Actor Brad Pitt has confirmed he will miss the premiere of his latest project, the IMAX documentary film Voyage of Time, in California on Wednesday, September 28. The announcement comes on the heels of his highly publicised marital split from Angelina Jolie. "I'm very grateful to be part of such a fascinating and educational project, but I'm currently focused on my family situation and don't want to distract attention away from this extraordinary film, which I encourage everyone to see," the actor said in a statement. Pitt, 52, narrated the 45-minute documentary, which is directed by American screenwriter and producer Terrence Malick. The announcement is Pitt's second statement since news of the Hollywood power couple's split broke last week. He previously told People magazine he had been "very saddened" after Jolie, 41, filed for divorce in a Los Angeles court, asking for sole physical custody of the couple's six children. — Reuters
Pierce Brosnan to endorse Indian FMCG brand
A television commercial in which former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan promotes an Indian brand will be released on October 7. Without revealing the name of the fast moving consumer goods [FMCG] company, Brosnan says the campaign is for a product which is at the heart of Indian life. The advertisement will centre around the James Bond theme, a role Brosnan played from 1995 to 2004, notably in the films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. "Namaste India. This country, and its people hold a special place for me and every time I make an appearance in India, I get overwhelmed with the love and the response," Brosnan told IANS. "This campaign has been a great association for me as it is a product that is at the core of your rich culture. Now I await the viewer's response." It's not the first time the actor has put his name to an Indian brand having previously endorsed the suit company Reid & Taylor. — IANS
Uttam Singh to receive lifetime achievement award
Veteran music director and violinist Uttam Singh has been named this year's recipient of the Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement. India's Maharashtra government announced that Singh, 68, will be honoured with a trophy and cash prize at an event in the near future. Singh learnt his craft as a child from his sitar-playing father and moved to Mumbai at the age of 12 to learn violin and tabla. His major break soon followed when he played violin for an assistant to the legendary Bollywood music composer, Naushad Ali. He went on to work with key musical directors, eventually teaming up with the late Jagdish Khanna to form one of the top musical arrangement teams, working on more than 65 Bollywood films, including Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun. Singh has received numerous honours throughout his career including the Filmfare Best Music Director Award in 1997 and 2002. — IANS
Selina Gomez clocks 100 million Instagram followers
Pop star Selena Gomez has become most followed celebrity on Instagram hitting the 100 million mark. The Hands to Myself and Same Old Love singer now has more followers than Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian West. The last photo Gomez posted was six weeks ago, showing her on stage performing her Revival Tour concert which finished up on August 13 in New Zealand. The milestone following an announcement by the singer last month that she was taking a break from the spotlight to deal with anxiety, panic attacks and depression stemming from her battle with lupus. The 24-year-old star recently told People magazine she wanted "to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off." – AP
Beyoncé leads MTV Europe Music Awards nominations
Music stars Beyoncé and Justin Bieber lead the nominations for this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, earning five nods each for the upcoming music event. Beyoncé is in the running for Best Video for her song Formation, Best Female, Best Live, Biggest Fans and Best Local Act (United States). While Bieber, who triumphed at last year's awards in Milan with five wins, has been nominated for Best Song for Sorry, Best Male, Best Pop, Biggest Fans and Best Local Act (Canada). British singer Adele received four nominations, including Best Song for her smash hit Hello, Best Female and Best Live, alongside Coldplay who also got four nomination nods, including Best Video for single Up& Up, Best Live and Best Rock. The MTV Europe Music Awards will be held in Rotterdam on November 6. — Reuters
Mark Wahlberg to honour oil rig victims in Deepwater Horizon
Actor Mark Wahlberg says "the biggest responsibility" for himself and the makers of his new movie Deepwater Horizon was to honour the real-life victims of the 2010 oil rig disaster. "The oil can ultimately be cleaned up, (but) those 11 men can't be replaced," Wahlberg said at film's London premiere. "Those were fathers, brothers, husbands, uncles, cousins. We can't replace those guys and so when they approached me about doing this film, I thought, 'What better way to promote their story'", he added. Set for release in cinemas this week, Deepwater Horizon, focuses on the hours before and after the BP rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, leading to the worst offshore oil disaster in U.S. history. Eleven workers were killed and millions of barrels of oil were leaked onto the shorelines of several states for months. In the movie directed by Peter Berg, Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, one of the last people to escape from the burning rig. — Reuter
