Actor Diljit Dosanjh pushed himself to extremes to achieve the physique of an athlete for "Soorma", an upcoming biopic on hockey player Sandeep Singh.
"Soorma" tells the story of Singh, a professional hockey player and former captain of the Indian national team.
Singh was seriously injured after hit by an accidental gunshot in a train in 2006 but he did not give up and continued playing.
Diljit, who essays Singh in the film, not only got trained by the former captain but also underwent a physical transformation to look like him.
In an interview with PTI, the actor said, "The role was extremely draining with so much intense training. Physically, it was very tough. I had a lot of problems post  shooting the film. When I was shooting, I had stopped consuming sugar, I used to eat salt very less".
The "Udta Punjab" actor says once the shoot was over, his body started reacting a bit negatively.
"Because we wanted the physique of an athlete in a very short time, I pushed my body a lot to ...

'Soorma' physically demanding film: Diljit

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Rani Mukerji-starrer "Hichki" is enjoying a good run at the box office having collected over Rs 20 crore in just five days.
According to the producers, the project had recovered its cost even before the release, through "non-theatrical revenue aperture".
Maneesh Sharma, the producer of the film, is delighted with the overwhelming audience response.
"Such reaction is truly humbling. We backed a film that was raising important social message and could affect genuine social change... The Rs 20 crore budget inclusive of all costs was recovered before the film released at the theatres through non-theatrical revenue aperture," he said in a statement.
"The success of 'Hichki' gives us a lot of confidence to produce such universally appealing subjects that can touch the hearts of audiences worldwide," he added.
In the film, Rani plays the character of Naina Mathur who has a nervous system disorder, Tourette Syndrome, that forces an individual to make involuntary repetitive movements or ...

Reaction to 'Hichki' truly humbling: Maneesh Sharma

Veteran director Shekhar Kapur has been appointed chairman of the central panel of the 65th National Film Awards, sources in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said today.
The central panel comprises a chairperson and 10 other members, including five regional chairpersons who head the respective regional panels.
Film writer Imtiaz Hussain, known for his works in films like "Astitva" (2000) and "Parinda" (1989) will be the regional chairperson of South I panel. Mehboob, who penned the lyrics for the Hindi (dubbed) version of 1995 Tamil romantic drama "Bombay", was appointed as the regional chairperson of South II panel, the sources said.
Actress Gautami Tadimalla, who is known for her work in Tamil films,  is the regional chairman of the North panel, while director Rahul Rawail known for films like "Love Story" (1981), "Betaab" (1983), "Arjun" (1985) and "Jo Bole So Nihaal" (2005), was chosen as the regional chairperson of the Western panel, they said.
Director P Sheshadri, a 

Shekhar Kapur to head the jury for 65th National Film Awards

Tiger Shroff says in his four-year-old career he has realised that rather than succumbing to pressures of the industry, moving forward is the only way.
The actor, who is the son of veteran star Jackie Shroff, says he is in a hurry to create his own identity.
"Because of the pressure, I am trying to climb ladders much faster... I'm blessed to be in the position that I am today -- to have that acceptance and (to be able to) say that I am my own man, I am not just Jackie Shroff's son. It's what I have set out to do, to create my own identity," Shroff told PTI in an interview here.
The 28-year-old star is aware of his pluses and his connection with the youth is one such that he wants to cultivate further by inspiring them.
"I want to inspire the uninspired. I want to move people and stir some emotion. I want to create a revolution. I have sort of initiated a spark in people. Most of my fans are children.
"That's a huge booster for me as they are the most honest members in the audience. ...

There is pressure so I am trying to climb ladders much faster: Tiger Shroff

The iconic classic ballet, 'Swan Lake', is all set to be staged here this weekend as part of a multi-city tour across the country.
Following a resounding success in Mumbai, where the tour started earlier this month, the show will open to the public at JLN Stadium on March 30.
The co-production by Royal Russian Ballet and Navrasa Duende, mounted with 45 artistes, choreographed by Vladimir Troschenko and directed by Anatoly Kazatsky, was attended by over 15000 people in Mumbai, the organisers said.
"The Mumbai experience has been overwhelming in terms of audience, critic response as well as ease and smoothness of organising such events at NCPA, Mumbai. It was simply a delight to see the kids, young generation and even people 90+ taking such a keen interest in classical arts.
"With the tremendous response that the first phase of the tour in Mumbai has received, we are optimistic that the ballet will delight the discerning connoisseurs of performing arts across other cities as well," ...

'Swan Lake' ballet reaches Delhi as part of multi-city tour

Vidyut Jammwal has been roped in to play the lead role in actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar's upcoming directorial venture to be produced by Vijay Galani.
The action drama will be on the lines of Manjrekar's 1999 film"Vaastav", which featured Sanjay Dutt in the lead role.
"I'm very happy to team up with national award winning director Mahesh Manjrekar. The film is full on action which is Mahesh's forte. It is on the lines of 'Vaastav' and Vidyut who is known for his action is now the lead of our film," Galani said in a statement.
The makers are yet to decide on the rest of the cast of the untitled project.

Vidyut Jammwal to star in Mahesh  Manjrekar's next

Veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor agreed to do "102 Not Out" soon after the narration of the script, says director Umesh Shukla.
Billed as the most unusual father-son story, "102 Not Out" is based on playwright Saumya Joshi's popular Gujarati play of the same name.
"When we narrated the idea to both of them, they said okay to the script within 10 minutes. Once they knew the essence is so good, beautiful and playful, also with lot of depth and emotions, they liked it all," Shukla told PTI.
The upcoming comedy-drama reunites the powerhouse performers on screen after 27 years.
The two actors have earlier appeared together in films such as "Kabhie Kabhie", "Amar Akbar Anthony", "Naseeb", "Coolie" and "Ajooba".
"Their chemistry was great. They both were very comfortable with each other," Shukla says.
In the trailer, Bachchan is seen as a fun-loving friendly father, while Kapoor appears as an boring son.
"In personal life, Chintuji (Kapoor) is quite reserved and Bachchan sir .

Bachchan, Kapoor gave nod for '102 Not Out' in 10 mins: Shukla

A  statue of legendary singer David Bowie, that was unveiled over the weekend  in Aylesbury, a small town in Buckinghamshire, England, has been defaced with graffiti.
The memorial was sprayed with graffiti messages including "Feed the homeless first" and "RIP DB."
"The paint was on the statue, the wall behind and on the pavement. It was about the homeless  but I do quite a lot for the homeless, which is the irony of the whole thing," said David Stopps, the music promoter whose 100,000 pounds crowdfunding campaign paid for the statue, in an interview with Mix 96.2 fm.
"The man who created the bronze casting is coming up tomorrow to blow torch it off the statue, which is the only way, and then re-waxing it," Stopps added.
Designed by sculptor Andrew Sinclair, the bronze statue is named Earthly Messenger and features depictions of Bowie's various personas. Speakers mounted above the statue will play one of 2,000 Bowie tracks every hour.
"It is a public piece of art, and we will keep ...

David Bowie statue vandalised 48 hours after its unveiling

Permut Presentations is working on "Madman," a historical horror script set during the aftermath of the Lincoln assassination with David Permut attached as producer.
The script is written by Alexa Garster based on Caleb Jenner Stephens' book "Worst Seat in the House", reported Variety.
The story follows Henry Rathbone, a close friend of Lincoln's who was with the president at Ford's Theatre on the night of his murder in 1865.
Rathbone was the only person to confront John Wilkes Booth that night and was haunted by horrific hallucinations of the assassin that tore his life apart while his beloved wife, Clara, desperately tried to bring him back to reality.
"I'm excited about this script because it lives in two worlds. It's very much a genre horror piece, but it's also historically accurate and tells a story not many people know. It's unlike anything else on my slate. I think this will attract a director who has a unique cinematic style that will leave their imprint on the film," Permut .

Lincoln Assassination aftermath movie 'Madman' in works

Veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg said his upcoming sci-fi film "Ready Player One" transported him to a fantasy world and that he got to live in the space for three years was cherry on cake.
The 71-year-old director said he started working on the escapist movie while working on social reality films such as "Bridge of Spies" and "The Post".
"This was my great escape movie.  For me, it was a film that fulfilled all of my fantasies of the places I go in my imagination when I get out of town.  I got to live this for three years.  I got to actually escape into the imagination of Ernest Cline and Zak Penn (writers); it was amazing.
"But I came back to Earth a couple of times. I made a few films. I made 'Bridge of Spies' and 'The Post' while I was making Ready Player One, so I got that whiplash effect of going from social reality to total escapist entertainment. And I'm feeling it. It's a great feeling, but it also makes my wife and kids kind of crazy because they don't know who dad's going 

'Ready Player One' was my great escape movie: Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg may be a fan of Carl's Jr, but the veteran filmmaker does not want the fast food chain to name their burger after him.
Carl's Jr announced on Twitter that it had planned to rename their Charbroiled Sliders to "Spielburgers" as a tribute to the director and his virtual reality-infused movie "Ready Player One" set to hit theaters March 29.
"Steven Spielberg hasn't signed off yet, but we're pretty sure he'll be down with it," the chain restaurant added.
However, Spielberg crushed their plan with a video message posted on the Twitter account of Amblin Entertainment, his production company.
"Hey there. It's recently come to my attention that Carl's Jr wants to rename their Charbroiled Sliders 'Spielburgers'. They're pretty good, but I'm passing. Cease and desist. You can't do it. Sorry guys," the director said.
The fast food chain chose to focus on Spielberg saying the burgers taste "pretty good" and said they are "fine" with the Oscar-winning director's decision.
The ...

Steven Spielberg doesn't approve of Carl's Jr 'Spielburgers' plan

Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar today warned "bigots" to be wary of communalising the Indian film industry, which he termed as "the citadel of secularism".
The 73-year-old lyricist-writer's comments come after India-based French journalist Francois Gautier had responded to reports of a planned on-screen adaptation of Mahabharat, in which Aamir Khan could possibly play Krishna, highlighting the Bollywood star's religion.
Without naming Gautier, Akhtar, who has spent 53-years in films, asked people to stop spreading hatred in the name of faith in the field of cinema.
"I had joined film industry in 1965 on a salary of 50 rupees per month. In these 53 years not for a second I have experienced or even seen any communal bias in our industry.
"This film industry is the citadel of secularism. Bigots, don't try to pollute it," he tweeted today.
Gautier had tweeted, "Why should @AamirKhan, a Muslim, play in most ancient & sacred of Hindu epics, the Mahabharata? Is @BJP4India Govt of ...

Don't try to pollute film industry with communal bias: Javed Akhtar

Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, who was at the centre of a controversy over his film "S Durga", says what happened with him was not a unique incident but merely a pushback from a patriarchal society which is uncomfortable when challenged.
The Malayalam movie, that dominated the headlines for weeks after it was unceremoniously dropped from the Indian Panorama section of IFFI last year, is finally up for release on April 6.
Sasidharan says the society behaves like a spoilt sport, especially when women, who had earlier accepted their role as an 'obedient, submissive' individual, call out its hypocrisy.
"We are told that father is the most powerful person in the family and then come uncles and brothers. The mother comes after them. And what is a mother primarily doing? She is washing clothes, cooking for you, cleaning. If a mother starts going out, say, to the cinema halls - she becomes a bad influence.
"Suddenly, she'll be expelled from the circle of morality. And now in modern times, ..

Women in direct war with patriarchy today: Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has concluded its investigation into misconduct claims against President John Bailey and has determined that no further action is required.
The allegations were reviewed by the Membership and Administration Committee.
"The Committee unanimously determined that no further action was merited on this matter. The findings and recommendations of the committee were reported to the Board which endorsed its recommendation. John Bailey remains President of the Academy," the Academy said in a statement.
Throughout the process, the Academy received advice and counsel from its longstanding General Counsel John Quinn at Quinn Emanuel, as well as from Ivy Kagan Bierman, a partner at Loeb & Loeb who has extensive experience with entertainment industry sexual harassment matters and is currently an advisor to The Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Promoting Equality in the Workplace, chaired by Anita Hill.
Elected in August last ...

Academy President John Bailey cleared of sexual harassment charges

Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus were photographed spending time together in Hawaii and are said to be in a "committed relationship".
Dressed up in casual workout clothes, the duo was spotted holding hands after a breakfast date on March 24 in Honolulu.
A source told People magazine that they are "very much still together".
Another insider added that Affleck, 45 and Shookus, 37, are taking their time but "enjoy each others company" and "are in a committed relationship".
The actor has been training for his new film "Triple Frontier" in the popular holiday destination.

Ben Affleck, Lindsay Shookus in a 'committed relationship'

Director Hansal Mehta today revealed that he has quit smoking for good after struggling with the habit for 23 years.
The 49-year-old filmmaker took to Twitter and said that it has been a month that he has steered clear of cigarettes after falling "terribly ill".
"I've struggled with cigarette smoking and wanting to quit for nearly 23 years... Last month I was terribly ill. I quit smoking. I had to if I wanted to live," Mehta wrote.
He said one must not wait for their condition to worsen and give up smoking in the first place.
"Don't wait to fall ill. Just quit the habit. Kick the butt. STOP SMOKING," the director added.

Hansal Mehta quits smoking after 23-year-old struggle

Actor Dax Shepard revealed that he was once smitten with Anna Faris and wanted to ask her out.
The 43-year-old actor, who is married to actor Kristen Bell, admitted that before he met his actor wife, he had a crush on the "Mom" star.
"I saw 'Just Friends' and was like, 'You are so talented' and you and I sat next to each other during a premiere... (I thought) 'I would definitely like to take this person on a date.' Then from my point of view, that door was shut. It was like a dead-bolt door," Shepard told Faris in her 'Unqualified' podcast.
The "Scary Movie" actor, 41, was married to her first husband Ben Indra at the time.
She separated from actor Chris Pratt - with whom she has five-year-old son, Jack - in August last year.
Faris admitted that seeing Indra at the film premiere might have discouraged Shepard from pursuing her.
"I think my first husband may have been sitting to the right of me," the actor said.
To which the "CHiPS" actor quipped, "That would explain a lot.

Dax Shepard once wanted to date Anna Faris

Actor-writer Seth Rogen said he would love to renew his vows with wife actor Lauren Miller so that they could have a big celebration.
The 35-year-old actor tied the knot with the fellow actor Lauren Miller in 2011.
"Sure, I'd have another wedding. Yeah, that would be fun. Anything for a party," Rogen told Us Weekly magazine.
Miller added, "Renew our vows? Does that mean we can have another wedding?"
The couple met while Rogen was working on 'Da Ali G Show' in 2004.

Seth Rogen keen to renew vows with Lauren Miller

Singer Christina Aguilera said she wants her children to grow up as confident people with a mind of their own.
The 37-year-old singer, who has son Max, 10, with Jordan Bratman and daughter Summer, three, with Matthew Rutler, said she does not want them to be overexposed to her career.
"I don't want to inject too much upon her as to how I'm choosing to live my life and what I've done in my career. I just hope I can allow what I'm doing to influence her to be her own person. That's truly what I hope for her.
"I really want to make sure my children are both very confident in the sense that they know who they are and that they won't be easily swayed by outside opinion," Aguilera told Paper magazine.
The "Infatuation" hitmaker said social media comes with its advantages and disadvantages but believes things are changing.
"There's always gonna be the good and the evil, the dark and the light. I think now is the time, more than ever, that we're seeing that in every sense of the ...

Christina Aguilera doesn't want to influence her kids too much

Comedian-actor Jack Whitehall is on board "Jungle Cruise".
The 29-year-old actor will play Emily Blunt's brother in the upcoming movie adaptation of the popular Disneyland ride, which also stars Dwayne Johnson, Variety reported.
Whitehall also took to Twitter to confirm the news.
"So excited to be joining Jungle Cruise with the incredible Emily Blunt and one of my heroes @TheRock going to be a blast. #Disney #JungleCruise (sic)," he wrote.
According to ScreenRant.com, Blunt plays a scientist in the movie who teams up with a riverboat captain, played by Johnson, on the hunt for a magical cure.
Jaume Collet-Serra is directing.

Jack Whitehall joins 'Jungle Cruise'

Oliver Hudson said he is trying to work out his strained relationship with his estranged father Bill Hudson.
The 41-year-old actor, who appeared on "Larry King Now", revealed the duo has started keeping in touch via text messages, EW reported.
"Well, we're trying right now. We've shot some texts back and forth," Hudson said.
It is ironic that their reconciliation was triggered after the "Splitting Up Together" star took to Instagram on Father's Day of 2015 to post a picture of himself, his sister Kate Hudson, and their father with the caption: "Happy Abandonment Day (sic)".
"There was an incident that happened via my Instagram. I had posted something that was darkly comedic and it blew up into something, and actually it helped us with our relationship.
"So, now we're kind of keeping in touch," Hudson said.
Bill Hudson had then gone on to say that his two children with ex-wife veteran actor Goldie Hawn were dead to him.

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