Hollywood & Bollywood Updates 26th September 2013

HOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Makeups, Breakups, and Foam Fingers: Miley and Liam's Relationship Timeline

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth were one of Young Hollywood's power couples, and after four tumultuous years, they've finally called it quits for good. Don't hold your breath for another reconciliation this time, since Liam seems to have already moved on. From a meeting that was literally out of a Nicholas Sparks novel to the haircut that changed everything and the twerk that was the final nail in the coffin. we're taking a look back at all the ups and downs in the Miley and Liam saga with this handy timeline.
June 2009: Miley and Liam film The Last Song, which is the setting for their first kiss. Unless you're already married or have no soul, it's apparently impossible not to fall in love on the set of a Nicholas Sparks movie.
September 2009: The two are caught in the middle of said kiss and confirm that they are dating.
March 2010: The couple make their red carpet debut at the premiere for The Last Song. She is clearly excited to show him off to the world.
August 2010: Miley and Liam split for the first time. And so the roller coaster begins.
September 2010: They make up and start dating again.
November 2010: Kaput again! The world feels yanked around. The tabloids are happy.
April 2011: They're a couple once again. Could they be in it for the long haul this time? For a while the answered seemed to be yes because they're able to avoid drama for a year, and then...
May 2012: They're engaged! Things are looking really promising now, until...
August 2012: Miley cuts off all her hair, and the downward spiral begins.
December 2012: The couple are still going strong, as they're seen on a romantic vacation in Costa Rica.
January 2013: Rumors of another breakup start circulating after Miley is seen without her engagement ring. The couple will not be photographed together for the next five months, during which Miley starts to twerk more and wear clothes less.
June 2013: The couple are finally photographed together on a date night. Will this finally put all the breakup rumors to rest?
August 2013: Miley supports Liam at his Paranoia premiere, and they still look like a happy couple. But don't get too excited.
August 2013: Miley gives her infamous twerking performance at the MTV VMAs. It may have been the performance of her life, but it spelled death for her and Liam. He is reportedly "shocked" and "embarrassed" by her performance, and it doesn't look like the couple will be able to recover.
September 2013: And so it ends. The couple officially confirm that they called off their engagement, and Liam is caught kissing Mexican singer Eiza Gonzalez the very next day. Miley even unfollows Liam on Twitter, so you know they must be over for good.
Let's try to remember them in happier days:

VIA

VIA

VIA

VIA

VIA

VIA

Cate Blanchett's Directorial Debut Could Be Brilliant

Cate Blanchett is, without a doubt, one of the great actors of our time. She's been delivering powerful performances for the past 20 years, with her roles in films like The Aviator, Elizabeth, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button just a few on a long list of great works. We were so excited to learn that the amazing Aussie talent is getting ready to go behind the camera, as she'll be making her directorial debut with an adaptation of the bestselling novel The Dinner. Here are a few reasons we're expecting very big things from this project.

How Jennifer Lawrence Can Take Her Career To A Whole 'Nother Level

Earlier this year Jennifer Lawrence took home the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Tiffany in the critically-acclaimed film Silver Linings Playbook. She is now the second-youngest Best Actress winner and the youngest person to ever receive two Oscar nominations for Best Actress. Suffice it to say, she’s doing just fine and really doesn’t need our help. In her next few films we’ll see her re-teaming with her Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell, and of course the rest of The Hunger Games films are headed our way. But if J-Law wants to take her career to a whole ‘nother level, we can think of a few directors who might be able to make that happen.
 Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond The Pines, Blue Valentine)
Okay first of all, a movie with Cianfrance almost automatically means a movie with Ryan Gosling. Can you imagine the scenes d’amour in this one? Exactly. Lawrence’s role in Winter’s Bone showed critics and audiences that she can do gritty, and she can do indie. We’d love to see her get back to some of that—but with a little bit of romantic intensity – by teaming up with Cianfrance. Plus, again, it's important to stress: that Gosling/Lawrence love scene would be all kinds of insane.
Sofia Coppola (The Bling Ring, Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette)
In the upcoming period piece Serena, Lawrence will work with award-winning director Susanna Bier. We’d like to see her team up with more women behind the camera, and we think Sofia Coppola could really cook up a great role for her. Actresses like Scarlett Johansson, Kirsten Dunst, and Emma Watson have benefited greatly from being in her films, and we can easily see Lawrence transforming into one of her fascinating characters.
Lee Daniels (The Butler, Precious)
Okay, even we’re a little scared about this mash-up. In fact, we respectfully request that Jennifer Lawrence not make any movies with Lee Daniels for at least another five to seven years. Daniels is no joke — his films are often beyond gritty, beyond intense, and most of us still feel like we should go hide in a corner and peek through our fingers during the majority of his sex scenes. But he’s definitely the go-to guy if you want to do a film that makes you pretty much unrecognizable as an actress. Folks like Halle Berry, Mo’Nique, Nicole Kidman, and Zac Efron have him to thank for certain big moments in their careers. If Lawrence ever gets tired of looking like America’s sweetheart, this would be the route to go.

Tina Fey suffered wardrobe malfunction at Emmys

Los Angeles: Actress-writer Tina Fey suffered malfunction when she went to accept her award for best writing for a comedy series at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards here.
Fey along with Tracey Wigfield received the award for the show "30 Rock", but before she went to give her acceptance speech her loose dress ended up exposing her breast, reports hollywoodlife.com.
The 43-year-old was dressed in a cobalt blue Narcisco Rodriguez halter gown. The flowing gown showed off her curves.

Victoria Beckham partners with Skype to tell fashion journey

London: Victoria Beckham has teamed up with web video chat service Skype to tell her fashion journey in a new format.
The designer will allow fans a brand new insight into her creative process via the web video chat service and give audiences the opportunity to engage directly with her and her design team, reported Contactmusic.
A launch has been confirmed for this Autumn and the company said they are thrilled about their new partnership.
The company post read, "In just five short years, Victoria Beckham and her team have built a hugely successful international fashion brand. A journey which Skype is proud to have played a part in enabling.
"Skype will bring the story of a driven designer and businesswoman to life in a groundbreaking storytelling format, as well as offer inspiration to fashion enthusiasts, aspiring creatives and entrepreneurs. We`re thrilled to be a part of the Victoria Beckham story, and look forward to sharing it with you soon."
This is the first move into fashion by Skype and the new venture comes after Victoria revealed she often uses its video services to conduct importance conference calls. 

The Vampire Syllabus: You Can't Matriculate Without Seeing 'Near Dark'

For urban creatures of the night — I'm referring here to Eighties club kids — The Hunger was the be-all and end-all. It so captured the sexuality of the post-punk zeitgeist, it put director Tony Scott on the map. But there's another flick for vamp majors obsessed with a complete education, from another director you may have heard of, Kathryn Bigelow.
The characters of Near Dark are the poor relations of Scott's upper-class predators. But they have something The Hunger completely passes over: American-outlaw-blue-collar hotness. The film quietly seethes with a swagger that can only be described as Western. It is wild, unkempt, brutal and appealing, an intergenerational drawing match over sex and supremacy. It is sexy, down to the bone, pure Cowboy Punk.
Jenny Wright and Adrian Pasdar play out an undead Romeo and Juliet story so scorching you won't know where to look first. She's lonely, she turns him, but her posse is pissed. They reluctantly take in the small town boy, and careen through the desert in an RV with blackened windows, part man cave, part coffin, on a sociopathic Kerouac road trip.
You can certainly rent it. But I suggest a permanent download.

New UK to feature couples having sex in a box

Wellington: A new television show is all set to feature couples having sex in a sound-proof, opaque box in a studio, complete with an audience.

In the show, `sex box`, intended to `reclaim sex from pornography`, the couples will be quizzed on their sex lives by a panel of experts after they emerge from the box, Stuff.co.nz reported.
Host Mariella Frostrup , 50, told a UK publication that she hoped the show would spark a "mature, intelligent discussion about sex in Britain today".
She said that the sex we see on screen, in magazines and increasingly online bears little relation to the real experiences of real people, but this will be a frank conversation about an essential element in all our lives.
The panel of experts will include relationship adviser Tracey Cox, sex columnist Dan Savage and author Phillip Hodson.

Kim Kardashian to do voice-over for 'American Dad'

Los Angeles: Socialite Kim Kardashian will give her voice for the US adult animated sitcom `American Dad`.
The 32-year-old will make a guest appearance on the show, reports aceshowbiz.com.
Kim will lend her voice to a furry alien whose spaceship crash lands in Langley Falls, a fictional community where the Smith Family resides.
The episode is expected to air in the 10th season of `American Dad`.

Drake teams up with Beyonce

Los Angeles: Rapper Drake has revealed that he has collaborated with pop star Beyonce Knowles for her forthcoming album.

"I reached out to her and asked if I could come and be a part of her project and she was kind enough to invite me out there. And we did some work together," aceshowbiz.com quoted Drake as saying.

The rapper then went on praising the "Single ladies" singer.

"I believe strongly in her talent and her position in our generation. I think she`s one of the biggest stars

Still Just Being Miley: Cyrus Gets A New 'Rolling Stone' Tattoo

It seems like lately there's been more Miley Cyrus antics to report every day. This time, Cyrus kept her clothes on for a change, and instead celebrated her first Rolling Stone cover the old fashioned way. How? By getting a tattoo, of course! The singer got the name of the magazine tatooed on the bottom of her feet, and revealed the ink via her Instagram account, with the caption "#rattatattat @RollingStone".
However, we can't help but wonder why the singer chose this particular location for her latest tatoo - after all, won't the ink get worn away after one too many nights of dancing? Also, does anyone else think that her decision to replace the "s" in "Stone" with a dollar sign is some sort of shout out to fellow pop star Ke$ha?

'New Girl' Recap: It's Like 'Mean Girls,' But With More Cat Murder (Season 3, Episode 2)

Coming off of last week's Season 3 premiere of New Girl, which finally put to rest the will-they-won't-they of Jess and Nick's sexual tensioned filled relationship (they're officially together, everyone), Tuesday's "Nerd" episode got back to the usual sticky situations that those loft friends so often get themselves into.
Plots: Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess (Zooey Deschanel) figuratively time warp back to high school and have to figure out how to fit in with the "cool kids" that are Jess' new teacher colleagues, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) still has to decide if he wants to be with Elizabeth (Merritt Wever — congrats on your Emmy) or CeCe (Hannah Simone), and  Winston (Lamorne Morris) vies for the heart of his lovely Daisy (Brenda Song).
Once a Nerd, Always a NerdIn the A-plot of "Nerds," Jess frets that she's not fitting in with her fellow teachers at her new job (side note: when did Jess get a new job?). Nick, being the kind-hearted but misguided person that he is, offers to help Jess mingle with the hip teachers that she so desperately wants to be friends with. The "cool" teachers, who definitely would have been the popular and mean kids in high school, pick on Jess until Nick pulls out a few tricks (offering them school supplies and endless free booze) to buy their friendship. Unfortunately, Jess ends up trying too hard to impress them (she stands in a toilet and sings for them and then breaks into her boss' backyard while they ditch her), but good ol' Nick Miller comes to the rescue. He lets Jess know that he would have noticed her in high school (d'aww), and then they get it on in the teachers' lounge.
This plot was actually pretty endearing. Yes, it was incredibly painful and awkward to watch Jess be bullied by the mean crew, but her "old man" (the name that Nick wants her to call him) was there to save the day. He may have a habit of messing everything up, but he cares enough about Jess to realize when he's being a total dud and needs to clean up his mess.
Ladies' ManMeanwhile, Schmidt tries to balance his two relationships since he still hasn't broken up with one of them. In the classic two-date situation, Schmidt must figure out a way to keep CeCe and Elizabeth away from each other at a work party. His Schmidt-hating coworker keeps on trying to ruin things for him (she's jealous of his new office), but somehow he pulls off the whole scheme. Elizabeth walks off believing that CeCe is catering the event, and CeCe thinks that Elizabeth works at the company. Ladies, you're not as smart as I thought you were. Well, I take that back — Elizabeth, you're not as smart as I thought you were.
Oh, Schmidt, you poor idiot — decide between Elizabeth and CeCe already! Everyone knows how this situation is going to turn out: Schmidt finally gets caught and then both of the ladies dump him (and probably cause him physical harm). Either that or they all turn to polygamy (hey, it could happen).
Cat LadyThe third plot of this episode involves Winston pet-sitting Daisy's cat Ferguson (because of course that would be the cat's name). Thinking that Daisy wants to take things further since she's trusting him with her cat, Winston adorably asks Daisy to be his girlfriend. Daisy says yes, but it's apparent that there's an unknown man in her shower (in other words, she's sleeping with someone else). To get back at Daisy, Winston feebly attempts to kill her cat, but comes to terms with being a person with a soul and decides to let Ferguson live. When Daisy comes to pick up Ferguson, Winston officially dumps her and refuses to let her keep the cat (because both him and Ferguson "deserve better").
Does anyone else remember when Winston used to be the too-cool-for-school archetype in New Girl? When did he become the guy who's ferociously bad at pranks, wears a sweatshirt as pants, and spends a whole episode trying to kill a cat? Whenever it happened, it looks like the writers aren't turning back now. They've found Winston's niche and they're sticking with it, just like they have with all of the other main characters: Jess is eccentric, Nick is a bumbling fool with (mostly) good intentions, Schmidt is neurotic, and Winston, well, Winston isn't quite right in the head. God bless them all.
Some of the Best Moments and Lines from This Week's New Girl Episode
- "Did you say that cats are obsessed with your nipples?" - CeCe to Schmidt
- The fact that two of the mean teachers are Angela Kinsey (Angela from The Office) and Dreama Walker (June from Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23) and that they take liquid ecstasy.
- "Leave it to me to fix it." - Nick to Jess (I've never felt more scared for Jess' life).
- Nick thinks half of a ripped dollar equals 50 cents.
- "My heart is a two-man bike and I want you in the rear." - Winston's ideal way to ask Daisy to be his girlfriend
- The boys sing/shout "I Believe I Can Fly" to wake up hungover Jess.
- "Now I'm no plumber, but I'm 99 percent sure there was a guy in her shower." - Winston to Nick
- The ways Winston tries to kill the cat: strangle it with a rope, whack it with a bat, bludgeon it with a shovel, beat it with a hammer, and smother it with a pillow.
- The fact that Elizabeth might be more sexually adventurous than Schmidt (she's down for all sorts of fantasy situations).
What did you think of the episode? How far do you think Schmidt's love triange is going to last?

Watch Justin Long Facebook Stalk Evan Rachel Wood in the Trailer for 'A Case of You'

 

Facebook stalking is a time-honored tradition designed to make us feel better about ourselves and research blind dates before we actually have to spend time getting to know them. Everyone's done it, even if they don't want to admit that they have. It makes sense, then, that Hollywood would eventually pick up on such a popular habit, and use it as the key plot device in a romantic comedy. That's right: there is actually going to be a movie about Facebook stalking.
A Case of You centers around Sam (Justin Long, who is also a co-writer and co-producer), a shy, awkward writer who strikes up a conversation with a pretty barista named Birdie (Evan Rachel Wood) and then proceeds to woo her using the information on her Facebook profile to turn himself into the perfect man. Somewhere between being a terrible rock climber and posing as a guitar player, Sam's scheme works and Birdie falls in love with him. Only, he now has to deal with the moral dilemma of making the girl of his dreams fall in love with a false version of himself. Oh, and Peter Dinklage is there, stealing the trailer with blonde highlights and an impossible-to-pronounce name.

Based on the trailer, A Case of You will either raise some interesting questions about dating in the Internet age, or, more likely, it will be another sappy, quirky rom com about allowing love to bring happiness and meaning into your life. Unfortunately for Wood, who is an extremely talented actress, the character of Birdie appears to be yet another Manic Pixie Dream Girl, as we can tell from her unusal name to the unflattering striped blazer she wears with a bowler hat. Although, the writers do get some credit for not going overboard on the twee-factor and having her learn the banjo or didgeridoo. It's a shame — the concept behind the film is interesting, and we'd love to see a film which didn't bury it underneath so much quirk.
A Case of You will be released in theaters, on iTunes and On Demand on November 6.

Teens to Watch Out for: Tavi Gevinson

You can envy her, but Gevinson’s success in the blogging world and her eventual twitter fame and opportunity to gallivant with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars didn’t drop into her lap one night. 

For the better part of three years Gevinson worked on her fashion blog Style Rookie, started when she was a pre-teen. As she grew older and was faced with those issues everyone experiences when beginning high school and maturing as teenagers, she couldn’t find a website that truly catered to the actual, real lives of people her age.
“I felt like there wasn’t a magazine or website for teenagers that spoke to me or had the kind of stuff I’d be interested in reading, and I knew I couldn’t be the only one,” she said.
Topics covered on rookie.com include anything from sex, religion and feminism, to body image and bullying.
“These things were becoming relevant in the lives of the people around me, my friends and other girls,” Gevinson says.
The online zine has grown from 30-40 writers to about 80 currently and for Gevinson, the route to a print publication, Rookie Yearbook, was a natural one.
“There were certain fashion magazines that I collected every issue for years, so I think just a selfish part of me wanted that,” she said. “I also think that we attract the kind of readers who appreciate that — who like being crafty and really give a lot of value to their favorite movies and books.”
But like rookie.com, the Yearbook is very much about the writing.
“There were just so many pieces on the site that I felt ‘these can’t just exist in pixels, and float around cyberspace,’ they needed to be documented in this more tangible way.”
Rookie Yearbook One, which came out last September, was the first in what Gevinson hopes will be a four-part series. Her knowledge from the initial publishing experience has helped her and her team this time around, allowing her to take a more hands-on part of the process. Also differing from the first, the second edition will be a bit more gender-neutral both in design and content.
And, although rookie.com is aimed towards teenage girls, that doesn’t stop some guys from taking a peek at it every once in a while.
“I’ve been very happy to get a number of emails from guys being like, ‘I never understood why girls felt that way or felt offended by that and now I do’,” said Gevinson. “Some guys are like, ‘I like this even though I’m a guy and I relate to it’...because ultimately we’re all people.”
Even if she could use a little more sleep some days, Gevinson’s drive is fueled by her readers.

“Girls will say ‘this helped me when I was feeling suicidally depressed’ or a few girls have said ‘that one article your writer penned has helped me get over an eating disorder or convinced me to get help’...that’s the most you can hope for with something like this. That’s really the most gratifying part,” she says.
When the going gets tough for Gevinson, like it does for all high schoolers, she reflects back on TV star Rashida Jones' words from one Rookie interview: “it doesn’t get better, but you get better.”
“You never get to a point when things are totally fine and you have to let yourself mess up,” she says.

BOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Salman's hit-and-run case: Court rejects activist's plea

Mumbai: A sessions court today rejected the plea of a social activist seeking to intervene in the 2002 hit-and-run case allegedly involving actor Salman Khan to help the prosecution in the trial.
Judge S D Deshpande ruled that only an aggrieved party, complainant or witness had a right to intervene.
In this case, the applicant, Santosh Daundkar, was neither a witness, complainant nor an aggrieved party. Hence, he could not be allowed to intervene, the court said.
The court also rejected Daundkar`s another plea seeking transfer of his complaint from magistrate court to sessions court about perjury action against Salman and police for allegedly producing wrong witnesses in this case, as a result of which the trial was delayed.
The judge held that he had no jurisdiction to transfer the complaint. He asked the applicant to approach a higher court or the Principal Judge of Sessions Court in this regard.
On Salman`s plea for a direction to media to report true and fair proceedings of the 2002 hit-and-run case, the court deferred its order till October 15 saying the Bombay High Court was seized of this matter.
The court said that Salman had already moved the High Court by filing a defamation and civil suit against some media channels for allegedly not correctly reporting the proceedings of the case. As the matter was pending in High Court, the sessions court did not give any ruling on the actor`s plea.
The judge observed the high court had already given an interim ruling that the media should provide a fair and objective reporting in the case involving the film star.
Salman`s lawyer Shrikant Shivade argued that the media was biased against the actor and was not reporting correctly the court proceedings.
This had tarnished the image of Salman in the eyes of public, he alleged and urged the media be directed to report true and fair proceedings in the case.
On October 15, the court would hear Salman`s lawyer and prosecution on whether the trial should begin afresh or evidence adduced earlier by the Magistrate should be considered by the sessions court.
Daundkar`s lawyers Aditya Pratap and Abha Singh argued that their client wanted to intervene in this case in public interest to help the prosecution.
They said section 301(1) of CrPc allowed Daundkar to intervene in the matter to help the prosecution. The lawyers cited three Supreme Court judgements to support their arguments.
On the other hand, Salman`s lawyer argued that Daundkar was a third party and could not intervene in the case. He cited nine judgements to argue his case.
The prosecutor said he had no objection if Daundkar and his lawyers helped the prosecution. However, they had no right to examine the witnesses, he said.
The court, however, rejected Daundkar`s plea saying that he was not an aggrieved party and was not concerned with the case.
Hence, he had no right to intervene at this stage. But after the evidence is recorded, he may at the end of the trial urge the court to allow him intervene.
As regards Daundkar`s plea for perjury action against Salman and police, his lawyers said that the Magistrate`s court at Bandra was inquiring into the matter.
The lawyers argued that the inquiry should now be conducted by the sessions court because the hit-and-run case has been transferred from Magistrate`s court to sessions court after it was held that the charge of culpable homicide was made out against the actor.
The court rejected this plea also as the judge held that he was not empowered to decide this.

Anushka Sharma dismisses rumours of 'longest kiss' with Aamir Khan

Reports about the sizzling kiss shared by Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma in the upcoming movie ‘P.K.’ has been refuted by the actress.
According to a popular national daily, Anushka has countered the rumours doing rounds in the Tinsel Town about the supposedly longest ever kiss in Bollywood history.
The diva quipped that ‘P.K.’ has a lot more to offer in terms of a movie, but a ‘record breaking’ kiss is not one of them.
“Firstly I don’t think any of us actually sat and timed all the legendary kisses of world cinema. Plus people like Raj Kumar Hirani and Aamir Khan are far too credible and accomplished to indulge in such a publicity stunt for their film,” the star was quoted.
The movie which is being directed by Rajkumar Hirani, is his second venture with the perfectionist Aamir Khan. ‘Three Idiots’, his previous venture which also starred Sharman Joshi, Madhavan and Kareena Kapoor was a phenomenon breaking all Box Office records.
Anushka, in her 5 years of filmdom, has had a dream debut with Shah Rukh Khan and also worked with greats like Yash Chopra and Vishal Bharadwaj. Her films have all been appreciated by the critics, and her career seems to be blossoming. Her next two projects are with the illustrious Rajkumar Hirani and Anurag Kashyap.
Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma, with or without the kiss, are bound to sizzle on screen and the audience eagerly wait to watch the duo come together.

'Hamara Bajaj' to remain with Bajaj, rules HC; John Abraham loses out

Mumbai: In a blow to actor John Abraham, the Bombay High Court has restrained his production house from using `Hamara Bajaj`, a popular tagline associated with an auto firm, as the title of his next movie.
Bajaj Auto Ltd had approached the court against JA Entertainment Pvt Ltd after it learnt Abraham`s production house proposed to make a movie by the name `Hamara Bajaj`.
While ruling in favour of the Pune-based two-wheeler giant on September 21, Justice S J Kathawala granted a permanent injunction, restraining JA Entertainment from using `Hamara Bajaj` as title or anywhere in the movie.
The auto company used `Hamara Bajaj` in advertisements featuring its popular scooter brand `Chetak`. Production of the Chetak stopped in 2009, but the tagline has consistently featured in Bajaj`s corporate campaigns and is identified closely with it.
Abraham`s production firm had earlier clarified that `Hamara Bajaj` was only a working title of the film – starring Ayushmann Khurana and Yami Gautam - to be directed by Shoojit Sircar.

Playing Asaram Bapu means lot of work: Arjun Rampal

Mumbai: Director Prakash Jha has reportedly decided to make a film called ‘Satsang’, which is said to be inspired by spiritual guru Asaram Bapu.
It is being speculated that either Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal or Manoj Bajpayee will play the lead role.
When asked at an event here about the movie, Arjun said: "I got to know about this news today morning only through newspapers. I don`t know about it."
"I think, I will have to work a lot to play Asaram Bapu (Laughs)...mujhe bahut mehnat karni padegi Asaram Bapu banne ke liye," he added in a lighter vein.
Reportedly ‘Satsang’ will also throw light on the recent controversy surrounding Asaram who has been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Indian Penal Code after a 16-year-old alleged that he raped her.

'Bigg Boss 7' diaries day 10: Tanishaa Mukerji, VJ Andy and Shilpa Agnihotri made to do 100 sit-ups!

It’s day 10 of Bigg Boss 7 and the people are breaking rules and playing politics already
The day starts with Bigg Boss announcing the second edition of the luxury budget task for the heaven-mates.
According to the announcement, heaven-mates will have to take over the task of counting the minutes and the Jahannum wasis will now get a chance to distract them.
Ratan and Elli complain
Armaan Kohli and Shilpa Agnihotri are the first ones to go to perform the task. On the other side, Pratyusha Banerjee and Gauhar Khan try their best to distract them by singing on the top of their voice. Elli Avram and Ratan Rajput having performed the task throughout the night appear to be weary and exhausted. In a random conversation, Elli tells Apurva Agnihotri and Gauhar about the kind of husband she wants in her life and what qualities she is looking for in a man.
While the heaven-mates are busy with the task, Ratan and Elli bring up the topic of the task results that were announced the other day. Elli and Ratan felt that it was unfair to term them the weakest players in the task and they also felt that Kamya Punjabi ‘s suggestion of choosing the best performer through a chit process is also not correct, further revolting against it.
100 situps for Gauhar, Shilpa and Tanishaa
Later in the day, when everybody is busy performing the task, the Warden makes an announcement warning Gauhar, Shilpa, Tanishaa Mukerji and VJ Andy to talk in Hindi and avoid the usage of English words. She also adds that there wont be any further warnings, it would lead to punishment directly. Even after the warning, the housemates fail to follow the rules and are subjected to a punishment by Bigg Boss. Shilpa, Tanishaa and Andy are found guilty and are asked to do 100 sit-ups.
Bigg Boss introduces a twist in the swap
Meanwhile – Gauhar , Kushal Tandon, Ratan and Pratyusha are trying their best to distract people on the other side. Even after several trials, the heaven-mates are not able to get the time right and lose points. Hell-mates rejoice every time the heaven-mates go wrong and are credited with a point . Later in the day, Bigg Boss asks Tanishaa to come to the confession room and asks her to unanimously decide two names from the heaven-side they want to save from the swap. After much discussion, they decide to save Anita and struggle with the second name. Armaan and Anita have an argument over this and Anita gets annoyed because of Armaan’s attitude.
After Tanishaa announces two names,Bigg Boss brings in a new twist to surprise everyone. He announces an activity that will take place between the two nominated contestants and the one who wins will be saved from the swap.
After lights go off, Sangram Singh is seen discussing about the hell-mates and how they are being cunning in their own space.

Hollywood & Bollywood Latest News Updates 21st September 2013

Hollywood News Updates

Natalie Portman confirms Marvel's female superhero film is coming

Los Angeles: ‘Thor’ leading lady Natalie Portman has revealed a new Marvel movie led by a female superhero is on the way.

"There are definitely many strong women, but it will be exciting when there is a central female character which I think is coming - I have heard is coming," the actress said in an interview with SciFiNow to promote ‘Thor: The Dark World’.

"And, of course, also a central non-white character will also be exciting. Title characters. But they do definitely have strong female characters in them and I think it`s a testament to the people who run Marvel, their respect, their just normal human respect for women, the way they want to characterize them; you can tell when men talk to you, as just a person or as a `woman`," she added.

Portman also expressed her disappointment when the ‘Thor’ sequel lost female director Patty Jenkins.

"I was very upset because Patty is a wonderful woman. I was excited to work with her but I understood why she chose to leave and Alan Taylor is really wonderful, so it was bittersweet." 

Cate Blanchett to make directorial debut with 'The Dinner'

Los Angeles: After two decades of performing in front of cameras, Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett is now stepping behind the scenes for her first directorial job.
The 44-year-old `Blue Jasmine` star is set to helm a physiological thriller titled `The Dinner`, the Hollywood Reporter said.

The film, set at a dinner in Amsterdam, will explore the story of just how far some parents might go to protect their loved ones.

Two brothers, one running for prime minister of the Netherlands, must make a tough decision regarding their teenage sons who have committed an unspeakable crime.

Based on Herman Koch`s best-selling novel of the same title, the project will be produced by Cotty Chubb. It is unclear if Blanchett will star in the film or not.

Blanchett is not a complete stranger to directing. She has been serving as a co-artistic director of the Sydney Theater Company along with her husband, playwright Andrew Upton.

She once directed playwright David Harrower`s `Blackbird` and Joan Didion`s memoir `The Year of Magical Thinking`.

Blanchett was last seen in Woody Allen-directed dramedy `Blue Jasmine`. Her role as a New York socialite who scrambles to put her life back together after a series of shocking events puts her on the list of nominee candidates for the upcoming Academy Awards.

Her next projects include `The Monuments Men`, `The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug` & `The Hobbit: There and Back Again` and `How to Train Your Dragon 2`. 

Pink's husband more in love with daughter than her

Los Angeles: New mother Pink fears that her husband Carey Hart is more in love with their daughter, Willow, than her.
The `Raise Your Glass` hitmaker, who welcomed her first child with husband in 2011, said she believes he has more of a fondness for their daughter than for his wife, reported OK! magazine.

"He`s a sucker. I`m the bad cop. I watched him just fall in love the day we brought her home. It`s like watching the person you love fall in love for the first time (with someone else). I`m not jealous.

"Our love is complicated, but (Willow) brings us closer together. We`re a good little team. We go all over the world and we`re together every day. It`s just so yummy. Everyone around us is fighting and it just brings us closer together because we get to laugh at them," she said.

Pink and Hart have had a rocky romance ever since they began dating in 2001, but their on-and-off relationship finally came to a head when they decided to tie the knot in 2006.

"We`ve been married for eight years this year... We might have to break up again soon!" she added. 

Una Healy to host TV show

Los Angeles: Singer Una Healy has landed her first presenting role on a new kids` TV show in Ireland.
The 31-year-old Saturdays singer will launch `Una`s Dream Ticket` in her hometown which will show her trying to make young people`s wishes come true, reported OK! magazine.

"This will be a really good experience for me and I wouldn`t rule out more presenting in the future. All of us girls have enough experience now that we can go off and work on other projects, but our main focus is the band," she said.

The show is set to air on Irish network RTE. 

Chris Hemsworth found onscreen nudity hard in 'Rush'

Los Angeles: He lost weight and learned to drive fast but actor Chris Hemsworth, who plays Formula One race car driver James Hunt in `Rush`, found filming his first nude scenes most daunting.
The Australian actor, 30, said he also found it difficult to watch his nude scenes in Ron Howard-directed film but his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, liked it, reported People magazine.

"It was more daunting than the racing! To take your clothes off in front of 100 people and cameras was something I wasn`t comfortable with. To be honest, it was embarrassing," Hemsworth said.

"It was more uncomfortable for me to see than her. I think she enjoyed it."

Another challenge for Hemsworth was to lose weight to play Hunt.

"It was brutal. I`ve said this before, but my wife was pregnant when I was preparing for the film and I had more symptoms of a pregnant woman than she did. I was hungry all the time and moody," he added. 

INTERVIEW: Michael Bay, Coen Brothers and Reese Witherspoon Were In Line for ‘Showgirls 2’ Sleazquel, Rena Riffel Reveals

At last, Showgirls 2: Penny’s From Heaven is out on the guilty pleasure-friendly format: DVD. (While original Razzie favorite Showgirls belly-flopped on the big screen, it’s still one of the highest grossing DVDs of all time).
Rena Riffel, star of Showgirls and Mulholland Drive turned camp icon, has been pulling the g-strings on her directorial oeuvre since the original wrapped back in ’94 and is celebrating the release this week.
We spoke to her about the movie’s journey from Michael Bay blockbuster to DIY erotic ‘trashterpiece’ for this Hollywood.com exclusive.
Hi Rena, thanks for talking to Hollywood.com. So, why do you think Penny/Hope - your character in Showgirls and the star of your sequel - resonated so much with fans?
She means well and wants to succeed, but everyone just thinks she's a dum-dum. She’s like the underdog we can cheer her on to make it to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. She’s kind of Marilyn Monroe in Gentleman Prefer Blondes or Some Like It Hot: very innocent, but she’s like a piece of meat in a lair of wolves.

What's the AA-cup version of the movie storyline?
Penny Slot drops everything and hitchhikes down the road to her dream of finally being a famous dancer on TV show Star Dancer. She finds herself in danger, running from the law and ultimately has a near-death experience.
This sequel's been in the pipeline for a long time - can you run us through its odyssey briefly?
In my late thirties, I realized I was getting too old to play myself – so I better do this now! I wrote for a year, for 12 hours a day. I wrote 28 very different drafts. I had people contact me, but nothing worked out. I went through some unfortunate drama and turmoil.  On a good note, I sent my script to Paul Verhoeven [who directed the original] who said he liked it very much and gave me his blessing.

I was trying to raise millions of dollars, but towards the end of the uphill battle, I settled on going for a lower budget of 8 million. They read my script and did the Hollywood thing: “Reese Witherspoon will play Penny, they will bring in a big director like Michael Bay, and hire a big writer (the Coen Brothers) to come on board,” and I said, “Wait a second, then what would I do?” So, that's when I just threw in the towel and decided to make it the way I made Trasharella. All by myself, with the help of friends.
Showgirls is still in the top highest-grossing MGM DVDs of all time. Are you expecting similar wildfire sales?
I wish!  It will be interesting to see how this turns out. If it doesn't make money, it's not like I’m 100 million in debt on it!
You've referred to this project as 'pulling a Barbra' - please elaborate?
Showgirls 2: Penny's From Heaven is my Yentl (which was nominated for Oscars AND Razzies).  Yentl was Barbra's directorial debut, but it took 15 years for her to get it made.  She also dealt with everyone thinking she was too old to play the lead role.
The critics had a field day with Showgirls, but it’s won some high-profile fans since. What’s your dream review for this?
I guess it would be like, “Showgirls 2 is perfect imperfection. A job well done by Director/ Writer/ Producer/ Editor/ Dancer/ Craft Service/ Key Grip and star, Miss Riffel. Two "thumbs" up, all "stars" clicked, we "like" buttoned it, etc.!”

Where My Girls At? The Most Supportive Rom-Com Best Friends

The job of a romantic comedy best friend may look easy. But these ladies (and dudes) have the difficult gig of supporting every scheme, participating in every song and dance number, and occasionally ending up with the romantic hero's less dashing compatriot, all while doing their best not to steal the leading lady's spotlight. Here are a few of the BFF performances that are a credit to the genre.
Kit in Pretty Woman
Vivan gets all the "hooker with a heart of gold" credit. But what about Kit (Laura San Giacomo) who, instead of being jealous of her best friend's luck, encourages her to go live her fairy tale?
Becky in Sleepless in Seattle
Becky (Rosie O'Donnell) gives Annie a reality check when she expects her real life to play out like a movie, but will still be sitting next to her for every hundreth viewing of An Affair to Remember, sharing a box of tissues.
Marie in When Harry Met Sally
Sometimes the role of the rom-com sidekick is to make the heroine feel more together by comparison. Before getting together with Harry's best friend, Marie (Carrie Fisher) is stuck on a married guy who she, Sally, and pretty much everyone knows is never going to leave his wife.
Kate in Only You
It's helpful for a leading lady to have the kind of friend who has no qualms about making snap decisions that most normal people would find insane, like when Kate (Bonnie Hunt) drops her entire life to tag along with Faith on an impromptu trip to Italy.
Penny in The Wedding Planner
Cute, spunky, and high-strung, Penny (Judy Greer) is there to take care of business when Mary runs off in search of love, or whatever.
George in My Best Friend's Wedding
George (Rupert Everett) doesn't know he's the sidekick and steals every scene he's in. But all is forgiven when he shows up at Michael's wedding and quite literally sweeps a defeated Jules off her feet.

Cecily Strong: The Sketches That Have Us Feeling Confident in Our New 'Update' Co-Host

Seth Meyers announced his new Weekend Update co-host this week, and we're feeling pretty good about this choice. Cecily Strong joined the Saturday Night Live cast just last year, and this high-profile gig surely came her way because of the huge impact she's made in her short tenure on the show. She excels at creating memorable characters; the common element in most of the successful recurring sketches that were established in the '12-'13 season was Cecily. She's already visited the Update desk as several characters; and no matter who she's playing, she and Seth have great comic chemistry.
Let's look back at Cecily's greatest hits from Season 38 and know that our fake news fate is in good hands.
The Girlfriends Talk Show
Cecily taps into our childhood insecurities with this one. She plays peppy Kyra, who hosts a teen talk show with her less-cool best friend Morgan (Aidy Bryant). She and her new, "awesome" girlfriend (Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway, so far) continually undermine poor Morgan until she's practically seething. Remember high school? That was fun.
"We're not porn stars anymore!"
The former-porn-stars-do-a-commercial sketch never fails, mostly because Strong and Vanessa Bayer have perfectly the ladies' signature garbled delivery ("Aff-lence. lux-ry. Mo-ey Chamben.") and blank-eyed stares. It's also an opportunity for the writers to trot out their best one-liners ("One time I did a weird shoot in Mexico. Two of the girls died, but I'm alive. Thanks, champagne!") and for hosts like Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck to put on some short-shorts and tap into their Boogie Nights fantasies.
Dana and Niff
Dana (Strong) and Niff (Bobby Moynihan) are sure that they're getting fired (from McDonald's or Barnes and Noble, depending on the episode), so they take that opportunity to air their personal greivances with all their co-workers. ("I know you copied those Mad Libs, Beverly. Ain't nobody that funny.") It kills, because the two deliver every insult with panache and committment and because we all, especially on our worst days, daydream about doing the same.
The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party

The one and only downside to having Cecily as a Weekend Update co-host is that we will likely say goodbye to her most popular character, who cares too much about humankind's greatest problems to even find out what they are. Who will remind Seth to "learn a book" or ask the tough questions like, "What are we even doing? And like, don't"? Our world will be a much poorer, less socially-conscious place, but it's the price we'll have to pay.

Bottoms Up! On-Screen Watering Holes That Really Exist

The secret behind most television and film locations is that they don't exist in real life. All those Central Perks, Paddy's Pubs and [insert New York street here] live on a Hollywood back lot or set. From wholesome sitcoms to dramatic noirs, each story can benefit from a good old fashioned bar scene — a local watering hole where characters can act up, commiserate or drown in their misery. Lucky for us, some of these storied drinking establishments are real locations where you can down a pint of your own. Check out our list of our favorite watering holes immortalized on screen. We're still reeling from the fact we'll never get to visit the Peach Pit After Dark.

The Book Thief' First Look: How Markus Zusak's Novel Became a Likely Oscar Contender

Markus Zusak didn’t expect for his 2006 novel The Book Thief to get published. Let alone become a New York Times #1 Bestseller. Let alone receive a major movie adaptation by 20th Century Fox that’s already getting Oscar buzz two months before its Nov. 15 release. “I thought no one would read it,” Zusak says. “I mean, how would someone describe it to their friends? ‘Well, it’s set in Nazi Germany. It’s narrated by Death. There’s a high body count. And it’s 580 pages long. You’ll love it!’”
Anyone who’s read The Book Thief — and it turns out many, many people have — knows it’s the staggeringly ambitious story of Liesel Meminger, a ten-year-old girl separated from her communist mother and forced to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the small German town of Molching. The year is 1939. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party control Germany and are about to begin marching across Europe. It’s appropriate, then, that the novel is narrated by Death. But this isn’t any skeletal Grim Reaper with sickle or scythe. He’s a wry, relatively good-natured chap with a job to do. Death shows us Liesel’s experiences leading up to and during World War II: how her foster father Hans teaches her how to read a book she stole, the way she settles in to life in Molching, interacts with other kids her own age, and helps hide the son of a Jewish man who fought alongside Hans in World War I in the cellar of her foster parents’ home, just as the full savagery of the Holocaust begins. What Zusak conjures is truly unique: a panoramic view of life in a German town during World War II, a Mrs. Miniver story set on the other side.
The Book Thief is the stuff of great drama, but let’s face it…most movie adaptations of novels about adolescent girls these days feature vampires, werewolves, and witches, not Nazis. “The Book Thief was always at the forefront of my mind,” producer Karen Rosenfelt says. “I really wanted to get this made even while I was working on other projects like Twilight.” Rosenfelt has produced some of the highest-grossing movies geared to young people in recent years, including all five of the movies based on Stephenie Meyer’s vampire saga. But The Book Thief became a true passion project for her and she wanted its movie adaptation to share two qualities of the book: authenticity and honesty.
Zusak’s book is incredibly detailed, and it’s easy to see why: his parents grew up in Germany during World War II before eventually emigrating to Australia. “The best research for the book was my whole childhood, really,” Zusak says. Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, who Rosenfelt tapped to play the loving Hans Hubermann, adds, “It’s such a personal story, because Markus developed the idea for The Book Thief from the stories his parents told him about living in Nazi Germany. So even though it seems like such a different world, there’s this level of detail he brings to it that makes it feel lived-in enough that anybody can relate to it.” Zusak’s parents also peppered their conversation with hyperlocal insults like the word “saumensch,” featured prominently in the book. In fact, Zusak even based Liesel’s personality in part on his mother’s. “I think it’s very fresh,” Rush says. “I wasn’t aware of the book when I was sent the screenplay, then read the book after having read the screenplay and thought [screenwriter] Michael Petroni did a really honorable transposition of it. It has such a whimsical, sardonic, poetic, existential sensibility…and it’s very blunt.”
So to match the book’s level of authenticity, Rosenfelt hired director Brian Percival, who’s worked on much of Downton Abbey, and insisted on shooting the movie in Germany. But there were still many challenges for the filmmakers to unpack. First, there was the matter of the book’s length. “It’s close to 600 pages, so it was tough to figure out what to leave on the cutting room floor,” Rosenfelt says. Among the things that have been changed from the book to the movie, Hans and Rosa are now childless. In the book, their son was a pretty fanatical Nazi. “One thing we couldn’t cut? Death’s voiceover,” Rosenfelt says. “We knew we wanted that from the start. But voiceover is a tricky thing. You never want too much of it or for it to take you out of the film. It should be seamless.” Producer Ken Blancato adds, “You shouldn’t be going ‘Wait, is that Morgan Freeman?’” The voice actor for Death still hasn’t been announced yet, but it’ll be the critical thread to link the many years of the story together.
There’s also the challenge of aging Sophie from a 10-year-old to a 17-year-old over the course of the movie. Thousands of girls auditioned for the role, but it was 13-year-old Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse (Monsieur Lazhar) who won out. The Book Thief makeup team then worked to shade her face in such a way to convey Sophie aging. “I wanted to go for the full Benjamin Button effect,” Nelisse jokes.
However, figuring out the basic challenges of adapting the book and casting one actress to inhabit Liesel as she grows from a child into a young woman was just the beginning in creating The Book Thief.

10 TV Looks Suited for the Red Carpet — GALLERY

When the stars of our favorite TV shows walk down the red carpet at the Emmy Awards this weekend, they're sure to look so good that we can hardly remember the neurotic, terrifying, or goofy personas they adopt every week.  But a few times this year, the characters looked as good as the actors who play them. From Leslie Knope's wedding dress to the impressive follicles of one Jessa Johansson, here are 10 looks that were so unforgettable that they'd be right at home on the red carpet.

Five Horrible, Horrible Ways 'Breaking Bad' Could End

Right now there's only two more episodes of Breaking Bad left, and everyone who is watching the show is feverishly trying to guess how this is going to end. Will Walter White die? Will Skyler? Jesse? People are doing mental gymnastics trying to guess what is going on in show creator Vince Gilligan's head and surmise what the best possible outcome is. Gilligan, for his part, seems convinced that he has done it in a way that will please nearly everyone. He's done great so far, but what if he stumbles and winds up having the show lurch towards the finish line, like Hank trying one final time to reach the gun in the desert. Well, here are some of the ways that this show could just completely blow it:
Writer's Block
After the final carnage ends... the screen goes black, just like the ending of The Sopranos. There's blackness... and then just a closeup of the White matriarch's eyes. She's sitting at her desk, writing. The computer monitor shows "and then Walter reached for his gun, coughing as the cancer threatened to finally kill him before he could reach his goal... ) She clicks 'Save" and then Hank walks in, grinning with a mug of coffee. Yup. Skyler's really married to Hank and Walter's married to Marie and Flynn is their child.
Meth Dreams
Same scenario as above...all blackness...and then suddenly Walter's eyes snap open. He's been asleep the whole time. He sits up, gasping for air. Slowly, he takes stock of his surroundings. Skyler is peacefully asleep next to him. The White home seems in pristine condition...and then, gingerly, he reaches up, and feels his head. His hair's all there, a thick mane like he had in the first season. There's no baby Holly. He hears Walter, Jr. moving around in the kitchen, making his breakfast, of course. He wryly smiles...it was all a dream. Then the phone rings. He lets the machine pick up. "Yo Walter, it's Hank! Wake up! Let's go for a ride on a drug bust!"
The Walking Dead
Walter stares down Jesse. The bodies of Lydia, Todd and the neo-Nazi crew are strewn about them. Before Jesse can say a word, Walter snarls, "You REALLY think I came back to save you? After everything I said before?" Jesse looks down in mute disappointment, and then closes his eyes, waiting for that inevitable final shot. Walt raises the gun...and then there's a moan in the background. He freezes and glances around. None of the bodies around them stir. Moonlight is beginning to stream through the window. Walt looks at Jesse, "That you?" he asks. "What do you think...b**ch?" Jesse spits. Yeah, he's got a little spark left. Walt steadies the gun...and just as he is about to shoot, a hand reaches out of the darkness and grabs his arm and slams him against the wall. Suddenly, shuffling feet. Walter looks up to see the zombie forms of Hank and Jane closing in on him...the last scene of the show is closeups of the two zombie faces, covered with blood, moving towards the camera.
"My Name Is Flynn. Say My Name."
An old warehouse.Walter lays gasping his last breaths as his son looks on. Jesse is curled up in a ball, in shock that he is still alive. Soon, it is over. Skyler is nowhere to be found. Walt. Jr. looks around, eyes wide in shock. He looks at Pinkman. His eyes go flat...reptilian. "It's about time..." he says as his speech suddenly becomes perfect. The braces he used suddenly clatter to the floor and Walt, Jr. straightens his body to its full height. Pinkman looks on in mute shock. "You just gonna stand there, Pinkman? We've got cooking to do." "W-Walt, Jr.?" Pinkman quavers. "My. Name. Is. Flynn." The show goes dark.
One Goodman Standing
Jesse and Walt lay dead. Skyler is sitting on the ground holding Holly and Walt. Jr. look on in shock. Saul stands over the bodies, his nose having not reset as well as he might have liked after Jesse pistol-whipped him earlier. He has a gun that he holsters. His eyes flick over to Huell, who immediately begins to haul both bodies away. Goodman looks over at the three remaining Whites, and for once, says nothing. He walks away while whistling the "Better Call Saul" jingle. The screen goes dark.

Autobiographical Films That Keep It Real

SXWS

Every day seems to bring news of another biopic film in the works. What can we say; audiences can't get enough of famous dead celebrities — and presidents, for that matter. While J.D Salinger might roll over his in grave over the latest Salinger documentary, the autobiographical film puts the power and story into the hands of the filmmaker with deeply personal results that blend fact with fiction imperceptibly. Here's a sampling of some memoir-cum-movie picks.
Short Term 12

Screenwriter and director Destin Cretton took his time spent working at a foster care facility and turned it into one of the most moving films of this year. His first-hand experience shapes the film and prevents it from veering into after-school special territory, while making the audience feel like they experienced it with him.
50/50

When faced with a grim diagnosis such as spinal cancer, it helps to have Seth Rogen as your best friend to help you cope through comedy. After being diagnosed at the age of 24, comedy writer Will Reiser wrote a screenplay with Rogen about what happened to their friendship after the diagnosis and all the awkward interactions that illness can bring.
Tarnation
Jonathan Caouette made indie film history when he made his autobiographical documentary for only $218.32. Then again, most of the film is made up of family movies and personal footage from age 11 and up. While it may not be familiar to a large audience, Caouette's story is equally troubling as it is fascinating — thanks to his manic mother and schizophrenic storytelling.
Almost Famous
This movie just further proved that none of us would ever be as cool as Cameron Crowe. At the ripe age of 16, he finagled a job reporting for Rolling Stone, toured with the Allman Brothers Band, lost his virginity to three groupies AND made a highly successful movie out of it. Also, rest assured; Penny Lane is real.
Tiny Furniture

Lena Dunham's commitment to rooting her HBO series Girls in reality is well documented; as anyone who's seen the Q-tip episode can attest. Before she mined her real life experiences of gay ex-boyfriends and British ex-pat artists as best friends, her first feature laid the groundwork for all the creative-nonfiction that was to follow. If it's hard to separate Dunham from her onscreen personas, than that means her job is done.

If J.J. Abrams Wants an 'Emotional and Authentic' 'Star Wars', He Should Turn to 'Empire Strikes Back'

It seems like every day, there's a new tidbit of information about J.J. Abrams' Star Wars reboot. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abrams stated that his main goal for Episode VII is to create a Star Wars film that feels "emotional and authentic." However, when asked which of the previous films in the saga would have the closest feel to the upcoming one, Abrams refused to pick, saying "Whatever your favorite Star Wars movie is and how to compare it is really sort of subjective." Well, with all due respect to Mr. Abrams, there really is only one Star Wars film that would be the ideal inspiration for the reboot: The Empire Strikes Back.
Episode V is the most iconic film in the franchise, and is both critcally acclaimed and a fan favorite. For those reasons alone, Abrams would be smart to use this film as his guide, as it would provide the best insight into the tone of the saga, and would allow him to connect the reboot to the original films in the series. And besides, channeling the original trilogy would most likely help Abrams avoid creating another Jar Jar Binks. However, even if he's not looking to replicate the tone of the first half of the saga, Empire Strikes Back exemplifies the balance of fantasy and autheticity that the director says he's after.
If Abrams wants emotional, Empire is the place to turn. First, there's the moment where Han Solo is frozen in carbonite moments after he and Leia have declared their love for each other. Not only would the poignancy of this moment help Abrams to strike the right chord with audiences, but the relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia is the ideal basis for any sort of romantic element that might be included in the reboot.
In addition, Episode V contains the most iconic Star Wars moment of all: Luke discovering that Darth Vader is his father. This moment is the kind of plot twist that manages to both surprise the audience and have emotional ramifications for the characters. After all, Luke not only finds out that his father is still alive, but he's the one person he's thought of as the enemy... not to mention the fact that Luke lost his hand in the big reveal. That's going to take a toll on anyone, and it perfectly sets up many of the important plot and character elements of the next film. If Abrams is able to channel this moment, he will not only get the kind of authentic emotion he's aiming for, but he will also be able to create a plot twist that wipes whatever he was attempting to do with Khan from everyone's mind.
With all of the negative press and feelings still surrounding Star Trek Into Darkness, fans are apprehensive about the upcoming Star Wars sequels, and Abrams needs something that will seem comforting. Drawing inspiration from Empire Strikes Back would be a good sign that he understands what made the saga so compelling and entertaining in the first place, and would give fans hope that they don't have another Attack of the Clones headed their way. In short, it's the perfect way to ensure that Abrams gets to execute his vision without alienating a devoted audience.

Things You Need To Know About ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Scandal’ Creator Shonda Rhimes

Mark Sullivan/WireImage
Fans of the popular ABC shows Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal often find themselves wondering who comes up with the fictional plot twists and love affairs that keep them up at night. While she obviously does not work alone, the simple answer is Shonda Rhimes. The Emmy-nominated writer and producer created both shows, but that’s not all she contributes to the universe. Here are a few things you might not know about the genius behind the curtain.
She Knows How To Handle Drama On And Off The Screen
This past year  Rhimes came under  criticism for the treatment of her lead character Olivia Pope (played by Kerry Washington). Some folks (including Star Jones) accused her of glorifying marital affairs, and even felt that the interracial relationship on the show was problematic. Rhimes has brilliantly responded to such accusations by defending her art as just that — art, and not a political or social platform. And she often takes to Twitter to remind people who get a little too caught up that her shows are, in fact, fictional.
Oprah Winfrey Is Obsessed With Her
When Oprah Winfrey and former President of the United States Bill Clinton watch your show (they both love Scandal), it’s kind of a big deal. But Oprah and Shonda are so close, their Twitter exchanges are well-documented, and when Shonda made TIME Magazine’s 2013 list of 100 most influential people in the world, Oprah even wrote the powerful accompanying essay.
Halle Berry Kinda, Sorta Owes Her

Halle Berry got her start long before her role in the television biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Still, her performance in the Shonda Rhimes-written script was one of her best and most well-respected, as she (along with Rhimes) brought to life the important story of the first black movie star to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
She Was a Candy Striper in High School
This woman is living proof that volunteer work truly pays off in the end. Rhimes volunteered at a hospital during high school, and attributes that experience to her interest in such environments. Grey’s Anatomy and its spin-off series Private Practice are a direct result of her candy striper days in Chicago.
She’s an Inspiration to Unemployed Writers Everywhere
After Rhimes got her Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California, she was just another unemployed scriptwriter in Hollywood. She worked odd jobs to pay the bills, but eventually got her big break as a research director for a documentary on Hank Aaron. See? We all gotta start somewhere.

Bollywood News Updates

Happy birthday Kareena Kapoor Khan!

New Delhi: Kareena Kapoor Khan, who tied the knot last year with long time beau Saif, will be celebrating her 33rd birthday today in London.

It will be her first birthday celebration post marriage. This time, Kareena will be joining hubby Saif in the English capital, where he is shooting for his next film.

Although Bebo’s personal and marital life is rocking, at the professional front too, she has been grabbing lot of meaty and promising film projects. The newest film to fall in her kitty is Karan Johar’s ‘Shuddhi’ co-starring Hrithik Roshan.

This year she will back on screen with her ‘Ek Main Aur Ek Tu’ co-star Imran Khan in Punit Malhotra’s ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’.

Kareena made her presence felt at the launch of her debut book ‘Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva’ and also sizzled in Prakasha Jha’s multi-starrer ‘Satyragraha’. And we certainly hope to see more of her on screen in the months to come. Here’s wishing the beautiful Kareena a super duper birthday!

‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’ review: Watch it if you are a Shahid Kapoor fan!

After rom-com ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’ comes across as a simple childlike Hindi film that now is a rarity. The film starring Shahid Kapoor and Ileana D’Cruz is one of its kinds because the audiences have now matured and expect more than what has already been delivered.

Santoshi’s previous film- ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’- had laughter elements scattered across the film evenly. But that’s not the case with ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’, where the audiences are left to wonder whether to laugh or cry!

That’s certainly doesn’t mean that the film isn’t worth a laughter. A number of thoroughly entertaining comic sequences are sporadically placed in the film. Nonetheless, some clichéd filmi scenes peppered on the top somewhat dilute the true essence of the film.

The story is about a small town mother’s aspirations and her dream to see her son becoming an honest police officer. Savitri (Padmini Kolhapure) wants her son Vishwas (Shahid Kapoor) to join the police force. But her son is a wannabe actor who cannot think of anything beyond films.

Savitri, raises her son with great difficulties and instils good values in him. She doesn’t want him to indulge in anything that is unethical. But her son has other plans.

The acting ka keeda in him tempts him to opt for a different route to build a career- yes a career in films. He dreams of becoming a superstar.

The wannabe actor gives a miss to his enrolment in the Mumbai police for his Bollywood aspirations. His chance encounter with real goondas while he is wearing a fake Police uniform helps him meet his ladylove Kajal (Ileana D’Cruz).

Kajal, who is a socially responsible young woman, is stumped by Vishwas’s daredevilry as he accidentally becomes a catalyst in rescuing an innocent girl from the clutches of the goondas.

And the silsila of Kajal’s misunderstanding continues. In the meanwhile, Vishwas gets the shock of his life when he is informed of his mother’s arrival to the city. And the troubled son looks for ways to keep pretending to be a Police Officer.

But how long will Vishwas be able to keep his mother’s Vishwas in him intact. The remaining part of the film answers the question.

Coming to the acting- ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’ is an out and out Shahid Kapoor film. The actor delivers applause worthy performance in the film which has him in the limelight from the start to finish. ‘Barfi!’ girl Ileana has very little screen space yet manages to impress. And ‘fabulous’ is the word for veteran Padmini Kolhapure.

The songs in the film are a treat to the ears. The picturisation of the song ‘Mere Bina Tu’ will certainly remind you of ‘Tu Jaane Na’ featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif from Santoshi’s ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’. And the song ‘Main Rang Sharbaton Ka’ by Atif Aslam and Chinmayi Sripada is truly melodious.

PPNH in totality doesn’t have too much to offer apart from Shahid’s flawless performance. The screenplay was good but the story failed to hold the attention of the audiences.

The first half of the film promises sheer entertainment. But the film goes flat in the latter half. Santoshi’s idea was good but perhaps he failed to implement it well.

If you want to take your kids for a movie, then ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’ is definitely a good choice this weekend. And even otherwise if you still want to watch the film, do not go with great expectations.

Aamir Khan supports Hansal Mehta's 'Shahid'

Mumbai: Actor-producer Aamir Khan, who saw the trailer of Hansal Mehta`s ‘Shahid’, has decided to support the film and has posted the trailer on his official Facebook page.

"We are really happy that our next, `Shahid`, is touching the heartstrings ofthe entire industry. It`s a proud moment for team Shahid that Aamir decided to back the trailer by hosting it on his Facebook page. This is truly a warm gesture from him and we are proud of the film and the trailer and truly thankful to Aamir for having supported it.

"`Shahid` is surely a film to watch out for and with people like Aamir supporting the film, it will give the film that has been acclaimed the world over, the attention it thoroughly deserves," said Shikha Kapur, executive director, marketing, studios, Disney UTV.

Starring Raj Kumar, ‘Shahid’ is based on the true story of human rights activist and lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was killed in 2010 by unidentified assailants in his office.

From attempting to become a terrorist, to being wrongly imprisoned under a draconian anti-terrorism law, to becoming a champion of human rights, ‘Shahid’ traces the inspiring personal journey of a boy who became an unlikely messiah for human rights.

Directed by Mehta, ‘Shahid’ has been acclaimed across film fests in the world.

It has travelled to several film festivals including Toronto, Dubai and Mumbai and has wowed audiences the world over.

Mehta won the best director at New York Indian Film Festival and at the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart.

‘Shahid’ had a world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2012 (TIFF 2012), and a centerpiece at New York Indian Film Festival and the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.

Produced by UTV Spotboy, Sunil Bohra and Anurag Kashyap, ‘Shahid’ is set to release in the country Oct 18.

Deepika, Ranbir team up for another film

New Delhi: Ex- love birds, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone have let bygones to be bygones and have moved on.

The duo who sizzled on the silver screen with Box-Office blockbuster- `Yeh Jawaani Hain Deewani`, their first film after their publisised break-up are reportedly doing another film together.


According to a leading daily, Ranbir and Deepika, who were first seen together in ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’, will star together once again in talented filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s next project, which is tentatively titled ‘Window Seat’.


However, the director is tight-lipped about his next film, but Kapoor, seems to have no qualms divulging information about the same.


With time, the dimpled hottie as well as her former beau have tasted success. Ranbir is now touted as the next superstar while Deepika has been quite successful at the Box Office with ‘Chennai Express’ to her credit.


But for the moment, Ranbir and Deepika are busy promoting their films ‘Besharam’ and ‘Ramleela’ which are scheduled to hit the silver screen on October 2, 2013, and November 15, 2013 respectively.

'Grand Masti' mints Rs.66.48 crore in first week

New Delhi: Adult comedy `Grand Masti` has generated Rs.66.48 at the box office within the first week of its release.

Directed by Indra Kumar, the bold movie, which released Sep 13, opened with Rs.12.51 crore. It stars Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani along with six actresses.

The film went on to clock Rs.13.21 crore and Rs.14.46 crore on Saturday and Saturday, respectively, via single screens as well as multiplexes.

The week remained strong with Monday collection at Rs.7.5 crore, Tuesday Rs.7.25 crore, Wednesday Rs.6.30 crore and Thursday Rs.5.25 crore -- taking the tally to Rs.66.48 crore.

`Grand Masti` is co-produced by Ashok Thakeria and Indra Kumar, presented by Bharat Shah and distributed by Eros International Worldwide.