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Feels Like Ishq, Netflix anthology series, to release on 23 July; watch trailer

Netflix's latest anthology series Feel Like Ishq seeks to present six different yet relatable stories about modern love, say its filmmakers. The six-episode romance-drama series will hit the streaming platform on 23 July this year. Ruchir Arun, known for directing shows such as Little Things and What The Folks , has helmed the Save the Da(y)te episode, featuring actors Radhika Madan and Amol Parashar. The director said the episode will explore how love can "happen anywhere, anytime in today’s day and age". " Save The Da(y)te is one such story where two completely opposite individuals bump into each other at a wedding and spend ample amounts of time together, just to realise there might be something more. "Both Radhika Madan and Amol Parashar are energetic and entertaining performers which helped us in bringing this relatable story to life," Arun said in a statement. Tahira Kashyap Khurrana described her episode, titled Quaranteen Crush , starring

Watch: Loki mid-season sneak peek promises more twists, turns, and mischief in upcoming episodes

As the fourth episode of Loki premiered on Disney+ Hotstar today, 30 June, the makers recently shared the show's mid-season sneak peek teaser leaving fans excited. The teaser starts with highlights from the first three episodes and then shows glimpses of what can be expected from the remaining episodes of the show. Tom Hiddleston is seen playing the titular role in the Marvel series. The teaser begins with moments from the previous episodes showing Mobius trying to team up with Loki in order to catch his variant, Sylvie. After a few glimpses from the third episode, the sneak peek showcases that Loki and Sylvie will be captured by the TVA. Following this, Loki can also be seen in front of a throne wearing his iconic costume leading to many speculations. The sneak peek promises various twists, turns, mischief and reveals that Loki with Sylvie will escape the doomsday. Here is the clip Every Loki has their time 🕰 Marvel Studios' #Loki continues with new episodes Wednesda

John Cena wants to reprise his F9 in another Fast and Furious movie: 'I would love to see more Jakob'

Hollywood star John Cena says he is ready to reprise his role of Jakob for another Fast and Furious movie if the audience enjoys watching F9 . The 44-year-old actor made his debut in the ninth instalment of the long-running action franchise, which released in the US last week to box office success. Cena plays Jakob, the estranged younger brother of Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto, in the Justin Lin-directed movie. During an interview with Insider , the actor was asked whether he would like to return for the franchise''s tenth chapter. To this, Cena said, "I'm a fan. So, I want to say that I would love to see more Jakob. As the rookie on the squad, I'm not near high enough to make any of those decisions." "I just really hope that the world enjoys F9 . If they enjoy it, maybe I'll get another shot," he added. Fast and Furious 9 also features Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie E

The Weeknd to make acting debut with series The Idol, co-created with Euphoria's Sam Levinson

Canadian music star The Weeknd will make his acting debut with a series that he co-created with Sam Levinson of Euphoria fame. Titled The Idol , the show has been set up at premium American cable network HBO, reported Deadline. The 'Blinding Lights' singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, will star in, co-write and executive produce the series. The story follows a female pop singer who starts a romance with an enigmatic LA club owner who is the leader of a secret cult. The Weeknd created the series with renowned LA nightlife entrepreneur Reza Fahim and Levinson, who won a BAFTA for his critically-acclaimed HBO show Euphoria . Joseph Epstein will serve as showrunner and writer on the project. The Idol will be executive produced by Levinson, Tesfaye, Fahim, Epstein, Ashley Levinson, Kevin Turen, Bron Studios’ Aaron L Gilbert. Mary Laws will write on the series and serve as a co-executive producer. by Press Trust of India

Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas celebrate second wedding anniversary, share unseen pictures from ceremony

Game of Thrones famed Sophie Turner and American singer Joe Jonas are celebrating their second wedding anniversary today, 30 June. The star couple, who got married in 2019, shared a few pictures from their intimate wedding ceremony on social media to mark the special day. Turner took to Instagram and wished her husband Joe Jonas by posting dreamy pictures from their marriage. She captioned them saying, "2 years as your wife holy moly I love you bub”. Meanwhile, Jonas also shared black-and-white pictures from their wedding that took place in Paris. Along with the photos, he shared that the past two years have been the best in his life. He further wrote, “2 Years Of Party Times”. In the pictures, Turner can be seen in a stunning Louis Vuitton wedding gown while Jonas is posing in a sharp black tuxedo. Check out all the posts here View this post on Instagram A post shared by J O E J O N A S (@joejonas)       View this post on Instagram   A post shared b

First official music chart, 2020 growth, streaming service subscriptions: The good, bad and neutral for Indian music biz

This month we finally got a spot of good news from the Indian Music Industry, by which I’m referring not to the country’s entire music making fraternity but the trade body, also known as the IMI, which represents the interests of over 200 of the nation’s record labels. On World Music Day, which was celebrated on 21 June, the IMI unveiled  India’s first official music chart , which somewhat ironically is a top 20 that ranks the most popular international singles in our country based on streams from three foreign services — Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music. The IMI says the international chart is the first step towards the eventual publication of an all-genre chart, which will also take into account plays from domestic DSPs and has been  in the works  for almost four years now. For the IMI, the launch of an official chart — any chart — makes India look more like a legitimate music market and one that can be taken seriously in the eyes of the rest of the world. As such, the ar

International dance music industry witnesses 54 percent decline in value in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the coronavirus pandemic that hit the world in 2020, there has been a drastic impact on the International Dance Music industry. As per the recent International Dance Music Summit report, for business, culture, and education in global electronic music; there has been a decrease in the value by 54 percent resulting decline to $3.4 billion. This big decline in business has occurred after almost ten years of steady growth. As per Variety , the overall earnings are from four main sectors of the industry including music sales and streaming,  software and hardware sales, Disc Jockey (DJ), and artist earnings along with clubs and festivals. Also, this year’s annual report emphasises the global impact of the pandemic on electronic dance music in 2020. According to the report, the business produced less than half of 2019’s $7.3 billion in earnings and lower than that of the industry in 2012. Due to lockdowns across the world, the biggest drop was expected in clubs and festivals where

Cold Case movie review: Reasonably suspenseful despite self-conscious handling of police work

Language: Malayalam A cold case is defined as a crime that remains unresolved for a length of time and for which investigations have been put on hold indefinitely due to insufficient evidence, or a crime discovered much after it was committed. The latter circumstance is the starting point of director Tanu Balak’s Cold Case .  This new Malayalam film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran as ACP M Sathyajith in whose jurisdiction a human skull is fished out of a water body by an unsuspecting local. The remains have degraded over time and the police’s first challenge is to identify the dead person. In another part of Thiruvananthapuram, the journalist Medha (Aditi Balan) shifts into a rented accommodation with her daughter and domestic help. Medha is divorcing her husband and is bracing herself for a custody battle over their child. She works with a TV channel on a programme dealing with paranormal occurrences. When she is compelled to probe the steady stream of scares in her own house, her inqu

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever begins filming in Altanta; Kevin Feige says sequel will make Chadwick Boseman proud

The much-awaited sequel to the blockbuster 2018 movie  Black Panther  has officially begun. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  has started its production on Tuesday, 29 June at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta. The sequel will have director Ryan Coogler behind the camera along with the whole crew and cast only without its titular hero Chadwick Boseman, who passed away battling colon cancer for four years in August last year. At the Black Widow Global Fan Event in Los Angeles, Feige informed that it's going to be very emotional for all. “It’s clearly very emotional without Chad. But everyone is also excited to bring the world of Wakanda back to the public and back to the fans. We’re going to do it in a way that would make Chad proud,” Feige said at the event on Tuesday night as per  Variety . So far, Marvel Studios is keeping the  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever   plot details  and new characters under wraps. But actors including Danai G

Delia Fiallo, Cuban screenwriter known as 'mother of telenovelas', passes away aged 96 in Miami

Cuban screenwriter Delia Fiallo, widely seen as "the mother of the telenovela" and the writer behind international hits like the soap opera Cristal , died Tuesday in Miami at the age of 96, her daughter-in-law confirmed to AFP . A pioneer of the wildly popular romantic soap operas in Latin America, Fiallo, whose career began in the middle of the last century, told AFP in an interview in 2018 that she wanted to be remembered "as a person who loved a lot and who was very loved." Her daughter-in-law, Odalis Baez, confirmed her death. Adored by her fans, Fiallo left her mark on US Hispanic popular culture in the second half of the 20th century. She started her career in Cuba in 1950 with radio soap operas before writing her first television screenplay in 1957. She then worked with Venezuelan television stations after leaving Communist Cuba for Miami in 1966, scripting popular shows like Lucecita in 1967, or global hits like Esmeralda, Leonela, Cristal  and Kassand

Toofan trailer: Farhan Akhtar abandons thug life for boxing in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film

Presented by Amazon Prime Video in association with Excel Entertainment and ROMP Pictures. Toofaan is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akthar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra The film stars Farhan Akhtar, alongside Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, Supriya Pathak Shah and Hussain Dalal in pivotal roles and is directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Toofaan to be the first film to simultaneously premiere on Amazon Prime Video in Hindi and English. Amazon Prime Video today unveiled the trailer of the year’s most awaited summer blockbuster, Toofaan . Presented by Amazon Prime Video in association with Excel Entertainment and ROMP Pictures, Toofaan is an inspiring sports drama produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Farhan Akhtar. The film features an all-star cast, lead by Farhan Akhtar in the lead role along with Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, Supriya Pathak Kapur, Hussain Dalal, Dr Mohan Agashe, Darshan Kumaar and Vijay Raaz. Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film’s h

Naseeruddin Shah admitted to Mumbai hospital after pneumonia diagnosis

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has been diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to a Mumbai hospital, actor-wife Ratna Pathak Shah said on Wednesday. Naseeruddin Shah, 70, was admitted to Khar Hinduja hospital on Tuesday. The actor has a "small patch" of pneumonia in his lungs and is currently undergoing treatment. "Yes (he has a) small patch and all under control. (He is) Responding well to treatment so hope he'll be discharged soon," Ratna Pathak Shah told PTI. The multiple National Award-winning actor was last seen in the 2020 drama Mee Raqsam and the acclaimed Amazon Prime Video series Bandish Bandits . by Press Trust of India

Black Widow review round-up: Scarlett Johansson MCU film is at its 'best when it's a wacky family drama'

Scarlett Johansson-starrer Black Widow is all set to hit the US theatres and streaming platform Disney+ on 9 July. The much-awaited MCU film is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War which released in 2016. The latest movie sees Natasha Romanoff on the run after helping Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers and is forced to confront her past. This is going to be the first Marvel film hitting the big screens after coronavirus breakdown. Along with Johansson, the film also features Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Rachel Weisz in pivotal roles. Ahead of the release, the early reviews of Black Widow are out and the movie is receiving a majorly positive response from critics. Also, Johansson is being praised for her portrayal once again. Here are some of the reviews of Black Widow Variety : [It’s] Scarlett Johansson who holds the film together and gives it its touch of soul. Natasha’s desire for vengeance is pulsating, but so are her inner wounds, and Johansson, unusual for the com

Chris Pratt on starring in dystopian film The Tomorrow War: 'Felt inclined to do something original'

Chris Pratt may be a loyal star of two of the biggest movie franchises of the moment, between Marvel and Jurassic World , but even he craves something different sometimes. “I heard the grumblings that people were getting tired of those things,” said Pratt in a recent interview. “I felt inclined to try to do something original.” That’s when Zach Dean’s script for what would become The Tomorrow War , which debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, ended up in his hands. It wasn’t based on a toy or a comic book or a theme park ride. There was no “brand” attached to it or even a bestseller sticker. Then titled Ghost Draft , it was a dark and emotional sci-fi action epic about a generation of people who get drafted to go 30 years in the future to fight a losing war against aliens. And the production company Skydance was already on board. But they needed a name, and Pratt has found himself in a rare position in Hollywood where his involvement alone can get a movie off the ground. So, he a

Gal Gadot, husband Jaron Varsano announce birth of third child on Instagram

Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot and husband Jaron Varsano welcomed their third child on Tuesday, 29 June. Announcing the happy news of the new addition to her family, Gadot shared an photo on social media. Along with the photo, the popular DC superhero also revealed that the newborn baby girl has been named Daniella. “My sweet family I couldn’t be more grateful and happy (and tired) we are all so excited to welcome Daniella into our family. I’m sending all of you love and health. GG,” Gadot wrote in the caption. Even her husband Varsano shared the same photo on his personal Instagram handle and said now they are a family of five. He also feels happy and grateful. Further in the post, he calls his wife "a lioness." Check out the post here View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot) Gadot and Varsano are already parents to nine-year-old daughter Alma Versano and four-year-old daughter Maya Versano. In the photo, the couple is seen along wi

Smallville star Allison Mack faces sentencing after she pleads guilty in NXIVM sex trafficking cult case

TV actor Allison Mack, who played a key role in a scandal-ridden, cult-like upstate New York group, is facing sentencing Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges she manipulated women into becoming sex slaves for the group’s spiritual leader. Mack — best known for her role as a young Superman’s close friend on the series Smallville — is set to appear Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court. She’s expected to seek credit for cooperating against NXIVM leader Keith Raniere and taking responsibility for helping him create a secret society of brainwashed women who were branded with his initials. Devoting herself to the self-improvement guru “was the biggest mistake and greatest regret of my life,” she wrote in a letter filed with the court last week. “I am sorry to those of you that I brought into NXIVM,” she wrote. “I am sorry I ever exposed you to the nefarious and emotionally abusive schemes of a twisted man.” Under advisory sentencing guidelines, Mack would face between 14 and 17 1/2

Dilip Kumar admitted to hospital ICU following complaints of breathlessness

Legendary actor Dilip Kumar has been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a city hospital here following complaints of breathlessness as a "precautionary measure", ten days after he was discharged, according to hospital sources. The 98-year-old screen icon - who was taken to the suburban Khar-based Hinduja Hospital, a non-COVID-19 facility - was admitted to the medical facility yesterday and is doing fine, they added. "He was admitted yesterday during the day due to breathlessness. Given his age and recent hospitalisation, the family decided to take him to the hospital as a precautionary measure. He is fine. He is in the ICU so that the doctors can monitor him," the hospital insider told PTI . Kumar was earlier admitted to the same hospital on 6 June due to episodes of breathlessness. The Hindi cinema veteran was then diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion - a build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs and underwent a

James Corden segment Spill Your Guts of Fill Your Guts draws ire for portraying Asian foods in negative light

For years, late-night television host James Corden has played a food-based truth or dare with celebrities called “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts.” Participants choose to either answer personal questions or take a bite of a food deemed disgusting to eat, like ghost pepper hot sauce, a sardine smoothie or dried caterpillars. “Wow, it all looks so terrible,” Jimmy Kimmel, host of late night show Jimmy Kimmel Live! said as he appeared on Corden’s segment in 2016. “I know people can’t smell it, but it doesn’t smell good, either.” Corden responded, “It’s really disgusting, it’s horrific,” as he spun a table with Asian ingredients and snacks like chicken feet, balut, pig’s blood and 1,000-year eggs. While the segment has received scrutiny in the past, an online petition posted this month has brought renewed criticism that its portrayal of Asian foods as disgusting is harmful. More than 46,000 people have signed the petition, asking Corden to change the food options on the segment or e

Length has never mattered to me: Ila Arun on her small yet significant part in Vidya Balan's Sherni

There were some people who asked Ila Arun why she took up a small part in Sherni, headlined by Vidya Balan. But the veteran Rajasthani folk singer-actor says the length of a role is immaterial to her in an important film, like the recently-released satirical thriller on conservation. The movie revolves around Balan's Vidya Vincent, an upright forest officer who is tasked to resolve the man-animal conflict. Written by Aastha Tiku, Sherni has garnered praise for its nuanced narrative set around the challenges faced by Vidya in her professional and personal life. The 67-year-old, best known for songs like Choli Ke Peeche, Morni Baaga Ma Bole, and Ringa Ringa, said she was happy to be director Amit Masurkar''s first choice to play the character of Vidya's mother-in-law. “He (Amit) told me ‘I want you’ and that he has faith in me. I have a small role to play but the way the director thought and imagined this character is great. He wanted that effect, sensitiveness. And I

Filmmaker Raj Kaushal, Mandira Bedi's husband, passes away after cardiac arrest

Filmmaker Raj Kaushal, who directed movies like Shaadi Ka Laddoo and Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, passed away early Wednesday morning following a heart attack, family friend and actor Rohit Roy said. He was in his 50s. Kaushal was married to actor-TV presenter Mandira Bedi. The couple has two children, son Vir and daughter Tara. "He passed away today morning, at around 4.30 am at his home. He had a heart attack," Roy told PTI. Apart from direction, Kaushal had also produced filmmaker Onir's 2005 acclaimed drama My Brother… Nikhil , starring Sanjay Suri and Juhi Chawla. Onir paid tributes to Kaushal on Twitter. "Gone too soon. We lost filmmaker and producer @rajkaushal1 this morning. Very Sad. He was one of the producers of my first film #MyBrotherNikhil. "One of those few who believed in our vision and supported us. Prayers for his soul," Onir wrote. Kaushal's last directorial was the 2006 thriller, Anthony Kaun Hai? , starring Arshad Warsi and Sanj

West Bengal artistes forum requests technicians, producers of Bengali soaps to resolve wage-related differences

As the stand-off between technicians and producers of some new and upcoming Bengali soaps over wage allocation and other issues continued on Tuesday, a forum of artistes urged all stakeholders to immediately resolve the matter in the interest of over 1,000 people associated with the industry. Actor Shantilal Mukherjee, who is the joint secretary of West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists Forum, said in a statement that many will have to go without food if the shoot for the serials does not begin immediately. "Shootings had started mid-June... bringing smiles on the faces of countless artistes and technicians, but the sudden halt has tossed them into an uncertain situation. We urge all stakeholders to resume shoot for the mega soaps at the earliest," the forum's office-bearer said. Shooting came to a halt on Monday as the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) insisted that they would get to work only after an agreement with details of their wa

The Devil Wears Prada, The Intern, and The Bold Type's lessons on mentorship offer reassurance — and life truths

A recurring nightmare of my life is Miranda Priestly dumping her high-end handbags and ostentatious overcoats on my desk, missing my nose by inches, as she barks orders for the day. Yes, not priestly at all. The Devil Wears Prada , which released on this day 15 years ago, often comes haunting (wrapped in all its hot couture) with questions like: "Do I see myself doing this for the rest of my life?"; "Have I sold my soul?"; and "Am I a few missteps away from getting fired?" But then it also serves as a reminder that I can walk away from all these fears whenever I choose to, like Andrea (Anne Hathaway) did in the David Frankel film. Rather than chanting to myself and others, "I have no choice," "I love my job," or "The devil made me do it," I can hang up my heels so to speak and boot the drill away. I could relate to the nervous energy of Andrea when she walks into the Runaway office for a job interview, like sneaking into

Tracing Cinderella's origins: Birthed by a network of women storytellers, robbed of feminist potential by male writers

Alexander Sergeant , University of Portsmouth In the words of its publicity department, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of Cinderella offers audiences nothing less than “ a complete reinvention of the classic fairy-tale ”. Written by Emerald Fennell (Oscar-nominated for Promising Young Woman ), the production promises a feminist revision of the classic fairy tale, updating the well-known story to reflect contemporary attitudes towards gender. But Cinderella has always been a feminist text. You might have heard of figures like Charles Perrault , the Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney , each playing a key role in popularising the folk story for a new generation. But behind their versions of the classic fairy tale lies an untold story of female storytellers like Marie-Catherine D’Aulnoy and the Comtesse de Murat . Before the Grimms, these pioneering women were drawn to Cinderella not because they felt the story needed updating or revising, but because they were attracted by the c

Amazon Prime Video renews Good Omens for second season; Neil Gaiman to return as scriptwriter

British stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant are set to return for the second season of their hit Amazon series Good Omens . Based on the novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, the show features Sheen and Tennant as the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, an unlikely duo that teamed up to save the world from the apocalypse. Gaiman had served as creator, writer and showrunner on the first season, which dropped in May 2019 on Amazon Prime Video to universal acclaim. For the second season, the author will be co-showrunner alongside Mackinnon, who is also returning to direct, Amazon said in a press release. The six-part sophomore instalment will start production later this year in Scotland. John Finnemore will serve as writer along with Gaiman. The new season will explore storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale, a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley. "Havi

Freida Pinto, fiance Cory Tan expecting first child; announce news of pregnancy on social media

Freida Pinto, who made her acting debut with Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire opposite Dev Patel, is beaming with joy these days as she's expecting her first child with fiance Cory Tran. On Monday, 28 June, the actor took to social media and shared the pregnancy news with fans. Pinto announced the news by posting a few baby bump pictures on Instagram in which she's seen posing with fiance Tran. She wrote, "Baby Tran, coming this Fall". Tran too took to Instagram and shared an identical post with the same caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Freida Pinto (@freidapinto) Several celebrities including Mrunal Thakur, Nargis Fakhri, Sam Claflin, Olivia Munn, Mandy Moore and Kate Bosworth congratulated the couple in the comment section. Pinto and Tran, who is a photographer by profession, got engaged in November 2019. The couple started dating each other in 2017. On the professional front, she rose to fame after the success of Slumdog