10 July 2019
Spanish-language songs make up half of YouTube’s Top 10 for the year so far, led by Daddy Yankee’s Con Calma
The site reaches more than 1.9 billion people every month, more than any other music steaming service, and most of those users are listening to Latin Pop.
Ariana Grande’s 7 Rings is the only entry sung entirely in English, with K-pop and Bollywood completing the chart.
Catalonian singer Rosalía, who came fifth in the BBC’s Sound of 2019 list, had the highest-viewed video by a female artist, with Con Altura – a reggaeton track that samples dialogue from a Dominican TV show. The song topped YouTube’s music chart for 12 weeks after its release in March, at one point presiding over a top 10 that was 80% Spanish.
“This is the new order of things in the increasingly diverse, genre-melding, multilingual world of pop,” wrote New York Times’ pop correspondent Joe Coscarelli in an article dissecting Rosalía’s breakout single.
“Language is no longer a barrier, world rhythms mix and cohere, cross-cultural collaboration is common and hip-hop influence seeps in from all sides.”
South Korea is also an increasingly dominant voice in global pop, with girl group Blackpink racking up 468m views for the arresting, colourful video for Kill This Love [the title is the only English line in the song].
Their boyband counterpart, BTS, have the eighth most-watched video of the year for their track Boy With Luv.
Johnny Kitagawa, one of the most influential figures in Japan’s entertainment industry, has died at the age of 87
For more than 50 years the agency he founded, Johnny & Associates, made numerous boy bands household names, including SMAP, Arashi and KAT-TUN. Many of the artists he propelled to fame also became stars of TV shows.
Kitagawa died at a hospital in Tokyo on Tuesday after suffering a stroke, Kyodo News reported. He had collapsed and was admitted to hospital on 18 June, the Japan Times said, but the incident was kept secret.
Kitagawa was responsible for 232 number one singles between 1974 and 2010. He was recognised three times by Guinness World Records – for the most number one singles, the most number one artists and the most concerts produced by an individual.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is out for revenge in the Sacred Games 2 trailer
The series revolves around Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan),a troubled police officer in Mumbai, who receives a phone call from gangster Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who tells him to save the city within 25 days; the series chronicles the events that follow. In the trailer, we see some old faces whilst coming across new character as this year, actors Ranvir Shorey and Kalki Koechlin join the cast also.
The second season will feature Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi as part of an ensemble cast just like its first season.Sacred Games is an Indian web television thriller series based on Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel of the same name produced on Netflix. It was the first ever Netflix original series produced in India.
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9 July 2019
A sleazy boss embodies the evil of workplace harassment in new TV drama Dar Khuda Say
Will a star-studded cast and a terrific topic (sexual harassment in the workplace) be enough to save Dar Khuda Say? It’s still too early to say.
The show starts with the story of two very distinct and different families. First, we see Afreen (Sana Javed) sitting on-stage at her engagement, which is abruptly called off. Fast forward a year later, and we see Afreen dodging a bunch of tumultuous situations both at home and at work.
The main villain of the show is the ultra sleazy Shahvaiz (Imran Abbas).This drama could take a bold stand against harassment… or it could end up justifying abuse. Which will it be?
It’s time we see how sexual harassment affects common folks like young girls working desk jobs or as housemaids. What does sexual harassment at the workplace look like? And what exactly constitutes a workplace? These are the questions I hope the show writers will answer with proper care.
Victoria Beckham reveals why she passed on the Spice Girls Reunion
However, Victoria Beckham chose to turn down the opportunity and she recently revealed why. In a recent interview with Vogue, Beckham explained how the decision was tougher than joining the group in the first place as she said: “It took me a lot of courage not to go on tour with the Spice Girls again, but to be the one who says, You know, I’m not doing it because things feel different now than they used to. I’d rather concentrate on my family and my company.”
She explained that her priorities have changed and she has to give time to personal commitments, adding: “I’d rather concentrate on my family and my company. I’m 45 now and very happy to be the woman I am.”
She also mentioned: “I’m not trying to change, I want to be the best version of myself. Before I turned 40, I wasn’t that confident. I learned to listen to my gut feeling.”
Martin Charnin, the writer who adapted the comic strip character Little Orphan Annie for the stage, has died at the age of 84
Charnin wrote the lyrics for the hit musical’s best-known songs including Tomorrow and It’s The Hard Knock Life. The news was first reported by his daughter Sasha, who said he had “lived a very full life”. Born in New York, he began his career as an actor in the original production of West Side Story on Broadway.The first musical for which he wrote the lyrics was 1963’s Hot Spot starring Judy Holliday.
Charnin also wrote lyrics for Richard Rodgers’ Two by Two (1970), which starred Danny Kaye and ran on Broadway for 10 months.
After an Emmy Award-winning stint writing for US television in the early 1970s, he made his Broadway directing debut in 1973 with the revue Nash at Nine, based on the works of poet Ogden Nash.
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8 July 2019
Dua Lipa says her new album is “coming soon” – and it “feels like a dancercise class”
The pop star was speaking on the red carpet of the Nordoff Robins’ Silver Clef Awards, where she won best female. “It’s been a long time coming so I’m super-happy,” she told the BBC. “I’m nervous. It feels like it’s happening all over again.”
The star has been recording with stars like Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Diplo and Swedish pop singer Tove Lo. She said that, since releasing her debut album in 2017, she had a clearer idea of what she wanted to say with her music.
The star has become increasingly vocal about LGBT rights and female equality, standing up for fans who were removed from her concert in Shanghai for waving gay rights flags, and calling out institutional sexism at the Grammy Awards.
Ready Steady No is a romcom based on real-life events, says director
Huddled together in front of the cinema screen at the trailer launch of their debut film Ready, Steady, No! (RSN) a few months ago, the director and cast reminded me of the children’s storybook The Little Engine That Could.
In that story, a little blue engine hauls the cargo of a far bigger broken down engine across the mountain, while propping up its own confidence by saying: I think I can, I think I can. It’s not hard to imagine the cast and crew of RSN chanting the same lines.
RSN is a rom-com about a young couple who elope. “The concept of a boy and a girl eloping may sound romantic, but in reality it is not, and that’s the story we aim to tell,” Munawwar tells me on the phone from Lahore.“The reason the couple run away is because they belong to different zaats[castes],” Munawwar says. “The reality of life is that, no matter how far we think we’ve progressed, issues of zaats till prevail in Pakistan. When I sat down to write the film, something similar was happening with someone I knew.
“The message is a part of the story, but it is not the story,” Munawwar explains.
Kevin Spacey was questioned in the US by the Metropolitan Police over sex assault allegations in the UK
Variety said Scotland Yard detectives travelled to the US in May to interview the Oscar-winner under caution. He faces six allegations of sexual assault in the UK between 1996 and 2013. Police said he was voluntarily interviewed – he was not arrested. Spacey faces a number of sexual assault allegations, which he denies.
While the Metropolitan Police did not name Spacey, a spokeswoman said: “In May 2019, a man was voluntarily interviewed under caution in America, by officers from the Met’s Complex Case Team. “He was not arrested. Inquiries are ongoing.” Spacey, 59, was artistic director at London’s The Old Vic theatre between 2004 and 2015.
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5 July 2019
Disney has cast singer Halle Bailey in the starring role of Ariel in a live action remake of The Little Mermaid
“Halle possesses a rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence and substance, plus a glorious singing voice,” director Rob Marshall said. Halle, 19, half of R&B sister duo Chloe x Halle, “said it was a “dream come true”. The film, which will start shooting in 2020, will feature new songs written by Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda.
While the majority of tweets were positive, Halle’s casting proved controversial for some social media users, with one saying he “ain’t racist for not wanting a black actress playing Ariel… Ariel is a redhead as was played in our childhood movie.
Rami Malek made it clear he wouldn’t play a religious terrorist in Bond 25
In an interview with The Mirror, the Oscar winner stated, “That was one thing that I discussed with [director] Cary Fukunaga. I said, ‘We cannot identify him with any act of terrorism reflecting an ideology or a religion. That’s not something I would entertain, so if that is why I am your choice then you can count me out’. But that was clearly not his vision. So he’s a very different kind of terrorist.”
The actor is known to have quite a deep sense of his Egyptian roots, In an interview with GQ Magazine he said, “There’s no first-generation, or second-generation removed. I am Egyptian. I grew up listening to Egyptian music. I loved Umm Kulthum. I loved Omar Sharif. These are my people. I feel so gorgeously tied to the culture and the human beings that exist there. I acknowledge that I have a different experience, but I am so enamored and intertwined with Egyptian culture. It is the fabric of who I am.”
Joss Stone deported from Iran on the last stop of her world tour
The 32-year-old posted a video from Kish Island in which she said: “We got detained and then we got deported.” She said that she knew Iran did not allow women to perform solo concerts.
“However, it seems the authorities don’t believe we wouldn’t be playing a public show, so they have popped us on what they call the ‘blacklist’.”
“After long discussions with the most friendly, charming and welcoming immigration people, the decision was made to detain us for the night and to deport us in the morning,” she added. “Of course I was gutted. So close yet so far.” Kish Island, which is in the Gulf off the southern Iranian coast, is the only place in Iran that foreigners can visit without needing a visa.
She said immigration officials at the island’s airport had encouraged her to go to the Iranian embassy in the UK to “sort it all out and come back”.
Iran’s state broadcaster, Irib, cited a police statement as saying that Stone did not have the required documentation to enter the country when she arrived on a flight from Oman on 29 June.
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4 July 2019
Pakistani poet, Nisar Nasik, who wrote the lyrics of ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ passed away at 85
According to reports, the lyricist succumbed to physical illness earlier in the morning at the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi. Son Khayal Aqdas revealed that his father was dealing with a number of health concerns including amnesia, diabetes, and high blood pressure and his health had been deteriorating since the past few years.
‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ became the iconic track we know, and celebrate today when Vital Signs turned it into one of their big hits.
Footballer Hajra Khan gets a Guinness World Records hat-trick
Hajra Khan, the captain of the Pakistani football team, is a rising star as she has managed to achieve 3 football-related Guinness world records in the past year.
Last year, Hajra Khan managed to set the world record for playing in a football match at the lowest altitude in the history of the game at the Dead Sea in Jordan. This was not the end to Hajra’s success story though as she went on to set two more world records this year in Lyon, France. Earlier this time around, she participated in the world’s longest football match that lasted for three and a half hours consecutively where she managed to score 4 goals by herself. This wasn’t it for Hajra though as she also managed to play in an inclusive match which involved over 51 nationalities whilst the previous world record was held by a match that involved 30 nationalities. That makes it 3 Guinness world records for this Pakistani powerhouse.
Chris Evans and Daniel Craig are stuck in a murder mystery in new movie
The trailer for his upcoming movie Knives Out has dropped and we’re kinda getting hyped up… and not just because this is pretty much a Captain America and 007 crossover.
Daniel Craig stars as a detective out to solve a murder that occured with a very eccentric family. “Knives Out was my attempt to take everything I love about an Agatha Christie who-done-it, jam it into an all-star cast, give it a Hitchcock thriller, genre twist and set it in modern-day America,” director Rian Johnson had said at CinemaCon.
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3 July 2019
Pakistani women are calling out pregnancy shaming for its hypocrisy
Following a couple’s marriage, the first question they’re asked is “*Aur khushkhabri kab suna rahe ho?” (When will you tell us the good news?), completely ignoring a couples financial standing or personal choice. But interestingly enough, once a woman is pregnant, she shouldn’t really talk about it. And how dare she show her baby bump!
Case in point, Aroosa Siddiqui at Fashion Week Pakistan 2018, where the young woman walked the ramp pregnant and received spiteful comments about showing off her baby bump, something which needs to be hidden. Writer Zeina Toric-Azad has had enough of it and took to Twitter to ask why pregnancy shaming exists in a country obsessed with having children.
Dwayne Johnson is taking things to the ‘next level’ in the Jumanji sequel trailer
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is back in the Jumanji world but not the way you think. The sequel for the 2017 movie – based on the Robin Williams-starrer – just got it’s first trailer and we see Danny Devito and Danny Glover in action too.
Spencer (Alex Wolff) has been sucked in the Jumanji video game once more and our teens must rejoin the game to save him. Upon meeting The Rock as Spencer’s avatar, we find out that it is his grandfather (Devito) who has taken on the character. Hilarity ensues as teens join grandfathers to rescue Spencer.
Tom Holland, Letitia Wright, Adele and Lady Gaga join The Academy
That’s the group of people who decide who win Oscars each year. And after criticism of its lack of diversity, the new additions are 50% women and 29% are people of colour.
You might remember #OscarsSoWhite being used in 2015 and 2016 in protest at the lack of actors of colour being nominated for top acting awards. The new additions are more inclusive and representative of the movie industry following this criticism.
Overall female membership is now 32% – up from 25% in 2015. People of colour make up 16% of the Academy’s membership now – double what it was four years ago.
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2 July 2019
Raveena Tandon criticises Zaira Wasim’s decision to leave Bollywood
The veteran actress took to Twitter to criticise 18-year-old, Dangal starlet Zaira Wasim who announced yesterday that she was bidding adieu to the film industry because it was interfering with her faith.
Tandon took the low road by slamming Zaira as a ‘two-films old’ and her decision to quit the field as ‘ungrateful’. She shared how she could leave but did not have to be so vocal about her ‘regressive views’. She wrote, “Doesn’t matter if two film olds are ungrateful to the industry that have given them all. Just wish they’d exit gracefully and keep their regressive views to themselves.”
Sonam Kapoor says Fawad Khan joined Khoobsurat because no one wanted to work with her
In an interview with Filmfare, Kapoor spoke about her career in Bollywood, revealing that her preference of female-centric movies led to male actors refusing to work with her.
“I can’t explain how difficult it was to make Aisha. Do you know how much effort it took to make Khoobsurat? No hero wanted to work with me because it was called Khoobsurat. I had to get Fawad Khan from Pakistan. And look what happened. Fawad became a huge star. He had the confidence.” Can we just say kudos to Fawad Khan for not being hesitant towards a movie with a female lead? That was just very khoobsurat of him.
Jake Gyllenhaal finally admits to the whitewashing around his casting in 2010’s Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Even though the original video game is set in historic Persia, an actor of Iranian-descent was not approached for the lead role by Disney.
Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, Gyllenhaal claimed, “I think I learned a lot from that movie in that I spend a lot of time trying to be very thoughtful about the roles that I pick and why I’m picking them”. He added, “And you’re bound to slip up and be like, ‘That wasn’t right for me,’ or ‘That didn’t fit perfectly.’ There have been a number of roles like that. And then a number of roles that do.”
Hollywood has recently embraced a culture of celebrities and production houses revisiting past projects, and mistakes. While Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t outright mention the whitewashing involved in him being cast as Dastan, we appreciate him owning up to being wrong for the role.
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1 July 2019
The English Literary Society held the launch of a fiction book, Encounters, by Akif Rashid at Alhamra Adbi Baithak
The chief guests were Amjad Tufail, Asim Butt, Syed Noor and Shahzad Rafique. The writers who spoke on the occasion included Prof Anwarul Haq, Rubia Jilani, Raza Naeem, Atoofa Najeeb, Javaid Aftab and Tahir Bin Shahzad.
The speakers lauded the presentation of self-expression in the book written in narrative style, terming it adventurous and experimental. Commending the book, they said, very few stories revealed internal conflicts, extraordinary complicated sentences and writer’s unfulfilled desires and aspirations.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are headed to Pakistan
Kensington Palace announced via social media (what a time to be alive!) that Prince William and Kate Middleton “will undertake an official visit to Pakistan this autumn, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office”. This mark’s the couple first visit to our country though other members of the royal family have been here before; on their Instagram, they continued that “Her Majesty The Queen visited Pakistan in 1961 and 1997, and The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited in 2006.
Taylor Swift writes angry post about Scooter Braun who now owns all her music
In a scathing Tumblr post Sunday, the pop superstar writes she is sad and grossed out that her music catalog now belongs to Braun, whom she accuses of subjecting her to years of incessant and manipulative bullying, referencing clashes with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
“This is my worst case scenario,” Swift writes. Braun’s Ithaca Holdings announced Sunday that it is acquiring Big Machine Label Group, which released all of Swift’s studio albums and owns her masters. Swift says she learned of the sale Sunday.
Swift left Big Machine and signed with Universal Music Group in November because she says she knew that re-signing with the group that had managed her since she was 15 would only result in her not owning her future work.
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28 June 2019
Riz Ahmed says that It’s super scary to be a Muslim right now
Actor, rapper and activist Riz Ahmed says that while art can provoke feelings, it’s important to think about the limitations of its impact in the face of legal and systemic oppression.
Variety reports that Ahmed took the stage at the CAA Amplify conference in Ojai on Tuesday and took that time to talk about how we can reduce Islamophobic sentiments in the media.
“The efforts of individual artists or storytellers may be bold, they may be progressive, they may act as beacons of hope for other people, but in the face of institutional prejudice and institutionalized obstacles, systemic obstacles, our efforts can sometime still fall flat,” he told the audience.
Idris Elba doesn’t want to play James Bond because of the racism he has faced
Even though Idris Elba isn’t trying to become the next James Bond, he’s disheartened that some people don’t think he should be considered for the spy role because he’s black. The British actor says in the August issue of Vanity Fair, “James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character, that takes audiences on this massive escapism journey. Of course, if someone said to me ‘Do you want to play James Bond?,’ I’d be like, Yeah! That’s fascinating to me. But it’s not something I’ve expressed, like, Yeah, I wanna be the black James Bond.”
And he confirmed that he will not be playing Bond, nor does he like talking about it. Because he gets ‘disheartened’ when he hears people say, ”‘It can’t be.’ And it really turns out to be the color of my skin.”
Dostana 2 is finally happening and it’s for real this time
KJo will not be directing the film as he has Collin DCunha making his directorial debut. He will however, be producing the movie which will be made under Dharma productions.
The cast so far has Aaryan Kartik and Janhvi Kapoor on board. The team is looking for a fresh face for their third character so we will have to wait and see about who is making their debut with Dostana 2.
Said Karan Johar, “I am excited to take the franchise forward with Kartik and Janhvi! This is our first film at Dharma with Kartik and we are very excited to work with him. I can’t wait to create some desi boy and girl madness with Kartik and Janhvi. We will also be introducing a new male lead in this film and Collin makes his debut as director with Dostana 2.”
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27 June 2019
Kim Kardashian’s new ‘Kimono’ shapewear sparks backlash
Kim Kardashian West has received backlash on social media from people who object to what they say is appropriation of the traditional Japanese kimono in the name of her upcoming shapewear line.
The reality star, makeup mogul and budding lawyer announced the line, Kimono Solutionwear, on Tuesday. The line will come in a range of sizes and colors. Some Japanese critics on social media said the name, which West trademarked, is an inappropriate take on centuries-old kimono clothing. They have started using the hashtag “#KimOhNo” on social media, calling the line disrespectful.
Yasir Hussain says he never made a crass joke at the 2017 Hum Awards
Waseem Badami questioned Yasir Hussain about an inappropriate joke he had made at the Hum Awards in 2017, where the actor was hosting a segment.
Referring to Ahsan Khan, who won an award for Best Actor In A Negative Role for his performance as villain in child sexual abuse drama Udaari, Hussain remarked: “Itna khoobsurat child molester, kaash mein bhi bacha hota” (what a beautiful child molester, if only I was also a child). An Images correspondent present at the event confirmed that this had in fact occurred.
People present at the event who witnessed the comment took to social media to express their concern. Even activist-turned-politician Jibran Nasir weighed in.
George Clooney is ready to direct and star in Netflix sci-fi thriller
The actor is adapting Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novel Good Morning, Midnight, which was named one of the best books of 2017. Mark L. Smith will work on the screenplay of the production and Grant Heslov will produce.
“Grant and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with this incredible project,” Clooney told Variety. “Mark is a writer we’ve long admired and his script is haunting. We’re thrilled to be working with our friends at Netflix as well.”
Good Morning, Midnight follows two stories; one of a lonely scientist in the Arctic and one of an astronaut trying to return to Earth. It is unclear which character Clooney will take on at the moment.
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26 June 2019
This documentary takes us inside Pakistan’s retirement home for trans people
The documentary follows Ashee Butt, also known as Guru Ashee, who opened a space for trans people who had nowhere to go. Ashee, a dancer in her youth and also retired herself, spoke to Azhar about how she realised there was a need for a retirement home.
“Years ago, a man ran up to me and said: ‘One of your people has died and has been lying in the mortuary for a week. There’s been no funeral because no one wants the body. There is no family.’ It was so painful, I couldn’t bear it.” “I ended up arranging the funeral. That’s how I got the idea for the retirement home.”
Ashee used her own savings in the beginning – that she had from her own dancing days – but along the way she was assisted by donations from around the world.The home took eight years to be up and running and opened this year in February, currently accommodating 40 senior trans folks.
Nadia Jamil turned down a role opposite Shahrukh Khan in Veer-Zaara
She said it was a turning point in her career when she met Veer-Zaara director, the late Yash Chopra.
She shared that she had been offered the role of Rani Mukherjee opposite Shahrukh Khan in the Bollywood movie Veer-Zaara but eventually turned it down.
Talking about being offered the role by the director and co-producer Yash Chopra, Nadia Jameel said “The turning point in my career was when I met Yash Chopra, Veer-Zaara was about to happen. Ammi was telling me she’d come with me or take care of my children, my son was two months old then, but I knew that if I moved in this direction now it would become an addiction which I would be unable to leave. It would shape the kind of mother I would become. I had to choose between being a mom or an actress but there isn’t even a comparison between the two. So I turned it down, however, I became very close to Yash Chopra and his family in the process.”
Ahad Raza Mir wins Betty Mitchell Award for Hamlet
The Pakistani actor was nominated by The Betty Mitchell Awards in the Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama category — and he won!
The 22nd Annual Betty Mitchell Awards, which aims to recognise excellence in Calgary’s Professional Theatre Community, released the list of 2018-19 nominees last month.
Speaking of his performance he had said, “My mother came to see me perform and she told me that for the first time, she couldn’t recognise me and actually felt scared of me. I just thought that I must be doing something right if my own mother could think that way!” Is there any chance that we could see a special performance of Hamlet in Pakistan? Ahad said, “Let’s see. We could try, maybe.”
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25 June 2019
Alia Bhatt insists that Ranbir Kapoor is not difficult, but that he’s had a troubled past
“It’s not a relationship. It’s a friendship,” said the actor. “I’m saying this with all genuineness and honesty. It’s beautiful. I’m walking on stars and clouds right now.”
“The best part is that we’re two individuals who are living our own professional lives in its full form right now. He’s shooting continuously. So am I. It’s not a situation where you’ll see us constantly together. That’s the true mark of a comfortable relationship. Nazar na lage,” she added.
The 26-year-old is aware of his past relationships with Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif and the rumours that made headlines but says that it was a bad time in his life. “He’s not difficult. He’s a gem. But he’s had a troubled past… How does it matter? It’s a part of someone’s life.”
Anurag Kashyap will feature in Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s romantic drama Bole Chudiyan
Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Anurag Kashyap confirmed the news saying, “Yes, I am doing the film, but that’s all I know for now. I have agreed to do the film as this is the first time Nawaz has asked me to do anything and I trust him.”
Kashyap is currently shooting his next directorial in Mumbai and has yet to finalise the dates of the shoot. The film is the directorial debut of Nawazuddin’s brother, Shamas Siddiqui.
Artists sue Universal for $100m over fire that destroyed thousands of recordings
Several prominent musicians are suing the world’s largest record label, Universal Music, after learning their music may have been lost in a fire. The case, which seeks damages in excess of $100m (£78m), was filed by the estates of Tom Petty and Tupac Shakur, the bands Hole and Soundgarden, and singer-songwriter Steve Earle.
They are seeking class action status, which means other affected artists will be able to join the legal action. Universal Music has yet to respond.
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24 June 2019
Prime Minister’s top aide Naeem ul Haque mistakes Sachin Tendulkar for Imran Khan
“How does he mistake a 6’2″ guy with someone a foot shorter?” questioned one Twitter user.
And we’re wondering the same. Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Naeem ul Haque tweeted a monochrome photo of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar during his younger days… in an unfortunate mix up, he captioned it: “PM Imran Khan 1969.”
My heart doesn’t allow me to work on any film right now, says Shah Rukh Khan
The Bollywood actor was earlier rumoured to have signed on to the Rakesh Sharma biopic, Saare Jahan Se Accha, as well as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Sahir Ludhianvi biopic, but now Khan has put all rumours to rest.
“I have no film with me right now. I am not working on any film,” he said.
“Usually what happens is when your one film is coming to an end, you begin work on your next film and I get involved within 3-4 months. But this time I am just not feeling like… My heart doesn’t allow me to..” added Khan. “I just felt that I should rather take time out, watch films, listen to stories and read more books.
Mick Jagger makes loud return to stage after undergoing heart surgery
Mick Jagger swaggered back to the stage on Friday in his first concert after undergoing heart surgery in April as the Rolling Stones kicked off a delayed North American tour.
The veteran British band opened its No Filter tour in Chicago at the city’s 61,500 seat Soldier Field stadium, after delaying the 17-date U.S. and Canada tour to allow for Jagger’s medical treatment.
Opening to a sold-out crowd, the band kicked off with its classic hit “Street Fighting Man” as the Stones frontman, dressed in skinny black jeans and a black and white jacket, strutted across the stage, singing and pumping his fist.
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23 June 2019
Google paid homage to the iconic Amrish Puri on his 87th birth anniversary with a doodle
The actor was the poster child for never giving up on your dreams; he landed his first role at the age of 39 and went on to appear in over 200 films. He even made it to Hollywood starring in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi and Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
He is most remembered for playing uber villain, Mogambo in the cult classic, Mr. India; the character’s catchphrase line: “Mogambo khush hua”went on to become his signature. Puri passed away at the age of 55 in 2005.
Writer E Jean Caroll has accused Donald Trump of sexual assault
A New York-based advice columnist has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s, according to a first-person account published Friday by New York magazine.
Trump denied the allegations and said, “I’ve never met this person in my life.”
The allegation against Trump by E. Jean Carroll is included in her upcoming book about the “hideous men” that the Elle magazine columnist says she has encountered throughout her life.
Tom Hardy will be back as Venom for the sequel
Producer Amy Pascal has confirmed that a sequel is in the works and that Tom Hardy will reprise his role.
Pascal shared the news in an interview with Fandango where she revealed that Hardy will be back as Eddie Brock aka Venom. “I can say that Hardy will be back, magnificently playing that character as no one else can,” she said.Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the 2018 film also featured Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed. Venom surprised many people by making over $800 million, even out-grossing popular comic book films like Wonder Woman and Thor: Ragnarok.
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22 June 2019
Band Tamaasha is about to release their debut single
Tamaasha won everyone’s hearts when they participated in Pepsi’s Battle of the Bands and they have more in store for their fans.The band just dropped a teaser for their upcoming single and it looks like they have a lot to say to all those who exploit artists in the name of exposure.
The teaser is shared with the message: “For too long have artists in Pakistan struggled to make a living, to find the right platform, and forced to work for ‘exposure’! With the launch of our debut single, Tamaasha calls on the artist community of Pakistan to rise up and get their voices heard!”
A Harry Potter mobile game has been released by the creators of Pokemon Go
The creators of mobile gaming phenomenon Pokemon Go unleashed a new game on Thursday that features Harry Potter and other characters from the wizarding world made famous in best-selling books and blockbuster movies.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was co-developed by Pokemon Go developer Niantic Inc and AT&T Inc’s Warner Bros, which owns the rights to develop entertainment based on author J.K. Rowling’s popular Harry Potter series.
Sharmeen Obaid’s Aagahi gets nomination at Cannes Lions International Fest
Aagahi is the first Pakistani series to ever be nominated at Cannes Lion. The two-time Academy Award winner’s series is a public service campaign which aims to educate women about their legal rights in Pakistan. It has been nominated for the Sustainable Development Goals Lions in the Gender Equality category.
“Aagahi is a campaign designed to create awareness in women so they are able to navigate the police and judicial system with confidence in Pakistan. The impact created in rural and urban communities through AAGAHI has been tremendous and we at SOC Films are delighted to be shortlisted for the Cannes Sustainable Development Goals award.” said Chinoy on her first Cannes Lions nomination.
Parey Hut Love’s trailer was just released!
Munawar plays the role of an aspiring actor named, well, Sheheryar who’s being pressured into getting married (relatable) by his kooky family. He’s not really into the idea but then he meets Saniya (Maya Ali) and things change. We’re shown some chemistry between the two before it’s revealed that she’s already engaged to someone else (played by Shahbaz Shigri). Uh oh, that’s not good.
Aside from the main leads, the film’s cast also includes Ahmed Ali Butt, Zara Noor Abbas, Hina Dilpazeer, Nadeem Baig, Rachel Viccaji, Frieha Altaf and Frieha’s daughter, Parisheh James, making her cinematic debut.
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21 June 2019
Marvel chief Kevin Feige revealed that he has been attempting to rope in the Matrix actor for a role in the MCU
After John Wick 3 reminded us all that Reeves is eternal, his current appearances and projects such as a role in Toy Story 4 and upcoming video game Cyberpunk 2077 have grabbed our attention. But looks like Keanu has had the attention of others too.
“We talk to him for almost every film we make,” Feige revealed to Comicbook.com. “I don’t know when, if, or ever he’ll join the MCU, but we very much want to figure out the right way to do it.”
Sheheryar Munawar and Maya Ali get their own Parey Hut Love posters
Now that the filmmakers have released separate posters of Sheheryar Munawar and Maya Ali, we think we’ve figured a thing or two about their characters.
Maya Ali is rocking a wedding jora with heavy jewellery, laughing away as she puts on headphones. Sheheryar Munawar, playing Sheheryar, just plain looks like he’s in love. Is he chasing after his love Saniya? Hmmm. Some things to think about before the trailer launches later today.
Junaid Khan and Hira Mani are pairing up for their third drama together
Junaid Khan and Hira Mani clearly have chemistry together as co-stars.
The two have previously worked together on Sun Yara and Thays and the duo now is all set to appear in their third drama together, which is Geo’s Makafaat.
Talking to the media, Khan shares, “The moment Hira and I shared our picture together from the set, we received a lot of love from fans because they wanted to see us together on screen again. While I can’t reveal too much about the story, I can tell you that Hira and my character are a couple in love who have to deal with some difficult situations where sacrifices must be made. It’s a fun and very well-written play and Ahmed Kamran is a great director who really pays attention to detail.”
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Hrithik Roshan’s sister comes out in support of Kangana Ranaut
Roshan’s sister, Sunaina recently came out in support of Ranaut tweeting: “I support Kangana all through”. Another previous recent tweet said, “And living in hell continues ….gosh I’m tired”.
Soon after, Kangana’s sister, Rangoli came out on Twitter alleging that Sunaina had reached out to Kangana for help because the Roshan family has been physically assaulting her for being in love with a Muslim man.
MTV’s Punk’d is getting a reboot with Ashton Kutcher’s involvement
The MTV classic reality series, which ran from 2003 to 2007 featured Ashton Kutcher pulling some elaborate tricks on his famous friends — everyone from Serena Williams to Beyonce. You know it was a good laugh! And who can forget that iconic (albeit a little cruel) Justin Timberlake episode?
Sadly, the OG prankster is not involved with the new series; Kutcher tweeted that he has nothing to do with the “new Punk’d situation” but hopes “they get it right”
Mehwish Hayat makes a surprise appearance in Baaji’s new song
A new song has been released from Baaji and it has a surprise appearance by Mehwish Hayat.
The song, ‘Gangster Guriya’, features the star strutting around in edgy leather outfits and dancing her heart out, She’s seen showing off her dance moves in different settings, from a throne to a garage with smoke and fire billowing around.Item songs are heavily debated on, with some critiquing them for feeding the male gaze and objectifying women and others supporting them for allowing women to own their sexuality.
