Page 963 - Entertainment Culture

Films' marketing has become pointless exercise: Hansal Mehta

National Award-winning filmmaker Hansal Mehta enjoys the "beautiful process" of making films, but says their marketing and release have become such a "thankless and pointless" exercise.

Madeleine Madden to star in 'Dora the Explorer' movie

Australian actress Madeleine Madden has grabbed a role in Paramount Players' movie "Dora the Explorer".

DAG's latest show -- a retrospective of Madhvi Parekh's works

Indian contemporary artist Madhvi Parekh's dynamic artistic career will be the focus of a new exhibition here. "Madhvi Parekh: The Curious Seeker", a career retrospective by Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), will capture Parekh's evolution from an artist rooted in folk traditions to eventually branching out to create her own distinctive style. The retrospective, that aims to create a dialogue to understand, contextualise and place the artist's contribution within the larger context of Indian modern art, will feature iconic works created during her illustrious career spanning over five decades, organisers said. Among the exhibits that are representative of every phase of her artistic journey, will be rare drawings and paintings from the 1960s, when the influence of Swiss German artist Paul Klee's abstraction on her early work was evident. "Given the solid representation of Madhvi Parekh's paintings from every decade, the exhibition allows viewers to see the continuity in her vision and focus," .

'Baahubali' to get another life on Netflix as a prequel

Fans of "Baahubali" can revisit the world of Mahishmati in a new Netflix series that will explore the journey of Sivagami in a prequel to the SS Rajamouli's two-part blockbuster. The series, which was announced by Netflix today, has already been given a two-season order. "Baahubali: Before the Beginning", will be a prequel to "Baahubali: the Beginning" and "Baahubali: the Conclusion", and is based on Anand Neelakantan's book, "The Rise of Sivagami". Season one of the series will have nine episodes and captures Sivagami's journey from a rebellious and vengeful girl to a wise and unequalled queen. Netflix has teamed up with the team behind "Baahubali", including Arka Media Works and Rajamouli. Deva Katta and Praveen Sataru will co-direct the series. Rajamouli is looking forward to the prequel. "I am very excited that this is being adapted as a Netflix Original Series. With Netflix as our partner, we have the opportunity to create a rich and riveting series and take this quintessential .

Varun Dhawan, Raftaar face of Breezer Vivid Shuffle Season 2

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan and rapper Raftaar have been named as the face of hip-hop festival Breezer Vivid Shuffle Season 2.

Bollywood movie soundtracks are like motherless child, says A.R. Rahman

Oscar-winning Indian music director A.R. Rahman, who is coming up with Amazon Prime Video's new show "Harmony With A.R. Rahman" -- which celebrates the musical diversity of the country -- says the current trend of having multiple composers in one film dilutes the impact of music in a Bollywood film.

Claire Foy didn't receive back-pay for 'The Crown'

"The Crown" star Claire Foy has dismissed reports that she received USD 275,000 in back-pay for her role as Queen Elizabeth II after it was revealed that she was paid less than her co-star Matt Smith on the show. The Netflix show, which is currently in its third season and has a different set of actors playing the royals, attracted severe criticism for the pay disparity between Smith and Foy. Some reports later suggested that the producers had rectified it but Foy said she did not receive any back-pay. "That was what was reported, that I was back-paid," the Golden Globe-winning actress told Dubai-based news channel Al Arabiya. "I've never mentioned anything about it and neither have the producers. The fact that that is 'fact' is not quite correct." Foy, who won a Golden Globe award for her role on the monarchy drama, said it was an odd to find herself in the middle of the debate, which extends beyond entertainment industry. "It happened at the same time as it was coming out with a lot

Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg to develop voting drama series 'Woman's Hour'

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has partnered with Steven Spielberg for a new TV series around the struggle for women's suffrage. The series will be based on Elaine Weiss book "The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight To Win the Vote", which follows the story of female leaders who led the decades-long fight to grant women the right to vote and the battle to ratify the 19th Amendment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Clinton, 70, will serve as an executive producer on the project with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television producing it. "At the heart of democracy lies the ballot box, and Elaine Weiss's unforgettable book tells the story of the female leaders who in the face of towering economic, racial, and political opposition fought for and won American women's right to vote," Clinton said in a statement. "So much could have gone wrong, but these American women would not take no for an answer: their triumph is our legacy to guard and emulate. I am thrilled to be working ...

'Good News' not going to deliver any social message: Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar's recent projects may have been about various social causes but the actor says the recently-announced "Good News" will be something different. Co-produced by Karan Johar and Akshay, "Good News" also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljeet Dosanjh and Kiara Advani. When asked if it is a conscious effort on his part to do films carrying a message, Akshay told reporters, "No. I am doing all kinds of movies. Now, I am shooting for 'Housefull 4' and that film is not going to deliver any social message. The only message it's going to give is that you should laugh more often. "I am doing 'Good News' and there are many other things which I am doing which does not have anything to do with a social cause..." he added. The actor was speaking at the IMAX trailer launch of his upcoming film "Gold" last evening. The Reema Kagti-directed sports drama will also be releasing on IMAX. Directed by Raj Mehta, "Good News" is scheduled to release on July 19, 2019. Akshay also took to Twitter to ...

Glen Powell in talks to join 'Top Gun' sequel

Glen Powell is in negotiations to join "Top Gun: Maverick". The 29-year-old actor was previously in contention to play Goose's son but lost out to Miles Teller. According to The Hollywood Reporter, details of Powell's role are being kept under wraps. The sequel to the 1986 hit will see Tom Cruise reprise his role as the hotshot fighter pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The film will be helmed by Joseph Kosinski, who has earlier worked with Cruise in "Oblivion". Kosinski will direct from a script penned by Eric Warren Singer. Val Kilmer will also return as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. Also featuring Jennifer Connelly, "Top Gun: Maverick" is set to release on July 12, 2019.

Outcome of board meeting of Signet Industries

Held on 25 July 2018

I'm not heartbroken: Jennifer Aniston on break-up, baby rumours

Jennifer Aniston's love life and womb are nobody's business. The actor who has gone through intense media scrutiny over her split with husband Justin Theroux earlier this year, said she is not "heartbroken" and it's about time people moved on from the narrative of 'Jen can't keep a man' or she is 'selfish' and does not want to have a baby. In an interview with Molly McNeary for InStyle's September issue, the 49-year-old actor said media should stop with sexist stories about female stars. "It's pretty crazy. The misconceptions are 'Jen can't keep a man', and 'Jen refuses to have a baby because she's selfish and committed to her career. Or that I'm sad and heartbroken," Aniston said referring to tabloid stories about her split with Theroux after two years of marriage. "First, with all due respect, I'm not heartbroken. And second, those are reckless assumptions. No one knows what's going on behind closed doors. No one considers how sensitive that might be for my partner and me. They ...

Musical.ly blends with TikTok for upgraded short-form videos

Parent company of the lip-sync video app Musical.ly, Bytedance, has decided to merge it with a similar app called TikTok.Both the short-form video apps will be available exclusively under the TikTok name, FastCompany reported. Existing users of Musical.ly will automatically receive the upgrade.With the upgrade, the most popular elements of Musical.ly and TikTok will be incorporated into a new feed with highlights from community, recommendation section, and new reaction features.

Kareena-Akshay's 'Good News' to release in July, 2019

Here's some 'Good News' for all Kareena Kapoor Khan and Akshay Kumar fans!Their upcoming film, which will bring back the on-screen jodi of Akshay and Kareena after a long hiatus of nine years, is all set to hit the big screens on July 19, next year.Karan Johar is producing 'Good News' under his banner Dharma Productions.The ace filmmaker took to social media to make the announcement, writing, "#GoodNews IS HERE! Bringing a fantastic cast of @akshaykumar, #KareenaKapoorKhan, @diljitdosanjh & @Advani_Kiara to the big screen with our debutant director @raj_a_mehta! This DRAMEDY's due date is 19th July 2019! @apoorvamehta18 @ShashankKhaitan @DharmaMovies #CapeOfGoodFilms"An excited Akshay also took to Twitter to share the news. He wrote, "Good News! That's the name of our film and so is the news I am sharing :) It is a 'dramedy' Due Date 19th July, 2019."The film, which reportedly revolves around a couple who is trying to have a baby, also stars Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani in ...

A decade after death, Solzhenitsyn draws a blank with young Russians

A decade after the hugely influential author's death, some young Russians admit to only a passing knowledge of Russian dissident writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who won a Nobel Prize for chronicling the horrors of the Soviet Gulag. "Solzhenitsyn was a dissident, someone who opposed the Soviet regime and he was a great writer," summed up Alexander Polyakovsky, 23, who is studying international relations. He admits he has not read any of the author's books. "They talked about him a bit when I was at high school, during the Russian literature lessons, but I don't remember too much," he added. Rather than hearing about Solzhenitsyn from teachers, "it was my mother who explained to me that he was one of the greatest writers of the 20th century," Polyakovsky said. By contrast, his mother Yelena emotionally described how she discovered one of Solzhenitsyn's works hidden among the family's books during the Soviet era. "I was a teenager and my parents drilled it into me that I mustn't tell ...

'Mama Mia! Here We Go Again': A forced nostalgic musical (IANS Review, Rating: **1/2)

Film: "Mama Mia! Here We Go Again"; Director: Ol Parker; Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Andy Garcia, Celia Imrie, Lily James, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Dominic Cooper, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Hugh Skinner, Pierce Bronson, Omid Djalili, Josh Dylan, Gerard Monaco, Anna Antoniades, Jeremy Irvine, Panos Mouzourakis, Colin Firth, Cher and Meryl Streep; Rating: **1/2

Independent films get better life with digital release, says Rajat Kapoor

Actor-filmmaker Rajat Kapoor, who is crowdfunding for an upcoming directorial venture, says the digital release of small budget independent films fetch a wider audience than otherwise suffering in a theatre with big budget mainstream films.

Zoe Kravitz posts birthday message for stepdad Jason Momoa

Actor Zoe Kravitz has wished her "papabear" stepfather Jason Momoa a happy birthday. Momoa, best known for playing Khal Drogo on "Game of Thrones" and superhero Aquaman in DC's "Justice League", turned 39 yesterday. Kravitz, who will next be seen in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald", took to Instagram to wish Momoa a happy birthday. "Love you papabear. Happy birthday ya rascal," the actor while also sharing a sweet selfie with Momoa. Momoa is married to Kravitz's mother Lisa Bonet. They tied the knot during a ceremony held at their house in Topanga, California last year. The couple have two children together, daughter Lola Iolani and son Nakoa-Wolf.

'Star Wars: Episode IX' starts shooting, says director JJ Abrams

Production on the upcoming film "Star Wars: Episode IX" has started, director JJ Abrams has announced. The 52-year-old director who is back for the latest installment of the iconic franchise after helming the 2015 blockbuster "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" shared the news on Twitter. Abrams posted a behind-the-scenes photo from the films set in London and said the occasion is "bittersweet" due to the absence of franchise veteran Carrie Fisher, who died in December 2016. "Bittersweet starting this next chapter without Carrie, but thanks to an extraordinary cast and crew, we are ready to go," Abrams tweeted. "Grateful for @rianjohnson and special thanks to George Lucas for creating this incredible world and beginning a story of which we are lucky to be a part. #IX," he added. Disney and Lucasfilm had recently announced the cast of the upcoming film. Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd ..

Leonardo DiCaprio invests in eco-friendly shoe brand

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in sustainable footwear brand Allbirds. The 43-year-old actor shared the news on Twitter but did not disclosed the amount he invested in the company. "Proud to be an investor in @Allbirds, a company dedicated to creating a more sustainable future by developing new materials and serving as a model for the footwear industry," DiCaprio wrote. The company was founded in 2016 and is popular for it use of merino wool from New Zealand to make its shoes, along with water-conserving tree fibers and recycled bottles and cardboard. The brand's latest launch is a USD 35 flip-flop made from renewable sugarcane rather than the usual plastic foam. The actor is known for his advocacy for global environmental issues and has often supported endeavours in support of the cause. He has been a part of green documentaries such as "A Plastic Ocean", "Before the Flood", "The Ivory Game", "Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret" and others.