The New Nation - Internet Edition

Event: Memories of Khan Ata recalled: Film 'Sujan Sokhi’ screened

Entertainment Report

A discussion meeting and film exhibition was held at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Jatiya Natyashala of the Shilpakala Academy in the city Monday evening.

The Drama and Film Department of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organised the meeting to honour eminent film personality Khan Ataur Rahman.

ANM Badurl Amin, Managing Director of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC), was present as chief guest, while eminent researcher and writer Anupam Hayat took part in the discussion.

Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam, Director General of Shilpakala Academy, chaired the function, while Abul Kamal Shafi Ahmed (Shafi Kamal) gave welcome speech.

Speakers discussed on the life style and activities of Khan Ataur Rahman at the meeting.

In the second part of the programme, Khan Ataur Rahman directed movie 'Sujan Sokhi' was presented to the audience.

Hollywood: Comedian George Carlin dies

Los Angeles, Agencies

Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, a spokesman said. He was 71.

Carlin, who had a history of heart and drug-dependency problems, died at Saint John's Health Centre in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT) after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters.

Known for his edgy, provocative material, Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and a routine called "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television." A regulatory battle over a radio broadcast of the routine ultimately reached the US Supreme Court. In the 1978 case, Federal Communications Commission vs. Pacifica Foundation, the top U.S. court ruled that the words cited in Carlin's routine were indecent, and that the government's broadcast regulator could ban them from being aired at times when children might be listening.

Carlin's comedic sensibility often came back to a central theme: humanity is doomed. d. don't have any beliefs or allegiances. I don't believe in this country, I don't believe in religion, or a god, and I don't believe in all these man-made institutional ideas," he told Reuters in a 2001 interview.

Carlin, who wrote several books and performed in many television comedy specials, is survived by his wife Sally Wade, and daughter Kelly Carlin McCall.

TV Watch: Josnadhara on Rtv tonight

Entertainment Desk

TV serial Josnadhara will be aired tonight on Rtv at 11:00pm. Tarin, Anisur Rahman Milon and Hillol play the lead roles in the serial.

Tanima and Sajib, who live abroad, have been happily married for six years. They come back to Bangladesh for a year and start living in a place called Josnadhara. Upon arriving at their new home, Tanima starts imagining the presence of a young man. Tanima had been married previously to a man named Tanmay, and they lived in this very house. At one point, Tanmay, who was a drug addict, confined Tanima in the house. Tanima escaped and went aboard with her family, where she eventually met Sajib. When Tanima goes to confesses about all this to Sajib, he astonishes her by saying that he already knows about her past, which is why he decided to bring her back to Josnadhara. Written by Shahrukh Shahid, the serial is directed by Dipankar Dipon.

Bollywood: Ayesha Takia dumps Riteish

Entertainment Desk

After Apna Sapna Money Money, Hey Babby and Dhamaal, De Taali has got Riteish's comic timing a fresh round of applause.

But with the grin comes the grim. With the laughter of the comedies Riteish's chances of being accepted as the conventional leading man recede with alarming celerity.

The latest setback for Riteish's plans of mainstream hero-giri is the heroine crisis in writer-turned Milap Jhaveri's Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai. This is the only romantic lead on Riteish's hands. Ayesha Takiya who happily plays Riteish's bum chum in De Taali (and the romantic lead with Aftab Shivdasani) is no longer playing the alien from Venus who lands into earthling Riteish's embrace.

With just a couple of months to go before the film was to go on the floors Riteish's lone stab at romantic heroism is in a bit of a crisis. He is man enough to admit comedy has been allotted as his forte. "I'm aware it's the romantic lead that's considered the conventional hero's part in our films.

I did try a serious role in Cash. But that didn't work. In fact after I made my debut as a conventional hero in Tujhe Meri Kasam I did another conventional lead in Out Of Control for Vashu Bhagnani and a boys' comedy Masti with Indra Kumar. The second worked, first didn't. That's the way it is. I guess audiences like me in comedies." Riteish is in no hurry to leave his comic niche behind. In fact the humorous ante just got raised. "I'm doing a goofy all-out comedy with my friend Sajid Khan. I wonder who'd have killed whom first if Sajid hadn't cast me again.

It's called Houseful. Sajid's first film Heyy Babyy had me doing serious dramatic scenes along with the comedy. But Houseful will have lots more of the funny stuff. This time Sajid, Akshay Kumar and I will really put all the stops."

Sujoy Ghosh's Alladin where Riteish plays the title role also has a pronounced comic element. "And though I play the title role Mr Bachchan is the whole and soul of the film."

As for Ayesha pulling out of Riteish's one project, there are absolutely no hard feelings here.

Says Riteish, "Ayesha is a fantastic actress. And I had a fantastic time working with her in De Taali. She's such a natural before the camera. She' a fabulous co-star. I hope to work again with her in the near future." Adds Ayesha, "No I can't do Milap Jhaveri's film because the dates got shifted by two months.

I had already given dates to Nagesh Kukunoor's Tasveer and Prabhu Deva's film Wanted preference dates since these were confirmed in advance. I could do nothing but give up Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai.