Page 727 - Entertainment Culture

'Helicopter Eela': Choppy ride, unreasonably stylised (IANS Review, Rating: **1/2)

Film: "Helicopter Eela"; Director: Pradeep Sarkar; Cast: Kajol, Riddhi Sen, Neha Dhupia, Tota Roy Chowdhury; Rating: **1/2

Music made me empathetic towards others: Palak Muchhal

Singer Palak Muchhal of 'Prem ratan dhan payo' fame says she started learning music at an early age, and that it has helped her become more empathetic towards others.

#MeToo: Filmmaker Subhash Ghai denies allegations

Bollywood director Subhash Ghai on Thursday denied a #MeToo account in which a woman has accused him of drugging and sexually violating her. He has dismissed the allegation, threatened defamation and said the woman should prove it in court.

Aniruddha Banerjee resigns amid misconduct allegations

Aniruddha Banerjee, an actor, writer, director known for quirky online videos, has resigned from content platform FilterCopy after multiple physical and sexual assault allegations against him.

Mumbai police lodges FIR against Nana, three others; starts probe

Mumbai police has lodged an FIR against actor Nana Patekar and three others on the basis of actor Tanushree Dutta's complaint of sexual harassment on the sets of a 2008 film and begun investigations, her lawyer said on Thursday.

NBC orders nine more episodes of Anupam Kher's 'New Amsterdam'

Anupam Kher-starrer medical drama "New Amsterdam" has been picked up for a full season by NBC. The network announced Wednesday that it will have nine more episodes, bringing the total count to 22. Airing in a prime slot directly after the network's smash-hit "This Is Us", the show premiered September 25 and has garnered big ratings since. An excited Kher, who is currently shooting for the medical drama, tweeted "This is such an exhilarating news. @NBCNewAmsterdam gets picked up for full season. Additional nine episodes!". The actor plays Dr Vijay Kapoor on the show, which also features Ryan Eggold, Freema Agyeman, Janet Montgomery, Jocko Sims and Tyler Labine. "You notice how different actors approach a scene and it's so much fun. Even the guest stars are brilliant," Kher told PTI. "With every shoot I feel great as this has taken me back to my drama school days, when I would wake up early to learn my lines, however, in this drama, learning medical terms and pronouncing them right, ..

Case against Prateik Babbar withdrawn

The case against Bollywood actor Prateik Babbar has been withdrawn after a settlement between both the aggrieved parties.The 31-year-old on Wednesday was booked under the Motor Vehicles Act for dangerous driving. The incident took place when Prateik's vehicle knocked down a motor-cycle driver, after entering a one-way street at Porvorim police station.The 'Dhobi Ghat' actor had refused to give his blood sample when he was taken for the medical examination.Son of actors Raj Babbar and late Smita Patil, Prateik was last seen in the Rishi Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu starrer 'Mulk'. He has also worked in films like 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na', 'Dum Maro Dum' and 'My Friend Pinto'.

Priyanka promotes importance of girls' education in India

"I want to help little girls get an education to build a brighter, more secure future," said global star Priyanka Chopra, on the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child.To mark the important day, the 36-year-old, who is working with YouTube to highlight the impact of educating girls in India, took to Twitter to share a video.In the clip, the actor - a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador - appeals to everyone to give girls a chance at everything. She captioned it as, "Let them raise their voices so they achieve their dreams. This #InternationalDayOfTheGirlChild, @YouTubeIndia, @UNICEFIndia and I want to help little girls get an education to build a brighter, more secure future."Talking about her initiative, 'The Sky is Pink' star, in an official Google blog post, said, "Today, on October 11, 2018, International Day of the Girl Child, I have teamed up with YouTube to highlight the importance of educating a girl child. What I love about it is that through this campaign, viewers will be ...

Complainant withdraws rash driving case against actor Prateik

A complaint of rash driving lodged against Prateik Babbar here in Goa was withdrawn within 24 hours of filing on Thursday, after the complainant and the Bollywood actor reached an "amicable settlement", the police said. The actor has also withdrawn a cross complaint he had filed against the man, identified as Paulo Correa, a police official said this evening. Both the complaints were filed at Porvorim police station Wednesday night. No FIR was registered against either of them, the official added. A case of rash driving under the Motor Vehicles Act was lodged against Prateik Babbar after his car allegedly dashed Correa's scooter on the Panaji-Mapusa highway Wednesday evening, the police had said. After the mishap, an altercation ensued between Babbar and Correa, who alleged that the actor abused him in front of his sister who was riding pillion, police said. Babbar, on his part, filed a complaint against Correa, alleging that the latter had smashed his car's ...

Classical dance festival combines dance theory and performance

A two-day dance festival -- "Saksham and Manthan" -- focusing on the theoretical and performative sides of Indian classical dance kicked off at the Triveni Kala Sangam here on Thursday.

Alok Nath's behaviour an open secret in industry: Himani Shivpuri

Alok Nath was like "Jekyll and Hyde" whose predatory behaviour was an "open secret" in the industry and has become public now, actor Himani Shivpuri said Thursday. The actor, who has worked with Nath in many films and TV shows, said she was shocked to read Vinta Nanda's Facebook post, accusing the "Hum Aapke Hai Kaun" actor of rape. "If he (Nath) has done it, then it is very bad. You cannot force any woman to do anything against her will, using your power. It is tough for women," Shivpuri told PTI. Shivpuri, who worked with Nath on films like "Hum Saath Saath Hai", "Pardes", "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" and TV shows like "Ghar Ek Sapnaa", said he was always nice to her but she heard stories from other female actors. "Whenever we shot in daytime, he would be mild and normal but after having liquor he used to be this Jekyll and Hyde person. He used to change completely. I heard from actresses that they had a tough time working with him," she said, adding that a veteran actor, who passed ..

Channing Tatum is dating singer Jessie J, say reports

Actor Channing Tatum is reportedly in a relationship with British singer Jessie J. The news of Tatum's relationship with Jessie comes six months after he announced his split from actor Jenna Dewan. The former couple, who were married for nearly nine years, have a daughter, five-year-old Everly Elizabeth Maiselle Tatum. According to Us Weekly, Tatum, 38, and Jessie, 30, have been seeing each other for a couple of months. "It's new, casual and they're having fun together," an insider told the publication. The "Magic Mike" actor was recently spotted at the singer's concert in Salt Lake City on Monday. They were also spotted by a fan playing mini golf in Seattle over the weekend.

Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao's 'Mental Hai Kya' to release on March 29, 2019

Rajkummar Rao and Kangana Ranuat-starrer "Mental hai Kya" will be hitting the theatres on March 29, 2019. The comedy thriller, directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Prakash Kovelamudi, was earlier scheduled to release on February 22, 2019. Rao also shared the news on Twitter and wrote, "Get ready for the ride. We are coming on 29th March, 2019. @ektaravikapoor #KanganaRanaut @ShaileshRSingh @RuchikaaKapoor @pkovelamudi @KanikaDhillon" The makers describes the film as a celebration of the "imperfections and the crazy within us and shouts out 'Sanity is overrated'". The film also features Amyra Dastur and Jimmy Sheirgill in pivotal roles. It is being produced by Karma Media and Entertainment and Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures.

Alexander Payne to connect with India Film Project audience

Hollywood director Alexander Payne of "The Descendants" and "Nebraska" fame will engage with the audience at the India Film Project (IFP) through a video call here on Saturday.

'A Star is Born': Performances, music keep it afloat (IANS Review, Rating: ***)

Film: "A Star is Born"; Director: Bradley Cooper; Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, Sam Elliott, Anthony Ramos, Rafi Gavron, Michael D. Roberts, Greg Grunberg; Rating: ***

NCP for fair probe into sexual harassment case against Patekar

The NCP Thursday said it wanted a "fair" investigation into actor Tanushree Dutta's allegations of sexual harassment against veteran actor Nana Patekar. Party spokesperson Nawab Malik also said the #Metoo campaign, which is sweeping mainly the media and entertainment industries with many women coming forward with their accounts of sexual harassment they had faced in the past, would achieve its goal only when the guilty people are brought to book. He said the NCP's stand on the issue is that the harassed women should approach the investigating authorities to lodge complaints against their tormentors. Responding to a question on the FIR registered against Patekar and others by Mumbai police on the complaint of Dutta, Malik said the NCP is in the favour of a "fair investigation". "The #Metoo campaign would reach its logical conclusion when the guilty are booked by law. Nobody is above law, be it a top actor, a Central minister or a journalist," he said in an apparent ...

Aishwarya wishes 'Pa' Big B on 76th b'day

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has posted an adorable wish for legendary actor and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan on the occasion of his 76th birthday.The 'Fanney Khan' star took to social media to share greetings for her 'Pa'. Along with Big B's picture from his last year's birthday celebrations in Maldives, Aishwarya wrote, "May the light keep shining, god bless. Happy Birthday Pa."She also shared another picture featuring daughter Aaradhya and the 'Thugs of Hindostan' star. Penning a wish on behalf of Aaradhya, Aishwarya wrote, "Happyyy 76th Birthday Dadaji"Other celebs, including Madhuri Dixit Nene, Preity Zinta, among others, also wished the 'evergreen Shahenshah' on his special day."Happy Birthday, Amit ji! May you continue to rule every cinema lovers' heart, today & forever. I wish you a blessed year ahead. Thank you for being a source of inspiration for many, including me. You are a true legend in every sense," wrote the 'Aaja Nachle' star."Wishing our beloved, evergreen ...

What is happening is fantastic: Anil Kapoor on #MeToo

Veteran actor Anil Kapoor has said the world should have an open mindset and must listen to the women who are coming out and speaking about their sexual harassment stories.Commenting on the #MeToo movement, the 61-year-old, at an event here, said, "I have three women in my house (referring to daughters Sonam and Rhea, and his wife Sunita) and they are fiercely independent. I am a listener and I think the world should also be a listener. Everyone should listen to whatever they have to say."The 'Fanney Khan' star further stated, "For me, girls are not equal, rather they are superior in every aspect and I have said that always. What is happening is fantastic."The #MeToo movement, which began in Hollywood about a year ago, has gained substantial momentum in India in the past few weeks. It took off after Tanushree Dutta accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of harassment. Following her revelation, accusations are being levelled against some powerful personalities in media and the ...

'Aravinda Sametha...': Jr. NTR elevates tried, tested story of factionalism (Review)

Film: "Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava"; Language: Telugu; Director: Trivikram Srinivas; Cast: Jr. NTR, Pooja Hegde, Jagapathi Babu, Sunil, Supriya Pathak and Eswari Rao; Rating: ***

Diana Penty proud of India's #MeToo movement

Actress Diana Penty has come out in support of women who are speaking about their sexual harassment experiences, saying she is proud of today's women as it takes immense courage to talk about such issues.