A host of Bollywood celebrities including filmmakers Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Mukesh Bhatt today condemned the attack on Sanjay Leela Bhansali by activists of a Rajput community during the shooting of a film, and called for a united stand by the film industry to ensure safety of artists.
	A group of activists force-stopped the shooting of "Padmavati", being helmed by the National Award-winning filmmaker, by vandalising the movie set at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur and also assaulted him, alleging distortion of facts.
	Johar, who recently faced the ire of a right wing organisation during the released of his film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", said he could understand what Bhansali must be going through.
	"Having been through many instances of turmoil during a film shoot or release...I understand Sanjay's emotion at this point...I stand by him," Johar said.
	Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also exhorted the industry to unite. "Can once the whole film industry come together and take a stand, and refuse 

B-town condemns attack on Bhansali during 'Padmavati' shoot

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Celebrities including Sonam Kapoor, music composer Vishal Dadlani, southern star Arvind Swami and Ashok Pandit have condemned the attack on filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali by activists of a Rajput community group during the shooting of his upcoming movie "Padmavati".
	A group of activists forced stopped the shooting of the filmmaker's next directorial venture by vandalising the set at Jaigarh Fort, of Jaipur and also assaulted him.
	"What happened on Padmavati sets is appalling and heinous. Is this the state of the world," Sonam tweeted.
	Dadlani wrote, "Sick! #SanjayLeelaBhansali one of our most respected filmmakers, attacked on his set. Hope the film industry comes together against this!"
	"There are legal ways to object, if they have an issue. Physical attack is not an 'objection', it is a criminal act, meant to intimidate," he added.
	Swami posted, "If crime is not countered with punishment, the balance will tilt towards lawlessness. Law and order is needed to protect freedom ...

Celebs condemn attack on Bhansali during 'Padmavati' shoot

Actress Sonakshi Sinha says she is happy doing work in Bollywood and has no aspirations yet to go to Hollywood.
	Currently, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are doing Hollywood projects and the "Akira" actress is happy with the work they are doing.
	"I am very happy here, why do you want to send me there I don't understand! I am very happy here with the kind of work I am doing. I haven't thought about it (going to Hollywood), but whoever is going there, I am happy for them, for the work they're doing," Sonakshi told reporters here.
	The 29-year-old actress was speaking at a special virtual reality immersive gaming experience ahead of the release of the Milla Jovovich-starrer "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter".
	The actress tried her hand at the VR game, which put her in a zombie attack, wearing virtual glasses and a vest that provided vibration and audio feedback, while she used a gun to shoot on-screen.
	Sonakshi said she is a "gamer" and if "Resident Evil" is adapted for Indian .

Happy for those in Hollywood, but I am content here: Sonakshi

Assamese feature film "Aei Maatite" based on witch hunting has received clearance from the Censor Board without any cut or modification.
	"Aei Maatite" is directed by independent filmmaker and eminent theatre personality Sitanath Lahkar and is an adaptation of his well-known stage play "Tamasaa" which revolves around the burning problem of witch hunting in the state.
	The story, screenplay, dialogues and lyrics have also been penned by Lahkar, a retired principal of Cotton College.
	The film is the first to be produced by Angeekar Film and with the receipt of the certificate from Central Board of Film Certification it is ready to be released in theatres soon.
	"It was very nice to see the Censor Board's reaction to the film during screening for its committee members ... Their response was overwhelming ... They truly appreciated the effort in making a film on such an important problem of the society.
	" After reviewing the film for certification, the Censor Board members lauded the ...

Assamese film on witch hunting receives clearance without cuts

The 19th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Asia's largest theatre extravaganza, will not see any performances from neighbouring Pakistan or China.
	Of the 12 countries staging 14 of the total 94 performances, theatre-goers will not see any from Pakistan or China, said organizers from National School of Drama.
	Downplaying the absence of Pakistani artistes this year, NSD director Waman Kendre said, "They (artistes) had sent applications but the committee might not have selected them. Quality is the only criteria we keep in mind and they might not have matched it."
	He also said that a record-breaking number of applications were sent in to the Expert Committee from all over the world, and 602 applications were sent from around India alone.
	On China's absence, NSD professor Suresh Bharadwaj said that scheduling issues prevented performers from attending the festival.
	Of two Israeli plays that were scheduled, one has been cancelled as the artistes faced problems regarding tickets, ...

No plays from Pakistan or China at Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2017

Theatre lovers in the capital are in for a feast with the 19th edition of National School of Drama's Bharat Rang Mahotsav offering a bouquet of 94 performances in the course of two weeks.
	The annual theatre extravaganza, slated to run through from February 1 to 21, will see 14 foreign productions and 12 participating countries.
	The festival this year will center around the theme 'Whose Theatre is it Anyway', and is a part of World Theatre Forum and Allied Programmes, said NSD Director Waman Kendre.
	"A live webcast of the Allied Programmes will be available," he added.
	A seminar titled 'Actor at vanishing point', will see eminent as well as emerging personalities from the field of drama from around the world participate.
	"Who does the theatre belong to? will be the focus of the festival, and will be discussed in the presence of eminent directors from India and around the world," said NSD professor Tripurari Sharma.
	The audience will be able to feast their eyes on performances ...

94 plays, 12 countries at Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2017

Activists of a local organisation today demonstrated against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati", which is being shot here, for allegedly distorting historical facts.
	Members of Karni Sena stalled the shooting of film at the Jaigarh fort.
	"The film is presenting wrong facts about 'Padmavati'. Our basic protest is about distortion of historic facts which will not be tolerated," Vikram Singh, a Karni Sena activist said.
	The protesters also met the director.
	Deepika Padukone plays queen Padmavati opposite Shahid Kapoor's Ratan Singh. Ranveer Singh is in the role of Alauddin Khilji in the movie, which marks Bhansali's return to period era after the success of "Bajirao Mastani".

Protest against 'Padmavati' shooting in Jaipur

A new cultural festival has made its way to Nahargarh Palace near the Ranthambore National Park that not only provides a dose of music but also serves for a cause and seeks to showcase the richness of Rajasthan's wildlife and landscapes.
	Ranthambore Festival is a three-day cultural fiesta that kicks off from today and is aimed at providing a platform to artists, conservationists, writers and thinkers actively debate upon the past, present and future of India's music and environment.
	Conceptualised by the NGO Puqaar Foundation under the patronage of the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, the festival seeks to be a platform to honour Rajasthan's little-known, world class musicians and celebrate the singular music traditions that have made the state synonymous with Indian folk music around the world.
	The festival will also draw attention to Rajasthan's legacy of wildlife, one of the reasons why the Nahargarh Palace, which is just 500 meters from the Ranthambore National Park, is chosen ..

Cultural, musical potpourri at Ranthambore Festival

Rapper Chris Brown's luxury car, a Lamborghini Aventador, reportedly met with a crash on January 24.
	The 27-year-old singer-songwriter's ride was found mysteriously wrecked in Beverly Hills, with no one riding behind the wheel, reported TMZ.
	The Lamborghini, which has a retail price ranging between USD 4,00,000-5,00,000 is registered to Chris and he also lets friends drive it often.
	The singer had no knowledge that it was being driven the night of the crash.
	The police has termed the case as "a low priority investigation" said that it was a single car wreck and nothing else was damaged.

Chris Brown's luxury car found wrecked

Her collaboration with Sanjay Leela Bhansali has always resulted in iconic songs and singer Shreya Ghoshal says the music of the director's upcoming project "Padmavati" will be loved by her fans.
	Shreya says she has some "interesting" songs in the period-drama which is scheduled to release in November.
	"The film has some beautiful songs. 'Padmavati' is set in Rajasthan, it has a Srilankan connect also because she was from Srilanka. The fusion of folk and larger than life arrangements and grander treatment is amazing. It is going to be a treat," Shreya told PTI.
	"I have some very interesting, different kind of songs in the film and I am waiting for it to release and see how it turns out on the big screen," she added.
	The film features Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji, the medieval-era Delhi ruler, who fell in love with queen Padmavati, played by Deepika Padukone.
	"Padmavati" also features Shahid Kapoor as Raja Ratan Singh, the Rajput ruler and husband of Padmavati.
	The ...

'Padmavati' album will be a treat for fans: Shreya Ghoshal

Actor Vinod Khanna's nephew Akhil Kapur will essay the role of male Paro in a new retelling of Devdas in the webseries "Dev DD".
	A part of the digital initiative by ALT Balaji, the online streaming show is a contemporary take on the famous Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel of the same name where Devdas is woman.
	"It's a fun, young modern twist to a classic story, with its role reversal - different and quirky, new age and very exciting," said Akhil in a statement.
	He added that it was fascinating for him to portray a male Paro and a fun experience to work with director Ken Ghosh.
	Akhil said, "Playing the male version of Paro with my personal touches was quite interesting."
	While Akhil plays Paro, actor Sanjay Suri joined the cast to play the male version of Devdas' other love interest, Chandramukhi.

Vinod Khanna's nephew Akhil Kapur to star as Paro in "Dev DD"

After receiving heaps of praise from the who's and who of Bollywood, when Shah Rukh Khan was congratulated by director friend Karan Johar for his performance in "Raees", the superstar quipped, saying "now you should also make an intense action film".
	Johar wrote on Twitter, "Congratulations Bhai!! @iamsrk... You are just amazing in the film!! Congratulations team #raees @ritesh_sid @FarOutAkhtar @rahuldholakia."
	To this Shah Rukh replied, "Now you should also make an intense action film. You have it in you. Dishoom Dishoom Hota Hai."
	Karan went on to write, "Uh... If you promise to ghost direct it! Am on!!!!!"
	And Shah Rukh in his inimitable style responded, "I have always directed ur action scenes. Every scene where I run furiously after the ladies and hold their hand!!"
	Karan later revealed that it was Shah Rukh who was instrumental in directing the memorable basketball scenes from their first movie together in 1998's "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai".
	"Haha!! That's true and it's time to .

When Shah Rukh Khan asked Karan Johar to direct an action film

Indian models have improved so much professionally that they can today walk on any international ramp, says Milind Soman.
	They have become experts, believes Soman, one of the first male supermodels of the country, on how the modelling scene has evolved over the years.
	"It seems they (India's models) can walk on any ramp, anywhere in the world, which is fabulous", he told PTI here.
	"I think in the whole fashion industry, the group of people that has improved the most is the models, in fact, even more than the designers, more than the photographers, more than the stylists, I think the models have reached a kind of standards that's international", Soman added.
	Milind was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Bajirao Mastani", in which he played the role of Ambaji Pant.

Indian models can walk on any international ramp: Milind Soman

Veteran Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha, who had acted in Goutam Ghosh's Bengali film "Antarjali Jatra" in 1987, says one of his biggest career regrets is that he could not work in a Satyajit Ray film.
	"Few people know that I was supposed to do a film with Manikda (Satyajit Ray), but that did not happen. Soumitra Chatterjee would have been the other actor in that film," Sinha said at the 4th Kolkata Literature Festival, which is a part of the ongoing 41st International Kolkata Book Fair.
	Motivating youngsters to never forsake their individuality and originality, Sinha said, "Though I had been copied more in regional films, his style and manners, I have never ever copied anyone."
	"In this competitive world prove yourself to be better than the best and that was the spirit of my biography 'Anything But Khamosh'.
	"From Patna to Pune, from Bihar to 'Jai Maharashtra' I had become from zero to hero. From small roles to villains to major villain roles, from parallel (film) hero to ...

Shatrughan Sinha regrets not being able to work with Ray

Actress Scarlett Johansson and her husband Romain Dauriac stepped out together to attend an art exhibition here amid reports that the couple has called off their wedding.
	The duo looked happy and friendly as they spotted together while posing for some photographs at the Simon Lee Gallery event, reported AceShowbiz.
	The "Lucy" actress, who donned an all-black ensemble for the exhibition, was apparently not wearing her wedding ring.
	Johansson, 32, and Dauriac, 34, got married secretly in 2014 shortly after welcoming their daughter, Rose Dorothy.
	The pair reportedly decided to end their romantic relationship last summer.
	Johnasson was previously married to "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2010.

Johansson, Dauriac spotted together amid 'split'

American actress and activist Ashley Judd says the ascension of Donald Trump to the US presidency shows that the people of the country are "confused".
	"It seems that we are confused. It is confusing how a misogynist like Trump can be President," Judd said at the Kolkata Literary Meet here last evening.
	Judd, 48, who participated in the Women's March on January 21, 2017 in Washington DC, said that Hillary Clinton had an amazing resume.
	"Hillary ran against Trump. Her CV is epic. What she campaigned for shows she is a 'nasty woman'. I am also a 'nasty woman' so to say".
	The actress recited a poem written by Nina Donovan, "Nasty Woman" at the Women's March.
	Judd said that US still did not have an equitable wage structure for workers.
	"We don't have that kind of an equal pay dignity. That is not there in America. There must be something wrong definitely," she said. According to her USD 15 per hour should be the minimum entry wage.
	Recalling her childhood days, she said, "My  ...

Trump's victory shows we are confused: Ashley Judd

Actors Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman are set to star in science fiction fantasy "Black Panther", Marvel has confirmed.
	Serkis will reprise his role as the mercenary Ulysses Klaue from "Avengers: Age of Ultron", while Freeman will once again play, Everett K Rose, the US State Department liason to foreign diplomats, following his debut in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War", reported AceShowbiz.
	The two have joined the previously confirmed stars, Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Sterling K Brown, Florence Kasumba, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke and Letitia Wright.
	Directed by Ryan Coogler, the movie is currently filming in Atlanta and is set to hit the US theatres on February 16 next year.

Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman to star in 'Black Panther'

Actor Anil Kapoor says playing the role of a turbaned Sikh in his upcoming film was a challenge.
     "Essaying the role of a sardar is a challenge. This is the first time I will be wearing a turban for a full-fledged role and for me it is a crown and a symbol of pride," Anil said in a statement.
     "Wearing a turban comes with a big responsibility and I am glad that Anees Bazmee, Sony Pictures and Cine1 Production chose me for this film," he added.
     In the Anees Bazmee-directed film the 60-year-old actor's look has been designed by Kunal Rawal.
     "Mubarakan" for the very first time, will bring together the real life 'Chacha-Bhatija' jodi of Anil and Arjun Kapoor
     The movie also stars Ileana D'cruz and Athiya Shetty.
     It will be releasing on July 28.

Essaying role of sardar was a challenge: Anil Kapoor

Mary Tyler Moore, whose witty and graceful performances on two top-rated TV shows in the 60s and '70s helped define a new vision of American womanhood, will be included in the "In Memoriam" segment of the 23rd annual SAG Awards.
	"Moore will be given tribute this weekend at SAGs, which will also honour "the SAG-AFTRA members lost during the past year," a Screen Actors Guild spokesperson confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.
	The TV legend, who died Wednesday at the age of 80, was earlier honoured with the Life Achievement Award at SAGs in 2012.
	The 23rd annual SAG Awards will be handed out on January 29. The ceremony airs live on TNT and TBS.

SAG Awards' Memoriam segment to honour Mary Tyler Moore

Actress Emma Stone has revealed that she was 14 and sitting in a ninth grade history class when she decided to move to LA to pursue a career in acting.
	In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, the 28-year-old actress, who has received an Oscar nomination in the best actress category for "La La Land", said that it was a moment of epiphany for her while attending the last period of the day at school.
	"I had this Howard Beale-like moment... I have a revelation that I needed to move to Los Angeles as soon as possible because that's where I needed to go," Emma said.
	Calling her decision "crazy", she recounts how she convinced her parents to let her go, despite having no exposure to movie or TV cameras.
	The "Birdman" star added that she rushed home from school and started working on a PowerPoint presentation that she titled "Project Hollywood".
	"It's nuts that they agreed to it... I don't condone it. Everybody should go through high school and graduate," Emma laughed.
	Stone also went .

Emma Stone left ninth grade to become an actress at 14

Rock band Queen and singer Adam Lambert are once again teaming up for another summer tour, launching on June 23 at Phoenix's Gila River Arena.
	The run is scheduled to hit arenas across 24 cities, including North America and extend through August 5, hitting cities like Toronto, Boston, New York, Washington DC, and Dallas, reported Entertainment Weekly.
	Queen's present members Brian May (guitarist) and Roger Taylor (drummer) began touring with Lambert in 2014 and have played sold-out shows in Europe, Asia and Australia.
	Fans could expect to hear classic Queen tracks like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Another One Bites the Dust."
	Lambert, 34, first teamed up with May, 69, and Taylor, 67, in 2009 to perform "We Are the Champions" during the American Idol finale.
	Lambert joined May and Taylor again in 2011 for the EMAs' tribute to late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

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