The New Nation - Internet Edition

Music: A cure for emotional sickness

Topu's last album Bondhu Vabo Ki ?

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

A soul, looking for romance, love and affection, is a lot like someone craving for a high. We all want the cure, which will relieve our emotional sickness; we want that euphoria where there is no emptiness and no loneliness, and we want to feel inundated with love.

Of course, these feelings are only temporary. The nagging starts and quite often the comical phrase of 'wearing the three rings - the engagement ring, the wedding ring and the suffering’ comes to life and the relationship drives the innate longing for happiness to seek a new substance all over again.

These feelings are beautifully rendered in the two albums in question. It feels like the musicians, with the production of Fuad, narrate the turmoil in our lives.

In the chorus of 'Shobar Jonno Tumi,’ a track from their album 'Ekhon Ami,’ Sumon and Anila sing, Shobar haat e rakhcho je haat, amar angul shunno rekhetamar kol e akhono kano, tomar chul er sporsho thakey, clearly meaning 'I am missing you,’ but in the acoustic version of the same song, a twist is added to the chorus, which ends with, Tomar kol e akhono kano, amar chul er sporsho thakey? The message is sent so beautifully, that it’s actually not me missing you, but vice versa.

Those, who appreciate sarcasm, will love the title song, and it oozes cynicism. The lyrics, vocal style, music composition and even the saxophone playing were so incredible that one is bound to be reminded of Belle’s witty mockery of Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The song is a beautiful revelation, proclaiming that my life is my own and no one can play with it, nor will it come to a halt for anyone else.

The rest of the songs in the album are as potent as the ones mentioned and are likely to profoundly affect the listeners' emotions.

The second album is the debut solo effort of Topu, a member of Yaatri, entitled Bondhu Bhabo Ki? In it he unveils a genre of love-blending and heart-wrenching acts that illuminate contemporary romantic thoughts. The credit goes to Topu, whose humble words, polite compositions, acoustic guitar and, most importantly, soothing and serene vocals make the compilation a success. Topu has the charisma of a natural front man, and his sentimental ballads and songs about present-day issues suggest that he is very passionate about his music.

His instant hits from the album, Meye and Nupur-2, tell the tales of beautiful love stories weaved with friendship set in the romantic setting of seashores.

While most of the songs from the album are ballads, Banglar Gaan talks strongly about the country and Ichcher Ghuri, a beautiful duet, is an inspirational song to boost the morale of a generation. Both songs carry Topu’s signature tunes and his usual compositional commitment. All the songs definitely send a message of peace and offer hope to the restless spirit.

Bollywood: Issue-based films still a no-no for Bollywood producers

Mumbai, Reuters

Despite the success of issue-based films like 'Taare Zameen Par,' producers in Bollywood feel popcorn romances, slapstick comedies and multi-stirrer thrillers continue to hold an edge at the box-office.

For decades, the world's largest movie industry by volumes has rolled out stereotypical scripts on boy-meets-girl romances, dramas and comedies. But in recent years, there has been a noticeable move towards bolder, more mature themes aimed at audiences interested in a good story, not just glitzy song-and-dance routines.

'Taare Zameen Par'- about a boy suffering from the learning disability dyslexia - achieved both commercial and critical success last year.

But Bollywood producers are not giving up on regular films just yet.

"The changing taste is limited to urban India as these audiences have the choice of watching different films due to multiplexes," Ronnie Screwvala, head of United Television (UTV) told Reuters at an event in Mumbai. "The mass appeal will always be with commercial cinema."

Producer Ravi Chopra said only a few issue-based films are made each year and it would be impossible for them to replace family dramas peppered with song-and-dance sequences and picturesque foreign locales.

"Not many people are making different cinema and whoever is making, except for Aamir (Khan), do not have stars in them to pull people to cinemas," Chopra said during an event in Mumbai.

Others feel that funding a multi-starrer commercial film is less risky than supporting issue-based films, which have no guarantee at the box-office.

"For producers, serious cinema is a big gamble as it may impress critics and receive accolades at film festivals but commercially it may be a disaster," producer Manmohan Shetty told Reuters. "The community feels safe to fund films in which returns are guaranteed."

TV Watch : Duar - Rawshan Jamil’s last performance on BTV

Rawshan Jamil at Duar

Entertainment Desk

On the occasion of renowned actress Rawshan Jamil's 6th death anniversary, BTV aired 'Duar’ on Saturday night. This was her last play in which she performed.

In 'Duar,' Rawshan Jamil played the character of an elderly rural woman, Farida Banu, who faced several problems during her visit to Dhaka.

During the shooting of the play, the actress became ill. She passed away on June 14, 2002.

BTV aired the play after six years. 'Duar' was written and directed by Mahiuddin Chhora.

Theatre: Subachan introduces awards for theatre groups

Entertainment Desk

Theatre group Subachan Natya Sangsad will honour a theatre group of outside Dhaka with the Arju Smriti Natya Padak from this year.

The group will also receive Tk 25,000, a crest and a certificate, said the organisers at a briefing in the city on Wednesday.

Subachan’s Abu Daud Ashrafi, theatre critic Biplab Bala and Director Kamaluddin Kabir were present, among others, at the briefing.

The organisers have placed 12 points as requirements to appeal for the award.

The groups, which have been working for at least five years and have at least twenty members, will be eligible for the award.

Among others, a group should produce at least one play every year and they should stage the play at least three times in a year.

"The organisation should have the experience of staging plays three times outside the home district. A group should have at least a director or playwright or a music director or a set designer," said Daud.

The organisers will arrange the award giving ceremony at 6:00pm on June 28 at Mahila Samity on Bailey Road.

Adviser to the Cultural, Women and Children and Primary and Mass Education Ministries Rasheda K Chowdhury will be present as chief guest.

Theatre personalities including Ramendu Mazumder, Ataur Rahman, Mamunur Rashid, Nasiruddin Yousuff and M Hamid will be present as discussants.

The ceremony will be followed by the presentation of Kshudhita Pashan, based on Rabindranath Tagore.

Prior to the ceremony, Subachan will arrange a seminar on the possibility of scripting plays based on Tagore's short stories.

Professor Bishwajit Gosh of Dhaka University will present the keynote paper while Professor Momtajuddin Ahmed, Ataur Rahman, Dr Karunamaya Goshwami, Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam, Khaled Khan and the young theatre activist will take part in the discussion.

According to the organisers, they will arrange the award giving ceremony every year to commemorate the death of the theatre activist ASM Arju Rahman, who died on June 27 in 1999.

Hollywood: Hulk, Shyamalan seek second chance at movies

Los Angeles, Agencies

This weekend's line-up at the US box office might well be called a showdown between two Hollywood second-chances - a remake of a superhero flop and a new film from an acclaimed director whose last movie bombed.

But if early reviews are any indication, the hands-down favourite to dominate megaplexes heading into the seventh week of the lucrative summer movie season is 'The Incredible Hulk,' a revival of the oversized green brute Marvel Studios first brought to theatres in 2003.

Critics say the new version, emphasizing action over introspection, is markedly superior to the brooding "Hulk" forerunner that got off to a strong commercial start but quickly fizzled as comic book fans found it lacking.

Reviews are less than kind to the only other wide release this coming weekend, 'The Happening,' the first offering from filmmaker M Night Shyamalan since his 'Lady in the Water' drew critical sneers and sputtered at box offices in 2006. Still, industry watchers said Shyamalan, whose 1999 sleeper hit 'The Sixth Sense' made him a filmmaking sensation, will likely give the Hulk a run for his money with his latest thriller about the outbreak of a mysterious plague.

"There's a lot of interest in this weekend because these two films have a lot to prove for very different reasons," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracking service Media By Numbers.

Much is at stake for Marvel, which is seeking to build on the recent blockbuster success of 'Iron Man' with what it calls a "re-boot" of another one of its most popular superhero characters, the Hulk.

Big bucks at stake

The movie is believed to have cost upward of $150 million to make with a marketing budget approaching $100 million. And the focus has been 'differentiating this film from the first,' said Adam Fogelson, Universal's head of marketing.

"It was about knowing t that there would be many eyebrows raised and many questions asked about why you would make a sequel to a movie that many people didn't like," he said.

Like the original directed by Ang Lee, the new incarnation from French filmmaker Louis Leterrier mixes a computer-animated Hulk with real actors playing other characters.

Edward Norton stars as the former scientist Bruce Banner who turns into the green man-beast whenever he loses his temper. Critics say the new film stays truer to the comic book character and to the 1970s hit TV series it spawned, favouring adventure over psychological conflict.

'Hulk' marks only the second fully self-financed production from Marvel Studios, which paid General Electric Co's Universal Pictures a fee to market and distribute the film. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc, released 'Iron Man' for Marvel. The first 'Hulk,' a Marvel co-production with Universal, grossed a hefty $62 million domestically its first weekend but dropped off quickly after that.

Dergarabedian said the remake should top the original, making it likely to beat 'The Happening,' from News Corp's 20th Century Fox, as the No 1 film this weekend.

Shyamalan's five previous wide-release films grossed opening weekend tallies ranging from $18 million for 'Lady in the Water' two years ago to $60 million for 'Signs' in 2002.

But 'Happening' is his first to receive an R-rating in the United States, which limits admissions to moviegoers 17 and older unless accompanied by an adult.

Still, Dergarabedian said no one should count Shyamalan out, given the curiosity that usually accompanies his work.