Makers of Assamese feature film "Local Kung Fu 2", based on William Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors", today alleged that their movie has been withdrawn from local cinema halls to accommodate "Baahubali 2".
	At a press conference, the director and the producer of the film claimed that "non-Assamese people sitting in Bengaluru and Delhi" were controlling the cinema halls.
	"With the limited number of shows, we were doing good business. We are now saddened to learn that our film will be taken down this Friday. Is this the way these cinema hall owners treat local cinema? I am shocked to say the least," said director Kenny Deori Basumatary.
	He claimed that "Local Kung Fu 2" opened to a great response across the state on April 19, with shows being pre- booked online to nearly houseful capacity at different theatres such as PVR Guwahati, Inox Jorhat, Anuradha Guwahati.
	"If no one was watching our film, it's quite obvious that theatre owners would remove it. But it's doing really well, ...

Filmmaker blames outside lobby for controlling Assam halls

PTI Automatic

Actress Priyanka Chopra has said she is in final talks to work in three Hindi films and will make the announcement soon.
	Priyanka, who has wrapped up the second season of her TV show "Quantico" last month, said she will take the final call on the same after the makers decide the future of the American series.
	"I don't know what's happening with the third season of 'Quantico'. I am listening to a lot of scripts. Several filmmakers have come and met me in New York and I've met them here.
	"There are a lot of scripts I liked but once I know what my schedule is, only then I'll figure out when I'll do a film. For sure I've locked three (films). But I can't announce them till I know my dates," Priyanka told reporters here during the launch of the new poster of her upcoming Hollywood debut "Baywatch".
	The 34-year-old star has been rumoured to join the Kalpana Chawla biopic and a Sanjay Leela Bhansali project based on poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhyanvi's life.
	When asked if she has signed the .

Priyanka Chopra locks three Bollywood projects

Srishti Kaur from India has been crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017, beating out 25 other contestants from around the world in the annual beauty pageant.
	Samantha Pierre from Canada and Ary Trava from Mexico were the runners-up in the event held at the Ruben Dario National Theater in Nicaragua's capital Managua yesterday.
	Kaur also won the prize for best national costume.
	Xirelle Agustin from the Philippines won in the Teen Popularity category, while Nicole Obando from Costa Rica won the award for Teen Charm.
	The six-year-old beauty pageant for teens aged 15 to 19 is held by the Miss Universe Organization.
	Pageant contestants came mostly from Latin America and the Caribbean, though two came from Africa and one from Europe.

India's Srishti Kaur wins Miss Teen Universe pageant

Singer Kelly Clarkson hit Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida to celebrate a Harry Potter-themed birthday.
	Clarkson was surprised by close friends with a scavenger hunt game that ended in a girls trip for the singer, which included her sister and her mother, reported People magazine.
	Taking to Instagram, the "Stronger" hitmaker shared pictures from her 35th birthday bash.
	"Woke up this morning to a birthday scavenger hunt that ended with an anagram!! Best surprise ever! #morninghair #whereisthegirlstrip #sweaty."
	In another post she wrote, "Thank you @universalorlando for the most magical birthday!!! It was the greatest surprise to have my entire group adorned in Harry Potter gear!!!"
	Also present at the party were Clarkson's one-year-old son, Remington Alexander, and daughter River Rose, two.

Kelly Clarkson celebrates Harry Potter-themed birthday

Actress Jyothika has urged filmmakers to be socially more responsible and give intelligent roles to female stars.
	The 38-year-old actress, who essays the role of a documentary filmmaker in her upcoming film "Magalir Mattum", says cinema has the power to influence the youth and is responsible for the treatment meted out to women in the country.
	"This is a message to directors who direct big hero films. Please give women characters some dignity in your movies. Look at your mother, wife, sister or girlfriend and give realistic roles to women like the people living around you. There are crores of fans and followers to big heroes.
	"You're socially responsible to what is happening to women all over India. Cinema has a big impact on youth. Please offer intelligent characters to women," Jyothika said at the launch of her film "Magalir Mattum" here recently.
	The actress said if the filmmakers will continue to show stories where one actor is paired opposite four women, the youth will get a .

Please offer intelligent characters to women: Jyothika

Director-producer Mohit Suri says he owes his success in Bollywood to the music of his films and wants his composers, singers and lyricists to be the centre of attraction.
	The 36-year-old filmmaker, whose film "Half Girlfriend" releases next month, says he would not have survived in the industry without the music in his films.
	"The composers, lyricists and singers are the stars of my films. They always have been. I will take them along with me on the promotions of my films now. I want them to enjoy the limelight.
	"What would I have been without Atif Aslam, Arijit Singh, Ankit Tiwari, Toshi-Sharib? They are the ones who make my hits for me. I would not have been here today if not for these people," Mohit told PTI over phone.
	The director recently produced the song, "Party Nonstop", with EMI Records, which has been composed by British-Indian musician Dr Zeus.
	"The EMI records sent this song to me, but I did not know who sang it but knew we had to back this one. And when I got to ...

Want my musicians to enjoy limelight: Mohit Suri

Sonakshi Sinha has blocked Sona Mohapatra on Twitter after the singer criticised her for being "condescending" to musicians, who had expressed displeasure over the news of the star's performance at the Justin Bieber concert here.
	There were reports that Sonakshi, who has sung in some Bollywood movies, was going to be the opening act at Bieber's gig, which was criticised by singers Kailash Kher and Armaan Malik.
	They claimed that the opportunity should have gone to a professional singer and not a Bollywood star.
	The actress, however, clarified that though she was approached by the concert organisers, she was not performing at the event.
	Sonakshi responded to the criticism, saying she was an "actor who loves music, who loves to perform and who loves to sing. And if anyone has a problem with that, they can go 'love' themselves."
	Reacting to Sonakshi's statement, Sona tweeted, "Dear Sonakshi, if you weren't 'performing' at the Bieber concert like you now proclaim, then you could have 

Sonakshi Sinha blocks singer Sona Mohapatra on Twitter

Director Alankrita Shrivastava is happy that her film "Lipstick Under My Burkha", which explores women's sexuality, has finally been cleared for screening.
	The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant an 'A' certificate to the Prakash Jha-produced movie.
	The board had earlier refused certification to the film, saying that it was "lady oriented" and had "sexual scenes, abusive words".
	Alankrita says she is happy that the tribunal understood the intent of the film.
	"I am very happy and thrilled that the point we had raised against the CBFC, the FCAT has agreed with us. They understood the intent of the film and haven't questioned the very basis of why women should have desires.
	"They didn't ask me to remove any scenes. They have just asked us to reduce a few seconds here and there," she told PTI.
	Although Alankrita is against any kind of tempering with her films, she says she can live with the cuts suggested by ..

Thrilled FCAT cleared 'Lipstick Under My Burkha': Alankrita

Stand-up comedian Vir Das made his debut appearance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" to promote his Netflix show "Abroad Understanding".
	During his five-minute routine on the popular American talk show, Das took a jibe at Donald Trump, explaining how he is like an arranged marriage.
	"We didn't vote for this guy, now we got to live with him... To you Americans, that's your president, to most Indians, that's a marriage," he said.
	Taking to Twitter, the 37-year-old star shared his excitement with fans and posted a picture of him along with O'Brien.
	"A short man meets an incredibly tall one! I'm on @TeamCoco tonight on TBS! Tune in at 11/10c! #CONAN," Das captioned the photo.
	O'Brien was not the only one Das had a chat with, as the multi-talented performer also met American voice actor and comedian Hank Azaria, who is best known for "The Simpsons".
	"So I met apu and chief wiggum and as we know, they are both one of the funniest men out there! @HankAzaria @TeamCoco," he wrote ...

Vir Das debuts on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien'

Actor Suniel Shetty says he was so inspired by the physique of former West Indian cricketer Vivian Richards that he himself started working on his fitness.
	"My fitness journey began when I met Sir Vivian Richards. He said he got fit so that he could hit the ball harder. I was an obsessive cricketer and I wanted to play for the country. So, I started building my body. Unfortunately, I was not talented enough to play for the country," Suniel told PTI.
	The actor will be hosting upcoming reality show "India's Asli Champion..Hai Dum!" and is currently in Goa for its shooting.
	The show will be a test of physical and mental endurance where contestants from different walks of life will come together and compete for the title of 'India's Asli Champion'.
	The actor says he was keen on hosting a show that centres around fitness.
	"A lot of shows came to me but it required me to be a judge. I believe I am not a master to be able to judge, give an opinion or criticise anyone just because I have 

My fitness journey began after meeting Vivian Richards: Suniel

Andy Bird, chairman of Walt Disney International, said the company is not abandoning local content production in India, despite its decision last year to close Bollywood film production.
	Bird said India is often overshadowed by the growth of China, but prospects for the country are very bright, reported Variety.
	"I've never been more excited about India. That comes after a decade of frustration," said Bird, speaking at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) convention in Indonesia on Wednesday.
	He said the decision to close down Disney's Indian film production operations last year has been misunderstood by the industry.
	"It was misinterpreted that we were giving up on local production," said Bird, adding, the company has a slate of 12 products in development.
	He explained that the changing possibilities offered by expanding bandwidth and mobile access mean that Disney is more able to experiment with new business models.
	"In India we've had content which debuted on ...

I've never been more excited about India: Disney's Andy Bird

Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam, who found himself amidst a controversy for criticising sermons from the loudspeakers, said people should stop talking about the matter and move on.
	The 43-year-old singer took to Twitter where he asserted that there was no need to fuel it anymore.
	"Guys, in favour of me and in opposition, let's agree to agree and disagree. No need to fuel this anymore. Look ahead and move on. Prayers," wrote Nigam.
	The singer had described the loud sermons from the loudspeakers as hooliganism in a series of tweets and a fatwa was issued against him by a Kolkata-based cleric.
	Nigam recently posted a video of Azaan.

Look ahead and move on: Sonu Nigam on Azaan debate

Rapper Nicki Minaj has said she is tired of being bullied on social media.
	The 34-year-old music star, who had recently posted a selfie donning a blonde wig on Instagram, faced flak online.
	Minaj had asked, "Do blondes have more fun? Decisions, decisions..."
	The "Anaconda" singer's post was not appreciated by some, who ended up making abusive and racist comments.
	Frustrated with the negative remarks being passed against her, Minaj vented her ire on Twitter.
	"I asked if blondes have more fun, somebody commented: blondes have more fun recording an album now go sis! I'm tired of being bullied," she wrote.
	Minaj's mother, Carol Maraj also took to the micro- blogging site where she posted her daughter's photo in her original avatar by writing, "Black hair #myvote", to which she replied, "Mommy you're not included in the voting process.

Tired of being bullied: Nicki Minaj

Actor Jeff Goldblum will be joining the star cast of the "Jurassic World" sequel.
	The 64-year-old actor, who has appeared in two films of the sci-fi adventure franchise, will appear in the follow-up of the 2015 film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
	Goldblum played Dr Ian Malcolm, a know-it-all mathematician, who came to the park as an insurance consultant in 1993's "Jurassic Park" and its 1997 sequel "The Lost World: Jurassic Park".
	The star cast of the film includes Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, who reprise their roles from the previous installment, along with Justice Smith, James Cromwell and Toby Jones.
	The movie will be directed by J A Bayona and co-written by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly.

Jeff Goldblum to star in 'Jurassic World' sequel

Actress Priyanka Chopra has thanked the entire team of her National Award-winning Marathi film "Ventilator" for their contribution and support.
	The 43-year-old actress took to Instagram, where she expressed her gratitude to the cast and crew of the second venture under her production banner Purple Pebble Pictures for its win at the 64th National Film Awards.
	"Thank you to my @purplepebblepictures team and everyone who contributed to #ventilator and all my mad endeavours... The cast, the crew, our partners, the media... Thank you all for coming out so strong tonight.
	"We cried we laughed and just made merry... My gorgeous and incredible team. Without who nothing would be possible..." Priyanka wrote.
	The "Quantico" actress also thanked her mother and co- producer, Madhu Chopra.
	"(and) my formidable mother @madhuchopra you are my rock partner! Here's to many more by gods grace..." added Priyanka, alongside their picture.
	The actress-producer also threw a party to celebrate the ...

Thank you to my team: Priyanka Chopra on 'Ventilator' success

Actress Shraddha Kapoor has confirmed that she will play ace badminton player Saina Nehwal in her biopic, titled "Saina".
	Shraddha took to Twitter to share the news and said she is honoured to be given the opportunity to essay the star shuttler on the big screen.
	"SAINA NEHWAL - The former World no 1 badminton player. An Indian girl. An inspiration to millions. A youth icon in the truest sense. @NSaina," Shraddha posted.
	"Her journey to the top has been fascinating and I am honored to be given this opportunity to play her in my next film 'SAINA' (sic)."
	The 30-year-old actress, who is also part of another biopic "Haseena" based on Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar, said "Saina" is going to be her most difficult film till date.
	"The preparation for this film is going to be very, very challenging. It's probably going to be my most difficult film till date... Wish me luck everyone."
	"Saina" will be directed by Amol Gupte, who has helmed "Stanley Ka Dabba" and "Hawa Hawaai".

Shraddha Kapoor to play badminton star Saina Nehwal in biopic

Hip-hop star Lil Wayne cut his gig at Garden City in Idaho short after someone threw beer at him.
	The "Lollipop" hitmaker was in the middle of belting out the lyrics to his hit "A Milli" on Sunday, when he was pelted with a bottle of booze by a crowd member, which made him storm off stage, reported TMZ.
	The incident was captured on camera and, although he wasn't directly hit by the bottle, he did seem to have some splash marks over his clothes when he walked off.
	The crowd broke out into boos but Wayne made it clear that he wasn't prepared to put up with that type of behaviour.
	He told the audience, "Now look, let me tell you something. I don't know if you thought I was a buster, but I'm rich, so I can't throw nothing back, but watch this. Goon Squad, come here... Throw that back at them...
	"Show over, man. Those in the building just ruined y'all time. Show over.

Lil Wayne storms off stage during performance

"Girls" creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner are bringing their weekly feminist newsletter, 'Lenny Letter', to life as a variety show.
	The duo have announced six dates for the 'Lenny: America IRL' tour, which begins in St. Louis, Missouri on May 31, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
	"We really wanted to try to be a part of, in our own small way, healing the very big divide that exists in our country right now. We're trying to look beyond the coastal states and really think about connecting to women, to people, in the middle of the country," Dunham said.
	"It's political, but we're also trying to bring up issues that you can't really argue with. For example, a portion of our proceeds are going toward arts education organisations for girls in every city. People have a lot of really split opinions on social politics, but you basically have to be a mustache-twirling villain to have a problem with girls receiving arts education (sic)."
	The show - which will also tour in Chicago, ...

Lena Dunham announces Lenny tour

Game of Thrones

Might overtake the cast of 'Friends' and 'The Big Bang Theory' as highest-paid actors in TV history

Game of Thrones: Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington paid 2 mn pounds per episode?

Press Trust of India

Actors Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner have been added to the ensemble cast of the upcoming new take on "The Lion King (2019)".
	Rogen is in talks to play the beloved warthog, Pumbaa.
	Eichner will essay his street meerkat pal, Timon, in the live-action movie, reported The Wrap.
	Pumbaa and Timon are famous for their phrase "hakuna matata" in the original adaptation.
	It was a Swahili phrase that translates to "no worries."
	The characters were originated by Nathan Lane and got their own animated TV series on Disney.
	The remake is scheduled by the Mouse House to make its out across the United States on July 19, 2019.
	Donald Glover is tapped for the lead role of Simba and James Earl Jones will play his father Musafa.
	Jon Favreau is attached to helm the project.

Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner to join live-action 'Lion King'

Hollywood star Will Smith is in negotiations to star in Skydance's long-in-development project titled "Gemini Man".
	According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ang Lee is also in talks to direct the action thriller, with Jerry Bruckheimer producing.
	"Gemini Man" centers on an aging assassin who has to fight against his clone, who is 25 years younger and in his prime.
	Back in 1997, the project was first set up at Disney as a pitch by Darren Lemke, while Don Murphy was set to produce the movie and Tony Scott was attached to direct.
	The original concept was to have an actor such as Harrison Ford to play the older assassin and someone like Chris O'Donnell to play the younger one.
	The concept was later revised, with the idea of one actor playing both parts. However, the project was considered impossible to be filmed due to the lack of technology.
	Skydance picked up the project in 2016, believing that technology nowadays has caught up to have someone like Smith, 48, playing two people with ..

Page 1246 -