It occurs to me that, if I were better at marketing myself, I’d be writing and sending out press releases titled, “New York Times Number One Best Selling Audiobook Narrator […]

whew, I think that finally wraps up this robot-centric story! Time to catch up with some of the rest of the cast.

Pukeko Pictures, founded by Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger with their friend and children’s author Martin Baynton, has released a free children’s ebook. The book is based on characters from the New Zealand kids’ show Kiddets and demonstrates to children the importance of remaining clean, clear, and kind. You can download a copy […]

Your local boozer might be shut but the pub quiz lives on, with everyone from Helen Mirren to Stephen Fry asking the questions

In an unidentified magnolia room, Lenny Henry is yelling: “Let me hear you say: ‘YEAH.’” Next to his face, a live chat feed blurts out heart emojis and comments such as: “Hello, Sir Lenny!”. Or: “I’ve had the biggest crush on Lenny Henry since his Chef days.” Or: “Hi, my team name is Wuhan Clan.”

The Dudley comic is hosting the National Theatre’s online pub quiz, a pre-recorded broadcast, streamed via YouTube and Facebook. He is joined by Lesley Manville, Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen to pose 15 minutes’ worth of intensely difficult general knowledge questions to the public. And, bizarrely, to announce that: “I will pull interesting faces while you write the answer down,” before shooting his eyebrows to the sky and gaping his jaw as if he’s running an advertising campaign for his own tonsils. Still, this is lockdown living; everything’s a bit odd.

You’d think during a pandemic we’d all have gained a little perspective – but policing female bodies and appetites is a timeless trend

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter​ on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday.

English dub cast includes Joey Richter, Merit Leighton, Sarah Williams, Michael Johnston

7th game in Yakuza series debuted in Japan for PS4 on January 16

RPG to also launch on Xbox Series X, Xbox One

New release date yet to be announced

An Indianapolis man was fatally shot by police after a high-speed chase in an incident that appeared to have been broadcast on Facebook Live, sparking outcry and protests throughout the night.More than 100 people from the community gathered at the scene of the shooting to express their outrage Wednesday night, chanting “No justice, no peace!” as they demanded answers from police about the latest officer-involved death. Protestors continued demonstrating Thursday, with dozens marching through the streets before congregating outside of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department headquarters. “We deserve better,” one community activist told The Indianapolis Star. “I am disgusted, horrified, tired, and angry.”‘You’re Gonna Kill Me’: Body-Cam Footage Shows Cops Mocking Dallas Man as He DiesThe Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said the incident began around 6 p.m. when officers began pursuing a man who they observed to be driving recklessly. After the driver exited the car, an officer chased him on foot before gunfire was “exchanged” at around 6:14 p.m., police said in a press release, without revealing who fired first. In the unconfirmed Facebook video of the incident, at least 13 or 14 gunshots can be heard. In another video obtained by The Indianapolis Star, a detective who arrived after the shooting can be heard saying: “Looks like it’s going to be a closed casket, homie.” “We are aware of inappropriate comments made by an IMPD detective” on the live stream, Indianapolis MPD Chief Randal Taylor said at a Thursday press conference. “Let me be clear: These comments are unacceptable and unbecoming of our police department.” While Taylor did not confirm the authenticity of the Facebook live stream, he did stress he was “concerned with the things on social media,” stating he thinks that some comments online “lack trust as to what occurred.” Authorities have not yet identified the name of the driver but said he and the officer who shot him were both black men. Family members identified the driver to local media outlets as 21-year-old Dreasjon “Sean” Reed. The officer who fired the fatal shot has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.“I feel like to lose a life, especially at a young age, there’s never going to be justice,” Jazmine Reed, the 21-year-old’s sister, told WISH, adding that her family watched the pursuit and shooting on Facebook as it happened. “Cause he’s gone—there’s never justice for that. Even if somebody was to get time or whatever for it, it’s never going to be justice because he’s never coming back.” The sister said she drove to the scene after watching the video, not knowing whether her brother was still alive. “I shouldn’t have to bury my little brother,” she added.The Indianapolis MPD said the incident began after two officers saw a Toyota Corolla being driven “recklessly.” They followed the driver in unmarked cars and asked for assistance as they said the vehicle continued “at a high rate of speed” and the operator was “disobeying all traffic signals” and nearly hit another car. In the Facebook video, titled “High-speed case lol,” Reed, who is shirtless, appears nervous as he speaks to his 2,000 viewers and points his camera to show the moving police cars behind him.“Almost lost him y’all!” he says. “Almost got rid of his ass!”Video Shows Florida Deputy Violently Yanking Middle Schooler’s Hair During ArrestAt one point, he appears to pull over and stop his car. Authorities say the driver disregarded “the officers’ verbal commands to stop” and ran out of the car, prompting an officer to chase him on foot.“I’m on 62nd and Michigan,” Reed says in the video, just before exiting the vehicle. “I just parked... I’m gone.” He added: “Please come get me! Please come get me! Please come get me!”Reed can then be heard running for approximately 30 seconds, as a voice behind him yells: “Stop! Stop!”“Fuck you,” Reed replies. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said during a Wednesday news conference that the officer first used his taser, but it’s unclear if it worked and is not seen on the purported video from the scene.“It is believed at this time that shots were fired by both the officer and the suspect,” Bailey said.In the video, Reed appears to start screaming before collapsing on the ground. About eight seconds later, 11 or 12 gunshots can be heard in rapid succession. The live stream did not show Reed talking about a gun or firing a weapon. After a brief pause, two more shots can be heard as the camera faces the sky while the opening lyrics of Young Dolph’s “16 Zips” appears to be playing off the phone. By the end of the gunfire, more than 4,000 people had tuned in to watch the live stream, according to the Star.Bailey said Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services arrived shortly after and pronounced the driver dead at the scene. The officer was uninjured.Taylor on Thursday stated that a “loaded gun” was recovered at the scene that appeared to have been fired twice and that it belonged to the driver. He added that disciplinary action will be taken against the detective who made the “casket” comment.After the incident, the Facebook Live video, which has been widely shared on social media, was removed from the victim’s account, Bailey said. Bailey added that authorities are aware of Facebook videos.Cop Charged With Assault After Video Shows Him Slamming Suspect’s Head Into Pavement“Both the officers and the detectives have done their due diligence in preserving that evidence through the proper legal channels, and if it’s associated that there’s information on there that’s appropriate for the investigation, they’ll utilize it,” he said.Taylor added Thursday the police officers involved in the shooting were not wearing body cameras, but he has no reason to believe they acted inappropriately. But after the press conference, dozens of protesters took to the streets demanding more police action, shouting “all lives matter,” as drivers stopped their cars and put their fists out their windows in solidarity.About eight hours after that shooting, Indianapolis police fatally shot another man during an investigation into a burglary at an apartment complex. Authorities said that around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, four officers responded to the apartment and were immediately fired upon by a man with a rifle. All four officers “returned fire” and hit the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a news release. In response to both incidents, Taylor stressed at a Thursday press conference that he will provide residents with “the truth whether we are right or wrong.”“We have long talked about the kind of police department we want to be—one that serves with the community, that's not policed at—a police department that is trusted, one where every resident feels a comfortable calling,” Taylor said. “We recognize and are saddened that this mutual trust that is so valued has been eroded over the last 24 hours.”Investigators are now conducting a separate investigation into that shooting, and police said there’s evidence the victim called 911 with the intent of ambushing the responding officers. “Our hearts this morning are with the families who lost loved ones during these tragic events. All of us are trying to make a new normal in an un-normal time. Incidents like these do not help restore normalcy to our community,” Chrystal Ratcliffe, the president of the NAACP branch in Indianapolis said in a statement.The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana on Thursday called for a “prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation” into Reed’s death.“Whether someone is unarmed or armed, compliant or resistant, police officers should be properly trained in de-escalation tactics and turn to the use of force only as a last resort, not a first option,” the statement read. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

To share upcoming changes with our partners in the React ecosystem, we’re establishing official prerelease channels. We hope this process will help us make changes to React with confidence, and give developers the opportunity to try out experimental features.

This post will be most relevant to developers who work on frameworks, libraries, or developer tooling. Developers who use React primarily to build user-facing applications should not need to worry about our prerelease channels.

React relies on a thriving open source community to file bug reports, open pull requests, and submit RFCs. To encourage feedback, we sometimes share special builds of React that include unreleased features.

Because the source of truth for React is our public GitHub repository, it’s always been possible to build a copy of React that includes the latest changes. However it’s much easier for developers to install React from npm, so we occasionally publish prerelease builds to the npm registry. A recent example is the 16.7 alpha, which included an early version of the Hooks API.

We would like to make it even easier for developers to test prerelease builds of React, so we’re formalizing our process with three separate release channels.

Release Channels

The information in this post is also available on our Release Channels page. We will update that document whenever there are changes to our release process.

Each of React’s release channels is designed for a distinct use case:

• Latest is for stable, semver React releases. It’s what you get when you install React from npm. This is the channel you’re already using today. Use this for all user-facing React applications.
• Next tracks the master branch of the React source code repository. Think of these as release candidates for the next minor semver release. Use this for integration testing between React and third party projects.
• Experimental includes experimental APIs and features that aren’t available in the stable releases. These also track the master branch, but with additional feature flags turned on. Use this to try out upcoming features before they are released.

All releases are published to npm, but only Latest uses semantic versioning. Prereleases (those in the Next and Experimental channels) have versions generated from a hash of their contents, e.g. 0.0.0-1022ee0ec for Next and 0.0.0-experimental-1022ee0ec for Experimental.

The only officially supported release channel for user-facing applications is Latest. Next and Experimental releases are provided for testing purposes only, and we provide no guarantees that behavior won’t change between releases. They do not follow the semver protocol that we use for releases from Latest.

By publishing prereleases to the same registry that we use for stable releases, we are able to take advantage of the many tools that support the npm workflow, like unpkg and CodeSandbox.

Latest Channel

Latest is the channel used for stable React releases. It corresponds to the latest tag on npm. It is the recommended channel for all React apps that are shipped to real users.

If you’re not sure which channel you should use, it’s Latest. If you’re a React developer, this is what you’re already using.

You can expect updates to Latest to be extremely stable. Versions follow the semantic versioning scheme. Learn more about our commitment to stability and incremental migration in our versioning policy.

Next Channel

The Next channel is a prerelease channel that tracks the master branch of the React repository. We use prereleases in the Next channel as release candidates for the Latest channel. You can think of Next as a superset of Latest that is updated more frequently.

The degree of change between the most recent Next release and the most recent Latest release is approximately the same as you would find between two minor semver releases. However, the Next channel does not conform to semantic versioning. You should expect occasional breaking changes between successive releases in the Next channel.

Do not use prereleases in user-facing applications.

Releases in Next are published with the next tag on npm. Versions are generated from a hash of the build’s contents, e.g. 0.0.0-1022ee0ec.

Using the Next Channel for Integration Testing

The Next channel is designed to support integration testing between React and other projects.

All changes to React go through extensive internal testing before they are released to the public. However, there are myriad environments and configurations used throughout the React ecosystem, and it’s not possible for us to test against every single one.

If you’re the author of a third party React framework, library, developer tool, or similar infrastructure-type project, you can help us keep React stable for your users and the entire React community by periodically running your test suite against the most recent changes. If you’re interested, follow these steps:

• Set up a cron job using your preferred continuous integration platform. Cron jobs are supported by both CircleCI and Travis CI.

• In the cron job, update your React packages to the most recent React release in the Next channel, using next tag on npm. Using the npm cli:

  npm update react@next react-dom@next

  Or yarn:

  yarn upgrade react@next react-dom@next

• Run your test suite against the updated packages.
• If everything passes, great! You can expect that your project will work with the next minor React release.
• If something breaks unexpectedly, please let us know by filing an issue.

A project that uses this workflow is Next.js. (No pun intended! Seriously!) You can refer to their CircleCI configuration as an example.

Experimental Channel

Like Next, the Experimental channel is a prerelease channel that tracks the master branch of the React repository. Unlike Next, Experimental releases include additional features and APIs that are not ready for wider release.

Usually, an update to Next is accompanied by a corresponding update to Experimental. They are based on the same source revision, but are built using a different set of feature flags.

Experimental releases may be significantly different than releases to Next and Latest. Do not use Experimental releases in user-facing applications. You should expect frequent breaking changes between releases in the Experimental channel.

Releases in Experimental are published with the experimental tag on npm. Versions are generated from a hash of the build’s contents, e.g. 0.0.0-experimental-1022ee0ec.

What Goes Into an Experimental Release?

Experimental features are ones that are not ready to be released to the wider public, and may change drastically before they are finalized. Some experiments may never be finalized — the reason we have experiments is to test the viability of proposed changes.

For example, if the Experimental channel had existed when we announced Hooks, we would have released Hooks to the Experimental channel weeks before they were available in Latest.

You may find it valuable to run integration tests against Experimental. This is up to you. However, be advised that Experimental is even less stable than Next. We do not guarantee any stability between Experimental releases.

How Can I Learn More About Experimental Features?

Experimental features may or may not be documented. Usually, experiments aren’t documented until they are close to shipping in Next or Stable.

If a feature is not documented, they may be accompanied by an RFC.

We will post to the React blog when we’re ready to announce new experiments, but that doesn’t mean we will publicize every experiment.

You can always refer to our public GitHub repository’s history for a comprehensive list of changes.

Back in 1992, Aamir Khan, Raveena Tandon, Gulshan Grover, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rekha were all set to collaborate for India's most expensive film- Time Machine and to be directed by Masoom and Mr. India director Shekhar Kapur. Yes, it was supposed to be mounted on a lavish scale and made on an unheard budget. However, destiny had other plans and the film never saw the lights of the day.

Just like Mr. India, it was based on the genre of Sci-Fi and on the lines of the Hollywood classic Back to the Future. But given the scarcity of technology and budget constraints at that time, the producers decided to shelve the film. It was the story of a man who travels back in time with the help of a machine to meet his parents he has never seen. A similar concept was used by Vipul Shah in his 2010 film, Action Replayy.

And now, taking to his Instagram account, Gulshan Grover shared a still from that film and it's your perfect Flashback Friday picture that could cheer you up. Because during this lockdown, these nostalgic pictures are our best stress-busters.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Aamir Khan @_aamirkhan and me in an unfinished Film #TimeMachine , directed by @Shekharkapur . Raveena Tandon @Officialraveenatandon was the leading lady

A post shared by Gulshan Grover (@gulshangrover) onApr 22, 2020 at 12:10pm PDT

After the success of Bandit Queen, Shekhar Kapur migrated to Hollywood, and Time Machine could never be revived. The cast may have moved on, but it would have been great to at least see a glimpse of what the makers wanted to achieve at a time when no filmmaker had the audacity to even imagine such a theme.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Unconfirmed reports suggesting the upcoming Ranveer Singh-starrer "83" will be sold for release on an OTT platform before it opens in the theatres, have been denied by Reliance Entertainment, co-producers of the much-awaited film. The rumours started after the film's release was pushed from its scheduled date of April 10 owing to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

Lately, the trade circuit was abuzz with speculations that a global OTT giant with substantial reach in India has offered a whopping Rs 143 crore to the producers of "83" for the purchase of the film's release rights. However, Reliance Entertainment has denied all such reports, claiming they will "evaluate" if the situation did not become normal even after six months, reports bollywoodhungama.com.

"There is no truth to these reports. '83' has been made for the big-screen experience. Right now, there's no intention or interest on the part of the directors or us as producers, to take these films to the small screen. If the situation deteriorates rapidly or there is no visibility of normalcy even after six months, we will evaluate then. But right now, we are all quite positive and I foresee that between the next four to six months, cinema halls will start operating. So that's the hope and mindset which we currently have," Shibashish Sarkar, Reliance Entertainment Group CEO, told bollywoodhungama.com.

Directed by Kabir Khan, "83" narrates the story of India's first-ever cricket World Cup victory in 1983. In the movie, Ranveer Singh stars as the then skipper Kapil Dev while Deepika Padukone plays Kapil's wife Romi Dev. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jiiva, Sahil Khattar, Chirag Patil and Adinath Kothare in key roles.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

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In a positive step towards the conservation of wildlife, 295 Indian star tortoise seized from Vasai by Maharashtra Forest Department along with NGO PAWS-Mumbai were successfully released at Banarghatta National Park in Karnataka.

Speaking to mid-day Sunish Subramanian Kunju from NGO PAWS-Mumbai said, "Plant & Animals Welfare Society(PAWS-Mumbai) along with the Range Forest Officer(RFO) Yuvraj Gite and team successfully released 295 Indian Star Tortoise at Banarghatta National Park, Bangalore. Of the 295 tortoises, 293 Star Tortoise were seized from Vasai and two-star tortoise were saved by Amma Care Foundation."

Indian star tortoise is a threatened species and protected under schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 197. It is thus illegal to keep them as pets.

This is not the first instance where Indian star tortoises have been released at Banarghatta National Park. In September 2017, mid-day did a story (Rescued Star Tortoises To Fly Back To Karnataka Today) in which it was 285 star tortoises rescued over the past year by various NGOs and government bodies from Mumbai were released in their natural habitat.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The prisons department of Maharashtra has released more than 5,000 inmates from various prisons of the state till Saturday, an official said. To prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in overcrowded jails, the prisons department is releasing those inmates who are serving sentences of less than seven years on bail, he said. At least 11,000 prisoners were expected to be released to decongest prisons, and so far 5,105 have been released on bail, the official added.

582 prisoners have been released from Arthur Road prison in Mumbai, 443 from Thane Central Jail, 498 from Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, 388 from Yerawada prison in Pune, 214 from Amaravati prison, 216 from Nagpur prison, 187 from Solapur district prison, 177 from Aurangabad Central Prison and 134 from Nashik Central Prison, he said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) made a shocking decision on April 15 by releasing a huge list of some WWE superstars from past and present.

In a statement by WWE, they announced that they had released a total of 19 superstar wrestlers and a referee. WWE has come to terms on the release of Kurt Angle, Rusev (Miroslav Barnyashev), Zack Ryder (Matthew Cardona), Drake Maverick (James Curtin), Sarah Logan (Sarah Rowe), Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers), Karl Anderson (Chad Allegra) and Luke Gallows (Drew Hankinson) - collectively known as The O.C., Heath Slater (Heath Miller), Mike Kanellis (Mike Bennett), Maria Kanellis, Eric Young (Jeremy Fritz), Aiden English (Matthew Rehwoldt), Rowan (Joseph Ruud), No Way Jose (Levis Valenzuela), Mike Chioda, EC3 (Michael Hutter), Lio Rush (Lionel Green), Primo (Edwin Colon) and Epico (Orlando Colon Nieves). WWE also went on to wish them all the best.

Following their release from WWE, superstars took to Instagram to voice their emotions.

Take a look at some of their posts on social media. Kurt Angle -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Until next time. #yippeekiyay #itstrue

A post shared by Kurt Angle (@therealkurtangle) onApr 15, 2020 at 12:35pm PDT

Rusev -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Life is life. God is great. I’ll be alright

A post shared by Miroslav Barnyashev (@rusevig) onApr 15, 2020 at 1:59pm PDT

Sarah Logan -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

With my whole heart. Thank you.

A post shared by Sarah Rowe (@sarahloganwwe) onApr 15, 2020 at 12:49pm PDT

Heath Slater -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Thank you all.

A post shared by Heath Miller “Slater” (@heathslater_xxii) onApr 15, 2020 at 2:19pm PDT

Luke Gallows -

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

The devil ain’t in the distance.....

A post shared by Luke Gallows (@luke_gallowswwe) onApr 15, 2020 at 8:49pm PDT

This has come as shocking news to all the WWE universe with more details awaited.

Nobody knows when the lockdown will end and when life will come back to normal. But for those who have access, they are spending their quarantine by watching web-series, films, and reruns of classic television shows. So on one hand, we have Ramayan and Mahabharat, on the other spectrum lies something called Four More Shots Please, Season 2!

This show is what we call the ultimate triumph of a woman's liberation. Their tendency to do all the possible shenanigans and be unabashed and unapologetic about it is what has made this web-series so catchy and contagious. And one of the leads, Sayani Gupta, a fine actor to the hoot, recently in an interview with Radio City's RJ Harshil, she talked about the show's popularly, how she has been spending time at home, and a lot of other entertaining stuff.

As expected, the first question was about the number of interviews she has given about the show amid this lockdown. She sounds perplexed and says, "I have really lost track, so many, it's insane you know. I give at least 1 or 2 interviews every day. But I have now started my own live videos that is a series of my interactions with some of my friends from the industry, it's called Shy-Me-Not. I've had four sessions so far."

The next question is about her journey from FTII (The Film and Television Institute of India) to films and she takes a deep breath since the answer is going to be really long. She says, "I am from Kolkata and went to Delhi for college and did theatre. I wanted to go to the National School of Drama but decided against it because my seniors, M.K Raina and Habib Tanvir, told me how it was going through a turmoil in terms of syllabus and management. But going to FTII was one of the best decisions of my life, I spent three-and-a-half years over there. It's because of the institute that I'm sitting for this interview today."

She added, "I knew nobody would spot me at a cafe and cast me for a film, and I knew this process would take time but I actually got my first film in the first month of being in Bombay, Second Marriage Dot Com. The director had seen my short film that was made during my education at the FTII. I don't like the world struggle, I feel the journey has been very interesting. I also did a travel show that was once in a lifetime experience, I also assisted Manav Kaul on a film that's going to come out soon."

She also spoke about her character Khanum from Shonali Bose's Margarita With A Straw and said, "To get such a character is a once in a lifetime opportunity, for both Kalki and me. Such films aren't made too often. It was a very performance-heavy part, she was blind and an activist. There was so much to do, and of course, she was homosexual. There was so much scope for performance. I'm happy people took me seriously."

We have seen Gupta in a lot of films over the last few years like Fan, Jolly LLB 2, Jagga Jasoos, and Article 15, so how has she been balancing between this medium and the OTT platform! This is what she has to say, "In these last three years, I have been shooting every day and I've actually done two shifts, three shifts. I have done Inside Edge 1 & 2, Four More Shots 1 & 2, a British series called The Good Karma Hospital that's out now, but I've also done nine films," and she flashes her smile! Talking about her character Rohini from Inside Edge, she says, "I don't know anything about cricket, I have seen the sport with my parents. My father was working for All India Radio and his office was right next to the Eden Garden. But I was never aware of the technicalities of cricket and neither was I interested."

She continued, "Karan Anshuman told me about this even before Excel was producing it. After a few months, the creative producer of Excel called me and said they have a fabulous role, come and meet us. When I read the part, I asked them if they were sure they wanted me to play this, but I guess all of them were confident about me as an actor for some reason and I'm really grateful to them." And then it was time to talk about her character Damini Rizvi Roy from Four More Shots Please, and her initial reaction on reading it.

"I hate the word bold and the context in which you are using it is wrong because even according to the dictionary, it's the boldness of mind. People really misinterpret things by using the term bold. Four More Shots was a very important show when I read it for the first time, and I felt it was amazing that a group of women was trying to make a show which actually was about women. It was trying to normalise everything about the life of a woman. I think it's one of those very important shows, and it's crucial to have such a show in the mainstream narrative, and even the criticism that comes and mostly from men about our sex and smoking, you can understand how regressive, repressed and patriarchal our society is even now."

She added, "When men do all these things and we all have seen it, nobody bats an eyelid, and everyone is like,'Oh my god! Friendship'! The moment it's about women that have chosen to live a particular life and are normal with it, like I am, people tend to have issues. There are lots of topics that are being handled with a lot of sensitivity and depth in the second season. You have workplace gender bias, you have body shaming, you have LGBT rights, you have a homosexual wedding, freedom of expression, freedom of speech. It has everything a woman faces in the urban space or rural space. We are getting long letters and messages, it's crazy."

She continued, "It's moving people because it is making a difference to them." In between, she answers a fan who asks if a woman having sex with multiple men is empowerment for her. She says, "No, it's not, and nobody is saying drinking and smoking is empowerment. But people do go out and drink and smoking is not even shown in the entire season two. Women who go out and drink and choose to have sex with whom they want to, and have control over their sexuality, should be not looked at as a taboo. It's normal, we all do it!"

"Also, you have to realise it's about celebrating yourself and women for their rights, it's about subverting these constant pressures of women. The problem is that women are always shown as these crazy stereotypes, either she's virginal and the hero is trying to woo her and have sex with her, the hero is marrying her, or a vamp who's breaking the hero and heroine's home. Nowhere are women, in most of the mainstream narratives, shown as themselves. What is the problem with having sex with multiple partners? So many people do."

She seems to be raising the right points and makes a very important observation. "Sex was always shown as something done to women and never a choice that women are making. If I want to be intimate with someone or be in a romantic liaison with someone, it's my choice. That needs to be respected and celebrated. Having said that, our intention is never to encourage smoking and drinking or go out and partying, that's not the point. But if there are people who do it, there shouldn't be a taboo about it, even in India. You see Sex in the City, you see Girls, you see Friends, any Hollywood series or show or film and it's fine, but the moment you see Indian girls doing it, you're like, 'OMG'!

"Everyone does it so what's the problem in showing it or representing it authentically! It's a show made by women, it was the need of the hour to represent women authentically," she added. Well, this was truly straight from the heart, and in case you are yet to discover Four More Shots Please, watch it and decide whether you agree with Sayani Gupta or not! But one thing people will agree with is that she's truly a fine actor!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

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Last week, mid-day reported that Akshay Kumar is considering releasing Laxmmi Bomb directly on Disney+Hotstar. Now, many medium-budget movies seem to be following suit. Sources indicate that T-Series is in the final stages of sealing a multi-release deal with Netflix. A source reveals, "The studio has eight to 10 films that are close to the finish line. While the head honchos were in talks with Netflix, Amazon Prime and other OTT platforms for a direct-to-web release, their conversation with Netflix has advanced considerably. Nagraj Manjule's Jhund and Anurag Basu's Ludo, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao and Fatima Sana Shaikh, are among the movies in discussion."

Since the studio is a joint producer on some of the projects, it will require consent of the other parties too. "For instance, they have co-produced Kiara Advani-starrer Indoo Ki Jawani with Nikkhil Advani. So, both parties must be willing to do away with a theatrical release, and must agree on the money. Currently, the team is choosing films that it thinks have a better prospect digitally and seeking approvals from co-producers," adds the source.

Bhushan Kumar

mid-day reached out to the production house, which did not respond till press time.

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Should we? Should we not? That's the question on the minds of several filmmakers who are contemplating releasing their offerings directly online as a cloud of uncertainty looms large over the re-opening of cinemas. However, Reliance Entertainment has decided to wait out the lockdown period instead of pursuing a direct-to-web release for their two big-ticket movies, Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi and Ranveer Singh's 83.

While he understands that OTT platforms enjoy a wide reach, Shibasish Sarkar, group CEO, Reliance Entertainment, says, "Sooryavanshi and 83 have been made for the big-screen experience. We are hoping theatres will open [in the near future], and we will be able to release our films. For now, we are willing to wait for four to six months [before considering an alternate course of action]." He doesn't deny that holding off a film's release for so long poses a financial risk. "We are taking a risk in terms of our equity and return. But we believe in our films and want to see them on the big screen. Also, theatres are an important part of the entertainment eco-system."

A still from Sooryavanshi

Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi opines that while smaller films can be web-bound, big-budget projects should not bypass a theatrical run as they are integral to the survival of cinemas. "Even 10 films [of the calibre of] Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan can't boost the exhibition sector the way a Sooryavanshi can. We depend on such films to keep our balance sheet in the green. Watching an Akshay Kumar or a Rajinikanth film on a mobile phone hardly gives viewers the larger-than-life theatre experience," he reasons.

Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment

Grateful that the key players are not biting the OTT bait, Manoj Desai, executive director, Gaiety-Galaxy, says, "Almost 50 per cent of my losses will be recovered if Sooryavanshi is the first release after the lockdown is lifted. If such films consider [a direct-to-web release], I will have to down the shutters of my theatres."

South theatres angry

Down south, multiplex owners are already resisting direct-to-home releases. The Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association has threatened to ban films produced by or featuring Suriya when his home production announced it will release wife Jyothika's Pon Magal Vandhal directly online. Following this, the association released a video warning that they will not allot screens to Suriya’s films if the couple goes ahead with the decision.

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The brilliant Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29, 2020, after battling neuroendocrine cancer for over two years. The actor has left behind a huge void in the lives of his family, friends and fans. Irrfan Khan is survived by his wife, Sutapa Sikdar, and his sons Babil and Ayaan.

In an official family statement, Irrfan's wife Sutapa and sons have asked us to think of this as a gain, not a loss. The family writes, "How can I write this as a family statement when the whole world is taking it as a personal loss? How can I begin to feel alone when millions are grieving with us at the moment? I want to assure everyone that this is not a loss, it is a gain. It's a gain of the things he taught us, and now we shall finally begin to truly implement it and evolve. Yet, I want to try to fill in the things that people don't already know."

The statement further read, "It's unbelievable for us but I would put it in Irrfan's words, 'it's magical' whether he is there or not, and that's what he loved; he never loved one-dimensional reality. The only thing I have a grudge against him is - he has spoiled me for life. His strive for perfection doesn't let me settle for ordinary in anything. There was a rhythm which he always saw in everything, even in cacophony and chaos, so I have learnt to sing and dance to the music of that rhythm, even with my tone-deaf voice and two left feet."

"Funnily, our life was a masterclass in acting, so when the dramatic entry of the "uninvited guests" happened, I had by then learnt to see harmony in the cacophony. The doctor's reports were like scripts which I wanted to perfect, so I never miss any detail that he sought for in his performance. We met some amazing people in this journey and the list is endless, but there are some whom I have to mention, our oncologist Dr. Nitesh Rohtogi (Max hospital Saket) who held our hand in the beginning, Dr. Dan Krell (UK), Dr. Shidravi (UK), my heartbeat and my lantern in the dark Dr. Sevanti Limaye (Kokilaben hospital). It's difficult to explain how wondrous, beautiful, overwhelming, painful and exciting this journey has been."

I find these two and a half years to have been an interlude that had its own beginning, middle and culmination with Irrfan helming the role of the orchestra conductor, separate from the 35 years of our companionship. Ours was not a marriage, it was a union. I see my little family, in a boat, with both my sons Babil and Ayaan paddling it forward, with Irrfan guiding them, "wahan nahi, yahan se modo". But since life is not cinema and there are no retakes, I sincerely wish my children sail this boat safely with their father's guidance in mind and rockabye through the storm. I asked my children, if possible, if they could sum up a lesson taught by their father that has been important to them...

Babil: Learn to surrender to the dance of uncertainty and trust your faith in the universe.
Ayaan: Learn to control your mind and to not let it control you."

"Tears will flow as we plant a raat ki rani tree, his favourite, in the place where you have put him to rest after a victorious journey. It takes time but it will bloom and the fragrance will spread and touch all the souls whom I won't call fans but family for years to come."

The Angrezi Medium actor was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection, where he passed away. Irrfan's most memorable works include Salaam Bombay!, Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Haider, Gunday, Piku, Talvar, and Hindi Medium, amongst others.

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Last week Jassie Gill released his song Ehna Chauni Aa, which was the first song to be shot on an iPhone. The song instantly became a hit overnight. It not only created the right kind of the noise, but was also loved by none other than Armaan Malik who took to Twitter to express his love for the song.

In the midst of quarantine where people are looking out for new entertainment, Jassie Gill is back with yet another peppy number titled Johnny Waker. Jassie this time is supporting his friend Simmie by not only singing the song, but also featuring in it. The new song is a peppy party number which will have one and all groove to its tunes.

Talking about the same, Jassie says, "Simmie is a friend and is a great artist. When he came to me with the song, I really liked it and I am glad I am a part of the song. Luckily we shot the song before quarantine and it is shot beautifully."

Simmie added, "Jassie is a great guy, he is an amazing human being. I am very happy he said yes to be a part of the song."

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The buzz around Amazon Prime Videos’ upcoming series- Paatal Lok has been on a high ever since the announcement was made. Amazon Prime Video today released a gripping first look motion poster of critically acclaimed actor their upcoming Amazon Original Series - Paatal Lok’s character, Hathiram to be played by.

A knight with many shades of grey manoeuvring through a seemingly corrupt system of justice. Catch the critically acclaimed actor Jaideep Ahlawat as Hathiram Chaudhary on his journey to seek truth, in Amazon Original Series Paatal Lok, releasing on May 15, 2020.

Sharing the interesting poster of Jaideep Ahlawat's character Hathiram Chaudhary from Paatal Lok, Amazon Prime Video shared the poster with an interesting caption which says, "jurm aur sachai ki khoj mein kya hathiram ko #PaatalLok ke andhere se guzarna hoga?".

 

 

 

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jurm aur sachai ki khoj mein kya hathiram ko #PaatalLok ke andhere se guzarna hoga? trailer: may 5, 11:34 am

A post shared by amazon prime video IN (@primevideoin) onApr 30, 2020 at 11:26pm PDT

The makers earlier released the teaser and it received immense appreciation from all across. The teaser provided a glimpse into a terrifying world - packed with blood curling scenes and takes us into the dark and sinister bylanes of human immorality. Produced by Clean Slate Films, the trailer of the Amazon Original series is set to release on May 5th, 2020.

Divided along class lines, literally and figuratively, the teaser showcases a gritty, society intertwined in a heinous web of lies, crime and violence.

The highly anticipated Amazon Original Series, by Creator Sudip Sharma (writer for Udta Punjab, NH10), Paatal Lok is all set to walk viewers through the virtual gates of purgatory. The official trailer for the highly anticipated series drops this week, on May 5th, 2020 at 11:34 am.

Paatal Lok will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue, including Indian produced Amazon Original series.

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Amazon Prime Video's recent announcement of its upcoming original series titled Paatal Lok has been quite exciting for many. The makers had previously released a teaser followed by a motion poster of another character, Hathiram Chaudhary played by Jaideep Ahlawat. Keeping up the excitement with the unveils, the character poster of another striking character- Vishal Tyagi aka Hathoda Tyagi is finally out and it’s really intriguing.

 

 

 

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miliye #PaatalLok ke sabse bhayanak prani se, naam hai hathoda tyagi.⁣ ⁣ trailer: may 5, 11:34 am

A post shared by amazon prime video IN (@primevideoin) onMay 1, 2020 at 11:06pm PDT

Vishal Tyagi popularly known as Hathoda Tyagi is volatile, ruthless and a serial killer. The character is played by yet another critically acclaimed actor Abhishek Banerjee. The performance is all set to redefine wickedness and give you goosebumps and fill you in with terror. Watch him on May 15, 2020 unleash his terror.

Paatal lok is by the creator Sudip Sharma (the writer for Udta Punjab, NH10). Get all set to walk through virtual gates of purgatory. The offical trailer of the show will be released on 5th May, 11:34am.

Paatal Lok will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the stack of the Prime Video Catalogue including the Indian produced Amazon Original Series.

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Actor Vidya Balan, who is raising funds through donations for providing personal protection equipment (PPE) kits to healthcare workers, has released the first batch of 2,000 safety kits to Kasturba Gandhi Hospital here.

The 'Mission Mangal' actor took to Instagram to post the pictures of PPE kits being loaded in trucks and thanked her fans for their generous donations.

 

 

 

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First batch of the 2000 PPE kits donated by you all is being loaded at the plant in Delhi on its way to Kasturba hospital 😊👊🏽🙏🏽💃🏻. Thank you so much for your generous donations and God bless you with a million times over of the best blessings life has to offer 😇☀ï¸Â!❣ï¸Â @tring.india @atulkasbekar @manmundra00 #UniteForHumanity #WarAgainstCovid19

A post shared by Vidya Balan (@balanvidya) onMay 2, 2020 at 7:37am PDT

"First batch of the 2000 PPE kits donated by you all is being loaded at the plant in Delhi on its way to Kasturba hospital," she wrote in the caption.

"Thank you so much for your generous donations and God bless you with a million times over of the best blessings life has to offer @tring.india @atulkasbekar #UniteForHumanity #WarAgainstCovid19," Balan's caption further read.

Besides Vidya, 'Dabangg' actor Sonakshi Sinha is also raising funds for donating PPE kits to healthcare workers.

Earlier on Friday, Sinha posted a video message on Instagram and urged the people to donate generously to help the frontline warriors combating COVID-19.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

If you're wondering what to watch next while being bored during Lockdown 3.0, fret not, we've got just the thing for you. Shah Rukh Khan is all geared up to present his next web series as a producer on Netflix India. The show is titled Betaal, and its teaser on Instagram is giving us the creeps!

The OTT platform shared a clip on its Instagram account and wrote, "They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!"

 

 

 

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They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) onMay 4, 2020 at 11:03pm PDT

Betaal is an international collaboration between Netflix, Red Chillies entertainment, Blum House (makers of Paranormal Activity, Insidious) and SK Global (behind Crazy Rich Asians and Delhi Crime).

Betaal is a horror-thriller written and co-directed by Patrick Graham, who has previously directed Ghoul starring Radhika Apte, and also co-written Leila starring Huma Qureshi. Both shows were widely accepted by the audience.

Betaal has been shot extensively in India, especially in Mumbai, Lonavala and Khandala. The series, which revolves around traditional Indian folklore, will definitely be outstanding in terms of the horror content with some incredible VFX and prosthetics work.

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Within days of receiving immense praise, love and appreciation for the second season, Amazon Prime Video has announced today that fans can look forward to a third season of the Amazon Original Series Four More Shots Please!

Created by Rangita Pritish Nandy and produced by Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd., Season 2 was directed by Nupur Asthana and headlined by Sayani Gupta, Kirti Kulhari, Bani J and Maanvi Gagroo. Prime members in more than 200 countries and territories can currently binge-watch both, season 1 and 2, of the much-loved Amazon Original Series Four More Shots Please! on Amazon Prime Video.

“The response to Four More Shots Please! has been phenomenal; it has already become the most-watched show from India this year. The first season was one of the top 3 most-watched Amazon Original Series from India in 2019, and season two has set yet another benchmark”, said Aparna Purohit, Head of Amazon Originals, Amazon Prime Video India. “We are thrilled to be associated with Pritish Nandy Communications and are looking forward to another groundbreaking season.”

“In the new season, the unapologetically flawed girls will face even greater challenges and stereotypes thrown at them but all the while their friendship will be their driving force”, said Pritish Nandy, Chairman, Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd.

“After the unconditional love received over two seasons not only by women but men as well, together with Amazon Prime Video we are pleased to bring our viewers a third season. The third season will pick up from where the four girls are left at the end of season two and will take forward their stories as they journey ahead in their career, relationships, love and, most importantly, the passion and beauty of their friendship!”
Devika Bhagat who wrote season 1 and 2, returns to write season 3.

Tannishtha Chatterjee, a revered actor, writer and director, will direct all episodes of the new season while dialogue will continue to be penned by Ishita Moitra.

Both seasons of the Amazon Original Series Four More Shots Please! are part of the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue, including various acclaimed Indian produced Amazon Original series.

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Several showrunners are speeding up the post-production work to release their digital offerings during the lockdown. Though the idea of having all eyes glued to his show sounds tempting, director Ali Abbas Zafar is in no hurry to reach the finish line. The director — whose political drama, tentatively titled Dilli, is currently in post-production — says he would rather revel in the satisfaction of a series made well than join the rat race.

"On Twitter and Instagram, people have been asking us to release the show now. So, there has been pressure, but we don't want to rush the process. Our series was supposed to drop in the last quarter of 2020, and we will stick to that deadline. If the show was ready, we would have released it now because it is an ideal time to grab eyeballs," says Zafar, happy that the Saif Ali Khan-starrer has piqued the audience's interest.

When it comes to developing an offering for the global audience, the post-production is a long-drawn process. "Once you deliver your project, it has to be dubbed in nine languages. So, the post-production takes three to four months, longer than the shoot itself."

Ali Abbas Zafar

As his team gives the finishing touches to the project, Zafar, nestled in his hometown Dehradun, has begun writing the sophomore season. "[The top brass of] Amazon Prime have seen the rushes, and basis that, they have decided to sanction the second edition," he says, beaming with pride.

Point out to him that the drama has found its way into the second instalment, but has yet to find an apt title, and he laughs at the irony of the situation. While the working title was Tandav, the makers rechristened it Dilli, only to have a change of heart later. "We are struggling with the name. That's why Amazon has not been able to make an official announcement."

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There may not be a single soul who didn't like Irrfan Khan for some quality or the other. Be it his acting prowess, his expressive eyes, the magic in his voice, or for simply the kind of person he was, Irrfan was loved and admired by people across the world. 

When he left us on April 29, 2020, it felt like one of the darkest days Hindi cinema had seen. Messages of condolence and sorrow came in from the most unexpected corners of the world, further proving that Irrfan Khan was indeed a global icon.

Deepika Padukone and Irrfan shared screen space in the much-loved film Piku, which starred Amitabh Bachchan as well. The actress recently shared a video that shows her playing tennis with Irrfan, possibly on the sets of Piku. She remembered Irrfan with a broken heart emoji and wrote, "Please come back!"

 

 

 

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please come back!💔 #irrfankhan

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 8:27pm PDT

Dippy and Irrfan shared a close camaraderie, which was apparent in the effortless way they shared the screen in Piku, which released on May 8, 2015. And on the fifth anniversary of their film, Deepika shared a quaint photo of herself and Irrfan in one frame laughing their hearts out.

 

 

 

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लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...💔 #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

Irrfan Khan will be missed for years to come, and will surely be never forgotten.

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The Coronavirus-induced lockdown will complete two months on May 24. And yet, the situation hasn’t improved, with the cases increasing everyday. The entertainment sector has been hit the hardest. They got shut first and hence, they might also be the last ones to open. And even if cinema halls commence operations, there are fears that viewers will not come in hordes. Taking advantage of this situation, OTT platforms have been approaching filmmakers with tempting offers. Few of them are already in advanced talks. This includes not just filmmakers of smaller films but also the producers of one of the biggest films of 2020, Laxmmi Bomb, starring Akshay Kumar.

Rumours were abuzz that the makers of Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai too were open to offers from web streaming giants. Jordy Patel, manager of superstar Salman Khan, who is the film’s leading actor and producer, was also quoted as saying that they were ready to accept the offer, provided that they be offered a staggering Rs. 250 crores.

When Bollywood Hungama contacted Jordy Patel, he declined having made any such statement. “I haven’t given any figure,” he told this writer. He adds, “All I said was that we are ready to release Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai on an OTT platform, once the film is complete and once we evaluate the situation. Only then, we’ll take a call.”

So if not Rs. 250 crores, do they have any figure in mind that they’ll like to quote when meeting the OTT representatives? He explains, “We don’t have a figure in mind. The film is not yet complete. How can I quote an amount? We have got songs which are yet to be shot and even a couple of scenes.”

So how long are the makers planning to hold the release of Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai? After all, cinema halls are expected to start in August or September. Jordy Patel retorts, “Would people like to go to watch a film in August? It seems unlikely. So we’ll see what the situation is then and take a call accordingly.”

Radhe - Your Most Wanted Bhai, besides Salman Khan, also stars Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff. It was to release on Eid 2020.

Also Read: Salman Khan keeping himself in shape to shoot for the climax of Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai post lockdown

More BTS music is coming our way! The South Korean septet released the highly awaited 'Map Of The Soul: 7' album back on February 21, 2020. They are releasing their fourth Japanese album 'Map Of The Soul: 7 - The Journey' on July 15, 2020.

As per new details released on Thursday, May 7, the Japanese album will have Japanese versions of some of their previous album songs including four new tracks - 'Intro: Calling', 'Stay Gold', 'Your Eyes Tell', and 'Outro: Journey'.

Tracklist:

1. INTRO: Calling
2. Stay Gold
3. Boy With Luv -Japanese ver.-
4. Make It Right -Japanese ver.-
5. Dionysus -Japanese ver.-
6. IDOL -Japanese ver.-
7. Airplane pt.2 -Japanese ver.-
8. FAKE LOVE -Japanese ver.-
9. Black Swan -Japanese ver.-
10. ON -Japanese ver.-
11. Lights
12. Your eyes tell
13. OUTRO: The Journey

This will include the 'Stay Gold' music video. The track will also serve as Original Sound Track for Japanese drama, Spiral Labyrinth – DNA Forensic Investigation (literal translation). Tanaka Kei will headline the drama which is based on a manga of the same name. Jungkook has participated in the composition of 'Your Eyes Tell'.

4th Japanese Studio Album "MAP OF THE SOUL 7 - THE JOURNEY -" out July 15! pic.twitter.com/UvWuwPsiLM

— BTS Charts (@btschartdata) May 7, 2020

'Stay Gold' will be the first Japanese release since last year's 'Lights/Boy With Luv'.

ALSO READ: Troye Sivan reveals interesting details about co-writing 'Louder Than Bombs' for BTS' 'Map Of The Soul: 7

Bollywood Hungama had earlier reported that multiple Bollywood films are gearing up for a direct to OTT release, owing to the on-going coronavirus pandemic. We have now exclusively learnt that Akshay Kumar’s horror comedy is set for a direct to digital release in June. “Akshay Kumar, Vijay Singh (Fox Star Studios) and Tusshar Kapoor (Producer) along with the officials of Disney+Hotstar have been interacting over video calls for last 3 weeks, and it was only on a meeting on the evening of May 4 that everyone reached a common ground to get the film to release directly on the OTT platform,” revealed a source close to the development.

The source further added that everyone has now given a green signal to give up on the theatrical release as the stakeholders don’t expect cinema halls to open before September this year. “The principal shoot of Laxmmi Bomb was wrapped up in November last year, with some patch-work and reshooting done more recently in February. Director Raghava Lawerence is currently working on the final edit and post production of the film from Hyderabad, while Akshay is expected to send his dubbing tapes digitally to the director in a couple of days,” the source added.

The makers have cracked an umbrella deal by renegotiating the satellite and digital rights with Star network and Fox Star Studios. “The combined value of the deal from the sale of digital and satellite rights is estimated to be around Rs. 90 to 100 crores, in addition to the income from music rights. Major chunk of the money goes in Akshay Kumar’s pocket, as apart from acting, he is also one of the producers on the film,” the source explained.

While an official confirmation is still awaited, we hear that this will be among the first major films to arrive direct on OTT. “A lot of films will follow suit, it’s just a matter of time before things are made official.”

Also Read: Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai and Laxmmi Bomb to miss their Eid release this year due to Coronavirus lockdown

Rishi Kapoor bid adieu to the world on April 30 after battling for two years with cancer. However, we will get to see him on the big screen for one last time with Sharmaji Namkeen. 

Honey Trehan, co-producer of the film while speaking to a tabloid revealed that they will release the film in the theatres. He said that they owe it to Rishi Kapoor and said he is grateful to Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar for investing in the film monetarily and emotionally. 

The film had gone on floors in December. Sharmaji Namkeen revolves around a sexagenarian who discovers the joy of life after retirement. Honey said that he had shot a major portion of the film in January in Delhi and had a four-day schedule pending. The crew was supposed to shoot in Mumbai in march but their plans went for a toss owing to the pandemic. 

Rishi Kapoor had crucial scenes in the final schedule. However, with the sudden demise of the lead actor, the unit have to complete the film in his absence. Trehan said that they will be using advanced technology, an amalgamation of VFX and some special technique to finish the film without compromising on the quality. 

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Jonas remembers Rishi Kapoor as she pens a piece for Time magazine

With the lockdown in place, the theatre business has been shut completely. This has led to a substantial increase in content consumption through digital streaming platforms. Several web series makers are speeding up post-production work to release their shows during the lockdown. 

While releasing shows during lockdown sounds good, director Ali Abbas Zafar is in no hurry to finish the post-production of his show. Ali Abbas Zafar is currently working on a political drama tentatively titled Dilli. Talking to a tabloid he said that he would rather revel in the satisfaction of a series well made than join the rat race. He said that people have been asking them on social media to release the show, but they do not wish to rush the process.  The series was supposed to release in the last quarter of 2020 and they intend on sticking to it. 

The Saif Ali Khan starrer is currently in the post-production stage. Zafar said that if the show was ready they might have released it now. He said that when it comes to developing an offering for the global audience the post-production is a long drawn process. He said that once the project is delivered, it has to be dubbed in nine languages and the post-production takes three to four months. 

The show will be aired on Amazon Prime videos and the makers have already started working on season 2. Amazon Prime green signalled the second season after watching the rushes of season 1. 

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Ali Abbas Zafar confirms teaming up with Katrina Kaif for superhero flick

ZEE5 announced its next film Ghoomketu which is set to release on 22nd May. An aspiring writer’s 101 retreats into the life of the protagonist, Ghoomketu is played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The movie is a comedy-drama from the viewpoint of an inexperienced writer struggling to make it big in the film industry in Mumbai. On his quest to come up with a great story, he is inspired by day to day mundane life activities. Will his ambition and determination exceed his talents? Or will a corrupt cop, who is on a mission to find Ghoomketu, put a brake on his 30-day escapade?

Directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra and produced by Phantom Films and Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), this film will be exclusively releasing on ZEE5.

The quirk and humour in the movie are exaggerated with dramatic linguistic annotations. The film is set in a wickedly playful backdrop and will be great for the entire family to watch together. The film also has ace director Anurag Kashyap as a cop and the talented Ila Arun as Ghoomketu’s Aunt, in lead roles along with Raghubir Yadav, Swanand Kirkire, Ragini Khanna and others. The film will also see special cameos from Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Chitrangada Singh, Lauren Gottlieb and filmmaker Nikhil Advani.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui shares, “Ghoomketu is a quirky, never-seen-before character and I thoroughly enjoyed playing him. Anurag, who is generally behind the camera, will be seen sharing screen space with us and it was a great experience to work with him as an actor. ‘Ghoomketu’ has a phenomenal storyline which will definitely entertain the audience. During this time of the lockdown, I am glad that a humorous film that the entire family can watch is being streamed on ZEE5.”

Actor Anurag Kashyap shares, “Every film is a labour of love and I saw the conviction in the director of Ghoomketu and hence decided to do something which is my least favourite thing to do, which is act. The film is funny and heartwarming.”

Film Director Pushpendra Nath Misra adds, “Wherever we go, we are never far away from our roots. Ghoomketu, as the name suggests, is a story of the ‘journey to the beginning’. This a film where the protagonist - a writer- draws inspiration from the idiosyncrasies of his own family members. This was a dream project with a stellar cast (sublime actors, all of them), and the freedom to tell the story in a non-stereotypical way. For all the writers, their observation begins at home. This film is a celebration of our family members - our ‘Bua’s and ‘Chacha’s and ‘Dadda’s - who we (Ghoomketu) always carry in our hearts, wherever we go. I am glad it will reach the huge family audiences of ZEE5.”

Vivek Agrawal, Producer, Phantom Films says, Ghoomketu is one of those rare gems that will put a smile on your face while taking you through the struggle of a man who is out there trying his luck in Bollywood films. Bringing this story to life has been a roller-coaster ride, just like the protagonist’s journey in the film! It has been a pleasure working on ‘Ghoomketu’– a project that is relatable for many people, on so many levels and we are thrilled to have ZEE5 on board to release it.”

This quirky comedy is all set to confuse, entertain and make you laugh this Eid weekend. 

Among the 87 laboratories, which are set up in 15 states, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 testing labs at 20. It is to mention that Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country in terms of the number of people infected from coronavirus.

Moreover, 12 laboratories are in Telangana, 11 in Delhi, 10 in Tamil Nadu, 7 in Haryana, 6 in West Bengal, 5 in Karnataka 4 in Gujarat, and 2 each in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and 1 each in Uttarakhand and Odisha.

The ICMR further said that a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 individuals have been tested for COVID 19 as on April 21 at 9 pm. "Also, 26,943 samples have been reported on 21 April till 9 pm," it added.

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Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa requested his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray to release six TMC water from his state's reservoirs to rivers in Karnataka to meet acute drinking water shortage in North Karnataka. Yediyurappa pointed out that the North Karnataka districts, namely Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Yadagiri and Raichur are facing acute shortage of drinking water due to onset of summer during early days of March this year.

"I request you to kindly direct the concerned authorities to release 3 TMC of water from Warna/Koyna reservoirs to Krishna river and 3 TMC of water from Ujjaini reservoir to Bhima river on humanitarian grounds for drinking purpose," Yediyurappa said in his letter.

He reminded Thackeray that even in the past the Maharashtra government had released water from its reservoirs to meet the drinking water needs of both human beings and livestock in drought-affected areas of Karnataka.

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Rapper Pitbull has dropped his latest song, "I believe that we will win". Proceeds from the song will be donated to coronavirus relief efforts across the globe.

He has released the song along with a lyric video showcasing the song's inspiring message, reports etonline.com. "You know what spreads faster than any virus? Fear/And when it comes to fear, you can either forget everything and run, or you can face everything and rise," Pitbull raps in the track.

"Let me tell you what I believe/ I believe we will face everything and rise." Pitbull had asked healthcare workers, parents and more to be a part of his new music video, which is yet to drop, last week.

"We believe that we can overcome. We are calling all students, medical workers, first responders, parents, grandparents, everyone from all over the world to be a part of Pitbull's video anthem. Proceeds will be going to various charities around that world," read a notice asking fans to submit videos of themselves dancing to the song.

Pitbull has been encouraging fans to maintain hope amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Let's show the world, how powerful it is when we come together to fight for one cause - that's called life," he had posted on Instagram on March 28.

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Filmmaker James Gunn recently revealed that neither of his upcoming movie -- 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3 nor 'The Suicide Squad' will be affected by delays due to the coronavirus crisis.

One of the director's fans in a question-answer session on the Twitter asked about the possibilities of pushing ahead 'Guardians of the Galaxy' vol 3, to which Gunn on Sunday replied: "Right now the plans with Vol 3 are also exactly the same as they were before coronavirus."

In another reply, the 53-year-old said: "Right now there's no reason for #TheSuicideSquad release date to move. We are on or ahead of schedule. We were extremely fortunate to wrap shooting & set up editing from our homes (due to a post-production team & studio with foresight) before quarantine."

The upcoming movie is a sequel to the original 2016 released 'Suicide Squad.'

Actors Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis will reprise their roles in the film alongside new cast members Taika Waititi, Peter Capaldi, Idris Elba, John Cena, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, David Dastmalchian and Daniela Melchior.

The original 'Suicide Squad' was a box office success, grossing USD 746.8 million worldwide. The upcoming fantasy-action is expected to hit theatres on August 6, 2021.

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The release date of Disney's 'Soul' has been moved from June 19 to November 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the release of Disney's animation feature 'Raya and the Last Dragon' has also been relocated from November 25 to March 12, 2021.

The animated film 'Soul' revolves around the story of a middle school teacher, who had a dream of pursuing a career in jazz music. The story takes a turn when he gets an opportunity to feature at the opening act at the Half Note Club and a life-threatening accident leads to separation of his soul from his body.

'Soul' joins many other Hollywood films that have their releases delayed due to the coronavirus. According to the World Health Organisation, COVID-19 has affected over 18,12,734 people globally and has claimed the lives of 1,13,675 people.

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Warner Bros Studios' The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the DC superhero and directed by Matt Reeves, will now release in October, 2021. The film's production was put on halt in mid-March due to coronavirus outbreak and the studio has now announced that movie, which was earlier scheduled to hit the theatres on June 25, 2021, will now bow out on October 1, 2021.

According to Deadline, the studio has also rescheduled superhero movies 'The Flash' and 'Shazam2'. While 'The Flash' will open on June 2, 2022, instead of July 1, 'Shazam 2', earlier set to release on April 1, 2022, will now come out on November 4, 2022. Also, 'The Sopranos' feature prequel 'The Many Saints of Newark', originally dated for September 25 of this year, has now been shifted to March 12 next year.

Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley movie, starring Tom Hanks, will now hit the theatres on November 5, 2021, a month after the originally planned release. As per the studio's new release calendar, Will Smith drama 'King Richard' will now bow out on November 19, 2021 instead of November 25 this year. Last month, Warner Bros Studios postponed the release of its much-awaited superhero movie 'Wonder Woman 1984' from June 5 to August 14.

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Tom Hardys much-anticipated "Venom" sequel has been delayed by eight months amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The second instalment in the action-fantasy series, directed by Andy Serkis, was slated to release on October 2, 2020.

The sequel, officially titled "Venom: Let There Be Carnage", will instead launch eight months later on June 25, 2021, reports variety.com.

In 2018, "Venom" introduced Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom. It follows the popular Marvel anti-hero as he transforms from a go-getter journalist to the powerful alien symbiote. The film put the conflict of good versus bad in the centrestage.

Serkis is directing Sony's follow-up to "Venom", which sees Hardy again assume the alien symbiote. The first film became a surprise box office hit, earning $855 million globally. Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Reid Scott and Naomie Harris will also appear in the sequel.

By postponing "Venom" until next year, Sony has reshuffled nearly every movie scheduled to release in 2020. The studio already pushed back many of its major films, including "Morbius" (from July 31, 2020, to March 19, 2021), "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (from July 10, 2020, to March 5, 2021) and Tom Holland's "Uncharted" (from March 5, 2021, to Oct. 8, 2021).

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As part of Hollywood studio's scheduling changes due to the coronavirus crisis, the release of 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' has been delayed. Marvel's sequel to the 2016 Benedict Cumberbatch film, has been pushed back from November 5, 2021, to March 25, 2022, cited The Hollywood Reporter. The Sam Raimi directed film is being delayed for the second time.

It had already been pushed once because of the crisis from May 2021, to the early November frame. This change in the release date makes the movie the latest one to move out of scheduled dates due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Earlier, owing to the global coronavirus crisis, Sony Pictures has pushed back two of its untitled 'Spider-Man' sequels. Meanwhile, the theatrical release of the much anticipated two chapters in actor Tom Cruise's action franchise - 'Mission: Impossible 7' and 'Mission: Impossible 8' has been delayed by the Paramount pictures.

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The theatrical release of the much anticipated two chapters in actor Tom Cruise's action franchise - 'Mission: Impossible 7' and 'Mission: Impossible 8' - has been delayed by Paramount pictures due to COVID-19 crisis. The seventh sequel of the franchise was initially set to hit the theatres on July 23 this year which will now debut on November 19, 2021.

Meanwhile, 'Mission: Impossible 8,' originally due in theatres on August 5, 2022, will hit the big screens on November 4, 2022, reported Variety.

The shoot of the 'Mission: Impossible 7' was put to a pause as a precautionary measure to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The 57-year-old actor had been about to start filming in Venice, Italy, when the studio pumped the breaks in late February.

Having Christopher McQuarrie at the helm, the upcoming sequel will have the Cruise returning as the seemingly indestructible secret agent Ethan Hunt.

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Singer Lady Gaga on Wednesday said that her latest album 'Chromatica' will be out on May 29, nearly a month after announcing its postponement due to coronavirus outbreak.

The 34-year-old singer took to Twitter to make the announcement with regard to her sixth studio album. "The journey continues. You can officially join me on #Chromatica on May 29," she tweeted.

The original release date of the album was April 10. Earlier in March, the 'Shallow' singer had announced that she is postponing the release of the much-awaited album as she felt that it's not right to release it at a time when the world is fighting against a pandemic.

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