"Mission Impossible" star Rebecca Ferguson has joined Hugh Jackman-starrer "The Greatest Showman", a musical biopic of P T Barnum.
	The 32-year-old actress will play the role of Swedish opera singer, Jenny Lind, in the film, reported Variety.
	It also stars Zac Efron, Michelle Williams and Zendaya while Michael Gracey is directing the project.
	Chernin Entertainment and Laurence Mark are producing. Production is set to begin in the fall.
	The project has been in development since 2009 with Jackman attached to play Barnum (showman), founder of the circus that became the famous traveling Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
	Ferguson will also star in Daniel Espinosa's "Life" opposite Ryan Reynolds and Tomas Alfredson's "The Snowman" alongside Michael Fassbender and the movie adaptation of "The Girl on the Train".

Rebecca Ferguson joins Hugh Jackman 'The Greatest Showman'

PTI Automatic

"Eat Pray Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert says she is in love with her female best friend, Rayya Elias.
	The 47-year-old popular novelist, who split from her husband, Jose Nunes, after nine years of marriage in July, shared the news of her newfound love on Facebook.
	In a lengthy post Gilbert revealed that Elias terminal diagnosis uncovered her true feelings for her longtime friend.
	Elias was recently diagnosed with incurable pancreatic and liver cancer.
	"Something happened to my heart and mind in the days and weeks following Rayya's diagnosis. Death - or the prospect of death - has a way of clearing away everything that is not real, and in that space of stark and utter realness, I was faced with this truth: I do not merely love Rayya; I am in love with Rayya," she wrote.
	Gilbert went on writing and asked readers for their love, "I'm walking through this cancer journey with her, not only as her friend, but as her partner... Whatever extra love you might be carrying around in your ...

'Eat Pray Love' author Elizabeth Gilbert in love with woman

Rajasthani folk songs, contemporary instrumental music from Brazil, African slave chants and tunes from communities of Croatia will be among the major highlights at the annual Jodhpur Riff festival this year.
	Scheduled to be held from October 13 to 17 at Jodhpur's Mehrangarh Fort, the festival will bring the rarest and best music of Rajasthan and from across the globe on a single platform.
	"We aim to showcase Rajasthan's amazing music and musicianship. Presenting the artistes with respect and dignity is a central aspect of the ethos of the festival.
	"While there is a lot that remains to be done in the villages of Rajasthan, we try to contribute to the general awareness of Rajasthani folk music, in order to positively impact the livelihood of some of the artists," says Divya Bhatia, festival director.
	The five-day-long festival which has previously hosted Grammy awardees like Wouter Kellerman, this year will showcase performances by over a hundred Rajasthani artistes including ...

Folk songs, Brazilian music, Croatian tunes at Jopdhpur RIFF

Angad Bedi feels actress Alia Bhatt is "gifted" and someone who was born to be an actor.
	Angad will be seen working with the "Highway" star for the first time in "Dear Zindagi", which also stars Shah Rukh Khan.
	The movie is directed by Gauri Shinde.
	"Alia is phenomenal. She has a great switch-on switch-off ability. She is very hardworking and it is fun working with her because as an actor you feed off each other. She helps you. You pick up on her energy," Angad said in an interview.
	"She is born to act. She could not do anything else. There are some people, like how (Sachin) Tendulkar was born to play cricket, Alia was born to be an actor. She is gifted," the 33-year-old actor said.
	Angad, who made his debut in Remo D'Souza's "Faltu", believes that Alia can carry "Dear Zindagi" on her shoulders as she is a powerful performer.
	"Some people work hard, some are just talented. Alia has got that. She is unique. She carried 'Highway', now she will carry this film. Every film after ...

Alia is born to act: Angad Bedi

Actor Shia LaBeouf says drinking "almost" messed his life up but maintains he has been sober for a year now.
	The 30-year-old "Transformers" star said he is keeping his "head low", reported Variety.
	"That thing (drinking) almost messed up my life. Alcohol or any of that crap will send you haywire. I can't deal with none of it. I've got to keep my head low," he said.
	"I got a Napoleonic complex. I start drinking and I feel smaller than I am, and I get louder than I should. It's just not for me, dude. I had people tell me it was going to [ruin my career]. People I respected - dudes I wanted to work with - just looked me in the eyes and said, 'Life's too short for this crap.' I'm still earning my way back. I'm happy working.

Drinking nearly messed up my life: Shia LaBeouf

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West was thrilled to meet her "idol" Sarah Jessica Parker backstage at husband Kanye West's gig.
	The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star clicked a selfie with the the "Sex and the City" actress at the concert on Monday, reported Female First.
	The pair were posing for a selfie when Kardashian, 35, turned to the 41-year-old actress and said: "You're like my idol."
	Parker laughed and said, "No, you're nuts."
	But Kardashian, who has kids North, three, and Saint, eight months, with West, insisted the compliment was genuine.
	"You're like the most amazing person on the planet.

Kim Kardashian West hails Sarah Jessica Parker her 'idol'

Actor Jeremy Renner has settled another dispute with his ex-wife Sonni Pacheo over child support.
	The 45-year-old actor and Pacheco have been at loggerheads since they divorced in 2015 after spending just 10 months as a married couple.
	In the latest dispute, Pacheo claimed that the "Avengers" actor was behind in child support payments for their three-year-old daughter Ava but he has now settled the issue by agreeing to pay USD 16,000 in child support as well as USD 24,000 for her lawyer and accountant.
	Pacheo has also claimed that "American Hustle" actor has been posting too many pictures of their daughter on social media, despite Renner previously stating that he doesn't show Ava's face in order to "protect" her.

Jeremy Renner settles child support dispute

Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston reportedly ended their relationship after just three months of dating, but rather than feeling sad for the couple, fans have reacted to the news with jokes and memes.
	Taking to Twitter to mock their the much-publicised romance, some people wrote they expect to get new songs from Swift about the relationship, while others imagined the reaction of singer's ex Calvin Harris and Kim Kardashian, with whom the pop star recently had an ugly fight.
	"#HiddleswiftIsOver my phone battery life last longer Taylor Swift relationships. Tom was too good for her," one person wrote.
	"Taylor Swift's boyfriends have a thing in common with smartphones. Every year there's a new one out," another wrote.
	Some people simply rejoiced at the news. @TazzyMare posted, "#Hiddleswift is over. The Contract Shamwow has finished. My reaction!" along with a GIF of a scene from the original "Star Trek" series.
	"Kimye is popping open a bottle of champagne right now," a user tweeted. ..

Fans mock Swift-Hiddleston's apparent break-up

Singer Zayn Malik reportedly spends "hours" on the phone to girlfriend Gigi Hadid to help overcome his anxiety.
 	The 23-year-old "Pillowtalk" singer, who recently pulled out of a gig in Dubai because of his problem, has been relying on his girlfriend for support as her positive attitude helps him to relax and she can ease his fears better than anyone, reported Female First.
	"Gigi has a very calming affect on Zayn and will spend hours on the phone with him when he is having a bad day. She will remind him to take deep breaths and to do those things that relax him like drawing or painting.
	"She does worry about him, but never shows it. She just stays as positive as she can when she's helping him calm down," a source said.
	The 21-year-old model also sends motivational messages to the pop star as another means of support.
	"Gigi has been doing everything she can to help Zayn overcome his anxiety and panic attacks. She is constantly giving him reassurance that he is safe and nothing bad 

Zayn Malik reassured by Gigi Hadid

Music mogul Simon Cowell has said he is not surprised by Zayn Malik's decision to produce a TV show, but he wishes he had come to him first.
	Malik is producing a boyband drama series of NBC network.
	The show, titled "Boys", mirrors his real-life experience as a former member of One Direction.
	The 23-year-old singer is teaming up with TV producer Dick Wolf for the project.
	Cowell, Malik's former record label boss, who signed One Directon to his Syco label after it was formed, and came second, on his TV show "The X Factor" in 2010, believes the singer owed it to him to offer him the rights to the project first, reported Entertainment Tonight.
	"Nothing surprises me anymore. I think he should have come to me with it, if I'm being honest with you. I do actually believe that when they've got these ideas, bearing in mind where we started, they should actually come to me," Cowell., 56, said.
	The show, meanwhile, will be written by Sherri Cooper Landsman and Jennifer Levin.

Zayn Malik should have brought show to me: Simon Cowell

It is one of his most celebrated roles, but Mel Gibson says he initially passed on the role of William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish warrior, in "Braveheart".
	Gibson was offered to act in the movie but he also ended up directing it.
	The director, who is garnering praise for his real-life drama "Hacksaw Ridge", says some of the best movies sometimes don't appeal to people in the idea stage, reported Deadline.
	"None of these are easy. They never are. I mean people see afterwards that it's pretty good, but maybe it doesn't seem great in the idea stage. On this one, Bill (Bill Mechanic, producer) spent 15 years. He even sent me the script, twice before. I passed, both times," the actor-director revealed.
	Gibson did a similar thing with "Braveheart" but he came around.
	"Well, I did that with Braveheart. I passed on it. I kind of liked it and I thought maybe... I don't know. One reason or another.
	"Then, it's like what happened with this one. The wheels start going around and you ..

Mel Gibson initially passed on 'Braveheart' script

Singer Peter Andre has revealed he doesn't let his children, son Junior and daughter Princess, log on to social media at his house.
	The "Mysterious Girl" singer has taken an opposing stance to the kids' mother Katie Price, who has opened Instagram accounts for them, and when they stay with him and his new wife Emily MacDonagh they are not allowed to sign in to the photo sharing website, reported Female First.
	Andre, who has two-year-old daughter Amelia with MacDonagh and another baby on the way, believes Junior, 11, and Princess, nine, are too young for Instagram and keeps them offline because he believes the platform opens up "all sorts of issues."
	Writing in his column for New! magazine, he shared, "I have been asked how I feel about my kids having Instagram accounts. Everyone knows I don't allow them to have phones or social media at my house. I don't like kids having them because I think it opens them up to all sorts of issues."
	Andre, however, respects Price's decision to ...

Peter Andre at odds with kids over Instagram

"Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey, who has reconciled with wife Jillian after announcing their split in 2015, says he decided to work on his marriage as he was not ready to end their 15-year-old union.
	Dempsey and Jillian, who raise three children together, had shocked fans by announcing their break up but they eventually worked out their differences.
	"Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of. I didn't feel like we had done all the work. And we both wanted to do that work. That's where it started," Dempsey told People magazine.
	The "Bridget Jones's Baby" star says it was scary to imagine the end of his marriage.
	"It's always destabilizing when you're potentially breaking up a family or you have a big section of your life that's ending," he said.
	"Everybody has their own path. Jill and I decided it was time to work on our issues and improve. We wanted to be role models for our kids like, okay, if you have differences, you can work them out."
	Dempsey, 50, who 

Was not prepared to let go of our marriage: Patrick Dempsey

Singer Noel Gallagher has revealed that veteran actor Robert De Niro had no idea who the former Oasis guitarist when they had a meal together in France last month.
 	The 49-year-old musician enjoyed a lengthy lunch with the actor, 73, in the South of France last month, and ended up dining with him for a whopping eight hours, reported Female First.
	"I sat next to him and I've got to say he didn't have a clue who I was. As he was leaving, he said, 'Write down the name of that band again that you were in.'
	"We had this lunch that started at one o'clock in the afternoon... And he left at about eight or nine. He was there for about eight hours. If I ever have the pleasure of meeting him again, he'll just go, 'I've never met this guy'," Gallagher said.

Robert De Niro didn't know who I was: Noel Gallagher

Actress Zendaya Coleman has claimed she was refused service in a supermarket because of the colour of her skin.
	The 20-year-old singer-actress took to Snapchat on Tuesday to post a series of short videos explaining the incident of visiting a branch of Vons, a supermarket chain in North America, reported Female First.
	"So, we just got out of this Vons. Now, I am trying to buy a lot of gift cards. There are certain limits or whatever so you can only by so much, but the lady that was helping us ... I don't think she was a fan of our skin tone.
	"She then threw my wallet. I can't make this up! This is what we deal with! She literally threw my wallet and she was like, 'You can't afford this.' It was USD 400! Long story short, there is so much progress to be done in our world."
	Zendaya, star of "The Spider-Man: Homecoming" then corrected herself in a later video, saying that the store clerk didn't throw her wallet, but actually tossed it toward her.
	"It wasn't like a throw it was like a 

I was refused service because of my skin tone: Zendaya

Actor Shia LaBeouf has got on his knee two tattoos of singer Missy Elliott, despite not being her fan.
	The 30-year-old actor bonded with his cast mates in low budget "American Honey", in which he plays the leader of a gang of thieves who sell magazine subscriptions on a cross-country road trip by getting a new inking in every place they visited, and he finished the seven-week shoot with 12 new inkings, reported Female First.
	"We bonded hard. You do whatever is required for it to be true, for it to be honest. I had to run this group. One of the things we'd do as a group, we'd all go to the tattoo shop."
	Of the Missy tattoos on his knees, he said, "I don't love Missy Elliott like I want to get two Missy Elliott tattoo.
	"But you're in a tattoo parlour, and... Peer pressure.

Shia LaBeouf has two Missy Elliott tattoos

The newly crowned Miss World Japan is hardly a typical Japanese woman. Being half-Indian is only part of it.
	Priyanka Yoshikawa, crowned Monday after outshining more than 6,900 other applicants, has a certificate in elephant training, teaches English to children, enjoys kickboxing and volunteers as a translator at medical meetings.
	The 22-year-old is preparing for the worldwide pageant in Washington, DC, in November.
	Being fitted for a couture gown for the event is part of the programme, but fashion plays a small role in Yoshikawa's life.
	And she doesn't want to fit into any stereotype.
	She told The Associated Press today that being in a beauty contest is a way to achieve her ambitions: Go to Bollywood, while pursuing her goal of building a children's home in India.
	A national debate was sparked in largely homogeneous Japan last year when Ariana Miyamoto, a half-American of African descent, was chosen Miss Universe Japan, another international beauty contest.
	Miyamoto faced ...

Newly crowned Miss Japan proud of Indian roots

Popular Punjabi singer Sukhbir who crooned the Hindi hit song 'Gal Ban Gayi' was initially worried about how the remix version would come out of the same number.
	Sukhbir had sang the original hit song 'Gal Ban Gayi' and now he has once again lent his voice for the remix of the hit track, composed by Meet Bros.
	Neha Kakkar has lent her voice for the female vocals.
	"You do question will it (remix version) work or not. But this new song has come out really nice. Meet Brothers and Kumaar (lyricist) have given a new life to the original Gal Ban Gayi. They have added value to the original song. But it's a brand new song," Sukhbir told reporters here at the launch of the song.
	The music video of the remix stars actor Vidyut Jamwal and Urvashi Rautela in the lead.
	This is the second single of Jamwal with T series. The "Commando" actor had done a music video with actress Huma Qureshi earlier.
	"I am glad (that) I got to do this song with Sukhbir. He is a legend. It was amazing experience .

Was worried about remix version of 'Gal Ban Gayi': Sukhbir

A Pakistani minister has demanded an apology from the makers of Indian film "Mohenjo Daro" for "distorting" historical facts and "making a mockery" of the highly-developed 5000-year-old civilisation.
	Sardar Ali Shah, Sindh Minister for Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, said he would soon communicate Sindh's reaction and objections to Bollywood filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker who, he said, misled people through his movie "Mohenjo Daro", which was released on August 12.
	He said Gowariker should tender apology to Sindhi people for distorting historical facts and making a mockery of highly developed culture of the 5000-year-old civilisation, Dawn reported.
	Shah said the movie depicted Harappan War and recovery of levy which were nothing but figments of imagination of filmmakers and had nothing to do with history of Moenjodaro.
	He said the world has widely acknowledged the importance of the heritage sites of Sindh, which was evident from the fact that Moenjodaro has been included in the ..

Pak minister demands apology from 'Mohenjo Daro' makers

Actress Taapsee Pannu is all geared up for her forthcoming action film "Naam Shabana" and is undergoing workshops to prepare for her role.
	The film, earlier titled "Meera", will be a part of the Akshay Kumar-starrer "Baby" franchise.
	"It is now called 'Naam Shabana'. It is a part of the 'Baby' franchise. You will see me doing a lot of action. I've started workshops. It has been close to three weeks now," Taapsee said in an interview here.
	"Baby" also starred the 29-year-old actress. "Naam Shabana" is titled after the undercover name of Taapsee's character in "Baby", Shabana Kaif.
	"I'll keep on doing workshops for the film till the time I start doing action sequences. I start shooting for it right after 'Pink'," Taapsee said.
	The film will be reportedly helmed by filmmaker Shivam Nair and is being produced by Neeraj Pandey, who directed "Baby".
	Taapsee is currently awaiting the release of "Pink", also starring megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
	The drama-thriler is directed by Aniruddha 

Taapsee to soon begin filming 'Naam Shabana'

Arjun Rampal is looking forward to the sequel of his two unconventional films "Aankhen" and "Rock On" and the actor is happy that the audience is accepting content over formula.
	The actor, best known for his films like "Don", "Om Shanti Om", "Housefull", "Ra.One", says people want to invest in quality stories.
	"Cinema is changing. Audiences have also changed, they have become content-driven, they don't want to get bored. Formula films have become redundant which is great. 'Aankhen' brought in a change, it was a different story," Arjun told PTI.
	The 43-year-old actor will be seen in sequel of "Aankhen" that will be produced by Gaurang Doshi and directed by Anees Bazmee.
	"It's a sequel and not franchise. The difference between franchise and sequel is that in a franchise you use the title and have different characters like 'Housefull'," he said.
	"While in a sequel you retain some characters which is what we have done with 'Aankhen' and 'Rock On'. You add more characters and a ...

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