Category: ENTERTAINMENT

Veteran film writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar, who is chairman of the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), today distributed Rs 13 crore among its members as part of the royalty given by music companies. The Akhtar-headed 48-year-old copyright royalty collection body is an officially registered copyright society for musical works and associated literary works in India. As many as 2,800 members of the IPRS will be paid ‘synchronisation royalty’ by Phonographic Performance Ltd PPL) on behalf of music companies like Saregama, Sony Music, Tips, Universal Music, Venus and Aditya Music.…

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With a story about love, longing and loss, Shoojit Sircar could have easily made his film “October” melodramatic but the filmmakers says he chose not to go overboard as he wanted to give the story a life-like feel. “October” features Varun Dhawan as Dan, an endearing hotel trainee who undergoes a transformation when his colleague Shuili, played by Banita Sandhu, is hospitalised after a freak accident. Sircar is elated that both the film and his “directorial craft” from cinematography, music, editing to the treatment of characters has been appreciated. “I…

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is the latest celebrity from Bollywood to condemn the Kathua rape incident, saying he feels “disgusted” by it. When asked about his reaction, the 75-year-old star, who has been the face of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, said it was painful to even talk about it. “Mujhe uss vishay par charcha karne mein ghin aati hai. So uss vishay ko uchhalo mat. It’s terrible to even talk about it. “(I feel disgusted even talking about it. So, don’t rake up this issue. It is terrible to even…

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Steven Spielberg is making his superhero genre debut with “Blackhawk”, the film adaptation of the DC Comics. The action adventure film is based on the 1941 comic of the same name and centres on a team of World War II fighter pilots who are led by a mysterious man known as Blackhawk and face down fantastical threats. The “Ready Player One” director, along with his Amblin Entertainment, will produce the film for Warner Bros, and may also direct it, the studio has announced. “We are so proud to be the…

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Actor Shilpa Shetty, who is making her digital foray as a host with Amazon Prime Video’s “Hear Me, Love Me”, says through the blind dating reality show, she wants women to know what they don’t want in a man. The 42-year-old actor believes digital is the future and already has a huge connect with a young audience. “I don’t know how many women will find their true love or a soulmate but as a mentor to them on the show, my major focus has been on helping them find out…

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Actor Patralekhaa says she wants to be known as a good actor but in her four-year-old Bollywood career, her biggest struggle has been to get good scripts. Patralekhaa made her acting debut in Hansal Mehta’s “CityLights” in 2014, which received critical acclaim, and two years later the actor starred in Vikram Bhatt’s forgettable erotic-thriller- “Love Games”. She is back on the big screen with Abhay Deol-starrer “Nanu Ki Jaanu”. “It’s very difficult to get good scripts. The scripts that come to me are not great. So to get a good…

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Actor Charlize Theron has said she considers moving out of the US as she fears for the lives of her two black children in the racially-charged environment in the country. In an interview with Elle magazine, the “Atomic Blonde” actor, who was born and raised in South Africa during the apartheid, talked about the prevalent social climate and raising two black children in the US. The actor said she would not consider taking up jobs in certain areas of the country over fears for her family and how they would…

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Impressed by regional cinema, director Shekhar Kapur, who headed the feature film jury of this year’s National Film Awards, says Hindi film industry needs to pull up its socks. The veteran filmmaker singled out regional films, particularly Malayalam cinema, at the 65th National Film Awards announcement today. When asked whether a divide still exists between the mainstream and regional cinema, Kapur told PTI, “I think Hindi cinema should now become regional cinema.” “The standard of performances in some of the regional films is completely stunning. Hindi films cannot compete with…

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Lionsgate has announced that it will kick off the international tour of “The Hunger Games in Concert” from July 12 in Manchester, UK. Ace composer James Newton Howard will perform a 60-piece orchestra from “The Hunger Games” score and concert will also feature an HD screening of the first film of the franchise which was released in 2012, the studio said in a statement. The film, directed by Gary Ross, featured Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland. “The first…

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Priyanka Chopra says women have the “superpower” to balance career with family and it is high time men understood that their aspirations are equally important. The 35-year-old actor, who entered the film industry soon after winning the Miss World title at the age of 18, credits her parents, especially her father, for understanding her dreams and helping her achieve them. “I came from a family where everyone questioned my decision to become an actor. There was a big debate in my house. But my parents, especially my father said, ‘I…

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