Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor has has thanked Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for giving tax-free status to her latest film "Neerja" in the state.
	The 30-year-old actress took to Twitter and said she was very thrilled to hear the news.
	"Chattisgarh tax free! Thank you Chief minister #ramansingh sir! Thank you for making #Neerja tax free! Very thrilled!," Sonam wrote.
	The Ram Madhvani helmed biopic is based on the life of slained air hostess Neerja Bhanot, who saved 360 lives on a Pan Am flight that was hijacked in Karachi in 1986.
	Bhanot became the youngest and first woman recipient of the prestigious Ashok Chakra Award, posthumously.
	Ace photographer Atul Kasbekar, who turned producer with "Neerja", also thanked the Chattisgarh CM.
	"Believe #Chattisgarh has just announced #NeerjaTaxFree ...Thank You Hon CM Raman Singh ji," Kasbekar posted on Twitter.
	Besides Chhattisgarh, "Neerja" has also been made tax free in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Sonam thanks Chhattisgarh CM for making 'Neeraj' tax-free

PTI Automatic

Journalism-drama "Spoitlight", which follows the investigating unit of Boston Globe as they uncover church sex abuse scandal, took home top honours at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, including best feature and best director for Tom McCarthy.
	The Oscar-nominated independent film is based on a series of stories by the real Spotlight team that earned The Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
	The Mark Ruffalo-starrer also bagged the best screenplay, best editing and best ensemble prizes.
	Actor Abraham Attah won the best male lead award for his work in "Beasts of No Nation", while the best female lead went to season-favourite Brie Larson for "Room".
	Idris Elba, whose exclusion from the 88th Oscar nominations raised eyebrows, bagged the best supporting actor for "Beasts of No Nation".
	Mya Taylor won the best supporting actress for her performance in comedy-dram "Tangerine". "The Look of Silence" was announced the best documentary.
	 "Son of Saul" won the best ...

'Spotlight' wins big at Film Independent Spirit Awards

Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty has bagged the best sound award for documentary "India's Daughter" at the Motion Picture Sound Editors' 63rd annual Golden Reel Awards.
	 44-year-old Pookutty, who attended the awards ceremony here, took to Twitter to share his excitement about winning the honour for the Leslee Udwin-directed documentary, which is banned in India.
	"And we won the #63rd Golden Reel Award for #India'a Daughter! First in Asia a Golden reel coming home to India," Pookutty posted.
	Udwin's controversial BBC documentary "India's Daughter" features an interview of one of four men sentenced to death in the December 16 gangrape case.
	The sound mixer dedicated his award to the victim.
	"Is it true that I really got it... It's for the true spirit of the youth of India. This goes to Nirbhaya's soul..

Resul Pookutty wins at Golden Reel Award for India's Daughter

She is known to be extremely stylish but in her forthcoming film "Udta Punjab", Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan will don the simple look of a doctor.
	The 35-year-old actress said her role in the neo-noir drama-thriller is on the lines of a Samaritan, but the setting of the movie is dark.
	"I play a doctor in the film. It's (the role) very simple and nice, good Samaritan kind of a thing. But the whole atmosphere of the film is so nice and dark that the role is very different," Kareena told PTI.
	Interestingly, the "3 Idiots" actress played a doctor before also in films like Salman Khan starrer "Kyon Ki" (2005), "Kambakkht Ishq" and "Agent Vinod", opposite Saif Ali Khan in 2012.
	"Udta Punjab", directed by Abhishek Chaubey, is being made after four years of research and is based around the drug-related problems prevalent in Punjab.
	Kareena said the movie is starkly different from her upcoming film "Ki & Ka".
	"'Udta Punjab' will be totally different from 'Ki & Ka' because ...

Kareena plays simple Samaritan in 'Udta Punjab'

Actor Sanjay Dutt's sister Priya Dutt feels the upcoming biopic on her brother will be quite fascinating for the viewers.
	The life of controversy's favourite child Sanjay Dutt has been a merger of love affairs, drug abuse, alleged underworld connection and his imprisonment.
	Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani is working on the biopic on the "Munna Bhai MBBS" actor, which will have Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role.
	"His (Sanjay) life has been interesting. I don't know how and what all will be shown in the biopic. Not many people go through all this and yet appear calm and strong. I am sure the biopic will be interesting to watch," Priya told PTI.
	Sanjay was released from jail on February 25, after he got a remission in his prison term in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
	In his acting career so far, the actor has given several memorable performances but the films that his sister Priya loves the most are "Vaastav" and the "Munna Bhai" series.
	"I loved him in 'Munna Bhai MBBS' and 'Lage .

Sanjay's biopic will be interesting, says sister Priya Dutt

Actresses Patricia Arquette and Jennifer Lawrence took part in discussion on pay parity at Women in Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party.
	The party was held to honor 2016's 51 female Oscar nominees, whose fate will be decided tomorrow at the 88th Academy Awards, reported Variety.
	Before the party commenced, Women in Film president Cathy Schulman led a toast to recognise all the 2016 Oscar nominees and invited "Straight Outta Compton" screenwriter Andrea Berloff, Arquette and Lawrence to share the stage.
	47-year-old Arquette, who famously used her 2015 Oscar acceptance speech as a platform to discuss the gender wage gap, spoke about pay inequality's effect beyond the entertainment industry and the gap's impact on the country's poverty levels.
	"Pay inequality affects women so drastically in America," she said.
	"Yes, in our business, but really in 98 perc ent of all businesses. What we end up with is this: 33 million women and kids who are living in poverty, who would not be, if they were .

Patricia Arquette, Lawrence discuss 'equal pay' at party

R&B star Rihanna and rapper Drake are reportedly back together.
	The pair have been pictured together on a number of occasions since landing in London for their Brit Awards performance, reported Daily Mirror.
	They first dated in 2009 and have been on and off ever since, but it looks like they're currently dating.
	A source said, "They're back together and Drake is totally besotted. His team have been teasing him about it but nothing can wipe the smile off his face.

Rihanna, Drake reconcile?

Actress Sonam Kapoor feels her brother Harshvardhan, who will soon be making his acting debut with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Mirziyan", will make a mark for himself in the industry due to his "idealistic" way of working.
	The film will also be the Bollywood debut of actress Saiyami Kher, the granddaughter of yesteryear's leading actress Usha Kiran and niece of Tanvi Azmi.
	"The kind of hard work Harsh puts in is incredible. We all work hard, but he is very idealistic about his work. He is very intelligent and sharp. He will go a very long way," Sonam told PTI in an interview.
	"It is not like he will be the superstar, and filling in the cinema halls. But he will be a force to reckon with when it comes to talent and choice of films," she said.
	"Mirziya" is inspired by the love tale of Sahiban and Mirza, and is described as its contemporary adaptation. The screenplay of the film is written by Gulzar.
	The "Neerja" actress, who is known for speaking her mind, said in her family they ...

Harshvardhan will go a long way: Sonam Kapoor

Pop star Taylor Swift has reportedly inspired a song written by her rumoured former boyfriend Matt Healy.
	Fans of indie rock band 1975 are buzzing about "A Change of Heart", written by Healy, reported the New York Post.
	"A Change of Heart" lyrics describe a cruel, shallow woman.
	"For goodness sake I wasn't told you'd be this cold / Now it's my time to depart / And I just had a change of heart?You said I'm full of diseases / Your eyes were full of regret / And then you took a picture of your salad / And put it on the Internet," are some of the lyrics.
	A source close to the 1975 lead singer said, "She may have inspired some of it, [but the song] is about more than one girl."
	Swift, 25, and Healy, 26, were linked in November 2014 after he expressed his interest on her during a radio interview.
	He, however, denied any dating rumors with her in January 2015.

Matt Healy writes song about Taylor Swift?

"The Bachelorette" host Chris Harrison says "The Big Bang Theory" actress Kaley Cuoco would be great as the next bachelorette on the show.
	Though the Bachelorette is usually picked from the eliminated contestants on the latest season of "The Bachelor", Harrison would "love" to have his friend Cuoco on the next season of the show, reported Aceshowbiz.
	"Kaley would be great," Harrison, 44, told reporters during a Bachelor press call.
	"I would love that. She's an old friend of mine from the ABC days, and I think she likes to drink wine as much as I do!"
	Of the remaining "Bachelor" contestants who may be selected as the next Bachelorette, he said, "Amanda would be great, obviously there's three women left that would be great. I know people are talking about Becca. She's a sweet girl, she'd be really good. She'd be a good Bachelorette. There are people that are screaming for Amanda? Who knows what will happen with JoJo, Caila and Lauren. We'll see."
	"The good news is we don't have to .

Would love to have Kaley Cuoco on 'Bachelorette': Show host

Pop star Lady Gaga has urged record label Sony to drop Dr Luke following Kesha sexual assault allegations.
	Gaga agrees with Kesha's supporters, who called out the label to cut ties with the producer, accused of abusing Kesha, reported Aceshowbiz.
	The Oscar-nominated singer agreed with fans protesting outside Sony's headquarters in New York and calling out the record company to drop Dr Luke.
	She shared on Instagram footage from the demonstration with a caption, "#PeopleOverProfit you can #FreeKesha if you #FreeDrLuke Do what is RIGHT not what is better for business."
	In an older post, Gaga told fans to stop victim-shaming Kesha and other sexual assault victims.
	Kesha was refused by Manhattan Supreme Court to have her contract with Sony and Dr Luke nullified.
	Since a picture of her crying in the courtroom hit the internet following the devastating ruling, fellow female singers like Gaga, Demi Lovato, Adele, Lorde and Ariana Grande have taken sides with her, Taylor Swift donated ...

Drop Dr Luke: Lady Gaga to Sony

Model Kendall Jenner narrowly avoided a car crash while in Italy for Milan Fashion Week.
	Wearing dark outfit, the 20-year-old brunette model was almost hit by a car door but she managed to get out of the way just in the nick of time, reported Aceshowbiz.
	The incident happened when Kendall arrived at her hotel. The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star was seen getting out of her chauffeured car when the vehicle started rolling backwards. She leaped out of the way before it hit a pole.
	The driver apparently failed to apply the brakes properly before he got out to open the door for the young star.
	She stood in shock while looking on as the vehicle crashed into the pole. She escaped unscathed, but the car was dented.
	Kendall was modeling for Bottega Veneta and Versace during the event.

Kendall Jenner escapes car crash

Actor Gerard Butler has accepted an invite to be a female soldier's date to Marine Corps ball in November.
	Corporal Maclellan asked him to be her date when the actor was signing autographs for fans at Camp Pendleton on February 26 in San Diego, California, while promoting his upcoming film "London Has Fallen", reported Aceshowbiz.
	The 46-year-old actor dropped by the base for a special screening of the movie.
	He wrote on Instagram, "Thanks for having me #CampPendleton. Truly an unforgettable day. Hope you enjoyed the first look at @londonhasfallenofficial!"
	"London Has Fallen" is a sequel to 2013's action film "Olympus Has Fallen". It's due in the US on March 4, also starring Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett and Melissa Leo.
	Gerard Butler also has another new movie "Gods of Egypt" coming out this weekend.

Gerard Butler says yes to be female soldier's date

Reality TV star-model Kylie Jenner has slammed rumours suggesting she got married to rapper boyfriend Tyga and was pregnant with his child.
	In a live stream session on her app, Jenner, 18, and Tyga, 26, clarified the rumours, reported People magazine.
	"We hate each other," Jenner joked to the camera.  Later, she decided she wants to play "addressing rumours with Tyga and Kylie."
	"Are you pregnant?" Tyga asked as Jenner laughed.
	"I think we need to address that rumour because I feel like everybody thinks you're pregnant and there's a new story every day about you being pregnant and being married and all this crazy stuff so you need to talk about those type of things," he said.
	"I'm not pregnant and I'm not married," Jenner said.
	"Because I'm a child and I don't want to be married or have a baby right now!" Jenner continued.
	"No, you're just a young woman that's very focused," Tyga said. "No, I'm a baby," Jenner replied. "You're a young woman and you're focused on a lot of ...

I'm neither married nor pregnant: Kylie Jenner

Kevin Spacey-starrer "House of Cards" has signed its writers Frank Pugliese and Melissa James Gibson as the new showrunners and they will take over the duties from the show creator Beau Willimon.
	The duo will work on the previously announced fifth season of the Netflix drama, said The Hollywood Reporter.
	Willimon exited the series in January, when it was renewed for a fifth season. Willimon and "House of Cards" helped put Netflix, the streaming giant, on the map as a destination for original scripted programming.
	Pugliese and Gibson boarded "House of Cards" as senior writers in season three. Pugliese penned episodes three and 10, Gibson wrote episodes six and 11.
	"I welcome Frank and Melissa in their new roles on 'House of Cards' and look forward to collaborating with them and our creative team on season five," executive producer-star Spacey said.
 	Added Pugliese and Gibson in a joint statement, "We and the rest of the House of Cards writers look forward to the next chapter of ...

'House of Cards' taps new showrunners

Indian-origin filmmaker Sanjay Patel's short animated film "Sanjay's Super Team" has bagged an Oscar nomination and he says the news came as a surprise to him as it is very difficult to make it to the Academy Awards shortlist.
	The fate of the movie will be decided tomorrow as the Academy doles out recognitions in 24 categories.
	The seven-minute film follows the daydream of a young Indian boy, who is bored with his father's religious meditation and imagines Hindu gods as superheroes.
	"I was very surprised. Not because of the subject but because, earning an Oscar nomination is so hard! And now that I've seen all the other nominated shorts I'm very humbled. They are all excellent," Patel told PTI in an email interview.
	The filmmaker, who is behind many successful animated features like "Monsters University", "The Incredibles", "Ratatouille" and "Toy Story 2", got the idea for the film from his own childhood experiences.
	Patel said he felt conflicted by the modern world and the Hindu 

Oscar nod for 'Sanjay's Super Team' a surprise: Sanjay Patel

Singer Bobby Brown is reportedly seeking treatment in a rehab for substance abuse issues.
	The 47-year-old "My Prerogative" singer has agreed to seek help for substance abuse issues at the urging of his pregnant wife and manager Alicia Etheredge, reported New York Daily News.
	"Bob is in rehab," a source said.
	The insider added that the 47-year-old star was seeing help in California for cocaine and alcohol problems.
	Brown's attorney denied that was the case, though refused to answer when asked directly if his client was being treated for substance abuse, saying only that he will be appearing at an upcoming concert on March 4.

Bobby Brown checks into rehab?

"Sons of Anarchy" star Tommy Flanagan has joined the cast of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2".
	The 50-year-old actor would play one of The Ravagers, whose leader Yondu Udonta reportedly would leave his thieving group and join the guardians, reported Aceshowbiz.
	The Ravagers is an interstellar group of thieves led by Yondu Udonta, played by Michael Rooker.
	Flanagan's character reportedly would be Yondu's right hand man. The first film had Sean Gunn playing Kraglin aka Yondu's wingman. It is unclear whether the report is false, or Yondu got himself a new sidekick.
	The second volume of the highly-successful superhero movie will continue the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.
	Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, Pom Klementieff and Chris Sullivan were recently added to the cast, joining such original stars as Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Vin Diesel.
	Principal photography already began at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 24. ...

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2' adds Tommy Flanagan

One Direction star Liam Payne is reportedly dating "X Factor" judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.
 	Payne, 22, has been in a secret relationship with 32-year-old Cheryl, who is 10 years his senior, for the past three months, reported Female First.
	"Cheryl and Liam are in a relationship. It was unexpected but they've both made each other incredibly happy," a source said.
	"Liam was really struggling with the idea of life after the band to begin with - being in the spotlight and that level of fame had started to get to him. But he's been so happy with Cheryl. He's been telling people close to him that he's madly in love."
	Payne and Cheryl first met five years ago when he auditioned for "The X Factor" as a solo artist before Simon Cowell formed One Direction with Liam, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.
	Cheryl recently filed for divorce from her second husband,
Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, although the couple split in August.
	Last year, Liam and his girlfriend .

Liam Payne dating Cheryl Fernandez-Versini?

Singer Ellie Goulding and boyfriend Dougie Poynter have reportedly split up for a second time after getting back together two weeks ago.
	The "Army" singer and McBusted bassist only just got back together two weeks ago after going on a short break in December due to their demanding schedules, but now it seems they've parted ways once more over their workload, reported Daily Mirror.
	A source said, "They are finding it hard to spend time together as Ellie's music career takes her all over the world and she is pulled in different directions. Dougie is trying to make it in America as an actor and they are drifting apart."
	The news the couple, who have been dating on and off since 2013, have called time on their relationship for the second time will no doubt come as a surprise to fans as the 28-year-old beauty recently said their romance was back on track and they were taking each day as it comes.

Ellie Goulding, Dougie Poynter split again

Actress Ruby Rose has praised her "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" co-star Vin Diesel for being an inspiration and remaining down to earth despite his success in the movie industry.
	The "Orange is the New Black" actress recently joined the cast of the film and instantly hit it off with the actor, who has been her 'hero' since she was a young girl.
	"Growing up I watched this man through XXX and fast... First I imagined what it would be like to be him, As I got older I wondered how it would be to work with him," Rose wrote on Instagram.
	"He was the hero and anti hero in one. He protected people but unlike other secret agents on the screen - I related to Vin. His energy was always so palpable. He always made me laugh, he did the best stunts and he ALWAYS got the girl. Yet he didn't take himself seriously..I wanted to live like that.
	Rose added landing a role opposite Diesel was not even in her dreams.
	"I never dreamed I'd step into a role from a movie I grew up watching, with a guy .

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