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This is the story of a very simple man with tremendous passion, passion that revolves only around films. Films are lush, romantic, sensuous ode to the passion of AZM Khan Lodi’s life. He is not just an average film buff. He, in fact, loves lives and breathes cinema.
   Lodi’s love for films motivated him to focus on the obstacles that our movies are facing today and he started a TV programme titled Amar Chhobi to create a mass consciousness regarding the issues in question. The programme proved to be a success as it recently aired its 260th episode.
   ‘I was a film buff and used to watch loads of movies. It was the time of the late ‘60s and the whole of ’70s – some film connoisseurs like us were deeply engrossed in watching movies.’ Among his friends of that circle, some turned into doctors, engineers and some even went abroad but Lodi’s love for film remains as strong as ever.
   Lodi was the general secretary of Chitrali Pathak Pathika Cholochchitro Shongshod (Readers’ Forum) of a popular fortnightly cine magazine Chitrali. ‘This orginisation had been a driving force in the film related movements in our country. In 1977, we protested and held rallies to denounce the commercial, vulgar and plagiarised movies that had no positive messages. We even gave memorandum to the then sensor board,’ recalls Lodi and adds, ‘Good film like Suruj Mia, when pulled off from Balaka cinema hall, we arranged a huge congregation to protest against that decision opposite of GPO.
   ‘During this time we came close to some very progressive filmmakers like Alamgir Kabir, Badal Rahman and others.
   Lodi went on to say, ‘We were influenced by quite a few film based shows. In the ‘90s there was a very popular Indian movie based programme called Lehren, and the episodes of the show were released on video cassettes. We thought that was an innovative idea to entertain people who are into movies. We started a show called Star Diary on VCR, during the Eid of ‘93 and gradually produced 14 episodes. And when the satellite culture entered our country, it had widened the scope to watch plenty of movies and programmes sitting at home. As a result, we stopped the production of Star Diary.
   ‘In ‘99, we started a similar show, Parrot Peacock Ananda Binodon on the satellite channel ATN Bangla. Then we did a 52-episode of a programme titled Location Thekey.
   Then we came up with the idea of interviewing directors, producers and behind-the-scene people. This is how Amar Chhobi was born on January 2, 2000 on Channel-i.’
   Our first programme of Amar Chhobi was done with director AJ Mintu. In this programme we’ve tried documenting the life and works of the film personalities. We preserved the rough footages of them too.
   ‘Every film industry of the world has gone through a crisis period. In our country also a silent revolution has been started. Tareque Masud, Taukir, Salahuddin Lavlu—they are making good films and the group is gradually increasing.
   In this regards Impress Telefilm has really taken an effective measure by making a new film every month. Now NTV and other channels have also come forward to help our ailing industry.
   On the role of film societies he says, ‘There was a time when we had to wait in a long queue to watch a good international film screened by the film societies. But due to the aggression of satellite channels and availability of DVDs the role of film societies has become less important. But for film practice we need film societies.
   On making a film, Lodi says, ‘If I get a good producer, my friend Dipen and I have a plan to make a film. We have a very strong script delineating the contemporary socio-economical and political influences.’

The third round of the talent hunt endeavour Close up-1: Tomakei Khujchhe Bangladesh, organised by Unilever will end today at the second floor of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation.
   Forty contestants have been selected for the round and from among them, 10 singers will be selected to compete for the top ten positions.
   The organisers formed five groups taking eight singers in each side and two contestants from each group will be selected for the final round.
   NTV viewers will enjoy the event every Friday and can cast their vote through SMS on 234 from any mobile number within twelve hours; the result round will be aired every Sunday.
   The winners, selected through SMS and the judges’ evaluation, will get the opportunity to enter the final round.
   NTV will air the performances of Group A on September23 and will telecast the result of the group on September25. This is how the event will be run on NTV.
   Members of the jury for the selection round, Kumar Bishwajit, Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul and Shakhila Jaffar judged the participants for voice quality, diction and pronunciation and their overall presentation.

The launching ceremony of LRB’s new album Mone Achhe Naki Nai was held at the Ball Room of Hotel Sonargaon on September 11; it is sponsored by Grameen Phone’s youth brand djuice. It has been released by the Sangeeta recording house.
   Eminent personalities including Matiur Rahman, editor of the daily Prothom Alo, Azam Khan, Hamin Ahmed, Shafin Ahmed, Fuad Naser Babu, Alif Alauddin and others from the cultural arena attended the function.
   NKA Mobin, director, finance; and Kafil HS Muyeed, director, marketing; of GrameenPhone Ltd, along with the members of LRB were present and spoke on the occasion.
   Ayub Bachchu in his speech stated that the band has released nine albums so far since its inception in 1991. ‘We always try to present quality music,’ he said.
   On the new album, he said that it is a different type of album, which will prove enjoyable to the listeners of all tastes.
   The album, comprising of 10 songs, will cost Tk 50 and will be available on the market from September 15. Djuice xtra card holders will receive a discount, and will be able to purchase it at Tk 30.
   After the official launching, Ayub Bachchu rendered some lines from some of his old hits. He also performed Kasta ta ektu kom dile hato na and Mone ache naki nai, from the new album.

The critically-acclaimed Crash was the winner at France’s Deauville Film Festival, which celebrates US movies.
   The film, directed by Paul Haggis, has a star-studded cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon.
   The Jury Prize, considered the runner-up award, was shared between Keane and On the Outs, about three young women living in New Jersey.
   Transamerica, about a male-to-female transsexual’s relationship with her son, won the best screenplay prize.
   The film stars Desperate Housewives actress Felicity Huffman as a transsexual who discovers she fathered a child, who she meets when he is a teenager.
   Huffman won the best actress award at the Tribeca Festival in New York earlier in the year for her performance in the drama.
   Keane centres on a schizophrenic man, played by Damian Lewis, and his search for his daughter thought to have been kidnapped at a bus station.

The fifth episode of Vim Chat Pat Ranna Jhat Pat Parishkar, a programme on cooking, will be telecast tonight at 8:30pm.
   This programme specialises in presenting local cuisine in every episode.
   The spicy chicken of Comilla will be prepared in tonight’s programme. Viewers can also take part in the programme.

To mark the 200th death anniversary of Friedrich von Schiller, one of the leading dramatists of 18th century Germany, the Goethe-Institut Dhaka will arrange a discussion followed by a documentary screening on him at its auditorium at 6:00pm on September 14.
   Schiller, who was a poet and theorist, was born in 1759. The documentary, directed by Dr Joachim Burkhadt, will depict the significance of Schiller’s work.

Charming and self-absorbed millionaire George Wade (Golden Globe® winner Hugh Grant, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, Love Actually) and his lawyer Lucy Kelson (Bullock, Loverboy, Crash) have a great relationship—business, that is.
   George relies on his fast-tracking Harvard-trained lawyer to manage his finances, arrange his divorce, even choose his business suits.
   After five years though Lucy realizes she's nothing more that a high-paid nanny of sorts to George. She's overworked and under-appreciated, now she wants out. She serves her client two weeks' notice.
   George agrees to let her go, if she can find a suitable replacement. She finally finds the ambitious June Carter (Witt, The Ring Of The Nibelungs, American Girl), who's in it not only for the job but with an eye to ensnaring George.
   Lucy thinks she's finally out of the picture, but slowly George realizes why he has come to rely on Lucy in more ways than he can think of.
   Two Weeks Notice
   HBO
   9:30pm
   Starring
   Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant, Alicia Witt