‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ is a maze of missed opportunities
The most positive aspect of “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” (2024) is its unpredictability. While the climactic twist is audacious and unique, the film suffers from clumsy execution, falling short of evoking the intended emotions. It's a fine thought, albeit underwritten, and it deserved a bit more complexity than the film's chaotic momentum allows. Nonetheless, I have to say that I did not see it coming.
1w ago
‘Call Me Bae’: Funny and endearing Ananya excels in this heiress-to-hustler story
“Call Me Bae," created by Ishita Moitra with co-writers Samina Motlekar and Rohit Nair, follows the story of poor little rich girl Bella Chowdhary, affectionately known as Bae, played by Ananya Panday. For those who may not be familiar with generational slang, 'Bae' is a term of endearment used to refer to someone's sweetheart.
2m ago
How long can Emily possibly stay in Paris?
The success of “Emily in Paris” reveals that there's room for both highbrow, thought-provoking TV and light, unchallenging fare. While there are plenty of complex, intellectually stimulating shows, there are times when we just want something easy and predictable—shows like “Suits”, “The Office”, and “Friends” continue to top streaming charts long after their original air dates for precisely this reason. There's comfort in knowing what to expect and in watching a storyline wrap up neatly within 30 minutes.
2m ago
‘My Lady Jane’ shakes up British history with unapologetic romance and whimsy
With the guidance of writer and showrunner Gemma Burgess, "My Lady Jane" translates well into an eight-episode Prime Video series that confirms that history is a lot more fun and watchable when approached with an unapologetically tongue-in-cheek attitude.
4m ago
Evil never looked this good
Even without a full-blown sympathetic backstory, a villain’s motivations can be complex.
6m ago
‘Crew’ flies high with the delightful chemistry of its cast
“Crew” serves as a great example of how a light-hearted comedy can successfully blend entertainment with relevance by maintaining an air of levity while addressing timely topics.
7m ago
Percy Jackson finally gets the adaptation he deserves
The 2010 and 2013 Percy Jackson films, despite Logan Lerman's charismatic lead performance, fell short of expectations, drawing criticism for creative decisions like omitting significant book sequences and ageing Percy prematurely to 16.
10m ago
‘Dunki’ takes a heartfelt but bumpy road with illegal migrants
“Dunki” is about the shocking ways in which people try to illegally migrate to the UK or any other developed Western country. Called the ‘donkey route’, it involves unscrupulous agents, tough border controls, corrupt officials, and lots of money.
11m ago
November 14, 2020
Looking back at Humayun Ahmed’s celebrated films
Humayun Ahmed would have turned 72 on November 13, 2020 (yesterday). Although formally trained as a chemist, Ahmed found his true calling as a writer.
October 31, 2020
Last Night We Went to Manderley Again
An adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca seemed especially well-timed, with its theme of imprisonment at home, as well as the timeless pull of social expectations on one’s identity.
October 20, 2020
Reopening holds prospects and pitfalls for bookstores
As Covid-19 infections continue across the country, several bookstores in the capital are creatively rebooting.
October 3, 2020
Returning to the sets and releasing movies - Filmmakers weigh in
The coronavirus outbreak left numerous Bangladeshi films in an indeterminate state, as film shoots and cinema theatres were forced to shut down for months.
September 12, 2020
Roald Dahl movie adaptations to fall in love with
With Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory being a literary classic, a film adaptation was inevitable. The 1971 fantasy film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, was mildly successful but reviled by critics at the time, and even by Dahl himself.
September 3, 2020
Submission and surveillance in Suzanne Collins’ dystopia
Twelve years ago, Suzanne Collins introduced us to The Hunger Games (Scholastic Press), a dystopian world where children fight to their televised deaths in a brutal annual competition.
July 25, 2020
Shows to catch up on while staying indoors
As we stay at home to curb the spread of the coronavirus, we finally have some time to catch up on all the popular shows that everyone is always talking about.
July 9, 2020
The club for every girl
I came across Kristy’s Great Idea, the first book of Ann M Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club legacy, at 16, in my school’s library in Qatar.
July 4, 2020
Prospects of returning to the sets safely
Recently, film, TV and web series shoots across the country were permitted to resume, with strict conditions.
June 13, 2020
Latest web shows to binge-watch
Binge, an online platform for entertainment, was recently launched in Bangladesh with plenty of local and international content, including films and web shows.
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