Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Salman, Katrina 'back together'

Superstar #Salman_Khan is happy to be "back together" with actress #Katrina_Kaif to shoot a song for upcoming film #Tiger_Zinda_Hai, a sequel to 2012 blockbuster "Ek Tha Tiger".

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The "Sultan" star took to Twitter to share a glimpse from the shoot. He posted an image with him in tuxedo and Katrina -- with her locks falling over her shoulder -- in a gown. 

Salman captioned the photograph with Katrina -- his once rumoured ladylove: "Back together in 'Tiger Zinda Hai'". 

Yash Raj Films' "Tiger Zinda Hai" has been shooting in scenic locales of Tyrol, Austria, currently. The film's unit has wrapped up shooting in a historic and quaint Golden Roof for a song with Salman and Katrina. 

The portion shot at Golden Roof with Salman and Katrina is expected to be a big visual attraction in the film, and the song shot matches up to the YRF reputation of unforgettable visual treats onscreen. The song is choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant, read a statement from the production banner. 

Salman and Katrina -- who make headlines for their off-screen chemistry and rumoured on-and-off relationship -- will again be seen together in the sequel of their 2012 film "Ek Tha Tiger". They also got together for "Yuvvraaj" -- which turned to be a dud at the box office. 

'The Memory Thief' to get film adaptation

Author #Bryce_Moores popular novel "The Memory Thief" will be adapted into a live-action animated movie by Fox Animation.

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"The Memory Thief" centers on 12-year-old twins Benji and Kelly, who wander off at the local county fair after witnessing their parents argue. When Benji runs into a group of bullies, he escapes into a tent called the Memory Emporium, where he meets a strange, old man who shows him a vivid memory of a fighter pilot, reports variety.com.

Benji then realises that the ability to erase memories could help his parents stop fighting with each other. He soon learns how to manipulate memories, but the power comes at a cost to his family, and his own mind.

Further details about the film, including the director and voiceover artists, are yet to be announced.

Need a block button for haters: Actor Sunny Leone

Becoming a target of social media trolls isn't new for #Sunny_Leone, who got drawn into a controversy earlier this month when filmmaker #Ram_Gopal_Varma wrote a distasteful tweet about her on International Women's Day. But the actress has a smart way to tackle haters -- just block them.

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Asked if social media trolls and negativity on such platforms affect her, Sunny told over e-mail from Mumbai: "No. Because I have the block button. I don't give two hoots about it. I know my following has been by my side for many years, and I love them for it.

"The haters just get blocked!"

Varma landed himself in hot soup after his controversial comment: "I wish all the women in the world give men as much happiness as Sunny Leone gives."

The comment triggered a storm of protests on Twitter, and even attracted complaints against Varma.

Sunny, a former Indo-Canadian porn star who entered Indian showbiz via a stint in the "Bigg Boss 5" reality TV show in 2012, says she cannot do anything about stereotypical perceptions about her in the industry.

"I can't do anything about stereotypes. That's just how the world works everywhere," she said.

The 35-year-old actress has been part of the Hindi film industry for over five years and has starred in nine films, apart from cameos.

George Clooney surprises fan on her 87th birthday

Actor #George_Clooney took a bouquet of flowers and a card to surprise a fan on her 87th birthday.

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Clooney paid a visit to the fan named Pat Adams, a resident at a facility in Berkshire, to celebrate her special day on March 19 after she had told staff members how fond she was of him, reports telegraph.co.uk.

Linda Jones, a worker at the care home, posted a picture of Clooney with Adams on Facebook.

"The lady in the picture loves George Clooney and mentions everyday how she would love to meet him, especially as he lives so near to where I work," Jones wrote alongside the image.

"So letter have been sent asking would it be possible for her dream to come true. And what was extra special was her birthday in the week," she added.

Staff said Adams was "delighted and surprised when George greeted her with a bouquet of flowers and card".

Sonowal releases theme song of Namani Brahmaputra

Assam Chief Minister #Sarbananda_Sonowal on Tuesday launched the theme song of #Namami_Brahmaputra, the coming river festival, to showcase the #tourism potential and development of Assam.

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The theme song, both in Assamese and Hindi, has been composed by Assam's famous singer composer Angaraag Mahanta alias Papon. It was launched at a function held at Madhavdev International Auditorium in Guwahati.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and singers Arijit Singh, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghosal, Shankar Mahadevan, Subha Mudgal, Zubeen Garg, Pulak Banerjee, Jitul Sonowal, Tarali Sarma and others have lent their voices to the soulful rendetion of the theme song.

The five-day festival will be held across 21 districts from March 31 to April 4.

Maharashtra wants Bachchan to 'save the girl child'

After megastar #Amitabh_Bachchan lent his name for saving dwindling tigers, the Maharashtra government wants him to become a brand ambassador for its 'save the girl child' initiative, Health Minister #Deepak_Sawant said here on Tuesday.

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"We shall request him to become the brand ambassador for this initiative which can help prevent female foeticide and save the girl child," Sawant said.

He was addressing a high-level meeting in Mantralaya in the wake of the recent shocking incident of female foeticide unearthed in Sangli where 19 female foetuses were found buried outside a private hospital carrying out illegal abortions.

On the occasion, Sawant said in some districts like Bhandara the male-female ratio had shown an upward trend but in others like Washim it had declined, which is a matter of concern.

In this connection, the state had already strictly enforced the laws banning pre-natal sex determination tests.

Rajinikanth wishes BJP candidate victory

Megastar #Rajinikanth on Tuesday wished known Tamil composer and BJP candidate #Gangai_Amaran success in the by-election to the Tamil Nadu assembly from R.K. Nagar here.

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Rajinikanth met Amaran at his residence and wished him success in his new innings.

"Today our Thalaivar Rajinikanth met and wished my dad for his political victory in RK Nagar by-election," Venkat Prabhu, Amaran's son and also a filmmaker, tweeted on Tuesday.

Prabhu shared a photograph of his father along with Rajinikanth. In 2014, Amaran joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The April 12 contest will be held to fill the vacancy caused by the death of J. Jayalalithaa, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

New avenue launched for aspiring film writers

A pan-Indian competition 'Quest for Stories' has been launched to look for aspiring and talented #film_writers with a knack for tapping stories from the grassroots in India.

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Drishyam Films, the company known for bankrolling critically-acclaimed projects such as "Dhanak" and "Ankhon Dekhi", has initiated the contest in which writers above the age of 18 can participate.

The competition began on Monday, and will end on April 20.

Stories of all genres are welcomed, especially from young upcoming writers from smaller towns who do not have a platform for their voices, read a statement issued on behalf of the banner.

Drishyam Films will option the rights of the winning story to develop it into a feature film project. A dedicated fund has been set aside for developing up to five final stories into full screenplays.

The winner will get up to Rs 500,000 for the rights of the story and credit for the film, if and when it goes into production.

Talking about it, Manish Mundra, Founder, Drishyam Films, said: "In the last few years, we have worked with acclaimed writers and directors who have pioneered new and exciting narratives from the grassroots of India.

Eijaz Khan gains 10 kg weight for TV show

Actor #Eijaz_Khan has put on weight to play Mukhi in new TV show "Yeh Moh Moh Ke Dhaage".

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"The character is a matured man who had to take up a lot of responsibility at a very young age. So he had to look older than his age. Additionally, in the village that I stayed, a lot of men were not lean but on the slightly heavy side," Eijaz said in a statement.

Eijaz went on to gain 10 kg by eating his favourite dishes.

"I love sweets -- favourite being gulab jamun, jalebi and chocolates. I can eat them pre-lunch, post lunch and even in between. In fact, the role was a blessing in disguise as I got to indulge my sweet tooth," he said.

"I had to be careful about what I ate before, but as Mukhi, I could eat whatever I wanted and how can one resist lovely Gujarati food," he added.

Not chasing Hollywood dreams: Sonakshi Sinha

Actress #Sonakshi_Sinha, who is excited about performing alongside megastar #Salman_Khan in 'DA BANG - The Tour', says she is happy with her work in Bollywood and isn't seriously pursuing Hollywood dreams.

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"I'm very content with the work I am doing here. But if something really interesting came my way, I would give it a thought -- just as I do to all my projects here. But I am definitely not chasing it," Sonakshi said in a statement.

Ahead of the tour, which is going to Melbourne, Sydney in Australia and Auckland in New Zealand, Sonakshi has opened up on various facets about her career.

A fan of "live performances", she said she is glad to be part of one of the biggest international tours of this year.

Will audiences get to see her shake a leg with Salman?

"We are working on the creative, so the audiences will have to come to the show to watch, but I assure you that if the "Dabangg" jodi is together again, it will be great," Sonakshi, who made her film debut with Salman starrer "Dabangg" in 2010, said in a statement.

When I think of love, I think of pain: Vikram Bhatt

Filmmaker #Vikram_Bhatt, who has penned an intense romance novel "A Handful of Sunshine", says the thought of love brings him pain instead of joy.

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"When I think of love, I think of pain and not joy. I know that is not the way it's supposed to be but it has been that way for me," Vikram, who was married to Aditi, but then had an extra-marital affair with actress Sushmita Sen.

After his relationship with the former beauty queen ended, Vikram reportedly dated actress Ameesha Patel.

The father of one daughter says: "Love is the most elusive thing I know. Always an arm's length away, teasing me and asking me to stretch a bit more and grab it. The more I stretched, the more it slipped away. Through those many slips comes my book, 'A Handful of Sunshine'."

It is the debut novel by Vikram, known for his thriller and horror films like "Raaz", "1920" and "Haunted - 3D". The book is being brought out by Penguin Random House India in April 2017.

"Vikram's writing is extremely visual and arresting and forms an immediate connect with the reader," Vaishali Mathur, Executive Editor and Head Rights and Language Publishing, Penguin Random House India, said.

Vikram is the grandson of filmmaker Vijay Bhatt, one of the pioneers of the Hindi film industry, and son of Pravin Bhatt, an acclaimed director of photography.

When Anushka Sharma scared SRK at his house

#Anushka_Sharma got her first co-star #Shah_Rukh_Khan to help her promote her forthcoming production "Phillauri" when she landed up at his residence Mannat here to 'scare' him.

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Anushka plays a friendly ghost named Shashi in the forthcoming film, and to fit the theme, she made a promotional video with her "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" and "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" co-star at his house.

"I am making this video because people nowadays have become a lot more superstitious and feel that they are surrounded by supernatural beings... There are no ghosts actually," Shah Rukh says in the video, before getting interrupted by Anushka's voice.

He poses as if he is scared, and then Anushka introduces herself as Shashi, saying she is a big fan of King Khan.

Shah Rukh then requests fans to watch the film, which will release on Friday.

Directed by Anshai Lal, "Phillauri" also features Diljit Dosanjh, Suraj Sharma and Mehreen Pirzada.

Mixing energy drinks with alcohol may prove dangerous

Do you love to mix your alcohol with highly caffeinated #energy_drinks? Beware! You may be at higher risk of injury, compared to drinking #alcohol only, according to a study.

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Alcohol mixed with energy drinks is used either as premixed drinks sold in liquor stores or by combining the two beverages by hand.

"The stimulant effects of caffeine mask the result that most people get when they drink," said lead author Audra Roemer from the University of Victoria in Canada. 

The study, detailed in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, classified the injuries as unintentional -- such as falls or motor vehicle accidents, and intentional -- such as fights or other physical violence.

In addition, the researchers also looked at whether risk-taking or sensation-seeking tendencies play a role in injuries associated with alcohol mixed with energy drinks use.

People who have these traits might prefer the awake-drunk state that one gets from mixing alcohol and energy drinks, Roemer said adding "this could be a population that's at even higher risk for injuries," he noted.

Frequent dining out may dent your food budget

Do you frequently have meals at a restaurant? Beware, you may struggle to control your #food_budget since people who dine out frequently tend to underestimate the money they spend on eating out, a study led by an Indian-origin researcher has showed.

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Rather than make people smarter consumers, frequent eating out may be associated with their inability to impose mental constraints on buying, said Amit Sharma, Associate Professor at the Pennsylvania State University in the US.

Mental budgeting may cause some of the overspending habits of out-of-the-home diners, Sharma said.

In the study, appearing in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, participants increased their mean personal dining-out budget from a little under $18 in week one to about $55 in week two.

The mean family dining-out budget raised significantly from around $33 in week one to $41 in week two.

"When people reported their dining-out budget for the second time during the experiment, it was significantly higher than what they stated at the first time," Sharma said.

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

'A Dog's Purpose' to release in India on March 31

"A Dog's Purpose", a movie about a dog that looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners, will hit the Indian screens on March 31.

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The film is produced by Steven Spielberg in association with Indian banner Reliance Entertainment, read a statement.

Directed by Lasse HallstrAm and written by W. Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells, Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, the film is based on a best-selling novel of the same name by Cameron.

The film stars Britt Robertson, KJ Apa, Juliet Rylance, John Ortiz, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Peggy Lipton, Dennis Quaid and Josh Gad.

The movie will try to make its audience realize human beings are not the only ones that have existential thoughts such as the meaning of life. Man's best friend is also looking for purpose, the statement read.

"A Dog's Purpose" had got embroiled in a controversy after a leaked video of a dog being forced into running water emerged earlier this year. After investigation proved the video was authentic, the scene had to be edited.

Actors should choose impossible roles: Shah Rukh Khan

Superstar #Shah_Rukh_Khan says as actors, it makes sense to do impossible roles and it doesn't matter even if one fails while trying to give it his or her best.

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"Actors go for roles with possibility. Instead an actor should choose the impossible and give it his or her best even if it means to fail trying it," Shah Rukh tweeted.

Known for playing versatile characters over the years, the "Happy New Year" actor was last seen as a bootlegger in "Raees".

He will next be seen playing a cameo in Salman Khan's "Tubelight".

Shah Rukh is also teaming up with filmmaker Aanand L Rai next in which he plays a dwarf.