National Award-winning Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn and popular director Karan Johar are locked in a bitter online battle that broke out on Thursday, when Devgn alleged that Johar had paying self-proclaimed film critic Kamal R Khan 25 lakh Rupees (Dh137,000) to praise his film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and trash Devgn's Shivaay. The movies will face off at the box office in October. Devgn shared an audio recording on Twitter, in which Khan seems to admit that he was paid by Johar to do so. Devgn has demanded that the issue be investigated. Johar said he would not dignify the allegations by responding. Khan, meanwhile, has accused Devgn of defaming Johar through him. – Sonali Kokra
Amitabh Bachchan confirms role alongside Aamir Khan
Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has confirmed that he will team up with Aamir Khan for a Yash Raj Films movie early next year. Rumours had been circulating about YRF wooing Bachchan for the tentatively titled Thug, opposite Khan, but neither the actor nor the production house had confirmed the rumour until now. Speaking to bollywoodhungama.com, Bachchan said he is very excited to work with Khan and that it was an exciting story. The film is believed to be an adaptation of the Philip Meadow Taylor book, Confessions of a Thug. it will be directed by Dhoom 3 director Vijay Krishna Acharya. – Sonali Kokra
Hall and Oates honoured on Walk of Fame
Rock duo Daryl Hall and John Oates, known for hits such as Out of Touch and Maneater, were honoured with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame at the weekend. "It's an honour to be part of the great sidewalk of fame," Oates said during the ceremony. "LA has a really special place in my memories. We recorded three albums out here in the mid-70s and it's always been a blast to come out here, and the entertainment business and the entertainment fans are the best." Hall and Oates teamed up in 1972 and have recorded 21 albums that have sold more than 80 million copies. The pair, who still perform together, were recognised as rock's all-time best-selling duo in 1987 by the Recording Industry Association of America, a distinction they still hold. – AFP
Movie about the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ debuts
Clint Eastwood's film Sully, about the so -called "Miracle on the Hudson" – when airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger successfully landed his passenger jet on New York's Hudson River after both engines failed due to bird strikes shortly after take-off from the city's LaGuardia airport – had its world premiere during the Telluride Film Festival over the weekend. The film, which stars Tom Hanks as Sullenberger, opened the 43rd annual festival and is due in US cinemas on September 9. Other films screening at Telluride include Bleed for This, starring Miles Teller as former boxer Vinny Paz, and a modern musical romance called La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. – AP
Mary J Blige to guest star on How to Get Away with Murder
Nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer Mary J Blige is set to guest star in the third season of the TV drama How to Get Away with Murder. Though details of her role are being kept under wraps, the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes, has teased a mysterious new plot line for the show. In a promo, law professor Annalise Keating (played by Viola Davis) is taunted by an unknown perpetrator who plasters posters of her face with the word "killer" all over campus. Blige appeared in the season one finale of Black-ish in May 2015, and then starred as Eveline in The Wiz Live! in December. How To Get Away With Murder season three premières on September 24 in the United States. – IANS
Anand L Rai’s next movie with Shah Rukh Khan is a romance
Director-producer Anand L Rai, who directed hit films including Tanu Weds Manu and Raanjhanaa, has revealed his upcoming movie with actor Shah Rukh Khan will be a romance. Rai says: "I don't want to reveal the story. For now, I am keeping it to myself only. Hopefully, I can bring a great story for the audience. Let me save the suspense for you." But when pressed about whether it would be a romantic movie, he added: "You may assume that. When an actor like Shah Rukh is there, it is bound to do something with romance." Khan will play a dwarf in the movie, which is not due for release until December 2018. Khan is currently shooting Imtiaz Ali's The Ring with Anushka Sharma in Prague. -IANS
Moulin Rouge to be adapted for the stage
Director Baz Luhrmann's hit musical movie Moulin Rouge is to be adapted for the stage, according to Playbill.com. Work has begun to adapt the 2001 Oscar-nominated film, which starred Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, but there's no word on who will star or when it will open. The film, set in a nightclub in Paris, tells the story of a poet who becomes obsessed with a singer. It was nominated for eight Oscars and won two — for Best Costumes and Best Art Direction. – The National