Writing about Nepal quake not for publicity: Big B

Also, Hamari Adhuri Kahani trailer out on Monday, May 4; Ballerina Maya Plisetskaya dies at age 89; and Eric Clapton celebrates 70th birthday at concert in Madison Square Garden.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 02: Indian film actor, Amitabh Bachchan gestures on stage as he is presented with the International Screen Icon Award during the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Awards at Princess Theatre on May 2, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images for IFFM)Show less

Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan responded angrily after some social-media users accused him of trying to gain publicity by writing about the Nepal earthquake. The 72-year-old actor, also known as Big B, has been active on Twitter, Facebook and his blog, appealing for people to contribute to the aid efforts in Nepal. But some suggested that he had a more selfish agenda. In response, he wrote on his blog: “Some other in the other medium slither in the scum of incognito garbage, and wish to learn what I do in capacity of help and care to those that remain stranded and scarred, blemished by nature, as it shakes in its slumber. They comment I write about it for comment and sympathetic publicity. Idiots! They need to be sent to the tube for long hours of investigative procedures, and made to languish in that odoured ‘keechad’ [dirt] that colours their insides.” – IANS

Hamari Adhuri Kahani trailer out on Monday, May 4

The trailer for the movie Hamari Adhuri Kahani, which was partly filmed in Dubai, will be launched on Monday, May 4. Director Mohit Suri shared the news on Twitter, writing: "All right! Here goes! The trailer of my film #HamariAdhuriKahani. Out on Monday – 4th May." The film is reportedly based on the life of the Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. The Fox Star Studios film, with Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao, is due to be released on June 11. – IANS

Ballerina Maya Plisetskaya dies at age 89

Maya Plisetskaya, regarded as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century and whose career at the Bolshoi Theatre spanned more than 35 years, has died at age 89. Bolshoi director Vladimir Urin said that she died in Germany of a heart attack on Saturday. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, issued a message of condolence as tributes poured in from across the dance world. Mikhail Baryshnikov said on Facebook that she was "one of the greatest dancers of our time ... beautiful and graceful". Plisetskaya was renowned for intense performances that contrasted with the ethereal style of many other dancers, especially in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Baryshnikov highlighted another role. "Always remember her amazing Dying Swan from 1959 and 1986," he wrote, noting that in the latter performance she was 61 years old. Plisetskaya joined the Bolshoi troupe in 1943 at the age of 18 and stayed until 1990 when she left amid disputes with its director. She returned for gala appearances, including a 75th birthday performance in 2000. – AP

Eric Clapton celebrates 70th birthday at concert in Madison Square Garden

It was Eric Clapton's 70th birthday party, but the sold-out crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden were the ones who got a present, as the guitar legend performed a two-hour concert that included some of his biggest hits and guest stars including John Mayer. Friday night's gig was the first of a two-night show to mark his landmark birthday – which is on March 3. A special moment came when with a version of You Are So Beautiful, a song popularised by Joe Cocker, a longtime friend of Clapton who died in December. Clapton also dedicated a song to his mentor B B King, who on Friday announced that he is under hospice care at his home in Las Vegas. Clapton was joined on stage by a few of his guitar-playing friends, including John Mayer, Jimmy Vaughan, Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall. "I want to thank you for helping me celebrate," he said towards the end of the concert. "This is the best birthday I ever had." – AP