Jennifer Garner shot to fame with her role in "Alias" but director J J Abrams has revealed that TV executives were concerned that she was not hot enough.
	The actress played the role of super spy Sydney Bristow in the 2001 show.
	"I wrote Alias thinking about her," Abrams said Friday during a conversation with Chris Rock at the Tribeca Film Festival in downtown Manhattan, as part of the fest's ongoing Director Series.
	"I finished it, she came in, was amazing. And I remember someone at the network was like, 'I don't know, is she hot enough?' "
	Garner went on to snag the role, playing the stealth double agent for five seasons until 2006.
	"They're always second-guessing, everyone's always afraid at networks," Abrams said, adding she was perfect for the role.
	"Jen was so great, and she did everything. And it was incredible doing the pilot, I remember watching her kind of find this strength in herself. It was just so cool to see, and she just did a spectacular job," he said of the ...

TV execs thought Garner was not hot enough for 'Alias': Abrams

PTI Automatic

Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, has apologised for using the phrase "migrant chic" to describe Kanye West's recent fashion show.
	During an appearance on the US TV talkshow "Late Night with Seth Meyers", Wintour discussed pictures of her sitting alone in a VIP area at West's event at Madison Square Garden, in New York where the rapper was debuting his new album, The Life of Pablo, and his Adidas Yeezy season 3 fashion line.
	Wintour explained she had arrived early and was "waiting for the Kardashians to arrive and Jay-Z."
	"So, eventually, they did turn up and The Life of Pablo concert started and the migrant chic fashion show started and they were both wonderful," she said, in an apparent reference to the clothing on show.
	She was criticised for her choice of words, with some people posting messages on social media, reported The Guardian.
	Following the criticism, she said: "I apologise if my remark was offensive in any way. The migrant crisis is real, and I ...

Anna Wintour apologises for 'migrant chic' comments

Actor Brian Austin Green, who is expecting a child with estranged wife Megan Fox, says it was not planned.
	The child will be Green's fourth child, and third with Fox.
	"You know, nothing is planned," he told People at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Celebrity Race, which was hosted by the Verizon IndyCar Series, on Friday.
	"None of them are ever planned. You kind of just go with it. At my age, to be having three babies, is crazy," the actor, who is already dad to sons Noah and Bodhi, said.
	"I'll be 43 this year."
	Fox, who filed for divorce from Green in August, revealed that she is expecting a third child with the actor.
	The two have apparently put their divorce on hold for the child.

Nothing is planned, Austin Green on becoming father again

Actress Alia Bhatt says that director Abhishek Chaubey was sceptical to cast her as a Bihari girl in "Udta Punjab".
	"I think our director Abhishek Chaubey was sceptical to have me in the film. I am happy I am a part of it. This character is completely different from what I am in real life. I felt there will be out of box things in the film and it has," Alia told reporters here at the trailer launch of "Udta Punjab" last night.
	For her role of a Bihari migrant, Alia had to learn the dialect.
     "I had to learn Bihari. Though I talk less in the film but the dialogues are powerful. For a month or so I worked on my dialect with the help of a trainer. And for my look I have to give credit to the costume designer and our director Abhishek Chaubey," she added.
	"Udta Punjab" highlights the problem of drug addiction, which has become a serious issue in Punjab.
     Alia credited her co-star Shahid Kapoor for getting her this film.
	"I am thankful to Shahid for bringing up this role to me. 

Chaubey was sceptical to cast Alia as Bihari migrant

"Game Of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke says she likes to be real and reconnect with her friends when she's not working.
	The 29-year-old actress believes it is important to reconnect with her normal life when she isn't in the "bubble" of filming a TV or movie project as she finds inspiration in her loved ones, reported Hello magazine.
	Asked what inspires her, she said "Singing, writing, music, being with friends and family.
	"When you're shooting you're away for a long time... Going from a hotel room to a set, you live in this bubble that lasts the length of filming and when it's done that's it.
	"So it's important to go home, find your feet and reconnect with reality and go and play real people.

Emilia Clarke likes to be real

Actress Prachi Desai says reports that she did not get along well with her "Rock On 2" co-star Shraddha Kapoor are completely "ridiculous".
	While Prachi also starred in the first part of the hit musical-drama, the "Ek Villain" actress is new addition to the ensemble.
	"These reports are completely ridiculous. We both shared a great rapport and got along really well. I am sure she will laugh about this when she hears this too," Prachi told PTI.
	There were reports that the 27-year old actress was not too comfortable shooting with Shraddha for the sequel.
	"I assume when people have nothing to do, when they run out of ideas, they start these rumours. But they don't affect me at all. We all had a great time shooting and are friends. Sure, we don't meet often because of our schedule but the bond remains intact."
	Directed by Shujaat Saudagar, the film stars Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal and Purab Kohli reprising their role from the first part.
	Prachi, who made her Bollywood debut with ...

Prachi Desai laughs off tiff rumours with Shraddha Kapoor

The sequel to "Zombieland" is in the making and the logo was unveiled at CinemaCon.
	Rumours of a follow-up to 2009's comedy-horror smash, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Woody Harrelson, have been buzzing for years.
	Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote the first "Zombieland" and worked on the "Deadpool" screenplay, are attached to the sequel, reported Digital Spy.
	Joining them on the writing team is Dave Callaham, who penned "Godzilla" and the "Expendables" movies.
	Ruben Fleischer, who also directed Eisenberg in "30 Minutes or Less" and Stone in "Gangster Squad", is on board to direct again.
	No casting or release date for "Zombieland 2" has been released yet.

'Zombieland 2' in works

Gauri Shinde is bowled over by Shah Rukh Khan's performance in "Fan" and the director says she is super thrilled for being able to work with the superstar in her upcoming film.
	The "English Vinglish" helmer has roped in Shah Rukh and Alia Bhatt for her yet-untitled second directorial project, whose shooting began early this year.
	"FAN for life @iamsrk !!Loved loved loved Gaurav. Too good! Honoured and super thrilled to get to work with the man himself! #FAN," she wrote on Twitter.
	The film is being produced by SRK's Red ChilliesEntertainment, Karan Johar's Dharma and Hope Productions.
	Shinde had clarified that the film would not be a "typcical love story".

Honoured to work with SRK: Gauri Shinde

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has thanked his admirers for the overwhelming response his recently released thriller "Fan" has been receiving.
	In a video post on Twitter, the 50-year-old actor said the Maneesh Sharma-directed film was special to him.
	"On behalf of Aryan Khanna, Gaurav, Maneesh, Adi and everyone, who has made 'Fan', thank you for the overwhelming response.
	"We are extremely thankful that you liked it so much because it's a very different film. We never expected it to be embraced so lovingly and so universally. Thank you so much all around the world for liking it. Normally, I won't do this but this film was special as you made it even more special. Love you all and keep watching 'Fan' again and again. Baar baar nhi dekha toh kya dekha," he said.
	"Fan", produced by Aditya Chopra, features Shah Rukh in double role of a superstar Aryan Khanna and his lookalike admirer Gaurav Chandna.
	The film released on April 15.

Never expected 'Fan' would be loved universally: Shah Rukh

Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh, who is making his Bollywood debut with "Udta Punjab", wishes that this drug drama should have been made by the film industry of his home state.
	"Udta Punjab" revolves around the growing menace of substance abuse in Punjab.
     When asked how it will be received in Punjab, Diljit said, "I wish this film was made in Punjabi cinema (industry). Director Abhishek Chaubey and his team did a lot of recce, and homework, they have worked really hard on the subject.
     "But I am glad that this serious issue is being told to the audience through a bigger platform (Hindi film industry) as it will reach more people," he said.
     Diljit was speaking at the trailer launch of the film here last night.
     "I don't think I could have got a better film than this to enter Bollywood. I was told that Sardars usually don't get much exciting roles here but it's this turban that has got me this film because Abhishek Chaubey wanted a guy with a turban," he said.
     In the 

Diljit wishes 'Udta Punjab' was made by Punjabi film industry

When the partition lines of the Indian subcontinent were drawn in 1947, they failed to blur the bonding between human hearts on both sides of India and Bangladesh border and almost seven decades down the line, the story remains the same.
	This is nowhere more evident that the rousing response acclaimed director Goutam Ghose's latest feature film "Sankhachil" got when it hit the theatres in Kolkata and Dhaka on the same day.
	"Sankhachil" having a cast drawn from Bengali cinema on the two sides of the border including superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee of India and Kusum Sikder of Bangladesh in lead roles, hit the screens in Bangladesh and Kolkata simultaneously on the first day of Bangla New Year on April 14.
	Before its release, a special premiere of the film was held in Dhaka on April 12 evening when a host of distinguished guests including Bangladesh Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, himself an accomplished actor, leading Bangladeshi producers Faridur Reza Sagor, Prosenjit, ..

Indo-Bangla film wows viewers on both sides

Playback singer Udit Narayan has once again teamed up with Karan Johar to record a song for Dharma Production's forthcoming film "Shuddhi" after crooning a popular dance number in "Student of the Year".
	"I have sung a song for Karan Johar's film 'Shuddhi', with Shreya Ghoshal. It is a peppy melodious song. We had sung some six months back," Udit told PTI.
	The 60-year-old singer had sung chart-buster "Radha" in "Student of the Year" along with Ghoshal and music composer duo Vishal-Shekhar.
	Johar's much talked about home production "Shuddhi" has been in news for quite sometime now mainly because of its casting.
	Initially, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan were roped in to play the lead roles but Hrithik backed out of the film due to health issues, after which Kareena too left the film.
	Later, superstar Salman Khan had said he would be doing the film but things did not work out.
	There were also reports that rumoured couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone may do the film. ...

Udit Narayan, Shreya Ghoshal record song for 'Shuddhi'

Hip hop star Kanye West is silenced in the middle of his surprise performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
	West's performance was cut short at festival in Indio, California.
	The rapper, 38, was not listed as a musical guest at the annual event this year but decided to drop by and make a surprise performance on April 15.
	West took the stage at the Colorado Desert, joining A$ap Rocky.
	However, only a few minutes into his performance, his mic was cut off by organizers because the two rappers had gone overtime. "Make some noise for a legend!" A$ap Rocky said.
	Headliners for the 2016 Coachella are Guns N' Roses, Calvin Harris and LCD Soundsystem. They are joined by other musical guests like Ellie Goulding, Sia Furler, James Bay, Zedd, Halsey, Ice Cube and more. Celebrities flocking to the festival include Hailey Baldwin, Kendall Jenner, Jaden Smith, Alessandra Ambrosio, Vanessa Hudgens, Kellan Lutz, Taylor Swift, Brooklyn Beckham, Katy Perry, Emma Roberts and Kylie 

West's mic shut down during surprise performance at Coachella

Director Omung Kumar says he does not have the fear of facing backlash from Pakistan for his upcoming film "Sarbjit", a biopic on Indian prisoner who died in the neighbouring country.
	The film portrays the struggle of Sarabjit Singh, played by Randeep Hooda, and his family through his sister Dalbir Kaur's journey for justice, essayed by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
	Omung said the film does not show any of the two countries in a bad light.
     "There is nothing as such in the film that will create backlash. We want to release the film worldwide. The idea is to make Indians and Pakistani and others realise what happens when an incident like this happens," Omung told PTI.
	"We are not pin-pointing anyone, there is fault in us also... There is some fault in the system as well," he added.
	The film also stars Richa Chadha and Darshan Kumar in pivotal roles and is set to release on May 20.

Omung Kumar doesn't fear backlash from Pakistan for 'Sarbjit'

Actress Ming Na-Wen has joined critics accusing filmmakers of 'whitewashing' the remake of "Ghost in the Shell" by casting Scarlett Johansson over an Asian actress.
	Paramount bosses have been targeted for casting a white actress in an iconic Japanese role, and now the first image of Johansson in character has been released, the voice of Disney's "Mulan" has offered her thoughts on the controversy.
	"Nothing against Scarlett Johansson," she tweeted.
	"In fact, I'm a big fan. But everything against this Whitewashing of Asian role."
	A critic wrote, "Srsly?? (Seriously) So many grt (great) Asian actresses out there: #LucyLiu would slay this, obviously, but also @MingNa, Arden Cho, Maggie Q, Zhang Ziyi."
	Ironically, some fans have suggested the casting is perfect, because Johansson bears an uncanny resemblance to Major Motoko Kusanagi, the character created by Masamune Shirow in 1989 as part of a manga comic book.
	The project was made into a cult Japanese anime movie six years ...

'Mulan' star upset with Johansson's casting in Japanese film

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom turned up the heat at Coachella.
	During Day 1 of the California music festival, which was attended by a slew of celebs, the new couple was spotted showing some PDA while watching a set by the blues and punk duo The Kills, reported E!Online.
	Fans posted pics of the two on Twitter and Instagram.
	"They came in about 20 minutes in to The Kills set," an eyewitness told E! News exclusively.
	"They were hugging and with a group of other people. Orlando was behind her and swaying with her to the music. They also were vaping together. They were kissing and very much a couple."
	Perry, 31, and Bloom, 39, were also spotted watching Ellie Goulding's set Friday night. They have kept silent about their budding relationship.
	The two sparked romance rumours in January when were photographed together at a 2016 Golden Globes after party. They have since been spotted looking cozy together many times in Los Angeles, where they live separately, and other cities.

Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom show PDA at Coachella 2016

Singer Robbie Williams is reportedly heading back to the studio with Take That to work on new music.
	It will be the first time Williams, 42, has written with his former bandmates since 2010 and the tracks will feature on the group's mammoth Greatest Hits album, which will come out next year to mark their 25th anniversary, reported Contactmusic.
	"Robbie loves being part of the creative process and he has lots to offer. He influenced the last album he featured on with his electro sound, which reflected his solo work at the time," a source said.
	"He's a changed man since studio sessions back in the day and takes things far more seriously," the source added.
	Williams is also said to be set to join the band for their biggest ever tour, where they will play the new songs live for the first time.
	In February, Gary Barlow confirmed that the band would tour in 2017 to mark their 25th anniversary.

Williams rejoining Take That, writing their new material?

Hollywood star Idris Elba thought acting was ridiculous until his "beautiful" drama teacher gave him the confidence to "think outside the box".
	 Elba, 43, said his drama teacher's beauty gave him the confidence to act, reported Contactmusic.
	 "You go to a boys' school you're 14, drama is a bit like, 'what?' But it's a release, especially for boys ... (We had this) beautiful drama teacher who used her influence and beauty to make us think outside the box and go for it.
	"I remember how impactful that was. I remember coming out of that class and thinking 'hell, man' and being given a slightly different confidence that I then put into other things."
	And Elba has certainly done that - outside of acting, he's a musician, a DJ and has played voiceover roles but he can't understand why more people don't try their hand at different things.
	"In this country, being a jack of all trades is kind of frowned upon. That's fair enough. It's important to be focused.
	"If you're focused at being a .

Beautiful drama teacher inspired me to act: Idris Elba

Folk rock band The Lumineers have dethroned girl band All Saints from the top of the UK album chart.
	The band has scored its first UK number one with Cleopatra in one of the closest chart battles in recent years, reported Contactmusic.
	Only 301 sales separated the trio's album from Adele's 25, while All Saints' comeback, Red Flag, debuted at three, ahead of Aled Jones' One Voice and the Deftones' Gore.
	Drake also scores his first UK number one on the singles chart, as his Wizkid & Kyla collaboration, One Dance, debuts at the top, ahead of Sia's Cheap Thrills.
	Mike Posner's I Took a Pill in Ibiza, Fifth Harmony's Work from Home and Lush Life by Zara Larsson rounded out the new top five.

The Lumineers beat All Saints to top UK best album chart

"Game Of Thrones" star Maisie Williams says she doesn't feel she "owes" her fans anything and has no problem refusing them a picture.
	The 18-year-old actress, best known for playing Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones", says her refusal to fans doesn't make her "mean", reported Femalefirst.
	"I still don't feel like I owe anyone anything. If I don't want a picture one day, I don't have a problem saying no. I know some people get really weird about that, like, 'You're so mean.'
	"But if I was really in love with someone, I wouldn't just want a picture. I would want to hang out with them," Williams said.
	And the actress feels frustrated when she is judged by fans according to their expectations of what she is like.
	"Sometimes my fans say things like, 'That's not Maisie.' I'm like, 'How do you know what is not me? One, I have never met you, and two, I am not yours. I am myself...When I step out with a shorter skirt on, or a little bit more make-up, people say, 'What's happening?' But this .

I don't owe anything to my fans: Maisie Williams

Actress Gina Rodriguez says her journey to fame and success "hasn't been easy" as she's faced many "challenges and obstacles" in her life.
	The "Jane The Virgin" star says while she is enjoying international fame now, she understands every chapter must come to an end, reported Femalefirst.
	"I know that this journey hasn't been easy or quick. It seems to almost get harder because my dreams get bigger and I desire more," the 31-year-old actress said.
	"The idea of staying grounded is so crazy to me because I remember what it was before those dreams came true. I remember all the challenges and obstacles and I see the new challenges and obstacles as I go along. Everything comes to an end. Every chapter has an end. I'm not going to be Jane the Virgin forever. I'm going to do movies that fail; hopefully I'll do movies that succeed.

Page 2018 -