Holly to Bolly: Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars among iHeartRadio winners, Japanese chef opens North Korean restaurant, and more

Paektu Cultural Exchange via AP

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Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars among iHeartRadio Music Award winners

The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards started with Justin Timberlake speaking about inclusion and dedicating his award to children who feel different, and ended with a rousing performance by Bruno Mars that included crowd participation from Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Ty Dolla $ign, Heidi Klum and more.

Timberlake won the night's first award, song of the year, for Can't Stop The Feeling! - his massive No1 hit that was nominated for an Academy Award last month.

Can't Stop This Feeling! appeared on the Trolls soundtrack and was nominated for the best original song Oscar.

Mars, who earned the Innovator Award and closed the show, started his performance with his past hit, Treasure, and later sang his newest hit, the groovy That's What I Like. It featured his signature, slick dance moves and all-star band.

“Innovator is a very heavy word ... it’s a little ironic for me because I genuinely feel like I’m just getting started,” Mars, 31, said onstage, sporting a black suit and sunglasses. “So buckle up. I don’t know where we’re going yet but we’re going. Keep up y’all.”

Other A-list stars were part of the awards show, too: Ed Sheeran started solo and strummed his guitar during Shape of You - currently No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 - and later walked to another stage to perform Castle on the Hill with a full band. Sheeran won best lyrics for co-writing Justin Bieber's Love Yourself. - Associated Press

Japanese chef opens North Korean restaurant

Japanese sushi chef Kenji Fujimoto has opened his sushi restaurant in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, according to Canadian Michael Spavor, a consultant with a long record of working in the communist state. He was involved with NBA star Dennis Rodman’s trips to North Korea, and the two spent days with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who succeeded his father after his death in 2011.

Spavor said he was introduced to Fujimoto last year when he learnt about the chef’s plans to open a restaurant in Pyongyang and tried to track it down early this year.

“I was quite excited, because I’d heard quite a lot about him,” Spavor said. “So one day, for lunch, we met up, and we got along great, he speaks fluent Korean, so we spoke Korean, and that’s when he mentioned to me he was planning on opening up a ramen restaurant or a sushi restaurant in Pyongyang.”

It’s rare to find a Japanese business openly operating in North Korea, because of strained relations between the two countries.

But Fujimoto is a special case. He worked for Kim Jong Il for many years. After Kim’s death, Fujimoto reappeared in Pyongyang meeting with the new leader in images he shared with Japanese media.

Fujimoto’s new restaurant in Pyongyang bears the name “Takahashi” outside its door. The main room with a sushi counter is very small, with just a handful of seats. - Associated Press

Emma Watson defends Vanity Fair shoot

British actress Emma Watson has hit back at critics who said she betrayed her feminist ideals by posing for a revealing picture in Vanity Fair magazine where parts of her chest were exposed.

Watson, the Harry Potter movie series co-star and pioneer of the HeForShe campaign to make men advocate for feminism, talked about the photo shoot for the magazine while promoting her latest film, the Disney live action Beauty and the Beast.

“It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is,” she said in an interview with Reuters.

“Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with. It’s about freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about equality.

“I’m confused. Most people are confused. No, I’m just always just quietly stunned,” she said. - Reuters

Netflix takes aim at Indian market

Netflix on has announced strategic partnerships with Airtel, Videocon d2h and Vodafone. The move is to offer Netflix services over the top (OTT) through these companies’ direct-to-home and mobile platforms.

“India is more movie-centric and among the top three markets in terms of mobile usage. We are investing heavily on content and will soon open an office in Mumbai,” Reed Hastings, Co-founder and CEO of Netflix, told reporters here.

Netflix launched its service globally in January 2016, including in India. “In 2017, we will work on making our Indian service better in every dimension. What’s unique about Netflix is that we have got international originals and we will focus on premium content,” Hastings added.

With these partnerships, Netflix's critically-acclaimed programmes like House of Cards and Narcos and The Crown will be easily accessible to consumers across direct-to-home and mobile platforms throughout the country.

“In the months and years to come, we look forward to bringing our Indian members more compelling stories from all over the world, an ever-improving viewing experience and incredible joy,” Hastings added. - IANS

Shah Rukh Khan wishes Karan Johar well

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has extended his best wishes to close friend Karan Johar, who has become a father of twins Yash and Roohi Johar through surrogacy.

The 51-year-old actor walked the ramp for designer Manish Malhotra at a charity fashion show for NGO Mijwan Welfare Society on Sunday.

On the sidelines, Shah Rukh said: “I wish him health and happiness. I think this is a very personal moment, so don’t think I am being cagey and not wanting to answer.

“It is very personal because I have had this moment. So let’s respect (it) and leave (it at) that. We will have celebrations, love and happiness later.”

Karan on Sunday announced he has become a father to daughter Roohi and son Yash. Shah Rukh too has a son, AbRam, via surrogacy.

The Raees actor shared his experience of walking the ramp at the event, organised by veteran actress Shabana Azmi.

“I would like to thank Shabanaji and Manish for giving me this opportunity. We are all old friends and I genuinely love to be a part of this initiative. It is a heartfelt and beautiful initiative,” said Shah Rukh, who looked dapper in a chikankari black and white kurta.

SRK is currently working on Imtiaz Ali's movie, tentatively titled The Ring opposite Anushka Sharma. He plays a tour guide in the film, supposedly inspired by Dev Anand's character in Guide.