Page 745 - Entertainment Culture

Hansal Mehta, Apurva Asrani call out 'Queen' director Vikas Bahl over harassment allegations

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and screen writer Apurva Asrani are among the first voices from the Hindi film industry to condemned "Queen" director Vikas Bahl over the sexual harassment allegations against him. Last year, a woman employee at Phantom Films, which had Bahl as one of the partners along side Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena, had levelled allegations of molestation against Bahl, who she said behaved inappropriately during a trip to Goa. In a recent article in Huffpost India, the woman has reiterated the allegations, sharing further details about the incident. According to the report, in October 2015, the woman reached out to Kashyap and detailed her experience, but no action was taken while Bahl continued to harass her until she finally quit the company. Sharing the article on Twitter, Mehta wrote, "Will anybody do anything about this bloody creep or will the industry protect him like it always does?" Asrani said such incidents made him feel "sick". "Why was

A lie is a lie: Nana Patekar on Tanushree's #MeToo

Actor Nana Patekar on Saturday said a "lie is a lie" in response to questions about Tanushree Dutta's allegation that he sexually harassed her on the set of a film a decade ago.

Rehaan believes in staying fit all the time

Actor Rehaan Roy is "very confident" about his body as he believes in staying fit all the time.

A lie will remain a lie: Nana Patekar on Tanushree's allegations

Making his first appearance after the harassment allegations by Tanushree Dutta came to light, Nana Patekar reiterated his denial and termed Dutta's claims to be a lie.Scores of journalists and media persons surrounded Patekar as he arrived at the Mumbai Airport from Jodhpur after wrapping up a schedule of his upcoming film 'Housefull 4'."I have already given the answer for this 10 years back. A lie will remain a lie," stressed the veteran actor as he struggled to get into his car due to the large number of media persons present around him.On being asked about further comments and his plans to address the media, Patekar said, "I will hold a press conference soon and talk about the issue at length."Tanushree Dutta has alleged that Patekar misbehaved with her on the sets of the film 'Horn Ok Pleasss'. She has accused him of harassing her while shooting for a special dance number in the movie and also claimed that dance choreographer Ganesh Acharya teamed up against her.The 'Aashiq ...

Shreyas excited about making debut in thriller space

Actor Shreyas Talpade is excited about trying his hand at the thriller genre with "Setters".

Saqib to play 'dark but honest' role in digital show

Actor Saqib Saleem says he will play a dark but honest and relatable character in the digital show "Rangbaaz".

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck finalise divorce

Hollywood stars Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have finalised their divorce three years after separating. The former couple, who announced their separation in June 2015 after 10 years of marriage, have officially ended their marriage, according to court documents obtained by People magazine. The duo met at Garner's house with lawyers and a private judge Thursday, a day after news broke that she had requested the private judge to handle the final details of the divorce. Affleck and Garner have three children together, Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine, and Samuel, six. They began dating in 2004 and married in June 2005 before simultaneously filing for divorce in April 2017. The news of the divorce comes a day after Affleck addressed his recent rehab stay, where he was treated for 40 days. The actor entered rehab on August 22 to address his alcohol addiction.

Anirudh Pathak bringing 'huge show' in mythological genre

Anirudh Pathak, creator and producer of "Dastaan-e-Mohabbat: Salim Anarkali", will venture into the digital space with a "huge" mythological show.

Ajaz Khan's idol is Sylvester Stallone

Actor Ajaz Khan, who flaunts a chiselled physique, says he idolises Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone.

Feel sorry for those in denial about sexual harassment survivors: Shobhaa De on #MeToo

Author-columnist Shobhaa De has said that she feels sorry for people who do not believe sexual harassment survivors, asserting that a #MeToo movement is "inevitable" for every field, even outside showbiz.

Nana Patekar avoids questions about Tanushree's claims

Actor Nana Patekar on Saturday pushed aside the mics at the airport here as media persons urged him to answer questions about Tanushree Dutta's allegation that he sexually harassed her on the set of a film a decade ago. Later, he said that lies will remain lies.

Indian film festivals lack access and reach to international stars, says Kiran Rao

Kiran Rao, who is gearing up for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, says the intention this year is to showcase a great line up of films and provide a platform for industry people to interact and exchange ideas. The eight-day festival, in its 20th year, will commence on October 25. Kiran believes Indian festivals, as compared to their foreign counterparts, are unable to rope in artistes from across the world. "Where we don't match with international festivals is our access and reach to international stars, Hollywood or European film industry and around the world. At Cannes the red carpet is jaw dropping. In Toronto all the big stars turn out. "We do the best we can and we think the audience is not coming just for that. We are not there to provide glamour, we are here for other reasons. We are here to get you great films with or without the stars," Kiran, who is the chairperson of MAMI, told PTI. Her husband, superstar Aamir Khan, has attended the festival in the past while a host of ...

Nana Patekar denies Tanushree Dutta's sexual harassment allegations

Nana Patekar Saturday denied he misbehaved with actor Tanushree Dutta on the sets of a 2008 film, calling her claims a "lie". In a recent TV interview, Dutta alleged Patekar misbehaved with her when the two were shooting a special song for "Horn Ok Pleassss" 10 years ago. Patekar, who was shooting for upcoming film "Housefull 4" in Jodhpur, landed here Saturday. "I said this ten years ago... a lie is a lie (Dus saal pehle bol chuka hoon, ab jo jhoot hai woh jhoot hai')," Patekar told reporters here at the airport. The actor was surrounded by officials as he exited the airport. At the Jodhpur airport, when reporters asked Patekar about the allegations and maintaining silence over it, he chose not to answer any query. When asked about addressing the media in detail, Patekar said, "It will happen". The 67-year-old actor is likely to hold a press conference on October 8. Patekar's lawyer has sent a legal notice to Dutta.

Will Smith wants to act opposite Aishwarya in a Bollywood film

Actor Will Smith, one of the most popular Hollywood stars in India, Saturday said it is a part of his wishlist to work in a Bollywood masala entertainer with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. "One of the things on my bucket list is to be on a Bollywood dance sequence. I met Aishwarya 15 years ago, we had conversations about doing something together but never happened. Perhaps I would do a film with her," Smith said. The actor, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday with a bungee jump over the Grand Canyon in the US, was in conversation with Farhan Akhtar at a session of Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2018. Smith, whose diverse filmography ranges from "Ali", "Pursuit of Happyness" and "Ray" to "Independence Day", "I Am Legend" and "Suicide Squad", said he loves being in India as he finds the contrast "very beautiful". "On any street corner you could cross a thousand years. There could be someone on a brand new cellphone and someone on a cart. The intermingling of the ages and the lifestyle

Carrie Underwood shows off her scar

Singer Carrie Underwood, who fell outside her Nashville home in November last year, proudly showed off her scar in a throwback selfie.

Singing of Gandhi's bhajan was taken up to melt ice between both countries: Pakistani singer Shafqat (IANS Interview)

Popular Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali was one of the artistes from over 120 countries who sang Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan "Vaishnav jan to". He says he took it up as he thought it would be a good way to melt ice between his home country and India.

Naomi Watts cast in series on former Fox News head

Actress Naomi Watts has been cast as host Gretchen Carlson in a limited series about former Fox News head Roger Ailes.

Women should call out perpetrators to create safe work environment: Malaika

In the wake of the #MeToo movement gaining momentum in Bollywood, film personality Malaika Arora says it is important to create safe working environment for women and believes the only way to achieve that is if women come out and name perpetrators. After actor Tanushree Dutta alleged harassment by Nana Patekar on a film set, a debate has opened up about the safety of women in a professional space. Malaika, who has featured in several films and has been a former model, is aware of the importance of women safety in the entertainment industry. "We can keep talking about it that we want to work in a safe environment. But the only way we can achieve that is when we talk about it and actually call out the supposed perpetrators. That's the only way," Malaika told PTI. "If someone is violating your space, dignity, life, if you won't talk no one will know. Everytime you step out of the house you can't be in the fear that oh my God my work space is going to be a hell whole. We need to change ...

Denzel Washington to get AFI Life Achievement Award

Actor Denzel Washington is all set to be felicitated with the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award. The award will be presented to the 63-year old actor at a gala tribute on June 6, 2019 here, American Film Institute (AFI) said in a statement. Washington, who has won two Oscar for his performances in films "Glory" and "Training Day", has been working in Hollywood for over five decades. Some of his other notable films are "Cry Freedom" (1987), "Malcolm X" (1992), "Philadelphia" (1993), "The Hurricane" (1999), "Flight" (2012) and "Roman J. Israel, Esq." (2017). He made his directorial debut with 2002 biographical drama "Antwone Fisher" and later helmed films such as "The Great Debaters" (2007) and "Fences" (2016). "Denzel Washington is an American icon. As an actor, he stands tall as a heroic, stoic embodiment of the best in all of us, and he does so with heart, humanity, and one of the brightest smiles to ever light up the screen," said Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of ...

Margot Robbie in talks for Barbie film

Actor Margot Robbie is in negotiations to star as popular doll Barbie in a new film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, production house Mattel is partnering with Warner Bros for the feature. The banner had previously partnered with Sony Pictures for the project but Mattel recently took back the film rights. If finalised, Robbie, 28, will also produce the film through her banner Lucky Chaps in addition to starring in it. Back in 2016, actor Amy Schumer was earlier attached to the project but she she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Robbie is currently working on her "Suicide Squad" spin-off "Birds of Prey", being produced by Warner Bros.