Entertainment Updats: June 2012

Saturday, 30 June 2012

TomKat update: Katie Holmes wants sole custody of Suri

The TomKat's out of the bag: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are ending their five-year marriage, and though neither actor has commented on the reasons for the split, Holmes' lawyer, Jonathan Wolfe, confirmed the news to People magazine.

"This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family," Wolfe told the magazine. "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest." The couple's daughter, Suri, is six years old.

Rs120 million grant for Arts Council

Karachi

The Arts Council, Karachi, has been given a grant of Rs120 million for renovation and modernisation out of the federal funds meant for the Governor’s development package.

This was disclosed by Ahmed Shah, President, Arts Council, while talking to The News on Thursday.

Shah said that the amount had already been deposited in the account of the Arts Council on June 19.

“Marriage Keen" Kareena Kapoor plans to lug “Kapoor” name to Pataudi

They will! When? Soon! How soon? Very soon, maybe October 2012! Discussions are buzzing! Ears are ringing with the speculation! But wait, the whispering gossip mongers tales do indicate a “Saifeena wedding“ on 16th October at the regal ancestral home of the Pataudi’s as chirped by the Royal Sharmila Tagore, Kareena’s future mother-in-law. Kareena gleefully plans to heave her well recognized “Kapoor” surname along unquestionably to the Pataudi familial abode with her trousseau!

Katy Perry talks about her forthcoming album – Music News

The pop-star and heart-throb of many in the world, Katy Perry is working on the release of new music album.

In this connection, she recently shared her views on media and talked about her forthcoming album. She stated, "It will be a much darker album than the previous one. It was inevitable, after what I went through. If I had a time machine and could go back
in time, I would. But I can’t, so you’ll discover another part of me."

International Porn star Sunny Leone is surely setting the temperatures high with Jism sequel. In Jism 2 she has done a spicy act which is definitely ‘hot’ for Bollywood standards. Here is the fresh poster of Jism 2 which is making waves across the web

Director Pooja Bhatt is making sure that Jism 2 gets all the attention that is needed for it to make big bucks. A promotional video from this film was recently out and Sunny Leone has exceeded everyone’s expectations in terms of hotness.

In a typical south Indian marriage, Esha Deol, daughter of veteran actress Hemamalini (who hails from Tamil Nadu), entered wedlock with businessman Bharat Takhtani in Mumbai on Friday in typical south Indian style.

Mehdi Hassan fans will mourn the maestro for long

HAVING been trained in Hindustani classical music by his elders, Mehdi Hassan in the beginning had to work as a bicycle and auto-repair man to earn a livelihood. The family opted to move to Pakistan at the time of partition.

Here the music within Mehdi Hassan, which he breathed and lived, began to come out. He started to sing for Radio Pakistan and films. That was the humble beginning of a man on whose passing away his fans will mourn for a long time to come and remember him whenever his voice will be heard anywhere in the media.

Aamir Khan announced plansfor season 2 of the very popular talkshow 'Satyamev Jayate'. The 13 part first season which has received a spectacular response has crossed the halfway mark.

The show has already dealt with a host of hard hitting topics including girl child, healthcare scenario in India and domestic violence.

Now the makers plan to have the music launch in London where both Indian and Pakistani singers who feature in the 'Cocktail' soundtrack can perform.

The album of Saif Ali Khan's upcoming film Cocktail has received superb audience reactions and with that four Pakistani talented singers make their debut in India. Keeping in mind their great music, the makers had planned a lavish music launch celebration.

Andrew Garfield not competitive with pals

Andrew Garfield has insisted a role would never come between him and his friends.

The Amazing Spider-Man actor enjoys the company of fellow British actors Robert Pattinson and Jamie Bell when he is in New York City. Both Jamie and Andrew were linked to the role of Spider-Man, but Andrew was adamant there were no hard feelings when he won the part.

"My friends aren't so stupid that a job would come between us," he revealed.

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi is all set to create another super hit pairing in the upcoming movie Bhaiyyaji.

Warsi who is known for his work alongside Sajay Dutt in the Munna Bhai movies will now appear with Sunny Deol.

The director of the movie Neeraj Pathank said that the duo will bring magic to the silver screen.

The film, which also stars Ameesha Patel and Tusshar Kapoor, will release early next year

Ali Azmat’s song ‘Bum Phatta’ to feature in ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’

Ali Azmat has long been hailed as our personal Pakistani rock star with an attitude to match, evident from his new single, “Bum Phata”, a satirical take on the deplorable conditions been faced by the people of Pakistan amid a worrisome lack of everyday essentials such as water, electricity and food.

Katie Holmes has filed for divorce in New York citing "irreconcilable differences", announcing the split via a statement to People magazine.

Hubby Tom Cruise, 49, said that he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

According to TMZ.com, Holmes, 33, has asked for sole legal custody of six-year-old daughter Suri, setting up the couple for a high profile legal battle if Cruise chooses to contest her claim.

The pair signed a prenuptial agreement before their wedding in November 2006, which guarantees Holmes a yearly sum.

ISLAMABAD: The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) should have independent local media. This will create an enabling environment for political participation in the region ahead of the next general elections, said mainstream political parties and elected officials from the region here on Thursday.

Obaidullah’s death a national loss

Obaidullah Baig’s death is indeed a national loss. He was a multitalented and multifaceted personality, having an insatiable curiosity and boundless love for learning. He proved his mettle in different capacities, demonstrating his tremendous talent and rich potential.

Karachi: An acid attack survivor, whose harrowing story inspired Oscar award winning documentary by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, has filed a case against the documentary filmmaker for not paying her compensation and other benefits.

KABUL - Hundreds of thousands of Afghans face the threat of deportation back to their war-torn country from Pakistan once a deadline expires Saturday, but Kabul is crying foul over the move.

Pakistan is home to 1.7 million refugees and hundreds of thousands more unregistered migrants from its neighbour, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Saif-deepika turn love gurus

MUMBAI, June 29 -- Get ready with your relationship queries. For Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone are set to turn experts on Facebook. In this new role, they will interact with youngsters on the social networking site, and answer questions they might have on love and relationships.

Ann Curry confirmed two things on the "Today” show Thursday that most of the world had already figured out: She's leaving and she doesn't like it.

Choking back tears and fighting to maintain her composure, Curry said, "This is not the way I expected to leave" the show where she has worked for 15 years.

ISLAMABAD: The play, “Badshah, Ghulam aur Begum”, ostensibly a comedy revolving around the common man’s problems, was performed by artists from Balochistan on Wednesday at Pakistan National Council of the Arts.

It explores a king’s failed attempts to resolve his people’s issues and reflects the current crises facing the country, including high inflation and the lack of basic necessities like water and electricity.

Punjab assembly welcomes release of Surjeet Singh

The Punjab Assembly today welcomed the release of Surjeet Singh, who returned home yesterday after spending 31 years in a Pakistan jail, and urged the Centre to take steps to secure the release of another resident of the state Sarabjit Singh languishing in Lahore jail for the last 20 years.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal moved the resolution in the Assembly here today welcoming the release of Surjeet Singh, a resident of Phiddey village in Muktsar district.

Depp close to multiple women before split from Vanessa

Johnny Depp was reportedly spending time with other beautiful women as his 14-year relationship with Vanessa Paradis crumbled.

Depp, 49, denied claims that he was involved with his 'Dark Shadows' co-star Eva Green who he shared a sensational, supernatural love scene with in the Tim Burton flick.

But according to a report, he has struck up a more serious bond with his pretty publicist, Robin Baum.

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who was recently mired in considerable controversy over the weight she gained (and refused to bother about) while being pregnant with and after giving birth to her first child - daughter Aaradhya - received support from a number of people within the entertainment industry and outside. Now her husband, fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan, has joined the bandwagon and dismissed the concerns.

In an interview with Indian newspaper DNA, Bachchan responded to questions about the media hyping his wife's post-baby weight gain by labelling them insensitive.

Most Public Libraries Offer E-Books, but Few Patrons Use Them

More than half of Americans with library cards don’t know whether they can borrow e-books from the library, though over 75 percent of public libraries offer this service, says a Pew study released today.

The Pew Internet study focuses on how the popularization of e-books has affected the borrowing habits of library patrons. It found that although e-books are becoming more common and library patrons are more tech-savvy than the general public, most people are still not doing their borrowing in digital form.

BAGHDAD: Adil Hamid Khalaf is like many Iraqi traders, with his tiny store stocked to the brim with VCDs and DVDs. What sets him apart is he can extol, in halting Hindi no less, the glory of 1950s Bollywood classics.
Khalaf’s high prices for new movies – he charges as much as $10 (7.85 euros) whereas others offer knock-offs for 40 cents – and passion for Indian films from a bygone era mean sales are fewer than ever.

Veena Malik & Poonam Pandey know the art of using cricket, nudity & controversy to make an entry into Bollywood movies

If Poonam Pandey is the newest sexy lass to have mastered the art of hogging limelight and have no bearings in shedding off her clothes at the drop off a hat, using cricket as a backdrop to gain fame and fortune, Veena Malik can be termed to be her senior in this respect. The Pakistani bombshell, who made entry into the Indian tinsel town through Big Boss and now will be seen in a couple of Bollywood movies in meaty roles, too gained instant fame courtesy the gentleman’s game.

PETALUMA, Calif. -- Hard to imagine that so many truly ugly canines would come together at once. But there they were, competing for the coveted title of World's Ugliest Dog, and only one could win:

Drum roll, please, for the new titleholder: Mugly, a Chinese crested whose short snout, beady eyes and white whiskers carried the day at the annual contest Friday.

Artistes role in projecting country’s soft image lauded

PESHAWAR – The Culture Journalists Forum celebrated the World Music Day by holding a music function at Peshawar Press Club, where Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain was the chief guest.

Addressing the gathering, the minister called upon the singers and artistes community that they would be provided full protection, adding that his government would continue supporting them and announced that a grand musical show would be arranged in Peshawar in near future in which some singers and senior artistes would be given financial assistance. He said that Pashto singers had always projected the soft image of Pashtuns across the globe through their art of singing. Paying rich tributes to the slain young singer.

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Indonesia on Saturday organised a show of traditional Indonesian Music to celebrate 65 years of bilateral relations with Pakistan.

The show was organised in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

Artists from both the countries demonstrated a fascinating display of musical show at the National Art Gallery Islamabad, highlighting the socio-cultural bonds between Indonesia and Pakistan.

Rajesh Khanna to be Discharged in a Day or Two

Mumbai, Jun 24 (IANS): Rajesh Khanna, the superstar of the 1970s, is recovering and will be discharged from the hospital in a day or two, said actress and his estranged wife Dimple Kapadia.

"He is doing well. He is much better now. He shall be discharged in a day or two," Dimple told IANS.

The 69-year-old was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here Saturday.

Emporio Taneez organises exhibition

KARACHI: The renowned multi-brand store, Emporio Taneez recently organised a three-day fashion show and exhibition where both new and veteran designers came together to showcase their designs.

Mehdi Hassan is dead. So is the great and refined art of Ghazal singing. After a long and painful struggle with multiple diseases, lasting well over a dozen years, half a dozen hospitalisations and countless medications, his body eventually gave up. There are millions who have listened to and loved his impeccable and tasteful style of singing and with over 12,000 recordings he does stand in solitary splendor.

Rajesh Khanna hospitalised, family says it's 'exhaustion'

Yesteryear superstar Rajesh Khanna was on Saturday admitted to a city hospital, two days after he reassuringly waved to fans from the balcony of his residence to dispel concerns about his failing health.

The 69-year-old actor's wife Dimple Kapadia said he was "exhausted and a little weak", while doctors refused to divulge details of his ailment.

"Yes, Khanna has been admitted to our hospital," a senior doctor at Bandra's Lilavati Hospital told PTI.

The show that was to make unparalleled history. The show of 20 questions that gained such mass appeal that it redefined the word Kasauti in the Urdu lughat (dictionary). The show that started off in the Radio Pakistan building with three friends with beautiful minds teeming with information quizzing each other with 20 questions about any and every topic under the sun. Kasauti is part of our national heritage. As was Obaidullah Baig whom we lost on June 22, 2012.

The genius of Baig lies in a number of facts. The fact that he did not have scholarly education and was actually the product of Maktab based education in UP, yet so accepted was his status as a man of knowledge that a majority not just assumed that he was a trained scholar but revered him as one.

The comedy, now in theaters, co-stars Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Judy Davis, Greta Gerwig, and Woody Allen, who also wrote and directed the flick.

“I would love to work with [Woody] 20 times. I’m fascinated by his personality. Even a day of press, which is not my favorite part of this job, he makes it so interesting and so fun,” Penelope recently told USA Today.

“I love his sense of humor. He only types on his typewriter,” she added. “Sometimes I’ve gotten e-mails from him and I say, wait a moment, were they fakes? And he said, ‘No, no, I dictate to my assistant.’ I love that he’s doing things his way.”

10+ stills inside from To Rome with Love…

Sorkin takes moral high ground again

Imagine, for a moment, what our lives would look like if scripted by Aaron Sorkin.

We'd all be witty, golden-tongue literates who spout verbal symphonies. We'd aspire to big, high-minded goals and refuse to be slaves to the Man. Moreover, we'd firmly believe that arcane data points and policy issues are sexy, not nerdy, and we'd routinely espouse the virtues of Mom, Dad and apple pie while racing through office hallways as dramatic music swells in the background.

That's a roundabout way of saying that the mighty Sorkin, who spent some time flirting with the big screen ("The Social Network" and "Moneyball") has, at last, returned to television with his utopian world views, and he's looking for a few (or many) starry-eyed dreamers to come along for the ride.

MUMBAI: New dad Abhishek Bachchan resents the immense scrutiny placed on wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's appearences, ensembles and weight matters.

ET was on hand for a special screening of To Rome with Love, and the cast had nothing but love to share about iconic Hollywood writer/director/producer Woody Allen.

One of the film's stars, Penélope Cruz, said working with Allen always leaves her wanting more. 'It was great, it was really short, so I wanted more because I did my whole character in three weeks,' she said.

Cruz also revealed that she discovered a whole different side of Allen when she recently saw him perform with his jazz band. 'I've never seen him play before and wow! I've never seen him so animated, it's another side of him, he's a great musician.'

Veena Malik confident about playing double role

New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) Pakistani actress Veena Malik is excited about playing a double role in her debut Bollywood film "Daal Mein Kuch Kaala Hai". She says she is confident she will pull it off well as she has real life dual identities as well.

Basking in the box office success of Rowdy Rathore, the makers of the film have already started planning part two. We've learnt the next in the Rowdy series will be a prequel.

A source close to the project revealed, "Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shabina Khan and Ronnie Screwvala of UTV have already started thinking about a second film in the Rowdy series. The idea is to go back in time and portray the life of Vikram Rathore - the death of his wife and his posting in the village."

BEIRUT: In recognition of World Refugee Day Wednesday, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie donated $100,000 to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to help Syrian refugees.

“UNHCR believes even one person forced to flee is too many. And it’s true. Every individual refugee matters,” Jolie said in a statement released following the donation, according to Us Weekly.

India’s very own dancing queen, Madhuri Dixit, who is often cited by the media as one of the best actresses in the industry, feels that Bollywood has a dance style of its own and it is a combination of all dancing styles in the world.

“I think Bollywood is an amalgam of all dance styles. Bollywood has no style of its own. The style is a cliche. There are so many dance styles all over the world and we get to see them all in one song itself. So this is Bollywood’s specialty,” Madhuri Dixit told IANS in an interview.

'Gangs of Wasseypur' runs housefull in UP, Bihar

Mumbai: The audiences have given the thumbs up to Anurag Kashyap's 'Gangs of Wasseypur'. It has opened to full houses in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand and is also drawing crowds in multiplexes in the Metros, distributors say.

Prashant Kumar Singh, owner of Puja Talkies in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, told IANS: "'Gangs of Wasseypur' has opened very well with 80 to 85 percent occupancy. Some of the shows were even houseful. The film is going great and even the advance booking is going on full swing."

NEW YORK (AP) — E-book readers have been relatively slow to borrow digital works from the library, frustrated by a limited selection and by not even knowing if their local branch offers e-releases, according to a new study.

Katy Perry's feature-film debut is every bit a concert movie as it is an emotional biography of sorts. For every scene that features her pop-star persona and killer stadium performances, there are several quieter, much more emotional scenes surrounding Perry's very public split with Russell Brand that make "Katy Perry: Part of Me" a wholly moving film.

When MTV News caught up with Perry on Friday (June 22), we asked why she wanted to include footage of the moment when Perry realized her relationship with Brand was over and she couldn't do anything but sob.

Johnny Depp dating actress Amber Heard?

Actor Johnny Depp, who recently split from long-time partner Vanessa Paradis, is reportedly dating his Dark Shadows co-star Amber Heard.

Read: Johnny Depp split up with Vanessa Paradis because he was bored with her

London premiere of 'Teri Meri Kahaani' and more

Mumbai: Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra might have never imagined that at the London premiere of their film, the crowd would land up in such huge numbers. The premiere was held in two screens and was full. Incidentally 300 more people landed up for the screening. So, they had to cancel a show of 'Ferrari Ki Saawari' and sell those tickets for 'Teri Meri Kahaani'!

The first line of a piece of shayari describes the poet’s state of mind and builds up the listener’s interest. But the second one doesn’t come too easy, you have to wait for it, as the artiste plays around with the first line, lets its beauty linger on for a while, adorning it with exquisite vocal twists (harkats) and presenting it in myriad forms.

KARACHI: Writer and documentary film maker Obaidullah Baig died here on Friday morning. He was laid to rest at the Gizri graveyard of Defence Housing Authority in the evening. His funeral prayers were offered at Sultan Masjid. A number of artists, writers and journalists attended his funeral.

PRINCE William will inherit $15.4 million from his mother Princess Diana as he celebrates his 30th birthday.

Palace officials say William will mark the milestone in private with his wife, the former Kate Middleton, and perhaps some close friends. They say a low key celebration is planned.

Superstar Rajesh Khanna, who was said to be critically ill till yesterday, is hale and hearty, according to his son-in-law Akshay Kumar.

Akshay Kumar on Thursday visited the 69-year-old actor at his residence Aashirwad. His estranged wife Dimple Kapadia was by Khanna's side.

E-book trend slow at US libraries: study

Even as e-book sales surge, Americans are slow to look to their public libraries to take advantage of the format, a study showed Friday.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project found just 12 percent of Americans ages 16 and older who read e-books say they have borrowed an e-book from a library in the past year.

The study found most Americans are not aware they can borrow e-books from libraries, even though three-quarters of US public libraries offer the service.

LOS ANGELES: Pixar has brought to life cars, fish, rats and monsters, but Brave is the animated studio’s first film built around a feisty female.

Brave, opening in US theaters on Friday, is the tale of a young, red-headed Scottish archer called Merida who decides to defy her mother, break with tradition and do her own thing.

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta took a brief break from work but now she is back with to start her new professional innings and her first production ‘Ishq in Paris’ is scheduled to hit the cinemas this September. According to the reports, the actress also has signed two more films.

Zinta recently was present at the launch of diet expert Pooja Makhija’s book ‘Eat Delete’ and at the event she shared her thoughts on the ‘size-zero’ trend now-a-days.

Zinta, who is considered as one of the fittest and glamorous actresses, insisted that she doesn’t find anything wrong in a curvaceous body.

RUMOURS about the nature of their relationship have been swirling for some time, but things seem to be heating up between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

In a Subramanian household of Delhi, about 25 years ago, a young girl would listen transfixed as Mehdi Hassan's serene voice sang Aye kucch abr. She didn't quite get the insouciance or the manylayered romanticism of Faiz's poetry, or understand why the melody tugged at her heart. Years later, after she turned into a musician, she found some answers as she grasped the great lyrics and cracked the fact that Hassan had used the uplifting raga Gaud Sarang effectively to put his stamp on the ghazal.

Movie Review: Shanghai

Vassilis Vassilikos’ novel ‘Z’ (and its film adaptation by Costa Gavras) is principally de-humoured and Indianised (not Bollywoodised), in “Shanghai”, the new political thriller featuring a subdued AbhayDeol and EmranHashmi in a potbelly.

The buzz in the industry is that Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor might make a special appearance in a Tamil film soon. While the actress played wife to a Tamil computer whiz in Ra. One, which released in Tamil, we now hear that she could shake a leg for an upcoming Tamil film. According to the grapevine, S J Suryah is planning to approach Bebo to perform in a song in his forthcoming Isai.

LINDSAY Lohan may have been treated for exhaustion on Friday, but it reportedly didn't stop her partying late Saturday night.

CANNES, France — Here’s why the world’s greatest film festival, the one on the Cote d’Azur, means something, and to some filmmakers means everything — even if a lot of the surrounding movies are lame.

Keira Knightley engaged to rocker beau

Bend It Like Beckham star Keira Knightley is engaged to marry her rocker boyfriend James Righton.

The actress spokesperson confirmed she had accepted the Klaxons rocker's proposal following a 15 month courtship.

Staff Report

LAHORE: True Brew Records hosted a musical evening featuring The Stooges Brass Band from the US, at the True Brew Studio on Sunday.

After a very successful performance in Alhamra on Saturday, music lovers rushed to the True Brew Studio to watch the band perform.

Mehdi Hassan's voice magic can't be described: Dilip Kumar

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar, who shared a close bond with Mehdi Hassan, says it was hard for him and his wife Saira Banu to come to terms with the news that the legendary ghazal singer is no more.

The 89-year-old actor said that the India-born maestro, who died in Karachi on June 13, could connect with people from every strata of society through his magical voice.

KARACHI - Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, while taking strict notice of the killing of four labourers in a “controversial” shootout in Jamshoro, on Sunday ordered a judicial probe into the “tragic” incident to ascertain the facts. Earlier, the chief minister spoke to MPA Sikandar Shoro and the Hyderabad DIG by telephone to know about the details of the incident.

‘Game of Thrones’ Bush head episode spiked from HBO

As a response to the recent controversy over an episode of the hit show “Games Of Thrones”, the said episode has been pulled from HBO, Go and iTunes, reports cnet.com.

LAHORE: The Stooges Brass Band played to over 100 music students and music lovers at the Alhamra Art Centre on Saturday.

The US Mission in Pakistan brought the band from New Orleans, Louisiana to play at events and participate in musical exchanges in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. The band’s visit to Pakistan hopes to answer the call from many Pakistanis to see more American exchanges in the country and promote cultural understanding.

Fatherhood is too hard: Guy Pearce

Actor-musician Guy Pearce says he does not think he will ever become a dad because fatherhood is tough.

The "Prometheus" star, who has been married to wife Kate since 1997, said his moods are too inconsistent for him to ever become a parent, reported Contactmusic.

Once upon a time, Kelly Macdonald was a wee lass growing up in Glasgow, Scotland, with no desire to be a princess like the other girls.

She was more fixated on becoming Calamity Jane, the rifle-toting American frontierswoman played by Doris Day in the 1953 movie of the same name.

Lady Gaga has been no stranger to controversial disputes with government officials, having been banned from Indonesia and creating fury in South Korea and The Phillipines, now Thai ministers have hit out at the 'Born This Way' singer for 'disrespecting' their country when she played a sold out concert in May.

Saturday, 30 June 2012

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Monday, 18 June 2012

Sunday, 17 June 2012