Academy has blasted President Donald Trump's travel ban branding it "extremely troubling".
	Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, who wrote and directed the 2017 Oscar-nominated foreign language film "The Salesman," would not be able to enter the US for the awards under Trump's recently enacted travel ban, reported Variety.
	"The Academy celebrates achievement in the art of filmmaking, which seeks to transcend borders and speak to audiences around the world, regardless of national, ethnic, or religious differences.
	"As supporters of filmmakers - and the human rights of all people - around the globe, we find it extremely troubling that Asghar Farhadi, the director of the Oscar-winning film from Iran 'A Separation,' along with the cast and crew of this year's Oscar-nominated film 'The Salesman,' could be barred from entering the country because of their religion or country of origin," statement released by the Academy's official spokesperson read.
	Trump signed the executive order on ...

Trump's travel ban 'extremely troubling': Academy

PTI Automatic

Indian-origin American actor Kal Penn has started a CrowdRise fundraiser in the name of a commenter who told him he doesn't belong in the US.
	The message appeared to be written in an Instagram post of 39-year-old Penn's, in which he spoke out about the personal effect President Donald Trump's "Muslim Ban" is having on him and his friends, reported People magazine.
	"Families are being torn apart," Penn wrote.
	"Shame on us. This is un-American. ?What Donald Trump and the Republican Party are doing is wholly unAmerican."
	His online critic responded, "you don't belong in this country you ... Joke."
	Penn, who worked in President Obama's administration as an associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement and plays fictional White House Press Secretary Seth Wright on the hit ABC show Designated Survivor, was born in Montclair, New Jersey, to Gujarati immigrant parents.
	Responding to the racist claims with a charity effort is an example of the love Penn sees in the ...

Kal Penn starts fundraiser for Syrian refugees

Singer John Legend has criticised US President Donald Trump's controversial executive order barring US entry to citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, saying America has to be better than that.
	While presenting a clip from "La La Land" at the 28th annual Producers Guild of America Awards, the film's star, Legend, took a moment to address Trump's immigration ban, reported Variety.
	"Los Angeles is the home of so many immigrants, so many creative people, so many dreamers, and those of us who work in this business have the privilege of shaping how the rest of the world perceives this country we love," Legend said.
	"We are the voice, we are the face of America. Our America is big, it is free, and it is open to dreamers of all races, all countries, all religions. Our vision of America is directly antithetical to that of President Trump. I want to specifically tonight reject his vision and affirm that America has to be better than that."
	Citing protests being .

John Legend slams Trump's immigration ban

"Kaabil" and "Raees" were termed as one of the biggest box office battles of 2017 but Hrithik Roshan is happy that his film has been loved by the audience and critics alike despite the competition at the box office.
	The actor, however, feels such clashes are not good for the film industry and fans.
	Rakesh Roshan had expressed displeasure over this box office clash of "Kaabil" and "Raees" and the actor says his father merely wanted to protect the film industry from the clash as producers suffer financially.
	"He (Rakesh Roshan) was talking about equality. These are things human beings have been fighting for since we have gained consciousness, freedom and equality," Hrithik told PTI.
	"My father is talking about the progress of the industry, producers and for people, who can't watch two films in a week on big screen with family as it costs money. So, it is better for everyone that these (big) kind of clashes don't happen."
	Both SRK and Hrithik's films have been received well at the ..

Big box office clashes not good for industry and fans: Hrithik

British actor Dominic West is joining Alicia Vikander in MGM-Warner Bros' "Tomb Raider" reboot and will portray Lara Croft's father.
	Vikander became attached to the role of Lara Croft last April. Walton Goggins and Daniel Wu are also attached, reported Variety.
	MGM and Warner Bros acquired the rights from GK Films which had previously purchased the film rights in 2011 from Square Enix Ltd Graham King is serving as producer and Roar Uthaug ("The Wave") will direct.
	The original "Tomb Raider" game was published in 1996 by London-based video game company Eidos, and went on to become one of the most successful video games of the time. Eidos is now part of an international interactive entertainment group, Square Enix.
	The "Tomb Raider" franchise has sold over 45 million copies worldwide. Paramount's two films starring Angelina Jolie as British archaeologist Lara Croft were released in 2001 and 2003 and grossed USD 432 million worldwide.
	Vikander won an Oscar in 2016 for her ...

'Tomb Raider' casts Dominic West as Lara Croft's father

Director Rahul Dholakia says Aamir Khan's superhit "Dangal" is on the top of his watch list films and will catch it up whenever gets time.
	His Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Raees" saw a big box office clash with Hrithik Roshan's "Kaabil" on January 25 with both films garnering positive response from the audience.
	When asked Rahul if he will see "Kaabil", Rahul told PTI in an exclusive interview, "Where is the time to see the film? I am busy with 'Raees'. Whatever little time I have I will see 'Raees' in theatres to understand the reaction of audience. I have not enjoyed that bit."
	"I have not seen 'Dangal' forget about 'Kaabil'. So, I will first catch up 'Dangal' and then if I get time will see other film (referring to 'Kaabil')."
	The "Parzania" helmer wasn't perplexed about the clash with "Kaabil".
	"For me it was like I want to make a film the way I want to. I have to be honest and loyal to my job. Also the release date is not in my hands. I was not looking at at it (referring to ...

'Dangal' on Rahul Dholakia's watchlist next

Actress Huma Qureshi says she often feels the need to have some guidance from an "elder person" to cut through the nepotism which runs in Bollywood.
	The actress thinks to say that there is no favouritism in Bollywood would be a lie, but adds that people from within the industry are very hardworking.
	"The fact is, yes there is nepotism. One will be lying if one said there is no nepotism. There definitely is. But it is there in every walk of life. When I say that, I don't want to take away anything from a lot of my friends who are also from the industry," Huma says in an interview.
	"They are very hardworking and passionate people. You have to give credit for the hard work and talent but being from here (industry) makes it easier."
	The actress says unlike her friends from the industry, she does not have the advantage of knowing the nitty-gritty of things.
	"A lot of times, I don't know who to call, how to plan my career, what films to sign. You really want that, an elder person ...

Favouritism exists in Bollywood: Huma Qureshi

Actor Sidharth Malhotra, who will be seen stepping in the shoes of superstar late Rajesh Khanna for the remake of "Ittefaq", says he is not under pressure.
	Sidharth will be a part of the remake version of Yash Chopra's murder mystery "Ittefaq" to be jointly produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Production and BR Films.
	"It is an adaptation and not a direct remake of 'Ittefaq'. There are changes made to the story so it reduces the pressure of filling in the shoes of mega and huge superstar like Rajesh Khanna ji," Sidharth told PTI.
	The actor says he is a huge fan of the yesteryear actor and picked "Anand" as his favourite from the pack of superhits delivered by Khanna.
	"I am very excited about doing this film. I am a big fan of him and his films. One film of his that I have liked the most is 'Anand'."
	The 32-year-old star says that though murder mystery thrillers are quite a rage in the West, not enough films have been made in the genre in Bollywood.
	"It is a genre one ..

Not under pressure to reprise Rajesh Khanna's role: Sidharth

Supermodel Kendall Jenner has revealed that she used to keep tight-lipped about her relationships as a teenager because she thought her parents would tell her off for having boyfriends.
	The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star has opened up about feeling so mortified about telling mother Kris Jenner and her father Caitlyn - formerly Bruce Jenner - of her relationships because she thought she would get told of.
	In a new post for her blog, she wrote: "My dad didn't really know I had a boyfriend! Even though my mom had an idea, I was really weird about telling them because I thought I'd get in trouble."
	However, the 21-year-old model said she is "glad my parents trusted me enough to let me have a good high school experience."
	The brunette beauty, who previously had an on/off relationship with One Direction's Harry Styles, is reportedly seeing rapper A$AP Rocky.

Was scared of telling parents about boyfriends: Kendall Jenner

Pop star Taylor Swift has praised Zayn Malik's talent following the recording of their new duet.
	The 27-year-old singer opened up about her feelings towards Malik in a behind-the-scenes clip which was filmed as they made the music video for their Fifty Shades Darker duet, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever."
	The pair released the highly-anticipated track on Thursday and Swift shared the unseen footage on Instagram, reported E! online.
	"I think his voice is one of those that's really rare and I think he's really special and wonderful and it's really amazing to work together," she said of the former One Direction singer in the video.
	Swift added that she was already friends with Malik before the shoot, because he is dating one of her best friends, supermodel Gigi Hadid.
	"It's amazing when you get to work with people that you hang out with. The question of 'Will we get along?' is already answered."
	The "Shake It Off" hitmaker then described the 24-year-old singer as an incredible talent, .

Taylor Swift full of praise for 'wonderful' Zayn Malik

Geoff Nicholls, Black Sabbath's longtime keyboardist who performed with the heavy metal legends for 25 years, has died following a battle with lung cancer. He was 68.
	The musician passed away on Saturday after, his bandmate Tony Iommi has revealed, reported Rolling Stone magazine.
	In an emotional Facebook post, Tony wrote: "I'm so saddened to hear the loss of one of my dearest and closest friends Geoff Nicholls. He's been suffering for a while now with lung cancer and he lost his battle this morning.
	"Geoff and I have always been very close and he has been a real true friend to me and supported me all the way for nearly 40 years. I will miss him dearly and he will live in my heart until we meet again. Rest In Peace my dear friend. Tony."
	Frontman Ozzy Osbourne tweeted, "Geoff Nicholls was a great friend of mine for a long time. He will be greatly missed. I'm very saddened at the news."
	Bassist Geezer Butler wrote on Facebook, "Very sad to hear of old friend and Sabbath keyboard ..

Black Sabbath's Geoff Nicholls dies

Actor Idris Elba has said he wants to go into space.
	The "Luther" actor fulfilled a long-held ambition when he trained to be a professional kickboxer for documentary series "Idris Elba: Fighter" and now hopes the Discovery Channel will also fund another of his boyhood dreams - to become an astronaut, reported Contactmusic.
	Asked what he wants to try next, he said, "To be a spaceman. If Discovery will pay for it then I'll go into space."
	The 44-year-old star is currently filming "The Mountain Between Us" with Kate Winslet and thinks his fight training has inspired the Oscar-winning actress to push herself more.
	"I think my current co-star is quite impressed actually and has decided to take up Pilates pretty heavily.

Idris Elba wants to become an astronaut

For his summer/resort line, designer Kunal Rawal has decided to bring about an amalgamation of Indian designs and western silhouettes.
	The designer, who has emerged as the go-to man for the Bollywood's young stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, says the collection, which he will showcase at Lakme Fashion Week, stays true to his signature style which is fitted kurtas, bundis and sherwanis.
	"Our collection this season is where Indian designs meet western silhouettes and complement each other to unveil versatile, modern, formal and finished pieces.
	"Kurtas that fit like jackets, the Indian three piece set of kurta, jacket and sherwani, longline bundis, embroideries that mimic pintucks are the anchors of this collection," Rawal told PTI.
	The designer says the urge to present separates in a unique and functional way inspired him to bring out this line.
	"This presentation weaves a tale of separates. It comprises of garments that can be styled in ...

Kunal Rawal's latest line a blend of East and West

Indian-American supermodel, actress and author Padma Lakshmi is set to turn showstopper for ace designer Tarun Tahiliani's Summer/Resort line at the Lakme Fashion Week, which begins here from February 1.
	Lakshmi, who is best known for hosting American culinary show "Top Chef", will done one of Tahiliani's creation from his Mughal-inspired collection titled "Chashme Shahi".
	The 46-year-old TV personality will be making her runway debut at the event and she said she can't wait to walk the ramp for her dear friend.
	"I am so excited that I will be walking the ramp for my dear friend Tarun Tahiliani. While I have attended Lakme Fashion Week, I have never had the pleasure of walking the ramp and I'm so honoured to be part of this wonderful event," Lakshmi said in a statement.
	Tahiliani said Lakshmi is the perfect muse as his latest collection also is an ode to strong women like the American TV star.
	"...To be working with Padma Lakshmi, having lived in many avatars and with her fierce .

Padma Lakshmi to walk the ramp for Tarun Tahiliani at LFW

World Sufi Music Festival, Jahan-e-Khusrau, slated for March, will have cultural flavours of Punjab and Iran and seek to reach out, especially to the youth this year, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali said.
	The 13th edition of the festival will be held from March 24-26. It was initiated by Ali under the aegis of Rumi Foundation seeking to revive the Sufiyana kalams.
	"We are dedicating the festival this year to Baba Farid (sufi saint). There will be several Sufi musicians from Punjab in this edition. There would also be Iranian flavour to the event. We are trying to get a few musicians from that country as well," he said.
	The festival is returning to the national capital after a hiatus of two years.
	"We are trying to do it Arab ki Serai, the same venue as last time. Also, this year, our aim is to take Sufi music closer to the younger generation, so we will be reaching out to the youth more than the seasoned audience or old-timers," Ali told PTI.
	The "Umrao Jaan" fame director was in Delhi ...

Jahan-e-Khusrau will reach out to youth this time: Ali

Chat show queen Oprah Winfrey has teamed up with Kraft Heinz bosses to launch a new refrigerated meals venture.
	The 62-year-old actress and media mogul, who has battled weight issues for years, is currently a spokesperson for diet company WeightWatchers - and now she's planning to give busy fans healthy packaged food options, reported Forbes.
	With Mealtime Stories, she hopes to "create a new line of food that will make real, nutritious products more accessible to everyone."
	Kraft Heinz will develop, manufacture, market and sell Mealtime Stories products in the US and 10 per cent of profits will be donated to anti-hunger charities.
	The first items available this spring will come out under the banner Oprah's Kitchen, and feature "frozen, prepared or packaged entrees consisting primarily of meat, fish, poultry or vegetables."
	It's not the first time Oprah has been part of a culinary deal - in 2014, she joined forced with bosses at Starbucks to create Teavana Oprah Chai.

Oprah Winfrey to launch packaged meals venture

Animal lover Ricky Gervais gave up his promotional segment on a US morning show to help presenters find a home for a 15-year-old dog.
	The hosts of "Good Morning America" were chatting to Gervais about his new "David Brent: Life on the Road" film when he stopped them short and said he'd rather focus his attention on getting Bear adopted, reported Contactmusic.
	"I was here to talk about that but I've just discovered there's a dog needs adopting, so I'd rather use my segment to get him adopted.
	"I'm not leaving until we get a phone call this guy's adopted. He was chained up for 15 years. Give him a life... He's so loving. He's had no life," Gervais said.
	The funnyman added, "Look at him; he was abused for 15 years and he's forgiven us."
	Gervais also posted a selfie of himself and the Chow-black Labrador mix on social media.

Ricky Gervais halts interview to find home for dog

UK singer-songwriter Rag'n'Bone Man has just unveiled a sensational new track entitled "Skin".
	It comes ahead of the 2017 BRIT Awards, where he has been nominated following the incredible success of his song "Human", reported NME magazine.
	The new song, which is another chilled, soaring number that brings the very best out of the singer's impressive vocals, will be made available instantly to all who pre-order the new album.
	It follows the album's title single, which reached number two in the UK charts and topped the iTunes charts in 33 countries.
	Rag'n'Bone Man (formally named Rory Graham) has recently been nominated for British Breakthrough Artist alongside Anne-Marie, Blossoms, Skepta and Stormzy at the 2017 BRIT Awards.

Rag'n'Bone Man unveils new single 'Skin'

Singer Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has treated her personal assistant to a luxury holiday for her 30th birthday.
	The 33-year-old singer - who is expecting her first baby with One Direction singer Liam Payne - sent her PA Lily England to the Maldives so she could celebrate the milestone.
	Lily wrote on Instagram: "What an unbelievable trip... somewhere I'd only ever dreamed of visiting! Thank you @cherylofficial #bestbirthdaypresentEVER #turning30defintelyhaditsperks (sic)."
	Cheryl is a fan of the Maldives and last February, just months after they started dating, she and Liam enjoyed a romantic break together in the Indian Ocean destination.

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini treats assistant to lavish holiday

Actress Holland Taylor says her relationship with Sarah Paulson is "the most wonderful thing in my life."
	The 74-year-old actress has been dating the 42-year-old star since 2015 and Holland is head-over-heels for her girlfriend, reported Us magazine.
	"I'm the luckiest person in the world. I can't talk about my life today and not mention this wonderful love. It has to be part of what is the most wonderful thing in my life. The whole embrace of this wonderful relationship, which makes everything else makes sense," Taylor said.
	Holland and Taylor first met at a dinner party over 10 years ago but only started dating after reconnecting on Twitter.

Holland Taylor calls Sarah Paulson her 'wonderful love'

Actress Drew Barrymore has said she lost 20 pounds while shooting her new zombie drama "The Santa Clarita Diet."
	The 41-year-old actress portrays undead Sheila in the new Netflix show and said the new role gave her new-found confidence and inspiration after her marriage split from husband Will Kopelman, reported Contactmusic.
	"It (TV show) came in the middle of this moment in my life, where I had let myself go due to personal circumstances, and I thought I could come alive with Sheila.
	"It was a really great goal line for me, because as much as the weight loss... Everything's very subtle, it's attitudinal, it's empowerment, it's confidence (sic)," Barrymore said.
	"She's (Sheila) lost in her life and I felt I had sort of lost my life, and it was such a blessing to come alive with her, and it really was so positive for me."
	Barrymore split from art consultant Kopelman, the father of her two daughters Olive and Frankie, last April.

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