Top Entertainment News: Hotstar Specials With Salman, KJo
What’s breaking in the world of entertainment?
Vishal Bhardwaj Points out Glitch in National Anthem in Theatres, Rectified
A technical glitch pointed out by filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj in the national anthem played at movie theatres has been rectified. He has appreciated the authorities for their quick and efficient work.
In a tweet put out on October 29, 2018, Bhardwaj -- who also composes music -- said he had heard the national anthem produced by the Films Division and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during the Mumbai Film Festival.
"There is a technical glitch at 'Gahe Tav Jai Gaatha'. It seems to be a sound transfer issue. Goes off tune and hurts ear and soul. Can Ministry of Information and Broadcasting please get this rectified?" Bhardwaj wrote.
Current Generation of Filmmakers Making Really Good Films: Gulzar
Veteran writer-filmmaker Gulzar, who has made some critically-acclaimed movies during his tenure as a filmmaker, has praised the current generation of filmmakers, saying they are making really good films.
Gulzar was interacting with the media at the trailer launch of animated film "Goopi Gawaiyaa Bagha Bajaiyaan" along with film's director Shilpa Ranade on Tuesday in Mumbai.
Gulzar has directed acclaimed films like "Koshish", "Parichay", "Aandhi", "Angoor" and "Maachis" in his film career.
Gulzar directed his last film "Hu Tu Tu" which released in 1999.
Priya Prakash’s ‘Sridevi Bungalow’ Disrespects Late Actor’s Memory
“Wink girl” Priya Prakash Varrier is set to make her Bollywood debut with the upcoming film, Sridevi Bungalow, directed by Prasanth Mambully. The teaser of the film, released on 13 January, focuses on a star’s struggle with fame and loneliness.
In Sridevi Bungalow, Priya plays an actor allegedly modeled after the namesake.
Read more on The Quint
Farhan Akhtar Announces New Film 'Toofan' With Rakeysh Om Mehra
Farhan Akhtar took to Twitter to announce his next collaboration. "Thrilled to share that 6 years after Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, @RakeyshOmMehra and I are reuniting to create #Toofan .. a heartfelt story of a boxer. Hope for your best wishes as we embark on this new journey,” he wrote. Read more here
Rihanna Sues Her Father
Singer Rihanna has sued her own father Ronald Fenty for using her brand name Fenty to launch a business for himself.
In a new lawsuit obtained by tmz.com, Rihanna claims her father Ronald started a talent development company in 2017 called Fenty Entertainment.
The "S&M" hitmaker has already trademarked "Fenty" to use in a number of business ventures, including her well-known Fenty Beauty line. She claims he is profiting off the reputation she has created with the brand.
Jaden Smith to Perform in India in February
American rapper-actor Jaden Smith is set to perform songs from his debut album "Syre" during his maiden gig in India in February.
He will perform here as part of the multi-genre Vh1 Supersonic music festival.
Artistes like American music producer-DJ Marshmello, British musician Bonobo and drum and bass band Rudimental will also be a part of the sixth edition of the fest, which will be held on February 16 and 17 at Mahalaxmi Lawns, Pune.
"Jaden Smith, Two Door Cinema Club, Gaiser and Breathe Carolina all play their first ever gigs in India at the sixth edition of our festival in Pune," the festival curator of Vh1 Supersonic, Nikhil Chinapa, said in a statement.
Jason Reitman to Direct New 'Ghostbusters' Movie
Jason Reitman has been roped in to direct the next instalment of the Ghostbusters franchise. According to sources Jason, whose father, Ivan, directed the first two Ghostbusters movies, will direct the latest pic in the famous franchise, reports variety.com.
Reitman has also co-written a screenplay with Gil Kenan and plans to shoot the film this summer, with Sony planning to release the latest sequel in summer 2020.
Insiders say this film will be a continuation of the 1984 sequel and will not be connected to the 2016 film.
Sources could not say if that means that the original cast members will be back, as exact story details are still being kept under wraps but sources say Reitman has begun testing teenagers for four mystery roles.
Dj Khaled Joins 'Bad Boys' Sequel
Music producer DJ Khaled will be joining Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys for Life, a sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys.
The film also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Jacob Scipio and Paola Nuñez. Joe Pantoliano is on board to return as Captain Howard, reports variety.com.
It is currently not known who Khaled will be playing in the movie, for which production is currently under way.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are on hand to direct the sequel from a script by Peter Craig with Joe Carnahan also doing a rewrite. Chris Bremmer is the current writer.
The story revolves around a modern, highly specialised police unit that collides with the old school Bad Boys (Smith and Lawrence) when a new threat emerges in Miami. The film will release in 2020.
Javed Akhtar Tweets In Support of Rajkumar Hirani
Lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar is the latest from the film fraternity to come to Rajkumar Hirani’s defence. The director has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who worked with him in his 2018 film Sanju, but has categorically denied the allegation.
Javed Akhtar took to social media to comment on the matter.
Read more on The Quint.
Actor Vishal Engaged to 'Arjun Reddy' Actor Anisha Reddy
Popular Tamil actor-producer Vishal Krishna on Wednesday revealed that he is all set to enter wedlock and he described it as the next big transition in life. The 38-year-old star is all set to marry Anisha Alla Reddy, a small-time actress who has appeared in Telugu films like Pellichoopulu and Arjun Reddy.
"Yes. Happy. Too happy. Her name is Anisha Alla. And yes, she said 'yes'. And it's confirmed. My next biggest transition in life. Will be announcing the date soon," Vishal tweeted on Wednesday. Vishal also shared two pictures with Anisha.
On her Instagram page, Anisha wrote: "I finally found somebody to go down the path of life with, loving him and life with true passion. I look up to this man for all that he stands for and for all of his heart."
"I vow to give back to him, the families and the people around with this step forward. I vow to be the best that I can be intention towards collective learning, love and moral value," she added.
If the industry grapevine is anything to go by, the wedding is set to take place in March. Currently busy shooting for Tamil actioner Ayogya, a remake of Telugu film Temper; Vishal is expected to take a break upon completing this project.
'Uri' Crosses Rs 50 Crore Mark
Uri: The Surgical Strike opened to mostly positive reviews on 11 January and, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, got a “flying start” at the box office. The military drama earned Rs 55.81 crore in five days and is expected to continue its wave of massive numbers.
Read more on The Quint.
Aamir Khan's Brother Faisal Khan to Make Singing Debut in 'Factory'
Aamir Khan’s brother Faisal Khan will reportedly make his singing debut in Bollywood with ‘Ishq Tera’, a romantic number from Sharique Minhaj directorial Factory.
Pinkvilla has quoted Faisal as saying, “Factory is my dream project. I was pleasantly surprised when my director Sharique Minhaj suggested that I should be singing this song. He insisted that my voice was required for this number and I had no qualms about singing at all. In fact, growing up in and around films and cinema, the ability to sing just came to me smoothly. Since ‘Ishq Tera’ is a soft, romantic track it was easy to croon. Having heard the final number, I feel quite proud."
Read more on The Quint.
This Is When Tigmanshu Dhulia’s ‘Milan Talkies’ Will Release
Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3-director Tigmanshu Dhulia was last seen as an actor in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Zero. He will step behind the camera once again for Milan Talkies which now has a new release date, 15 March. Tigmanshu’s film has been in the making since 2012 and was originally set to release on 18 January.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news along with a first look at the film. Milan Talkies stars Ali Fazal and Shraddha Srinath. Shraddha who is popular in Kannada and Tamil cinema is making her Bollywood debut with this film.
Read more on The Quint.
Deepika Padukone Now Featured in A Children’s Book
Deepika Padukone added another feather in her cap when in 2015 she shared publicly her battle with depression. It was a brave move for a star like Deepika to open up on the subject and it helped reduce the stigma around the illness. It particularly for that reasion that the actor has earned a place in an upcoming children's book, titled ‘The Dot That Went For A Walk’.
Pics: Hotstar Launches Specials With Salman Khan, Karan Johar
Star India’s streaming platform Hotstar has launched Hotstar Specials, a space which will feature original content in different formats and genres. See more pictures here.
Being Bald Is so Liberating, Says Tahira Kashyap, Deepika Reacts
Writer-director and actor Ayushmann Khurrana's wife Tahira Kashyap, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and is going through preventive mastectomy, has gone bald. She says it is liberating and feels good.
On Wednesday, Tahira tweeted a photograph of her "new" self.
Omung Kumar B Goes Back to Modi's Roots for Biopic
Filmmaker Omung Kumar B, who is making a movie on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visited places in Gujarat where the political leader spent his childhood days.
As "PM Narendra Modi" gets ready to go on the floors, Omung and his team are travelling through the length and breadth of Gujarat to finalise the locations where they will be shooting.
"Omung was seen visiting lanes in Ahmedabad, the houses in Vadnagar where Modiji lived since childhood and the House of MG, a heritage hotel in Ahmedabad," a source from the production team said.
"He was also seen heading to the famous Modhera Sun Temple, Rani ki vav - a stepwell in the town of Patan in Gujarat, the stone structures in Bhuj and the White Desert. The makers intend to keep the film factually correct in terms of its picturisation which is why the places which are very significant to Modiji are being looked at. That is where the shoot will happen," added the source.
‘URI’ Makers Know How to Prevent Illegal Leak on Torrents
URI: The Surgical Strike, starring Vicky Kaushal and Yami Gautam, are running to packed theatres. However, the Aditya Dhar film’s team is working overtime to keep it from being leaked on illegal torrent sites. Read more here.
Dhanush-Sai Pallavi’s “Rowdy Baby” Ranks 4 on Billboard YouTube Chart
While Maari 2 has been panned by critics and audience alike, the “Rowdy Baby” song from the film, in which we saw actor Sai Pallavi outperforming Dhanush, has achieved the feat of hitting the Billboard YouTube chart, ranked number 4 in its list of popular YouTube songs.
The song, choreographed by Prabhu Deva, has more than 790,00,000 views and counting, with 9 lakh ‘likes’ on its official YouTube video. The catchy number sung by Dhanush and Dhee has become a rage. Read more here.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)