logo
Rukmini Maitra's new film to premiere at 8th London Bengali Film Festival

Rukmini Maitra's new film to premiere at 8th London Bengali Film Festival

Gulf Today27-04-2025

Actress Rukmini Maitra-starrer 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' helmed by National Award-winning filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee will have its UK premiere on April 25 at the 8th London Bengali Film Festival (LBFF). The premiere of the Bengali biopic, which traces the extraordinary journey of theatre legend Binodini Dasi in late 19th century Bengal, will take place at the BLOC Cinema of Queen Mary University of London, and will be introduced by the director, followed by an engaging Q&A session.
Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee said: 'I am extremely happy and proud to be a part of this prestigious film festival. I am glad that Honourable jury members have considered our magnum opus 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' as part of their eighth edition celebrations at London Bengali Film Festival 2025.'
He added: 'The film depicts the journey of a woman who fought for her dream. Binodini Dasi, portrayed by Rukmini Maitra, deals with the untold saga of a theatre legend who paved the path for aspiring female actors almost 140 years ago.' The London Bengali Film Festival 2025 officially launches at the prestigious Barbican Centre, Europe's largest art centre, offering attendees the chance to experience the richness and diversity of global Bengali cinema and conversations at iconic London locations, including the Guildhall, Queen Mary University of London, and the Bank of England.
This year's 8th edition of Europe's largest Bengali film festival, running from April 22 to 27, 2025, features six films — four narrative features, one documentary, and one short film in Bengali and English languages (with English subtitles) from Bangladesh, India, and global South Asian diasporic communities.
Munsur Ali, the Founder & CEO of the London Bengali Film Festival, said: 'Mainstream films have a global audience, but global stories also need to be seen by the mainstream audience. The London Bengali Film Festival does exactly that. We believe 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' will resonate deeply with our audience and celebrate the rich tapestry of Bengali cinema.' Subidita Bhattacharya, the LBFF Festival Director, added, 'We are thrilled to present 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' at this year's film festival. This Bengali masterpiece beautifully captures the essence of theatre and the indomitable spirit of Binodini, a pioneering actress of her time. Through its compelling narrative and stunning visuals, the film offers a profound exploration of art, resilience, and cultural heritage.'
'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' released on January 23. It also stars Kaushik Ganguly, Rahul Bose, Mir Afsar Ali, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Om Sahani. The film narrates the life of the renowned theatre artist Binodini Dasi, celebrated for defying societal norms and conventions, and chronicles her journey from a courtesan to the queen of Bengali theatre, highlighting her struggles, passions, betrayals, and triumphs.
Indo-Asian News Service
Actress Rukmini Maitra-starrer 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' helmed by National Award-winning filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee will have its UK premiere on April 25 at the 8th London Bengali Film Festival (LBFF). The premiere of the Bengali biopic, which traces the extraordinary journey of theatre legend Binodini Dasi in late 19th century Bengal, will take place at the BLOC Cinema of Queen Mary University of London, and will be introduced by the director, followed by an engaging Q&A session.
Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee said: 'I am extremely happy and proud to be a part of this prestigious film festival. I am glad that Honourable jury members have considered our magnum opus 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' as part of their eighth edition celebrations at London Bengali Film Festival 2025.'
He added: 'The film depicts the journey of a woman who fought for her dream. Binodini Dasi, portrayed by Rukmini Maitra, deals with the untold saga of a theatre legend who paved the path for aspiring female actors almost 140 years ago.' The London Bengali Film Festival 2025 officially launches at the prestigious Barbican Centre, Europe's largest art centre, offering attendees the chance to experience the richness and diversity of global Bengali cinema and conversations at iconic London locations, including the Guildhall, Queen Mary University of London, and the Bank of England.
This year's 8th edition of Europe's largest Bengali film festival, running from April 22 to 27, 2025, features six films — four narrative features, one documentary, and one short film in Bengali and English languages (with English subtitles) from Bangladesh, India, and global South Asian diasporic communities.
Munsur Ali, the Founder & CEO of the London Bengali Film Festival, said: 'Mainstream films have a global audience, but global stories also need to be seen by the mainstream audience. The London Bengali Film Festival does exactly that. We believe 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' will resonate deeply with our audience and celebrate the rich tapestry of Bengali cinema.' Subidita Bhattacharya, the LBFF Festival Director, added, 'We are thrilled to present 'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' at this year's film festival. This Bengali masterpiece beautifully captures the essence of theatre and the indomitable spirit of Binodini, a pioneering actress of her time. Through its compelling narrative and stunning visuals, the film offers a profound exploration of art, resilience, and cultural heritage.'
'Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan' released on January 23. It also stars Kaushik Ganguly, Rahul Bose, Mir Afsar Ali, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Om Sahani. The film narrates the life of the renowned theatre artist Binodini Dasi, celebrated for defying societal norms and conventions, and chronicles her journey from a courtesan to the queen of Bengali theatre, highlighting her struggles, passions, betrayals, and triumphs.
Indo-Asian News Service

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer
Pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer

Gulf Today

time3 days ago

  • Gulf Today

Pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer

The English pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will undergo surgery after her performance at the London music festival Capital's Summertime Ball next weekend. Jessie J, 37, shared the news in an Instagram video on Wednesday. "I was diagnosed with early breast cancer,' she said in the clip. "Cancer sucks in any form, but I'm holding onto the word 'early'." "It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive (expletive) and more music.' The annual Summertime Ball will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, June 15. She told her social media audience that she felt compelled to share her diagnosis. "I just wanted to be open and share it,' she said. "One, because, selfishly, I do not talk about it enough. I'm not processing it because I'm working so hard. I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support and also their own stories. I'm an open book. It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much similar and worse - that's the bit that kills me.' The Grammy-nominated Jessie J has long been celebrated for her robust soprano and R&B-informed pop hits, like the 2014 collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, "Bang Bang,' and 2011's "Domino.' She has released five albums across her career, most recently, 2018's Christmas album, "This Christmas Day.' She has been releasing new music in 2025, including the singles "Living My Best Life' and "No Secrets.' A new album is expected later this year. She has a son, Sky Safir Cornish Colman, born in 2023. A representative for Jessie J did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. Associated Press

Evaristo wins accolades for breaking literary boundaries
Evaristo wins accolades for breaking literary boundaries

Gulf Today

time3 days ago

  • Gulf Today

Evaristo wins accolades for breaking literary boundaries

Bernardine Evaristo doesn't like boundaries. For the Booker Prize-winning novelist, rules about genre, grammar or what a working-class biracial woman can achieve are all to be challenged and swept away. Evaristo was announced on Wednesday as recipient of the 100,000-pound ($135,000) Women's Prize Outstanding Contribution Award for her 'transformative impact on literature and her unwavering dedication to uplifting under-represented voices.' Evaristo, 66, received the prize both for her work to help promote women and writers of colour, and for writing that takes in poetry, a memoir and seven novels including the Booker-winning 'Girl, Woman, Other.' 'I just go wherever my imagination takes me,' she said. 'I didn't want to write the kind of novels that would take you on a predictable emotional or moral journey.' Evaristo had already explored autobiographical fiction, historical settings and alternate realities when she won the Booker in 2019 for 'Girl Woman, Other,' a polyphonic novel told from the point of view of a dozen characters, largely Black women, with widely varying ages, experiences and sexualities. She was the first woman of African heritage to be awarded the prize, which was founded in 1969 and has a reputation for transforming writers' careers. When she won, Evaristo was 60 and had been a writer for decades. She says the recognition 'came at the right time for me.' 'Maybe I wouldn't have handled it so well if I was younger,' she told The Associated Press at her London home. 'It changed my career — in terms of book sales, foreign rights, translation, the way in which I was viewed as a writer. Various other opportunities came my way. And I felt that I had the foundations to handle that.' Evaristo's house on a quiet suburban street is bright and comfortable, with wooden floors, vibrant textiles and a large wooden writing desk by the front window. Large photos of her Nigerian paternal grandparents hang on one wall. Her work often draws on her roots as the London-born child of a Nigerian father and white British mother. Like much of Evaristo's work, 'Girl, Woman, Other' eludes classification. She calls it 'fusion fiction' for its melding of poetry and prose into a novel that relishes the texture and rhythm of language. 'I kind of dispense with the rules of grammar,' she said. 'I think I have 12 full stops in the novel.' If that sounds dauntingly experimental, readers didn't think so. 'Girl, Woman, Other' has sold more than 1 million copies and was chosen as one of Barack Obama's books of the year. Evaristo traces her love of poetry to the church services of her Catholic childhood, where she soaked up the rhythms of the Bible and sermons, 'without realizing I was absorbing poetry.' When she started writing novels, the love of poetry remained, along with a desire to tell stories of the African diaspora. One of her first major successes, 'The Emperor's Babe,' is a verse novel set in Roman Britain. 'Most people think the Black history of Britain only began in the 20th century,' Evaristo said. 'I wanted to write about a Black presence in Roman Britain — because there was a Black presence in Roman Britain 1,800 years ago.' Another novel, 'Blonde Roots,' is set in an alternative historical timeline in which Africans have enslaved Europeans, and was nominated for a major science-fiction award. 'Mr Loverman,' was an attempt to move beyond cliched images of Britain's postwar Caribbean immigrants. It was recently made into a BBC television series starring Lennie James and Sharon D. Clarke. Her latest award is a one-off accolade marking the 30th anniversary of the annual Women's Prizes for English-language fiction and nonfiction. Women's Prize founder Kate Mosse said Evaristo's 'dazzling skill and imagination, and her courage to take risks and offer readers a pathway into diverse and multifarious worlds over a 40-year career made her the ideal recipient.' Evaristo, who teaches creative writing at Brunel University of London, plans to use the prize money to help other women writers through an as-yet undisclosed project. She has long been involved with projects to level the playing field for under-represented writers, and is especially proud of Complete Works, a mentoring program for poets of color that she ran for a decade. Associated Press

Here's everything you can watch at Cinema Akil this June
Here's everything you can watch at Cinema Akil this June

What's On

time6 days ago

  • What's On

Here's everything you can watch at Cinema Akil this June

Your box office watch at Cinema Akil this June… June is here, and with a new timetable of releases at Cinema Akil. Everyone's favourite independent arthouse cinema and the go-to spot for alternative watching is bringing a curation that's hot like the summer we're in right now – big, bold and bizarre films that will make you feel more deeply than you ever have, from heady trips to moody flicks and a mind-bending, mind-boggling sci-fi flick. With a side of heartache, of course. The program… Mickey 17 (May 16 – June 30) by Academy Award-winning Bong Joon Ho , follows a disposable employee sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration perishes, his body is regenerated with most of his memories intact, leading to a dangerous and complex journey of survival and discovery. (May 16 – June 30) by Academy Award-winning Bong Joon Ho follows a disposable employee sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration perishes, his body is regenerated with most of his memories intact, leading to a dangerous and complex journey of survival and discovery. Marcello Mio (June 01 – June 27) by Christophe HONORÉ follows Chiara, an actress who begins to embody her father, Marcello Mastroianni, in a playful and moving exploration of identity, memory, and legacy. (June 01 – June 27) by Christophe HONORÉ follows Chiara, an actress who begins to embody her father, Marcello Mastroianni, in a playful and moving exploration of identity, memory, and legacy. I am Still Here (May 30 – June 29) directed by Walter Salles, follows a mother who is forced to reinvent herself when her family's life is torn apart by an act of arbitrary violence amid the tightening grip of Brazil's military dictatorship in 1971. From Reel Palestine… To A Land Unknown (May 15 – June 30)which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival at the Director's Fortnight, tells the powerful story of two young men willing to risk everything for a brighter future. Trapped in the struggles of Athens, they hatch a dangerous plan to escape their grim reality, setting the stage for a tense journey of survival and hope. For the full schedule, visit @cinemaakil Images: Supplied > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store