Page 307 - Entertainment Culture
President confers Padma awards to Manoj Bajpayee, Swapan Chaudhuri
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday conferred the Padma awards upon prominent personalities in the field of art, including actor Manoj Bajpayee and musician Swapan Chaudhuri, at a civil investiture ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan.This year, 112 personalities were shortlisted for the honour. The first set of Padma awards was presented on March 11, in which President Kovind had presented awards to 56 personalities. The remaining 56 were honoured today.The Padma awards are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, the second, third and fourth highest civilian awards of the country respectively, only after Bharat Ratna.Bajpayee, who is known for his outstanding performance in films like 'Aligarh', 'Zubeidaa ', 'Gangs of Wasseypur' and 'Aiyaary', was honoured with Padma Shri award.Soon after the nominations were announced in January, Bajpayee had said that he is really happy that no one has abused him on social media platforms after his name was
New Zealand celebrities condemn Christchurch mosque attack
Oscar winner Russell Crowe, director Taika Waititi and veteran actor Sam Neill are among the prominent film personalities from New Zealand who have expressed shock and anguish over the killings of scores of people in the Christchurch terror attack. At least 49 worshippers were killed in attacks on the Al Noor Mosque in central Christchurch and the Linwood Mosque in the city's suburb, seen as one of the worst attacks on Muslims in that country. Waititi, best known for directing films such as "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Hunt for The Wilderpeople", took to Twitter to extend support to the grieving community. "My heart is broken. My country is weeping and so am I. I am dying knowing that this kind of hatred can happen in my homeland. All my love goes out to Christchurch, the victims, the families, the Muslim community, and all who have chosen our islands as their home. This is not us," he wrote. Crowe, the Best Actor Oscar winner of Ridley Scott's "Gladiator", described the incident as ...
James Gunn re-hired for 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3'
Months after Hollywood filmmaker James Gunn was fired from the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise, the director is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney has finally re-hired him as director of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Volume 3. In July, Disney had fired Gunn from the Marvel project after a couple of his insensitive and controversial tweets surfaced on the internet, which he shared nearly a decade ago on topics like pedophilia and rape.Breaking the big news to his fans, the filmmaker took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the past few months. I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be. I deeply appreciate Disney's decision and I am excited to continue making films that investigate the ties of love that bind us all. I have been, and continue to be incredibly humbled by your love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Love to you ...
'Walk. Ride. Rodeo.' is a motivational tearjerker
Film: "Walk.Ride.Rodeo."; Cast: Spencer Locke,Missi Pyle; Director: Conor Allyn; Rating: ***(3 stars)
Junaid is more interested in theatre than films, says Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan has said that his son Junaid is currently more interested in doing theatre and he supports his decision. Junaid, Aamir's elder child from his previous marriage to Reena Dutta, has worked as an assistant director on Rajkumar Hirani's "PK", which featured the Bollywood superstar in the lead. "It is up to him (about making his film debut). He should lead his own life and take his own decisions. I don't want to take it for him. I have left it all to him. He certainly has an inclination towards the creative world and towards filmmaking. "He is following his path, he has studied theatre. He is actually more interested in theatre than films. I am allowing him to go and find his own path. That's how it should be. He is very bright," Aamir said in an interview here. The superstar once again made it clear that if Junaid wants to venture in to Bollywood as an actor, then he will have to follow the proper process and give audition for roles. "If I feel there is something that I got and
'Drake & Josh' reboot in works
Actor Drake Bell has teased that reboot of popular Nickelodeon sitcom "Drake & Josh" is in the works. At the iHeart Radio Music Awards, Bell said his co-star Josh Peck will be joining him for the new show. "We're working on something. I'm excited. I think we have a great idea," Bell said. According to People magazine, Bell and Peck are "in talks with several networks" about the project, which a source said will "be more adult and really funny". "This is going to be way more creative, way cooler than just, you know, the college years or something like that. We knew that if we were ever going to come back, it's got to be something cool. I'm excited to see what the fans think," Bell added. "Drake & Josh", which aired on Nickelodeon from 2004 to 2007, followed Bell and Peck as stepbrothers with clashing personalities as they tried to navigate their new life together, with many comedic misadventures along the way.
Ezra Miller, Grant Morrison to write 'The Flash' movie script
Actor Ezra Miller is set to to turn screenwriter with "The Flash" movie. Miller, who plays the titular character in the Warner Bros movie, will be penning the script with legendary comic book writer Grand Morrison. Morrison has worked on The Flash comic in the '90s alongside Mark Millar. "The Flash" movie built around Miller's Barry Allen has been in development since 2014. Rick Famuyiwa and writer Seth Grahame-Smith were initially attached with the project, but in 2018 John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein signed on to direct and have been part of the film since. According to The Hollywood Reporter Miller and Morrison's partnership arose from "a clash of creative visions" between Miller, who reportedly prefers a "darker take on the material," and Daley and Goldstein, who are said to favour a "lighthearted approach".
Jeetendra's 'Caravan' to be screened in China fest
Veteran actors Jeetendra and Asha Parekh starrer "Caravan" will be screened at the upcoming Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) in China.
Disney reinstates James Gunn as director of 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3'
In a surprise decision, Disney has rehired James Gunn as the director of the third installment in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. The director, who helmed the first two parts starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Dave Bautista, was fired by Marvel Studios' parent company Disney after his old, offensive tweets resurfaced on social media. In the tweets, Gunn, 52, had cracked crude jokes dealing with pedophilia and rape. The screenshots of the tweets, which ranged from 2009 through 2012, were shared by a conservative website The Daily Caller. According to Entertainment Weekly, the director will start working on the third part after he finishes the shooting of DC-Warner Bros "Suicide Squad" sequel. Gunn had penned the script for the threequel before he was sacked from the project. On Twitter, the director broke his months-long silence and expressed gratitude to his fans and Disney for giving him another chance. "I am tremendously grateful to every ...
Elizabeth Lail to star in horror film 'Countdown'
"You" star Elizabeth Lail has been roped in to lead the cast of STX Films' upcoming horror movie "Countdown". The story centres on a young nurse who downloads an app that claims to predict exactly when a person is going to die. When it tells her she only has three days to live, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out, all while a mysterious figure haunts her. "Elizabeth Lail is an exciting young actress whose breakout performance in the wildly popular psychological thriller 'You' was a breath of fresh air. "'Countdown' is a wholly original, scary, and fun script, and we're thrilled to have found the perfect lead to bring this story to life for audiences around the world," STX Films chairman Adam Fogelson said in a statement to Variety. Justin Dec has penned the script and will also serve as the director. Sean Anders, John Morris, John Rickard, and Zack Schiller are producing the project with STX Films.
Freddie Prinze Jr joins CW's Nancy Drew cast
Actor Freddie Prinze Jr has joined the cast of the Nancy Drew pilot which is in the works at the CW network. Freddie will play Nancy's father, Carson Drew, in the show, reported Variety. Carson is described as a dynamic attorney who has become estranged from Nancy following the recent death of his beloved wife but his attempts to reconnect with his daughter run aground when Nancy's murder investigation reveals unsettling secrets from his own past. The Nancy Drew pilot hails from CBS Television Studios and Fake Empire. Noga Landau, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will all serve as writers and executive producers on the project. Larry Teng is on board to direct and executive produce the pilot, which is set in the summer after Nancy's high school graduation, with the 18-year-old poised to leave her hometown for college.
Shooting for Mohit Suri's next 'Malang' begins
The shooting for director Mohit Suri's next romantic, action thriller "Malang" has begun.
Namaste Thailand festival aims to strengthen bilateral ties, increase cultural exchange
Aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and increasing cultural exchange between India and Thailand, the 3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival started with a delectable array of Thai cuisine and a lineup of cultural events on Friday. Introducing the people of Delhi to the unique and diverse culture of Thailand, the three-day festival was organised by the Royal Thai Embassy at the Select Citywalk here. "What we do have is good people-to-people cultural relation and we want to build on that foundation and let it deliver political and economic dividends. So that trade and investment is much larger than this. Namaste Thailand Festival is an initiative in that direction. "In terms of bilateral relationship, India has had a good, peaceful relationship with Thailand. But we are still in the early stages. Our trade has had an increase of 30 per cent year on year in 2017 and 2018, which is about 12 billion, but we have much more to achieve," Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Ambassador of Thailand to ...
Ten weeks and five hits: Content matters (Column: B-Town)
The superstars have been failing on a regular basis to deliver notwithstanding their Eid, Diwali, Christmas and other festival release dates not to mention 4000+ screens and enhanced ticket rates! Anything goes in the name of stunts and the special effects will do the job is not working anymore! So, now is the time to turn to content oriented films. When a maker has solid content, a superstar is not needed. Of the reigning but 50+ superstars, only Aamir Khan seems to have realized this fact! Or, so his film Dangal and his portrayal of a determined Haryanvi father, wanting to turn his daughters into world class wrestling champs, has proved!
Tamannaah Bhatia signs Tamil, Telugu films
Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has signed up for two new projects. One is a Telugu film, and one in Tamil.
Don't see Neha, Sonu as competitors: Tony Kakkar
Singer-composer Tony Kakkar says there is no competitiveness between him and his two sisters Neha Kakkar and Sonu Kakkar, who are also singers.
'Superwoman' Lilly Singh, becomes first Indian-origin woman to host US late night show
Comedian and YouTube star Lilly Singh is set to host her own TV show on NBS, becoming the first woman late-night host on a broadcast network and the first woman of Indian origin to do so.The talk show ' A Little Late with Lilly Singh' by the 30-year-old comedian, whose videos under the moniker Superwoman have over 14 million social media subscribers, will start airing from this September. The actress, comedian and author will replace Carson Daly in the 1:35 a.m. slot and will feature include in-studio interviews with celebrities and comedy sketches.Singh described herself in a tweet in February as "female," "coloured," and "bisexual". A native of Ontario, Singh's parents hail from Punjab and she began her YouTube channel from her home in 2010 the year she graduated from York University in Toronto.She uploads satirical videos on South Asian stereotypes on her channel with self-deprecating observational comedy. Actors Priyanka Chopra and Dwanye Johnson and even Michelle Obama have ...
Cyrus Sahukar feels he is a better actor than host
Cyrus Sahukar says he is a better actor than a host.
Vivek wants to play more meaningful roles
Actor Vivek Dahiya says he is not aiming to play Shaktimaan, but wants to take up more meaningful roles.
Akshay Kumar's urges youth to watch 'Kesari' inspired by Battle of Saragarhi
Ahead of the release of Akshay Kumar starrer 'Kesari,' the actor, appealed to the Indian youth to watch the film which he said is based on a topic that has eroded from the history books and needs to be celebrated. Speaking about the plot of his upcoming film which is based on the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi, Akshay Kumar, in his address at a promotional event on Friday said the people in India are not aware of the legendary battle and children need to watch this film.'Kesari', which also features Parineeti Chopra in the lead role, is based on the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi, where an army of 21 Sikhs fought against 10,000 Afghans. Akshay will be seen essaying the role of Havildar Ishar Singh.Comparing the concept of his film to an iconic Hollywood film titled '300', the actor said, "We all know about the film 300 where 300 men fought against 80,000 people. That is a fictitious story. But this is a real story. I want parents to show this film to their children."When asked if the film's ...