Entertainment

Writer and director Pushkar Mahabal has a distinct process of crafting a scene. He often imagines the scene’s background music before its other elements. “When I think of a scene, I first hear the background score in my head, and then I think of the visuals. After that, my head is filled with dialogues,” says Mahabal, whose series Black, White & Gray — Love Kills dropped online over the weekend.  His dependence on music is understandable. Before turning to direction, Mahabal was a composer. So, it’s not surprising when he says that even though the SonyLIV offering is a crime thriller, music forms the backbone of the storytelling. He believes that composer Meghdeep Bose’s music played a crucial role in building the atmosphere. He elaborates, “Meghdeep and I are old friends. When I star...

It didn’t begin a long time ago or in a galaxy far far away, but every May 4 it feels like images, memes and promotional deals involving Star Wars have an inescapable gravity. May 4 — or May the 4th, as fans say — has evolved over the years into Star Wars Day, an informal holiday celebrating the space epic and its surrounding franchise.Star Wars Day was created by fans as a sly nod to one of the films’ most popular catchphrases, “May the force be with you.” Get it? Good, now May the 4th be with you too. Story continues below advertisement It’s not an official holiday but has become so well-known that even former President Joe Biden marked it last year when “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill dropped by the White House a day beforehand.“I think it’s a very clever way...

Maharani has become one of Huma Qureshi’s defining projects to date. Now, it’s becoming one of her most physically challenging roles. The actor, who kicked off the fourth season’s shoot in February, is currently filming in Bhopal, where the temperature has been hovering around 40 degrees.  According to a source from the unit, the drama’s Bhopal schedule is crucial, with Qureshi filming political gatherings and rallies. “Creator Subhash Kapoor shot the past three seasons in real locations. This time too, he wants to capture the rawness and realism that Bhopal offers. There are scenes where Huma’s character is addressing huge gatherings under the sun. It’s difficult to work in the scorching heat,” said the insider. When Qureshi spoke to mid-day briefly, she was excited about reprising her ...

Prince Harry’s troubled relationships with the British royal family, the U.K. establishment and the media have played out in public for years – in books and interviews, on television programs and in the courts. The latest twist saw Harry give a revealing interview after a court rejected his attempt to restore the police protection that was stripped from him after he quit his royal duties and moved to the U.S. in 2020.Here is a timeline of recent events involving Harry and the British royal family:July 2016Prince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle meet on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.Nov. 8, 2016Harry confirms Markle is his girlfriend and condemns press coverage of her. He says he fears for her safety and says press coverage crossed the line and used “racial undertones” in its...

Music and acting share a common strand, believes Lisa Mishra. “Acting, like music, is about honesty. If you’re not emotionally present, the audience knows,” she reasons. It is perhaps this commonality that has made it easy for the singer to transition to acting. After featuring in Call Me Bae (2024), Mishra will soon be seen in The Royals. While landing the role of Niki in the Netflix show — led by Zeenat Aman, Bhumi Pednekar, and Ishaan Khatter — wasn’t easy, she says the shoot was an inspiring experience. “Acting allows me to explore a different kind of emotional truth. I’ve come to love it as much as I love singing. Moreover, this was a dream cast. Every day I was a bit more inspired by the people I was working with,” she shares.  Zeenat Aman in The Royals. Pics/AFP, Instagram The che...

For nearly his entire career, David Cronenberg has been considered a trailblazer of the ‘body horror’ subgenre — and it’s easy to see why.The renowned Canadian filmmaker is behind Scanners, Videodrome and the 1986 remake of The Fly — just some of the highly influential sci-fi and horror classics he’s made throughout the decades. Many of the films share a focus on disturbing and graphic violations of the human body.Yet the 82-year-old Torontonian has only reluctantly accepted that title — or allowed others to connect the phrase ‘body horror’ to his films.“I’ve never used that term to describe my own work,” Cronenberg says in an interview with Global National’s Eric Sorensen. “But it has stuck, and I’m stuck with it.”Personal connectionsFor the average moviegoer, Cronenberg’s latest work, Th...

Television actor and former Bigg Boss 7 contestant Ajaz Khan, who has courted several controversies over the years, gets a fresh one to his name, courtesy of the OTT show House Arrest. Ajaz, who is the host, is facing flak for making female contestants enact s*x positions in the name of entertainment. Maharashtra BJP Mahila Morcha president Chitra Wagh has demanded a ban on the reality series, calling it "nothing but the epitome of vulgarity." An advocate has also filed a complaint against him and the makers with the Delhi Police for the same.  Chitra Wagh seeks a ban on House Arrest  Chitra Wagh took to X and shared a snippet from House Arrest in which Ajaz engages contestants in inappropriate conversations and encourages them to act out suggestive scenes. She wrote, “ Stop giving a fre...

Sean “Diddy” Combs rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors at a hearing on Thursday in his sex trafficking case, which is set to begin on May 5. After asking Diddy to confirm if he was of sound mind and not on any drugs, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing his trial in New York, asked the rapper about the plea deal.“Have you rejected the government’s offer?” Subramanian asked him, according to NBC News.“Yes, your honour,” Diddy replied.Maurene Comey, a prosecutor with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, said the rejected deal would have allowed for reduced prison time, but other details of the deal were not shared.Diddy has previously pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. If he’s convicted on...

Actress Chitrangada Singh, who was recently seen in the OTT series ‘Khakee: The Bengal Chapter’, spoke about comparisons between her and the late actress Smita Patil. On Wednesday, the actress took to her Instagram, and shared a video with a mobile phone brand, and shared how after the screening of her debut movie ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’, many established names of the film fraternity formed a bee line to complement her work in the film, and also spoke how she has a striking resemblance to the late actress. In the video, Chitrangada said, “My first film, ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’, first screening, it was the first time that I saw myself on the big screen. After the screening, Ketan Mehta, the director, who`s done so much work with Smita ji, walked up to me and he had tears in his eyes ...

Robert De Niro is expressing “love and support” for his daughter Airyn De Niro after she recently came out as transgender. “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is,” Robert De Niro, 81, told Variety in a statement. “I love all my children.”In a recent interview with Them, Airyn, 29, spoke about “stepping into this new identity” and shared details about growing up as one of seven children in the De Niro household.“There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” Airyn told the outlet. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”Airyn said that “no parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight. They have told me they wanted me to have as mu...