Showbiz News

New Delhi: Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez will, on Monday, appear before Patiala House Court in connection with the Rs 200 crore extortion case involving multi-millionaire conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed its second supplementary charge sheet in the case naming her as an accused.
The Special ED court is all set to take cognisance of the charge sheet.
Jacqueline and another Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi, both had recorded their statements as witnesses in the case. Earlier, the probe agency had attached fixed deposits worth Rs 7.2 crore belonging to Fernandez. It termed the gifts and properties as "proceeds" of crime received by the two actors.
Last December, the ED had filed its first charge sheet in the matter before the court of Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh. Later, in February, it filed a supplementary charge-sheet against one Pinky Irani, an alleged aide of Chandrashekhar who introduced him to Fernandez.
As per the charge sheet, Pinky used to choose expensive gifts for Fernandez and drop them at her residence after Chandrashekhar made the payments.
Sukesh has spent around 20 crore on different models and Bollywood celebrities which a few refused to accept.&nbsp;
—IANS

Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez will, on Monday, appear before Patiala House Court in connection with the Rs 200 crore extortion case involving multi-millionaire conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

 Rs 200 cr scam case: Jacqueline to appear before Delhi court today

Bollywood

Seoul: An unseen clip from 'Squid Game' has debuted at Netflix's Tudum event in Korea, along with teasers from 'Money Heist: Korea' and 'Hellbound' Season 2. The event has been taking place across the weekend in a range of territories and the streamer was keen to show off its offering in the nation that brought the world the most-watched Netflix show of all time, reports Deadline. An unseen clip from 'Squid Game' was presented to attendees, confirming the mysterious identity of the Front Man, which can be seen below. The clip comes off the back of a historic Emmys, for which aSquid Game' won six, a record for a non-English language show. Meanwhile, 'Money Heist' - Joint Economic Area will soon debut the second six episodes of the first season and Tudum-goers were treated to a first-look clip. Remade from the Spanish Alex Pina mega-hit, the show directed by Kim Hong-sun and written by Ryu Yong-jae is set in a world where the two Koreas are close to reunification. In 'Hellbound' Season 2, the dark fantasy drama will unleash more intrigue, and the below clip has more. Also on show at Tudum were gameshow 'Physical 100' and romcom duo 'The Fabulous and Single's Inferno'. Stars of the latter including Moon Se-hoon and Shin Ji-yeon were present.&nbsp;
—IANS

An unseen clip from 'Squid Game' has debuted at Netflix's Tudum event in Korea, along with teasers from 'Money Heist: Korea' and 'Hellbound' Season 2.

 'Squid Game' Season 1 unseen clip shown at Netflix Tudum event

Web Series

Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan channeled his inner Gabbar Singh from the iconic film 'Sholay' to showcase an interesting new promo of the controversial reality show 'Bigg Boss' Season 16.
Mouthing Gabbar's dialogues from the film with a twist, Salman is heard saying: "Pachas pachas kos jab bacha royega maa kahegi soja varna Bigg Boss aa jaayega."&nbsp;
The original lines are: "Pachas pachas kos door gaon mein jab bachcha raat ko rota hai to maa kahti hai beta soja nahi to Gabbar Singh aa jaayega".
Like Gabbar was introduced in the 1975 action-thriller film, similarly, Salman in the dressed like a dacoit enters the scene with the same background score that was used in the 1975 film for the iconic villain, originally played by Amjad Khan.
He added that this time the game is going to change as Bigg Boss will himself play the game. Bigg Boss which used to be the voice of every season will be playing the game and become part of it.
The first promo unveiled by the makers of the show had given a glimpse of the new season.
Salman introduced it saying that "For the past 15 years, Bigg Boss has witnessed everyone's game, but now it's his time to play the game. It will be morning, but the moon will be seen in the sky, gravity no longer exists, and the horse will also walk straight and even the shadow will leave you and play the game."
And at last, Salman asserted: "Because this time Bigg Boss will play the game."
Few names that are rumoured to be part of the show included Munawar Faruqui, Kanika Mann, 'Imlie' fame Sumbul Touqueer , Tina Dutta, Surbhi Jyoti, Abdu Rozik, and others. But nothing has been confirmed officially.&nbsp;
—IANS

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan channeled his inner Gabbar Singh from the iconic film 'Sholay' to showcase an interesting new promo of the controversial reality show 'Bigg Boss' Season 16.

 Salman Khan brings out his inner Gabbar Singh for 'Bigg Boss' 16 promo

Television

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez on Wednesday appeared before Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing in connection with an extortion case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandra-shekhar, officials said.
Fernandez, a Sri Lankan national, joined the probe after being issued a third summons, they said.
The actor was accompanied by Pinki Irani who allegedly introduced her to Chandrashekhar, a senior police officer said.
The Housefull 3 actor had been asked to join the probe on Monday but cited prior commitments and sought another date. Earlier this month, another Bollywood actor, Norah Fatehi, was questioned by the agency got six to seven hours in the case and her statement recorded. Chandrashekhar, who is currently in jail, is accused of cheating various people, including high-profile individuals such as former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh.
Fatehi was earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the case.
On August 17, the ED filed a charge sheet naming Fernandez as an accused in a multi-crore money laundering case linked to Chandrashekhar. According to the ED, Fatehi and Fernandez received luxury cars and other expensive gifts from Chandrashekhar.—PTI

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez on Wednesday appeared before Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing in connection with an extortion case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandra-shekhar, officials said.

Actor Jacqueline Fernandez Quizzed In Conman Case

New Delhi: Delhi Police has prepared a questionnaire of 100 odd questions that actor Jacqueline Fernandez has been asked to answer in the alleged Rs 200 crore scam.
The actor is being questioned by the economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police since 11.30 am today which is expected to go till the evening. Jacqueline is in Delhi after she was summoned by the Delhi Police for the third time on Wednesday. Previously, she has been summoned twice but she did not turn up on both dates – August 29 and September 12. Jacqueline arrived at the Economic Offences Wing office at Mandir Marg today around 11 am along with a team of her lawyers. She was then given a long questionnaire including at least 100 questions that the officers said mostly pertained to her relationship with Sukesh Chandrashekhar and the gifts she received from him that are said to have been bought using the proceeds of crime.
EOW had also summoned Pinky Irani to join the investigation. She is said to have helped Sukesh to contact Jacqueline Fernandez. She was known to both of them. Pinky and Jacqueline might be confronted during questioning to get more clarity in the case, sources said. Acccording to sources, Jacqueline has been communicated that her investigation might get stretched for a couple of days or back to back so plan your stay in Delhi accordingly. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also recorded statements of Nora Fatehi on September 13 and October 14, 2021, where also she had acknowledged having received gifts from the alleged conman and his actor wife Leena.
ED had registered a case of money laundering in the alleged scam over the FIR registered by the Delhi Police. ED had earlier stated that Fernandez’s statements were recorded on August 30 and October 20, 2021, where she admitted to having received gifts from Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
ED also said that Fernandez had used proceeds of crime and valuable gifts bought using it for herself and her family members in India as well as abroad and that this amounts to an offence of money laundering under section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002. Sukesh Chandrashekhar has been accused of running an extortion racket worth Rs 200 crore when he was lodged in Rohini jail, from Aditi Singh, the wife of jailed former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh, posing as officials from the union law ministry and the PMO, on the pretext of getting her husband out on bail. Sukesh Chandrashekhar, a native of Bengaluru in Karnataka, is currently lodged in a Delhi jail and faces over 10 criminal cases registered against him.—ANI

Delhi Police has prepared a questionnaire of 100 odd questions that actor Jacqueline Fernandez has been asked to answer in the alleged Rs 200 crore scam.

Delhi Police Has 100 Questions For Jacqueline

Mumbai: Bollywood stars make it a point not to promote each other's films, but South Indian stars are used to giving shoutouts to each other's work and stand by the principle of swimming or sinking together.
In the recent past, Chiranjeevi, S.S. Rajamouli and Nagarjuna promoted Aamir Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha', and stars of the Tamil industry, too, were generous in their praise for the film.
The same spirit of camaraderie has been evident in the 'Brahmastra' promotional blitz, which is being led by two people who understand how social media works -- Alia Bhatt (fresh from the warm reception accorded to 'Darlings') and Karan Johar, a co-producer of the epic film.
After Rajamouli and Nagarjuna (who is making his Hindi cinema debut with the film) joined its lead character, Ranbir Kapoor, to promote the film in Chennai, it is Jr NTR, whom Karan Johar described as a "man of the masses" in a recent tweet, will join the 'Brahmastra' cast for the Hyderabad blitz planned for September 2.
Johar not only made the announcement, but also ran a video that combines motion picture images of Ranbir Kapoor, Alia and Amitabh Bachchan with action scenes of Jr NTR from 'RRR'.
Announcing the Hyderabad event on Instagram, 'Brahmastra' director Ayan Mukerji wrote: "NTR for Brahmastra. Through the journey of this movie, there have been some very big personalities and achievers who have left me short of words with their generosity towards us. Another such Star in Brahmastra's Sky is now NTR who is going to shine bright as he always does, at our movie's biggest event in Hyderabad!"
He added: "Coming together with Ranbir, Alia, Nag Sir, our Team, and of course Rajamouli Garu, for whom my love, respect and gratitude has no boundaries. So excited about Tarak giving Brahmastra some love and energy, and helping us take our movie into the Telugu Universe."
Even as industry watchers wonder when Bollywood will emerge from a particularly difficult year, all eyes at the moment are on what transpires at Ramoji Rao Film City, Hyderabad, on September 2.&nbsp;
—IANS

 &nbsp;

Bollywood stars make it a point not to promote each other's films, but South Indian stars are used to giving shoutouts to each other's work and stand by the principle of swimming or sinking together.

After Rajamouli in Chennai, Jr NTR to join ‘Brahmastra’ promo in Hyderabad

Mumbai: Alia Bhatt is currently promoting upcoming film Brahmastra with husband Ranbir Kapoor these days. On Saturday, the actor reached IIT Bombay for the film promotions and was glad to be in the institution even if it was for just one hour.&nbsp;
Alia was dressed in a beige shirt and denim bellbottoms for her visit to IIT Bombay. Sharing a few pictures of her look on Instagram, she wrote, "IIT Bombay .. here we come!!! thanks to promotions at least I can proudly say I got into IIT(for one hour). 9th September — Brahmastra."&nbsp;
During her visit to the academic institution, Alia enthralled the students by singing the song Kesariya from Brahmastra. Ranbir clapped for her as he sat beside her on stage.
Alia and Ranbir tied the knot in April and are expecting their first child. Alia has been making stylish appearances during the promotions of Brahmastra. She was recently seen with a baby bump in a sheer pink top.
Brahmastra: Part One Shiva is one of the highly-anticipated films of the year. After getting delayed multiple times, it is all set to hit the theatres on September 9. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, and Mouni Roy in the lead roles.
Recently, Ranbir was in Chennai to promote the film along with Baahubali director SS Rajamouli and south actor Nagarjuna. Now actor Jr NTR is all set to attend a grand promotional event in Hyderabad on September 2. Taking to Instagram, Brahmastra director Ayan Mukerji announced, “NTR for Brahmastra. Through the journey of this movie, there have been some very big personalities and achievers who have left me short of words with their generosity towards us. Another such Star in Brahmastra's Sky is now NTR... who is going to shine bright as he always does, at our movie's biggest event in Hyderabad! Coming together with Ranbir, Alia, Nag Sir, our Team, and of course Rajamouli Garu, for whom my love, respect, and gratitude has no boundaries. So excited about Tarak giving Brahmastra some love and energy, and helping us take our movie into the Telugu Universe.”&nbsp;
—IANS

Alia Bhatt is currently promoting upcoming film Brahmastra with husband Ranbir Kapoor these days. On Saturday, the actor reached IIT Bombay for the film promotions and was glad to be in the institution even if it was for just one hour.

 Alia Bhatt can now 'proudly say I got into IIT-Bombay (for one hour)'

Mumbai: Scams - big or small - have always been a part of the society. While earlier there were thugs duping people, with the advancement of technology, the scams have diversified into online scams of varied nature of which phishing scams are prime.
The soon-to-be-released second season of the popular webseries 'Jamtara' tells the story and modus operandi of such scams, the people involved and how it affects the life of everyone, who are part of it.
IANS recently spoke with the show's creators -- Trishant Srivastava (writer) and Soumendra Padhi (director) -- about the nature of these scams, the upcoming season of the show and their findings while they were piecing together the information to tell a compelling story.
One would wonder about the people behind such scams being 12 to 15-year-old school dropouts. As per the 2011 Census, the city of Jamtara in Jharkhand had an average literacy rate of 63.73 per cent, lower than the national average of 74.4 per cent.
In such a scenario, crime becomes the prime outlet to make money and Jamtara is no different as Trishant says, "The boys, who operate from Jamtara, don't have any training for these scams. For them it's just trial and error. They just learnt it from somewhere and got better at it."
The cash flows have swollen to the point where the scammers forget where they buried the money.
"A lot of times these boys forget where they have buried the money so there have been instances where bags full of cash have been recovered after the scammers forgot to take their share," Soumendra, the show director, adds.
But, like other crimes, phishing has its own set of challenges when it comes to countering them.
"The thing with these scams is that the person itself is willing to fall into it as they expect so much more to come out of it. These are not very serious like other crimes, like a murder. These scammers find themselves in a tricky spot," Trishant tells IANS.
As the internet continues to boom, there are dark alleys of fin-tech scams which benefit from the rise of the internet.
Soumendra adds an important point, "This crime is now getting organised much like the underworld."
Imagine coupling the phishing and organised crime, the picture looks dreary as there are lots of possibilities for the scammers, the worst can be asking ‘protection money' from the ones at the receiving end of phishing or sextortion where scammers get remote access to your device and blackmail you over explicit content.
The scams are in their nascent stage and are "dynamic in nature", as Trishant mentions, "A lot of people are still falling for the scam because this crime keeps on evolving. The earlier modus operandi also kicks in action sometimes. The new modus operandi and the old ones co-exist."
While Season 1 focused on OTP scams, the upcoming season of 'Jamtara' will diversify into a lot many scams just like the nature of this crime. Soumendra mentions, "For the second season, the one word that we had as a theme was ‘revenge'."
"The stakes will be much higher for all the characters involved and the narrative will push the characters to the edge. Things will get more serious and risky in the second season," he adds.
But, where do the scammers get their data from? Trishant has an answer: "These guys get their data from the bank grievance redressal fora where bank customers leave their numbers."
"Most of the time, these guys don't even know whom they're talking to. They can be scamming a celebrity on the other side without even knowing about that person," Soumendra adds.
What's worrisome is that in a hyperconnected world, these scams have now spread out to the entire country although Jamtara remains the scam capital of India.
The 4G penetration and demonetisation have given boost to these scams, courtesy the rising popularity of digital payments and e-wallets, and scammers are doing everything in their capacity to exploit digital payments. They're now extending their network. Since the OTPs were failing, they were forced to come up with new ways.
"During our research, we found a guy from Maharashtra and a guy from Kerala in Jamtara trying to get a hang of these scams," says Trishant, as he gives an idea of what's about to befall on the people at large.
Soumendra adds a darker hue to Trishant's comments, saying, "There's a reason behind Jamtara being the scam capital of India. There's a place in Jamtara called Karmatand, where only 5,000 people live, but it had its first cyber police station before a normal police station. There are more than 40 mobile shops and huge towers, 'network bahut accha aata hai wahan pe' (the telecom network there is unparalleled)."
"I have seen homes in that place where they open their doors with a remote. They have got houses bigger than Amitabh Bachchan's Jalsa. Earlier, there used to be mud houses, which have now been converted into palatial residents, the real estate prices have shot up!" Soumendra says as he draws a parallel between Jamtara and the millennium city of Gurugram.
The only difference is that Gurugram owes its rapid development to the government and administrative actions, and the rush of global corporates to set up shops there, but the money in Jamtara owes its origin to the dark world of cyber crime.
"There, entire families are in the business of conning. In addition to boys of 12-15 years, females have also entered this business. The situation is becoming very complex and we are not prepared to counter a scam of this scale," the director adds.
Season 2 of the show will see new entrants in addition to the existing set of characters.
"A lot more players have come in for Season 2. The story demanded the introduction of new characters and we designed the overarching narrative and character set-up accordingly," Soumendra points out.
Another major factor forming the backbone of Season 2 will be how phishing money drives elections, a phenomenon which is part fact and part fiction.
As Soumendra puts it, "It came up during our research that in the 2019 general elections, the phishing money played a definitive role."
Trishant lauds his actor Amit Sial, who never fails to impress the audience, sating, "Amit brings so much more to the character of Brijesh Bhaan than what's written on paper. He himself adds such small nuances that the character really comes alive. It's his acting prowess that despite being the sort of an antagonist, you still root for Brijesh Bhaan."
The season 2 of ‘Jamtara - Sabka Number Ayega' will stream exclusively on Netflix from September 23.&nbsp;&nbsp;
—IANS

Scams - big or small - have always been a part of the society. While earlier there were thugs duping people, with the advancement of technology, the scams have diversified into online scams of varied nature of which phishing scams are prime.

 Life inspires fiction: 'Jamtara' showrunners recount experiences in scam capital

New Delhi: The Hindi film industry aka <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/top-20-best-bollywood-movies-of-all-time" target="_self"><ins>Bollywood</ins></a>, after decades of storytelling, seems to be at an inflection point unlike any other disruption it has faced before. The average rating of 43 Hindi movies since January 2021 was just 5.9, way below the 7.3 rating of 18 Hindi dubbed movies. A simple regression exercise indicates that an extra one point IMDB rating leads to Rs 17 crore more collections, according to a report by State Bank of India's Economic Research Department. There has been a decline in single screen theatres and films are now released in multiplex audiences. At a multiplex, the ticket cost is three to four times more than single screen theatres. The costly ticket prices are also due to the high entertainment tax for Hindi movies. Interestingly, 62 per cent of the single screen theatres are in South India, with North India having a share of only 16 per cent followed by West with 10 per cent of all single screen cinema halls. This could also be the reason why South Indian movies (in local area) are generating more revenues than Bollywood movies recently, the report said. The demographic profile across states may be impacting moviegoers. Online platforms come up with different genres like action, horror, drama, thriller, and comedy. Millennials use more of these platforms to watch genres they prefer the most. South Indian states have higher share of elderly people compared to North Indian States who would still prefer watching movies on big screen in theatres than on OTT platforms.
The rise in OTT is expected to eat into cinemas viewers and profits, as more than 50 per cent of the people use OTTs more than 5 hours in a month, according to a report by the State Bank of India's Economic Research Department.
Also options like Smart TV, Chromecast coming into the picture have impacted the traditional mode of entertainment the most. These developments have helped to bring movie theatre experience at home, with seemingly unlimited choices spoiling the viewers, the report said.
A major disruption in Indian entertainment industry is the emergence of OTT (over-the-top), which shares around 7-9 per cent of the entertainment industry, and is constantly growing with over 40 odd players and offering original media content in all languages. As per reports, there are 45 crore OTT subscribers in India and it is expected to reach 50 crore by end-2023.
—IANS&nbsp;

The Hindi film industry aka Bollywood, after decades of storytelling, seems to be at an inflection point unlike any other disruption it has faced before.

 Bollywood at inflection point with low ratings, lack of single theatres, rise of OTT

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Kiara Advani, who is set to appear in the upcoming episode of the Karan Johar hosted chat show, 'Koffee With Karan' along with actor Shahid Kapoor, once bitchslapped her 'Kabir Singh' co-star Shahid Kapoor in her head.
In an interesting Bingo game, Kiara revealed why she bitchslapped Shahid Kapoor in her head. "It was my third or fourth day of shooting, and I was made to wait for eight hours because there was discussion of what shoes Shahid would wear in the next scene," Kiara said.
Karan immediately validated her decision to bitchslap Shahid and said, "If I were made to wait for eight hours for a discussion on shoes, I would bitchslap too."
The new episode will see sizzling conversations around love, family, marriage and the Bollywood grandeur as Kiara and Shahid bring their honest, candid side to the couch.
'Koffee With Karan' Season 7 streams new episodes every Thursday at 12 midnight on Disney+ Hotstar.&nbsp;
—IANS

Bollywood actress Kiara Advani, who is set to appear in the upcoming episode of the Karan Johar hosted chat show, 'Koffee With Karan' along with actor Shahid Kapoor, once bitchslapped her 'Kabir Singh' co-star Shahid Kapoor in her head.

Why Kiara Advani bitchslapped Shahid Kapoor in her head

Mumbai: The epic science fiction film 'Avatar', which got three Oscars at the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, will be dropping again in the theatres on September 23.
The makers of the film released new assets -- a trailer and a poster ahead of the film's return to theatres in 4K High Dynamic Range.&nbsp;
The film tells the story of a paraplegic U.S. Marine, who gets dispatched to the lush green habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system named Pandora on a unique mission. He soon finds himself torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
The film has been directed by Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, who has earlier made blockbuster films such as 'Titanic', 'The Terminator' and 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'.
The much-awaited sequel, 'Avatar: The Way of Water', will be arriving in cinemas on December 16, 2022.&nbsp;
—IANS

The epic science fiction film 'Avatar', which got three Oscars at the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, will be dropping again in the theatres on September 23.

 James Cameron's visual spectacle 'Avatar' to re-release in theatres

Hollywood

Los Angeles: The 'King Kong' franchise is moving ahead with a live-action series about the origin of the giant.
The project is in early development at Disney+, reports 'Variety'.
The series would be a serialised drama that would explore Kong's origins as well as the mysteries of his home, Skull Island.
According to 'Variety', the series would be based on the original 'King Kong' written by Merian C. Cooper as well as new novelisations by artist Joe DeVito produced in conjunction with Cooper's estate.
'Variety' further states that Stephany Folsom, who developed the Amazon series 'Paper Girls' for television, will write and executive produce the King Kong show.
James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett will also executive produce on behalf of Atomic Monster along with Dannie Festa for World Builder Entertainment. Disney Branded Television will produce the show.
The original 'King Kong' film released in 1933 and became an instant hit. The character has been used in numerous films to date, most recently in the Legendary-Warner Bros. Monsterverse films.
Those include 'Kong: Skull Island' and 'Godzilla vs. Kong'. Netflix also has the 'Skull Island' anime series on the way. Peter Jackson also remade the original film in 2005 with Adrien Brody, Jack Black, and Naomi Watts.&nbsp;
—IANS

The 'King Kong' franchise is moving ahead with a live-action series about the origin of the giant. The project is in early development at Disney+, reports 'Variety'.

 Live-action 'King Kong' origin series in early development

The 'King Kong' franchise is moving ahead with a live-action series about the origin of the giant.
The project is in early development at Disney+, reports 'Variety'.

Los Angeles: A movie from 'The Dirties' and 'Operation Avalanche' director Matt Johnson titled 'BlackBerry', is set to detail the rise and fall of the BlackBerry device, which was the world's first smartphone and ruled the market before the iPhone and Androids came into the picture, reports 'Variety'.
The film has wrapped up its production.
The brand witnessed a meteoric rise in the early 2000s only to meet a catastrophic demise.&nbsp;
The Canadian parent company of BlackBerry - Research in Motion floundered in legal disputes and eventually lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple and Samsung.
According to 'Variety', at the heart of the story is the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.
The film's cast is led by Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton. Though it's not yet confirmed, it's likely, they will play the firm's founders.
Other cast members include Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Rich Sommer, Martin Donovan, Michael Ironside and Johnson.
'Variety' further states that Johnson and Miller adapted the screenplay from the bestselling 2015 book 'Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry' by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff, who were earlier the reporters at Canadian newspaper 'The Globe and Mail'.&nbsp;
—IANS

A movie from 'The Dirties' and 'Operation Avalanche' director Matt Johnson titled 'BlackBerry', is set to detail the rise and fall of the BlackBerry device, which was the world's first smartphone and ruled the market before the iPhone and Androids came into the picture, reports 'Variety'.

 Upcoming film tells the story of the rise and fall of 'BlackBerry'

Mumbai: After Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan’s recent online food delivery firm Zomato’s advertisement sparked a religious controversy, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has accused the actor and the food delivery app for “misleading and cheating the people” through the advertisement.
CAIT has also written to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to demand action against Hrithik and Zomato.
The actor is alleged to have hurt religious sentiments in the advertisement where he is seen saying that he felt like having a ‘thali’ in Ujjain and so he orders from Mahakal.
CAIT said in a statement: “The Prasad Thali of Mahakal is served free for centuries but within a specified place at the temple premises only. There is no question of giving Prasad Thali to anyone outside the temple.”
The Mahakaleshwar or Mahakal temple of Shiva in Ujjain is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and it attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees from across India. Earlier, the priests of the temple had said that Zomato should withdraw the advertisement immediately and tender an apology.
Responding to the CAIT statement, Zomato said the ad, “which ran in certain pincodes of Ujjain referenced ‘thalis’ at ‘Mahakal Restaurant’, and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple”. Mahakal Restaurant, Zomato pointed out, “is one of our high order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain and the thali is a recommended item on its menu”.
The company statement added: “The video is part of a pan-India campaign for which we identified top local restaurants and their top dishes based on popularity in each city.
“Mahakal Restaurant (simplified as ‘Mahakal’) was one of the restaurants chosen for the campaign in Ujjain.
“We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain, and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone’s beliefs and sentiments.”
In its statement, meanwhile, CAIT alleged that the incident shows “the manner in which companies backed by foreign direct investment (FDI) are making a mockery of law and the system”.
Targeting Hrithik, CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal pointed out that celebrities “take huge amounts of money and therefore become part of the sales force of the company”.
They added: “They cannot deny their liability and therefore action should also be taken against Actor Hrithik Roshan who acted in the advertisement without verifying the content which shows that earning money is the sole criteria of brand ambassadors and celebrities.”
CAIT also demanded an investigation into the number of orders Zomato received after the release of the advertisement and from where the orders were fulfilled under the garb of Mahakal Prasad Thali.
It is to be noted that the advertisement in question was shot long back, with the names and versions of the different eateries dubbed over the original by Zomato to increase the relatability of the food delivery app.
This is the second instance where Hrithik has stepped on a minefield. Recently, Hrithik supported Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ against the boycott trend on Twitter. This led to boycott calls for Hrithik’s upcoming film with Saif Ali Khan, ‘Vikram Vedha’.&nbsp;
—IANS

After Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan’s recent online food delivery firm Zomato’s advertisement sparked a religious controversy, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has accused the actor and the food delivery app for “misleading and cheating the people” through the advertisement.

 Days after 'boycott' row, Hrithik in trouble again over Zomato's Mahakal ad

Mumbai: Television actress Kanishka Soni, who is known for her work in 'Diya Aur Baati Hum', has married herself in India's second reported autogamy after Kshama Bindu from Gujarat did the same.
Taking to her Instagram, she posted a series of pictures where she can be seen dressed in casuals and wearing sindoor in her forehead and a 'mangalsutra'. She penned a long note in the caption where she shared with her fans that she believes in Indian culture and marriage is not about sex, it's about love and honesty.
She wrote, "Married to myself since I fulfilled all my dreams my own &amp; the only person I am in love with is MYSELF answer to all questions I am getting I don't need any Man Ever .. I am happy always alone &amp; in solitude with my guitar I am the goddess, Strong &amp; Powerful, Shiva &amp; Shakti everything is inside ME, Thank you (sic)."
In a separate post, she talked about her point of view and decision of marrying herself. She wrote, "I know you guys have been raising lots of questions on my #selfmarriage decision, I truly believe in indian culture &amp; here is my POV that why I chose to live in solitude marriage is not about sex it's about love and honesty one seeks for &amp; I have lost that faith &amp; believe."
She continued in the caption, "So it's better to live alone and love myself than seeking it in outside world when it's difficult to find, but thanks a lot for making my post on #google #trending &amp; in #news though."
Shutting down the trolls, she said that she has taken the decision after thinking it through, "It wasn't my intention &amp; also some people said I must have got drunk or have ganja while putting that post but let me tell you that I m so Indian by heart that I have never tried alcohol or any other stuff even after staying for long into film industry, it is a decision made by my full heart &amp; soul with full conscious mind and I am happy that I am in USA now &amp; focussing on my career into HOLLYWOOD (sic)."&nbsp;
—IANS

Television actress Kanishka Soni, who is known for her work in 'Diya Aur Baati Hum', has married herself in India's second reported autogamy after Kshama Bindu from Gujarat did the same.

Love thyself: TV actress Kanishka Soni marries herself

Mumbai: Multi-platinum producer William Grigahcine, professionally known as DJ Snake is set to kick off an expansive India tour, starting November 18.&nbsp;
The ‘Turn Down For What’ hitmaker will be in India for a six city tour with Sunburn arena. The first city in the list is Ahmedabad followed by a show in Delhi NCR on November 19, then Hyderabad on November 20. The tour will then head to Pune on November 25, followed by Mumbai on November 25, to finally wrap up in Bengaluru on November 27.&nbsp;
Commenting on the occasion, DJ Snake said in a statement: “I am excited to be coming back to India. When I visited India during Holi 2019 and Sunburn Goa 2019, the energy and vibe was so upbeat and positive everywhere. It is always amazing to travel to different cities in India. The cultural exposure inspires my music and India certainly tops in that area.”
DJ Snake will interlace elements of traditional dance music with classic R&amp;B and funk to create an anthemic electronic set for the forthcoming showcase.
Sunburn Arena is a sub-variant format created under the brand umbrella Sunburn, and with an aim to cater to dance music enthusiasts across various cities pan India and around the world.&nbsp;
—IANS

Multi-platinum producer William Grigahcine, professionally known as DJ Snake is set to kick off an expansive India tour, starting November 18. 

 DJ Snake to embark on six-city India tour

Chennai: Director Sukumar’s explosive blockbuster ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, featuring actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead, led the list of nominations in the Telugu section of the 10th Edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) that is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on September 10-11.&nbsp;
While ‘Pushpa’ got nominated in a whopping 12 categories, Boyapati Srinu’s ‘Akhanda’, featuring Balakrishna in the lead, has got nominated in 10. Anudeep KV’s ‘Jathi Ratnalu’ and Buchi Babu Sana’s ‘Uppena’ were close behind with eight nominations each.&nbsp;
In the Tamil section, director Mari Selvaraj’s critically acclaimed blockbuster ‘Karnan’, featuring Dhanush in the lead, led the pack with 10 nominations.
Director Nelson Dilipkumar’s action-comedy entertainer ‘Doctor’, featuring Sivakarthikeyan in the lead, got nine nominations while Lokesh Kanakaraj’s ‘Master’ and director AL Vijay’s ‘Thalaivi’, the biopic of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, got seven nominations each.
In the Malayalam segment, Basil Joseph’s superhero film, ‘Minnal Murali’ starring Tovino Thomas, got the maximum nominations.
It has been nominated in 10 categories while Dulquer Salmaan-starrer ‘Kurup’ has been nominated in eight categories. Fahadh Faasil’s ‘Malik’ and ‘Joji’ have six nominations each.
‘Roberrt’ with 10 nominations led the pack in Kannada. ‘Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana’ with eight nominations and actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s ‘Yuvarathnaa’ with seven nominations are leading the SIIMA Nominations for 2021 in Kannada.
—IANS

Director Sukumar’s explosive blockbuster ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, featuring actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead, led the list of nominations in the Telugu section of the 10th Edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) that is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on September 10-11. 

 SIIMA Awards: 'Pushpa: The Rise' with 12 nominations leads pack in Telugu

Los Angeles: The South Korean sensational show 'Squid Game' took home the Best International Series and Best Actor awards at this year's Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) TV Awards.
According to the HCA on Tuesday (Korean time), 'Squid Game' was named Best International Series and its lead Lee Jung-jae won Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama, at its annual awards for TV programmes, reports Yonhap, a news agency.
For the Best International Series award, the Netflix original competed with the Korean-language epic series 'Pachinko', the Mexican comedy 'Acapulco', the French thriller 'Lupin', the Spanish crime action series 'Money Heist' and the American-Mexican crime drama 'Narcos: Mexico'.
In a videotaped acceptance speech, 'Squid Game' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said he is grateful for the honour and now working on the series' second season.
"I believe the series has since overcome the limits of a non-English series to create many historical moments and breakthroughs," he said. 
"I do hope to create a better second season and share it with all the fans and critics around the world."
Lee Jung-jae took home the best actor trophy, beating seven other candidates, including Adam Scott from 'Severance', Jason Bateman from 'Ozark' and Tom Ellis from 'Lucifer'.
He was the only non-English performer among the nominees.
The awards came about a month before the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony slated for September 12, where 'Squid Game' has nabbed 14 nominations, including outstanding drama series and outstanding lead actor.
'Squid Game' is the first South Korean-made content to be included in the final list of nominees for the Primetime Emmy Awards, one of the four major American awards for performing arts and entertainment.
It is also the first non-English language series to vie for television's top honour at the Primetime Emmys.&nbsp;
—IANS

The South Korean sensational show 'Squid Game' took home the Best International Series and Best Actor awards at this year's Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) TV Awards.

 'Squid Game' wins two prizes at US critics' awards

Los Angeles: If the DC comics superhero Black Adam has an origin film today, it's because of the Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson as he fought to give his character the movie.
The Rock will be joining the DC universe in a feature film revolving around the antihero. 
"When the first draft of the movie came to us, it was a combination of Black Adam and Shazam: Two origin stories in one movie," Johnson told 'Vanity Fair' quoted by 'Deadline'.
"Now that was the goal, so it wasn't a complete surprise. But when I read that, I just knew in my gut, 'We can't make this movie like this. We would be doing Black Adam an incredible disservice'. It would've been fine for Shazam having two origin stories converge in one movie, but not good for Black Adam," he added.
Johnson would then talk to studio executives to express his opinions on breaking up the characters into having their own films and reuniting them in a potential showdown down the road.
"I said, 'I have to share my thoughts here. It's very unpopular' because everybody thought, 'Hey, this script is great, let's go make this movie'. I said, I really think that you should make Shazam!, make that movie on its own in the tone that you want. And I think we should separate this as well," he further said.
According to 'Deadline,' in the end, Johnson won, and both Shazam! and Black Adam, have their standalone films and will live in the same DC universe giving fans what they want.&nbsp;
—IANS

If the DC comics superhero Black Adam has an origin film today, it's because of the Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson as he fought to give his character the movie.

 Dwayne Johnson persuaded makers to make standalone 'Black Adam' movie

Mumbai: Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas seems to be loving the Indian comedy-drama streaming series, ‘Eternally Confused And Eager for Love’. The actress had also expressed her sentiment for the show as she recently shared the poster of the show on her social media.&nbsp;
‘Eternally Confused and Eager for Love’, which is available to stream on Netflix, is raunchy in all the right spots, but with a beating heart at its centre. It stars Vihaan Samat as the protagonist, who plays the role of a guy seeking love and his adventures endured in his path.&nbsp;
Reacting to the appreciation, Vihaan Samat, who was earlier seen in another Netflix drama series ‘Mismatched’, said in a statement, “It’s an honour to be mentioned by PC for my work and I’m glad that people are loving the show.”
The actor further mentioned that he could connect with his character on a subconscious level which helped him to portray it better, “I really connected with Ray’s character and it was an awesome journey. I’m excited to see what the future holds for me now.”&nbsp;
—IANS

Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas seems to be loving the Indian comedy-drama streaming series, ‘Eternally Confused And Eager for Love’. The actress had also expressed her sentiment for the show as she recently shared the poster of the show on her social media. 