Page 1434 - Entertainment Culture

Farewell Sridevi: Pan India screen icon joins the stars

After a lifetime under the arc-lights, Indian cinema icon Sridevi was today given a send-off fit for celluloid posterity with surging crowds of mourners walking with the cortege as it made its slow way through the city and thousands more glued to television to watch her last rites. The 54-year-old, whose sudden death in Dubai late Saturday sent shock-waves through India, was given a state funeral with her body wrapped in the tricolour and a gun salute by the Mumbai Police. Sridevi, Indian cinema's first woman superstar who straddled the parallel worlds of southern films and Bollywood, became an actor when she was only four years old. Three hundred films later, the doe-eyed actor is still remembered for her comic timing, vivacity and her quicksilver expressions. Sridevi's funeral procession was the biggest Mumbai had seen for a Bollywood star since Rajesh Khanna in 2012 and perhaps the biggest for a woman, said old timers. There was a sea of people as far as the eye could see. The last

Egypt courts punish singers for 'insults' and 'debauchery'

Egyptian courts have sentenced two singers to prison time for seemingly tame behaviour deemed threatening to society in a country growing increasingly repressive on all fronts. One, the famous singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab, was given six months over a joke suggesting that the Nile River is polluted, which prosecutors used to accuse her of insulting the state. A fan had asked her to sing one of her popular songs referring to drinking from the river, Egypt's lifeline, to which she playfully suggested that it's safer to drink bottled water. The other, little-known Laila Amer, was sentenced to two years for inciting "debauchery and immorality" with a music video in which she plays a downtrodden but belly-dancing housewife complaining to her husband about his bossy mother. The name of the song, "Bos Omak," is a play on words with a popular Arabic profanity. The charges, while not uncommon in matters of morality in conservative Egypt, come at a time when free speech in general is under assault

Reliance Big TV to provide free set-top box, HD channels for one year

Reliance Big TV will provide Indians free of cost access to an extensive range of HD-quality entertainment channels.

Cinema icon Sridevi cremated with state honours

Bollywood diva Sridevi was today cremated with full state honours, mourned by millions of fans, at the Vile Parle crematorium. Sridevi's filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor performed the last rites at the ceremony. The couple's daughters, Jahnvi and Khushi, were by his side, said sources close to the family. The actor's body was brought to the crematorium in an open, flower-bedecked hearse. Sridevi's untimely death at the age of 54 in Dubai on Saturday had stunned the nation.

Atif refuses to promote Bollywood song, says film's producer

Pakistani singer Atif Aslam has been repeatedly shrugging off requests to promote his latest song "Sehmi hai dhadkan" from the forthcoming Bollywood film "Daas Dev", says its producer Sanjeev Kumar.

Enjoy ad-free, Alexa-enabled songs on Amazon Prime Music in India

Amazon.in on Wednesday launched Amazon Prime Music -- an ad-free streaming service with innovative voice controls with digital assistant Alexa -- for its Prime members in the country.

'Lady Bird': A disguised mother-daughter drama (Review)

Film: "Lady Bird"; Director: Greta Gerwig; Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf; Rating: *** ½

PSBs' probing NPAs of over Rs 50 cr to cleanse the system: Ficci

The government's asking public sector banks (PSBs) to probe all NPA accounts above Rs 50 crore for detecting fraud and wilful defaults will help ensure the "much-required" cleansing of the system as well as a transparent risk management mechanism, Ficci said today. The industry body however said that the exercise needs to be carried out cautiously and the government must ensure that investigations do not cripple lending and dampen business sentiment. The finance ministry has directed PSBs to probe all non performing asset (NPA) or bad loan accounts of over Rs 50 crore for possible fraud and accordingly report the cases to CBI. The direction follows state-owned lender PNB reporting Rs 12,700 crore fraud through alleged misuse of letters of undertaking (LoUs) by billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and associates. "With continuous efforts from the government and RBI, PSBs should strengthen their risk management practices with an immediate sense of urgency. Simultaneously with the action on ..

Bond films director Lewis Gilbert dies at 97

British producer-director Lewis Gilbert, best known for films such as "Alfie" and James Bond films such as "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker", has died. He was 97. The news of his death was shared by the Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. "It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of our dear friend Lewis Gilbert. Lewis was a true gentleman," the duo said in a statement. Gilbert directed 1967's "You Only Live Twice" starring Sean Connery, "The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1977 and "Moonraker" in 1979, both starring Roger Moore. "He made an enormous contribution to the British film industry as well as the Bond films, directing 'You Only Live Twice', 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'Moonraker'. His films are not only loved by us but are considered classics within the series. He will be sorely missed," they added. Gilbert, who was born into the family of music-hall performers, began his career as a child actor. In 1939, he worked as an assistant on Alfred Hitchcocks

Kevin Spacey Foundation to shut down in the UK

The Kevin Spacey Foundation, created to encourage young people in the performing arts, is closing down its operations in the UK. The announcement was made by the trustees of the organisation in a statement posted on the its official website. "The trustees have reached the conclusion that the work of the Kevin Spacey Foundation UK is no longer viable and as such the foundation will be closing on the 28 February 2018. "The trustees would like to thank all their partners, artists and organisations for the great work that has been done in association with the foundation. The trustees hope that the objects of the charity will be taken forward by other organisations," the statement read. Steven Jackson-Winter, a drama teacher and longtime associate of Spacey, used to head the foundation's UK operations, but he left it in November last year following the sexual misconduct allegations against the actor. The organisation was officially registered in Britain in 2008, during the two-time ...

Sea of mourners as Sridevi cortege winds through Mumbai

Wrapped in tricolour, Indian cinema icon Sridevi today began her final journey with thousands of mourners jostling with each other to catch a glimpse of her cortege as it slowly made its way through the city to the Vile Parle crematorium. The body of the 54-year-old, who died in Dubai on Saturday, was taken in a hearse that was covered with white flowers, the colour of mourning. Sridevi, Indian cinema's first woman superstar, was given a gun salute at the Celebration Sports Club, minutes away from her home in Green Acres Lokhandwala where her body was kept before leaving for its last journey. Her filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor, stepson Arjun Kapoor and other family members were with the body as it left the building. As crowds mobbed the vehicle -- with some climbing on trees and clambering on gates to get a better look -- Arjun Kapoor requested them with folded hands to let the funeral procession pass through. Thousands of people walked along with the hearse as it left the venue for ..

'Chandni' sets out on her last journey

Draped in red and golden Kanchivaram saree Padma Shree awardee actress Sridevi sets out on her last journey on Wednesday.Adorned in tricolour, the Indian actress' mortal remains were carried to the cremation ground in a decorated carriageStepson Arjun Kapoor, nephew Mohit Marwah were seen on the truck carrying the remains of the 54-year-old actress.She was given the state of honour by the Mumbai Police while her family looked on at the Celebrations Sports Club.The cremation ceremony of the actress will take place at Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery at 3.30 pm.Earlier in the day, a sea of fans and celebrities thronged the condolence meeting of the actress to have a last glimpse of the yester year diva, who, passed away on February 24.The mortal remains of Sridevi were wrapped in red and golden Kanchivaram saree and kept in a glass cascade.Many big names from the industry such as Subhash Ghai, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai, Jaya Bachchan, Sushmita Sen, Isha Deol, Hema Malini, .

Sandeep Singh the best coach I ever had: Taapsee

Actress Taapsee Pannu, who awaits the release of her upcoming film "Soorma", says that hockey player Sandeep Singh is the best coach she has ever had.

Fans, friends pay last respects to Sridevi

With flowers in their hands and a prayer for their screen idol on their lips, thousands of fans today joined Sridevi's family and friends to pay their last respects at a hall where her body was placed ahead of the funeral. The body of the late actor, who died in Dubai on Saturday, was kept at the Celebration Sports Club, minutes away from her residence Green Acres in Lokhandwala. A prayer was performed at the hall before taking the actor's body for the last rites. A giant photograph of the much loved actor edged with white flowers was put up outside the club, which was covered with white lilies, mogra and red roses. Sridevi's body was brought to the venue at 9 am by her family members.. Inside the hall, her family, including film-maker husband Boney Kapoor, actors Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor, stood in a corner, their eyes wet with tears. Sridevi's daughters Jahnvi and Khushi were standing a little behind them. The actor's mortal ...

'Lady Bird': An intimate, astutely crafted character study (IANS Review, Rating: ***1/2)

Film: "Lady Bird"; Director: Greta Gerwig; Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein; Rating: ***1/2

Amazon Prime Video signs content deal with Disney India

Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday announced a content deal with Disney India.

Adam Scott to return for 'Big Little Lies' season 2

Actor Adam Scott is set to reprise his role as Ed Mackenzie in the second season of "Big Little Lies".

Kailash will 'jam together' with Zayn on one condition

Singer Kailash Kher says he would like to "jam together" with former One Direction band member Zayn Malik, who made a cover of the Indian artiste's 2006 hit number "Teri deewani" -- but only on one condition.

'Samskara' was beautifully structured, dramatic: cinematographer Tom Cowan

Veteran director-cinematographer Tom Cowan, who worked on 1970 Kannada classic "Samskara", says though the caste practice was foreign to him, he could connect with the characters in the film. The Pattabhirama Reddy Tikkavarapu-directed film was based on celebrated writer UA Ananthamurthy's novel of the same name and featured Girish Karnad, P Lankesh and Dasharathi Dixit in lead roles. "Samskara" was a path-breaking movie, which is said to have kick-started the parallel cinema movement in Kannada film industry. "The characters in 'Samskara' didn't seem foreign to me. They were all very strong and I could understand the basic human desires and problems. The movie was just the translation of something that was highly dramatic and beautifully structured, with a great setting. "The underlying questioning of the caste wasn't particularly resonant with me. But the characters and their problems were quite clear," Cowan told PTI in an interview on the sidelines of the Bengaluru International .

Parineeti Chopra starts shooting for 'Kesari'

Actress Parineeti Chopra has started shooting for her upcoming film "Kesari".