Culture & Entertainment

Sonakshi Sinha to perform at Justin Bieber’s India gig

Sonakshi Sinha

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Sonakshi Sinha will perform at Grammy Award winner and global pop sensation Justin Bieber’s Purpose World Tour in Mumbai in May, she said on Monday. She will perform as one of the opening acts at the highly anticipated gig, which will be held at the DY Patil Stadium here on May 10. “I am really fond of Justin Bieber’s music and I love how his sound has evolved over the years and today he reaches out to a universal fan base. I’m definitely looking forward to this event,” Sonakshi said in a statement. The 22-year-old ...

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Sneak peek of Baahubali 2 trailer released

sneak peek

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Ahead of the highly anticipated trailer launch of “Baahubali: The Conclusion” on Thursday, its makers released a sneak peek of the trailer on Monday to entice audiences. Actor Rana Daggubati, who plays Bhallaladeva in the film, shared the 12-second video on his Twitter page. On Thursday, the film’s trailer will be released in four languages – Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. On April 28, the film will have a simultaneous release in all the four languages. Also starring Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan, the film is about the battle for an ancient ...

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Hollywood actor Schwarzenegger running for US Senate in 2018

Schwarzenegger

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Former California Republican Governor and Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is reportedly considering a run for the US Senate in 2018, to replace Democratic Senate Dianne Feinstein. Grand Old Party (GOP) political insiders in California said Schwarzenegger is thinking about a political comeback, reports news agency. One GOP veteran told Politico magazine that his entry into the 2018 Senate race “would give Arnold the stage to jam Donald Trump for the next 16 months”. GOP political consultant Luis Alvarado said: “In politics after (President) Donald Trump, nothing is crazy any longer. We’re in third dimension here.” ...

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‘I was raped, sexually abused as a child’: Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Activist and actress Jane Fonda has spoken for the first time about being raped and sexually abused as a child, saying she was raised with “the disease to please” others. Jane Fonda, 79, a long-time outspoken advocate of women’s rights, said it had taken her years to stand up for herself in Hollywood on issue such as pay and the roles she took. “I’ve been raped, I’ve been sexually abused as a child and I’ve been fired because I wouldn’t sleep with my boss and I always thought it was my fault; that I didn’t ...

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Bengali folk singer Kalikaprasad dies in road accident

Kalikaprasad

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Popular Bengali folk music singer Kalikaprasad Bhattacharya died in a road accident at Palsit in West Bengal’s Burdwan district of India on Tuesday. He was 56. Kalikaprasad was traveling along with four members of his Bangla band, ‘Dohar’, when their car was hit by a truck and plunged into a shallow water body in Hooghly district at about 9:00am, reported news agency. The singer, also a resident of South Kolkata, was on way to a school function in Birbhum when the incident took place. Kalikaprasad was rescued from the mangled vehicle along with other fellows ...

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Karan Johar becomes father to twins via surrogacy

Karan Johar

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Popular Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar on Sunday announced he has become a father to twins via surrogacy. He says they are now his world and priority. The daughter has been named Roohi—a rearrangement of Karan’s mother’s name Hiroo and the son has been christened Yash—on Karan’s late father’s name. Karan said, “I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash.” In his book ‘An Unsuitable Boy’, Karan had expressed a desire to adopt a child or opt for surrogacy. Karan also ...

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New York’s annual concert to end poverty heads to Europe

concert

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Global Citizen, New York’s annual concert that pushes for an end to extreme poverty, on Tuesday announced an expansion to Europe to press leaders at the G20 summit in Germany. Rockers Coldplay will headline the free concert on July 6 in Hamburg along with pop singer Ellie Goulding, chart-topping electronic duo The Chainsmokers and one of Germany’s biggest stars, Herbert Gronemeyer. Global Citizen, which has taken place since 2012 in Central Park as world leaders gather each September for the UN General Assembly, aims to build public support for foreign aid with an aim of ...

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Winners list of 89th Academy Awards 2017

Academy Awards

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: The 87th Academy Awards end with a major bungle as La La Land is wrongly announced as winning best picture instead of Moonlight. The complete list of the winners of this prestigious night are given below: Best Makeup and Hairstyling WINNER: Suicide Squad A Man Called Ove Star Trek Beyond Best Costume Design WINNER: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Allied Florence Foster Jenkins Jackie La La Land Best Sound Editing WINNER: Arrival Deepwater Horizon Hacksaw Ridge La La Land Sully Best Sound Mixing WINNER: Hacksaw Ridge Arrival La La Land Rogue One: A ...

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Shaon filed case against vlogger Bunty under ICT Act

Bunty

MNA Culture & Entertainment: Meher Afroz Shaon, an actress and wife of late Humayun Ahmed filed a case against a US expatriate and vlogger (video blogger) Bunty Mir on charges of circulating offensive posts against her through social media platform Facebook. She filed the case with Dhanmondi Police Station under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act around 3:15pm, police said. In the case statement, she stated that Bunty tarnished her reputation by saying ugly, false and baseless words and spreading rumors about her through social media sites including Facebook and YouTube. Earlier, the actress filed a general diary (GD) ...

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Kabori’s autobiography ‘Smriti Tuku Thaak’ launched at Book fair

autobiography

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Sarah Begum Kabori’s autobiography titled ‘Smriti Tuku Thaak’ was launched at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela on Saturday. Kobori Sarwar who was born on July 9, 1950 is a leading Bangladeshi film actress, ruling the country’s silver screen for decades as the premier actress. She presented her memoirs for her fans. The book brought by Bdnews24 Publishing Limited (bpl) was launched on Saturday during a ceremony at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair attended by the cinema idol. Kabori requested all to buy her book to know of certain unknown facts related to her life. The ...

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India’s censor refused to certify ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’

censor

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: India’s censor board has refused to certify a film it describes as ‘lady-oriented’, sparking a furious response from the director, in the latest case to highlight fears over creative freedom in the country. In a letter, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told the makers of ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ that it would not clear the Hindi film for general release. “The story is lady oriented, their fantasy above (sic) life. There are contagious (sic) sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film ...

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Deepika’s Hollywood debut resulted $308 million

Hollywood debut

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Deepika Padukone’s Hollywood debut “xXx: Return of Xander Cage”, has resulted in a $308 million and still counting global cumulative figure, according to sources close to the movie’s production house. A $85 million Paramount/Viacom Inc release, the movie features Vin Diesel in the key role — and is said to have become the 2017’s highest global grosser so far, the source added. The film made $70 million worldwide over the February 10 weekend, and more than $60 million of that total came from a blockbuster, record-breaking opening in China with 6,600 screens, as per a ...

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Bangladesh at Khajuraho Dance Festival as guest country

Khajuraho Dance

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Bangladesh has been invited as a guest country to India’s traditional Khajuraho Dance Festival 2017. Bangladeshi artistes will perform at the Bangladesh pavilion with Baul Shafi Mandal’s songs on Tuesday. Anuj Mitra performed at the inaugural event of the Khajuraho Dance Festival. The Bangladesh pavilion has been adorned with traditional items like maslin, nakshi katha, clay pot, dolls etc. This edition of the Khajuraho Dance Festival has Bangladesh’s popular classical cultural organization Shadhona. The artistes of Shadhona will perform every day at this week-long festival. The 43rd edition of the Khajuraho Dance Festival organized by ...

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Petition filed challenging HC order over Indian channels airing

challenging

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: A petition was filed on Monday with the Supreme Court challenging a High Court order that rejected a writ petition seeking ban on airing three Indian TV channels—Star Jalsha, Star Plus and Zee Bangla—in Bangladesh. Ekhsal Uddin Bhuiyan, lawyer of the petitioner, said that the Supreme Court Chamber Judge will hear the petition in the afternoon. Earlier on 29 January, the HC rejected the writ petition filed seeking ban on airing the three Indian TV channels. On 7 August, 2014, Supreme Court lawyer Syeda Shahin Ara Laily filed the writ in the form of public ...

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Govt banned Farroki’s film ‘Doob: No Bed of Roses’

film

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: The Bangladesh government has banned popular Bangladesh director Mostofa Sarwar Farroki’s upcoming film ‘Doob: No Bed of Roses’, which is reportedly based on late Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed’s life. The Information Ministry had asked Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) to revoke the No Objection Certificate issued to the film on February 15, reported news agency. The film has been produced by Abdul Aziz and Irrfan Khan under the banner of Jaaz Multimedia and Irrfan Khan Films. It stars Bollywood’s star Irrfan Khan, Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Rokeya Prachy and Parno Mittra. BFDC Managing Director ...

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‘Rangoon’ co-stars Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali incredible: Kangana

Saif Ali

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Actress Kangana Ranaut says her ‘Rangoon’ co-stars Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are incredible actors and she is fortunate to share screen space with them. ‘Rangoon’ a love story set against the backdrop of World War II and brings together the three actors on-screen for the first time. ‘They are incredible actors. They are amazing with Vishal Bhardwaj sir (director) and he has given them wonderful characters in the films that he did with them. They are very special, very natural and spontaneous. ‘I feel fortunate to be working with great actors like them. ...

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‘Amar Achhe Jol’ screened at 10th Asian Film Festival

Asian Film Festival

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: ‘Amar Achhe Jol’, a Bangladeshi movie directed by late popular writer Humayun Ahmed, was screened at the 10th Asian Film Festival held in Jeddah on Saturday. Arab News reported on Wednesday that the film festival, which ends on Friday, is being held at the Indonesian consul general’s residence in Jeddah. It is organized by the Asian Consul Generals Club in Jeddah every year. The participating countries are Bangladesh, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Thailand, Japan, Korea, China and Singapore. The movie is a 2008 film produced by Impress Telefilm Limited. The film stars ...

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Adele wins Record of the Year at 59th Grammys

Grammys

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Adele on Sunday won the top two Grammys of Album and Record of the Year for her blockbuster hit ‘Hello’ and the album ‘25.’ The tearful English balladeer took the stage and paid tribute to her main award rival Beyonce, heaping praise on her album ‘Lemonade’ and calling it an inspiration. ‘All us artists adore you. You are our light,’ Adele said to a visibly moved Beyonce. ‘25’ is the best-selling album of the past decade—with the exception of Adele’s last album, ‘21,’ which won Album of the Year in 2012. Adele, who has named ...

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I’m the most overrated actress: Meryl Streep to Trump

Streep

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Meryl Streep has replied to US President Donald Trump’s comment, where he deemed the Oscar-winning actress ‘over-rated’, following her speech at the Golden Globes award ceremony last month. Streep said: ‘Yes, I’m the most overrated and over decorated actress’. The actress made the remarks while speaking at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 Greater New York Gala Dinner on Saturday. Assailing Trump as bellicose and thin-skinned, mounting a rousing defence of LGBTQ freedoms, and bucking up a crowd that might have been otherwise dejected by America’s rightward turn towards conservatism, Streep argued that Trump’s election imperils ...

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Pop star Madonna adopted twin girls from Malawi

Malawi

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Pop star Madonna confirms on social media on Wednesday, saying she had completed her adoption of the twins from Malawi and was “overjoyed” to bring them into her family. The singer, 58, was granted permission by Malawi’s High Court this week to adopt the twin girls. She posted a photo on Instagram of herself walking along a rural path with the girls, who were wearing identical blue and white dresses and one wearing a hat. “I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible, and I ask the media please ...

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Pakistan banned ‘Raees’ for wrong portrayal of Muslims

portrayal

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: The release of the Indian movie “Raees”, which was scheduled to hit Pakistani cinemas on Sunday, was on Monday banned for its “inappropriate” portrayal of Muslims. Rumours about the Mahira Khan and Shah Rukh Khan starrer releasing in Pakistan were ripe for the past one week. However, according to Dawn News, the Central Censor Board decided not to release the film in Pakistan. Sources in the know of the development told Dawn the reason behind it was that “the content undermines Islam, and a specific religious sect, (It also) portrays Muslims as criminals, wanted persons ...

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Cold war endures between Sonakshi and Arjun

Arjun

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Bollywood stars Sonakshi Sinha and Arjun Kapoor still refuse to acknowledge each other’s existence since their breakup in early 2015. ‘At a showing during the recent fashion week in Mumbai, where both were present to cheer designer Kunal Rawal, who is a common friend, Sona chatted with actor Varun Dhawan but completely ignored Arjun, who did the same,’ reports news agency. ‘In return, he too reciprocated the gesture and mingled with Varun and Kunal.’ Incidentally, this is not the first time Sonakshi ignored him publicly. Earlier, during Indian director-producer Ekta Kapoor’s Diwali bash, Sonakshi did ...

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Month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela-2017 begins

Amar Ekushey

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Month-long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela (book fair) 2017 raises today as Bangla Academy is set to stage its annual extravaganza on its premises and at Suhrawardy Udyan, reports news agency. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the fair at 3pm on the Bangla Academy premises. The Suhrawardy Udyan part of the Amar Ekushey book fair has been decorated with 12 (Chattar) divisions. Some 663 units have been allotted to 409 institutions at the academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises. Besides, 14 publication houses including Bangla Academy are given 15 pavilions covering an area of ...

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Miss France Iris Mittenaere crowned Miss Universe

Miss

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Miss France was crowned Miss Universe on Monday in a made-for-television spectacle free of last year’s dramatic mix-up but with a dash of political controversy as the finalists spoke out on the refugee crisis and other hot-button global issues. Iris Mittenaere, a dental surgery student from Lille in the north of France, beat 85 of the world’s most beautiful women at the event in the Philippines scheduled for primetime viewing in the United States. Mittenaere, 24, edged out Miss Haiti, the first runner-up, and Miss Colombia the second runner-up. In the final question round, Miss ...

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Jazz & Blues Festival show in Dhaka

Jazz

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Over a thousand music lovers are enjoying the shows every evening at the Jazz & Blues Festival that began on Sunday. The festival has been organized by Blues Commutations with the aim to promote western classical jazz and blues in the country. The festival commenced with the performance of local singer Armeen Musa who entertained the audience covering some famous and romantic blues such as Hoagy Carmichael’s The Nearness of You and Simply Red’s Holding Back the Years. British drummer and pianist Gary Husband then took the stage and played notations of famous jazz music ...

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HC rejects the writ over closing 3 Indian TV channels

TV channels

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: High Court rejected the writ petition filed seeking to stop the airing of three Indian TV channels Star Jalsha, Star Plus and Zee Bangla—in Bangladesh. A HC bench comprising Justice Justice Mohammad Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan announce the verdict on Sunday. Advocate Eklas Uddin Bhuiyan stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Saju represented the state and senior lawyer Abdul Matin Khasru argued for Star Plus and Star Jalsha while Barrister Samsul Hasan for Zee Bangla. On 7 August, 2014, Advocate Syeda Shahin Ara Laily filed the writ in ...

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US actress Mary Tyler Moore died aged 80

Mary Tyler Moore

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Emmy award-winning US actress Mary Tyler Moore has died aged 80, her publicist says. She was best known for her television roles in the 1960s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and the eponymous The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s. She was also nominated for a best actress Oscar in 1980 for the film Ordinary People. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Moore moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old and started her career in show business as a dancer aged 17. Her first appearance was in a Hotpoint advert in ...

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