Entertainment

A viral AI-generated video made it appear that Hollywood had turned against Kanye West, showcasing A-list stars banding together to protest the rapper after his recent antisemitic remarks. The video shows AI-generated versions of Jewish celebrities like David Schwimmer, Drake, Steven Spielberg, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Zuckerberg, Mila Kunis and more wearing anti-Kanye T-shirts featuring a hamsa with a raised middle finger and a Star of David in the middle, with the word “Kanye” written below it.At the end of the video, words appear on the screen, reading, “Enough is Enough. Join the Fight Against Antisemitism.” Story continues below advertisement The AI video comes after West’s Yeezy.com had been removed from S...

Last month, there was chatter in the industry that BBC Studios, the production arm of the British broadcaster, was reviewing its operations in India. Now, mid-day has learnt that the studio has decided to make an exit from the country. This comes despite its strong portfolio that includes Criminal Justice India, The Broken News, and School of Lies (2023).  Insiders suggest that the decision is part of a restructuring strategy by the company’s global leadership, which is reassessing its investments in international markets. Sources say that with rising production costs, competition from local studios, and an evolving OTT market, BBC Studios was finding it tough to maintain a sustainable business model despite its success in adapting international shows and formats for the Indian audience. ...

Kanye West is no longer being represented by talent agency 33&West. Daniel McCartney, who was the rapper’s music agent, announced that West had been removed from the agency’s roster of clients as of Feb. 10.In an Instagram Stories post, McCartney wrote: “Effective immediately, I’m no longer representing YE (F/K/A Kanye West) due to his harmful and hateful remarks that myself nor 33 & West can stand for.”“Peace and love to all,” McCartney added. A screenshot of Daniel McCartney’s Instagram Stories statement. Daniel McCartney/Instagram West was dropped from the agency following his antisemitic rants on X, where he declared himself a “Nazi” and claimed to “love Hitler.” On Sunday night, it appeared that West had...

OTT shows have primarily become about personal viewing experiences. As filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya forays into the OTT world with Bada Naam Karenge, he hopes the nine-episode series will take people back to the culture of family viewing. In conversation with mid-day, the showrunner talks about making content for Gen Z, why his projects always boast of green-flag characters, and how a section of OTT viewers misses family dramas. Edited excerpts from the interview. Where did the story originate from?It was narrated to us by S Manasvi; he came up with the concept in 2013. We were [struggling] with the climax then. In 2020, when we had a meeting with SonyLIV, they wanted a Rajshri show. They wanted to recreate the world of Hum Saath Saath Hain [1999] and Vivah [2006] on OTT. So we met Manasvi,...

Bollywood beauty Saba Azad, who is returning with the second season of the Amazon Mini TV series Who`s Your Gynac, encountered a troll who mocked her desire to work, citing that she doesn’t need to since she’s dating superstar Hrithik Roshan. Instead of letting it go, Saba decided to give this faceless user a piece of her mind.  Saba Azad responds to a troll  An Instagram user wrote under Saba’s post, "I thought season 2 would never come, after all, @sabazad Madam Ji is the official girlfriend of the Greek God. But now I am very excited for the next season.” Saba hit back stating, "Ok sumit ji uncle ji ji!! Maybe in your world when people fall in love they become incapacitated and landlords stop asking for rent and the need to put food on one`s own table magically evaporates!! Wah!!" H...

NOTE: The following article contains disturbing content. Please read at your own discretion. Amanda Palmer, ex-wife of author Neil Gaiman, has denied allegations of rape and human trafficking made by a woman who worked as a nanny for the former couple.Scarlett Pavlovich, the former family babysitter, filed three civil lawsuits — one against Gaiman and his ex-wife, Palmer, and two more against Palmer — in federal court in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New York on Feb. 3.Pavlovich alleged the former couple violated laws on federal human trafficking, sexual assault and battery while she worked as the family’s nanny. She claims Gaiman assaulted her multiple times and that she told Palmer, who allegedly knew of past incidents of abuse.Palmer took to Instagram to address the allegations in a stat...

If you thought your love for lavish family dramas was a thing of your younger days, Sooraj Barjatya’s latest web offering is set to serve as a revelation. Taking viewers back on a nostalgic ride to the decade when films on familial relationships took centre-stage, the sweet romantic drama, Bada Naam Karenge, is reminiscent of some of the most celebrated Rajshri Productions offerings like Vivah (2006), and Hum Saath Saath Hai (1999).  Serving as the film’s sonic backbone is Anurag Saikia, who has been steadily climbing the rope to professional success with a string of memorable releases. Saikia, who has crafted the music and the score of the nine-part offering, discusses why the makers wanted the Ritik Ghanshani and Ayesha Kaduskar starrer to be a subtle nod to the ’90s. Pics/Instagram E...

Back when television meant three American networks and two Canadian ones, virtually everyone was aware of everything on TV. Even if you didn’t like or watch a particular show, chances are you knew about it. And one of the things that may have seeped into your mind was a show’s theme song. Even when the number of channels and programs expanded, TV theme songs were ubiquitous, with many of them becoming top 40 hits (Theme from SWAT, The Rockford Files, Greatest American Hero, Peter Gunn, Hawaii Five-O, Miami Vice, etc.) that generated additional awareness and cash.There’s a subgenre of music fans who love the subject of TV themes, the kind who were delighted when multi-volume collections like the Television’s Greatest Hits series (via the Tee-Vee Toons label) started appearing in 1985. I won...

Actor Salman Khan recently took to Instagram to send a heartfelt message to his longtime friend and filmmaker Sooraj R. Barjatya on the release of his first-ever OTT series, “Bada Naam Karenge.”  The series, streaming now on Sony LIV, marks a significant milestone for Rajshri Productions as it ventures into the digital space for the first time. The Sultan actor took to his Instagram handle to give a sweet shout-out to the filmmaker, saying this one`s going to be special. Putting up a story on Instagram, Khan wrote, “Bada Naam Karenge` streaming now only on Sony LIV! Wishing Sooraj, Devaansh and the entire team all the best - this one`s going to be special!” Salman and Sooraj have a longstanding professional relationship, having worked together on blockbusters like "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!...

The Governor General’s office has terminated singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada. The move was announced in the Canada Gazette, the federal government’s official newspaper in which it publishes the text of new laws, regulations and other notices and decisions.The move comes after a CBC report in 2023 questioned Sainte-Marie’s Indigenous heritage, saying it found a birth certificate that indicated she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts and listed that both her and her parents as white. 4:45 Unraveling the Buffy Sainte-Marie controversy with journalist Tanya Talaga Previou...