With more work coming her way, Priyanka Chopra is ensuring to be part of inclusive projects as an actor and a producer. The actress has now signed a two-year multimillion-dollar first-look television deal with Amazon, according to Variety.

"I didn’t think as a 13-year-old when I was watching TV that something was missing, but now as I’m older, I wonder if I would have been a lot more confident in high school if I would have not been afraid of every other person that looked different than me,” said Chopra Jonas. “I wonder if I wouldn’t have put my head down and walked in the hallways feeling like a unicorn that everyone was staring at. I wonder if that would have changed my high school experience. I think it would have.”

Priyanka Chopra already has a couple of projects in the pipeline with Amazon. She will star in Russo Brothers' production Citadel which stars Richard Madden in the lead role. She is also producing a reality series called Sangeet with her husband Nick Jonas which will revolve around Indian sangeet ceremonies.

The actress wants to be more female stories with her new deal. "My quest really is to be able to tell female stories, work with creators from around the world and create a cross-pollination of storytelling,” Priyanka Chopra Jonas told Variety. “Amazon is such a great partner to do that because their reach and outlook is so global. My Amazon television deal is a global deal, so I can do Hindi language, I can do English language, I can do whatever language I want."

Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra has two Netflix productions in the pipeline - We Can Be Heroes and The White Tiger. She is also working on a wedding comedy with Mindy Kaling and biopic on Ma Anand Sheela. Besides these projects, she will star in Keanu Reeves' The Matrix 4.

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra honours brave women in Variety’s Power of Women: Frontline Heroes

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 819 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Every year, a bunch of Indian celebrities are invited to become new members.

Amongst the actors, Alia Bhatt and Hrithik Roshan have been sent invitations. The Academy has recognized Alia's stupendous work in films like Gully Boy and Raazi. Hrithik Roshan has been recognized for his work in Jodha Akbar and Super 30.

Academy Award-winning film Parasite actors Park So-Dam, Choi Woo-Shik, Lee Jung-Eun, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Jang Hye-Jin are also amongst the new members.

Florence Pugh, Zendaya, Awkwafina, Zazie Beets, Eva Longoria, Constance Wu, John David Washington are few of the names amongst the Hollywood celebrities.

Casting Director Nandini Shrikent who did casting for Life Of Pi and Gully Boy, Costume Designer Neeta Lulla, Documentary directors Nishtha Jain (Gulabi Gang, Lakshmi and Me), Amit Madheshiya (The Hour of Lynching, The Cinema Travellers), Producer Priya Swaminathan, Music producer Nainita Desai (The Reason I Jump, For Sama), VFX supervisor Vishal Anand (Bharat, War) are some of the new Indian members at The Academy.

The 2020 class is 45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% international from 68 countries. There are 75 Oscar® nominees, including 15 winners, and five recipients of Scientific and Technical Awards. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2020.

“The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now,” said Academy President David Rubin in a statement.

The Academy Awards 2021 will take place on April 25, 2021.

ALSO READ: Alia Bhatt reveals how Mount Kailash plays a significant role in Sadak 2

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Amid global pandemic, celebrities are stepping in every way they can in order to help the frontline workers and those whose lives have been deeply impacted. Singer The Weeknd has stepped up to donate $1 million to MusiCares and to his hometown's Coronavirus Relief fund - Scarborough Health Network's frontline workers. It has been split between the two funds with $500,00.

“I was raised in Scarborough and felt it was important to give back to the community that raised me during the hard times of this pandemic,” said The Weeknd aka Abel Tesfaye, via Variety. The leading tabloid further reported, "He also brought back the line of facemasks themed for his XO company, with all of the proceeds from sales of The Weeknd’s XO face masks will be donated to COVID-19 relief, with the artist matching every dollar raised. According to the announcement, the donation is a leading gift to the health network’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund, which now totals more than $2.7 million."

Earlier in June, the singer donated $500,000 that was split between Black Lives Matter Global Network and the Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative. He made another donation of $100,000 to National Bail Out.

Bollywood actress Richa Chadha has taken to social media to apologize for making fun of someone’s bipolar condition last year. The actress said that she started to understand what mental health was and it is the reason she wanted to hold herself accountable for her mistake.

"I think last year I made a joke about someone being 'bipolar'. The joke was borne out of a petulant desire to seem witty in even less than 280 characters. As I am now only beginning to grasp what #mentalhealth means, I just want to apologise and couldn't have said this sooner!" the actress tweeted on Monday, June 29.

I think last year I made a joke about someone being 'bipolar'.The joke was borne out of a petulant desire to seem witty in even less than 280 characters. As I am now only beginning to grasp what #mentalhealth means, I just want to apologise and couldn't have said this sooner!

— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) June 29, 2020

On the work front, Richa Chadha will next star in Shakeela which is the biopic of an adult film star Shakeela Khan who was popular in Malayalam cinema.

ALSO READ: Richa Chadha shares a meme inspired by Gangs Of Wasseypur and her impending wedding

The lockdown in Maharashtra has been extended till July 31. But, film and TV shootings are slowing resuming following the safety measures and adhering to the government protocols in place. This lockdown has been productive for actress Neena Gupta.

Speaking to a daily, the actress said that she has given nod to three scripts in the last three months after reading six projects. The actress did not divulge into the details but one of the projects is Shaad Ali’s next. She is looking forward to the project. The actress, who is currently in Uttarakhand, said that she will return to Mumbai only when she has to resume work.

In another interesting news, Bengaluru based journalist Afsha Khan Jayapal is helping her in shaping her autobiography. She said that it was quite toxic going down the memory lane but one has to revisit it when penning a book. The outline is ready and they are currently working on a title.

Neena Gupta was last seen in the web series Panchayat.

ALSO READ: On mother Neena Gupta’s 61st birthday, Masaba Gupta shares the ‘greatest lesson in humility’ she learnt

Hollywood's power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are continuing their efforts to help those in need. The couple donated $200,000 to St. Francis Xavier University’s Coady Institute’s new initiative, the Circle of Abundance. The initiative works towards amplifying indigenous women’s voices and leadership.

“We’re so happy to support the incredible work of the Coady Institute’s program with Indigenous Women,” Ryan and Blake said in a statement, reported by ET Canada. “We’re blown away by the conversations we’ve had and the work they do and look forward to joining them on this journey.”

The goal is to raise $1 million to support Coady’s Institute’s International Centre for Women’s Leadership. The Centre’s Indigenous programming Coady Indigenous Program Lead and graduate Karri-Lynn Paul says an initial group of mentors and graduates from the past ten years is beginning to examine ways to journey forward together with the Coady and its partners. They have prepared a statement that accompanies this announcement.

“These Indigenous leaders are inspiring renewed energy on how to move forward with our work,” Karri-Lynn said in a statement on their official website. “Their insights and grounding of our work in the realities of grassroots Indigenous Women lives is an important piece in our journey. They also talked about how we are enough, and how we need to prioritize programs that are created by Indigenous women for Indigenous women. This funding offers the opportunity to make that happen.”

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have stepped up $200,000 to NAACP Legal Defense Fund. They quietly donated $400,000 to four New York hospitals amid this pandemic.

ALSO READ: Ryan Reynolds crashes original X-Men’s virtual reunion with Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart and Famke Jansson

Actor Vivek Oberoi is turning producer with a whodunnit thriller. Based on a never-heard-before premise, ITI - CAN YOU SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER? is a sleek whodunnit thriller. The story revolves around a woman who is racing against time to solve her own murder. Intricately woven, it is full of an ensemble of characters intertwined in their own struggles. It is written and directed by Vishal Mishra. Produced by Mandiraa Entertainment and Vivek Oberoi’s Oberoi Mega Entertainment, this film marks their first collaboration. The film is creatively backed by Prerna V Arora, a name synonymous with, successful and path-breaking films. The film is expected to go on floors by September - October 2020 and will be released shortly thereafter.

Mandiraa Entertainment, "The name is a Sanskrit adaptation of Temples, with the blessings of Tirupati Balaji, made out of love for movies and movie making, is a new venture that is set to push the boundaries of storytelling. Our temple of work. With Kussum, Reshabh, Keyur and Sanjeet at the helm, Mandiraa Entertainment is honoured to have such immeasurable talent working on its first film. The audiences need to buckle up and await the thrilling experience that’s coming their way."

Vivek Oberoi, actor-producer says, “I instantly liked the high-concept idea that Vishal presented, and decided to back the project immediately. I’m sure it’s going to be an exciting journey with Prernaa, team Mandiraa, and Girish and we hope to present an engaging piece of cinema to the audiences.”

Excited to announce our 1st film- #Iti

Produced by @mandiraa_ent & my home production Oberoi Mega Ent. A high concept thriller directed by the talented @mishravishal. To go on floors by Oct'20????#PrernaVArora

Heartfelt thank you to each one of you for all your love & support ???? pic.twitter.com/JnGz1C48Yy

— Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) June 30, 2020

Vishal Mishra, writer-director says, “I always believe in exploring new concepts. With this film, I hope to bring something new in my favourite genre, whodunnit-thriller. Prerna V Arora is a passionate producer and has a glorious box office record. And I share a very very special bond with Vivek. It feels great to collaborate with both of them.”

Girish Johar, the producer, says, “Along with producers Kussum, Reshabh and Keyur, I am super excited and keen to share this story with our audiences. Vishal is a very gifted talent and we are pretty sure that with this film, we have a winner on our hands.”

Kussum Arora, the producer, says, "Prerna has always inspired us to fearlessly go ahead and dream big. Along with Mandiraa Entertainment, we are doing exactly that. ITI is going to be a fantastic start for us to deliver to our audience, the best content".

ALSO READ: Vivek Oberoi says it is a wake-up call for film industry after attending Sushant Singh Rajput’s funeral

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicidde on June 14 in his apartment in Mumbai. His death shook the entire nation. According to reports, the actor was suffering from depression for the past six months and was being treated for the same. The case of his death is being currently investigated by the police. 

The police have been recording the statements of people who were close to the late actor including his family, friends, colleagues and house help. On Tuesday, Sushant's co-star Sanjana Sanghi, from his last film Dil Bechara, arrived at the Bandra Police station to record her statement. Dil Bechara  directed by Mukesh Chhabra is Sanjana's debut film. The director also gave his statement to the police. 

Sushant Singh Rajput's close friend Rhea Chakraborty also recorded her statement with the police where she claimed that the two were planning on getting married. She also said that they were living together during the lockdown, but had moved out after they had a fight. 

Meanwhile, Dil Bechara starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi will be released in Disney+ Hotstar in the coming months. The film will be available for free in memory of the late actor. 

ALSO READ:  Sushant Singh Rajput was paid Rs. 30 lakhs for Shuddh Desi Romance and Rs. 1 crore for Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused all of us to stay under complete lockdown for over three months and considering the rise in cases on a daily basis, the Maharashtra Government has extended the lockdown by a month. A lot of celebrities’ staff members have been tested positive for Coronavirus and the latest in news is Aamir Khan. Aamir Khan issued a statement regarding the same and confirmed that his family and he tested negative. Meanwhile, he also thanked the BMC for their cooperation.

Aamir Khan writes, “Hello everyone, this is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility. I would like to thank the BMC for taking such good care of them, and for fumigating and sterilising the entire society. The rest of us have all been tested and found negative. Right now I am taking my mother to get her tested. She is the last person in the loop. Please pray that she is negative. I would, once again, like to thank the BMC for the prompt, professional and caring manner in which they helped us ???? And a big thank you to Kokilaben Hospital, and the doctors, nurses and staff there. They were very caring and professional with the testing process. God bless and stay safe. Love. Aamir.”

The actor truly appreciates the prompt action taken by the BMC.

Also Read: Road To 20: Abhishek Bachchan recalls working with Aamir Khan in Dhoom 3, says he wants to be directed by him

Ahead of their first full-length album release, K-pop’s most popular girl group Blackpink, featuring Jisoo, Rose, Jennie, and Lisa, dropped their pre-single, ‘How You Like That’. The song was dropped a year after their last release, 'Kill This Love'.  With high production and grandeur in the music video, the song is already making waves. But, as soon as it released, the song came under fire for using Hindu deity Lord Ganesha as a prop in the video.

Now, Blackpink's parent company, YG Entertainment,  has edited out the said part from the official video. The song was reuploaded but the edit was made at 1:30 timestamp and the idol of Lord Ganesha can't be seen now. You directly witness Lisa on the throne with her close stand instead of the wide-angle.

On June 26, Indian fans noticed that the holy idol of Lord Ganesha has been used as an aesthetic in the video. The group’s rapper Lisa has been seen sitting in a chair crooning verses. This is when you see the Lord Ganesha’s idol on the left of the video. In India, deities are never placed on the ground and that shoes are not worn in front of them. Lisa is also observed to be wearing shoes. Since the music video was out, it has received a lot of criticism on social media as the netizens want the label YG Entertainment to apologize. The hashtags like #MyCultureIsNotYourAesthetic and #YGapologise have been trending on Twitter.

After receiving mass emails from fans and BLINKs, Indian fans witnessed the change in the video and said that they were relieved that the company heard their issue.

As per Variety, the music video broke the previous 24-hour record on Youtube. 'How You Like That' officially registered 86.3 million views in the first 24 hours. The platform also said that it set a new record for the biggest-ever YouTube Premiere with 1.66 million peak concurrent viewers.

ALSO READ: K-pop group BLACKPINK comes under fire for using Lord Ganesha idol in ‘How You Like That’ music video

Actor Govinda’s son Yashvardhan Ahuja recently met with a car accident in Mumbai. While his son suffered a few injuries, he is safe. The actor revealed that his son was driving the car when another car came and rammed into him. The accident occurred last week on June 24 evening. Govinda was seen recording the statements of eyewitnesses on his phone.

As it turns out, the car belonged to late filmmaker Yash Chopra’s wife Pamela Chopra. Two representatives from Yash Raj Films were present at the police station. The actor spoke to a news channel saying he is shocked that no one from Yash Raj Films has called him to even check on his son since the car that hit belonged to Yash Chopra’s wife.

Govinda did not lodge any police complaint since the driver apologized to them. The actor said that his family has had good relations with the Chopras.

ALSO READ: Govinda’s son Yashvardhan Ahuja meets with a car accident

Back in November 2019, Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh began shooting for their untitled drama-comedy film. This is the first time that the pair will be seen together on-screen and it is a cross border love story! All set to be directed by a debut director, Kaashvie Nair, the pair was only days away from wrapping up the schedule before the lockdown was announced.

While their Europe schedule is in limbo, the makers plan to resume shoot in Mumbai. Producer Madhu Bhojwani told a daily that they will evaluate what they can shoot locally considering the safety guidelines. They plan to shoot the indoor portions first before taking a call on the next portion. When asked whether Europe will be re-created, Bhojwani said that for now, they are just in waiting mode now.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani, Nikkhil Advani, and John Abraham, the yet-untitled film also features Kumud Mishra and Neena Gupta.

ALSO READ: Arjun Kapoor receives sweetest birthday wish from BFF Katrina Kaif

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput's untimely death did send shockwaves. The actor passed away on June 14 by suicide. His last rites were conducted on June 15 at Pawan Hans Crematorium in Mumbai. As Mumbai Police investigates his death, more than 27 people's statements have been recorded.

Mumbai Police had summoned Yash Raj Films to submit the contract documents they had with Sushant Singh Rajput. As per the latest reports, Sushant had a three-movie deal with YRF. He was paid Rs. 30 lakhs for Shuddh Desi Romance that starred Parineeti Chopra and Vaani Kapoor. If his first film succeeds at the box office, he would be paid Rs. 60 lakhs for his second and Rs. 1 crore for the third film.

He was paid Rs. 1 crore for Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! The second film in question is Paani with Shekhar Kapur that got shelved. The reason was reported that there were creative differences between Aditya Chopra and Shekhar Kapur.

ALSO READ: This video of Sushant Singh Rajput crooning a devotional song will mesmerize you

Yesterday, in an unprecedented development, as many as 7 mid-sized and big films were announced to be released straightaway on one of the biggest OTT platforms, Disney+ Hotstar. These films were Akshay Kumar’s horror comedy Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn’s war saga Bhuj – The Pride Of India, Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara, Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial comeback Sadak 2, Abhishek Bachchan’s stock market drama The Big Bull, Kunal Kemmu’s comic caper Lootcase and Vidyut Jammwal’s action love story Khuda Hafiz. It led to a lot of anger among the exhibitors and multiplex owners since theatres have been shut since more than 3 months and are expected to not resume operations for another one month at least. They have been bleeding and they fear that these 7 films skipping theatrical release will hurt them and also set a dangerous precedent.

However, today, there has been another development that will bring cheer not only to exhibitors but also to film buffs. 2 of the most awaited films of the year, Sooryavanshi and ’83, which got postponed because of the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, have announced their new release dates. While Sooryavanshi will release during Diwali, on November 13, ’83 will arrive on Christmas Day, that is, December 25!

When contacted, Reliance Entertainment Group CEO Shibashish Sarkar exclusively told Bollywood Hungama, “Yes, both Sooryavanshi and ’83 are confirmed for Diwali and Christmas respectively”. He also added, “We are committed to bring both Sooryavanshi and ’83 in theatres whenever the exhibitors are open and whenever the audiences feel safe and comfortable to come back to cinemas. We feel and we hope that by Diwali and Christmas, the situation will be normal.” This is the first time that that the release date of Hindi films has been declared post the lockdown.

Sooryavanshi stars Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Sikandar Kher, Gulshan Grover and others and is directed by Rohit Shetty. It is a part of the cop universe, comprising of Singham (essayed by Ajay Devgn) and Simmba (essayed by Ranveer Singh). Both these actors also have special appearances in the film as well. This actioner was to release on March 27 but was then postponed due to the Coronavirus scare. ’83, meanwhile, is directed by Kabir Khan, and was to release on April 10. It is based on the 1983 Cricket World Cup and focuses on how the underdog Indian Cricket Team emerged triumphant against West Indies, then the most powerful team in the world. It stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saqib Saleem, Ammy Virk, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani and many others.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Both Akshay Kumar and he are playing senior ATS officers in Sooryavanshi, reveals Jaaved Jaaferi

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Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Akshay Kumar's upcoming horror-comedy Laxmmi Bomb is one of the most awaited films of the year. Featuring Kiara Advani, the film is directed by Raghava Lawrence. Laxmmi Bomb was initially scheduled to release in theatres on May 22. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it took the OTT route. Making an official announcement during Disney+Hotstar's live event this evening, Akshay shared two intriguing posters of the film.

Talking about his experience, Akshay said, "Laxmmi Bomb was a mentally intensive role. It is 'never experienced before' kind of role. I took as many retakes to give the perfect shot”
He further added that Raghava gave him the opportunity to experience something new with the film.

Speaking about playing a transgender character, he said, ”I would like to thank my director Lawrence sir. He introduced me to a version of me that I didn't know existed. This character is different from all the characters I have ever portrayed. Even after doing 150 films, I was genuinely excited to be on set every single day, pushing the boundaries, learning more about myself.
"

He further added, "This film has taught me to be even more understanding about gender equality. Be anything you want, but don't be ignorant. Kindness is the key to peace.”

ALSO READ: BREAKING: Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj, Alia Bhatt’s Sadak 2 and other films confirmed to release on Disney + Hotstar

Disney+ Hotstar, today, announced seven films that will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex between July and October. A number of films including Laxmmi Bomb, Bhuj – The Pride Of India, Sadak 2, Dil Bechara, The Big Bull, Khuda Haafiz, and Lootcase. All the leading men of the films were in attendance during the virtual press conference on June 29 including Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Abhishek Bachchan.  But, Kunal Kemmu and Vidyut Jammwal were missing from the said conference that was being hosted by Varun Dhawan.

Vidyut Jammwal, whose film Khuda Haafiz was announced, expressed his displeasure on social media by saying, “A BIG announcement for sure!! 7 films scheduled for release but only 5 are deemed worthy of representation. 2 films, receive no invitation or intimation. It’s a long road ahead. THE CYCLE CONTINUES.”

A BIG announcement for sure!!
7 films scheduled for release but only 5 are deemed worthy of representation. 2 films, receive no invitation or intimation. It’s a long road ahead. THE CYCLE CONTINUES https://t.co/rWfHBy2d77

— Vidyut Jammwal (@VidyutJammwal) June 29, 2020

Kunal Kemmu also took to Twitter but without mentioning the streaming giant, expressed his views. “Izzat aur pyaar maanga nahi kamaya jaata hai. Koi na de toh usse hum chhote nahi hote. Bas maidaan khelne ke liye barabar de do chhalaang hum bhi oonchi laga sakte hai (Respect and love can never be asked for, only earned. If someone doesn’t give it to you, it doesn’t make you small. Just give us an equal playing field, we’ll show you how high we can leap),” he wrote in his tweet.

Izzat aur pyaar maanga nahi kamaya jaata hai. Koi na de toh usse hum chhote nahi hote. Bas maidaan khelne ke liye barabar de do chhalaang hum bhi oonchi laga sakte hai ????

— kunal kemmu (@kunalkemmu) June 29, 2020

Khuda Haafiz is a romantic action thriller inspired by real-events starring Anuu Kapoor, Shivaleeka Oberoi, Shiv Panditt, and Aahana Kumra. The film is written & directed by Faruk Kabir and produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak.

Lootcase is a comedy thriller starring Rasika Dugal, Gajraj Rao, Ranvir Shorey and Vijay Raaz. The film is Directed by Rajesh Krishnan, written by Rajesh Krishnan and Kapil Sawant, Produced by Fox Star Studios and Soda Films.

The first movie to premiere will be Dil Bechara, starring late Sushant Singh Rajput; and to commemorate his invaluable contribution to the Hindi cinema.

ALSO READ: BREAKING: Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj, Alia Bhatt’s Sadak 2 and other films confirmed to release on Disney + Hotstar

The highly-anticipated Bollywood movie Sadak 2 starring Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt, will premiere on an OTT platform. The film, which marks Mahesh Bhatt’s comeback as a director after 21 years, will stream on Disney+ Hotstar.

The announcement was made during a special live event today, attended by Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan and Abhishek Bachchan. The actors spoke about how they’ve been spending their time in lockdown. While Varun who hosted the virtual press conference said he learnt yoga, Alia picked up meditation and learned guitar. While sharing the poster of Sadak 2, Alia who was very excited said, “This movie is a homecoming in true sense. It’s the continuation of the first film.

She also revealed that Kailash Parvat plays a significant role in the film. In the poster, as there are no characters shown she narrated a quote of her father Mahesh Bhatt revealing the reason behind it. She read out, “Mount Kailash - the ageless mountain has the footprints of gods and sages. It the abode of the god of all gods - Lord Shiva. Do we really need anything else or actors in that sacred space. Since the beginning of time, humanity found it’s shelter in Kailash. This is the place where all search ends. Sadak 2 is the road to love.”

Also Read: Alia Bhatt thanks Anushka Sharma for inspiring her to hunt sunlight, shares a perfect sun-kissed picture

It was only recently announced that Karan Patel will step in as Mr. Bajaj after Karan Singh Grover quit the show. The actor is expected to begin shooting this week and is super excited since he already has a connection with the original show. Apparently, Karan Patel’s role will be entirely different from what we saw previously.

Now, it is reported that the child artist who played the role of Anurag and Prerna’s lost daughter, Sumaiya Khan, has been replaced by Tasheen Khan. Both the child actors have been a part of shows like Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki and Udaan respectively. The shoot for Kasautii Zindagii Kay has begun and Parth even took to his Instagram to share a few candid pictures.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sumaiya khan (@sumaiya_khan2013) on May 26, 2020 at 1:25am PDT

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tasheen Shah official (@tasheen_shah) on Mar 8, 2020 at 8:53am PDT

We’re thrilled to see what the KZK team has in store for us!

Also Read: Parth Samthaan resumes shoot after 3 months for Kasautii Zindagii Kay

If sources in the know are to believe Karan Johar’s controversial celebrity talk show Koffee With Karan has come to an inglorious end. The channel Star World which was hosting the show would no longer be existent in India. Koffee With Karan also goes. Somewhat like throwing the bathwater with the baby.

Says a source close to the development, “Plans to shut down Star World were afoot for some time now. And Star had decided to move Karan Johar’s chat show to another channel owned by the group. But now with all the unsavoury controversy surrounding the chat show after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, Star has decided to close it down.”

This means, no more carping with Karan Johar? Thus ends the bitching and backbiting on Koffee With Karan which had gotten several stars including Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, not to mention Hardik Pandya, into deep trouble, and about which Ranbir Kapoor has famously commented, “I told him (Karan) I don’t want to come. Me and Anushka actually going to protest and get the entire film industry together to stop this because it’s not fair. He’s making money out of us. We come and we get screwed through the air. It’s not right.”

The below-the-belt comments on Koffee With Karan about actors who were not the host’s personal friends had gone beyond all levels with decency. In one episode Alia Bhatt was heard asking, ‘Sushant Singh Rajput, who?”

A superstar once told me he had been ‘forced’ to come on the show by his wife and the questions and answers were all doctored from beforehand to create controversies.

Also Read: Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, Ananya Panday, Kareena Kapoor Khan limit their comments on Instagram amid trolling

Often, celebrities change their names in order to make it more appealing or due to numerology. Actress Nushrat Bharucha has been added to the list of celebs who've changed their spellings.

As per new Twitter and Instagram handles, Nushrat Bharucha has added 'r', 'c', and 't' in her name. It is now spelled as Nushrratt Bharuccha. Over the weekend, she went offline with her handles and returned with the new name. Though her Instagram handle is still verified even after the name change, her Twitter handle has gotten unverified. One loses their verified checkmark on Twitter when the username is changed.

We wonder what made Nushrratt Bharuccha change her spelling.

On the work front, she will be next starring in Chhalaang alongside Rajkummar Rao. It is directed by Hansal Mehta.

ALSO READ: Nushrat Bharucha heads for a dubbing session, says she’s happy to be close to work

Only recently, the Bombay High Court demanded Eros Media to pay Rs. 19 lakhs to the Bhansali Productions Pvt Ltd when the latter seeked urgent ad-interim relief restrains for the Eros International Media from directly or indirectly dealing with the distribution, selling, exploiting, assigning, licensing or renewing the rights of Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. The Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone starrer was co-produced by Bhansali Productions and Eros Media and it looks like they have reached out to the Bombay High Court to protect the rights of Bajirao Mastani, later this month.

The court has acknowledged the issues between both the production houses that go as far back as October 2019, which was also a notice issued by the Bhansali productions. The court said that there were important questions to be answered in the case and one of them was that the main relief sought against them was not parties of the arbitrary agreement, which allows the parties concerned to dissolve the case through the arbitration process. One of the two parties was not situated within the jurisdiction of the Court.

Since one of them is situated in the British Isles and the other is in Burbank, California, the court has demanded a detailed hearing over the subject to figure out if the relief can be offered to both the parties under the IPC Section 9 against them. The case is set to be heard by the Bombay High Court tomorrow, June 30.

Also Read: Bombay HC directs Eros International to pay dues of Rs. 19.39 lakhs to Bhansali productions

Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar, who worked with Sushant Singh Rajput in Son Chiriya last year, is deeply shocked by the sudden demise of her co-star. She recently took to Instagram and called Sushant a ‘supernova’ as she penned an emotional note remembering the times she had spent with Sushant during their shoot in the Chambal Valley.

In a mark of tribute for the late young actor, Bhumi is joining hands with director Abhishek Kapoor’s wife Pragya‘s Ek Saath the Earth Foundation to feed 550 impoverished families. Bhumi confirms saying, “I pledge to feed 550 impoverished families through the Ek Saath Foundation in the memory of my dear friend. Let us show compassion and love towards everyone that is in need, now more than ever.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

???? . . . @eksaathfoundation

A post shared by Bhumi✨ (@bhumipednekar) on Jun 28, 2020 at 10:29pm PDT

In her tribute post, Bhumi Pednekar had written, "Rest in Peace my friend...Shocked and Heartbroken...Still can’t believe it...To star gazing and our endless chats...am going to spot you twinkling bright up there with the rest cause you are and will always be a star my dearest SSR."

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Rest in Peace my friend... Shocked and Heartbroken...Still can’t believe it...To star gazing and our endless chats...am going to spot you twinkling bright up there with the rest cause you are and will always be a star my dearest SSR

A post shared by Bhumi✨ (@bhumipednekar) on Jun 14, 2020 at 10:12pm PDT

ALSO READ: Young stars Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and others share the poster of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne today announced that this year’s festival will go ahead with dates rescheduled from August to late 2020 due to the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic.IFFM 2020’s program will be devised in line with public health guidance with plans for a compact schedule taking place over a week from October 30 to November 7. The festival is retaining the Short Film Competition and the popular dance competition (to be held on October 31, pending easing of restrictions) but the much anticipated IFFM Awards Gala will be postponed till 2021. More details of festival highlights will be announced shortly.

An exciting new innovation to the festival this year, in response to current challenges and opportunities, is the IFFM Film Club where fans of Indian movies can enrol for a virtual masterclass with leading filmmakers discussing their works in detail. This exciting new event is facilitated by noted journalist Rajeev Masand. Functioning like a book club, the festival asks participants to watch a classic film, and they then have an opportunity to discuss the film at the virtual film club with the filmmaker. The virtual talks are open for registration to festival-goers and accommodate 100 early bird users.

Previously, the festival has hosted masterclasses with acclaimed filmmakers including Rajkumar Hirani, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Rima Das, Zoya Akhtar, Onir, Vijay Sethupathi, Nag Ashwin, Kabir Khan, and many others. With the launch of this year’s Film Club, IFFM continues to celebrate the spirit of diversity through cinema.

IFFM Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said, “This is a uniquely intimate way for film lovers to stay engaged, entertained and educated while at home in these unprecedented times. We already have a strong line up of filmmakers from various parts of India. Well-known film journalist Rajeev Masand will moderate the session as he opens the film and its maker to a world of questions from curious fans.”

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said: “Social distancing doesn’t mean social disconnection and through the screen, we can continue to be inspired by stories and perspectives from across the globe. I applaud the Indian Film
Festival of Melbourne team for its commitment to continuing to bring the IFFM spirit to film lovers and for pivoting to a new model for 2020 in response to these challenging times.”

In 2019 the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne celebrated its tenth anniversary. In February this year pre-COVID, IFFM hosted an event in Mumbai where Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan awarded the four-year scholarship named after him to Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi from Thrissur (Kerala), as a part of the festival’s long association with Melbourne’s La Trobe University. Now faced with restrictions and new opportunities the IFFM team is working hard to develop new exciting elements.

With the government lifting restrictions amid nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak, the film and TV productions will soon resume shooting that have been halted since mid-March 2020. As the filmmakers await permission to resume shooting from government officials, Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi may be the first film to roll in Mumbai.

The set in the Filmcity remains unused which was erected in order to film crucial portions. About 30 percent of the shooting is pending for Gangubai Kathiawadi. Since that's the only set that will probably be used, the filming might resume in July in order to complete the shooting by August end. As of now, the open set has been covered up to protect it from monsoon.

Titled Gangubai Kathiawadi, Gangubai, remembered as The Madam of Kamathipura in the pages of history, was pushed into prostitution at an early age, and later became an extremely influential pimp with numerous ferocious gangsters as her clients. The film is currently set for release on 11th September 2020 but it may get pushed further given that the shooting is pending.

ALSO READ: Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj, Alia Bhatt’s Sadak 2, here’s confirmed list of films directly releasing on Disney + Hotstar

The nationwide lockdown, that commenced in March earlier this year, put a halt on every film’s release in the country. Big banner films like Sooryavanshi, 83, Coolie No. 1, Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai among others have been postponed indefinitely. With that being said, the showbiz has been brought to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since there’s no certainty as to when the situation will be stable enough for theatres to get back on track, many producers are opting for digital releases in order to no suffer any more losses. It was already rumoured that after several movies like Gulabo Sitabo and Shakuntala Devi took the OTT route.

It is already confirmed that late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara will premiere on Disney + Hotstar on July 24.  Now, it has been confirmed that seven films will be directly heading to the digital platform including two of the highly awaited movies – Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb and Ajay Devgn starrer Bhuj: The Pride Of India.

Here are all the movies releasing on the OTT:

LAXMMI BOMB:

This was supposed to Eid 2020 release and was to face off Salman Khan’s Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani in the leading roles. The upcoming horror-thriller is written and directed by Raghava Lawrence as this film marks his Hindi directorial debut. Akshay plays the role of a transgender. It is a remake of the Tamil movie Muni 2: Kanchana.

BHUJ: THE PRIDE OF INDIA:

Ajay Devgn stars as IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik. The story is set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where Karbnik was then in-charge of the Bhuj airport who and his team reconstructed the IAF airbase with the help of 300 local women. Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Nora Fatehi, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk, and Pranitha Subhash are starring in key roles. It is being co-produced, written, and directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya.

DIL BECHARA:

The much-delayed film starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi finally will get release. It was earlier named Kizie and Manny. The film is the remake of Hollywood romance drama The Fault In Our Stars, that starred Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley. The film marks the directorial debut of casting director, Mukesh Chhabra. It will be the late actor’s last film who passed away on June 14.

THE BIG BULL:

The much-awaited Abhishek Bachchan starrer, which was set for theatrical release on 23rd October 2020, is also heading to OTT. It is the story of a man who sold dreams to India. The film will also star Ileana D'Cruz, Nikita Dutta, and Soham Shah.  It is produced by Ajay Devgn and Anand Pandit, directed by Kookie Gulati and co-produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Vikrant Sharma.

SADAK 2:

The film marks the return of Mahesh Bhatt as a director after his 1991 film, Sadak. The sequel will bring back the original actors Pooja Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt along with a new pair Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur. This is also the first time Alia is working with her father since her launch in Student Of The Year.

KHUDA HAAFIZ:

Khuda Haafiz is directed by Faruk Kabir and backed by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak. The film features Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi in lead roles.

LOOTCASE:

The film will see Kunal Kemmu in the lead along with Gajraj Rao, Rasika Duggal, Ranvir Shorey, and Vijay Raaz. The movie is directed by Rajesh Krishnan and produced by Fox Star Studios and Soda Films Productions.

ALSO READ:  Ajay Devgn turns action director for Bhuj: The Pride Of India

Celebrating such undying spirit, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas recently became a part of Variety’s Power of Women: Frontline Heroes to celebrate courageous women frontliners. The signature event honors women doing extraordinary work to serve their communities amid the pandemic and to search for solutions for modern history’s most challenging health calamity. Produced by Variety and Lifetime, the special also included Hollywood notables like Natalie Portman, Laverne Cox, and Nicole Kidman among others who paid a tribute to females working as frontline heroes during the pandemic including the doctors, nurses, teachers, and researchers.

Currently, when the world is battling with the novel coronavirus pandemic, the global icon is fiercely doing everything possible to help those in need. Right from PM CARES Fund, Give India, No Kid Hungry to Goonj, Feeding America and others, she has donated to various organizations to help combat COVID-19. In addition to this, Priyanka even pledged $100,000 in total to four incredible women who rose above the challenges to make a difference during the coronavirus crises.

Ecstatic to be honoured at Variety’s Power of Women: Frontline Heroes, PC took to her Instagram and wrote, "Incredibly honored to be a part of tonight’s 'Variety’s Power of Women: Frontline Heroes' special, celebrating the courageous women on the frontlines of this pandemic. Special congrats to this year’s amazing Power of Women Honorees - Cate Blanchett, Patti LuPone, and Janelle Monáe."

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has earlier been honoured by Variety’s Power of Women in 2018 for her incredible work with UNICEF. For the unversed, Variety highlights prominent women who are using their clout and influence to bring attention to worthy causes.

Priyanka has joined forces with the World Health Organisation to educate fans about the necessary precautions and guidelines which need to be followed in this self-isolation period.

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti Chopra, Shraddha Kapoor among others demand justice for Jayaraj and Bennix who died in judicial custody

Actor Taapsee Pannu has been left in shock after she received exorbitant electricity billy earlier this month. The actress took to Twitter to reveal that she was charged Rs 36,000 for the month of June in her vacant house.

Taapsee Pannu wrote. “3 months of lockdown and I wonder what appliance(s) I have newly used or bought in the apartment only last month to have such an insane rise in my electricity bill. @Adani_Elec_Mum what kind of POWER r u charging us for,” she wrote in a tweet and shared pictures of her electric bills for June (Rs 36,000), May (Rs 3850) and April (Rs 4390).

3 months of lockdown and I wonder what appliance(s) I have newly used or bought in the apartment only last month to have such an insane rise in my electricity bill. @Adani_Elec_Mum what kind of POWER r u charging us for? pic.twitter.com/jZMMoxDMgj

— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) June 28, 2020

“And this one is for an apartment where no one stays n it’s only visited once in a week for cleaning purpose, @Adani_Elec_Mum I am now worried if someone is actually using the apartment without our knowledge and you have helped us uncover the reality,” she wrote.

So a quick response issue but permission not issued ! Matlab is this some kind of besti link ? pic.twitter.com/N1nejZ5qB4

— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) June 28, 2020

On the work front, Taapsee Pannu will next star in Rashmi Rocket, Shabaash Mithu and Haseen Dilruba.

ALSO READ: Taapsee Pannu shares a picture series on migrant labourers, says it will never leave our mind

In 1982, Shah Rukh Khan made his way to the films after starring in multiple TV shows like Fauji, Circus, Wagle Ki Duniya. While he was already popular on Television, he had a long way to go. But, he instantly made impressive beginning with Deewana starring alongside Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti. On June 25, the superstar completed 28 years in the film industry.

On Sunday, June 28, Shah Rukh Khan celebrated his 28 years in Bollywood by sharing a monochrome picture on social media. He captioned it saying, "Don’t know when my passion became my purpose and then turned into my profession. Thank u all for so many years of allowing me to entertain you. More than my professionalism I believe my passionalism will see me through many more years of service to all of you."

In the next tweet, he thanked Gauri Khan for clicking the photo. He wrote, "28 years and counting... and thank u @gaurikhan for capturing this moment."

28 years and counting... and thank u @gaurikhan for capturing this moment. https://t.co/UC8FZUiF5X

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 28, 2020

While Shah Rukh Khan has been on hiatus since the release of Zero in 2018, the actor has been busy producing movies and web shows. He has produced Badla starring Taapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachchan and two Netflix shows – Bard Of Blood and Betaal.

ALSO READ: Shah Rukh Khan joins the work from home league during COVID-19, spotted shooting in Mannat’s balcony

It's been more than a month that speculations have been going arund that some of the most awaited films of the year would be straight away released on one of the biggest streaming platforms, Disney+ Hotstar. And finally, tomorrow, that is, June 29 is the day when the announcement in this regard will be made. This was confirmed by Disney+ Hotstar itself when they put up an image mentioning that they'll make the coveted announcement tomorrow evening at 4:30 PM IST in a star studded online event. A picture of the stars who'll attend the event was also published and these were Alia Bhatt, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan and Varun Dhawan.

As soon as this announcement was uploaded, many eyebrows were raised especially about the presence of Varun in the said image. It led to speculations that his next film, Coolie No 1, is also arriving on OTT directly. His fans were disheartened as Coolie No 1 is a masala comic caper and have chances of working in theatres. The last few films of his haven’t worked. Hence they were banking on Coolie No 1's theatrical release as it would have got Varun back in the big league. Sadly, the OTT speculations of its release disheartened them.

However, it turns out that Coolie No 1 is not skipping theatrical release. A source says, "As per the information that we have got, Coolie No 1 is not releasing on Disney+ Hotstar. Varun's picture has been published alongside the others as he's going to host the event."

The source further adds, "Coolie No 1 is directed by Varun's father David Dhawan who strongly believes in theatrical release. He would not let Coolie No 1 arrive on a streaming platform." He also however cautions, "If, at the last moment, Coolie No 1 makers have made a deal for online release, then we don't know. But that's unlikely."

Shedding more light on this event, the source reveals, "The event will also be attended by Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company (Asia Pacific) and Chairman, Star & Disney India. An announcement would be made of films that will arrive on Disney+ Hotstar, starting July 24 when Sushant Singh Rajput's last film Dil Bechara. Every Friday will then see a new film arriving on the platform. Some of the films that will be announced are Akshay Kumar's horror comedy Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn's patriotic actioner Bhuj – The Pride Of India, Alia Bhatt-starrer Sadak 2, and Abhishek Bachchan's stock market saga The Big Bull. Besides, Kunal Kemmu's comedy Lootcase and Vidyut Jammwal's romantic actioner Khuda Hafiz are also expected to be announced."

Monday shaam ki chai, stars ke saath. The biggest Bollywood stars are bringing you the biggest news! Mark your calendars for June 29, 4:30 PM.@akshaykumar @ajaydevgn @aliaa08 @Varun_dvn @juniorbachchan pic.twitter.com/BAwRQEOnXN

— Disney+HotstarVIP (@DisneyplusHSVIP) June 28, 2020

Also Read: No Corona mention in Coolie No 1, clarifies David Dhawan