Rock Legend Ayub Bacchu's 61th Birthday is being celebrated today. On this day in 1962, He borned in Patiya, Chittagong.  The eminent singer, guitarist, composer, and music director Ayub Bachchu started his music career in 1977, with the band ‘Feelings.’  where he played as the lead guitarist alongside his most popular contemporary rockstar James, another rock legend of the country, for the next two years. In 2019, 18 October the rock Maestro died of cardiac arrest at his Moghbazar residence on only at the age of 56. In his lifetime, he recorded 28 albums, including 16 solo albums.  Also composed 500 songs including famous numbers like ‘Cholo Bodle Jai’, ‘Hashte Dekho, Gaite Dekho’, ‘Rupali Guitar’, ‘Ekhon Anek Raat’, ‘Ghum Bhanga Shahare’, ‘Darojar Opashe’, ‘Madhabi’, ‘Hawker’, ‘Meye’, ‘Tara Bhora Rate’, ‘Saare Tin Hath Mati’ and so on.

Actor Mark Margolis died on Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City following a short illness, according to a statement from his son, Morgan Margolis. He was 83 years old. Margolis had a breakout role as a mobster in the 1983 film "Scarface." However, he was perhaps best known for his portrayal of "Hector Salamanca," on the series "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul." Salamanca was a ruthless, elderly gang leader who could not speak or walk, and communicated via menacing facial expressions and by ringing a bell attached to his wheelchair.  'Unforgettable' performance as Salamanca On the X social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Breaking Bad said Margolis turned Salamanca into one of television's "most unforgettable" characters. Breaking Bad co-star Brian Cranston shared his condolences on Instagram, calling Margolis, "fun and engaging off the set ... and intimidating and frightening on set."  "His quiet energy belied his mischievous nature and curious mind," Cranston wrote.  Peter Gould, a writer and producer of Breaking Bad, said Margolis was "brilliant, funny, a raconteur with a million stories."  Margolis was born in the east coast US city of Philadelphia in 1939. He studied acting in New York City with noted teacher Stella Adler, and focused on the stage in his early career.  Margolis appeared in dozens of shows both on and off-Broadway, including at the Public Theater in New York. His roles on the big screen include around 70 movies, most recently Matthew Coppola's 2022 film "Broken Soldier" with Sophie Turner and the late Ray Liotta. He also appeared in several critically acclaimed films by director Darren Aronofsky, including "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream."  Margolis is survived by his wife of 61 years, Jacqueline Margolis, and his son Morgan. The family plans to have a private memorial and funeral. In 2012, Margolis was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding guest actor for his role as Salamanca. 

The new mission echoes the world's current AI concerns: In "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One," Tom Cruise plays agent Ethan Hunt for the seventh time, fighting against a computer program that has gotten out of control and is threatening to wipe out humanity. The "Mission: Impossible" franchise is a recipe for success for Hollywood. One of the aspects that makes the series so popular is that Tom Cruise performs many of the film stunts himself, without the aid of CGI or stunt doubles. That approach has turned him into an action megastar. Daring action scenes Unforgettable scenes in the previous movies include Tom Cruise climbing up the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, or hanging from a plane as it takes off. A highlight of the new film combines a motorcycle stunt and a parachute jump. Like the "John Wick" films with Keanu Reeves, the "Mission: Impossible" franchise counters the trend of having blockbuster action scenes created exclusively through CGI. Cruise is perhaps the most famous action star doing his own stunts today. But other actors, including older ones, also insist on filming dangerous sequences themselves in order to make the movie feel more authentic. Jackie Chan: Stunt legend despite serious accident This includes Chinese martial arts legend Jackie Chan, who has insisted on doing practically all of his stunts himself since the 1970s. His most notable performances are in "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" (1978), "Police Story" and "Police Story 2" (1985 and 1988) and "Armour of God" (1986). During the filming of the latter, Chan almost died while filming a relatively simple stunt. Jumping from a ledge onto a tree, he fell and crashed onto a rock, breaking a few ribs and cracking his skull. Michelle Yeoh: Former 'Bond girl' and martial arts legend In her Oscar-winning role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," 60-year-old Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh portrays a laundromat owner who in an alternate universe is also a famous martial arts movie star — inspired by the actress' own career. Yeoh, who is also among the stars renowned for performing stunts herself, played alongside Jackie Chan in action classics like "Police Story 3: Supercop" or "Supercop 2." She rose to international prominence with the 2000 martial arts film, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," in which she also did her own stunts. Keanu Reeves: 'I do all of the action' Canadian actor Keanu Reeves doesn't shy away from getting his hands dirty in action-packed scenes either. In films like "Speed" (1994), "Matrix" (1999) or the "John Wick" series, he jumps out of moving cars and fights his opponents in nerve-wracking scenes. Following the release of "John Wick 3," Reeves confirmed in an interview that he did almost all of the stunt work himself: "I do all of the action. I'm 90 percent of what's happening there. I'm maintaining the connection to the audience, and with the story." Harrison Ford: Stuntman at 80 "Indiana Jones" star Harrison Ford can't be left out of any list of actors performing their own stunts. The 80-year-old actor has had an impressive film career spanning six decades. His most successful films include the "Star Wars" saga and the "Indiana Jones" series. The opening scene of the first Indiana Jones movie,"Raiders of the Lost Ark" is particularly iconic, with Harrison Ford running away from a giant boulder that is chasing him. Even though the rock was a prop, it was still heavy enough to seriously injure the actor, who was not doubled in the scene. Ford completely immersed himself in the role of daredevil archeologist Indiana Jones. In the recently released "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," he still took over many stunts himself, dislocating his shoulder while filming. But for real action stars, that's just part of the job.

Mister Olympia, action hero, governor, environmentalist and Kremlin critic: Arnold Schwarzenegger is going strong as he celebrates his 75th birthday. The Terminator, an android killing machine from the future, is notorious for being virtually indestructible. Arnold Schwarzenegger has played the title role several times during his career, and it almost seems as if he has internalized his alter ego’s essential characteristic. At age 75, he is still in front of the camera, not so much as an action actor, but as a Kremlin critic and environmentalist. His muscles may have softened, but his words are strong. He uses his popularity to take a stand on global events via his social media channels. Speaking to the Russian people, among whom he is widely admired, following the Ukrainian invasion, he said via video that they are being lied to and this is an illegal war. Your lives, your limbs, your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world, he said in a rousing nine-minute video posted to Twitter in March that was viewed near 50 million times. Work of a sculptor Arnie, as he is affectionately known, was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal in the Austrian region of Steiermark. As a child, he was active in sports, including soccer, boxing and swimming. At age 15, he first entered a weightlifting studio. Over the next few years, the young Schwarzenegger would spend most of his time fine-tuning his muscles. You have to train each muscle individually. It’s like the precise work of a sculptor who works on marble with a hammer and chisel - not exactly like Rodin, but similar, Schwarzenneger told the German weekly Die Zeit in 2012. In 1967, he became the youngest Mr. Universe. Starting in 1970, he earned the Mr. Olympia title - the most important bodybuilding award - six times in a row. He readily admits that he took steroids, adding that they weren’t banned at the time. Welcomed by Andy Warhol When Schwarzenegger immigrated to the US in 1968, his impressive appearance soon caught the attention of the film industry. Known under his stage name, Arnold Strong, he got his first role in 1969 in Hercules in New York. At the same time, Schwarzenegger also found his way into the art scene and got to know Pop Art icon Andy Warhol. He was fascinated by my energy and my strength, the bodybuilder told Die Zeit. I worked as a model for him, and he introduced me to other artists like Jamie Wyeth and Laraine Newman. Schwarzenegger also recalled how Warhol introduced him to producers, fundraisers and actors like James Caan, Woody Allen and influential people like Jackie Kennedy. Years later, Schwarzenegger would become part of the Kennedy family himself, when he married Maria Shriver, the niece of former US President John F. Kennedy, in 1986. Now well connected, his film career took off in 1977. Schwarzenegger surprised critics by winning a Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture for his bodybuilder docudrama Pumping Iron. In 1982, he became famous as Conan the Barbarian, and in 1984 he was offered the main role in a B-movie called The Terminator, which, in Schwarzenegger’s own words, was a big challenge for him. Thanks to his convincing performance as the android killer, the low-budget production by director James Cameron quickly rose to cult status. The Governator By then, Schwarzenegger was in high demand, and his earnings continued to rise. From the late 1980s until the early 1990s, he enjoyed a great deal of commercial success not only with action movies, but also with comedies like Twins and Kindergarten Cop alongside Danny DeVito. Nevertheless, the hype had ebbed. After his third performance as The Terminator in 2003, Schwarzenegger said farewell to the film world and launched his third career, this time as a politician. When he ran for governor in California in 2003, he brought along the sword he used to carry as Conan the Barbarian to Sacramento, presenting himself as the strong man the state needed to rescue it from heavy debt, while calling his political opponents wimps. It took him a while, however, to get used to his new profession as governor. As an actor, you can rely on the screenplay, but a politician doesn’t have one. Every day, every hour, it’s incredible how many problems you’re faced with - social welfare, poverty and overflowing jails. You wake up in the morning to 2,000 bush fires in California, or somebody is sitting in a prison cell waiting to be executed at midnight, and you get a call, saying, Governor, you could stop it, he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in 2013. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is a supporter of the death penalty and turned down two pardon opportunities as governor before lethal injection was declared unconstitutional in California in 2006, effectively ending capital punishment in the state. Following his two terms, he returned to familiar terrain and filmed yet another edition of Terminator in 2015. A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Schwarzenegger took over the former president’s casting show, The Apprentice, in January 2017, but dropped it after one season due to bad ratings. Environmentalist and Kremlin critic But only one role has not been enough for the former politician for a long time. Above all, Arnold Schwarzenegger has made the fight against climate change his mission. In his speeches, such as at this year’s Austrian World Summit, an annual climate conference in Vienna co-hosted by his Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative platform, he focuses on new technologies and urges a shift away from fossil fuels. We have blood on our hands, the ex-bodybuilder has said of Europe financing Moscow’s war of aggression in Ukraine with its billions in payments to Russia for oil and gas imports. He also doesn’t mince words when criticizing politicians in his own country. In an emotional video released immediately after the storming of the US Capitolon January 6, 2021, Schwarzenegger called Donald Trump a liar, a coup plotter and a failed leader. He will go down in history as the worst president ever. But America will overcome these dark days and come back stronger because we now understand what we have to lose, he says in the video. With his eventful life, Austrian-born Schwarzenegger represents the embodiment of the American dream like few Europeans before him. As Terminator (1984), he coined the legendary phrase I’ll be back. Arnold Schwarzenegger has always kept this promise and, even at 75, has no plans to leave the stage anytime soon. 

The documentary 'Political Life of Bangabandhu and Emergence of Bangladesh' produced by Syed Ashik Rahman has won the National Film Award 2020 in the category of Best Documentary Film. The documentary has already been screened in various countries around the world, including Turkey and USA. It has been screened at the district and upazila level on the occasion of Bangabandhu's birth centenary and 50th anniversary of independence throughout 2021 at the initiative of Bangladesh Film Archive and Star Cineplex. Our correspondent talks to Syed Ashik Rahman, Producer of the documentary, Director of Bengal Multimedia Limited and the CEO of RTV about the context of the documentary film. Q: How does it feel to get the best award for this extraordinary documentary? Answer: Of course it is a matter of joy and pride to get national recognition. We made this documentary on the political life of Bangabandhu from our love for Bangabandhu and Bangladesh. This award has further enhanced our motivation.   Q: From what desire or plan did you decide to make this documentary? A: On December 16, 2019, we announced that we would make a documentary on “Political life of Bangabandhu and Emergence of Bangladesh” under the banner of Bengal Multimedia to celebrate Sheikh Mujib's birth centenary and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence on our own funds. The documentary was completed in 2020 and received censorship on September 21, 2020. The documentary was researched, written and directed by Syed Shabab Ali Arzoo. It may be mentioned here that in 2015 we had a 40 minute documentary about Bangabandhu 'Mrittunjoyi Pran', in 2017 'Prekkhapot 7 March' based on Bangabandhu's historic 7th March speech, in 2018 on the occasion of Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's birthday 'Nondito Netri Sheikh Hasina' and in 2019 On the occasion of Bangamata Under-19 International Women's Gold Cup, we made 09 sub-documentaries on 'Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib' under the banner of RTV. It is to be noted that these documentaries were also made by Syed Shabab Ali Arzoo.   Question: How was it possible to highlight the whole political life of Bangabandhu in just 2 hours and 27 minutes? Answer: In this documentary, the colorful and varied political life of Bangabandhu has been shown in seven episodes. Bangabandhu's rising period (1920-1947), Bangabandhu's entry into national politics (1948-1954), Bangabandhu's  Emergence  period (1955-1963), independence movement and mass revolt period (1963-1969), Historic election period (1970), Independence and liberation war period (1971) , Return to homeland, World Leader and his death (1971-1975). As the political life of Bangabandhu has come up in detail in the documentary, so has the unforgettable contribution of the governments and people of different countries of the world in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. At the same time, various activities for and against international politics around Bangladesh have also been highlighted. We believe that the documentary made with English subtitles is playing a big role in effectively presenting Bangabandhu and Bangladesh to the world. The documentary has already been screened at various festivals, cinema halls and various universities in the country and abroad. It gets huge response from the audience for its research, editing and rare footage.   Q: What role do you think this documentary will play for the next generation? A: The next generation will build a prosperous future for the country. And the main source of inspiration in front of them is Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation. I think the next generation will be able to know a lot of unknown and undisputed information about the Emergence of Bangladesh from the way Bangabandhu's political life came up through this documentary. This is the underlying power of this documentary.   Q: As successful producer your film “Jodi Ekdin” and “Sapludu” won the National Film Awards 2019 in two categories, Janmabhumi won international award and was screened at the UN headquarters, what do you think the Bangladeshi film industry should look like in upcoming days?  A: I think the biggest crisis in our industry right now is efficiency, creativity and originality. The technical skills that our audiences are getting acquainted with in the modern world are so far better than us. There is also widespread apathy in the field of creativity. The way someone shoots a scene in the context of a story, others try to follow same way. Innovation is not seen at all in the case of presentation. The crisis of originality has also appeared in an extreme way. The basis of our story is chosen in the form of the stories of others in other countries rather than our realities of life and family social context. As a result, after watching a movie for a while, the audience faced these three crises and turned away. Bengal Multimedia decides to make every film with these issues in mind. But in order to move an industry forward, it is important to take effective initiatives in this regard, not just a production company but also film organizations and government initiatives.   Q: What else are you planning to do with documentaries and movies in upcoming days? Answer: We have selected a number of other subjects based on the history and heritage of our country on which there is not much work to be done. Our team has already started working on the cultural structures. In making of a film we are working with a predominance of creative basic storytelling. Because we believe that when the people of Bangladesh will be able to watch the film with their families that day it will become the film of Bangladesh.  

Singer-composer Bappi Lahiri, who popularised disco music in Indian cinema in the 80s and 90s, has died following multiple health issues, a doctor treating him said on Wednesday. He was 69. Lahiri died on Tuesday night at the CritiCare Hospital in Juhu in Mumbai, reports Indian news agency PTI.   With the death of Bappi Lahiri, India had lost three legendary singers during the last couple of days. The country had lost the iconic singers Lata Mangeshkar on February 6 and Sandhya Mukhopadhay on February 15 respectively. Lahiri had been admitted to the hospital for a month and was discharged on Monday. But his health deteriorated on Tuesday and his family called for a doctor to visit their home. Later, he was brought to the hospital. He had multiple health issues.   “He died due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) shortly before midnight," Dr Deepak Namjoshi, director of the hospital, told PTI. In September last year, the singer had dismissed reports that he had lost his voice, calling such rumours disheartening. The singer-composer, a familiar figure for many with his trademark gold chains that he wore for luck and his sunglasses, was known for his songs in several films of the late 70s-80s. These included "Chalte Chalte", "Disco Dancer", and "Sharaabi". The last rites will be held on Thursday as the family is waiting for his musician-son Bappa Lahiri to return home from Los Angeles, US. "The last rites will be held at Pawan Hans crematorium in Juhu," Lahiri's son-in-law Govind Bansal told PTI. The musician last worked on "Ganpati Bappa Morya" in September 2021. He gave the music to the devotional song, voiced by the US-based Indian singer Anuradha Juju Palakurthi. Born Alokesh Lahiri, the music composer is credited as a pioneer of synthesised disco music in Indian cinema during 1970s to 1990s with songs like "I am a disco dancer", "Jimmy Jimmy", "Pag ghunghroo", "Intehan ho gayi", "Tamma Tamma Loge", "Yaar bina chain kahan re", 'aaj rapat jaaye to" and "Chalte Chalte", among others. In the 2000s, Lahiri lent his voice to hit songs like "Bambai Nagariya" from "Taxi No 9211" (2006), and "Ooh La La" from "The Dirty Picture" (2011). He also was one of the singers who sang "Tune Maari Entriyaan" from 2014's "Gunday". The lyrics for the Bengali version of the song were penned by Lahiri and Gautam Susmit. He also gave music to films in Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Gujarati cinema. Lahiri joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014. He contested the Lok Sabha seat of Srerampur but lost to Kalyan Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress. His last Bollywood song titled 'Bhankas' was for the 2020 film "Baaghi 3". Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes expressed by many, saying Lahiri's lively nature will be missed by everyone. "Shri Bappi Lahiri Ji's music was all encompassing, beautifully expressing diverse emotions. People across generations could relate to his works. His lively nature will be missed by everyone. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," the prime minister tweeted with a picture. The singer's death was also mourned by many in the industry, who remembered the artiste for introducing a new style of music in Bollywood and his collaborators. Lahiri was born in Calcutta, West Bengal in 1952 into a family of musicians. Lahiri's inclination towards music started at an early age of three when he started learning to play the tabla. Iconic singer Kishore Kumar, who sang popular songs for him like "Pag Ghunghroo" and "Chalte Chalte", was his maternal uncle. The singer is survived by his wife Chitrani, two children -- daughter Reema, who is also a singer, and music composer Bappa Lahiri. Not just Hindi films, Lahiri was a popular name in the Bengali cinema too where he began his career with 1972 film "Daadu". His first Hindi film as a composer was "Nanha Shikari" in 1973. There was no looking back after that for the musician who went on to work in "Zakhmee", where he composed and sang. "Zakhmee" paved the way for films such as "Chalte Chalte", "Surakshaa" and others as his disco beats became popular among the youths, earning him the title of 'Disco king' in India. Source: BSS AH

India will observe a two-day national mourning in memory of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who breathed her last at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai this morning. The national flag will fly half-mast for the two days as a mark of profound respect to the great singer, the government announced today (Sunday). However, her funeral will be held at 6.30 pm today with full state honour. Prior to that, her body would be kept in Shivaji Park in Mumbai to allow public to pay last tribute to the legendary singer, media reports said. Lata Mangeshkar popularly known as the Nightingale of India for her melodious voice passed away at 8.12 this morning at the age of 92 due to multiple organ failure. “It is with profound grief that we announce the sad demise of Lata Mangeshkar at 8.12 am. She has died because of multi-organ failure after more than 28 days of hospitalization post Covid-19,” according to a statement issued by the hospital after her death.   She was admitted to the hospital in first week of January after being diagnosed with pneumonia and coronavirous. On Saturday, Dr Pratit Samdhani of Breach Candy hospital, who was treating, had performed certain procedures and said that she was tolerating them well, but later her condition deteriorated. Mangeshkar had lung ailments two and a half years ago and was treated. She used to take oxygen support often at home. Besides, tributes have been pouring in following the death of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. Indian President Ram Nath  Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, among them who condoled the death of Lata Mangeshkar. Born on September 28, 1929 in Madhya Pradesh, Lata Mangeshkar took to signing in 1942 at an age of 13. In a career spanning over seven decades, the melody queen recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films. She had sung songs in over 36 regional Indian and foreign languages. The acclaimed singer was awarded the highest civilian award “Bharat Ratna” in 2001 in recognition of her contribution to the musical arena. She was only the second vocalist after MS Subbulakshmi to receive “Bharat Ratna”. She was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushana and three National film awards. Lata Mangeshkar is survived by her four younger siblings –Asha Bhosle, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar. Source: BSS AH