entertainment
'Omanush' released in 41 theatres
Nirab and Mithila's duo starrer film 'Omanush,' directed by Anonno Mamun, was released on Friday in 41 theatres across the country.
‘Omanush’ has been at the centrepoint of discussion from the beginning because of the storyline of the movie, as the film is based on actual facts and reality. The film also became the talk of the town as popular actress Rafiat Rashid Mithila's first silver screen project.
Furthermore, prior to its release, the varied promotional activities piqued viewers' excitement in watching the film.
Director Anonno Mamun said, “I took an attempt to go beyond the boundaries of everything in the movie. Choosing the story from that thought, I started working after facing many challenges. Since the whole shooting took place in the jungle, the experience has been very different than usual.”
He added, “The nature of cinema has changed all over the world and our audience demands better. We have tried to meet that expectation, and thanks to all the actors and crew who worked on it. Everyone worked hard to help me finish the film, now waiting to see the response of the audience.”
Regarding the movie, actor Nirab Hossain said, "An artist always wants to take a challenge about the character and I got to do the same in this movie. This is the first time I have played the role of a robber, for which I have had to take preparation for a long time. All these hardships are for a good reason, so there will be expectations towards the audience as we want them to watch and criticize us, and also give us more encouragement.”
Despite being the lead actress of 'Omanush,' Mithila was not present at any publicity and press conference for the movie. However, she spoke about the film through a video message, saying: "My first film 'Omanush' is being released. I apologize for not being present at the premiere, as I am residing far away from the country at this moment - but I urge you all to come and watch the movie on June 16 and let us know your feedback.”
Mithila further said, "The story of this movie is different from the story of our traditional films. The story of a band of robbers in the jungle, which was very adventurous.”
Actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed said, “This film is being released as my new venture for the silver screen after a long period of time. I'm a little scared, but I feel absolutely lucky to have been able to do the robber character in this movie. Although it was very difficult to develop such a character, everyone on the team gave me great encouragement. I have seen a lot of interest from the audience and I urge everyone to come to the hall and watch the film.”
The shooting of 'Omanush' started in 2021. After completing the work in Bandarban in the beginning, the shooting ended in Dhaka in mid-August after shooting in different parts of the country including Rangamati, Sylhet, Narayanganj and Bhaluka.
Misha Saudagar, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Rashed Mamun Apu, Don and many others have also acted in the movie.
Also read: Mithila, Srijit tie the knot
Bongo brings South Indian film 'NGK'
Video streaming platform Bongo released Sai Pallavi and Suriya's political film ''NGK," dubbed in Bangla, Friday.
The story revolves around an honest good doer whose life becomes a living hell due to the political conspiracy, selfishness and corruption surrounding him.
Nanda Gopal Kumar (Suriya), nicknamed NGK, is an environmental engineering graduate who resigns from his job to take up organic farming.
NGK is a do-gooder who always has people's welfare and best interest in mind. The youngsters of his small-town look up to him as a role model. He lives with his loving parents and a caring but possessive wife (Sai Pallavi).
However, the local politicians envy NGK's reach among the local youth. Ultimately a clash between city politicians and NGK erupts.
NGK was released in theatres on May 31, 2019.
Popular streaming platform Amazon Prime released the movie in Tamil on July 5, 2019, on their OTT platform. It is the first Tamil movie released in South Korea and Japan.
Also read: Bongo brings Turkish series 'Hercai' as 'Rehana'
19 films get Tk 12.15 crore as grants
Nineteen films that have been selected for receiving Tk 12.15 crore grants from the government for the fiscal year 2021-22 on Wednesday.
Ten films are receiving Tk 60 lakh each, four films Tk 65 lakh each and another four films Tk 70 lakh each.
The Information Ministry published the list of the films and the amount of grant though a circular on Wednesday.
A film directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury is getting the highest amount, which is Tk 75 lakh.
Also read: Jennifer Lopez becomes Grameen America’s National Ambassador
The films that are receiving the grants are—Joy Banglar Dhoni (Based on the 1971 Liberation War), Ekattor-Korotole Chinnomatha (Liberation War-based), Japito Jibon, Juddho Jibon, Banalata Sen, Otopor Rokeya, 1969, Bangabandhur Renu, Dodor Golpo, Bokul Kotha, Arji, Eito Jibon, Ahare Jibon, Ontorkhola, Bhashar Jonno Momotaz, Lal Shari, Bicharaloy, Maya and Muktir Chotogolpo.
Short films that are receiving the grants are—Ekti Vorer Opekkhay (Film), Loknattya Proshongo O Dhamer Gaan (Documentary), Jol Toronger Gaan (Documentary), Athlete Sultana Kamal (Film), Bakita Itihash (Film) and Bamadesh (Film).
Also read: Omar Sani comes live after Moushumi says “Zayed is a good boy"
Jennifer Lopez becomes Grameen America’s National Ambassador
Superstar singer Jennifer Lopez, who has built a considerable empire across film, television, beauty, fashion and philanthropy, has linked up with Grameen America to serve as a national ambassador.
The role will see Lopez serving several functions, including helping Grameen America with its mission of empowering 600,000 Latina entrepreneurs across 50 U.S. cities with $14 billion in business capital and six million hours of financial education and training by 2030.
To kick off her role as National Ambassador, Lopez will motivate, promote, and inspire Latina businesswomen, helping them understand the pathway to financial independence and literacy through joining the Grameen America microloan program, , according to Grameen America .
Lopez will mentor the organization's existing Latina business owners, educating them on the importance of credit and asset-building and developing a savings program to promote financial resilience.
Founded in 2008 by Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus, Grameen America is a nonprofit microfinance organization dedicated to helping women who live in poverty build small businesses. The org offers microloans, training and support to transform communities and fight poverty in the United States. To date, Grameen has served more than 150,000 women in 23 U.S. cities, distributed $2.6 billion in loans and helped create and maintain 157,000 jobs.
Also read: With 'Second Act,' Jennifer Lopez makes her own opportunity
In a statement, Lopez said the initiative will “change the fabric of America.”
“Being Latino in this country has always been a matter of pride for me. I am humbled and beyond grateful to partner with Grameen America,” said Lopez. “We’re building pathways to employment and leadership opportunities. There’s so much strength in this community and we’re harnessing that. This partnership will create equality, inclusivity and opportunity for Latina women in business.”
Scenic reading of two contemporary German plays in Bangla held in city
Scenic reading of the two contemporary German plays translated into Bangla have been held at the Bangladesh Mohila Samity in the capital.
While welcoming the audience during her inaugural speech on Sunday evening, Dr Kirsten Hackenbroch, Director, Goethe-Institut Bangladesh highlighted the significance of the project titled “Contemporary German drama in South Asian Languages” to the local theatre scene.
This project aims to familiarize contemporary German plays to the South Asian local theatre scene and audiences alike. This project has been launched by Goethe-Institut Mumbai in 2020, focusing on the selection of plays, as well as identifying qualified German to local language translators at the initial stage.
Afterward, 46 translations were produced out of 20 German plays. Some of these plays were translated by just one person, others by several; altogether they were translated into six languages: Bangla, Hindi, Marathi, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Urdu.
According to the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, contemporary German-language drama is characterized by enormous variety. It has long been and continues to be shaped by both a rich tradition and significant international influences.
Many playscripts written in German are known to audiences in Asia primarily through their English translations. It would of course be far preferable to present these plays to the public in Asian languages – in translations carried out by competent translators working directly from the German.
This would also make it possible for theatre companies who operate in local languages to familiarize themselves with the current German theatre scene, according to the institution.
Read: Dhaka Theatre’s new play opens with metaphoric presentation on ‘virus’
Those reflections are what gave rise to the project: contemporary German-language drama in six South Asian languages – Bangla, Hindi, Marathi, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Urdu. These translations are intended first and foremost to be used within India, but will also be available to other Goethe-Instituts in Dhaka (Bangla), Colombo (Tamil and Sinhalese) and Karachi (Urdu), and in principle to Goethe Centres and additional theatre companies throughout South Asia.
On Sunday evening, Prachyanat staged the scenic reading of the German play titled “DER ZINNSOLDAT UND DIE PAPIERTÄNZERIN” by Roland Schimmelpfennig. Romit Roy translated this play into Bangla.
Directed by Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon, the play featured performances by Diana Meriline, Urmi Saha Ray, Farhad Ahmed Shamim, AKM Itmam, Abdulla Mohammad Sakib, Prajna Tasnuva Rubayyat, Tanji Kun, Yead Khorshid Eashan, Swatee Bhadra, Gopi Devnath, Supti Das Chaity, Nahida Akhter Akhi, Ucchas Talukder, Mohammad Abu Imran, and Audree Ja.
Social organization Bonhishikha staged the scenic reading of the German play titled “ICH LIEB DICH“ (ভালোবাসি) by Kristo Šagor on Monday evening. Parthapratim Chattopadhyay translated this play into Bangla.
Directed by Shararat Islam, the two-person scenic reading was performed by Shararat Islam and Samina Yasmin, narrating different roles.
Followed by around 50 minutes of scenic reading, a panel discussion moderated by Syeda Samara Mortada was held.
Sanjida Anwar Preety, Actor, Prachyanat Theatre Troupe and Samina Luthfa, Associate Professor, Dhaka University and Playwright and Actor, theatre troupe Bottala, were among the panellists.
Roni Bhowmik’s New Short Film ‘Chakrakar’ released by Vivo
Roni Bhowmik directed short film ‘Chakrakar’ has recently been released by international smartphone brand Vivo Bangladesh, which has been shot on its latest flagship device Vivo X80 5G.
Receiving overwhelming responses on social media, the short film has been released on Vivo Bangladesh Facebook page.
Apart from its making, story, and acting; the most jaw-dropping surprise is that this short film has been made with the Vivo X80 5G smartphone, according to Vivo Bangladesh. Filmmaker Roni Bhowmik worked on this short film, as a part of vivo X80 5G campaign.
‘Chakrakar’ has been shot in different locations of Dhaka and Chattogram. The story revolves around a suburban middle-class family. It illustrates mother-son relationship, their mutual love and care and a sudden attack of Alzheimer's disease.
Read: Short film 'A Happy Man' shot entirely on vivo X70 Pro 5G
Popular actors Afsana Mimi, Yash Rohan, Nova Firoz and Aryan Mohammad Dihan acted in the short film. Alongside direction Roni Bhowmik has written the screenplay and Mohammad Towkir Islam did the cinematography.
Regarding this project, Roni Bhowmik said, “The advantage of shooting with a phone is that, since it is very easy to use, one can take multiple dynamic shots. My experience of shooting with a phone is pretty new. It is a bit challenging for people who work professionally."
"New filmmakers who want to tell stories, can resort to a smartphone for visualizing their stories. Young filmmakers can easily present their contents to the audience without bothering about large arrangements," he added.
War isn’t funny but humor helps Ukrainians cope with trauma
Because he’ll shortly be deployed as a soldier on the battlefields of Ukraine, Serhiy Lipko and Anastasia Zukhvala chose to marry first, like a growing number of couples being torn asunder by war with Russia.
Like others, their nuptials were rushed and smaller than they would have been during peacetime, with just a few dozen close friends and family. She wore a simple crown of blue flowers in her hair. And then, because laughter can be medicinal and because Lipko was building a career as a comic before the defense of his country called, they headed to a stand-up comedy club in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.
There, with his new wife watching from the wings, he took the stage in olive-green fatigues and soon had the crowd in stitches with close-to-the-bone humor about army and married life. He joked that military training with NATO instructors had been a great opportunity for him to practice his English, and how nervous he’d been about handling expensive military gear, for fear of breaking it.
The war isn’t remotely funny, but Ukrainians are learning to laugh about the awfulness of it all. Not necessarily because they want to, but because they have to — to stay sane in the brutality that has killed tens of thousands of people, is upending Ukraine, millions of lives and the world order as it rages on front lines in the east and south of the country.
Read: Zelenskyy’s unlikely journey, from comedy to wartime leader
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his troops, especially dead and wounded ones, are favorite targets of dark Ukrainian wartime humor. But there are red lines: Ukrainian dead aren’t laughed about and the grimmest battles, among them the brutal siege of Mariupol and the port city’s Azovstal steelworks, are far too raw for jokes. The same is true of atrocities in Bucha and elsewhere.
“Tragedies cannot and will never be the object of humor,” said Zukhvala, who also works as a stand-up comic, as she and Lipko hugged with the tenderness of newlyweds after his show and scooped up armfuls of bouquets, wondering aloud how they’d find space for them at home.
“This is an absolutely crazy time, beyond ordinary experience,” she said. “Our life now is made of paradoxes, and it can even be funny.”
Ukraine’s most famous comedian is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, now the country’s president, elected in 2019. In the TV comedy series “Servant of the People,” the former stand-up comic and actor played a lovable high school teacher who accidentally becomes president — before he later actually became one for real. But Zelenskyy hasn’t had much cause for comedy since the Feb. 24 invasion thrust him into the role of wartime leader. His daily video addresses to the nation are often grim and forceful.
Spears' ex who appeared at wedding charged with stalking
A man once briefly married to Britney Spears who showed up uninvited at the pop star's wedding to longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari was charged Monday with felony stalking.
Jason Alexander, 40, pleaded not guilty in Ventura County court to the charge, along with misdemeanor counts of trespassing, vandalism and battery.
The three misdemeanor charges stemmed directly from Alexander's attempt to get into the wedding, which he livestreamed on Instagram. The stalking charge involved repeated incidents over time, Spears attorney Mathew Rosengart said.
“He’s going to — I hope, and I pledged my support — be very vigorously prosecuted," Rosengart said outside the hearing. “It’s a very serious matter. This was more than just a quote ‘wedding crash.’ This was an intrusion.”
Also read: Britney Spears marries Sam Asghari in California
A judge issued a restraining order requiring Alexander, who appeared in court via video conference from jail, to stay at least 100 yards from Spears for three years. The judge set his bail at $100,000 and scheduled a Wednesday hearing on the issue.
An email seeking comment from his public defender Matthew Terry was not immediately returned.
Alexander was Spears' first husband. The two were married for less than three days in 2004 before an annulment.
Spears, 40, and Asghari, 28, were married Thursday at her home in Thousand Oaks, California, in front of several dozen guests including Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton and Madonna.
Alexander, who was a childhood friend of Spears, was streaming live on Instagram when he approached house. He appeared in a mostly empty but decorated room, telling security Spears had invited him.
Deputies responding to a trespassing call detained him, and he was arrested when they learned he had a warrant for his arrest in another county, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said.
Spears was previously married from 2004 to 2007 to Kevin Federline, with whom she shares two sons, ages 14 and 15.
She met Asghari in 2016 on the set of the video for her song “Slumber Party.”
Their wedding came nine months after Spears and Asghari were engaged, and nearly seven months after Spears won her freedom from a court conservatorship that controlled her life and affairs for more than 12 years.
Also read: Britney Spears under investigation over battery of staff
Spears posted about the nuptials on her Instagram and Twitter accounts the following day.
“Wow !!! Holy holy crap !!! WE DID IT !!! WE GOT MARRIED !!! Gggggeeeeezzzzz !!! It was the most spectacular day !!!” Spears said in the posts along with a picture of her and Asghari from the wedding. “The ceremony was a dream and the party was even better !!!”
Amber Heard says she doesn't blame jury in Depp libel case
Amber Heard says she doesn't blame the jury that awarded Johnny Depp more than $10 million after a contentious six-week libel trial in her first post-verdict interview.
“I don’t blame them," Heard told “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie in an interview clip aired Monday on NBC. "I actually understand. He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor.”
“Today” plans to air more of its interview with Heard on Tuesday and Wednesday. The interview is airing nearly two weeks after the verdict, which also saw Heard awarded $2 million over her claim that one of Depp's attorneys defamed her.
Also read: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: Uphill battle to rebuild images
Depp sued Heard for libel in Virginia over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” His lawyers said he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.
The verdicts brought an end to a televised trial that Depp hopes will help restore his reputation, though it turned into a spectacle that offered a window into a volatile marriage and both actors emerged with unclear prospects for their careers.
Guthrie pressed Heard on her credibility and what it meant to jurors in the clips released Monday. “There’s no polite way to say it. The jury looked at the evidence you presented. They listened to your testimony and they did not believe you," she said. "They thought you were lying.”
Heard responded, “How could they not come to that conclusion? They had sat in those seats and heard over three weeks of non-stop, relentless testimony from paid employees” and witnesses the actor described as “randos” or random people.
Depp, who has not yet done a formal interview about the case, has said the verdict “gave me my life back." Heard said in a statement after the verdict that she was heartbroken, while her attorney said in a separate “Today” interview that her client was “demonized” on social media and she plans to appeal the judgment.
“I don’t care what one thinks about me or what judgments you want to make about what happened in the privacy of my own home, in my marriage, behind closed doors. I don’t presume the average person should know those things, and so I don’t take it personally,” Heard told Guthrie.
Also read: Depp and Heard face uncertain career prospects after trial
“You still couldn’t look me in the eye and tell me that you think on social media there’s been a fair representation. You cannot tell me that you think that this has been fair,” Heard said.
The Heard interview will also be featured in Friday's “Dateline” episode.
No satisfaction: Jagger has COVID, Rolling Stones gig off
The Rolling Stones canceled their concert in Amsterdam on Monday, just hours before it was due to start after lead singer Mick Jagger tested positive for COVID-19.
The band announced the cancelation in a statement, saying the 78-year-old Jagger tested positive “after experiencing symptoms of COVID upon arrival at the stadium” on the outskirts of Amsterdam. There were no further details about his condition.
“The Rolling Stones are deeply sorry for tonight’s postponement, but the safety of the audience, fellow musicians and the touring crew has to take priority,” the statement said, adding that the show would be rescheduled and tickets for the concert at Amsterdam's Johan Cruyff Arena would be honored for the new date.
READ: Rolling Stones return to stage, tour after Mick Jagger mends
Some fans were already in the stadium when it was announced that the show had been scrapped.
The veteran rockers are touring Europe with a show called SIXTY to mark six decades together. Their last show was at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium on June 9. The next scheduled concert is in Bern, Switzerland, on June 17.