Row over Dishoom song
The first song teaser for director Rohit Dhawan's action-adventure film Dishoom was released yesterday, and immediately sparked controversy. The 15-second clip for the song Sau Tarah Ke – which shows just a glimpse of the film's stars, Varun Dhawan, John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez – was criticised over a small dagger worn by Fernandez. The dagger, called the kirpan, is a religious symbol for the Sikh community. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has written to the Central Board of Film Certification and the makers of the film, threatening criminal proceedings unless the song is removed from the film and a public apology is made. In more news from the Dishoom stable, the production house has announced that Akshay Kumar has a cameo in the film. In March, The National had reported that Kumar was in Abu Dhabi for a few days where he joined the cast on set at Yas Waterworld. The UAE capital features prominently in Dishoom, which is due out on July 28. – Sonali Kokra
Kher announces movie milestone
Bollywood actor Anupam Kher yesterday announced on Twitter his 500th film – a Hollywood production called The Big Sick. The 61-year-old actor was congratulated on this milestone by American actor Robert De Niro, Kher's co-star in Silver Lining's Playbook, who recorded a video message. De Niro called it an "amazing achievement" and he couldn't imagine what 500 films must feel like. Bollywood celebrities, including Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh, also congratulated Kher on Twitter. Kher dedicated his milestone to the unsung heroes of the entertainment business – the behind the scenes crew members. – Sonali Kokra
Curb Your Enthusiasm to return
Larry David is bringing back his HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm for a ninth season. No further details were announced by HBO. The eighth season was broadcast in 2011. The show, which began in 2000, was created by and stars Seinfeld co-creator David as a fictionalised, exaggerated version of himself, who stumbles into socially awkward situations. – AP
Foo Fighters suing insurers
The Foo Fighters are suing insurers for failing to reimburse them for European shows they cancelled following the Paris attacks in November. The suit alleges that the band, headed by Dave Grohl, is owed for shows they called off in Turin, Italy; Paris and Lyon in France; and Barcelona, Spain. The band says their website, www.foofighterstours2015.com, was hacked the day after the attacks to display an ISIS flag, automatic weapon and the threat: "Be prepared." The band is also suing the insurers for not paying for three shows cancelled after Grohl injured his leg after a fall from a stage in Sweden last June. – AP
Sridevi to receive special award
Veteran Bollywood star Sridevi will receive an award for outstanding achievement in Indian cinema at the International Indian Film Academy gala in Madrid next week. The award will be presented at the NEXA IIFA Awards during the four-day Videocon D2h IIFA Weekend from June 23 to 26. Sridevi has had a long and distinguished career in the Indian film industry, with a number of her films receiving cult-classic status. Her work in films has been recognised in not only the Hindi film genre but also for her work in the southern film industry. The IIFA Award will honour her work and the effect it has had on Indian cinema. – IANS
Patti LaBelle honoured in Philadelphia
Patti LaBelle and music producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff are sharing a prize named for a pioneering opera singer. The Marian Anderson Award is given in Philadelphia to “critically acclaimed artists who have impacted society in a positive way”. Anderson was the first black singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Gamble and Huff are credited with creating the lush acoustics of 1960s and ’70s soul music that came to be known as the Sound of Philadelphia. They worked with artists including LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass and Lou Rawls. The honorees represent a first-time focus on Philadelphia’s contribution to popular music. Previous winners include jazz great Wynton Marsalis and rocker Jon Bon Jovi. An awards gala is set for November 15. – AP
Lil Wayne suffers seizures on plane
Lil Wayne is in stable condition after suffering what his publicist described as two minor seizures. The Grammy-winning rapper’s private jet was forced to make two emergency landings at an airport in Omaha, Nebraska, early this week. Derek Sherron, publicity director of The Chamber Group, said Lil Wayne was under the care of his own doctors and was in good spirits. “He thanks his fans for their everlasting support, prayers and well wishes,” Sherron said. The 33-year-old was taken to Creighton University Medical Center. Lil Wayne was previously hospitalised in Los Angeles for seizures in March 2013. He told a Los Angeles radio station that he is an epileptic. In October 2012, he was hospitalised in New York for what was described as a severe migraine and dehydration. – AP
Kanye West announces North American tour
Rap superstar Kanye West, who this year topped music charts with his album The Life of Pablo, has announced a major North American tour, which will begin in August. The Saint Pablo Tour will visit nearly 40 cities across the US and Canada. West made history this year when The Life of Pablo became the first album to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart based exclusively on streaming. It was his seventh chart-topping album. West, who is married to reality-TVstar Kim Kardashian, continues to pursue a side career in fashion design. He also said this year that he is $53 million in debt and asked his fans to subscribe to Tidal, because he needed money to bring his "beautiful ideas to the world." – AFP
Tate Modern extension revealed this week
London’s Tate Modern museum is opening a vast pyramidal extension this week. The modern-art museum has been a success since it opened in 2000, with more than five million people annually visiting the former power station, whose silhouette looms over the south bank of the River Thames. This is more than twice the number of visitors originally planned, leaving gallery-goers jostling to see the latest exhibitions and requiring more floor space. The extension was built on the top of giant underground tanks that held oil when the Tate Modern building was a power station. The ground floor, where the tanks were located, remains pitch black but visitors will then be thrust into the daylight of the upper floors, thanks to the buildings perforated latticework of bricks, while large windows illuminate rest spaces in-between exhibitions. “We wanted to stretch to being more environmental, providing big spaces for artists to work in performance and installation, but also more intimate spaces”, said museum chief Nicholas Serota. The museum will stage a series of events this weekend, including a choir of 500 singers led by British artist Peter Liversidge, to mark the opening. – AFP
Shanghai Disneyland opens today
Shanghai Disneyland opens today in China and represents "incredible potential" for the Walt Disney Company, according to Bob Iger, Disney's chief executive. Disney's first theme park in mainland China is designed to be "authentically Disney" but also "distinctly Chinese", he said. To appeal to Chinese visitors, Disney added a teahouse and other China-themed elements to the park. In a garden leading to its iconic castle, Disney created a Garden of the 12 Friends, using characters including Remy from Ratatouille and Tigger from Winnie the Pooh to represent the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Shanghai Disneyland could help revive Disney's struggling international theme parks business. It will face competition from China's own young but ambitious entertainment brands and potential hurdles from official controls and censorship. Disney movies such as The Lion King and Frozen are popular in China, but Iger said the $5.5 billion theme park plans to create a stronger connection to Chinese consumers. Iger said: "China obviously represents incredible potential for the Walt Disney Co. We've considered many ways to approach growth in China. Nothing is as impactful, nothing creates a connection to our stories, to our brands, to our characters, as a theme park experience." Analysts expect Shanghai Disneyland to become the world's most-visited theme park, attracting up to 50 million guests a year, compared with the 19.3 million who visited Disney's flagship Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. – AP
Martha Stewart introduces new meal kits
Cooking like Martha Stewart is about to get easier. The home-goods mogul and cookbook author is getting into the fast-growing meal kit business. Subscribers will get a box shipped to their door with Stewart’s recipes and all the ingredients needed to cook up the dishes at home, including pre-measured raw meat, fish, vegetables and spices. Stewart said: “It is, I think, the way to cook for the future.” The new venture is a licensing deal with existing meal-kit company Marley Spoon and brand management company Sequential Brands Group Inc. Marley Spoon will be renamed Martha & Marley Spoon in the US and will tap Stewart’s library of thousands of recipes. The popularity of ready-to-cook meal kits has grown in recent years. – AP
