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Category: Entertainment

  • Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Hollywood A-listers donated $1 million to the SAG-AFTRA strikes

    Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Hollywood A-listers donated $1 million to the SAG-AFTRA strikes

    The SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood has reached its 21st day of protests against studios paying low residuals, poor working conditions as well as the use of A.I to replicate images of background actors. Studios like Warner Bros, Netflix and Disney have reportedly refused to negotiate with the union, with sources revealing the studios were planning to prolonge the protest till most of the actors become broke, according to ‘The Bear’ staff writer Alex O’Keefe.

    In the midst of the protests, multiple A-list celebrities have come forward to offer donations to keep the movement going. Variety reports that some of the A-list celebrities who contributed to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program were Meryl Streep, Dwyane Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amal and George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey.

    “Thanks to the support of some of Hollywood’s top-earning stars, the Foundation is preparing to bring aid and hope to thousands of journeymen actors facing tremendous economic hardship,” the foundation said in a statement released a few days ago.

    In a statement sent to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to end the strike and pay fair residuals to writers and actors, Meryl Streep recalled how she began her career working as a waitress and struggled to make ends meet:


    “I remember my days as a waiter, cleaner, typist, even my time on the unemployment line,” Streep said in a statement. “In this strike action, I am lucky to be able to support those who will struggle in a long action to sustain against Goliath. We will stand strong together against these powerful corporations who are bent on taking the humanity, the human dignity, even the human out of our profession. I am proudest of my fellow actors who have immediately offered to fund the Emergency Financial Assistance Program.”

    “We stand ready to get back to the table and make a fair deal with the AMPTP,” George Clooney said. “Until then, I’m proud to be able to support the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and my fellow actors who may be struggling in this historic moment. We’ve stood on the shoulders of the likes of Bette Davis and Jimmy Cagney and it’s time for our generation to give something back. I can’t thank Courtney enough for his determination in putting this effort together by shedding light on the human toll happening right now, and how we can work together to alleviate some of the pain and suffering.”

  • ‘I don’t own a single pair of designer clothing’: Sara Ali Khan’s attempt to dispel nepotism comments spark backlash

    ‘I don’t own a single pair of designer clothing’: Sara Ali Khan’s attempt to dispel nepotism comments spark backlash

    Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan was the latest celebrity to feature on the cover of Vogue India. A comment from the interview went viral where the ‘Zarra Hat Ke Zarra Bach Ke’ actress spoke about wanting to come across as more relatable amidst the criticism that she is a nepo-baby. The actress is the daughter of Saif Ali Khan, as well the granddaughter of Sharmila Tagore, and comes from the family of the last ruling Nawab of Pataudi.

    “I wear my honesty with more pride than any designer clothes. In fact, I don’t have a single pair of designer clothing in my wardrobe. I know people initially judged me for it but I’m happy that they can now not only appreciate but also identify with me because of these very reasons.”

    Many readers were confused by the statement because how does it prove you’re “relatable” and a normal person because you don’t own designer clothes, when everyone knows your royal lineage, especially the fact that you come from a generation of stars? The statement received backlash on social media, with many calling the actress ‘tone-deaf’ and ’embarrassing’ for trying to prove that she was not a nepo-baby.

    Can Bollywood stars seriously just admit they come from privilege? Stop embarrassing yourselves

  • When we almost had Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo Dicpario in the same movie

    When we almost had Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo Dicpario in the same movie

    Forget about Avengers Endgame or Barbie, the biggest movie ever….never got made. Two of the greatest actors this generation has seen, Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo DiCaprio, were once about to come together to give us the most incredible thriller film of our lives.

    Back in 2011, the Bollywood Badshah had signed on the film ‘Xtreme City’. A picture, purportedly a fan-made poster, broke the internet. Featuring Khan, DiCaprio, Karan Johar, the film was supposed to be produced by the legendary Martin Scorsese with Paul Schrader directing, and Mushtaq Sheikh writing. The film was suppose to pit Khan and DiCaprio against each other.

    Sheikh gushed about the once-in-a-lifetime powerful collaboration with NDTV, calling it “the best news I’ve heard in a long time”.

    “We are all elated. This is the best news I have heard in a long time. Martin loved the script and it meant the world to me as the writer of the film along with Paul Schrader. But when he comes in as the producer of the project, then I am thrilled as it takes the film to another level completely. Inshaallah, all goes well from here onwards. Fingers and all parts of the body crossed.”

    In a 2011 interview with Press Trust of India, Sheikh described the plot of the film as one where “both Indian and American protagonists are balanced human beings”:

    “It’s a different kind of film, one where both Indian and American protagonists are balanced human beings and the story treats them in their full complexity without either culture being diminished or taken for granted. It’s a cross-cultural thriller designed for both Bollywood and Hollywood. And if we get it right, this will be an attempt at true global entertainment.”

    However the project couldnt take off because both actors weren’t as committed to the project to continue it, and in an interview with Open Magazine, Schrader revealed that Shah Rukh wasn’t comfortable with doing a film he couldn’t control:

    “Well, in the end, I don’t think Shah Rukh wanted to make it. It was really up to him, and I just got the feeling that he was never going to be comfortable doing an international film that he didn’t control. You know that everything SRK does, he has total control over? So if he did something like this at an international level, he wouldn’t have that control.”

     “I think in the end he wasn’t that comfortable not being a hundred per cent in control. We did have a script, which was a hundred per cent paid for. We also had a meeting with SRK and Leo in Berlin, but neither of them actually ever committed. There was a lot of waiting—maybe they were waiting for each other to commit, but it never quite happened.”

    Shah Rukh Khan has also candidly discussed why he chose not to follow the path of other actors like Irrfan Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, to star in a Hollywood movie, while speaking in 2008 at the Berlin Film Festival.

     “My English is not good, if they give me a role of a dumb person who doesn’t speak, maybe then there’s a possibility. I am not trying to be modest, I am 42 years old. I am a little brown. I don’t have any USP as an actor, I don’t have any specialty. I don’t know Kung Fu, I don’t dance salsa, and I am not tall enough…I have seen the recent European films, there is no place for me there, no space for me. I don’t think am talented enough. Instead, I would like to continue working in India and take Indian cinema to the world.”

  • ‘I’m not a villain’: Lizzo responds to harassment claims, dancers reject her statement

    ‘I’m not a villain’: Lizzo responds to harassment claims, dancers reject her statement

    Pop singer Lizzo has been mired in a huge controversy since a few days ago when a suit filed by her former dancers accused her of bullying, sexual harassment and body shaming. The three dancers detailed their experience of being fired after being accused of gaining weight, unprofessional working environments as well as being pressurised into controversial activities.

    In a statement released on her social media accounts, the Grammy award winning singer has responded to the suit, calling the stories “sensationalised”, adding that the former employees had already admitted their behavior on tour was unprofessional:

    “These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”

    ‘I am not here to be looked at as a victim but I also know I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be the last few days…There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”

    READ MORE: Lizzo sued after three former dancers accuse her of sexual harassment, unprofessional behavior

    The statement was slammed by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez who spoke to UK’s Channel 4 about the 44 page lawsuit they filed against the ‘Good as hell’ singer, and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley.

    “Initially for me, it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated,” Williams said. “I think the overall theme in all this is that our experiences were our experiences and our traumas were our traumas. In bringing that forward, it feels like it was disregarded completely. It feels like we were made out to be putting out false allegations when that’s not the case.”

    “So yes, it was very disheartening to read and feel overlooked especially when she stands for what she stands for in regards to women’s empowerment – being an advocate for mental health, being an advocate for body positivity – and to just further prove that that’s not the case, because nothing was acknowledged in that statement,” the former dancer further added.

    Speaking to CBS News, Davis elaborated on the Amsterdam accident, when Lizzo had taken the backup dancers to a strip club and pressurised Angela to grope the nude dancer, then forced a security guard member to go on stage and strip. She described the situation as ‘mortifying’:

    “I did not ask for it. I said no multiple times,” Davis said.

    After facing intense pressure from Lizzo, she “briefly touched” the performer. “I was very, very mortified, everyone burst into laughter,” she recalled.

    In the lawsuit, it was also mentioned that Lizzo body-shamed the dancers, firing one of them after commenting that she seemed “less committed” about the role.

    Arianna told NBC that the fatphobia comments weren’t spoken directly, but underlined every criticism she was given:

    “It was very nuanced and very underlying underneath all the other issues that were going on,” Davis explained. “I just had this feeling that they had a problem with the way I was gaining weight and looking different and that I wasn’t ‘the same’ as when they first cast me.”

    Attorney Neama Rahmani, who is representing Davis, Williams and Rodriguez in the lawsuit, addressed Lizzo’s statement and said the case will be moved to trial to prove whether what the pop singer is saying is true:

    “Given Lizzo is denying that any of this happened, let’s take it to trial. More witnesses are coming forward every day corroborating the plaintiffs’ allegations, so we’re looking forward to facing Lizzo and her team in court.”

    Lizzo’s lawyer representing her at the trial is Marty Singer, whose previous clients include Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Chris Brown and Jonah Hill.

  • Alia Bhatt, Suhana taught how to lip-sync by Shah Rukh Khan himself

    Alia Bhatt, Suhana taught how to lip-sync by Shah Rukh Khan himself

    To masterfully execute romantic lip-syncing song for the first time in her career, actress Alia Bhatt sought tuitions from the King of Romance himself, Shah Rukh Khan.

    At a special event held for the release of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’, the actress said director Karan Johar encouraged her to reach out to Shah Rukh Khan, because she was nervous about shooting the song ‘Tum Kya Millay’.

    When she called up the Bollywood Badshah, the actor decided to give her and his daughter, Suhana, tuitions on the complicated art of lip-syncing.

    “I was going back to shoot after a couple of months. First time I was doing a full lip-sync song after Ishq Wala Love. There was nervousness in me. I was discussing with Karan and he said, ‘Why don’t you call Shah Rukh up, maybe he will give you some tips.’ So I called him up to talk on the phone. I just wanted to understand because nobody lip-syncs like him.

    “He said, ‘Tu ghar aaja.’ Suhana also was wanting to learn this toh dono saath mein tution kareinge. I went and I was there for 2-3 hours,” the actor said.

    The ‘Gangubai’ actress hilariously recalled how at the actor’s Mannat house, the trio kept going over the song over and over again to get the lip-sync right. By the end, even Shah Rukh himself knew the lyrics to ‘Tum Kya Millay’.

    “There’s this whole lip sync portion which Shreya Ghoshal has sung beautifully. The video of that extended version we will release shortly. It was quite fast and I was getting quite hyper. But the way he (Shah Rukh Khan) broke it down. He made me download some app. He said, ‘Baar baar karo.’ He had also learnt the song by the end of it. It just shows how generous and large-hearted a man he is. He is so wonderful, always willing to help.”

  • If you loved ‘Fairy Tale’ then watch the classical drama ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’

    If you loved ‘Fairy Tale’ then watch the classical drama ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’

    Since ‘Fairy Tale’ is set to arrive back this month with another incredible new season, we get that fans are rewatching the episodes over and over again. For the first time, a Pakistani drama managed to actually enrapture women, with a non-problematic male-lead as well as a fun-loving, well written female lead. Yes its true that there is nothing good to watch out there that won’t make you cringe in the first 15 minutes. But plenty of our followers need to discover classical dramas, their incredible story lines about powerful, hilarious women not abiding by toxic patriarchy, and one of them is Syed Muhammad Ahmed’s ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’.

    Directed by Sahria Kazmi, the five episode drama starred Marina Khan as Hira, a witty and fearless woman whose crush on a stranger accidently leads her to be mistaken as the fiance of a man in coma. Many Twitter users even began drawing a comparison between Hira, and the protagonist of ‘Fairy Tale’ Umeed Pasha, played by Marina Khan, as a viral tweet showed.

    And honestly, we’ve been waiting for the public to realize this so we could write another piece to praise this classical drama and just to write about how brilliant Fairy Tale is for catering to an audience nostalgic about the brilliant dramas of the 90’s. So if, like us, you’re patiently waiting till August 5 arrives when Season 2 of Fairy Tale drops, watch ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’

    1. Brilliant, hilarious and talented female leads

    It’s no shocker that Umeed won the hearts of Pakistani women because of how similar she was to the women from dramas like ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Dhoop Kinare’, stories of head-strong, independent women who were complex and completely unlike the wailing women trope we see in dramas these days. Hira Muzzaffar from ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’ is a wonderful example of how progressive 90s dramas were. She lived alone, was independent and fearless about pursuing what she loved. She didn’t hide away her love, and expressed it bluntly. And she didn’t adhere to the crazy tropes our dramas today think all women want, like being slapped by useless men, or engaging in some cold war with her saas.

    1. Wholesome family dynamics

    If you loved the crazy family dynamics of family members like Aghoo Jaan, Pasha Saab, Mimi and Nigo aunty from ‘Fairy Tale’, then ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’ will draw you in without any haste because of how every single character has a hilarious role, there is no part where it feels like the episodes are dragging. Every character, like Hira’s boss Sajjad, has a special part in the episodes, even if a small one.

    1. Wholesome, well-written male leads

    We’ll get to the meat of what made a drama like ‘Fairy Tale’ so engaging for audiences: because of the rare occasion where men aren’t toxic, worthless creatures and are actually the opposite of that. Many users loved the male lead Farjaad from ‘Fairy Tale’ because aside from the splendid acting of Hamza Sohail, this intoverted and shy man matched the fierce and loud Umeed in an amazing way. Rather than taming her fire, he encouraged her to embrace it, and kept loving her regardless of how clumsy or oppinionated she was. In the same way, Bilal from ‘TSKT’ and Hira stand out because of their hilarious banter and how he becomes the loving family she had constantly longed for.

  • Humayun Saeed reveals Shah Rukh Khan once told him Pakistani films should release in India

    Humayun Saeed reveals Shah Rukh Khan once told him Pakistani films should release in India

    Humayun Saeed spoke with Indian publication Bollywood Hungama where he talked about his hit drama ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ which is set to release on Zindagi across India. The actor also opened up about his memory of working next to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan back in 2005, when the two performed together for the Zee Cine Awards.

    Saeed revealed that the Bollywood Badshah was incredibly sweet, treating the actor with a lot of respect because Humayun was not sure about how the performance should take place. Khan also told Humayun that he felt Pakistani dramas should be released in India:

    “There was a lot of excitement when I met Shah Rukh. He was very sweet to me. We were in his room and he made me sit with him and discussed Indian and Pakistan films with me. That time there was a Mehreen Jabbar and a Shaan film in the theatres and SRK was talking about them. He said that Pakistani films should be released in India and vice versa. He made me comfortable. Since I had just come the previous day to the sets, I did not know exactly what to do. Shah Rukh said ‘main sambhal lunga.’ The overall moment was very special.”

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui also gave an interview to Indian Express where he said that there should be no boundaries when it comes to art, and also felt that Pakistani audiences were much more tolerant compared to Indian ones.

    “Art has no boundaries, but artistes have a certain boundary, which shouldn’t be there. There should be healthy cultural exchange. I believe that the kind of tolerance–pardon me for being so blunt–but our tolerance, in comparison to Indian audience is much higher. We accept Indian artistes, Indian cricketers, we accept everything good about India. But when this thing goes across the border, it becomes very political. I don’t know why.”

  • ‘Sirf Tum’ is a love story about obsession and the limits of madness

    ‘Sirf Tum’ is a love story about obsession and the limits of madness

    Geo TV’s new drama serial has quickly gathered a lot of eyeballs. The series is about two main leads who are poles apart in their personalities, family background and lifestyles.

    Starring Anmol Baloch and Hamza Sohail, written by Seema Munaf and directed by Mazhar Moin, ‘Sirf Tum’ is a production of 7th Sky Entertainment.

    Love and jealousy are the cornerstone of the story. Hanan (played by Hamza Sohail) and Abeer (played by Anmol Baloch) are the main characters. Abeer lives abroad with her mother and stepfather. At the beginning , we see that Abeer and Hanan are close friends while Hamza (played by Mohsin Abbass) falls in love with Abeer.

    The drama is a showcase for the acting skills of both the main leads and Mohsin. Supporting cast is also engaging.

    We can expect the drama to go further into exploring the jealousy and obsession angles as the story progresses.

  • Actor Imran Khan hints at Bollywood comeback

    Actor Imran Khan hints at Bollywood comeback

    We all remember Bollywood actor Imran Khan’s biggest hits like ‘Jaane Tu Jaane Na’, ‘I hate Luv Stories’, and how his bowing out of the big screen broke the hearts of millions of women around the world.

    But now, after decades, the actor has hinted that he might make a comeback. Under an Instagram post by actress Zeenat Aman, a fan Aditi tagged Imran Khan asking him when he would be making his return to the big screen. To which, Khan responded: “Chalo Aditi, let’s leave this to the internet… 1M likes, and I’ll make it happen.”

    Previously, speaking to NDTV, the actor spoke about his difficulty in dealing with the spotlight as well as the struggle to draw a balance between professional and personal affairs. As he revealed:

    “My main struggle is to balance the personal and professional. My issue is that I need to find time for myself, and take that step back from my stardom. I am a person first who has family and friends, and this personal side of my life is of utmost importance to me.”

  • Lizzo sued after three former dancers accuse her of sexual harassment, unprofessional behavior

    Lizzo sued after three former dancers accuse her of sexual harassment, unprofessional behavior

    Grammy award winning singer Lizzo was sued by former dancers in her troupe for sexual harassment, hostile work environment and body shaming.

    In a lawsuit filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, three former dancers accused Lizzo, and the captain of her dance team Shirlene Quigley, for religious harassment, body shaming. In one of the incidents cited in the suit, after a performance at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival, dancer Arianna Davis was told that she seemed ‘less committed’ to her role- a comment which thinly suggested she needed to lose weight.

    Another dancer was scolded after the singer called to attention their weight gain, and later fired the same dancer after she had recorded a meeting because of a health condition.

    “The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” Zambrano said in a statement.

    Lizzo has been open about embracing body diversity, releasing several songs like ‘Good as hell’ and ‘Juice’, which encouraged women to love their curves as they are.

    The suit described how the dancers were put in uncomfortable positions including an Amsterdam trip to a strip club, where Lizzo allegedly pressurised the cast members to touch the nude performers, including Ms. Davis despite her reluctance. When Davis obliged and briefly touched the performer, the crowd began laughing. Afterwards, Lizzo pushed a member of the security staff on the stage and began yelling ‘take it off!’, according to the staff present.

    “Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed,” the suit detailed.

    A week later, after a performance in Paris, the suit reveals the dancers were invited by Lizzo to a club, but they were shocked to discover that it was actually a nude cabaret bar.

    The suit said the plaintiffs were “shocked that Lizzo would conceal the nature of the event from them, robbing them of the choice not to participate.”

    The suit also described the instances of racial and religious harassment dancers had faced, who were the sole women of color present in the group. On one instance, a former dancer requested 50% compensation for her downtime, and the accountant began scolding her for being “unacceptable and disrespectful” and instead offered 25%.

    “Only the dance cast — comprised of full-figured women of color — were ever spoken to in this manner,” the claim stated.

    Dancers were also subjected to pressure to convert to Christianity by the dance captain, Quigley, who preached her Christian beliefs and “took every opportunity to proselytize to any and all in her presence regardless of protestations.” Several cast members asked her to stop pressurising the dancer Rodriguez about her faith, whom Quigley described as a ‘non-believer’, the accused had responded:

    “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord.”

    Lizzo has not responded to the lawsuit, but several other public figures since then have come forward with accusations of rude behavior and unprofessionalism from the pop singer. Filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison shared that she dropped out as director for Lizzo’s documentary in 2019, citing rudeness from the ‘Cuz I Love You’ singer.

    Lizzo’s former creative director, along with another former dancer, had sent their support to the dancers who had filed the lawsuit against the ‘Juice’ singer.