Page 1290 - Entertainment Culture

'Nanu Ki Jaanu': Cute, Harmless & Original (Film Review)

Film: "Nanu Ki Jaanu"; Director: Faraz Haidar; Cast: Abhay Deol, Patralekha, Manu Rishi Chadha; Rating: ***(3 Stars)

Most film-friendly state award for Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has been selected for the 'Most Film-Friendly State' award by the government for its efforts towards creating a comfortable environment for film shooting. A jury headed by "Sholay" director Ramesh Sippy also awarded a Special Mention Certificate for Film Friendly Environment to Uttarakhand. The awards are conferred by the central government for "creating a well-structured web site, film friendly infrastructure, offering incentives, maintaining databases, undertaking marketing and promotional initiatives", an official release said. A total of 16 states participated in the Most Film Friendly State Award 2017 and Madhya Pradesh received positive feedback from filmmakers who have shot in the state. Sippy said the jury members also appreciated the efforts made by Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat towards creating a film friendly eco system. "This year Madhya Pradesh where a lot of filmmakers have shot over the years, has won the award due to the ease of filming that the state ...

Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi accuses fellow singer-actor of sexual harassment

Pakistani singer-actor Meesha Shafi has accused a fellow singer-actor, a well-known face in Bollywood, of sexually harassing her, saying the decision to share her #MeToo story was difficult but she felt it was important to break the culture of silence. Shafi, who belongs to a family of actors, dropped the bombshell on Twitter where she posted a lengthy statement. "Sharing this because I believe that by speaking out about my own experience of sexual harassment, I will break the culture of silence that permeates through our society. It is not easy to speak out.. but it is harder to stay silent. My conscience will not allow it anymore #MeToo," she tweeted. Shafi said she had been subjected to sexual harassment "of a physical nature at the hands of a colleague" on more than one occasion. The actor-singer, who has produced a number of successful tracks and acted in high profile films such as Mira Nair's "Reluctant Fundamentalist" and Bollywood film "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", said it has been a .

Deepika Padukone in Time's 100 Most Influential People list

Actor Deepika Padukone is the only Indian actor to feature in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people. With a profile by her "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" co-star Vin Diesel, Padukone's name features in the artists' list which has names such as Nicole Kidman, Ryan Coogler, Gal Gadot, Sterling K Brown, Hugh Jackman and others. Diesel calls Padukone "not just a star" but an "actor's actor" and someone who represents the world, not just India. "When Deepika Padukone came in to read for one of the Fast and the Furious films, I knew instantly I was in the presence of someone very special. As soon as she entered the room, there was a synchronicity, a synergy, a chemistry - it promised great things to come. Her schedule didn't work for that movie, but I never gave up. She was the first role we cast in 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage'. She said, 'I want to do this movie, but if I do, you have to come to India.' Thank God I made that deal," Diesel wrote. "Making that movie, Deepika took

Govt approaches RBI to relax NPA norms for MSMEs

The government has approached the Reserve Bank to relax norms for non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans in case of small and mid-sized businesses to help them tide over the cash crunch problem. The MSME ministry has sought an extension of the NPA classification period from the current 90-day window up to 180 days. "As far as the NPA norms of RBI are concerned, during that window, where that relaxation was given, efforts are being made to get it further extended," Additional Secretary in the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), Ram Mohan Mishra told reporters here. Mishra said MSME Secretary A K Panda had attended a meeting with Reserve Bank of India nearly a month ago on the issue and the Department of Financial Services is also working on the issue. An accounts turns NPA if it is not serviced for 90 days. In case of small businesses and SMEs, payments come usually late. Once they miss the 90-day period and fall in the NPA category, their credit line is cut. In .

Zoom announces mega partnership with Myntra

Zoom, part of the Times Network, announced one of the biggest-ever brand partnerships in the television history in India, with the country's leading online fashion e-tailer, Myntra.Starting at 9 p.m. tonight, (April 19, 2018), Zoom will unveil its new avatar 'Zoom styled by Myntra', making a transition from being just a television channel to a platform agnostic entertainment destination.With an improved style quotient inspired by Myntra and engaging storytelling, infused with a whole new look and feel, new shows, brand new web-series, short formats and exclusive experiences, Zoom will be India's one-stop youth entertainment destination.The new logo and packaging reflects style, vibrancy, happiness that is symbolic of the channel's target audience. Offering unrivalled entertainment for more than a decade now,Zoom aims to reset the dial with reenergized content across all platforms and take the viewer experience to even more unrivalled heights.Myntra has always been a game changer and ..

Meesha Shafi accuses Ali Zafar of sexual harassment

Pakistani actress-model-singer Meesha Shafi has accused fellow Pakistani artiste Ali Zafar of sexual harassment.

Ranveer shares throwback moment with Snoop Dogg (Movie Snippets)

Actor Ranveer Singh, who will be seen as a street rapper in his next film "Gully Boy", shared a throwback photograph with international rapper Snoop Dogg.

Fortunate to have this pair: Shukla on casting Bachchan-Kapoor in '102 Not Out'

Director Umesh Shukla says it was a dream come true moment for him to have versatile actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor in "102 Not Out". The director says it did not take long to convince Bachchan in the role of a fun-loving centenarian and Kapoor as his grumpy 75-year-old son. "I had told Abhishek Bachchan that I would like to meet Bachchan sir. He arranged a meeting. When I met him, it was a dream come true moment. I was nervous initially. When I first told him about the hook 'about a father sending his son to old age home'. He immediately said yes. "We were thinking about Rishi ji for the role of the son. Bachchan sir was excited as he said in the past they had either played brothers or friends." Kapoor also liked the premise of the story. "I am glad and fortunate to have this jodi (pair)," Shukla said at the launch of the song 'Badumbaa' from the film. Shukla initially planned a medley of Bachchan and Kapoor's old songs but Big B wanted a new track as all their ...

Manish Goplani enters 'Belan Wali Bahu'

Actor Manish Goplani has been signed up to play a guest role in the TV show "Belan Wali Bahu".

Romance not limited to youth: 'Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain' director

Harish Vyas, director of Pankaj Tripathi-starrer "Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain", says the film depicts how romance is not just for the youth.

Amitabh Bachchan is a natural actor, says Rishi Kapoor

Rishi Kapoor, who is working with Amitabh Bachchan in a film after a gap of almost three decades, believes the megastar is one of the most natural performers in the film industry. The two actors play father and son in "102 Not Out", a slice-of-life film, which also has Jimit Trivedi of "Bhool Bhulaiya" fame. "He (Bachchan) should not get money for acting, he doesn't act, he is a natural. When someone reacts like this, it makes our job easy. He is a great actor," Kapoor told reporters at the song launch of 'Badoomba', which Bachchan has sung. The two actors have worked in several hits such as "Amar Akbar Anthony", "Coolie" and "Kabhi Kabhie", among others. Bachchan said he was grateful to his co-artistes who helped him better his performance. "It is great to work with Jimit, he is a huge success story. If you appreciate my work, the credit goes to my co-artistes, our performance is a reflection of their performance," Bachchan said. The film, based on a Gujarati play by the same name, ..

Sony YAY! pads up content with new offerings

Childrens entertainment channel Sony YAY!, which has clocked a year since its launch, has announced a robust content line-up and extension of footprint, in time for the summer holiday season.

Music streaming drives 27% growth in Indian music industry

The total music industry revenues in India grew from Rs 570.7 crore in 2016 to Rs 725.6 crore in 2017. This increase in revenue by Rs 154.9 crore is the largest since 2011, according to data from IFPI, a not-for-profit international organisation which represents the interests of 1,300 record companies from across the globe.

Iran arrests culture ministry official over public dance

Iran today arrested a senior official after a video posted online showed young boys and girls dancing in public in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, the judiciary said. "The head of the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance in Mashhad was arrested for undermining public decency and disrespecting the laws," the judiciary's Mizan Online news agency said quoting a deputy prosecutor. Islamic law in Iran prohibits public dancing. The video shared on social networks showed young boys and girls dancing in a shopping mall, where a singer was performing for a huge crowd. The event took place on Tuesday. Mohsen Afshar, a spokesman for the shopping centre, told the ISNA news agency that a monthly draw is organised and a car given away to the lucky winner to attract customers. According to Afshar the singer had the necessary "official permits to perform". The performance can attract 10,000-12,000 people, he said, including "some individuals whose behaviour is contrary to the norms of the .

Folk, sufi and devotional bhajans at upcoming music fest

Promoting music as a tool to encourage peace , tolerance and empathy, a new classical music festival is being organised here. Sahitya Kala Parishad, the Department of Art, Culture and Languages, Delhi Government in association with NDMC, will host the three-day festival "Bhakti Sangeet" at the Nehru Park here. The festival, featuring folk music, sufi music, jugalbandi and devotional bhajans across genres, will be inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia. "Our country has a rich legacy of celebrating the idea of 'bhakti' in its diverse forms. Various faiths have stressed on the importance of music in reaching the divine the paths are different, but the destination is one. "In these difficult times, when hatred and violence have enveloped our society, it is important for us to reclaim our religious traditions and celebrate the pluralism in our devotional music," Sisodia said. The festival will showcase the plurality of faith and expression in devotional music, as .

Madhya Pradesh wins Most Film Friendly State Award

Madhya Pradesh has bagged the Most Film Friendly State Award given by the central government for its efforts to ease filming in the state by creating a well-structured website, film friendly infrastructure and more.

'Foreigner' Anusha was over-charged for everything

TV host and popular VJ Anusha Dandekar says back in 2002 when she shifted base from Australia to India, she was over-charged for everything as she was considered to be a "foreigner".

Kelly Clarkson to host 2018 Billboard Music Awards

Singer Kelly Clarkson has been announced as the host of 2018 Billboard Music Awards. The announcement was made by NBC studio, which is airing the awards this year. The singer is currently in her first season as a coach on the studio's singing show "The Voice". "To prepare for hosting the Billboard Music Awards, I already have 20 costume changes planned," Clarkson said in a press release. "I will be flying in like my girl P!nk, and calling Amy Schumer and Sarah Silverman for jokes. Well, or I'm just gonna show up and celebrate my favorite artists and get to know a few more. Yeah, maybe I'll go with that plan," she added. Clarkson has sold more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide. She has placed 10 singles in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards and two Academy of Country Music Awards. The 2018 Billboard Music Awards is produced by dick clark ...

Vishwajeet, Sonalika renew wedding vows on anniversary

Actor Vishwajeet Pradhan and fashion designer Sonalika Pradhan renewed their marriage vows here on their 18th wedding anniversary on Thursday.