Culture & Entertainment

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Netflix says it would roll out a lower-priced mobile-only plan in India within the next three months to tap into a price-sensitive market at a time the streaming company is losing customers in its home turf. India is among the last big growth markets for the company, where it faces competition from Amazon.com’s Prime Video and Hotstar, a video streaming platform owned by Walt Disney’s India unit, reports Reuters. Netflix lost US streaming customers for the first time in eight years on Wednesday, when it posted quarterly results. It also missed targets for new subscribers ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Pop singer Mila Islam has filed a case against three people, including her former husband Parvez Sanjari, accusing them of physical assault and demanding dowry. She filed the case at Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal under the Digital Security Act on Thursday. The other accused are Parvez’s brother SMR Rahman and cousin Khan Al-Amin, reports UNB. Judge Md Assams Jaglul Hossain directed the Cyber unit of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime of Police to investigate and submit a report on September 16. Earlier on October 5, 2017, Mila filed a case against Parvez under the Women and Children ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN has recently hosted the screening of a docu-fiction film on the forcibly displaced Rohingyas residing in the camps in Cox’s Bazar. In commemoration of World Refugee Day, the mission hosted the screening of the film titled “JonmoBhumi” or “The Birthland”. The event, held at the United Nations headquarters, was co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the UN and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The film is a life story of a Rohingya woman named Sophia, who was forced to flee her homeland, the Rakhine ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: National Film Award winning actress Bidya Sinha Saha Mim, who is now seen more on the big screen than small screen, has performed her best in acting career in movie ‘Shapludu’, according to the film related persons. Making it the big-screen directorial debut of renowned small-screen director Golam Sohrab Dodul, the film was scheduled to be released on the last Pahela Boishakh. However, due to some complications, the film’s release date was postponed and it is set to be released very soon. In the film, Mim has portrayed a unique role named Pushpo and according ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Cuba’s Communist government on Thursday issued a decree legalizing the country’s independent movie industry in a move that should facilitate production, although critics said it fails to resolve issues of censorship and distribution. Until now, Cuba’s independent filmmakers have had to scramble to get their projects made due to the lack of legal recognition. And while their works have sometimes won renown in film festivals abroad, they have lacked distribution at home. The government said on Thursday, however, that as of August 23, a new law will “approve the figure of the audiovisual and cinematographic ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Amitabh Bachchan’s quirky first look from his forthcoming film Gulabo Sitabo was revealed early on Friday morning. From the picture tweeted by film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, it looks like the Shoojit Sircar directorial will have Bachchan play an old bespectacled Muslim man with a fat nose. The film, which also stars Ayushmann Khurrana in a pivotal role, is slated to release on April 24, 2020. Sharing Bachchan’s first look, Adarsh tweeted, “Unveiling Amitabh Bachchan’s quirky character look from #GulaboSitabo… Costars Ayushmann Khurrana… Directed by Shoojit Sircar… 24 April 2020 release.” Written by Sircar’s frequent ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Bollywood actor Nana Patekar was cleared of sexual harassment charges after police said on Thursday that they did not find sufficient evidence. Patekar was accused by actress Tanushree Dutta, who said he had harassed her in 2008 on the sets of a film starring both of them. Patekar has always denied the allegations, according to a BBC report. But they resurfaced in 2018, sparking India’s #MeToo movement and leading to Dutta registering a new case. Dutta, 35, had said that Patekar demanded that intimate dance steps between the two of them be included in a ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Kiara Advani’s career took a massive leap after she did Karan Johar’s Lust Stories. The actress, who has been cast opposite Shahid Kapoor in ”Kabir Singh’, is proud of this film and says the director has stayed true to the script. The actress will also be locking lips with Shahid in the film. Speaking about the film, Kiara says, “Kabir Singh is an innocent raw love story, so you are seeing two people who are as real as it gets. As far as the lip lock is concerned, it’s a very normal way of showing ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Godzilla: King of the Monsters knocked Disney’s Aladdin off the top of the US box office chart at the weekend, taking an estimated $49m (£38.7m). Despite claiming the top spot, analysts described the debut of the monster remake disappointing. Costing $200m (£158m) to make, reviews have been lukewarm for the film, which stars Vera Farmiga and Kyle Chandler. Its total for the three-day weekend was far off its predecessor’s debut of $93m (£73.6m) back in 2014. The film’s plot centres around a group of eco-terrorists who steal a sonar device developed by scientist Emma (Farmiga) to ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Online streaming platforms are providing more budget which help directors produce quality content. Many young directors are leaning towards streaming platforms as they find it easier to release programs online unlike TV channels which often follow lengthy and controversial program selection procedures. Besides, streaming platforms are providing directors with more budget than TV channels. Due to the rise in popularity of live streaming platforms, many talented young directors are looking forward to release Eid special dramas online in lieu of private TV channels on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. ‘The young makers have new ideas and ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Salman Khan — actress Kareena Kapoor Khan has worked with all of them on the big screen, but she feels most “privileged” to join creative forces with Irrfan Khan in ‘Angrezi Medium’. Kareena will be playing a small yet significant role of a policewoman in ‘Angrezi Medium’, a sequel to the 2017 film ‘Hindi Medium’. Asked about how she is preparing for the role, Kareena told IANS here: “Oh God, I am super excited for this film. I have worked with all the Khans — Shah ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: People from all walks of life paid their last respect to renowned singer Subir Nandi at the central Shahid Minar and Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) on Wednesday. Subir’s body was kept at the Central Shaheed Minar from 11:00 am to 12 pm so that people can pay their tributes to the noted singer. It was taken to Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) premises around 12:50 pm. Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, Public Works Minister Sham Rezaul Karim, Awami League acting general secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif, national coordinator of National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Filmmaker Farah Khan says her upcoming directorial will be the remake of a popular Indian film and will be mounted as a massive Bollywood musical. Recently, director Rohit Shetty announced that he would be producing a film to be directed by Farah. The director, known for making out-and-out potboilers inspired by the Hindi cinema of the ’70s and ’80s, said the currently untitled movie is right in her zone. “Rohit and I are both extremely excited for the collaboration. We are making a really big, massive Bollywood musical. “It’ll be absolutely my kind of a ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle has been shot dead outside his clothing shop, US media report. The 33-year-old was shot a number of times, and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital, the Los Angeles Times reported. Two other people were wounded in the shooting outside Marathon Clothing in South Los Angeles. Nipsey Hussle’s album Victory Lap received a nomination for best rap album at this year’s Grammy Awards. “We have no suspect info at this time and will provide more details as they become available,” said the Los Angeles Police Department. Rihanna was among ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: At present, Alia Bhatt is the number one brand in Bollywood. The actress has become the most sought-after person from the Bollywood industry giving the numerous uno Deepika Padukone a tough fight.The 26-year-old actress has eight films in her kitty, which is unheard of in recent times for an actress who does not merely play ‘heroine’. The film trade and the exhibitors are gung-ho about Alia. “After signing ‘Inshallah’ with Salman Khan, she is the ‘thing’ now. How many actresses have a line-up of films similar to what Alia has? She is working with makers ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Raha Tanha started her career in media through the hands of her elder brother dance artiste and choreographer Badshah. She first acted in evergreen singer Kumar Bishwajit’s musical film Sarangshey Tumi. She came into discussion with her first appearance on the screen. Later, she acted in music video, drama and movie one after another. She wants to establish herself in big screen. Raha has already worked in several numbers of web series. From March 9, she will start shooting of Safi Uddin Safi’s web series Cinematic. She will play in role of a heroine. To ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Road trip movie “Green Book” won best picture at the Oscars on Sunday, while Mexico’s Alfonso Cuaron was chosen as best director for his sentimental film “Roma.” Rami Malek won best actor for his role as late frontman Freddie Mercury in 21st Century Fox musical “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The film won three other Academy Awards. “I may not have been the obvious choice, but I guess it worked out,” said Malek, who had been favored to win the award. In an upset, Britain’s Olivia Colman got the best actress Oscar for “The Favourite,” beating presumed front-runner ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Netflix’s partnership with Marvel TV has reached its last panel: The Punisher and Jessica Jones have both been cancelled at the streaming service, reports TVLine. Jessica Jones had previously been renewed for a third season at Netflix, which is still slated to air on the platform (though a premiere date has yet to be announced). The Punisher‘s Season 2 finale, meanwhile, will now serve as the show’s series finale. The cancellations are not entirely unexpected, seeing as fellow Marvel series Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage all had been axed in recent months. As previously ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: R Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, at least nine of which involve minors. The R&B star, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has faced decades of claims of sexual abuse against women and teenagers below the age of consent. He has never been convicted and has previously denied other allegations. An arrest warrant was issued, and the 52-year-old turned himself in to police in Chicago later on Friday. His lawyer says he is “shell-shocked”. Steve Greenberg told The Associated Press that his client was “extraordinarily disappointed and ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: An art exhibition titled as ‘Emotions of Art’ was held at Biswa Sahitya Kendra Art Gallery was inaugurated on Thursday. The exhibition was presented by ‘Canvas Art Space’ and was sponsored by country’s prominent children and teen magazine ‘Kishore Bangla’. 16 artists from Bangladesh and India will exhibit their works in this exhibition from Feb 20-23. This year’s ‘Ekushey Padak’ winning artist Jamal Ahmed was present as the chief guest of the program while Editor of Kishore Bangla and Director of country’s national English daily ‘The Daily Observer’ Mir Mosharref Hossain Pakbir, Eminent Artist from India ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Remember back when Frozen became a cultural phenomenon. Well, audiences aren’t letting it go! Thursday morning, the first trailer for the film’s highly-anticipated sequel dropped and a lot of people tuned in to a catch the first glimpse of Disney animation’s big holiday release. In 24 hours, Frozen 2 became the most viewed animation trailer of all time, and the studio is celebrating. That’s right, buzz around the first Frozen 2 trailer snowballed into a record-breaking 116.4 million views in one day’s time, per Disney’s Frozen 2 Twitter. It has crushed The Incredibles 2, which ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Kiara Advani was recently seen attending the 13th edition of Asia Vision Movie Awards 2019. She picked a white dress from the Parisian designer Stephane Rolland’s collection for the event and looked lovely in it. It won’t be wrong to say Kiara Advani manages to impress the fashion police every time she makes an appearance. Proving it yet again, the 26-year-old was seen attending the 13th edition of Asia Vision Movie Awards 2019 where she looked elegant in a white dress from the Parisian designer Stephane Rolland’s collection. The floor-length gown was from the designer’s ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: ‘Manikarnika’ actress Kangana Ranaut, in a recent interview with Pinkvilla, said that Alia Bhatt’s “existence is all about being Karan Johar’s puppet.” The 31-year-old actress told Pinkvilla: “I suggested that she grows some spine and supports an important film about woman empowerment and nationalism… If she doesn’t have a voice of her own and her existence is all about being Karan Johar’s puppet then I don’t consider her successful.” During the interview. Kangana also said that she hopes Alia Bhatt “understands the true meaning of success” and added, “I told her if she is only ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: “A Star Is Born” actors Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga will perform on the Oscar-nominated song “Shallow” at the 91st Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tweeted the news on Friday, writing simply: “Cooper. Gaga. ‘Shallow’. Oscars”, reports ew.com The move was widely expected, and means that four of the five nominees for Best Original Song have now been confirmed for performances during the ceremony: “Shallow”, “I’ll fight”; “The place where lost go” and “When a cowboy trades his spurs for wings”. Cooper made his directorial debut with “A Star Is ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: A Las Vegas artist is suing pop music star Ariana Grande, alleging federal copyright infringement over an image of a woman in a candle flame in the pop star’s widely-viewed “God is a Woman” music video. Representatives for Grande did not immediately respond Monday to messages about the lawsuit filed Thursday in US District Court in Nevada by attorneys for Vladimir Kush and his company Kush Fine Arts Las Vegas. The lawsuit calls the image that appears a little more than a minute into Grande’s 2018 music video nearly identical to paintings that Kush painted ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair, a yearly event for booklovers and publishers, began at the premise of Bangla Academy and adjoining Suhrawardy Udyan in the city on Friday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the book fair in the afternoon, reports UNB. Two foreign guests — Indian poet Shankha Ghosh and Egyptian writer and poet Mohsin Al Arishi – spoke at opening ceremony as distinguished foreign guests. Due to the illness and as advised by doctors, the speech of Shankha Ghosh was read out by Ramendu Majumder. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid attended ...

MNA Lifestyle Desk: Margot Robbie took everyone’s breath away with her gritty, eccentric role as Harle Quinn in ‘Suicide Squad’. She did it yet again with her rendition of Queen Elizabeth I in her latest historical drama ‘Mary Queen of Scots’. She’s not only talented, but she looks gorgeous as well. Recently, her personal trainer, David Higgins, revealed the secret to her svelte figure. And surprise, he claims that breakfast is overrated. Higgins believes intermittent fasting–where you only eat for an eight-hour window every day–is the secret to losing weight, reports dailymail.co.uk. “Sometimes you don’t need to have breakfast,” the ...