Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt has confirmed he has cancer after weeks of speculation by the Indian press, in an Instagram video, the 61-year-old actor of more than 150 films said he would “beat the disease soon”. Dutt also said he would begin shooting for his next film in November. In August Dutt was tested for Covid-19 after he reported some difficulty in breathing, he tested negative. He was subsequently tested at Mumbai’s Lilavati hospital for other illnesses, amid unconfirmed media reports that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, Dutt said in August he was “taking a short break from … Continue reading Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt confirms he has cancer

Celebrated Bollywood costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, India’s first Oscar winner, has died at the age of 91, her family says. She was bedridden in recent years after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2012, her family said. She died peacefully in the city of Mumbai, Athaiya was renowned for designing costumes for top filmmakers in a career that spanned nearly five decades. She shared an Oscar for her work on a biopic about Mahatma Gandhi in 1983. The invitation by British filmmaker Richard Attenborough to work on the film about the Indian independence leader shot her to global prominence, … Continue reading India’s first Oscar winner, Bhanu Athaiya dies

Shares of Big Hit Entertainment more than doubled their Initial Public Offering (IPO) price on debut, Big Hit is the management agency for BTS, the massively popular seven-member K-Pop group. The debut is the biggest in three years on Korea’s Kospi exchange, and will make Big Hit’s Chief Executive a billionaire. The band members will also become multi-millionaires, it comes despite concerns the band will soon have to do military service. Big Hit shares opened at 270,000 Korean won ($235; £180), giving the company a valuation of $8.38bn at the opening bell, the shares tracked higher after the debut. BTS … Continue reading A hit share market debut for BTS’s music label

Plans for a new movie about Cleopatra have sparked a controversy before filming has even started, the role of the famed ancient Egyptian ruler is to be played by Israeli actress Gal Gadot, best known for her Hollywood depictions of Wonder Woman. The announcement has led to a row on social media with some alleging “cultural whitewashing”, where white actors portray people of colour, some have said the role should instead go to an Arab or African actress. Cleopatra was descended from an Ancient Greek family of rulers – the Ptolemy dynasty. She was born in Egypt in 69BC and … Continue reading Whitewashing: Gal Gadot’s Cleopatra film sparks controversy

Some of Bollywood’s biggest production companies have filed a law suit against “irresponsible reporting” by some Indian media outlets, it comes in the wake of the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June. He is believed to have killed himself, but the case has fuelled months of speculation by news channels, dozens of companies, including those owned by stars Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan have taken action. The livelihood of persons associated with Bollywood is being severely impacted by the smear campaign being run by the defendants, the case says, Indian media has been dominated … Continue reading Sushant Singh Rajput: Bollywood producers file suit over media coverage

Louise Glück wins Nobel Prize for Literature This year’s Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to the US poet Louise Glück. Glück was recognized for the “austere beauty” of her work, said the Swedish Academy, which oversees the prestigious award. Amongst the critics were PEN America who said it was “dumbfounded by the selection of a writer who has used his public voice to undercut historical truth”, in a statement from its president, Jennifer Egan. The prize is given to the person who has “produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction”. Normally, … Continue reading

Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has said that movie-going is facing a real threat of extinction, her new superhero movie has been delayed three times during the coronavirus pandemic, she is among dozens of top Hollywood directors appealing to the US government to provide a financial lifeline to cinemas. Ms Jenkins’s warning comes as cinemas in the UK are also struggling with a recent spate of delayed film releases, if we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process,” she said in an interview with Reuters news agency. We could lose movie theatre-going forever. Cinemas across the world … Continue reading Movie-going could ‘become extinct’ warns director

American reggae and pop singer-songwriter Johnny Nash, best known for the 1972 hit “I Can See Clearly Now”, has died aged 80, his family has said. Nash, whose health had been in decline, died at his home of natural causes on Tuesday, his son told US media. The musician began singing as a child and made his major label debut with the 1957 song “A Teenager Sings the Blues”. Nash, born in Houston, was one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica, his single “I Can See Clearly Now” sold more than a million copies … Continue reading Legendary reggae singer-songwriter Johnny Nash dies, aged 80

Eddie Van Halen, revered guitarist and co-founder of the popular rock band Van Halen, has died of cancer, his son has announced. The Dutch-American musician, 65, had been undergoing treatment for throat cancer, his band, Van Halen, were best known for their song Jump, which hit the top of the US charts in 1984. His son Wolfgang paid tribute to him on social media, saying he was the best father he could ever ask for. “Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift,” Wolfgang, who became Van Halen’s bassist in 2006, wrote. “My heart is broken … Continue reading Eddie Van Halen dies at 65 after cancer battle

Lana Del Rey has upset some of her fans due to her choice of face mask at a recent book signing in California, the star appeared at a branch of Barnes and Noble in Los Angeles, where she read passages from her new poetry book Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass. At the event, Del Rey wore a glittery, mesh face mask that she’d previously used in a cover shoot for Interview magazine. It would appear that the mask provided no barrier to the spread of Covid-19. Lana, please wear a real mask. I’m begging you be safe, wrote a … Continue reading Lana Del Rey criticised for wearing mesh mask to meet fans

Helen Reddy, the Australian singer behind feminist anthem I Am Woman, has died aged 78. Reddy died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, her family said in a statement on Facebook. Her children Traci Donat and Jordan Sommers described her as a wonderful mother, grandmother, and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever. Diagnosed with dementia in 2015, Reddy spent the last years of her life in a celebrity care home in Los Angeles. She had a string of pop and rock hits in the 1970s, … Continue reading Helen Reddy, Australian singer of feminist anthem ‘I Am Woman’ dies

All seven members of South Korean K-pop group BTS are set to become multi-millionaires, when their label Big Hit Entertainment goes public in October. Soaring demand for shares in Big Hit has given it a market valuation of £3.2bn ($4.1bn), with shares priced at the top of the expected price range. Big Hit boss Bang Si-hyuk, who owns 43% of the management label, will become a billionaire. In August, he gave each BTS member 68,385 shares, worth £6.2m in total, currently priced at between 105,000-135,000 won (£70.03-£88.70) per share, Big Hit expects to raise about £638.3m with the sale of … Continue reading BTS music group becomes multi-millionaires