United News of Bangladesh

Music composer AR Rahman said he felt “gaslit” by younger generations who made him doubt the quality of his work. Rahman told The Hollywood Reporter that fans often compared his current music with his 1990s hits, making him question his creativity. He said this affected his confidence, prompting him to compose music for 20–30 films between 2019 and 2025 to prove himself. He added that he collaborated with Oscar winner Hans Zimmer for Ramayan and wants to push his limits without relying on past awards, including his 33 Filmfare wins and two Oscars. Rahman also clarified a recent controversial comment, saying he never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings. He emphasized that his goal is to celebrate culture and connect with people through music. In recent years, Rahman composed for films in Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam, including Ponniyin Selvan, Atrangi Re, and Malayankunju.   With inputs from NDTV

Thousands of people gathered Saturday at San Francisco’s Civic Center to celebrate the life of Bob Weir, the legendary guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead who died last week at age 78. Musicians Joan Baez and John Mayer spoke on a makeshift stage in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium after four Buddhist monks opened the event with a prayer in Tibetan. Fans carried long-stemmed red roses, placing some at an altar filled with photos and candles. They wrote notes on colored paper, professing their love and thanking him for the journey. Several asked him to say hello to fellow singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia and bass guitarist Phil Lesh, also founding members who preceded him in death. Garcia died in 1995; Lesh died in 2024. “I’m here to celebrate Bob Weir,” said Ruthie Garcia, who is no relation to Jerry, a fan since 1989. “Celebrating him and helping him go home.” Saturday’s celebration brought plenty of fans with long dreadlocks and wearing tie-dye clothing, some using walkers. But there were also young couples, men in their 20s and a father who brought his 6-year-old son in order to pass on to the next generation a love of live music and the tight-knit Deadhead community. The Bay Area native joined the Grateful Dead — originally the Warlocks — in 1965 in San Francisco at just 17 years old. He wrote or co-wrote and sang lead vocals on Dead classics including “Sugar Magnolia,” “One More Saturday Night” and “Mexicali Blues.” He was generally considered less shaggy looking than the other band members, although he adopted a long beard like Garcia’s later in life. The Dead played music that pulled in blues, jazz, country, folk and psychedelia in long improvisational jams. Their concerts attracted avid Deadheads who followed them on tours. The band played on decades after Garcia’s death, morphing into Dead & Company with John Mayer. Darla Sagos, who caught an early flight out of Seattle Saturday morning to make the public mourning, said she suspected something was up when there were no new gigs announced after Dead & Company played three nights in San Francisco last summer. It was unusual, as his calendar often showed where he would be playing next. “We were hoping that everything was OK and that we were going to get more music from him,” she said. “But we will continue the music, with all of us and everyone that’s going to be playing it.” Sagos and her husband, Adam Sagos, have a one-year-old grandson who will grow up knowing the music. A statement on Weir’s Instagram account announced his passing Jan. 10. It said he beat cancer, but he succumbed to underlying lung issues. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, who were at Saturday’s event. His death was sudden and unexpected, said daughter Monet Weir, but he had always wished for the music and the legacy of the Dead to outlast him. American music, he believed, could unite, she said. “The show must go on,” Monet Weir said.

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has trademarked his image and voice to protect them from unauthorized use by artificial intelligence platforms. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, clips of McConaughey, including his famous line “alright, alright, alright” from the 1993 film Dazed and Confused, have been registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Lawyers for the Magic Mike star said this is the first time an actor has used trademark law to protect their likeness from possible AI misuse. They added that while there is no current example of his image being misused, the move is aimed at stopping any future unauthorized copies. McConaughey’s decision comes after several celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift, were targeted with fake videos, audio and images created using AI tools. The actor is not against generative AI. He has invested in ElevenLabs, an AI voice technology company, which has created an AI audio version of his voice with his permission. McConaughey rose to fame with Dazed and Confused and later starred in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact and Interstellar. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club.   With inputs from NDTV

Singer Harry Styles has announced his new album titled Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which will be released on March 6. Styles shared the news on his Instagram account on Thursday. The post featured an image of the singer with the album title and release date written over it. “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. March 6,” he wrote in the caption. The upcoming project will be the 31-year-old singer’s fourth studio album. He is known for hit songs such as As It Was and Watermelon Sugar. Styles began his music career in 2010 after auditioning for The X Factor UK. He later formed the band One Direction with Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. He started his solo career in 2017 after signing with Columbia Records and releasing his debut single Sign of the Times, followed by his first solo album later that year.   With inputs from NDTV

The nominees for this year’s Bafta Rising Star Award have been announced, highlighting some of the most promising new talent in film. The list features five actors, including three from the UK and two from the US. British nominees are Robert Aramayo, Archie Madekwe, and Posy Sterling. US actors on the shortlist are Miles Caton and Chase Infiniti. Robert Aramayo, from Hull, is recognised for his role in I Swear, portraying a young man with Tourette’s syndrome in the 1980s. Aramayo, 33, previously gained fame as young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. Miles Caton, 20, earned acclaim for Sinners, winning a Critics’ Choice Award for best young actor. Caton grew up in a musical family in New York and toured internationally as a backing singer for H.E.R. Chase Infiniti, 25, stars in One Battle After Another, acting opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. She previously appeared in Apple TV+ thriller Presumed Innocent and graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2022. Archie Madekwe is nominated for his role in Lurker, a psychological thriller where he plays a pop star blackmailed by a fan. He has also appeared in Saltburn and Midsommar and trained at the Brit School in London. Manchester-born Posy Sterling is nominated for her first leading role in Lollipop, portraying a single mother struggling for custody after prison. She previously appeared in TV dramas including The Road Trip and You Don’t Know Me. The Bafta Rising Star winner, voted by the public, will be announced at the Bafta Film Awards on 22 February at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Alan Cumming will host the ceremony, which will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer.   With inputs from BBC

US rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has reportedly sold his luxury private jet as he continues to face multiple legal challenges. According to People magazine, the 56-year-old artist sold his Gulfstream G550 aircraft in October, months after his federal conviction on two prostitution-related charges in July. A spokesperson for Silver Air Private Jets, which previously managed charter operations for the aircraft, confirmed that the company no longer handles the jet. The relationship ended in October 2025 following a change in ownership. Records from the US Federal Aviation Administration show that the aircraft, once owned by Combs’ company LoveAir LLC and registered under the tail number N1969C, is no longer linked to him. The jet is now registered as T7-OKS, indicating registration in San Marino. While the exact sale price has not been disclosed, similar Gulfstream G550 models are typically listed between $15 million and $30 million. Built in 2015, the matte-black jet can seat up to 14 passengers and features a beige interior, pet-friendly facilities and an advanced entertainment system. Combs was frequently seen travelling on the custom aircraft in the months before his arrest. In March 2024, the jet flew from California to Antigua amid federal raids on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami. In July, he also shared a video on social media showing himself boarding the plane, calling it “home.”   With inputs from NDTV

Global K-pop group BTS has announced its first world tour after completing mandatory military service, marking the band’s return to the stage after nearly four years. The seven-member group said the 2026–2027 world tour will begin in South Korea in April and continue until March 2027, with more than 70 shows across Asia, North America, South America, Australia and Europe. The tour will be BTS’s first headline concert series since their 2021–22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour. A presale for ARMY Membership holders who register on the fan platform Weverse will be held on January 22 and 23. General ticket sales for all regions will start on January 24. The announcement comes weeks after BTS management company BigHit Music said the group would return to music on March 20 following a nearly four-year break. All seven members RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook and j-hope had been completing South Korea’s mandatory military service. Rapper Suga was the last member to finish service in June 2025. He served as a social service agent, an alternative duty he reportedly chose due to a shoulder injury. The other six members served in the army. The tour will start in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9 and April 11–12. It will then move to Tokyo, Tampa, El Paso, Mexico City, Stanford, Las Vegas and Busan before heading to Europe with shows in Madrid, Brussels, London, Munich and Paris. The group will later perform in several US cities including East Rutherford, Foxborough, Baltimore, Arlington, Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles. The South American leg includes Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo. Asian shows will be held in Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Manila. The tour will also include concerts in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. The final shows are scheduled for March 13 and 14, 2027, in Manila, the Philippines.   With inputs from NDTV

Bollywood actor Imran Khan has said his daughter Imara and his partner Lekha Washington have played a key role in his healing journey and personal growth. Imran, who is set to appear in a short cameo in Vir Das’s upcoming film Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, spoke to NDTV about his life, work and recovery from depression and anxiety. The film is scheduled to release in theatres this Friday, January 16, 2026. He said the last few years have been better than before and that therapy has helped him feel more settled and ready to return to work. He added that love and support from his daughter and partner have been crucial to his well-being. Imran said love is a two-way feeling and described it as empowering and healing. He said receiving love gives strength, while giving love truthfully and selflessly also brings healing. He said the bond he shares with his daughter Imara and his partner Lekha has been central to his recovery and growth. The actor has been in a relationship with Lekha Washington since 2020. He was earlier married to Avantika Malik. The couple divorced in 2019. They have a daughter, Imara, who was born in 2014. Imran said he had almost stopped working after his daughter was born as he wanted to spend more time with her. He said being present in a child’s life leaves a deep impact, even from a very young age. He said he puts his daughter to bed, feeds her and regularly picks her up from school. He said spending time with his daughter gives him joy, purpose and a sense of value. He also said it is difficult for him to give up time with her for work or events. Even during long shoots, he tries to adjust his schedule so that he does not miss time with her. Imran also spoke about joining Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos for a cameo role. He said he agreed to do the film out of fear of missing out after learning that many of his friends were involved in the project. He said filmmaker Vir Das was developing the project and that his uncle Aamir Khan was attached as a producer. Actress Mithila Palkar, who worked with Imran in Katti Batti, also shared details about the film with him. Imran said he later sent a message to Vir Das and joined the project because his friends were part of it and the film looked like fun. Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos will release in theatres on January 16, 2026.   With inputs from NDTV

Popular television presenter Rafsan Sabab and acclaimed singer Xefer Rahman tied the knot on Wednesday, ending years of speculation surrounding their relationship. Rafsan Sabab shared the news in a Facebook post, seeking blessings from their well-wishers as they begin a new journey together, surrounded by the love of friends, family and loved ones. Mehazabien Chowdhury shares wedding photos “Today, we unite our lives and step into a beautiful chapter together,” he wrote. The wedding has drawn warm wishes and congratulations from fans and colleagues across the media and entertainment industry.

Timothée Chalamet emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, defeating Hollywood heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney to claim the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy award for his performance in Marty Supreme. The 30-year-old actor secured his first Golden Globe after five nominations, strengthening his position in the race for the upcoming Academy Awards. Accepting the award, Chalamet said he felt honoured to be counted among many great actors and described the win as a “sweet moment” in his career. Although DiCaprio missed out on the acting prize, his film One Battle After Another dominated the night with four awards, including Best Film – Musical or Comedy and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Irish actress Jessie Buckley won Best Actress in a Drama for Hamnet, which also claimed the Best Drama Film award. Brazilian actor Wagner Moura took home Best Actor in a Drama for The Secret Agent, which also won Best International Film. Among other major winners, Teyana Taylor won Best Supporting Actress for One Battle After Another, Stellan Skarsgård won Best Supporting Actor for Sentimental Value, and Rose Byrne claimed Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. On the television front, Netflix series Adolescence continued its awards season success, with British actor Owen Cooper winning Best Supporting Actor. Seth Rogen won Best Comedy Series Actor for The Studio, while Jean Smart and Noah Wyle also secured acting honours. The Golden Globes marked the official start of Hollywood’s awards season, setting the stage for the Oscars next.   With inpus from BBC