From Holly to Bolly: Elton John recovering from appendectomy

Plus: Siddhartha Basu to act in Bombay Velvet; Kanye West to perform at MTV VMAs; Hrithik Roshan back in action; ET triumphs as Britain's favourite film.

Elton John is recovering after an operation to remove his appendix. The musician's publicist says John had the surgery last week at Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco, near his home in the south of France. Last month, the musician cancelled a series of shows because of an inflamed appendix, which he described as "a ticking time bomb". In a statement on his official website, John said the many get-well cards and messages he received from fans "touched me deeply". The 66-year-old musician is expected to perform in London on September 2, when he receives the Brits Icon Award. - AP

Hrithik Roshan is back after brain surgery

Hrithik Roshan has recovered from brain surgery, which he underwent last month for an injury suffered while performing a stunt for the forthcoming film Bang Bang, a Hindi remake of the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz hit movie Knight and Day. Roshan, 39, said he was "absolutely fine" as he launched the trailer of Krrish 3, the latest movie in the superhero franchise. "Life hits you hard. But it takes you three seconds to decide if you are a superhero or not. I am," Roshan told a news conference in Mumbai on Monday, his first official appearance since he had surgery on July 7. All three Krrish movies have been directed by Roshan's father, Rakesh Roshan. Krrish 3 is scheduled for release in November during Diwali. - AFP

Kanye West to perform at MTV VMAs

Kanye West will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 25. West's performance will be his seventh at the VMAs. He will tie with Madonna for the most performances at the awards show. Lady Gaga will also perform at the event. Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis lead the MTV VMAs with six nominations each. Bruno Mars is up for four awards. Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Pink and Thirty Seconds to Mars have three nominations each. - AP

ET triumphs as Britain's favourite film

Steven Spielberg's 1982 movie ET the Extra-Terrestrial is the childhood film of choice for the British public, who also voted the 1980s as their favourite film decade. "It might be the time fashion forgot but it certainly made an impact on our film choices," said a statement from Samsung Electronics Co, who commissioned the survey of 1,500 people. Spielberg was also voted Britain's favourite director. The Shawshank Redemption, the 1994 prison drama starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, was voted as the film that viewers would most like to watch again and again. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," Clark Gable's final line from the 1939 American hit Gone with the Wind, came out on top as the public's favourite film quote. - Reuters

Siddhartha Basu to act in Bombay Velvet

The television producer and director Siddhartha Basu has signed on to star in Anurag Kashyap's forthcoming film Bombay Velvet. "I just got roped in to do a role in a sumptuous period film," Basu told reporters. The 58-year-old says he enjoys being in front of the camera. "It's good to be able to concentrate on your performance with a fine director at the helm. It's a nice change from putting together all the elements that go into a show," he said. Basu, who will also be seen in Shoojit Sircar's new action film Madras Cafe, says he's open to doing more roles. - IANS

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