Page 1678 - Entertainment Culture

Actress Mona Lisa to perform on show (TV Snippets)

Actress Mona Lisa has been roped in to perform at an upcoming wedding sequence of TV show "Nimki Mukhiya".

Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay dead

Acclaimed Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay died here today at a city hospital following prolonged illness. He was 82. Mukhopadhyay is survived by wife, son and daughter. He had been admitted to hospital since December 6 and died of multi-organ failure as his condition turned extremely critical for the past few days, Mukhopadhyay's daughter Shubhaa said. During the last two years, the singer was hospitalised several times for renal treatment, she said. Mukhopadhyay's body would be kept at Rabindra Sadan tomorrow to allow the people to pay their last respects. His cremation would take place later in the day. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the singer's death and said it was a big loss for the world of music. "I wished him on his birthday only a week ago. Very sad. Condolences to his family," the CM said in a message. The state government had conferred him with the 'Sangeet Samman' award in 2012. Mukohpadhyay, who had learnt music under the guidance

Josh Gad joins Dench in 'Artemis Fowl' remake

Actor Josh Gad has joined director Kenneth Branagh's remake of "Artemis Fowl", which will also star veteran actress Judi Dench.

Sahitya Akademi announces winners of 2017

Sahitya Akademi, India's national academy of letters, today announced its annual awards recognising the literary works of 24 writers writing in 24 Indian languages. "Seven books of novels, five of poetry, five of short stories, five of literary criticism and one of play and essays have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017," K Sreenivasarao, Secretary, Sahitya Akademi, said. The awards will be conferred upon the winners during a ceremony on February 12 next year. Mamang Dai's name has been selected for his English novel "The Black Hill", and Niranjan Mishra is in the list of winners for his Sanskrit novel "Gangaputravadanam", K P Ramanunni has won for "Daivathinte Pusthakam" in Malayalam and Nachhattar for his Punjabi novel "Slow Down". The poets who feature in the list of winners are Udaya Narayana Singh (Maithili), Shrikant Deshmukh (Marathi), Bhujanga Tudu (Santali), Inqulab (Tamil) and Devipriya (Telugu). Five writers awarded for their short stories are Shiv Mehta ...

Randeep should have won an award for 'Sarabjit': Omung Kumar

Director Omung Kumar believes Randeep Hooda should have won awards for his gruelling physical transformation in "Sarbjit". The film was based on the life of Sarbjit Singh, an Indian prisoner who died in a Pakistani jail after being brutally assaulted. It focused on his sister Dalbir Kaur's (played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) fight for over 20 years to free her brother. "Justice was not given to Randeep. People appreciated his role and the way he did it, but it did not transform in terms of awards. He should have been nominated. It is sad considering the amount of hard work he had put in," Omung told PTI. "Everyone knows he was the best performer and he was not even nominated and it disturbed me. His work for the film was something else and it all went unnoticed," he added. Omung says both Randeep and Aishwarya were his first choices for the film. "The way he transformed no other actor could have done that. He is a dedicated person. He has lived that world. I wanted a ...

Release of 'A Star Is Born' pushed back to 2018 fall

The release date of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper starrer "A Star Is Born" has been pushed to October next year. Cooper is not only starring but is also making his directorial debut with the film. The film, which was earlier scheduled to release on May 18, 2018, will now hit the theatres on October 5, 2018, reported Variety. The new release date means that the film will be pitted against Sony's Spider-Man spinoff "Venom" starring Tom Hardy, and Fox's "Bad Times at the El Royale", written and directed by Drew Goddard and starring Chris Hemsworth. "A Star Is Born" is based on the 1937 film starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. The story centres on a movie star, who helps an aspiring young actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral. Bill Gerber, Jon Peters, Todd Phillips and Lynette Howell Taylor are producing with Cooper. Basil Iwanyk and Ravi Mehta are executive producing. Cooper also had a hand in crafting the script, with ..

I take career advice from Aamir Khan: Darsheel Safary

It was a decade ago that Darsheel Safary won people's hearts with his endearing performance in "Taare Zameen Par" and the actor says he considers Aamir Khan his "guru" and looks up to him for career advice. The film, which was the directorial debut of Aamir who also acted in it, explored the life and imagination of Ishaan, an 8-year-old dyslexic child. The 2007 film, penned by Amole Gupte, went on to bag a National Award. When asked if he is still in touch with both Gupte and Aamir, Darsheel told PTI, "I recently met Amole Gupte ji on a TV show and was so happy to see him. As usual he was surprised at the fact I've grown up. It was a happy reunion. "My dad is in touch with Aamir uncle. There's always an occasional text here and there. Also that we've taken advice from him regarding the projects I choose, as I consider him to be my guru." Darsheel, whose performance as a struggling dyslexic child was praised by film critics, says when he looks back at his work, he feels ..

Catherine Zeta-Jones is living dream of her life

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, along with her husband Michael Douglas and two kids, is living dream of her life as she always wanted to visit India.The 48-year-old actress took to her Instagram account and posted a number of videos and pictures of the exotic vacation.Posting a picture of herself somewhere in Delhi on her Instagram account, the 'The Mask of Zorro' actress captioned it, "New Delhi, India, today. When you dream of visiting a country all your life, and it lives up to everything you hoped it would be.??"The actress donned a white poncho, which she paired with baby pink pants, black cate-eye sunglasses, a cream coloured hat and a brown sling bag.In her next post, the 'Chicago' actress added a video, walking hand-in-hand with husband Michael, as they made their way to see one of the seven wonders of the world, Taj Mahal.It was captioned as, "The Taj Mahal, today in India. Breathtaking to view and experience. It's just the ultimate love story."Posting another picture of their .

Former child actors accuse Goddard of sexual misconduct

More former child actors have come forward accusing Hollywood producer Gary Goddard of sexual misconduct.

'Fantastic Beasts 2' finally wraps up shooting

Despite facing major casting issues, the production for highly-anticipated 'Fantastic BeastsTaking the announcement to Twitter, the second of five adventures, penned by 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling, has finally been completed.Alongside a video clip of the production, a caption read, "That's a wrap on #FantasticBeasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald production! See you in 2018. #MagicInProgress #FantasticBeasts #WizardingWednesdays."Following on from the end of the first film, the sequel - which is set in 1927 - sees the Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald [Johnny Depp] escaping from the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).Now the wizard is gathering followers to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.In order to stop him and his plans, a young Albus Dumbledore [Jude Law] enlists the help of Magizoologist Newt Scamander [Eddie Redmayne], who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead.Even though it was a cute announcement, netizens

Hanks wouldn't screen 'The Post' for Trump

Actor Tom Hanks says he would turn down an invitation from the White House to screen his new movie "The Post".

Nagarjuna unfazed by 'Tiger Zinda Hai', son's film clash

Telugu cinema star Nagarjuna says he has no problem in welcoming Salman Khan's Hindi film "Tiger Zinda Hai" alongside his son Akhil Akkinenis Telugu movie "Hello" on Friday.

Khloe Kardashian is 'having a baby'

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian says that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend and basketball player Tristan Thompson.

Mamang Dai, Ramesh Kuntal win Sahitya Akademi award

Authors Mamang Dai and Ramesh Kuntal Megh have won this year's Sahitya Akademi award for their work "The Black Hill", a novel, and "Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar", a literary criticism, in English and Hindi respectively.

Hugh Jackman reveals secret to his happy marriage

Actor Hugh Jackman has said that he cherishes his relationship with wife Deborra-lee Furness which started before he became famous. "One of the great pieces of fortune in my career, it started late, but that Deb and I were already set together, a team, madly in love, like literally before it all happened," Jackman told People Magazone. "We can kind of see all the ups and downs for what they are. Our priority is our family, and were there for each other no matter what," he added. The "Wolverine" star, 49, and Furness, 62, met on the set of the Australian drama "Correlli" in 1995. They have two kids together, Oscar, 17, and Ava, 12. Jackman also said that he always reminds himself that he would not be at the place where he is today without his wife, and he makes sure to acknowledge her. "Even at the Oscars, I walk out, I put my hand on my heart and I always look to Deb in the audience," he said. "Straight afterwards, I will not see anybody in my dressing room until Deb's ...

Any form of publicity is good: Ridley Scott

Director Ridley Scott, who replaced Kevin Spacey and reshot his scenes in "All the Money in the World", does not mind the publicity surrounding his decision. Spacey was accused of sexual misconduct by numerous men and it looked like the scandal might derail the project but Scott soon decided to recast Spacey with Christopher Plummer and reshoot the scenes even though the filming was complete on the movie. Plummer has since become a Golden Globe Awards nominee in the best supporting actor category for the film. "If you forget as the director your one priority is to put bums on seats and you better entertain," Scott told Entertainment Weekly. "So any form of publicity is useful. Need I go further?" Plummer plays J Paul Getty, the real-life oil magnate whose 16-year-old grandson was kidnapped for ransom in the '70s. Getty, one of the richest men in American, famously negotiated the ransom money. "The script can be about goddamn shoelaces. It (depends) on the vision, what's .

Star studded VIBGYOR Viva-9 culminates on a high note in Mumbai

VIBGYOR Viva a nationally renowned inter school festival, with involvement of students from all over India celebrated its 9th edition in Mumbai on December 17, 2017.Viva is designed to enrich and enlighten students by bringing alive their creativity. It provides an opportunity to the students to perform in front of a large audience, which thereby boosts their confidence and helps them overcome stage fear.The festival witnessed an enthusiastic participation of around 1300 students from 450 Schools across 7 cities, who battled to win the coveted Viva title in five premier categories - Voice of Viva (Indian), Voice of Viva (Western), Swing n Swirl (Solo Dance), Swing n Swirl (Group Dance) and Viva Nova (Personality Contest).Eminent personalities including choreographer Sandip Soparrkar, popular actors Daljeet Kaur, Vaibhav Guray and other prominent faces graced the mega evening making it one of the best occasions.The event also witnessed the presence of renowned personalities from the ...

Hugh Jackman planning to take a career break?

Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman, who will be next seen in the upcoming movie 'The Greatest Showman', has revealed that he is planning to take a career break really soon.According to Contactmusic.com, the 49-year-old actor is looking forward to take some time off to be with his loved ones and "reassess" what the future holds for him.While speaking at the Sydney premiere of the movie, he said, "It's been an amazing year for me. I'm really proud of everything I've done. But I want to catch up with my mates. I want to just take a little time to reflect, just reassess and see where I head from here."The 'Logan' star, who insisted he is a "quieter person" than people think, will enjoy having time to relax and indulge in his hobbies."I love to read and I like the outdoors. I like to cook and I like the theatre. I love sport," noted Jackman.Recently, Jackman revealed that she rejected the role of James Bond because he felt the scripts had become "unbelievable and crazy".Jackman will be next seen

Kendrick recalls spending USD 1000 for Oscars while broke

Anna Kendrick says she once ended up spending USD 1000 on a pair of designer heels for a movie premiere despite being broke. The actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for her 2009 movie "Up in the Air" with George Clooney, said she was not that famous so she had to buy her own shoes for the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. "I was not famous so nobody wanted to lend me shoes, but I was broke. I got talked into spending the money I really didnt have on a pair of Louboutins. They were USD 1,000. "I still have them. They're super-sparkly and spangly, but I will never get rid of them because I'm like, 'I spent my rent on you'," Kendrick told People's Jess Cagle in an interview. The actor is currently starring in the third installment of her beloved Pitch Perfect series about an all-female a cappella group.

Biennale becomes a major driver of art & culture: Report

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) has become a major driver of art and culture in India and bolstered Kochi's global reputation as a vibrant place for cultural pluralism, says a report. The biennial event, which began in 2012, has built infrastructure for culture, triggered economic spin-offs in the tourism sector and spawned jobs, according to the report by professional services firm KPMG. The report is about the 108-day-long third edition of KMB, organised during the period December 2016-March 2017, a statement here said. The 44-page report was prepared based on a comprehensive survey of visitors, artists, volunteers, business owners, vendors and local residents, it said. "Through the celebration of international contemporary art, KMB invokes the historic cosmopolitan legacy of the modern metropolis of Kochi and its legendary predecessor, the ancient seaport of Muziris," the findings said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who formally released the report yesterday here,