Page 797 - Entertainment Culture

Aanand L Rai defends decision to delete scenes from 'Manmarziyaan'

Director-producer Aanand L Rai on Thursday defended the decision to cut three smoking-related scenes from the film "Manmarziyaan", saying their non-inclusion does not "compromise" with its genre. His response came after director Anurag Kashyap took to Twitter and expressed a strong displeasure over the move, indicating that he was not consulted about the decision. Earlier, Eros implied that the decision to cut the scenes were taken by the creative producer of the film, Colour Yellow Productions which is run by Rai. In a statement, Rai said, "These cuts were made on a call taken by Colour Yellow Team. I feel we need to understand that this controversy happened after the film has released which leaves the producers and studio extremely vulnerable." The scenes in question had upset a certain section of the Sikh community and Kashyap, who is out of the country, had on Wednesday issued a "genuine" apology to those who were hurt genuinely. Rai said if the concept of the film was "smoking, ..

Snoop Dogg bashes Trump supporters

Rapper Snoop Dogg, who often raises his voice against US President Donald Trump and his political ideologies, has slammed his supporters including fellow rapper Kanye West.

Glad to see non-film music reaching mass audience: Kanika Kapoor

Known for giving an array of hit Bollywood songs like "Chittiyaan kalaiyyan" and "Baby doll", singer Kanika Kapoor, who has come up with her latest single "Cheater Mohan", feels happy to see that her non-movie song is reaching a wide audience.

Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rukmini blessed with daughter

Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh and his wife Rukmini were on Thursday afternoon blessed with a daughter, said a source close to the family.

Guitarist Dickey Betts critical

Musician Dickey Betts, who has been in hospital following a fall at his home a few days ago, is in "critical" condition.

Harsh Vashisht's challenging role in 'RadhaKrishn'

Actor Harsh Vashisht says playing Lord Krishna's ardent devotee Shreedhama in the TV show "RadhaKrishn" is a challenge for him.

Cate Blanchett's disgusting experience in her acting career

Actress Cate Blanchett says she had a disgusting yet fabulous experience while shooting for gothic fantasy-based thriller "The House with a Clock In Its Walls".

Claire Foy was nearly denied entry to Emmy after party

Actor Claire Foy, who bagged Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the recent Primetime Emmy Awards, was almost denied entry to the TV Academy's official after party. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Foy, 34, was making her way to Governors Ball when the actor was stopped by security personnel as her ticket was ripped. However, Jonathan Van Ness, the star of Netflix's "Queer Eye", came to her rescue and explained the situation to the security. The THR reporter also posted about the incident on Twitter. "Just witnessed crazy #EMMYS moment: Queen almost couldn't get into Governors Ball. Claire Foy, best actress in drama winner, denied entry because of ripped ticket that prevented her team from entering back entrance until @jvn came to rescue after gushing over how much he loves her," the reported wrote. Foy and Van Ness had met moments earlier and he had even recorded a message for the actor's sister Gemma, who she said is a big fan of "Oueer Eye". "Be fabulous, be ...

Indian music scene is in a messy situation: Amanda Sodhi

Indian-American singer-songwriter Amanda Sodhi says most Bollywood composers sing their own songs so they can do more live shows to earn more money.

Booker Prize picks its youngest author to be short-listed

British writer Daisy Johnson on Thursday became the youngest author to be shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize 2018 for her mother-daughter tale, "Everything Under". The 27-year-old joins fellow UK authors Anna Burns for "Milkman" and Robin Robertson for "The Long Take" on a six-strong shortlist dominated by British and American authors. Fellow Americans Rachel Kushner and Richard Powers are shortlisted for "The Mars Room" and "The Overstory", respectively, with Canadian Esi Edugyan completing the set of this year's finalists with "Washington Black". The shortlist, which features four women and two men, covers a wide range of subjects, from an 11-year-old slave escaping a Barbados sugar plantation to a war veteran living with post-traumatic stress disorder. "All of our six finalists are miracles of stylistic invention. In each of them, the language takes centre stage. And yet, in every other respect, they are remarkably diverse, exploring a multitude of subjects ranging ...

'Manmarziyaan' team angry over deleted scenes

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on Thursday expressed angst after three scenes -- two involving Sikhs smoking -- were deleted from his latest movie "Manmarziyaan", apparently without his knowledge.

Author Simar Malhotra to launch second book at 21

After the success of her 2014 geo-political drama, also her debut novel, author Simar Malhotra is all set to launch her next book, "Tides Don't Cross". Set in America and India, the book explores the lives of three young individuals, crashing against the sands of man-made boundaries political, aspirational, religious, societal and love. "It is actually a manifestation of the contemporary world through the eyes of a young Indian in America," the 21-year-old author said. A Stanford University undergraduate, Malhotra had taken a plunge into the world of writing literature with "There Is A Tide" as a 17-year-old, and has never looked back since. Published by Rupa Publications India, the book will be launched Friday by former chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dixit.

Upcoming concert to pay tribute to American female vocalists

In a musical tribute to celebrated American female singers Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin, budding Indian singer Sanjeeta Bhattacharya will spearhead a concert at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) here on Saturday.

First look poster of 'The Grinch' is out

The first look poster of upcoming Hollywood animated movie 'The Grinch' was unveiled on Thursday.Film Critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter to share the poster.He tweeted, "This #Diwali... From the creators of #DespicableMe, #TheSecretLifeOfPets and #Sing... Poster of #TheGrinch."'The Grinch' is an upcoming -animated comedy film is based on Theodore Seuss's 1957 story 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'.According to Deadline, 'Sherlock Holmes' actor Benedict Cumberbatch is set to lend his voice to the titular character 'The Grinch'. Singer Pharrell Williams has been roped in to be the narrator for the movie.The animated movie, which is being helmed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, is set to hit theatres on November 9.

Bhumika becomes a singer for 'Nimki Mukhiya'

Actress Bhumika Gurung, who plays Nimki in the TV show "Nimki Mukhiya", will lend her voice to one of its episodes.

Saying 'no' to big money, visibility not easy: Divyendu Sharma

Bollywood actor Divyendu Sharma, who became popular with his debut film "Pyaar Ka Punchnama", is often asked why he isn't as visible as his contemporaries in showbiz. He says it is because he does not want to limit himself to comedy that he has to choose the tough path of saying "no" to some lucrative offers.

Pistorius documentary examines what went wrong with the Blade Runner: Sivell

The rise and fall of South African paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, who shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, is the subject of a new documentary by Vaughan Sivell, who believes the story serves as a parable for the nation post-apartheid. The filmmaker said the four-part documentary was an attempt to understand what went wrong with the athlete, who was found guilty of culpable homicide. "There was a concern that I did not have really anything new to say because it has been in news so much already. But during the initial research, it struck me that he was born just a few years after the birth of the rainbow nation. The country and the man had so much in common as in so little had been expected of them but they confounded everyone by what they achieved. "But if you fast forward in time, the trial basically shows how the dream of the nation and Oscar, both came crashing down in a way that highlighted the poverty, crime and inequalities of the country," Sivell told PTI in a ...

Nicolas Cage finds 'Cage Rage' memes 'frustrating'

Actor Nicolas Cage has vented out his frustration over "Cage Rage" memes circulating on the web, saying they do "disservice" to his new film "Mandy". The 54-year-old actor has long been a subject of internet jokes with many taking screenshots of his outlandish expressions from his films and turning them into hilarious memes, which are often termed as "Cage Rage". In an interview with Indiewire, Cage said the memes are unfair to "Mandy", directed by Panos Cosmatos. It features the actor as a revenge seeking lover. "The issue is, with the advent of the internet, doing these mashups, where they pull these choice moments without the context of the whole film around it to support it, has created this meme-ification, if you will. It's been branded 'Cage Rage', and it's frustrating. "I'm sure it's frustrating for Panos, who has made what I consider a very lyrical, internal, and poetic work of art, to have this 'Cage Rage' thing slammed all over his movie. It's one thing for me, because I'd ..

First song of 'Badhai Ho' will tickle your funnybones!

After creating hype with its trailer last week, the makers of 'Badhaai Ho' have now released the first song from the quirky comedy.Tilted 'Badhaiyaan Tenu', the song is a package of groovy beats in which lead actor Ayushmann Khurrana aptly describes his plight and embarrassment owing to his parents' active sex life and the consequences of it.Sung by Brijesh Shandailya, Romy and Jordan, the lyrics of the song have been penned by Vayu.The trailer of Ayushmann- Sanya Malhotra starrer promised a fun ride with some rib-tickling comedy with the big news about the pregnancy of Ayushmann's mother, played by actor Neena Gupta.'Dangal' star Sanya Malhotra will play the 'Vicky Donor' actor's love interest in the film. It also stars Surekha Sikri, Gajraj Rao and Sheeba Chaddha in pivotal roles.The comedy, which is helmed by 'Tevar' director Amit Sharma, is slated to release on October 19.

Daisy Johnson, Rachel Kushner among Man Booker finalists

Three UK authors, two Americans and a Canadian are finalists for the Man Booker Prize for fiction. The shortlist announced Thursday includes two first novels: U.K. poet Robin Robertson's verse novel "The Long Take" and "Everything Under" by British writer Daisy Johnson. At 27, Johnson is the youngest-ever Booker finalist. The American finalists are Rachel Kushner's prison story "The Mars Room" and Richard Powers' tree-inspired tale "The Overstory." "Washington Black," the saga of an escaped slave by Canada's Esi Edugyan, and Troubles-set story "Milkman" by Northern Ireland writer Anna Burns round out the list. Favourites including Canada's Michael Ondaatje didn't make the cut from the 13-novel longlist. The winner of the 50,000 pound (USD 66,000) prize will be announced on Oct. 16 during a black-tie dinner at London's Guildhall.