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Pakistan bans movie 'Joyland' after religious backlash
Deutsche Welle
15 Nov 2022, 11:25
The critically acclaimed film, and Pakistan's Oscar entry, came under pressure from religious leaders. Pakistani authorities have now prohibited its screening in cinemas.
Pakistan's authorities said Monday that they banned the movie "Joyland," a story about a man who falls in love with a transgender woman, from screening in cinemas.
Joyland has received top global awards, including the Queer Palm, which is the Cannes Film Festival's LGBTQ prize.
The movie also came away with rave reviews after it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and the American Film Institute Festival.
"Joyland" was due to screen in theaters in Pakistan this week after authorities issued a screening certificate. But they later withdrew the permission after receiving complaints from religious leaders who deemed the movie objectionable.
While Pakistan's parliament broke ground in 2018 by passing a law to provide legal recognition to transgender persons, some conservative hardliners have lately been campaigning to take those rights away from people.
Pressure from religious group
The movie is Pakistan's official entry for the category of Best International Feature Film for Oscars 2023.
Directed by Saim Sadiq, the film tells the story of a young married man from a middle-class family who joins an erotic dance theater and falls in love with a transgender performer.
Pakistan's censor board said the movie had "highly objectionable material" after religious groups accused the movie of promoting homosexuality.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, a member of a religious political party who had campaigned against the release of the film, wrote on Twitter that he was relieved to hear about the ban. "Nothing un-Islamic can happen here," Ahmad added.
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Goodbye Tarzan: Ron Ely Dies at 86
Ron Ely, the American actor best known for his role as 'Tarzan' in the 1960s TV series, passed away on September 29 at the age of 86. The series, which aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, saw Ely performing his own stunts, during which he suffered multiple injuries and was reportedly attacked by animals on set.
Following his retirement from acting in 2001, Ely pursued a writing career, publishing two mystery novels. He briefly returned to acting in 2014, playing an Amish elder in the TV movie Expecting Amish. During the 1980s, Ely also appeared in popular shows such as The Love Boat and Wonder Woman alongside Lynda Carter.
Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school sweetheart in 1959, but the couple divorced two years later. He later met his second wife, Valerie Lundeen, while hosting the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s. Together, they had three children.
Tragedy struck in 2019 when Lundeen was fatally stabbed by their son, Cameron, at their California home. Police shot Cameron dead, claiming self-defense after assessing him as a threat. Ely later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officers, though the court ruled in favor of the police.
Ely passed away at his home in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara, on September 29. Announcing his death on Instagram, his daughter described him as a hero, adding: "He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man, and leader... To me, he hung the moon."
Atif Aslam Concert / Venue Approval Pending, Tickets Sell Out
Bangladeshi fans eagerly awaiting Atif Aslam's November 29 concert in Dhaka
Pakistani musician Atif Aslam performed at Bashundhara Sports Complex in the capital in April this year. He is coming to Dhaka to hit the stage once again.
Atif Aslam will participate in the 'Magical Night 2.0' concert organized at the Bangladesh Army Stadium on November 29.
The concert has been left in limbo—not only due to pending venue approval but also because of a massive data breach that has exposed the personal information of over 5,000 ticket-holders.
'Triple Time Communications' organization has informed this on their Facebook page.
On the other hand, an officer in charge of the Army Stadium confirmed to the media that permission was not received and said that the organizing authority of the event had appealed to us. After the application, the official work is going on. They have not been permitted to the Army Stadium yet.
Apart from Atif, another Pakistani young artist Abdul Hannan, Bangladeshi Tahsan Khan, and the band Kaktal are scheduled to perform in the 'Magical Night 2.0' concert.
However, if everything goes well, the concert will start on November 29 at five o'clock in the afternoon at the Bangladesh Army Stadium. The gates will be open for visitors from 1 pm.
Meghna Accused of Sexual Harassment Against Rajpal Yadav
Bollywood actresses are often victims of sexual harassment. Sometimes by an actor or a producer, sometimes by someone else associated with showbiz. Day by day such behavior towards actresses seems to be increasing in the industry. Comedy actor Rajpal Yadav of West Bengal has been accused of sexual harassment by the popular actress Meghna Halder.
Recently, in an interview with the Indian media, this Tollywood actress told about such an experience that happened to her.
The actress said Meghna went to shoot a movie in Mumbai. The actress was wearing a skirt that day. During the shot, co-actor Rajpal Yadav suddenly started touching her thigh. He immediately responded and slapped the actor.
Meghna said, the next day when I went to the floor it was a terrible experience. In one scene Rajpal was supposed to pull me by the throat. In that scene, Rajpal pulls so hard that his throat starts to tighten. Rajpal claimed that he put his hand on the thigh as a joke. But does anyone do this as a joke?
Not only in Bollywood, Meghna slapped an actor in Tollywood. Although she kept the incident a secret, she revealed the matter of slapping her co-actor. The actress said that the incident took place on the shooting floor of the serial 'Tithir Atithi'.
Incidentally, Meghna has been working in showbiz for two decades. She has been associated with acting since childhood. Bengali serials, movies, or commercials - the actress has roamed in almost all mediums. Meghna has worked with top heroes of Tollywood including Prosenjit, Jeet, and Dev.
Tahsan to Host Bangladeshi Version of Family Feud
Tahsan Khan is a very famous and popular singer and actor. However, he is very good at hosting. This singer has already grabbed the attention of the audience by hosting on the stage of some programs. After taking a break, Tahsan is finally returning to the field again.
The popular American family reality show 'Family Feud' is making its way to Bangladesh. The hit competition show, broadcast in 75 countries worldwide, will soon have its Bangladeshi version released on the OTT platform Bongo. And celebrated Bangladeshi singer-actor Tahsan Khan is set to take on a new role as the host of this show.
Bongo has announced that Tahsan has been chosen as the presenter to make the Bangladesh edition of 'Family Feud' even more entertaining.
It is known that contestants can win a maximum of Tk1,00,000 per episode. The shooting of 'Family Feud' will begin on December 8.
40 families have been selected through auditions from around 2,000 applicant families across the country. Some of the questions asked to 100 people on specific topics will be presented in front of the family members.
Contestants have to guess the answer given by the maximum number of people. Contestants will get points based on correct guesses. The family with the highest points will be declared the winner.
The first team to score 300 points gets a chance to play the bonus round 'Fast Money'.
"I'm excited to be part of the first season of such an amazing show like Family Feud being produced by Bongo in Bangladesh," said Tahsan.
He added, "I hope we can deliver a successful event where all viewers can participate and experience family entertainment in a new way."
Bongo COO Fayaz Taher said, "We are very happy to bring 'Family Feud' to Bangladesh. The game show has been entertaining families around the world. Hopefully, the audience will enjoy the fun and excitement of the game in addition to getting the same popularity as Bangladesh."
Incidentally, the episodes of 'Family Feud' will be available on the Bongo website and app at the beginning of next year.
Sadia Ayman Opens up about Rumors of Love with Redwan Rony
Rumors have been spread in the showbiz that actress Sadia Ayman is dating director Redwan Rony. No matter how rampant the rumors are, they do not open their mouths. But Sadia Ayman opens up about rumors of love with Redwan Rony.
Last October 20 was Rony's birthday. On this day, the news of Sadia's love affair with Rony became very clear. Showbiz stars came to celebrate Rony's birthday. Where there were directors Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Mehazabien Chowdhury, Adnan Al Rajeev, Ashfaque Nipun Elita Karim, and many more. But Sadia grabs the attention of everyone. Rony indirectly addressed her as 'Priyotoma'.
Rony has already shared several pictures of his birthday celebration on his Facebook ID. In the caption, he wrote, "Overwhelmed by the birthday wishes on social media, messages and phone calls. Every wish, beautiful word, and sincere love made my day special."
Expressing gratitude to everyone, Rony writes, "I am really sorry, could not reply to everyone personally. Grateful at the time to have such wonderful people around me.
Rony didn't forget to thank his 'Priyotoma'. Expressing his love for her, he wrote, "Special thanks to my sweetheart for planning the best surprise party for me. I am very happy and grateful to everyone, for loving and appreciating me so much."
Fans also commented on Rony's post, but one comment in particular grasped the attention of netizens. Sadia wrote to him, "You are the best among all that I have got in my life."
After Rony and Sadia's comments, the rumors of love became stronger. When Sadia Ayman was contacted to know about the matter, she said that people say many things on social media. I don't feel like talking about that anymore."
Nimrat Opens Up About Dating Rumours with Abhishek Bachchan
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan got married in 2007 in a grand ceremony. They also received the title of Happy Couple of Bollywood.
Later in 2011, daughter Aaradhya was born. They lived happily. However, a divorce rumor hit Abhishek, Aishwarya's life as well.
Actress Nimrat Kaur starred alongside Abhishek Bachchan in 'Dasvi'. It is known that Abhishek got into a relationship with Nimrat during the shooting of this movie.
Following the rise of these rumors, an old promotional video for Dasvi went viral, featuring an interaction between Nimrat and Abhishek. In the clip, Abhishek mentions that he and Aishwarya recently celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary, to which Nimrat humorously responds, "Marriages do not last long," sparking laughter from both.
Actress Nimrat recently spoke out regarding the ongoing rumors of her alleged relationship with her co-star Abhishek. These rumors have coincided with recent social media speculation about Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai's marriage.
Nimrat, in a recent interview, dismissed the gossip, stating, "I could do anything, and people would still say what they want. There's no stopping such gossip, and I prefer focusing on my work."
Nimrat also refused to comment on the trolling against her on social media. Now she wants to be busy with work only, she said.
Incidentally, Nimrat acted with Abhishek in the movie 'Dasvi' in 2022. Apart from this, she gained popularity by acting in the movies 'Lunchbox' and 'Airlift'.
Aniqa Alam to Represent Bangladesh in Miss Universe
International makeup artist Aniqa Alam will represent Bangladesh in this year's Miss Universe. After a gap of three years, she will represent Bangladesh in this event. But Anika has been finalized through selection and not competition.
This information was given by the organization 'Flora Entertainment' authority in a press conference on October 27. Managing Director of the organization Mostafa Rafiqul Islam said Aniqa Alam is not only an international makeup artist, but she is also a strong voice for women's empowerment, and a devoted mother.
How does a 'Mrs' participate in 'Miss Universe'? In response to such questions, Shafiqul Islam, country director of the event said that for the past 70 years, only single girls were participating in this event. But from 2023, the Miss Universe authorities have made new rules. Now married people can also participate in this competition. Earlier the age limit was fixed at 28 years, now it is not.
Aniqa Alam said in the press conference about representation in 'Miss Universe', "I have been working on women's empowerment for a long time. In the future, I will work to bring the talent and positive change of women to socially important issues. If we get everyone's support, our country shine on the world stage. So that I can present Bangladesh correctly on the world stage, I want support from the people of the country.
She also said I did not know that I would participate in this event even a few days ago. Since I am participating I will surely return with something good. I will come back from here and work on women's empowerment. I haven't thought about whether I will act outside of it or not."
The 'Miss Universe 2024' pageant is going to be held in Mexico. Aniqa will leave Dhaka to participate there on October 30. The grand finale of the event is scheduled to be held on November 15 or 18.
Incidentally, Aniqa completed her studies in Political Science at Loyola Marymind University. After completing her degree, she also worked in the Los Angeles Mayor's office. Currently, she is working intensively with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially 'Zero Hunger'.
