Page 571 - Entertainment Culture
Sahitya Akademi announces winners in 24 languages
An extensive range of works representing diversity in contemporary Indian literature, comprising seven collections of poetry, six novels, six short story collections, three works of literary criticism and two collections of essays were announced on Wednesday as the winners of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award 2018 in 24 languages.
'Uri...' India's surgical strikes come to life
Quite recently, the ever-evolving Vicky Kaushal was seen in a film "Raazi" where Pakistani military officers were shown to be such angels of mercy we all felt guilty for portraying them as villains in our films.
'Thugs of Hindostan' all set for China release
Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan starrer 'Thugs of Hindostan' is all set to enter Chinese theatres on December 28 this year.Taking to Twitter, film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh confirmed the news, writing, "Date finalised... #TOH to release in #China on 28 Dec 2018."He also released the official Chinese poster for the film.The multi-starrer film, which became the first Bollywood film to cross the 50 crore mark on day one, did not garner much appreciation from the Indian critics and ended up receiving poor reviews.Based on Philip Meadows Taylor's 1839 novel 'Confessions of a Thug,' 'Thugs of Hindostan' is about a gang who posed a serious challenge to the British Empire in India during the early 19th century.The film, which also features Fatima Sana Shaikh, Jackie Shroff, Katrina Kaif released in India on November 8.
Rajinikanth starrer 2.0 set to release in China
Tamil Superstar Rajinikanth's latest 2.0 is set to be released in China in May, the film-maker Lyca Productions said Wednesday. The film producers, in a press release, said, they have been associated with the Beijing-based production and distribution company HY Media for the release of '2.0'. "The dubbed and subtitled versions are scheduled for release in China in 10,000 theatres with a whopping 56,000 screens, including 47,000 3D screens", the release said. Touted to be one of the biggest films in terms of production cost, Shankar's directorial 2.0 has Rajinikanth, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and actress Amy Jackson playing the lead, the release said. The music is scored by double Oscar-winner A R Rahman, it said. '2.0' is a sequel to 'Enthiran' released in 2010. Rajinikanth reprises the role of Dr Vaseegaran/Chitti he had essayed in 'Enthiran,' the release said. Akshay Kumar is the new addition to the franchise and plays the antagonist (Dr Richard). Rajini and Akshay ...
In some way, it's connected to him: R. Kelly's wife on gun threat
R. Kellys former wife and choreographer Drea Kelly says a gun threat that caused an evacuation at a New York City screening for Lifetimes upcoming documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly" was connected to the singer.
Salman to be 1st guest on Kapil Sharma's new show
Comedian-actor-producer Kapil Sharma has started shooting for a new edition of "The Kapil Sharma Show" with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan as its first celebrity guest.
Mahershala Ali fought to change lead character's race to black in True Detective' season three
Oscar winner Mahershala Ali has revealed that lead part of "True Detective" season three was actually white and he had to convince creator Nic Pizzolatto to make the character black. During Varietys Actors on Actors series, the 44-year-old actor said he was offered a supporting part in the new season but he refused to accept it as it was a role that he has always been asked to play throughout his career. "I could've played that second lead, that supporting career. But in my mind, I was like, 'I've done this my entire career though. I've never done that. At that time, I'm 43 years old. If it don't happen now, it really may not happen," Ali said. Ali said he decided to pitch himself as the lead for True Detective Season 3 and he started sending Pizzolatto a series of photographs of his grandfather, who served as a state police officer. "I was like, 'See, we existed in this space. In the '60s and the '70s. State police officers,'. I was like, 'I think your story would be served, I think .
Women poets' 'mushaira' a highlight at Jashn-e-Rekhta 2018
Jashn-e-Rekhta 2018 will feature a unique women poets' mushaira session at the fifth edition of the Urdu festival, which is set to begin from December 14. The audience will also get to witness another highlight - Ramlila performance in Urdu by the Shri Shraddha Ramlila group titled 'Ram Kahaani Urdu Wali', a press release from the festival organiser, Rekhta Foundation read. Morari Bapu, the renowned exponent of the Ramcharitmanas and an ardent lover of Urdu poetry, will inaugurate the gala. His appearance will be followed by a Qawwali performance by the Wadalis - Puran Singh Wadali and Lakhwinder Wadali. The three-day festival will honour its tradition of Urdu's eclectic art forms and its heritage through ghazals, Sufi music, qawwali, dastaangoi, panel discussions, poetry symposiums, recitations, celebrity conversations and film screenings. Sessions on celebrated Pakistani writers Intizar Hussain, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Indian mystic poet Kabir will also be held. Nooran Sisters will ...
'Ben is Back' to hit Indian theatres on December 14
Julia Roberts-starrer "Ben is Back" is set to release in India on December 14. The film also features "Manchester By The Sea" star Lucas Hedges, who is playing the charming-but-troubled Ben Burns, who returns home to his unsuspecting family one fateful Christmas Eve. It is directed by Peter Hedges, Lucas' father, and the cast also includes Courtney B. Vance and Kathryn Newton. The official plotline of the film reads: Nineteen-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve. Ben's mom, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son's drug addiction. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love gets put to the test as Holly does everything in her power to keep Ben clean. The feature will be released in India by PVR Pictures.
Two hour movies will be soon extinct, predicts Joe Russo
Joe Russo, the one half of director duo The Russo Brothers, believes the days of two-hour film format will soon be over According to Deadline, the director was speaking alongside brother Anthony Russo at Business Insider Ignition. During the discussion, Joe said it is becoming increasingly difficult to work in the two-hour film format. "We are in a major moment of disruption. The two-hour film has had a great run for about 100 years but it's become a very predictive format. It's difficult, I think, to work in it. It's sort of like saying, 'We all like sonnets, so let's tell sonnets for 100 years, as many ways as we possibly can... "I'm not sure that this next generation that is coming up is going to see two-hour narrative as the predominant form of storytelling for them," Joe said. The director duo's Marvel tentpole "Avengers: Infinity War" had a runtime of over two hours and forty minutes. It was the longest Marvel Studios project yet. In November, Joe had revealed that the upcoming
Book brings alive Ritwik Ghatak's first love - short stories
A new book brings together a collection of Ritwik Ghatak's short stories written mostly within a short span between 1947 and 1950 and much before he became famous as a filmmaker. The tales in "Ritwik Ghatak Stories" reflect his protest against 'the wickedness, villainy and oppression' he saw around him, his romantic nostalgia for a lost El Dorado, his intense feeling for man's natural environment the land, the sea and the sky. While these stories mirror the ethos of the tumultuous decade of India in the '40s, they go beyond that to reveal a vision of life that encompasses a compassion for human frailties and a deep commitment to humanism. Ghatak wrote about a hundred short stories and at least two novels from 1943 onwards. This collection, published by Niyogi Books, has 17 stories, all translated by Rani Ray. In the book's introduction, cultural Sumanta Banerjee says these stories display a surprisingly wide span of Ritwik's concerns. Both in their style and themes, the stories show ..
I'm not drawn to formulaic films: Leena Yadav
Filmmaker Leena Yadav, known for her critically acclaimed film "Parched", says she is drawn to complex and flawed characters and doesn't see herself exploring formulaic movies as everything is just perfect in it. "I am not drawn to formulaic films because there is no space for flawed characters to exist in that set up. Sometimes in my scripts characters have been one dimensional and I have changed them on set... I can't see a black and white character because I haven't met any," Leena told PTI. The filmmaker explains, it's the detailing and the back stories of characters which fascinate her. "If I see a villain, I want to see his vulnerabilities. Why did he become what he is? I truly believe we start off as good people and then circumstances shape us. It bores me if I see a hero who is perfect. There has to be some kind of flaw in him," she adds. Leena, who made her debut in 2005 with Aishwarya Rai-Sanjay Dutt starrer "Shabd", appreciates people who can pull off a successful ...
Comedy is quite difficult to do: Nushrat
Actress Nushrat Bharucha of "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" fame has some more comedy films coming up but says they're not easy to do.
Amit Sadh puts on 18 kg for web series based on Uri attacks
Amit Sadh, who will be playing an Army officer in the Uri attacks inspired web series "India Strikes - 10 Days", has gained 18 kg for the part. The drama series, which hails from Applause Entertainment, is based on the first chapter from Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh's book "India's Most Fearless". "When I got to know about this role it got me extremely energised and I wanted to put my best self forward, so I decided to undergo the physical transformation," Sadh said in a statement. "It was a conscious decision trying to show the physicality and the strength the Special Forces have. I was 72 kg when I was offered this role and now I am 90," he added. The 35-year-old actor is portraying Major Mike Tango, the mission leader of the Indian Army's Special Forces team that conducted surgical strikes on terrorist camps along the LoC. The actor underwent physical training and followed a strict diet to gain weight. He trained with Rakesh Udiyar, the trainer behind Aamir Khan's look in "Dangal" ...
On a scale of 1 to 10 in happiness, I'm on 12: Priyanka Chopra
After a "fairytale" wedding with American singer Nick Jonas, actress Priyanka Chopra is beaming with seamless joy.
'Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse': Brings the comic book to life (IANS Review, Rating: ***1/2)
Film: "Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse"; Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman; Voice Cast: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Cage, Kathryn Hahn, Live Schreiber; Rating: ***1/2
Will Smith' s daughter 'really tested' him
Actor Will Smith says his daughter Willow "really tested" him after she achieved early fame with her "Whip My Hair" single.
Bombay HC to hear plea against 'Kedarnath' tomorrow
The Bombay High Court will hear the plea against Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan-starrer 'Kedarnath' on Thursday.The petition, filed by lawyers Ramesh Chandra Mishra and Prabhakar Tripathi, seeks reassessing of the film by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on grounds that "it hurts religious sentiments and promotes love-jihad".According to their petition, "The love story between a Hindu girl (played by Sara) and a Muslim boy (played by Sushant) will create a drastic situation and will promote love-jihad."The plea also stated that shooting a love scene at Kedarnath, an important pilgrimage site for Hindus, hurts their religious sentiments.The petitioners have demanded that the movie, which is slated to hit the big screens on December 7, should not be released till CBFC clears it again.The lawyer for CBFC, who was present before the court, opposed the petition by terming it "politically-motivated". "CBFC has assessed the movie as per set guidelines by following all ...
Anne Hathaway in negotiations to star in 'Sesame Street' feature
Anne Hathaway is in talks to feature in a film on "Sesame Street". According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie will be a musical, which would likely include appearances from Sesame Street residents Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster. Hathaway is the first choice for the role, but it is currently unclear if the Oscar winner will accept the role. "Portlandia" co-creator Jonathan Krisel is set to direct. Chris Galletta wrote the most recent draft of the screenplay. "Stranger Things" filmmaker Shawn Levy is attached as producer along with Michael Aguilar. Warner Bros will co-finance the movie with MGM.
Content-starved digital platforms help revive interest in Braj sangeet (Feature)
Thanks to new digital platforms and the rising popularity of YouTube channels, Braj folk songs and classical singing traditions, which were threatened by loss of patronage, are back in demand and are witnessing a happy revival.