The 88th Academy Award winners including Leonardo DiCaprio, Alejandro Inarritu and Sam Smith, as well as host Chris Rock used the Oscar stage to address issues like racial diversity, climate change and LGBT rights.
	Rock nailed the opening monologue with a skillful mix of social commentary and humour about racism in Hollywood, an issue that has dominated debates this awards season.
	"Well, I am here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People Choice Awards. If they nominated hosts, I wouldn't even get this job," Rock quipped.
	He also suggested that what was needed at this point is for the Academy to have black categories.
	"Is Hollywood racist? You know, you have to go at that the right way. It is a different type of racist. You are damn right Hollywood's racist. Hollywood is sorority racist. But things are changing."
	Rock addressed police violence against black community, saying "This year at the Oscars, things are gonna be a real different. In this year, in the In ..

From racism to LGBT: diverse issues take centrestage at Oscars

PTI Automatic

Academy president Cheryl Boone Issacs called on Hollywood to continue the conversation about inclusion, at the 88th Oscars.
	The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been at the receiving end of criticism since excluding black actors from the nominations last month.
	Issacs took to stage to state how important diversity is in Hollywood.
	"The Oscars celebrate the storytellers, who have the opportunity to work in the powerful medium of the film. And with that opportunity, comes responsibility.
	"Our audiences are global and rich in diversity and every facet of the industry as well. Everyone in the Hollywood community has a role to play in bringing about the change. The Academy board of governors recently took a concrete action and sent a message to make us all stronger," she said.

Academy president calls for inclusion at 88th Oscars

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra's debut Oscar outing in a white elegant strapless gown has impressed Indian fashion designers and colleagues from the film industry.
	The former Miss World, 33, who rose to fame internationally with last year's ABC thriller "Quantico", opted for Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad's piece for presenting the best editing Oscar.
	She chose to keep her look minimal in a neat pony tail and diamond accessories.
	National-award winning designer Neeta Lulla tweeted, "Looking lovely and graceful @priyankachopra at the Oscars. Congratulations for your achievements. God bless."
	"Isn't she lovely tonight? @priyankachopra wearing #zuhairmurad couture #redcarpet #Oscars2016," Murad asked his fans on the micro-blogging site.
	Celebrity designer Manish Malhotra said, "#fabulous @priyankachopra in a @ZMURADofficial looking #stunning."
	Veteran actor-director Kamal Haasan wrote, "Priyanka looks confident & lovely. The top of my favourite actors list has Tom Hardy's ...

Priyanka's debut Oscar appearance gets thumbs up back home

"Spotlight", a movie about the journalistic expose of Catholic church child sex abuse, won best picture while Leonardo DiCaprio walked away with the best actor trophy at the 88th Academy Awards, where host Chris Rock mocked racism in Hollywood with a biting monologue.
	The Academy voters this year decided to scatter their love by awarding different films though George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road" swept in technical categories with six wins in editing, production design, sound editing, sound mixing, costume and makeup & hairstyle.
	"Spotlight", directed by Tom McCarthy, went home with the top award and best original screenplay trophy for Josh Singer and McCarthy.
	"This film gave a voice to survivors, and this Oscar amplifies that voice which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican," producer Michael Sugar said in his acceptance speech.
	DiCaprio, who many considered was long overdue for Oscar, predictably won the best actor trophy for "The ...

"Spotligh" wins top award, DiCaprio best actor at Oscars 2016

Bollywood celebrities Farhan Akhtar, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditi Rao Hydari lauded Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio for "finally" winning an Oscar at the 88th Academy awards.
	DiCaprio's cold streak at the Oscars finally came to an end after 23 years as he won the best actor trophy for his role of a wounded fur trapper seeking revenge in "The Revenant".
	"... And all that can be said about @LeoDiCaprio winning is.. Finally!!!," Akhtar posted on Twitter.
	Sonakshi heaped praise on DiCaprio's acceptance speech, where the 41-year-old actor discussed climate change and its impact on planet.
	"Thank you @LeoDiCaprio for bringing attention to climate change on the #Oscars stage. I think they should give you another one JUST for that."
	Actress Diana Penty tweeted, "FINALLY #LeonardoDiCaprio wins what he has long deserved. Woohoo!! #Oscars #2016 #TheRevenant @LeoDiCaprio."
	"Finally! Wohooooo!!! @LeoDiCaprio #RevenantFarhan's," wrote Farhan's "Wazir" co-star Aditi.
	"ABCD" actress Lauren ..

B-Town lauds Leonardo DiCaprio's first Oscar win

Journalism drama "Spotlight", about a group of Boston Globe reporters who exposed the child sex abuse cases in Catholic church, triumphed at the 88th Academy awards by winning the best picture trophy.
	Directed by Tom McCarthy, the widely acclaimed movie is set in 2001 when the journalists of Spotlight team began digging into the scandal and eventually exposed how Boston archdiocese covered up the sexual abuse of children by priests.
	The work of the team earned newspaper The Boston Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
	"Thank you. This film gave a voice to the survivors and the Oscar amplifies that voice which we hope will resonate all the way to the Vatican..," producer Michael Sugar said in his acceptance speech.
	The film faced off competitors like "The Revenant", "Mad Max: Fury Road", "The Big Short", "Carol", "Brooklyn", "Bridge of Spies", "The Martian" and "Room".
	The movie's co-producer Blye Pagon Faust dedicated the award to investigative reporters across the ...

'Spotlight' wins best picture Oscar

Mark Rylance wins best supporting actor Oscar

British star Mark Rylance won the best supporting Oscar for his role of KGB agent Rudolf Abel in Steven Spielberg's Cold War-set drama "Bridge of Spies"

Press Trust of India

Ace choreographer Farah Khan has been roped in to do a song for Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer "Sultan".
	"Farah is doing a dance song for 'Sultan' as a favour to Yash Raj Films as Vaibhavi Merchant (choreographer) lost her father. Farah very graciously stepped in to do the song," sources said.
	The song will be shot next week in Mumbai.
	Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, "Sultan" is a sports drama, set to release this Eid.
	In the film, Salman will be playing Sultan Ali Khan, a Haryana-based wrestler.
	Recently Farah choreographed a love track from Shah Rukh Khan - Kajol starrer "Dilwale" titled "Gerua".
	The "Om Shanti Om" helmer is busy working on her next directorial venture.
	"I am still working on my script. We have not approached anyone for the film," Farah said.
	Farah's women-centric drama film is likely to go on floors this year.

Farah to choreograph Salman-Anushka for "Sultan" song

Indo-British filmmaker Asif Kapadia won the best documentary Oscar for "Amy", a poignant examination of singer Amy Winehouse's life and her tragic death at the age of 27.
	Kapadia, who has already won the Golden Globe and Bafta awards for the documentary, paid tribute to Winehouse, who died in 2011 following a battle with drug and alcohol that was gleefully captured by tabloids.
	"Really, this film is all about Amy, this is all about showing the world who she really was: not her tabloid persona, the beautiful girl, the amazing soul, funny, intelligent, witty, someone special, someone who needed looking after. We just wanted to make a film to show the world who she really was," Kapadia said while accepting his Oscar trophy.
	Producer James Gay-Rees said the award was for all the fans and followers of Winehouse, whose support she always wanted.
	"...This is for the fans, Amy's fans who loved her through thick and thin, that's all she ever really needed," Gay-Rees said.
	Kapadia's ...

Asif Kapadia wins best documentary Oscar for "Amy"

Bollywood actress Amrita Rao, who is making her television debut with "Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai", says she was initially sceptical to enter the small screen world primarily due to its hectic work schedule.
     "The treatment (of films and television) is no different. Television has certainly evolved and has a better reach too. I have seen my sister's (Preetika) hectic schedule when she made her debut. Her long working hours gave me cold feet," Amrita told PTI.
     "I decided to do the show 'Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai' since it's a finite series and we had to shoot for a limited period," she said.
     Amrita was getting lot of offers for doing television shows but none of them excited her except "Meri Awaaz.."
     "For the past two years many production houses have approached me with different concepts but none appealed to me. I was very clear that when I do a fiction show the content has to be very unique," she said.
     "I am happy that a script like "Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan ...

Long working hours on TV gave me cold feet: Amrita

The 88th Academy Awards paid tribute to deaprted souls including Indian-British actor Saeed Jaffrey, Egyptian actor Omar Sharif, music legend David Bowie and "Harry Potter" star Alan Rickman in their 'In Memoriam' segment.
	A montage played out as Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl took to the stage to perform a soulful tribute as he sang 'Blackbird singin' in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly', The Beatles' hit "Blackbird."
	Jaffrey, one of the first Indian actors to successfully establish a career in both Hindi cinema and British movies, died at the age of 86 late last year.
	Both Rickman and Bowie, British cinema and music's greatest icons, succumbed to cancer at the age of 69 recently.
	The section also featured departed stars like Maureen O'Hara, Christopher Lee, Wes Craven, Patricia Norris, Alex Rocco, Dean Jones, Bob Minkler, Gene Allen, Maureen O'Hara and James Horner.
	"The Godfather" star Abe Vigoda, Roddy Piper of "They Live" fame and singer-actor ..

Oscars remember Jaffrey, Sharif, Rickman and David Bowie

Real-life inspired dramas "Spotlight" and "Big Short" triumphed in the best original and adapted screenplay Oscars at the 88th Academy Awards here.
	The Tom McCarthy-directed "Spotlight", about Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of child sex abuse by Catholic priests, won Josh Singer and McCarthy trophies in the original screenplay category.
	The film, featuring a stellar ensemble cast of Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton, John Slattery, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci, and Billy Crudup, revolves around the investigative team of Boston Globe reporters who relentlessly pursue the story even as they get constantly stalled by those in power.
	McCarthy acknowledged the role of journalists in bringing out stories that matter.
	"We made this film for all the journalists who have and continue to hold the powerful accountable and for the survivors whose courage and will to overcome is really an inspiration to all. We have to do, make sure this never happens again," ..

"Spotlight", "Big Short" win screenplay Oscars

Singer Macklemore says "Hello" hitmaker Adele turned down his offer to collaborate with him and Ryan Lewis on their latest album "This Unruly Mess I've Made".
	Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, approached Adele to make a special appearance in their song "Growing Up" but after she did not revert, Ed Sheeran ended up being a part of the final track, reported ET online.
	"She graciously passed," he said.
	Macklemore added that Adele was the only artist who declined to work on the record, though "there were times that we never heard back from somebody's manager or something like that.

Adele turned down collaboration, says Macklemore

English filmmaker Sam Taylor-Wood has been roped in to direct first two episodes of Netflix series "Gypsy".
	The 48-year-old "Fifty Shades of Grey" helmer will also executive produce the episodes of the psychological thriller, reported Digital Spy.
	Created by Lisa Rudin, the show follows the journey of Jean Holloway, a therapist who begins to develop dangerous and intimate relationships with the people in her patients' lives.

Sam Taylor-Wood to helm episodes of series 'Gypsy'

Drake and Rihanna are reportedly back together.
	The "Hotline Bling" hitmaker and 28-year-old songtress' romance looked to be back on track after they were spotted dancing and kissing at London's Libertine nightclub last week ahead of their steamy performance at the BRIT Awards, reported Femalefirst.
	And now the Canadian rapper, 29, is said to be "totally besotted" with the R&B superstar.
	"They're back together and Drake is totally besotted," a source said.
	His team have been teasing him about it but nothing can wipe the smile off his face."
	And of their behaviour at the club, the source added, "They were like a couple of teenagers - snogging and following each other around the club. It was like watching scenes from their new video when they danced together."
	The duo are believed to have been inseparable even since they arrived in London for the BRIT Awards, where they did a show-stopping performance of their song "Work" and showed millions of viewers their dance routine as ...

Drake, Rihanna rekindle romance?

Actress Elsa Ortiz has been cast to bring late Mexican screen legend Maria Felix back to life in a planned biopic.
	Director Fausto Alatorre, an old friend of Maria, is taking charge of the project, which reportedly has the backing of the late Latin icon's family, reported Contactmusic.
	Ortiz admits she is flattered to have landed the "great honour", adding, "It is a great opportunity that I will thoroughly enjoy."
	Production is expected to begin later this year, once the filmmaker has secured full financial backing for the film.
	The news emerges seven years after Eva Longoria expressed an interest in turning the Dona Barbara star's life into a movie.
	The "Desperate Housewives" actress admitted she has always wanted to embrace her Latin roots and play Maria, who passed away in 2002 at the age of 88.
	"I'd love to adapt the story of Maria Felix," she told the New York Daily News. "I think she's the icon of Mexican cinema, and I would love to bring her story to life. I'm very proud .

Maria Felix biopic in works

Pop diva Madonna is facing a potential ban from the Philippines for allegedly "ridiculing" the country's flag during her recent concerts.
	The "Material Girl" hitmaker performed sold out shows in Manila on February 24 and 25 as part of her Rebel Heart Tour, and during her gigs, she wrapped the country's flag around her body, letting some of the fabric hit the floor.
	Laws in the conservative country state the flag cannot be worn and is not allowed to touch the ground.
	"She ridiculed our flag," Teodoro Atienza, chief of the heraldry section of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, said.
	"They may face deportation and might not be able to return to the country," Atienza added.
	"She also allowed the flag to touch the stage floor, which is another violation."
	The controversy comes days after Singapore Archbishop William Goh urged Catholics not to attend her show because of her "disrespectful" use of religious symbols and props during her gigs, and her "blasphemous" ...

Madonna accused of 'disrespecting' Philippines flag

George Miller's dystopian action thriller "Mad Max: Fury Road" came out victorious in six major technical categories at the 88th Academy Awards with wins in best editing, production design, sound editing and costume categories.
	The film is nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture and best director, and it is already off to a roaring start.
	Starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, it also nabbed victories in makeup and hairstyling as well as sound mixing.
	Margaret Sixel, who is the wife of Miller, won best editing for the film. She mined through 480 hours of footage for three months to get the film ready.
	She has cut several of the director's films including "Happy Feet" and "Babe: Pig in the City."
	The film's costume designer Jenny Beavan spoke about the socio-political undertones of the film in her acceptance speech.
	"What another lovely day," she said, quoting one of the film's lines.
	"It could be horribly pathetic (like the world of 'Mad Max') if we're not kinder to ...

'Mad Max: Fury Road' leads in technical categories at Oscars

Singer Phil Collins made an announcement that he will be performing his first concert since 2010 this March.
	Collins, 65, who recently came out of retirement and released a series of expanded remasters of his eight solo albums, will be performing at a benefit gala for the Little Dreams Foundation, a children's charity he co-founded, reported E!online.
	The gala takes place at The Fillmore Miami Beach in Miami, Florida on March 11.

Phil Collins to perform after six years

Rapper Tyga opened up about his much-talked about age difference with girlfriend Kylie Jenner, saying he has chosen not to pay any attention to the critics.
	"I don't know. It's hard to talk about that because people are gonna bash. I didn't understand it though because I'm like, 'This person is a really good person'," he said.
	The "Rack City" rapper, 26, and Jenner, 18, first made their relationship public early last year, though the pair were rumored to be an item as early as October 2014, when Jenner was still 17.
	"It's almost like, the devil keeps trying to tell me something to not follow God, just let God do what he wanna do," he continued.
	"So, I don't really know how to speak on that because it's just something I have to deal with. A lot of things in life, you just gotta deal with it as it comes.

I have to deal with it: Tyga on age difference with Kylie

"Life in Pieces" actor Thomas Sadoski wants to make a documentary on his co-star James Brolin's wife Barbra Streisand.
	 The 39-year-old actor is really inspired by stories Brolin shared about he and his wife road tripping in his truck and visiting various truck stops along the way, reported The Wrap.
	"That's all I want in the world. I want to make the documentary of Barbara going to a Cracker Barrel," Sadoski said.
	The actor, who plays Matt Short in the show, said it has become much tighter.
	"As our writers get used to writing for us, as we get used to their sensibility, it's just the way of things," he said.

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