The Maharashtra government is doing  a security assessment of actor Deepika Padukone and will also  provide security to theatres, if needed, in the wake of  protests against Bollywood film 'Padmavati', Minister of State  for Home Ranjit Patil said today.
The film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has already  been provided security, he said.
The minister also said that a communication from Rajput  community objecting to the "content" in the upcoming Sanjay  Leela Bhansali movie had also been received.
The government is doing a security assessment for actor  Padukone, who plays the lead role in the film, he said.
There were reports of threats to the actor from fringe  groups amid the controversy over the movie's content.  Organisations like the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) have been  protesting claiming the film distorts history and hurts  sentiments.
The SRKS has called for a country-wide bandh on December  1, the day the film is slated to be released.
"We have received a ...

'Padmavati' row: Will provide security to theatres if needed:

PTI Automatic

The Weinstein Company has been  sued once again, this time for allegedly ripping off the work  of author Jay Anson.
The widow of the author, who wrote the famous "The  Amityville Horror", argued that the company made a sequel of  the franchise by ripping off her dead husband's work, reported  TMZ.
TWC's backed "Amityville: The Awakening" released  recently, starring Bella Thorne, Jennifer Jason Leigh,  Jennifer Morrison and Cameron Monaghan.
The film was directed by Franck Khalfoun from his own  script and was panned by the critics after its release.
According to another report, the movie has raked in just  742 dollars since its release.
Lesia Anson says the movie has been derived out of her  husband's novel and 1979 film, which was written by him.
Calling the movie "a cinematic mess", Lesia says the  embattled studio never approached her for the rights or for  permission.

Author Jay Anson's wife sues The Weinstein Company

Another woman has come forward  to accuse "Gossip Girl" star Ed Westwick of sexual assault.
Rachel Eck, in an interview with Buzzfeed, claimed that  the actor "aggressively groped" her when she met him at a  hotel in 2014.
Eck claims that the meeting with Westwick was set up by  Australian film producer Kaine Harling, who is her ex-  boyfriend.
Eck said that the 30-year-old star tried to kiss her and  added his behaviour got worse further.
"As the night wore on, it got worse and he got  more handsy," she said.
Eck said she confided in Harling about Westwick's  behviour who asked her to stay as Westwick wants to apologise.
She followed Westwick to the bedroom of his villa where  the actor pulled her to bed and aggressively groped her.
"I shoved him off as quickly as I could and left," she  added.
Westwick was earlier accused of rape by Aurelie Wynn and  Kristina Cohen, which he has both denied in a report saying,  "It is disheartening and sad to me that as a result of two  unverified ..

Ed Westwick accused of sexual assault by third woman

Singer Mariah Carey has  cancelled initial shows of her 'All I Want For Christmas' tour  due to respiratory infection.
In a statement posted on her official Twitter handle, the  "Hero" hitmaker said her doctor has ordered her to sit out of  her opening shows and take rest.
"You know there is nothing I love more than celebrating  the holidays with my festive Christmas show, but I have to  take my doctor's orders and rest until he says I can sing on  stage," she said.
Carey's tour was supposed to begin from Friday in  Ontario, but her official website now states that it will now  begin from November 27 in New York.

Mariah Carey cancels Christmas shows due respiratory infection

Amid a row over film 'Padmavati',  former Union minister Shashi Tharoor claimed today that the  "so called valourous maharajas" had scurried to accomodate  themselves when the British "trampled" over their honour and  were now after a filmmaker claiming prestige was at stake.
At an event here Tharoor was asked why his book, 'An Era  of Darkness: The British Empire in India', had a "whiff of  victimhood" when he holds that Indians had connived with the  English.
"It is (our fault) and I say so. I actually don't take  the mantle of victimhood. In about half a dozen places in  the book, I am harsh enough on us... Some British reviewers  said 'Why doesn't he explain why the British conquered?' And  it's a fair question...," Tharoor said.
"In fact, every single one of these so called valorous  maharajas, who today are after a Mumbai filmmaker because  their honour is at stake, they were less concerned about their  honour when the British were trampling all over it. They  scurried to ...

'Maharajas' after filmmaker now, scurried when British

It is a season of biopics in  Bollywood and the next personality to be immortalised on the  celluloid is former badminton player and chief national coach  of the Indian Badminton team, Pullela Gopichand.
Fox Star Studios in collaboration with Abundantia  Entertainment is preseting a film on Gopichand's life. The  announcement coincides with Gopichand's 44th birthday.
The movie, a bilingual biopic in Hindi and Telugu will  narrate the shuttler's journey - on and off the court.
Talking about the biopic, Gopichand said it is a proud  moment for him to share his story through a film.
"Badminton is at an inflection point in our country and  nothing delights me more than to see the rapidly growing  interest for the sport, especially with the youth...
"We can encourage more and more people to pursue their  dreams. I am excited with the developments on the film and  look forward to Vikram and Fox Star taking this film to the  masses," said the Padma Shri awardee.
Interestingly, biopics on ...

Now a biopic on ace shuttler Pullela Gopichand

Sony Pictures Entertainment India  has ramped up its local production in India with Akshay  Kumar-starrer "Padman".
The studio will distribute the film globally and has also  tied up with co-producers KriArj Entertainment.
The Hindi movie, featuring Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte  in important roles, will release on January 26.
Directed by R Balki, the film is based on the life of  Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented the first low-cost  sanitary napkins in India.
Sanford Panitch, president of Sony's Columbia Pictures  division, said, "Akshay is the rarest of artists, not only is  he the definition of movie star and producer, but what makes  him and Twinkle so special is that they have found a way  with this film to make a wonderfully affecting and  heartwarming movie that also can impact social change."
Akshay Kumar said "Padman" is a special film for him for  many reasons.
"It is a story that has universal resonance and Balki  has brought it to life beautifully. Sanford and the ...

Sony ventures into local production with 'Padman'

Swiss drummer Jojo Mayer is  scheduled to perform at the Goa International Jazz Live  Festival (GIJLF) in Goa next month.
The Jazz festival will be held on December 9 and 10, the  organisers have said.
Besides Mayer, Swiss-born French jazz trumpeter Erik  Truffaz and Mumbai-based electronic musician Riatsu will also  perform at the festival.
"Jojo Mayer is listed as one of the'50 greatest drummers  of all time'. His signature style of blending genres like drum  and bass has made him a legend in his own right, having rocked  most major jazz venues, including the iconic Montreux Jazz  Festival," the organisers said in a release.
The bands like Kefaya, The Latination, Pol Belard's  Urban 5, Florian Favre Trio and others are also participating  in the festival.

Drummer Jojo Mayer to perform at Goa's jazz fest next month

Fashion designer Victoria  Beckham volunteered to offer fashion advice to people  strolling in the Central Park for two dollars.
As a guest on Vanity Fair's show "Derek Does Stuff With a  Friend", the former Spice Girl conversed with passerbys  through an iPad video conference at a stand in the famous  area, giving style tips to them.
The stall was manned by a person holding the stand that  read "Fashion Advice from Victoria Beckham, $2".
Initially, the pedestrians seemed a little hesitant to  consider the offer by the designer, which even led Beckham, at  one point, to call on them playfully, saying, "Oh come on, you  need advice! Don't be shy!"
To a man with a man-bun, she said, "I like the man bun...  Because I think it's super flattering on your face."
Beckham answered a lot of queries from curious people,  which included situations such as whether white colour could  be worn after Labour Day or how to wear culottes.

Victoria Beckham gives fashion advice for two dollars

Filmmaker Anand Gandhi is putting  together his next film as a writer, featuring Kajol, and  reveals that the project could have taken off earlier had  "Ship of Theseus" not happened.
The project is produced by Ajay Devgn and will be  directed by Pradeep Sarkar.
"It has been a while (since we are working on it). It  is in early stages of pre-production, they have locked Pradeep  Sarkar to direct the film. I am very excited about it," Anand  says in an interview with PTI.
The film is an adaptation of Gandhi's popular Gujarati  play "Beta Kaagdo".
"The film is based on a play, which itself was loosely  based on my mother's life. My mother is very excited to see  Kajol in the film. I have no idea (who will play my part)," he  says.
"In the last 12 years, I have been thinking of adapting  the play into a film. If 'Ship of Theseus' had not happened,  this would have been my first film. I have been working on  this on and off."
When Gandhi first thought of the project, he discussed it  with 

Film with Kajol could have been my first venture: Anand Gandhi

Actor Shweta Tripathi is gearing up  to once again collaborate with ace director-producer Anurag  Kashyap for the new science fiction film "Cargo".
The film marks the feature film directorial debut for  Arati Kadav, who had earlier helmed the short film "Time  Machine".
Tripathi, who appeared along side Nawazuddin Siddiqui in  "Haraamkhor", has been paired opposite "A Death in the Gunj"  actor Vikrant Massey.
The story of the film revolves around a spaceship  orbiting in the space and its crew.
The project will be produced by Anurag Kashyap,  Vikramaditya Motwane and Shlok Sharma.
Tripathi had earlier worked with Anurag in his production  called "Zoo".
"It's great to work with people you trust and who trust  you. Anurag Kashyap has been a mentor to so many of us. Him  and Vikram supporting our endeavours means so much to us.  Sci-fi is a genre we have hardly explored and I am so excited  to be a part of Cargo," said Tripathi.
The film is scheduled to go on floors in January 2018.

Shweta Tripathi to star in sci-fi film "Cargo"

Akshaye Khanna, noted for his  versatility, says it is never easy for actors to handle the  audiences' dislike or indifference towards their work.
The benchmark of an actor or a filmmaker's capability is  how successful their movies are at the box office.
Khanna made his debut in 1997 with "Himalaya Putra"  which didn't do well at the box office, but months later he  got a breakthrough with JP Dutta's "Border".
Since then, the actor has been part of several hit  films like "Taal", "Dil Chahta Hai", "Race", among others.
"My first film was a failure. I had many failures too.  It's not easy dealing with it," says Khanna in an interview to  PTI.
"If I am running a business and making a loss, nobody  really knows about it. Our success and failures are public. To  have your films not liked or not watched or failed, is not an  easy thing to handle," he says.
At the same time, the "Ittefaq" actor feels it is far  more difficult to deal with success than surviving a failure.
"Having said ...

Not easy to handle success and failures publicly: Akshaye

Actor Neha Dhupia says she has  survived in the industry for so long because she believes in  creating work when there is none.
Having made her Hindi film debut in 2003 with  "Qayamat: City Under Threat", Dhupia went on to work in films  like "Julie" and "Sheesha".
She then gradually shifted to indie cinema with films  such as "Ek Chalis Ki Last Local", "Mithya", "Phas Gaye Re  Obama" and "Hindi Medium". The actor will next feature in  Vidya Balan-starrer "Tumhari Sullu".
Though it has been 15 years for her in films, in the  last few years Dhupia says she is trying "new, different  things".
"The learning from my entire career is: never compare  yourself to anyone because it'll destroy you. You've to wake  up everyday and keep hustling. I don't think I've lasted so  many years because of my crafts or relationships but because I  wake up and hustle," she says in an interview with PTI.
"If there is something interesting happening, I reach  out to people. When there is no work, I create ..

When there is no work, I create my own: Neha Dhupia

Actor Gal Gadot confirmed the  reports that embattled Hollywood producer Brett Ratner will  not be a part of "Wonder Woman" sequel.
Ratner's production company RatPac-Dune Entertainment  backed "Wonder Woman" as a part of its co-financing deal with  Warner Bros studios.
Talking to US Today, Gadot, without naming Ratner, said,  "The truth is, there's so many people involved in making this  movie, it's not just me, and they all echoed the same  sentiments.
"Everyone knew what was the right thing to do. But there  was nothing for me to actually come and say because (the  decision) was already done before this article came out."
A PageSix report had earlier claimed, the 32-year-old  star, who plays the title role in Patty Jenkins-directed film,  does not want the successful franchise to benefit a man  accused of sexual misconduct.
Recently, Gadot also opted out of attending an award  function honouring Ratner.
Earlier this month, six women claimed the producer  sexually harassed them, ...

Brett Ratner off 'Wonder Woman 2', confirms Gal Gadot

With "Newton" being unanimously  chosen as India's official entry to the Academy Awards next  year, actor Rajkummar Rao hopes that his dark comedy on Indian  democracy manages to win the golden statuette.
Directed by Amit Masurkar, the movie featuring Rajkummar  in the title role, has been chosen to represent the country in  the Best Foreign Language category at the awards.
As it is barely months to the ceremony, the actor says  the team is working round-the-clock, which includes showing  the film around and acquiring the services of a publicist.
"The campaign is on. We are trying our level best and  hoping for the best. The team is already there. A lot of  screenings are going on in Los Angeles as we speak. There  are a huge number of films, that are in the running for the  Oscars.
"I really want 'Newton' to break India's dry spell at the  Oscars. I can't say, obviously, if it will happen or not. But  I wish it does," Rajkummar says in an interview with PTI.
There were reports that ..

Want 'Newton' to break India's dry spell at Oscars: Rajkummar

The popularity of "Bareilly Ki  Barfi" surprised Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari but the director does not  want the baggage of its success to overshadow her future work.
Ashwiny, whose first film "Nil Battey Sannata" (2016)  also received a great response from the audience, has already  moved on to her next project, based on kabaddi.
Though the director remains tight-lipped about the yet-  untitled film, she is certain about not approaching it with  any kind of baggage.
"I have never done that. When 'Nil Battey...' happened  people thought I would make a women-oriented film again but  'Bareilly...' happened. Similarly, I am trying to explore and  challenge myself with different kinds of ideas, which even the  audience will enjoy watching," she told PTI in an interview.
While it is hard to tell how the audience will respond to  a particular story, Ashwiny believes a director can gauge  where a film is going in the first week of the shoot.
"Most of the times, in your first week of the film's  ...

Want to explore new ideas after 'Bareilly': Ashwiny

It is essential for any song or  poetry to touch "human truth" in order to become timeless,  says National Award-winning lyricist Swanand Kirkire.
Kirkire, who won critical acclaim for his very first film  song 'Baawara mann' and went on to pen popular songs like  'Bande mein tha dum' and 'Behti Hawa sa tha wo', also made no  bones about admitting that he is not a "typical poet".
The 47-year-old songwriter-singer made the remarks during  an interaction with PTI ahead of the launch of his maiden book  "AapKamai", a compilation of his Hindi poems written over a  period of time.
"There is no doubt that I owe my existence (popularity)  to film songs. I don't know about the style of poetry, its  grammar or its form. Someone may even find it (my poems)  superficial, while others may find it deep, layered. But  certainly what I write comes from my heart and speaks for my  heart. So, there's a truth in my writings that you can't  deny," Kirkire says.
Asked which -- film songs or books -- he ..

Song, poetry should be able to touch 'human truth': Kirkire

Marathi filmmaker Ravi Jadhav  said he felt as if he was slapped when his film "Nude" was  pulled out from the Indian Panorama section of the upcoming  International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
The director said the information and broadcasting  ministry's decision to pull out Malayalam movie "S Durga" and  his Marathi film "Nude", overruling the recommendation of the  13-member jury of the Panorama section, was highly  disappointing.
"What is happening in the last few days is highly  disappointing. In this film, in a particular sequence an  artist gets slapped, unfortunately I feel like the reel artist  who was at the receiving end," the director wrote on his  Facebook page.
"... Yet I feel hopeful and optimistic like all other  artists," said Jadhav, who has made films like "Banjo"  (2016) and "Timepass" (2014).
Jadhav posted the teaser of "Nude" online after his film  failed to make the cut. The movie depicts the struggle of a  woman secretly working as a nude model in ...

Jadhav hopeful despite disappointment over IFFI controversy

Actors Sebastian Stan is in  negotiations to star in crime thriller film "Destroyer".
The film, to be directed by Karyn Kusama, follows LAPD  detective Erin Bell, who's undercover operation about a cult  gang in the California desert ends in a tragedy. But when the  gang remerges years later, she track them down while  confronting her own demons of the past.
The screenlay for the film has been written by Phil Hay  and Matt Manfredi, with actor Nicole Kidman starring as Bell,  reported Deadline.
"Stronger" actor Tatiana Maslany is also in talks to join  the film.
Both Hay and Manfredi are producing the film along with  Fred Berger.

Sebastian in talks to join 'Destroyer'

Singer Pink has said that she  felt heartbroken after rock legend Jon Bon Jovi married  Dorothea Hurley in 1989.
The "Raise your Glass" singer recently joined "The Late  Late Show" host James Corden for the 'Carpool Karaoke' segment  of the show where she revealed that during her childhood Bon  Jovi was her first love.
"I still remember, I was in the car, coming home from  singing lessons, and they said on the radio that he married  his high school sweetheart,I almost threw up in my mouth," the  singer said
The 38 year-old singer said after that she ripped all  posters of Bon Jovi and threw them away.
"I was devastated. It was the first time someone ever  broke my heart," Pink added.

Was devastated after Bon Jovi got married: Pink

Actor Terry Crews has opened up  about the alleged groping incident he faced with an executive  of talent agency, against which he has filed a complaint.
Just days after the news about of Harvey Weinstein broke,  the "Expendables" actor had claimed that a "high-level  Hollywood executive" groped his "privates" at a party last  year.
The alleged perpetrator has been identified as Adam  Venit, head of William Morris Endeavor's (WME) motion picture  group, who now has gone on leave as the agency investigates  the accusations.
"He's connected to probably everyone I know in the  business. I did not know this man. I have never had a  conversation with him, ever. I knew of him... the first time I  ever had an interaction with him was at this event," Crews  told Michael Strahan of the Good Morning America.
The "Expendables" actor said during the party Venit made  uncomfortable gestures at him from a distance and later  approached him.
"I stick my hand out and he literally takes his hand and  .

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