Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
India orders probe as Shahrukh fan dies in ‘Raees’ publicity stunt
India launched an investigation Tuesday after a publicity stunt for “Raees”, a new film starring Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan triggered a stampede at a train station, leaving one fan dead.
Thousands rushed to a station in India’s western Gujarat state to greet Khan, who was making brief stops on his journey to Delhi to promote his latest film “Raees”.
But the excitement turned to panic as fans were crushed trying to catch a glimpse of the Indian screen icon, who waved briefly from a passenger door.
Amid the stampede 45-year-old Farid Khan Pathan fell unconscious and collapsed, later dying in hospital.
India’s railway minister Suresh Prabhu said on Twitter he had ordered police to “investigate the matter and take stern action against any lapse”.
Television footage showed swarms of people running towards Khan’s carriage, elbowing one another to take pictures with smartphones as baton-wielding policemen tried to control the swelling numbers.
Two officers were also injured trying to bring order to the chaos, said Sharad Singhal, a senior railway police officer.
He said police were establishing whether the film organisers had sought permission before staging the stunt.
“We will investigate whether police failed to do its part or the organisers did not comply with rules and regulations,” he told reporters.
“We will take action against all those who were responsible, even if it was Shah Rukh Khan.”
Tuesday, 24 January 2017
WATCH: New Raees song ‘Dhingana’ shows how SRK becomes a gangster
After the release of 'Zaalima', 'Udi Udi Jaye' and Sunny Leone's item number 'Laila Main Laila' comes 'Dhingana' – the brand new song from Raees which gives us a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan’s gangsta life in the 80's mafia world.
The latest song celebrates the rise and rise of Raees Alam (SRK’s character) as the bootlegger in Gujarat.
The groovy tune, accompanied by SRK’s gangster persona, makes for a great watching. Check out the song video below:
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
Bipasha Basu’s wedding and reception: Bachchans, Khans, Deols and a lot more
MUMBAI: Bollywood actors Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover tied the knot amid the presence of glamorous superstars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, the Bachchans and a lot more.
Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover’s wedding had been a much-talked about event, ever since the two had announced they planned on getting hitched at the end of April. While we knew Bipasha Basu had not invited John Abraham to her wedding, plenty of other superstars were in attendance to witness the Bollywood actress’ union with her Alone co-star Karan Singh Grover.
From Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan to the Bachchans and Preity Zenta and Ranbir Kapoor, everyone attended the wedding. Check out some of the pictures from the wedding and reception night:-
I’m being offered new Bollywood films: Mawra Hocane
LAHORE: Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane recently revealed in an interview that she was receiving numerous offers from Bollywood directors to star in a movie.
Though Mawra Hocane’s Sanam Teri Kasam did not get to register a strong performance at the box office nor did it receive any sizeable amount of critical acclaims. However, Mawra Hocane’s performance and dance steps did receive praise from critics here and there, so much so that the actress claims to have been receiving offers from Bollywood directors to star in their upcoming projects.
In an interview, the actress said that after her debut Bollywood flick Sanam Teri Kasam, she had received offers from other Indian directors to star in upcoming Bollywood flicks. Mawra also said that for a Pakistani actor or actress to make it big in India was an honour since there were hundreds of actresses in the Indian film industry.
She also said that for an actor or actress to make it in the top ten list was a matter of pride for her. In response to a question, the Pakistani actress also said that there was no pressure on an artist while he/she was working in India. Mawra also said that her experience of working in Bollywood was a great one since she had received nothing but love and admiration.
Priyanka Chopra dines with Obama, finds him ‘charming’
WASHINGTON: Priyanka Chopra dined with US President Barack Hussain Obama at the White House Correspondent’s dinner and found him to be ‘charming’.
Priyanka Chopra has another feather in her cap. The Bollywood actress, who was blessed with international recognition after her role as Alex Parrish in Quantico, dined with United States President Barack Obama and his wife Michele Obama at the White House Correspondent’s dinner this Monday.
33-year old Chopra looked bewitching in a deep-cut, black and sheer-stripe gown while Obama pulled off a dapper look in his black suit and crisp white shirt, over which he also wore a bow. Chopra chatted with the US President and his wife over dinner during which they also discussed their program Let Girls Learn.Here is the picture which Priyanka posted on Instagram.
The dinner event, which is supposed to be Obama’s last one in office, was also attended by other high profile celebrities such as Kerry Washington, Emma Watson, Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett, Michelle Dockery and Kendall Jenner. The event was hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore.
During the event, Barack Obama also roasted US Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Adnan Siddiqui, Sajal Aly to debut in Bollywood with Sridevi-starrer ‘Mom’
Pakistani drama actors Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Aly are going to debut in Bollywood alongside veteran Indian actress Sridevi in movie ‘Mom’.
Adnan Siddiqui will play the role of Sridevi’s husband and Sajal’s father. Producer of the film, Sridevi, will play lead role in the ‘women-centric’ show.
News of Sajal’s debuting in ‘Mom’ had broken few weeks before, however a source close to the production has confirmed Adnan Siddiqui as the second Pakistani actor in the upcoming flick. This will be Adnan’s second overseas film, after ‘A Mighty Heart’.
Back from the dead: Jon Snow continues to trend on Twitter in Pakistan
Jon Snow continued to trend in Pakistan after the latest Game of Thrones’ episode saw him return back to life.
We all knew Jon Snow was well past dead after he had been stabbed numerous times at the end of season five last year. However, this is Game of Thrones we’re talking about and in a show where you have White Walker, dragons, dwarves and giants, bringing someone back from the dead was never a long shot. The handsome Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch was brought back to life via Lady Melisandre’s magic, as fans across the world (and across Pakistan as well) heaved a sigh of relief.
Jon Snow trended in Pakistan on Twitter in Pakistan yesterday and continued to trend as well today. Here are some of the tweets which were doing the rounds on micro-blogging site Twitter:-
Arjun Kapoor’s secret visit to Malaika’s house gives rise to affair speculations
Arjun Kapoor was caught by paparazzi and media persons coming out of Malaika Arora Khan’s house in the wee hours, setting fire to rumours of the two being involved in an affair.
A couple of months ago, Malaika Arora Khan and Arbaaz Khan split from each other, confirming months of speculation that the two had failed to reconcile their differences. As soon as the two had confirmed their split, rumours started doing the rounds regarding the reasons for their split. There were strong rumours that Malika had an affair with a wealthy businessman which had caused things to go to a point-of-no-return.
Recently, Arjun Kapoor was spotted by paparazzi coming out of Malaika Arora Khan’s house in the wee hours. Following his secret visit to the actress’ house, speculations started doing the rounds that the two were having an affair since a long time and this had been the very reason for the split between Malaika and Arbaaz.
Here’s what a photographer said:-
“We were standing outside her house as we got a tip-off that Arjun Kapoor might come there late in the night. When his car arrived, we didn’t click any pictures because then he would have left immediately. We saw that his driver came out to see if there are any photographers and after doing a thorough check, he went inside. After a few minutes, the driver took the car inside and Arjun got off.”
The photographer also said that a cop emerged outside the house and asked them to leave the vicinity.
“He told us that Arjun had called and asked them to clear the paparazzi. The policeman wasn’t rude to us and simply told us to leave, which we did,” he said.
“He told us that Arjun had called and asked them to clear the paparazzi. The policeman wasn’t rude to us and simply told us to leave, which we did,” he said.
Do you think the recent rumours regarding Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora are exaggerated or is there something the two are hiding?
Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ tops Billboard, Prince reigns on album chart
R&B star Beyonce stormed to the top of the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart with her surprise visual concept album “Lemonade,” while late singer Prince’s music dominated the chart as fans continued to remember his legacy through his music.
“Lemonade,” the sixth solo album by Beyonce, sold 485,000 albums, more than 900,000 songs and was streamed 115 million times, totaling 653,000 units according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
Beyonce debuted “Lemonade” as an hour-long film made up of music videos on cable network HBO last week, and initially made it available exclusively on premium streaming service Tidal, before releasing it to other online retailers.
The album garnered headlines for lyrics that suggested Beyonce’s husband, rapper Jay Z, may have had an extramarital affair. The songs transition from suspicion and anger to hurt and finally forgiveness and reconciliation.
The album also contains the single “Formation,” a power anthem to race and feminism.
Five of Prince’s albums stayed in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart this week, led by 2001’s compilation “The Very Best of Prince” at No. 2 with 391,000 units sold.
Sales of Prince’s music, which he kept off numerous streaming platforms such as Spotify and YouTube, have soared after the singer’s sudden death on April 22 at his Minnesota estate.
On Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, which measures online song sales, Prince’s “Purple Rain” led seven of the late singer’s songs in the top ten of the chart with 282,000 copies sold.
Beyonce’s “Formation” came in at No. 3 and “Hold Up” came in at No. 9.
Sunday, 1 May 2016
‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ director Kabir Khan says can’t go to Pakistan again
Following his encounter with incensed crowd at Karachi airport for making anti-Pakistan films, Indian filmmaker Kabir Khan says he cant go to Pakistan again.
In an interview to Bollywood life, Phantom director Khan said his wife Mini Mathur had made it clear that he cant go to Pakistan again.
He reiterated that the incident should be overlooked as the common man of both the countries did not believe or want any violence. He said that the protestors were livid at him for showing Pakistan in a bad light in his film ‘Phantom’.
Kabir Khan pictured while speaking at an event in Karachi.
The mob of protesters who waved shoes at him, however, didn’t touch the director and resorted to only shouts and slogan.
He was greeted at the Karachi airport to catch a Lahore-bound flight with “shame, shame” slogans. Khan was immediately taken inside the lounge by airport security officials.
“You have killed several Muslims in India. Why don’t to direct a film on RAW,” shouted one of the protesters. Yesterday, a protest was also staged outside a hotel where Kabir stayed.
Kabir Khan’s flick Phantom had caused a controversy in Pakistan and movie was banned for screening across the country for depicting the country as a “safe haven for terrorists.”
Fawad Khan outranks Shahrukh, Salman on Bollywood rating index
Times Celebex, Bollywood’s one of the top monthly rating indexes, has ranked Pakistan actor Fawad Khan and Bollywood beauty Priyanka Chopra on top for their splendid popularity among fans and other varied reasons.
Fawad Khan and Priyanka Chopra take the top positions in Times Celebex powered by zoom for the month of March 2016.
Khan was in the news for the release of his film ‘Kapoor & Sons’. The actor won a lot of accolades for his performance in the movie.
Parineeti Chopra ‘feels confident after magical weight loss’
“All my life, I have struggled with how I look, how I feel, and how people looked at me.” Bollywood sweetheart, Parineeti Chopra, who has several acting awards to her credit, has turned from chubby face and body into cut figure inspiring many to loose weight, while many others have come down heavily against her for succumbing to Bollywood pressure.
Abrar-ul-Haq launches much-awaited new album
KARACHI: The latest album of Pakistani singer Abrar-ul-Haq titled “Billo Returns” was released under the aegis of ARY Made in Pakistan.
The album was launched at a colourful event with several showbiz stars and a large number of fans in attendance at Bahria Town in Lahore.
He has returned to the music scene after a nine-year hiatus.
It should be noted that Abrar-ul-Haq stepped to the music industry as he released his popular and widely acclaimed “Billo De Ghar” in 1995 and Majajani was released three years.
After Majajani, his hit album Bay Ja Cycle Tay came out in 1999 and was well received by the music listeners.
The singer released two more albums in 2002 named Nach Majajan and Assan Jana Mall-o-Mall and the two albums were followed up with Nachan Main Audhay Naal in 2004.
Kalki Koechlin speaks out against gender disparity and patriarchy in Bollywood
MUMBAI: Kalki Koechlin has once again spoken about gender disparity and patriarchy in Bollywood, Indian media reported.
The critically acclaimed actress is best known for her character roles that defy the stereotypical portrayal of women in Indian cinema, and has been credited for publicly expressing her opinions.
In 2014, she had presented an intense monologue on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8 in Delhi. This instantly went viral and talked about the effects of patriarchy on our societies.
The Margarita with a Straw actress said “Bollywood is as patriarchal as our society. I once met a producer who asked me about my age and I said, 30. To this, he replied, ‘Don’t worry, you still have five years left.’ Another producer showed me the exact spot on my face where I needed to get a botox.”
“There’s a lot of pressure on women in Bollywood. Objectification of women is very predominant, but I am happy that gradually things are changing. ‘Piku’ and ‘Queen’, both women-oriented films, brought a fresh change in Bollywood.”
“You only get paid more than a man if you are Priyanka Chopra,” she said when asked to remark on gender disparity in Bollywood.
When someone from the audience asked why she hated men so much, Kalki replied, “I don’t hate men. Ours is a patriarchal society. Had it been a matriarchal society, I would have supported men. I would have been a ‘meninist’. For me, it’s all about equality.”
When someone asked her why she had started talking about women empowerment only after her divorce, Kalki answered, “If you do some research on my work, you’ll know that I have always supported women, and not only after my divorce.”
Kalki who is of French descent actress had moved out of her house for studies when she was 18. “I knew I wanted to act, but I viewed success in a different way. Success for me is being the best version of myself. Staying away from home helped me discover myself, which helped me a lot in my career. Leaving home teaches you a lot. You become independent,”
She added that “I have faced a huge identity crisis and still face it. I was born in Puducherry to French parents, who came to India from Angers, France. I then settled in Tamil Nadu, went abroad, came to Bengaluru and then shifted to Mumbai. But I always say, my skin is white but my heart is brown.”
Friday, 29 April 2016
Kareena talks about Saif and Shahid bonding on the sets of ‘Rangoon’
Kareena Kapoor Khan recently talked about how her husband Saif Ali Khan and former boyfriend Shahid Kapoor are getting along on the sets of their upcoming movie ‘Rangoon’.
For Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor are two important individuals. While the former is her husband, the latter happens to be an ex-lover with whom she has also starred in a couple of films. In a recent interview, Kareena spoke about the equation her husband and ex-husband share on the sets of their upcoming movie Rangoon.
“Really? In fact, I think they are getting along too well! I haven’t gone to the sets because I haven’t had the time. I have been travelling and they have been having very hectic schedules at night. Saif comes and tells me what fun they have been having on the sets. He quite enjoys chatting with Shahid and finds him a really nice guy. I don’t know why they shouldn’t be getting along,” she said.
Rangoon is being directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut in the lead roles. When Saif and Shahid had been cast in the movie, everyone in B-town was curious as to whether the two would get along or not, owing to Shahid’s past with Kareena, Saif’s wife. However, Saif Ali Khan had also stated in the past that he has no differences with Shahid Kapoor.
It will be interesting to see Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan together on-screen when Rangoon releases.
12 selfies of Pakistani celebrities that went viral on social media
The fame of showbiz figures and those even in sports is not just solely dependent on their feats in the field, thanks to constant evolution of the social media.
We have seen several celebrities hogging media limelight just for their social media stunts. And in some cases, even unnoticed figures like Qandeel Baloch become a subject of talk among the chattering classes. Mind you, selfies and podcasting play a big role here!
We have garnered some of the selfies of Pakistani celebrities that went viral on social media and quite a few of them provoked intense discussions on digital platforms – not for all bad reasons.
Take a look here:
107-year old woman who danced with US President Obama, obtains photo ID
SOUTH CAROLINA/USA: The 107-year old Virginia McLaurin, who had gained fame online for her dance with US President Obama, got her photo ID which she previously did not have due to her lack of birth certificate.
Virginia McLaurin, a native of South Carolina, gained prominence and fame online after her dance with United States President Barack Obama went viral over the internet. McLaurin was facing trouble owing to the new, tough federal legislation through which a person can obtain his/her photographic identification card. Since she did not have her birth certificate, the 107-year old American was encountering problems in obtaining her ID.
This Tuesday, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser provided McLaurin with a new temporary identity card and announced more options for those who wanted to obtain their identity cards and were aged 70 or older. Federal laws in the US do not allow a person to board an aircraft without their photo ID. Now, it is possible for the old woman to travel to New York or Los Angeles for interviews regarding her meeting with Barack Obama.
“I am especially happy to know that now all seniors in D.C. will be able to get an ID more easily,” said McLaurin.
Here’s what happened when McLaurin finally got to meet Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House back in February.
KP offers screening ‘Maalik’ despite ban
PESHAWAR: The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has offered to screen Ashir Azeem’s directorial debut ‘Maalik’ despite a ban imposed on it by the federal government, ARY News reported.
According to the Special Assistant to CM on Information, Mushtaq Ghani, censorship falls under provincial domain after the 18th Amendment.
“The filmmaker highlighted corruption in the movie, but the government instead banned the picture,” he said, advocating the screening of the flick countrywide.
Ghani said that the KP government is against corruption and so it has no objection to the movie. He vowed to support the screening of the movie, provided if the producer asks for showing the film in cinemas.
Meanwhile, the federal central board warned that strict action will be taken against cinemas violating the Motion Pictures Ordinance by showing Maalik.
Mubashir Khan, chairman of the federal censor board, mentioned that nearly all cinemas in KP are situated in cantonment areas, hence fall under the Motion Picture Ordinance.
On Wednesday, the federal government withdrew the censor certificate of the movie and banned its screening countrywide.
The Ministry of Information issued a notification revoking the censor certification of the flick based on corruption. The movie was taken off cinemas after three weeks.
Comcast to buy DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion
Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O), the owner of NBCUniversal, said on Thursday it would buy Hollywood studio DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc (DWA.O) for $3.8 billion to boost its family-friendly offerings and help it take on media conglomerate Walt Disney (DIS.N).
The acquisition will add major children’s franchises to Universal’s film library such as “Shrek,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Kung Fu Panda,” which it could tap for its growing theme parks and consumer products businesses.
Comcast’s Universal Pictures found success with blockbuster family films like “Despicable Me” and “Minions,” but this deal will ramp up its portfolio.
DreamWorks’ burgeoning TV business will also be a boon to Universal, Wall Street analysts said. DreamWorks provides original programming to streaming service Netflix (NFLX.O) and other digital platforms that are eager for content as TV viewership rapidly moves online.
“It’s a sensible strategy,” MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett said. “They are buying characters.”
In addition to brands it created, like “Shrek,” DreamWorks owns rights to iconic characters such as Lassie and Casper the Friendly Ghost that it acquired in its 2012 purchase of Classic Media.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for them to create interesting content out of those brands and monetize them,” Moffett said.
Comcast, the largest cable distributor in the United States, has steadily boosted its ownership of content and invested in expanding its theme parks business, positioning itself as a diversified conglomerate to rival Disney.
The $41-per-share cash offer represents a premium of about 27 percent to DreamWorks’ Wednesday close.
DreamWorks shares, which have gained nearly 50 percent in the last six months, soared 24 percent to $39.95 on Thursday.
Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg will become chairman of DreamWorks New Media, which will include the company’s ownership interests in technology company NOVA and Awesomeness TV, a teen-focused studio that cultivates stars of Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube and other digital platforms. Katzenberg will also serve as a consultant to NBCUniversal.
DreamWorks Animation was spun off from DreamWorks Studios in 2004. The studio was founded in 1994 by Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.
The animation studio struggled in recent years as the market for children’s movies became crowded. In 2015, it cut one-fifth of its workforce and reduced its movie slate from three films a year to two. This year, it had a hit with “Kung Fu Panda 3.”
DreamWorks Animation had come close to being sold before.
In 2014, the company held talks about a possible sale to Japanese communications and media company Softbank Corp (9984.T), a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters at the time.
Later that year, toymaker Hasbro Inc (HAS.O) held preliminary talks to buy DreamWorks Animation, according to another source at the time. The talks formally ended a few days later after Hasbro’s board voted to walk away.
Stifel analyst Benjamin Mogil said he did not think another bidder would come in and top Comcast’s offer “given the valuation and the operational role for DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg in this deal.”
DreamWorks Animation was advised by boutique investment bank Centerview Partners Holdings LLC, which Reuters first reported on Wednesday, and legal adviser Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Comcast’s legal adviser was Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and the company did not list a financial adviser.
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