawsuits allege, “Ms Lopez’s unauthorised use of the Images is commercial in nature, intended for the purpose of self-promotion.” They further claim, “For example, Ms Lopez used the Images to spotlight the designer of her clothing and jewellery, leveraging the publicity from the event to promote her fashion affiliations and brand partnerships.” In copyright law, the subject of a photo does not own the rights to the image; ownership typically belongs to the photographer or their agency. According to the legal filings, Lopez’s team was contacted after the posts were made and agreed to a payment deal, but the contract has yet to be finalised. This isn’t Lopez’s first legal run-in over photo usage. She previously faced lawsuits in 2019 and 2020 for similar cases. With inputs from BBC

This year's Cannes Film Festival is at its halfway mark, but it's been an attention-grabbing affair since its start — from new rules for its red carpets, nerves about potential U.S. tariffs and the return of Tom Cruise. And that says nothing about the films, seen as a strong slate as Cannes has become increasingly important to the Oscars' best picture hopefuls. As the festival enters its second week, it's become clear that this year's films are reckoning with geopolitical doom, climate change and other calamities that closely resemble current events. Even in a normal year, Cannes is a lot to keep up with. Here's a handy guide of what's happened so far, what to expect and what it may mean. What's happened lately at Cannes Monday brought a pair of surprises thanks to Spike Lee's latest film, “Highest 2 Lowest.” The first was an honorary Palme d'Or for Denzel Washington, who arrived for the premiere on a whirlwind trip on his only day off from starring in “Othello” on Broadway. Another surprise came after the movie's premiere, when Rihanna walked the red carpet with partner A$AP Rocky, who also stars in the film. Some early standout moments from Cannes Cannes opened Tuesday with a starry tribute to Robert De Niro, 49 years after “Taxi Driver” won the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or. De Niro used his own honorary Palme to assail U.S. President Donald Trump, a frequent target of his criticism. Asif Ali-starrer Tiki Taka Filmmaking in Full Swing, Release Window Revealed He also basked in the adoration of some of film's elite, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino. Cannes debuted a complex 4K restoration of “The Gold Rush,” one of Charlie Chaplin’s most beloved silent masterpieces, timed to the film's 100th anniversary. “Our grandfather would be really proud to see this, a hundred years later, to see all you here and interested in seeing the film,” said Kiera Chaplin to a packed screening. Tom Cruise took the spotlight on Day 2 with the latest “Mission: Impossible” installment, “Final Reckoning.” For such a high-flying franchise, Cruise kept his feet on the ground. That aligned with a recent trend — gone are the days of fighter jet flyovers, Jerry Seinfeld in a bee costume and other big stunts. On Thursday, news broke that the festival had barred French actor Théo Navarro-Mussy from attending the premiere of the competition entry “Case 137” in what's believed to be a first for the festival in the #MeToo era. Navarro-Mussy has been accused of rape in a case that remains on appeal. On Friday, Bono premiered his documentary, “Bono: Stories of Surrender." In a wide-ranging interview, the rock superstar talked about the insights the project has given him (including a deeper appreciation for his late father), his concerns about the dismantling of USAID and his first impression of Pope Leo XIV. Ari Aster also debuted his COVID-era film “Eddington” to mixed reviews. Over the weekend, Richard Linklater's latest, “Nouvelle Vague,” fared better with critics. So too did Jennifer Lawrence's performance in Lynne Ramsay's “Die, My Love,” already garnering Oscar buzz. Kristen Stewart, among a spate of actors unveiling their directorial debuts at Cannes this year, premiered “The Chronology of Water” in the festival's Un Certain Regard section. With her film, Stewart is trying to destroy the myth that directing is for a select few. “It’s such a fallacy that you need to have an unbelievable tool kit or some kind of credential,” she said. "It really is if you have something to say, then a movie can fall out of you very elegantly.” “My Father's Shadow” made history Sunday as the first Nigerian film to play as an official Cannes selection with its debut in the Un Certain Regard section. “It means a lot to people back in Nigeria. It means we can exist on these platforms and our stories can exist in these spaces,” said director Akinola Davies Jr. “It’s a testament to talent that’s around in Nigeria. It’s a testament to the stories that are there. It’s a testament to the industry that’s flourishing.” What more to expect from the 2025 Cannes Film Festival AP Film Writer Jake Coyle broke down some of the key things about the festival in a thorough primer. Among the things to watch: any effects of Trump's talk about tariffs on foreign-made films at the world's largest film market. The festival serves as the start of Oscar season and there's a packed field vying for this year's Palme d'Or. Outside of competition, there's some starry first-time directors along with Stewart: Scarlett Johansson with “Eleanor the Great” and Harris Dickinson with “Urchin.” Their films are not in the main competition, but as Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho told Coyle about debuting a film at Cannes: “You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation.” Filho, who is in the main competition with “The Secret Agent,” noted premiering a movie at the festival is akin to “a potential invitation to a beheading.” New red carpet rules, and how stars are responding ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ tops box office while The Weeknd’s movie falters One of the buzziest moves by Cannes this year so far has been its proclamation that nudity is banned by festivalgoers and so too are “voluminous” outfits, in particular those with a large train. The move to ban nude looks comes amid the “naked dress” trend on red carpets, including Bianca Censori's Grammys look and many of the outfits worn by Vanity Fair party attendees after the Oscars. Cannes press officers said last week the festival “made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect.” So how did stars at Cannes respond? Halle Berry, who is on the festival jury headed by Juliette Binoche, told reporters she would abide by it and had changed her opening night look. While risque looks have been in short supply, there have certainly been some “voluminous outfits,” including dresses worn by Heidi Klum, Chinese actor Wan QianHui and others. What might Cannes call fowl on next? People on the carpet in bird costumes, perhaps, as happened when someone dressed as a giant bird appeared at the premiere of “Die, My Love.” At least it didn't spread its wings for the cameras.

Ananya Panday and her father, veteran actor Chunky Panday, recently stole the spotlight with a heartwarming performance at an awards show. The father-daughter duo danced to the popular 1988 track Main Tera Tota from Chunky’s film Paap Ki Duniya, creating a delightful moment that quickly went viral on social media. In a video shared by Chunky Panday on Instagram, he is seen making his way to the stage, flanked by dancers, before joining Ananya for the energetic performance. Ananya dazzled in a traditional ensemble—a gold embroidered blouse paired with a green dhoti-style skirt—while Chunky looked sharp in a classic black suit. The performance was a crowd-pleaser, with Ananya showcasing her graceful dance skills and Chunky adding his signature charm with playful expressions. The touching moment concluded with Ananya bowing to her father and the two sharing a warm embrace. Main Tera Tota originally featured in Paap Ki Duniya, an action film directed by Shibu Mitra that starred Chunky alongside Sunny Deol, Shakti Kapoor, Neelam Kothari, and Danny Denzongpa. In his Instagram caption, Chunky wrote, “This is the first time I got to perform at an international film award function. Thank you, Zee Cine Awards and my darling Ananya Panday. What a surprise. So proud of you. Love you forever.” The post drew love from fans and celebrities alike. Bhavana Pandey, Ananya’s mother, commented, “The best,” with heart and evil eye emojis. Actress Nyra Banerjee added, “Pretty daughter ke proud cute father,” while Dia Mirza, Maheep Kapoor, and Sanjay Kapoor all showed their appreciation with heart emojis. Asif Ali-starrer Tiki Taka Filmmaking in Full Swing, Release Window Revealed On the professional front, Ananya Panday was last seen in Kesari Chapter 2, a historical courtroom drama starring Akshay Kumar and R. Madhavan, directed by Karan Singh Tyagi. She will next appear in the romantic film Chand Mera Dil, opposite Kill actor Lakshay. The film is directed by Vivek Soni and produced by Karan Johar. Chunky Panday, meanwhile, was last seen in the Netflix series The Royals, which stars Bhumi Pednekar, Ishaan Khatter, and Nora Fatehi.   Source: NDTV

Death is not looming for the “Final Destination” franchise at the box office. The sixth film in the Final Destination franchise, Final Destination: Bloodlines, packed theaters over the weekend, soaring to the top of the domestic box office with an impressive $51 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The film matched that figure overseas, bringing its worldwide opening total to $102 million. In contrast, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s experimental thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow struggled to gain traction, debuting outside the top five with an estimated $3.3 million. “It was always going to be an uphill battle going head-to-head with Final Destination: Bloodlines,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “There was a lot of anticipation surrounding that release.” “Final Destination: Bloodlines” opened in 3,523 locations riding in on a wave of strong reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and viral marketing tactics, including a picture of logs on the back of trucks — a callback to one of the more infamous “Final Destination” death traps. Jennifer Lawrence stirs Oscar talk in Cannes for 'Die, My Love' “Final Destination’s” win effectively revives a 25-year-old franchise that hasn’t had a new film since 2011. It also continues a hot streak for Warner Bros., which has had near back-to-back hits in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie.” All three were in the top five this weekend. Disney’s “Thunderbolts” landed in second with $16.5 million, pushing its global total to over $325 million. “Sinners” placed third with $15.4 million, bringing its global total to $316.8 million. “A Minecraft Movie,” which has made $928.6 million globally, added $5.9 million. Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Accountant 2” rounded out the top five. “Hurry Up Tomorrow” opened in sixth place. The film, which Tesfaye co-wrote and Trey Edward Shults directed, is a kind of companion piece to his album and tour. He plays a fictionalized version of himself as an insomniac musician. Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan also star. Neither critics nor audiences greeted it kindly: It carries a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes and was slapped with a C- CinemaScore. Associated Press music writer Maria Sherman wrote that it’s “an exciting vanity project with surrealist imagination but stiff writing, no stakes, limited emotional weight and an unclear narrative.” Lionsgate only handled the release of the R-rated film, which opened on over 2,000 screens and its $3.3 million was enough to make it a profitable deal for the studio. Next weekend could be a big one for movie theaters as “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” both open nationwide. The overall domestic box office remains up nearly 15% from last year. “This weekend is the perfect opening act for what could be one of the biggest Memorial weekends at the box office ever,” Dergarabedian said. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:   1. “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” $51 million. 2. “Thunderbolts,” $16.5 million. 3. “Sinners,” $15.4 million. 4. “A Minecraft Movie,” $5.9 million. 5. “The Accountant 2,” $5 million. 6. “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” $3.3 million. 7. “Friendship,” $1.4 million. 8. “Clown in a Cornfield,” $1.3 million. 9. “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” $1.1 million. 10. “Until Dawn,” $800,000.          

Last year, the Cannes Film Festival produced three best actress nominees at the Oscars. This year's edition may have just supplied another. In Lynne Ramsay's “Die, My Love,” Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson play a married couple with a newborn who move into an old country house. In Ramsay's messy and moving marital psychodrama, Lawrence plays an increasingly unhinged young mother named Grace whose postpartum depression reaches darkly hallucinatory extremes. For Lawrence, the 34-year-old mother of two, making “Die, My Love” was an intensely personal experience. Lights, camera, glitter ball: The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final “It was really hard to separate what I would do as opposed to what (Grace) would do,” Lawrence told reporters Sunday. “I had just had my firstborn, and there’s not really anything like postpartum. It’s extremely isolating. She doesn’t have a community. She doesn’t have her people. But the truth is, extreme anxiety and extreme depression is isolating, no matter where you are. You feel like an alien." “Die, My Love,” which is in competition for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, was one of the most anticipated premieres of the festival. That was owed partly to the widely respect for Ramsey, the Scottish director of “Ratcatcher" (1999), “Movern Callar” (2002) and “ You Were Never Really Here” (2017). Lawrence sought her out for the film. “I’ve wanted to work with Lynne Ramsay since I saw 'Ratcatcher' and I was like, ‘There’s no way,'” said Lawrence. “But we took a chance, and we sent it to her. And I really, I cannot believe that I’m here with you.” In Ramsay's “Die, My Love," adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel, is disorienting experience, pulsating with animalistic urges and manic spurts of violence. As a portrait of a marriage in trouble, it makes “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” look tame. Literary world gathers for PEN America dinner-gala hosted by Amber Ruffin “Die, My Love" was quickly snapped up by Mubi on Sunday. In easily the biggest sale of the festival, the indie distributor plunked down $24 million for distribution rights to the film in the U.S. and multiple other territories. Lawrence's performance, in particular, drew the kind of raves in Cannes that tend to lead to Oscar consideration. Lawrence has been nominated four times by the Academy Awards, winning once for 2013's “Silver Linings Playbook.” Since then, much has changed for Lawrence, including becoming a mother. On Saturday, Lawrence said parenthood has been such an enriching experience for her that, she joked, "I highly recommend having kids if you want to be an actor.” “Having children changes everything. It changes your whole life. It’s brutal and incredible," Lawrence said. “I didn’t know that I could feel so much.” “My job has a lot to do with emotion, and they’ve opened up the world to me,” she added. "It’s almost like feeling like a blister or something. So sensitive. So they’ve changed my life, obviously, for the best, and they’ve changed me creatively.” Mexican beauty influencer fatally shot during TikTok livestream Pattinson, who recently had his first child with Suki Waterhouse, chimed in that he found having a baby “gives you the biggest trove of energy and inspiration.” Lawrence mockingly pounced on him: “You get energy?!” Pattinson let out a sigh. “This question is impossible for a guy to answer correctly,” he said, to laughter.