Page 1280 - Entertainment Culture

Padmaavat: SC rejects petition to ban last scene

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition, which sought deletion of a scene from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film 'Padmaavat'.The plea, filed by Swami Agnivesh, stated the last scene of the controversial film as promotion of 'Sati' tradition.The film, which was released on January 25, has run into trouble time and again, as members of several Rajput factions have accused director of the film, Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting history.Starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in the lead roles, the film is based on the 16th century Sufi poet Mohammad Jayasi's poem Padmavat.

TTK Prestige ropes in Vidya Balan as brand ambassador for flagship brand

Kitchen appliances firm TTK Prestige has roped in Bollywood actor Vidya Balan as brand ambassador for its flagship brand 'Prestige'. The company said the association of the brand with actor will commence with a campaign that will run at the end of April in all media platforms including TV, news print and digital platform. "Prestige's core philosophy of innovation and leadership resonates with Vidya Balan, who is a thought leader and ground-breaker in her field," the company said in a statement. "With her ability to make 'bold and meaningful' choices, Balan represents the new progressive voice of today's modern Indian woman," it added.

Beyonce, Solange fall during Coachella set

Weekend two of music festival Coachella marked singer Beyonce Knowless second iconic performance as she and her younger sister Solange fell during their show.

Apu documentary exposed something we experienced as young people: Manish Dayal

Manish Dayal, a prominent South Asian actor in Hollywood, believes a new documentary criticising stereotypical prejudices in popular character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from "The Simpsons" was a necessary intervention. The 34-year-old actor says "The Problem with Apu" by Hari Kondabolu highlights the portrayal of negative South Asian stereotypes in the hit American sitcom, a conversation that many Indian-Americans like him always wanted to initiate. Dayal, known to fans for his role of an aspiring chef in "The Hundred Foot Journey" opposite Helen Mirren and Om Puri, says he himself has always tried to break such stereotypes through his work. "Hari did an amazing job at exposing something that we had all experienced as young people. 'The Simpsons' was the only depiction of what it meant to be an Indian. And to be limited by a stereotypical flat animated version of being an Indian is an injustice to us all. "We have so many different qualities and skills. To be limited to one animated ...

SC dismisses Agnivesh's plea seeking deletion of scenes from Padmaavat

The Supreme Court today dismissed the plea of social activist Swami Agnivesh seeking deletion of scenes from the film 'Padmaavat' on the ground that it glorified the practice of 'Jauhar'. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra rejected the plea of Angivesh which also sought lodging of FIR against the producer and director of the film for glorifying the social evil of jauhar (self immolation by widows on their husband's funeral pyre). "Once CBFC clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. The apex court had trashed several petitions against 'Padmaavat's' release on various grounds. Then the producers had moved the court after some states banned the movie. The court, on January 18, had set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the film, paving way for its all-India release on January 25. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the

Rana praises Keerthy Suresh, Dulquer Salmaan for 'Mahanati'

Actor Rana Daggubati has praised actors Keerthy Suresh and Dulquer Salmaan for their upcoming film "Mahanati".

Ranveer thanks Zoya Akhtar for 'Gully Boy'

Actor Ranveer Singh, who has just wrapped up shooting for "Gully Boy", has thanked the film's director for the unique experience.

Hans Zimmer to receive Steiner Award at Hollywood in Vienna gala

Oscar-winning music composer Hans Zimmer will be honoured with this year's Max Steiner Award for Film Music Achievement at the annual Hollywood in Vienna concert gala. The 60-year-old musician will be the 10th recipient of the award, named after the Austrian-born, Oscar winner known for composing scores for classics such as "Gone With the Wind" and "Casablanca". According to Variety, Zimmer will be bestowed with the honour on October 19 at the Konzerthaus in Vienna for his "innovative contributions to music in film". Founder and CEO Sandra Tomek of the gala said the composer was the perfect choice for this year's award, especially having recorded projects such as "The Crown" and "Inferno" at Vienna's new Synchron Stage. "Hans Zimmer has had a close connection to Vienna for some time now. For a city so rich in music history, it is only fitting to give this award, named after the great Max Steiner, to this exceptional and multi-talented composer," Tomek said. The concert will feature ...

Ranveer thanks 'bae' Zoya for 'Gully Boy' experience

Shooting for his upcoming film 'Gully Boy' has been a "unique and unforgettable experience" for Ranveer Singh.The 'Padmaavat' star, who recently wrapped up the shoot of the Alia Bhatt-starrer flick, took to Instagram to thank director Zoya Akhtar for it."Bae & I made for each other I love you @zoieakhtar thank you for this unique and unforgettable experience #gullyboy," he wrote.Earlier, Zoya had taken to social media to announce the wrap of the film's schedule. She even thanked the 'best crew' of her film.'Gully Boy' is expected to release in February 2019.

Eminem celebrates 10 years of sobriety

Rap king Eminem is celebrating 10 years of abstinence from alcohol and drugs. The 45-year-old recording artiste, who has struggled with booze and substance abuse over the years, took to Instagram where he proudly announced a decade of staying clean. "Celebrated my 10 years yesterday," Eminem wrote on April 21. The "Not Afraid" hitmaker shared the pictured of a coin, which is given to Alcoholics Anonymous members when achieve a milestone in their journey, featured a Roman numeral X (meaning 10) engraved on it, along with words "service", "unity" and "recovery". Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, nearly died from an accidental overdose in 2007. The Grammy-winning rapper checked himself into rehab in 2008 and started the 12-step programme. In 2015, he opened up about his battles with addiction in an interview, wherein he revealed he overdosed on Valium and Vicodin pills that landed him in hospital eight years ago.

Bradley Cooper's secret pact with 'A Star Is Born' co-actor Lady Gaga

Actor Bradley Cooper has revealed that his co-star Lady Gaga had called upon him to make a deal to extract an "honest" performance out of her in his directorial debut "A Star Is Born". Cooper also features in the lead with Gaga, who is making her acting debut with the film. The 43-year-old actor recalled the singer asking him to do his best job as a director and to his shock she would try turning him into a musician, Billboard reported. "She (Gaga) said right from the beginning that there would be a bargain. (She said) 'I'm gonna rely on you to get a performance that's honest out of me' - because she'd never done a film before - 'and I'm gonna make sure that you're going to turn into a musician. Because we're going to sing everything live.' And I went, 'Wait, what?'" "She said, 'No, the only way this is going to work - I can't stand when I watch movies when they have music and you can tell when it's pre-recorded and people are lip-syncing. And she's right. So that was terrifying, but

I support her completely: 'The Crown' star Matt Smith on Claire Foy pay disparity

"The Crown" star Matt Smith has come out in full support of his co-star Claire Foy and addressed the pay disparity controversy on the Netflix royal drama. According to a Variety report, Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II on the popular series in seasons one and two, was paid less than Smith - around USD 40,000 per episode on the historical drama. It is, however, unclear how much Smith, who played Prince Philip in the show in the first two installments, earned. The 35-year-old actor said Foy was one of his "best friends" and he believes artistes should be paid "equally and fairly". "Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all. I support her completely, and I'm pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that what's needed to happen. "Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone involved - but ..

I'm my own worst critic: Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch admits he is critical of his own acting performances. The British actor, who plays the title role in "Patrick Melrose", says his criticism of himself is ''sharper than anyone would ever suspect''. "You always approach a much-loved literary character with trepidation. Because I know I'm not making the movie I have in my head as a reader of these books, let alone everyone else who comes to it with their expectations ... I'm not perfect casting in everyone's eyes. "And on top of that there's my own criticism, which is probably sharper than anyone would ever suspect. I'm my own worst critic, I really am. It's both a godsend and a curse," Cumberbatch told Culture magazine. The 41-year-old actor says he finds it ''horrible'' watching back his performances because he is ''brutally'' honest with himself. ''It's different when you've got a producer's hat on. If you're front and centre, that's really hard. I'm excited about the moment when I'm not in something and I can ...

I feel more confident as an actor, says Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer says she has become more confident in front of the camera. The "Trainwreck" star said the experience of simply being in films and has helped her improve. Asked if she feels more confident going into her third movie ("I Feel Pretty") in a leading role, Schumer told Collider, ''As an actor... God, I don't know. I guess so. You just learn stuff from doing it. The first time you're on camera, you're like 'I got this'. And then you do this, and it's scary until you do it so much.'' "I feel confident as someone who... I do a good job on set. As an actor, I feel good because of my training and because I have people around me who I really trust, I don't have yes people," the-36-year-old actor added.

Paula Patton used to ghostwrite songs for Robin Thicke

Actor Paula Patton has revealed she was a ghostwriter for ex-husband Robin Thicke under the pseudonym Max Haddington. Patton, 42, has credits on tracks like "Magic", "Dreamworld", "Get in My Way" and "Diamonds". "We did it together since we were kids. I was with Robin since I was 15-years-old. You know, Robin and I wrote a lot of songs together... My name on the albums is Max Haddington. I was like (to Robin), 'Well, Max Haddington will just seem like another writer with you, so it doesn't seem like you're writing with your girl'," the actor told New York's Hot 97 radio station. Meanwhile, Patton and Thicke have found ''harmony and peace'' for the sake of their eight-year-old son Julian, and he is enjoying being a big brother to the singer's new baby daughter Mia, who he has with girlfriend April Love Geary. ''He loves being a brother. It's a great thing. I think that family, no matter what - divided, (or if) it's in new places - you have to find harmony and peace for your children. ..

Cooper, Gaga's pact for 'A Star Is Born'

Actor-director Bradley Cooper and singer-actress Lady Gaga made a pact to perform well before starting with "A Star Is Born".

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia pay tribute to Avicii

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia on Sunday mourned the sudden demise of Swedish DJ Avicii, who had performed at their wedding in 2015.An official statement read, "It is with great sadness that we received the news that Tim Bergling has died. We are grateful that we got to know him and admired him as an artist and the nice person he was," reported People Magazine."He made our wedding unforgettable with his amazing music. Our warmest thoughts go out to his family," the statement added.Avicii, who played at Carl Philip and Sofia's wedding, had described the night as an "amazing experience.""Thank you so much for an amazing experience and for having me on your special night. Congratulations Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia - i wish you nothing but the best!," the late musician had written on Instagram.Tim Bergling, popularly known as Avicii, passed away at the age of 28, on April 20.A statement from his publicist Diana Baron read, "It is with profound sorrow that we ...

Paula Patton was ghostwriting for Robin Thicke

Actress Paula Patton has secretly been ghostwriting for her former husband and singer Robin Thicke for years.

Mahesh Babu's 'Bharath Ane Nenu' to be dubbed in Hindi, confirms Director

When Shekhar Kapoor opined after chairing the National Film Awards jury that there is no such thing as regional cinema any longer, he hadnt seen the new Mahesh Babu starrer "Bharath Ane Nenu", a wish-fulfilment parable on a new political awakening, which has already earned more than Rs 70 crore over the first weekend. And growing stronger by the idea.

Veteran poet-composer, musicologist passes away

: Noted Telugu poet-composer, musicologist and artist Balantrapu Rajanikantha Rao died in Vijayawada today due to old age, family sources said. He was 98. Rao, who worked for decades in All India Radio (AIR) and headed its Vijayawada division as director, is credited with composing the signature tune of 'Akashavani.' He wrote and composed the first Telugu song ever broadcast in independent India on the midnight of 15 August, 1947. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy condoled Rao's death. Naidu announced that the last rites would be performed tomorrow with full state honours.