Page 616 - Entertainment Culture

Disney's Fox deal gets China's approval

(Reuters) - Walt Disney Co on Monday received unconditional approval from China for its deal to buy Twenty-First Century Fox's entertainment assets, clearing one of the last major hurdles for the deal to go through.

Roman Polanski's daughter, Jonathan Rhys Meyers skips IFFI

Morgane Polanski, daughter of filmmaker Roman Polanski, and "Bend It Like Beckham" star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who were expected to attend the 49th IFFI here for the world premiere of their movie "The Aspern Papers" -- the gala's opening film -- have given the gala a miss.

Nobel literature body expands jury after scandal

The Swedish Academy, which has awarded the Nobel Literature Prize since 1901, said Monday it would expand its prize jury to include outsiders for the first time following a scandal that forced it to postpone this year's award. The venerable institution has been in crisis mode since November 2017, after a deep rift emerged among Academy members about how to manage its longstanding ties to a Frenchman accused -- and now convicted -- of rape. For the first time in 70 years, the Academy postponed this year's literature prize by a year while it attempts to sort out its problems. On Monday, the Academy said in a brief statement that its Nobel Prize committee -- usually made up of five members who recommend a laureate to the rest of the Academy -- would in 2019 and 2020 also include "five external experts", including critics, publishers and authors ranging in age from 27 to 73. The Academy's permanent secretary, Anders Olsson, told news agency TT the two-year appointment was "temporary". The

Women-related issues in 'The Aspern Papers' relevant today: Director

Set in the 19th century Victorian era, 'The Aspern Papers', which opens this year's edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is a telling commentary on the suppression of women's emotion, independence and freedom, issues which are even relevant today, Julien Landais, director of the period drama film said on Monday.

Janasena says it will contest LS polls

The Janasena party of Telugu actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan Monday said it was difficult for it to contest the assembly polls in Telangana, being held ahead of schedule, as the party has been formed only recently. A meeting of party leaders unanimously decided to contest Lok Sabha elections in the state, Janasena said in a release. Noting that the party intended to stand by the Telangana people, the release said Janasena would gear up for the contest in Lok Sabha polls in the state. Pawan Kalyan, younger brother of mega star Chiranjeevi, is a top-ranking Telugu film hero.

Now men think twice before harassing women: Preity Zinta

Amid the ongoing controversy on her comment on the #MeToo movement, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta said it is an encouraging step to a big change for the future as men now think twice before harassing a woman at the workplace.

Anushka Sharma gets interactive wax statue at Madame Tussauds Singapore

Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma is the latest celebrity to join the bandwagon of actors to have a wax figurine at Madame Tussauds, Singapore.Given her popularity across countries, the wax museum at Singapore unveiled the first ever interactive wax statue that is bound to woo visitors.Anushka's life-like figure holds a phone personally inviting visitors to click a selfie with her, which can be digitally shared with friends and family. Also, it is the first ever interactive wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Singapore.Anushka's figure joins other Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and others in the IIFA Awards Experience where you can re-live the glamour of the Bollywood awards ceremony.On the work front, the 30-year-old star is gearing up for her next film titled 'Zero' with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif.

Dakota Johnson, Lynne Ramsay join Marrakech Film Festival Jury

Hollywood stars Dakota Johnson, Daniel Bruhl and Lynne Ramsay are all set to join the jury of the 17th Marrakech Film Festival in Morocco.Led by 'The Lost City of Z' director James Gray, the festival is set for a re-launch after a one-year hiatus from November 30 to December 8, confirmed The Hollywood Reporter.'We Need to Talk about Kevin' director Ramsay will also be on the jury, along with Johnson, 'The Alienist' actor Bruhl and Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet.Mexican director Michel Franco, Indian actress Ileana D'Cruz, Lebanese filmmaker Joana Hadjithomas, and Moroccan director Tala Hadid will round out the panel.The jury will also be joined by a roster of guests and speakers, including Robert De Niro and Robin Wright for career honours, and Martin Scorsese, Guillermo Del Toro and Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux, who are set for a new 'Conversations' series.The festival will screen a total of 80 films, with Julian Schnabel's Van Gogh biopic 'At Eternity's Gate' opening .

Storytelling festival concludes with diverse tales from India, abroad

Stories from Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's life, a dramatised musical about Mahabharata's Pandavas and actor Pankaj Tripathi's chilling, horror tale of a ride to Patna, formed the key highlights of an oral storytelling festival "Kathakar" here.

I joined film industry for money: Akshay Kumar

Actor Akshay Kumar says he was drawn to the film industry because it offered a lot of money for someone who was struggling back then. The actor started out his film career primarily as an action hero before blooming into an all-round star. "I did a lot of action films earlier because I knew nothing else. For 11-13 years, I did only action. I did Thai boxing in Bangkok for five years. Back then I had made up my mind that I'll come to Mumbai and open a martial arts school. "Honestly, the only thing which brought me to the industry was only money. I just came here to earn money," he said. Akshay said he used to make Rs 5,000 per month teaching martial arts but once earned Rs 21,000 simply by posing as a model and it changed his perspective. "I used to get paid Rs 5,000 a month when I used to teach martial arts. Once someone asked me to do modelling. I tried modelling for a furniture showroom. There was a model and we both posed and I got Rs 21,000 within two hours! "I thought what ...

Never met actor Akshay Kumar outside Punjab: Sukhbir tells SIT team

SAD chief and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal Monday told the SIT members he has never met Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar outside Punjab. Badal appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 police firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura following sacrilege incidents in Faridkot, even as he described the SIT investigation as politically motivated . Sukhbir Badal, who was quizzed by SIT at Punjab police headquarters here for about an hour, was also asked whether he met the actor in Mumbai. The name of actor Akshay Kumar was mentioned in Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege incidents which was tabled in Punjab Vidhan Sabha in August this year. "They (SIT) asked me whether you met Akshay in Mumbai. I asked them what is the proof behind this claim. I told them you are asking me a question and not telling me who said this. They said they cannot share. " I told them I never met Akshay Kumar outside Punjab in my life. I met him at a

Woodpecker film fest to be back with sixth edition

The Woodpecker International Film Festival (WIFF) will be back with the sixth edition here next month.

Ashwin Sanghi, Shobhaa De, Meghna Gulzar, Subodh Gupta to speak at 2019 JLF

Bestselling writers Ashwin Sanghi and Shobhaa De, filmmaker Meghna Gulzar and artist Subodh Gupta will be among the 250 speakers scheduled to participate in the 2019 edition of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. Scheduled to be held between January 24 and January 28 next year at the Diggi Palace in Jaipur, the annual literary event will feature a diverse mix of speakers including writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers. The second list announced Monday is a vastly diverse mix featuring Union minister KJ Alphons, Egyptian writer and cultural commentator Ahdaf Soueif, social activist Aruna Roy , former Chief Election Commissioner Navin B Chawla and historian Ruby Lal, among others. India's dizzying linguistic wealth will be on the programming radar with Sanskrit scholar James Mallinson, and Hindi litterateurs like Ashok Chakradhar and Manoranjan Byapari. JLF, in past editions, has successfully offered its stage to Pulitzer ...

Policy to protect women from harassment needed: AIDWA

The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) Monday sought a new policy to protect women who face sexual harassment and related offences at the workplace. Speaking at a meeting on 'Challenges Faced By Women in the Field of Media' organised by women journalists here, vice-president of AIDWA U Vasuki said complaints of sexual harassment, including the recent +Metoo+ campaign, without proper investigation was leading to women being targeted and character assassination. Referring to playback singer Chinmayi's problems with lyricist Vairamuthu who has been accused of harassment, the AIDWA vice-president said it was ridiculous on the part of a famous composer to say that he would no longer work with the singer. Vasuki, also a CPI(M) central committee member, assured the women journalists of taking up their cause, and asked them to express their problems. A large number of women journalists presented their views and the types of harassment subjected to at the ...

IFFI 2018: Bollywood star power meets global cinema

A galaxy of stars and directors such as Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar and Subhash Ghai will descend on the red carpet of the 49th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI), a high on Bollywood glamour event which will celebrate cinema, both national and international. The opening ceremony will also feature "The Aspern Papers" director Julien Landais, singer Arijit Singh, directors Ramesh Sippy, Madhur Bhandarkar and Singaporean American actor Chin Han. However, the presence of Ghai, who has been a regular at the festival, may raise some eyebrows this year as the director was caught in India's #MeToo storm when allegations of sexual harassment by two women, a claim he has categorically denied. The opening ceremony on Tuesday will be a 90-minute affair that will incorporate the rich and diverse kaleidoscope of the Indian film heritage and industry interspersed with performances by mainstream Bollywood artistes Sonu Sood and Shilpa Rao. The ceremony will be graced by Governor of

Finding right combination of good script, good people a rarity: Arshad Warsi (Lead, correcting para 2)

Actor Arshad Warsi's performances in "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.", "Golmaal: Fun Unlimited", "Dhamaal" and "Ishqiya" have been loved by audiences and critics alike. He says less visibility does not bother him as an actor as his parameters of choosing a project combines not only good script but also collaborating with good people.

Was pretty nervous to face camera after a long gap: Preity Zinta

Actress Preity Zinta, who is making a come back to films after a decade with "Bhaiaji Superhit", says the movie has given her new challenges as an actor and she was quite nervous on the first day of the shoot.

Shia Waqf Board chief's film on Ayodhya to release next month, trailer launched

Shia Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi released on Monday the trailer of the film "Ram Janmbhoomi", which chronicles the events during the Ram temple movement since October 30, 1990, when Uttar Pradesh police had opened fire on kar sevaks moving towards Ayodhya. Rizvi is the writer and producer of the film directed by Sanoj Misra. He has has also acted in it. Rizvi said some "misled supporters of Babar" were out to spoil the atmosphere in the country by indulging in a bloodbath over the disputed structure built by Babar's commander Mir Baqi. "I had also tried to broker peace between the communities and proposed that a Ram temple should come up at the site in Ayodhya and a 'masjid-e-aman' be constructed in Lucknow but my voice was drowned by the noise of fundamentalists," he said. "The film starts with the incidents from October 30 to November 2, 1990, when unarmed kar sewaks (volunteers mobilised by Hindu outfits) were fired on, and the changed atmosphere has been depicted through

Web series have a great scope in India: 'Mirzapur' actress

"Mirzapur" actress Harshita Gaur says web series have a great scope in India with a "huge audience base".

Conference on Indian Cinema and Alternate Networks ICAN2 Hosted by DME Media School and Deakin University

/ -- Deakin University, Australia, hosted conference on Indian Cinema and Alternate Networks in India - ICAN 2018 from November 16-18, 2018. The conference delved into various aspects of Indian Cinema and how its reception, consumption, collaboration and distribution have changed over the years. It will also elaborate on Australia-India bilateral association in Cinema. The conference was organised in collaboration with Delhi Metropolitan Educations' School of Media, Noida. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713572/Deakin_University_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786776/Dignitaries_ICAN_2_16_November.jpg ) The conference was led by Australia-based India Cinema scholar - Dr Vikrant Kishore, Course Director - Film, Television & Animation and Senior Lecturer in Screen and Design at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University. Australian Film Scholar and Deakin academic- Professor Sean Redmond was the keynote speaker at the Conference. Professor ...