Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne has donated US$10,000 (Dh36,729) to a children's music group after watching a video of the members performing one of his best-known solo hits, Crazy Train. The heavy-metal star found out about the Louisville Leopard Percussionists, a group from the American state of Kentucky that has more than 60 pupils between the ages of 7 and 14, after the video was posted on YouTube. The group are a community, non-profit organisation funded by donations, performance revenue and album sales. The students come from 48 schools in the Louisville area and rehearse together after school. Founder Diane Downs uses a modular approach, teaching each student a specific part of a song. The group have performed with acts including My Morning Jacket, Dave Samuels, Louie Bellson and Ruben Alvarez. – AP
Honour for Bollywood Veteran Kapoor
Veteran Bollywood actor and filmmaker Shashi Kapoor received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award during a star-studded ceremony at the Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai on Saturday. The 77-year-old took to the stage in a wheelchair, and smiled as he received the honour, the third time it has been won by a member of Indian cinema's popular Kapoor family. His family watched the ceremony along with stars Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Shashi's health had prevented him from travelling to New Delhi for the original ceremony on May 3, so information and broadcasting's minister Arun Jaitley flew to Mumbai to present the award. A video celebration of Shashi's life and career was also screened, with tributes from Amitabh, Shabana Azmi, Sharmila Tagore, Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor. Shashi began acting in films as a child in the late 1940s. His best-known early performances include roles in Aag (1948) and Awaara (1951), in which he played a younger version of the character played by his older brother, Raj Kapoor. His most memorable performances include Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Trishul, Kabhi Kabhie, Vijeta and Kalyug. – IANS
A host of heroes sign up for Marvel Civil War
With Avengers: Age of Ultron cleaning up at the global box office, more information has started to emerge about the line-up of heroes appearing in the next big Avengers-related movie, Captain America: Civil War, which will be released in May next year. It was already known that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) would play prominent roles alongside Captain America (Chris Evans) in the film, which tells of a major disagreement between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers that divides The Avengers and threatens to tear the team apart. A start-of-shoot notice from Marvel reveals that they will be joined by The Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), who were introduced in Age of Ultron. Also returning are Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Anthony Mackie) and William Hurt as Gerneral Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who hasn't been seen since 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Also in the mix are newcomers Ant-Man, whose solo debut film is due to be released in July, and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), who won't be seen in his own Marvel movie until 2018. – The National staff
First woman to receive top Cannes honour
French art-house director Agnès Varda is to receive an honorary Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes film festival. The 86-year-old is the first woman to receive the prestigious honour, which is "given to renowned directors whose works have achieved a global impact but who have nevertheless never won the Palme d'Or". It has only previously been awarded to three directors: Woody Allen in 2002, Clint Eastwood in 2009, and Bernardo Bertolucci in 2011. "And yet my films have never sold as much as theirs," Varda said. She will receive the award on May 24, at the end of the 12-day festival when its international jury hands out its top prizes at a red-carpet ceremony. A photographer, writer, actress, director and visual artist, Varda came to prominence with her 1962 movie Cleo from 5 to 7. She won the Venice film festival's Golden Lion in 1985 for Vagabond. Festival organisers said: "Her work and her life are infused with the spirit of freedom, the art of driving back boundaries, a fierce determination and a conviction that brooks no obstacles. Simply put, Varda seems capable of accomplishing everything she wants." – AFP
Jagannadh set for Chiranjeevi’s 150th film
Filmmaker Puri Jagannadh is rumoured to be directing actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi’s much-anticipated, as-yet-untitled, Telugu comeback film. It will be the actor’s 150th film in a career spanning more than two decades. “Puri is the top contender for this prestigious project,” an insider said. “Writer BVS Ravi has already penned the story. Chiranjeevi’s son, Ram Charan, will produce his father’s 150th film under his home banner.” The actress Charmme Kaur revealed at the weekend that a big announcement about the film was on the way. “Huge confirmed good news for all Chiru fans coming out soon! I wish I cud leak it [sic],” she wrote on Twitter. She and Puri recently worked together on the Telugu film Jyothi Lakshmi. “It is quite possible that Charmme may be part of Chiranjeevi’s 150th project with Puri Jagannadh. An official announcement regarding this collaboration is expected soon,” the source added. – IANS