1. COVID-19: Rajinikanth Donates Rs 50 Lakh for Film Industry Workers
As coronavirus cases rise with each passing day, help is pouring in from all celebrities. Actor Rajinikanth has donated Rs 50 lakh for Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI). With the cancellation of all productions and shootings till 31 March, the film industry workers will be hit the worst, as they earn wages on a daily basis.
FEFSI has been raising funds to support the film industry employees amid the lockdown imposed. It asked celebrities to come together ad raise a sum of Rs 1 crore for the workers and technicians, and Tamil superstar Rajinikanth made a sizable donation to support them.
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2. COVID-19: Meiyang Chang Faces Racism, Gets Called ‘Corona’
Indians from the northeast have been subject to racism, with instances of some being attacked for “looking Chinese” amid the coronavirus crisis in the country. Actor and singer Meiyang Chang has said he has been at the receiving end of racist behaviour, and recalled a recent incident when two men sped past him on a bike as he was jogging near his home in Mumbai, screamed ‘corona’ and laughed. The Indian Idol contestant told Bombay Times in an interview that while he has often been the target of casual racism, such instances have become more frequent.
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3. Akshay Sternly Advises Fans to Be a ‘Khiladi’ and Stay Home
Akshay Kumar took to Twitter to share a stern message with the public, urging them not to step out unless absolutely necessary amid the ongoing coronavirus health crisis. He began the two-minute clip by apologising in case he says anything rude out of anger. He then proceeds to admonish those who have been violating the government’s orders to stay indoors.
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4. Salman to Fight Three Villains in Prabhudeva’s ‘Radhe’
Salman Khan and Prabhudeva’s next, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai is expected to hit theatres in 2020, and the post-production work has already started. While it was known that the film will see Salman romancing Disha Patani, and fighting it out with Randeep Hooda, the audience is in for a surprise as the film will not have just one but three villains.
The three villains will be played by Randeep Hooda, Gautam Gulati, and Sikkimese actor Sang Hae. Previously, Salman and Randeep have worked together in movies like Kick and Sultan, and Gautam Gulati is a known face in the television industry and also won Bigg Boss 8 hosted by Salman.
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5. As Coronavirus Threat Subsides, China Reopens Over 500 Theatres
With the coronavirus threat reportedly receding in China, more than 500 cinema halls have reopened in the country. However, box office bookings remain minimal as people are still choosing to stay away from large gatherings, as per a report by Variety.
The state media CGTN reported that 486 theatres were open for business on Friday, 20 March. On Monday, financial publication Caixin said the number had risen to 507. Figures from private-sector ticketing firm Maoyan showed that venues had opened in five provinces: Xinjiang, Shangdong, Sichuan, and two populous coastal regions, Fujian and Guangdong.
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