Page 1324 - Entertainment Culture
Was an honour to direct Tom Alter: 'Hamari Paltan' director
"Hamari Paltan" director Jainendra Jigyasu says it was an honour for him to get to direct the late Tom Alter in his debut film. Tom Alter died in September last year.
Nikkhil Advani bereaved
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani was consoled by film fraternity members like Karan Johar and Abhishek Bachchan at his mother's funeral here on Sunday.
Russell Crowe raises USD 3.7 mn at 'divorce auction'
Veteran actor Russell Crowe has raised USD 3.7 million from his 'The Art of Divorce' auction. The actor marked his erstwhile wedding anniversary with former wife actor Danielle Spencer and his 54th birthday by selling off movie memorabilia, Australian art, 28 watches and other unusual items, The Guardian reported. Sotheby Australia auction house presided over the event at Elston Room in Redfern's Carriageworks in New South Wales. The first big-ticket item to be sold was the famous "Gladiator" breastplate, whose going started at USD 20,000, but was finally went at USD 125,000. The wrist cuffs matching the breastplate went under the gavel for USD 32,000. While the wooden sword for USD 20,000 and the metal one for USD 70,000, the chariot from the Oscar-winning film was sold for USD 65,000. Besides "Gladiator" paraphernalia, many costumes that Crowe had worn in his films were also up for grabs - with Royal Navy dress blues from "Master and Commander" being sold for USD 115,000, the blue ..
No membership for actress who stripped, says film association
An apex body of Telugu film industry today ruled out giving membership to an aspiring actress, a day after she caused a flutter by stripping in front of the film chamber office here, citing her behaviour. "Because of her behaviour, the actress (Sri Reddy) cannot be given membership," Movie Artistes Association (MAA) office-bearer Sivaji Raja told reporters here. Though application for the membership was given to her earlier, she did not fill it up properly, Raja and other office-bearers claimed. The actress had yesterday stripped in public and staged a protest in front of the film chamber office, alleging that local artistes were not being given enough opportunities in the industry. She had also alleged that the association did not give her membership. Rejecting her charges, the office-bearers said several Telugu actresses had over the years got adequate opportunities in their film career. Police have booked the actress under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (obscene
Setting up CMB: Rajini,Kamal observe silent protest with actors
Joining the ongoing state-wide protests, demanding constitution of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, actors Kamal Hassan and Vijay, along with other actors and film personalities, participated in a silent protest here. The Tamil Film Producers' Council (TFPC), South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), Film Employees' Federation of South India (FEFSI) and Distributors' Association had announced that the silent protest would be held here in Valluvar Kottam area today. Top actors, including SIAA president and actor Nasser, Film Producers' Council president and actor Vishal, actors Dhanush and Sathyaraj, directors Shankar and Vikraman and actor-director S A Chandrasekar also participated in the protest. The silent protest was also for demanding closure of the Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin, against which the locals have been staging agitations, citing health reasons. Tamil Nadu has been witnessing protests over the CMB issue, with ruling AIADMK .
Ohio State University revokes Bill Cosby's honorary degree
Ohio State University has revoked an honorary degree awarded to veteran actor Bill Cosby amid his retrial in a sexual assault case, which begins tomorrow. The 80-year-old comic's degree was rescinded after the university trustees approval, which is a first incident of the kind in the history of the OSU, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cosby received the recognition when he spoke at commencement in 2001. An Ohio State spokesman said the "Man and Boy" actor had admitted violating the principles and values of the varsity. Cosby's retrial, which would start with opening statements in suburban Philadelphia, involves a woman who claims he drugged and assaulted her in 2004. He has denied the allegation, calling the encounter consensual. Cosby's first trial ended in a hung jury.
'Black Panther' makes it to top three grossers ever in US
Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" surpassed the collections of James Cameron's gigantic 1997 "Titanic" to rank as the third top-grossing title of all time at the US box office.
Salman too young to have a biopic made on him: Varun
Actor Varun Dhawan believes it is too early to make a biopic on Salman Khan but jokes if it has to be made, no one but the superstar will himself feature in it. Salman was granted bail yesterday after he spent the two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail over the 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case. Varun says Salman and his family respects the law and everyone is happy that the actor is out of jail. "Everyone is relieved. I said this earlier in a tweet that he and his family really value, respect and believe in the Indian judiciary and they will go about it in the best legal way possible. "But as someone, who has a personal relationship with him, I am very very happy that he's home. I went to meet him yesterday and it feels really good to see him," Varun said in a media interaction. When asked that a lot of people feel he is the perfect choice to play role of the 52-year-old actor in a biopic, Varun quipped, "He is too young to make a biopic on." When further quizzed about what does he ...
Hannity won't leave Kimmel alone till he apologises to Melania Trump
Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity has vowed to keep attacking comedian Jimmy Kimmel until he apologises for joking about the accent of United States First Lady Melania Trump.In an episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' the 50-year-old had joked about her Slovenian accent, which apparently didn't go down too well with Hannity.What followed was a war of words on their respective shows as well as on Twitter.On Saturday, Hannity tweeted that he was not going to stop until Kimmel apologised to the First Lady."On top of being a pervert you really are dumb, even with 100 writers. I have not been partners with @Disney since 2007. I'm really trying to help you here; CALL IGER! Apologize to the First Lady and I'll stop. If not, I will NEVER stop. EVER!," he tweeted.Post Kimmel's initial comment on Monday, Hannity had, allegedly, called him an "a** clown" and a "despicable disgrace" on his own show.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui to star in brother Shamas' film
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is finally set to work with brother Shamas Siddiqui in his upcoming feature directorial venture "Gehu, Ganna aur Gun". The crime thriller will go on floors next year in March. "My next film is 'Gehu, Ganna aur Gun' and it will have Nawaz Bhai in the lead role. I had written this story in 2013 but now after five long years, I have received his dates. So we will be going on floors with it in March 2019. "It's a crime thriller and there is an interesting story behind its title. So, Nawaz Bhai has been questioned many times during his interviews that 'What is famous in your family village?' And he always says, 'Gehu, Ganna aur Gun'. That's how I got the idea and we decided to title the film 'Gehu, Ganna aur Gun'," Shamas said in a statement. The other film the director is working on is "Zero Kilometer", which revolves around two sisters. "This film is very close to my heart. It's a story about two sisters, the younger one is two-year-old and the elder one is six.
Netflix threatens to withhold films from Cannes fest
Online streaming giant Netflix has reportedly threatened not to bring any titles to the Cannes Film Festival after festival director Thierry Fremaux said he won't screen any films from the platform in competition.
Anoushka remembers father Ravi Shankar on his 98th birth anniv
Anoushka Shankar has paid tributes to her father, the legendary sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar on his 98th birth anniversary. The 36-year-old sitarist shared one of her favourite photographs of her father on Instagram, recalling how she was alike him in the way she smiled. "Today would've been my dad's 98th birthday. This is one of my favourite photos of him (and his partner at the time, my darling Kamala Chitti). When I look at it, I'm happy, knowing that my eyes disappear the same way when I smile from true happiness. It makes me think of his beautiful laugh. "And in it I see how truly embodied he was: so in life, so in the present, so in himself. I know it was music that gave him that presence," Anoushka wrote alongside the black-and-white picture. The Grammy-nominated music composer said the best way to celebrate the legacy of her father was to "immerse" herself in music as much possible. "And the best thing I can do today to celebrate him is to immerse myself in as much music as ...
Tamil actors join protest over Cauvery Management Board
Top Tamil film stars on Sunday joined the ongoing protest for the formation of a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in Tamil Nadu's Chennai.Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, as well as superstar Rajinikanth along with his son-in-law Dhanush, participated in a protest organised by various film bodies in Chennai's Valluvar Kottam.Vijay, Nasser, Vishal and Ilaiyaraaja also joined the stage with Haasan and Rajinikanth.The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC), South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), Film Employees' Federation of South India (FEFSI) and a distributors' association are also a part of the massive protest.Tamil Nadu has moved a contempt plea in the Supreme Court, seeking action against the Centre for allegedly failing to form the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks as ordered by the court on February 16.On March 31, the Central Government filed a clarification petition in the Supreme Court, seeking more time to form the CMB, and asked whether it could modify the ...
Shriya Pilgaonkar to star Anubhav Sinha's next
Actor Shriya Pilgaonkar, who made her Bollywood debut as Shahrukh Khan's love interest in "Fan", has joined the cast of Anubhav Sinha's next film "Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai". The film also stars Richa Chadha, Pankaj Tripathi, Saurabh Shukla, Vinay Pathak , Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra . "We've begun filming in Lucknow. It's an outstanding script written by Anubhav Sir and I am super excited to work with these powerhouse performers who have been on my wish list of actors to work with. It's a dream team for sure," Shriya said in a statement. The young actor will also be seen in "Mirzapur", a web show produced by Excel Entertainment starring Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi among others.
'Black Panther' blows 'Titanic' out of water as No. 3 all-time U.S. film
Marvel's superhero blockbuster 'Black Panther' has sailed past 'Titanic' to become the third-highest grossing US theatrical release of all time.With a domestic total of $659.3 million, the Ryan Coogler-directorial is behind 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' ($936.7 million) and 'Avatar' ($760.5 million), not adjusted for inflation, reports The Hollywood Reporter.Worldwide, 'Black Panther' has earned a whopping $1.29 billion and currently stands as the tenth highest grossing film at the global box office.The film, which is Marvel's first to be directed by an African-American, took only 26 days for it to crack $1 billion at the global box office.
Challenging to play politician in 'Daas Dev': Richa
Actress Richa Chadha says essaying a politician in Sudhir Mishra's "Daas Dev" was an interesting challenge for her.
Sri Reddy has become national celebrity: RGV (Movie Snippets)
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says aspiring actress Sri Reddy has become a "national celebrity" after resorting to a strip protest in Hyderabad.
Cauvery row: Tamil movie industry observes silent protest
Tamil film fraternity led by veteran actors-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth on Sunday observed a silent protest demanding the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
Artistes shouldn't measure knowledge they gain: Pt Jasraj
Legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj says there is no age to gain knowledge as evolution is a must for artistes to remain relevant. The 88-year-old maestro, who has lent vocals for the upcoming biopic of Guru Nanak Dev titled, "Nanak Shah Fakir", said an artiste's age is reflected in the knowledge he or she possesses, not by the years they live. "It is extremely important in every field to have knowledge and to practise. Your age won't be counted in terms of years but the knowledge you possess. As an artiste, you should never measure how much knowledge you're gaining. "A wall will be created if you do so. You just keep on practising and then your knowledge will increase and it'll reflect in your singing," Jasraj told PTI in an interview. Talking about his association with "Nanak Shah Fakir", whose music has been composed by Uttam Singh - known for composing songs for films such as "Dil To Pagal Hai" and "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha" - Jasraj says it was Guru Nanak Dev's divine power ...
Digital medium no threat to films released in halls: industry
More and more filmmakers are looking at the digital medium as their new go-to platform, but the Hindi film industry is not worried. The digital world may present new challenges but it is not a threat to films released in cinema halls, industry people say, stressing that the two mediums can coexist. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, one of the first stars from Bollywood to warm up to the digital medium, believes that though the times have changed and the younger generation prefers catching films or shows on their personal devices, a big screen has its own draw. "Now youngsters do not watch stuff on TV; they see it on phone. But I would like to see 'Batman' or 'Baahubali' on the big screen," Khan states. The 52-year-old actor's Red Chillies Entertainment and streaming service Netflix are working on an original series based on the book "Bard of Blood". In India, the digital revolution began in 2012 when IIT Kharagpur graduate Arunabh Kumar started producing original and entertaining content on ..