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Subhash K Jha looks back at Salman Khan’s Jai Ho, released 11 years ago today, in this special feature.

We really can’t judge a Salman starrer by normal yardsticks. If this film starred another superstar, it would be evaluated from another perspective. But Salman is…Salman! He doesn’t desire nor seek anyone’s approval. The characters he plays also display the same level of arrogant self-worth. When he roars against corruption in hai-hai places the sound quivers in approval.

Welcome to the uncommon Common Man. He is tough and gutsy, and he doesn’t believe in common courtesy. He delivers a mean punch when required. But at home, he’s just your regular guy snuggling up to his super-mom, confiding in his sister, and fighting off the amorous advances of the over-friendly neighbour, who is fortunately female.

To the fanatics of Salman (fans are for ordinary superstars), Jai Ho...

With her nomination this year for “The Journey” from the Netflix historical drama The Six Triple Eight, Diane Warren has now contended 16 times at the Oscars, including the last eight years in a row, for Best Original Song. But the veteran artist — who has a Grammy, an Emmy, and two Golden Globes in her trophy case — has yet to score a competitive Oscar. Could this be her year?

Warren does, however, have an Honorary Oscar, which she collected in 2022 for her impressive body of work. That made her the first and currently only songwriter to receive that recognition from the Motion Picture Academy.

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Her 15 previous nominations are as follows:

“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin (1987)

Lost to: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing

“Because You Loved Me” from Up Close and Personal (1996)

Lost...

Sky Force Vs Top 10 Republic Day Openers At Box Office: Pathaan Dominates The List! ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

After a disastrous run last year, Akshay Kumar is looking for a fresh start in 2025, and the lineup starts with Sky Force. Also starring Veer Pahariya in a key role, the film is releasing this Friday. Backed by the patriotic flavor, the biggie seems to be a perfect treat ahead of Republic Day. However, as far as the advance booking trends at the Indian box office are concerned, the situation is not that good.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the actor was having a great run, but the post-pandemic era has been really disastrous for him. It seems that this poor run has affected the buzz of his upcoming biggie. Despite a Republic Day weekend release, the film isn’t enjoying much hype around it. Though the start won’t be that low, the...

Sana Khan Recalls Facing Nasty Trolling After Marrying Mufti Anas Saeed (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Sana Khan grabbed several eyeballs after she left the film industry and married a Muslim cleric Mufti Anas Saeed on November 21, 2020. The couple also welcomed two children. However, Sana also had to face incessant judgements and trolling after she had tied the knot with Saeed. In her recent appearance in actress Rubina Dilaik’s podcast, Sana recalled how she read heartbreaking comments on people predicting the end of her marriage within 3 to 6 months. Not only this but some nasty trolls also stated that she would remain childless.

Sana Khan On Negative Remarks Surrounding Her Marriage

The Jai Ho actress recalled being affected by these comments since she is an emotional person and had just gotten married with Mufti Anas Saeed. Sana Khan said, “When we got married there were a lot of people who made remarks...

Sana Khan Net Worth 2024 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Sana Khan (now Saiyad Sana Khan) quit her acting career in 2020. Her big decision came shortly after her ugly publicized split with Melvin Louis. Today, she’s on a path of spiritualism while also leading multiple business ventures. She’s witnessed an impressive boost of 354% in her net worth. Scroll below for a detailed analysis.

Net Worth in 2020

Former actress Sana has appeared in several TV shows, web series, and Bollywood films. She participated in Bigg Boss 6 and finished as second runner-up. She also took part in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7 as a wild-card contestant. Her other Television outings included Khatron Ke Khiladi 6, Entertainment Ki Raat, and Comedy Nights Bachao.

Sana Khan also featured in the Bollywood films Halla Bol, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, and Jai Ho. Her portrayal as Sonya in Special Ops remains of her best works in the acting world.

A.R. Rahman, a name synonymous with music excellence, celebrates his 58th birthday today. Known globally as the “Mozart of Madras,” Rahman has touched hearts with his melodious creations, transcending geographical boundaries. From Bollywood to Hollywood, his compositions have left an indelible mark on listeners worldwide.

The Legacy of Music

Born as Dilip Chandrasekhar, Ar Rahman hails from a family deeply rooted in music. His father, Rk Shekhar, was a renowned music arranger in Malayalam cinema. It was under his father’s guidance that Rahman developed an early interest in music, spending countless hours in the studio and mastering various musical instruments.

From Struggles to Stardom

Life wasn’t always harmonious for Rahman. After the untimely death of his father, his family faced severe financial hardships. To make ends meet, the young Rahman had to sell some of their most cherished belongings. However, his resilience and passion for music kept him going.

Nicole Scherzinger and The Pussycat Dolls were one of the most celebrated American girls pop group in the 2000s. The group started as a neo-burlesque troupe before it went mainstream and achieved worldwide success. The group was plagued by some issues amidst their success and they went into a hiatus following their 2009 world tour.

Nicole Scherzinger in The Masked Singer | Credits: Fox

The Pussycat Dolls were disbanded in 2010 and Scherzinger recently opened up about how the group’s working conditions were a recipe for disaster. Scherzinger, who went on to enjoy a successful solo career, shared that they were put through a difficult schedule which even disrupted their sleep.

Nicole Scherzinger Explains Her Challenging Time As Part Of The Pussycat Dolls Nicole Scherzinger and The Pussycat Dolls in their debut album Sway | Credits: A&m Records/Interscope Records

The Pussycat Dolls consisted of Nicole Scherzinger and her bandmates, Melody Thornton, Carmit Bachar,...

Salman Khan’s Co-Star Daisy Shah Opens Up About His Lavish Vanity Van(Photo Credit –Instagram)

Salman Khan is not only one of the biggest movie stars in India but also a genuine human being. His castmates have often revealed that Khan is quite relaxed on his films’ sets, and recently, his Jai Ho and Race 3 co-actor Daisy Shah opened up about how Salman is on the sets. Scroll below to know.

Daisy made her Bollywood debut with Salman’s Jai Ho, and then the duo shared the screen in Race 3 as well. Salman’s easy-going persona is also witnessed on Bigg Boss, the reality TV show he has been hosting for years. But when he gets angry, everyone goes radio silent on the show. But he is a very relaxed person on the sets, which many actors, including Nawazuddin Siddiqui, have revealed.

In an interview with Mid-Day,...

Bollywood Leading Ladies Who Vanished After A Few Hits(Photo Credit –Instagram)

Some actresses capture the audience’s hearts with a few memorable hits, only to disappear from the limelight. These “Lapata Ladies” of Bollywood are the enigmatic wonders who shine brightly for a brief moment and then fade away, leaving us yearning for more. Let’s dive into the stories of these recent stars who graced the silver screen with their fleeting brilliance.

1. Zareen Khan: The Lookalike Who Made Her Own Identity

Zareen Khan made a striking debut in Veer (2010) opposite Salman Khan. With her regal looks and striking resemblance to Katrina Kaif, Zareen was instantly noticed. The film, set in a historical backdrop, allowed her to showcase her acting chops and she was praised for her performance as Princess Yashodhara. Zareen’s next notable hit came with Hate Story 3 (2015), where she broke away from her traditional...

Mumbai, April 11 (Ians) On the occasion of Eid on Thursday, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has announced his new film ‘Sikandar’ directed by A.R. Murugadoss.

The actor also announced the movie’s release date, confirming that it will hit theaters on Eid 2025.

Taking to Twitter, Salman shared a glimpse, which had “Salman Khan in and as Sikandar”. The film is presented by Sajid Nadiadwala.

Salman captioned the announcement: “Iss Eid ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ aur ‘Maidaan’ ko dekho aur agli Eid Sikandar se aa kar milo… Wish you all Eid Mubarak! #SajidNadiadwala Presents #Sikandar Directed by @ARMurugadoss @NGEMovies @WardaNadiadwala #SikandarEid2025”

This is not the first time Salman is working with A.R. Murugadoss.

The two have previously worked together in ‘Jai Ho’, where he was the writer.

Murugadoss has worked on films such as ‘Kaththi’, ‘Dheena’ and ‘Stalin’, among many others.

His first Bollywood film was the 2008 Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Ghajini’, a...

The song ‘Qatra Qatra’ from the upcoming Sara Ali Khan-starrer streaming movie ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ was released on Saturday. The song has been crooned by Sukhwinder Singh and is composed by Mukund Suryawanshi. This patriotic song evokes feelings of pure devotion, loyalty, and respect, and beautifully depicts the passion and dedication of the unsung heroes of the Quit India movement.

The lyrics for the track have been furnished by Ravi Girri and Rohan Deshmukh. The song was first showcased at the 54th International Film Festival of India (Iffi) in Goa with a live performance by Sukhwinder Singh.

Talking about the song, Sukhwinder Singh said: “‘Qatra Qatra’ holds a special place in my heart. This song not only evokes a sense of patriotism and pride, but it also encompasses the emotion and strength shown by our freedom fighters. It’s an incredible ode to all the unsung heroes who have braved for the nation.

There are a number of stories about how Gulzar, who has been awarded the 58th Jnanpith Award along with Sanskrit scholar Jagatguru Rambhadracharya, became one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated lyricists after being better known in his years as a struggler after Partition in Mumbai for his expertise in re-painting cars mauled in crashes.

The one that seems most credible, however, has come from him. Despite his skill with car colours, Gulzar’s first love was the written word and he was a regular at the Progressive Writers Association (Pwa), which was then a creative hub of just about every Titan in Hindi and Urdu literature.

It was at Pwa meetings that the undiscovered poet struck up a friendship with lyricist Shailendra, who introduced him to Bimal Roy, who, in turn, told him that he was wasting his time and talent at a car workshop.

Roy drafted Gulzar, till...

New Delhi, Sep 4 (Ians) Actress Daisy Shah, who has faced elimination for the second time, after re-entering ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 13’ during its ‘Teams Week’, said throughout this adventure, she has uncovered valuable insights about her own nature, and learned how to keep her mental peace intact.

Daisy’s journey kickstarted with an exciting helicopter-related challenge in the show’s inaugural episode and her grit set the tone for the rest of her stint. She defended her position on the show in the first week outperforming Arjit and Aishwarya and got rid of the elimination threat.

She mounted a tilted crane and collected flags nestled in places that challenged their balance and induced vertigo. She displayed remarkable courage by conquering her fear of reptiles, snakes, and other daunting creatures. Time and again she proved that her tryst on the show was never favoured by luck, but by the determination to be bigger than her fears.

There are a number of stories about how Gulzar, who turned 89 on Friday, became one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated lyricists after being better known in his years as a struggler after Partition in Mumbai for his expertise in re-painting cars mauled in crashes.

The one that seems most credible, however, has come from him. Despite his skill with car colours, Gulzar’s first love was the written word and he was a regular at the Progressive Writers Association (Pwa), which was then a creative hub of just about every Titan in Hindi and Urdu literature.

It was at Pwa meetings that the undiscovered poet struck up a friendship with lyricist Shailendra, who introduced him to Bimal Roy, who, in turn, told him that he was wasting his time and talent at a car workshop.

Roy drafted Gulzar, till then known as Sampooran Singh Kalra, for his last film,...

Mumbai, Aug 17 (Ians) Daisy Shah who made her bollywood debut with the film ‘Jai Ho’ opposite Salman Khan is currently seen as a participant in Colors TV show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ and the actress feels that she has learnt do’s and don’ts of television after doing this show.

Daisy has also joined the bandwagon of Bollywood celebrities doing reality shows as currently she is the participant in ‘Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi 13’.

The actress was seen participating in a VR gaming challenge on Wednesday along with Shiv Thakare and Soundous Moufakir.

Here the actress spoke about her experience of ‘KKK’ and said, “I am getting so much love from everyone for Khatron. I had not expected this kind of love. The main reason for doing Khatron was to get connected with a wider audience. I had no idea about how the world of TV operates. Now I have...

Renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (“Bandit Queen,” “Elizabeth”) has revealed the theme for the sequel to his 1983 directorial debut “Masoom.”

Written by Gulzar (Oscar-winner for “Slumdog Millionaire” song “Jai Ho”), “Masoom” was an adaptation of Erich Segal’s 1980 novel “Man, Woman and Child.” It followed a happily married couple and their two daughters whose lives are disrupted with the arrival of a boy who is the man’s son from an earlier affair. The cast included Naseeruddin Shah (“Taj: Divided by Blood”), Shabana Azmi (“Halo”), Jugal Hansraj (“Nri Wives”), Supriya Pathak (“Tabbar”), Saeed Jaffrey (“The Man Who Would Be King”) and Urmila Matondkar (“Rangeela”).

The sequel, titled “Masoom… The New Generation,” is about the “idea of home,” Kapur told Variety. Kapur was in London for the National Film Awards where his last film, Working Title/Studiocanal production “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” scored nine nominations and won four awards including best director,...

EntertainmentThe trailer dives into a romance between Bhaijaan (Salman Khan) and a Telugu woman Bhagya Gundamaneni (Pooja Hegde), and transitions into an action saga featuring Venkatesh and Jagapathi.YouTube/Salman Khan FilmsBrace yourselves, for Salman Khan is returning in the lead role in a theatrical film after a four-year break. The release of the Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan trailer, naturally, had to be a big-ticket affair and it did turn out that way on Monday, April 10. The trailer features Salman in an action-packed treat, playing a character only referred to as ‘Bhaijaan’. Pooja Hegde plays Bhagya Gundamaneni, a Telugu woman in love with Bhaijaan. Telugu star Venkatesh is seen in the role of her brother. Telugu actor Jagapathi Babu and Olympic medalist boxer Vijender Singh also appear in prominent roles. The trailer kicks off with Salman reciting a Sanskrit verse from the Bhagavad Gita, and deep dives into...

Brace yourselves, for Salman Khan is returning as the lead player in a theatrical film after a four-year break. The release of the ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ trailer, naturally, had to be a big-ticket affair and it did turn out that way on Monday. The trailer features Salman as the ‘bhai’ of the masses and ‘jaan’ of families with an action-packed treat.

It kicks off with Salman reciting the opening sholka of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and deep dives into the budding romance between Bhai and his leading lady on screen, Pooja Hegde, transitioning immediately into an action saga with “face-breaking, bone-cracking, neck-twisting, hammer-hitting action”.

The trailer is over three minutes in length and boasts of all aspects of a commercial formula-led Hindi film. It has bits of family emotions, comedy, romance, drama, music, and of course, action.

It rests heavily on Salman’s shoulders, who does most of the heavy-hitting.

Nearly a week after the Oscars, the disappointment of a missed opportunity still weighs heavily on the minds of some South Asian American dancers, who are setting out to ensure it never happens again.

Many in the South Asian dance community were dismayed by the astonishing dearth of South Asian representation in the ‘Naatu Naatu’ performance at Sunday’s Academy Awards.

While singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava were on hand to perform their hit tune from Tollywood smash ‘Rrr’, which made history for India that night by winning Best Original Song, they were not joined on stage by a single dancer of South Asian heritage, reported Variety.

Especially when, 14 years ago, they nailed it with the staging of A.R. Rahman’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ hit ‘Jai Ho’ at the 2009 Oscars as part of a widely celebrated four-minute medley.

“(The 2009 Oscars) had Indian singers and it was a multi-racial group of dancers and musicians,...

Nearly a week after the Oscars, the hurt and disappointment of a missed opportunity still weighs heavily on the minds of some South Asian American dancers, who are setting out to ensure it never happens again.

Many in the South Asian dance community were dismayed by the astonishing dearth of South Asian representation in the “Naatu Naatu” performance at Sunday’s Academy Awards. While singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava were on hand to perform their hit tune from Tollywood smash “Rrr” — which made history for India that night by winning best original song — they were joined on stage by not a single dancer of South Asian heritage.

How could the Academy have gotten this so wrong? Especially when, 14 years ago, they nailed it with the staging of A.R. Rahman’s “Slumdog Millionaire” hit “Jai Ho” at the 2009 Oscars as part of a widely celebrated four-minute medley.

“[The 2009 Oscars] had Indian singers...

NewsAcademy Chairman Juluru Gowri Shankar announced that the felicitation programme will be held in Hyderabad on March 28. The Telangana Sahitya Academy has decided to felicitate lyricist Chandrabose, who penned the Oscar-winning song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from Rrr. Academy Chairman Juluru Gowri Shankar, on Wednesday, March 15, announced that a felicitation programme will be held at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad on March 28. He said that the whole of Telugu society is proud that by using phrases from rural Telangana, Chandrabose “penned an enlivening song that received the admiration of the world”. Gowri Shankar on Wednesday held a meeting with representatives of various literary bodies to discuss the arrangements for the meeting. He observed that for the first time a Telugu song bagging the global award is a matter of happiness for all. The meeting decided to hold a meeting on March 28 to honour Chandrabose.. The Academy Chairman appealed to poets and writers to attend the meeting.

The 95th Academy Awards are behind us now, and one of the most interesting categories was Best Original Song. Winning an Oscar for an original song is definitely a prestigious honor, but perhaps the second most coveted prize for original movie music is the Grammy. Being voted on by two different academies means there’s bound to be a lot of discrepancies between the awards, especially with different voting deadlines and eligibility rules. With that in mind, what Oscar winning songs have also managed to get at least one Grammy nomination?

SEE2023 CMT Music Awards nominations list: Lainey Wilson on top with 4 bids

Two 2020s Oscar winners were also Grammy winners, albeit in different categories. Billie Eilish’s “No Time To Die” (from the film of the same name) won the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media, the direct equivalent of Oscar’s Best Original Song. Meanwhile, H.E.R....

Oscars 2023 Ar Rahman and Gulzar won the Academy Award for best original song for the song Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. Instagram/ Ar RAHMANCelebrated music composer Ar Rahman congratulated the team of Rrr after the song Naatu Naatu from the film won the Academy Award for best original song. Rahman, who is an Oscar winner himself, congratulated music composer Mm Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabolden globes, keeravani naose on the win. “Congratulations @mmkeeravaani garu and @boselyricist garu ....as predicted and well deserved ..Jaiho to both of you and the #Rrr team!! #RRRatOSCARS Naatu Naatu is the first song from a Telugu film to win an Oscar, and Keeravani is the second Indian Academy Award-winning music composer, after Ar Rahman and Gulzar won it for ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. ‘Naatu Naatu’ had been a frontrunner in the best original song category at Oscars 2023, having already won the Golden Globe...

Rrr‘s “Naatu Naatu” songwriter M. M. Keeravani celebrated his Oscar win for Best Original song, well in song.

“I grew up listening to The Carpenters and now here I am with the Oscars.” he said before breaking out with a variation on \hitmaking duo’s 1973 smash “Top of the World.”

“There was only one wish on my mind…Rrr has to win, right off of every Indian and must be put me on the top of the world,” he sang to great cheery applause with co-songwriter Chandrabose by his side.

“Naatu Naatu” is the first song ever from an Indian movie to win in the category. However, the duo tonight are the second and third Indian songwriters to win in the category: Indian songwriter A.R. Rahman won the original song Oscar for “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire. While that Danny Boyle directed pic was set in India, the production...

“Naatu Naatu” became the first song from a Tollywood film to win best original song at the Oscars, hoofing its way past superstars like Lady Gaga and Rihanna in India’s version of a Cinderella story.

"Naatu Naatu" from #Rrr wins Best Original Song at the #Oscars. https://t.co/ndiKiHfmID pic.twitter.com/d7ZSoRps2d

— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023

The win went to veteran composer M.M. Keeravani, who co-wrote all the songs for the film as well as its score, and lyricist Chandrabose. Their triumph followed a highly energized song-and-dance performance of “Naatu Naatu” that was, by acclamation, one of the highlights of this year’s telecast.

Keeravani delighted the audience by giving much of his acceptance speech to the tune of a Carpenters classic.

“I grew up listening to the Carpenters and now here I am with the Oscars,” he began, and then began singing the melody of...

Oscars 2023The last time an Indian music composer won the Academy Award for best original song was in 2009, when Ar Rahman and Gulzar won for Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire.Instagram/ Rrr MovieThe verdict is out. The hugely popular song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from Rrr has created history by winning the prestigious Academy Award, popularly known as the Oscars, for the best original song. The award went to music composer Mm Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose. This is the first Oscar win for a song from a Telugu film, and the second Oscar ever to be bagged by an Indian music composer, after Ar Rahman and Gulzar won it for ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. ‘Naatu Naatu’ had been a frontrunner in the best original song category at Oscars 2023, having already won the Golden Globe for ‘best original song - motion picture’. Accepting the award, music composer Mm Keeravani said,...

Oscars 2023This year India basks in the spotlight with three Academy Award nominations – ‘Naatu Naatu’ from Rrr for Best Song; All That Breathes for Best Documentary Feature Film, and The Elephant Whisperers for Best Documentary Short Film.Youtube/ScreengrabAs the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gears up to announce the recipients of its honours this year at the 95th edition of the Oscars on March 12, Indian cinema enthusiasts look forward in anticipation of an elusive Oscar coming home. The year 2009 saw the ‘Mozart of Madras’, Ar Rahman, bag an Oscar for Best Original Score for the Danny Boyle directorial Slumdog Millionaire, which won eight Academy Awards. Slumdog Millionaire also got Resul Pookutti the Oscar for Best Sound Mixing, while lyricist Gulzar and Ar Rahman jointly won the award for the Best Original Song (‘Jai Ho’), taking India’s count for the movie to three. This year has brought...

Will Oscar voters choose a superstar or go for a high-energy dance number from an Indian-language film? That’s the dilemma facing voters as they mull over the five best song nominees for 2022 – and voting begins today.

Rihanna (“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Lady Gaga (“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”) and ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne (“This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) are in the running. Yet, even with all that star power, the presumptive frontrunner of late has been seen as “Naatu Naatu,” from the Telugu film “Rrr.”

It all depends on what’s caught the fancy of voters during the run-up to the six-day voting period. Oscar history is rife with examples of songs that outpolled the expected picks at the last minute, simply because voters couldn’t escape the radio play of the newest hit.

Complicating the...

Cinema The song Naatu Naatu, which is nominated in the best original song category, was written by Chandrabose and composed by Mm Keeravaani.ScreengrabThe song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from SS Rajamouli’s period drama Rrr will be performed live by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony on March 12. ‘Naatu Naatu’ is one of the official nominees in the best original song category. Composed by Mm Keeravani and written by Chandrabose, the song has already received many international accolades. The hugely popular song has already won a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award and a Hollywood Critics Association Film Award. Through its official social media accounts, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Tuesday, February 28, that Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava would be performing ‘Naatu Naatu’ live at the 95th Oscars ceremony. After the announcement from the Academy about the Naatu Naatu performance, singer...

Before there was “Rrr,” director S.S. Rajamouli had box-office smashes like the two-part “Baahubali,” which proved how adept he is at making hits. But among Indian audiences, there is a deep divide between those who applaud that the rest of the world is waking up to his brilliance and those who are horrified that a “dubba” — or hollow film — is being lauded.

I’ve heard it from my own Indian friends and relatives who have been reaching out to ask: what are they missing? Reports of viewers dancing at Hollywood’s iconic Chinese Theater to the Oscar-nominated song “Naatu Naatu” horrify these purists. But if you embrace what Rajamouli is doing, “Naatu Naatu” — which is not really the best song in Indian or Telugu films, or even in “Rrr” — has somehow captured the zeitgeist, just as the film itself has.

“Naatu Naatu” comes from the realm of “Tollywood,” i.e.

This year’s Oscar song competition is the usual mix of musical superstars and intriguing unknowns. But for the first time in 30 years, four out of the five entries have a past Oscar winner among their writers.

And for only the 14th time in Oscar history, one of the nominated songs is not sung in English; “Naatu Naatu” is the fourth nominee to be performed in an Indian language (including two from 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire” and one from 2012’s “Life of Pi”).

“Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”

Diane Warren, who recently received an Honorary Oscar for her body of work, earned her 14th competitive nomination for this little-seen anthology of seven short films made by women directors. “I needed a song that could tie it all together,” she says.

Sofia Carson sings what Warren calls “a positive, empowering song. A lot of times we humans don’t love ourselves enough.

Oscar-nominated Tollywood composer M M Keeravani can now put on his dancing shoes after securing a spot in Best Original Song for his popular song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the historical action drama ‘Rrr’, writes Deadline.

In speaking with Deadline on Tuesday about his nomination, Keeravani revealed that he was working — and definitely not dancing — at his recording studio on an upcoming film when he asked the director to put a momentary pause on their activities. And it was for good reason.

Keeravani’s Best Original Song nomination makes history at the 95th Academy Awards for being the first song from an Indian film to land in that category. (Indian songwriter-composer A.R. Rahman’s 2009 Oscar win for the anthemic ‘Jai Ho’ track was from a British production — ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.)

“It feels great,” Keeravani said about his historic precedent. He said that in his view the Oscars are the best, for “they...

Indian fans are overjoyed after the Tollywood film Rrr bagged a best original song Oscar nomination on Tuesday (24 January).

This news makes Rrr the first Indian film to be nominated for anything other than best international film at the Academy Awards.

The nominated song “Naatu Naatu” has already won big at other 2023 ceremonies such as the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.

At the 2023 Academy Awards, the song is set to compete against music by artists such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna, whose tracks are nominated in the same category.

The last time an Indian feature won an Oscar for a film’s music was in 2009 when Ar Rahman won best original song and best original score for “Jai Ho” from the film Slumdog Millionaire.

Many fans are celebrating the success of “Naatu Naatu” on Twitter.

Actor Ram Charan wrote: “What brilliant news! Truly an honour to see ‘Naatu Naatu’ nominated for the Oscars.

Newly Oscar-nominated composer M.M. Keeravani can now put on his dancing shoes after securing a spot in Best Original Song for his popular song “Naatu Naatu” from the Indian action-comedy film Rrr. In speaking with Deadline on Tuesday about his nomination, Keeravani revealed that he was working—and definitely not dancing—at his recording studio on an upcoming film when he asked the director to put a momentary pause on their activities. And it was for good reason.

Keeravani’s Best Original Song nomination makes history at the 95th Academy Awards for being the first song from an Indian Film production to land in that category. (Not to be confused with Indian songwriter-composer A.R. Rahman’s 2009 Oscar win for “Jai Ho” in the British production Slumdog Millionaire.)

“It feels great,” Keeravani said about his historic precedent. “My feelings about the Oscars is the best, because it involves the dreams of...

In the past 55 years in which India has been sending entries for the Best International Feature Film Oscar, it has been on just three occasions that the selected movies, despite some of them being critically acclaimed both in India and abroad, have made it to the nominations shortlist.

A dismal record, if any, calling in question the selection process.

The three films on this rather bald list are the Nargis-Sunil Dutt classic “Mother India” (1957), Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay” (1988) and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Aamir Khan-starrer “Lagaan” (2001).

This year, the official selection — “Chhello Show”, Nalin Kumar Pandya aka Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film — again lost out to a strong field comprising, among others, the German World War I drama “All Quiet on the Western Front” and the Golden Globe winner, “Argentina, 1985” (the historical drama from Argentina around the fight waged by a group of lawyers against the South American’s...

The song “Naatu Naatu” from the global crossover hit film “Rrr” apparently made Academy members want to put on their dancing shoes, as the tune became the first number from a fully homegrown Indian film to get nominated for a best original song Oscar Tuesday morning.

The infectiousness of the large-scale production number that hosts the song in the film had made “Naatu Naatu” a favorite to make the final five going into this week’s Academy Awards nominations, after it earlier made the music branch’s shortlist of 15 eligible numbers. It got a further boost in visibility when it won the best song award at the Golden Globes Jan. 10, with M.M. Keeravani — the composer of the film’s score, and co-writer of its many songs — coming over from India to accept the trophy.

If “Naatu Naatu” wins, it won’t be the first tune written by Indian songwriters to pick up an Oscar.

Indian Ocean bass guitarist and Aisi Taisi Democracy co-founder Rahul Ram has released a cover version of A R Rahman’s Oscar-winning ‘Jai Ho’ track for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ on Monday to mark the 75th Independence Day.

He has collaborated with musicians such as IP Singh, Shibani Kashyap, Subir Malik and others under the banner of the music collective Delhi Indie Project. The video shows the artistes, all dressed in white, as they lip sync to the lyrics of the song — minus the bits in Spanish — originally written by Gulzar.

A message accompanying the video said: “Dedicating the 75th Independence Day to the Armed Forces of India! Jai Hind! Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our family and friends for constantly being there at every step in.”

The original ‘Jai Ho’, interestingly, was intended to be used in the Salman Khan-starrer ‘Yuvvraaj’, but it ended up featuring in Danny Boyle’s...

The songs in the running for the 2022 Best Original Song Oscar are “Down to Joy” (“Belfast”), “Dos Oruguitas” (“Encanto”), “Somehow You Do” (“Four Good Days”), “Be Alive” (“King Richard”), and “No Time to Die” (“No Time to Die”). Our current odds show that “No Time to Die” (82/25) is favored to win, followed in order by “Dos Oruguitas” (18/5), “Be Alive” (9/2), “Down to Joy” (9/2), and “Somehow You Do” (9/2).

Five of the seven individual songwriters included in this year’s lineup are first-time Oscar nominees, with Diane Warren (“Somehow You Do”) standing out as the only female veteran. All 12 of her past bids, beginning with one for “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (“Mannequin”) in 1988, have been unsuccessful. She has now been nominated in seven of the last eight years, with her most recent loss having been to D’Mile, H.E.R., and Tiara Thomas’s (“Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”) last year.

The past 12 months have been outstanding for H.E.R. Not only did she pick up two Grammys at the 2021 ceremony including Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe,” she also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song a few weeks later for “Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah.” “Fight For You” was then submitted to the 2022 Grammys, and it has been nominated for Song of the Year, Best Traditional R&b Performance, and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Now it’s the front-runner for the latter two according to Gold Derby’s odds. But just how common (or uncommon) is it for Oscar-winning songs to have Grammys to their name as well?

SEEBest Adele songs, ranked: Her 20 greatest hits, including ’30’ songs you’re crying to right now

The first Oscar-winning song to win at the Grammys was “Moon River,” written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer,...

Watch the Teaser Trailer for Dawn Breaks Behind The Eyes: "Having just inherited a run down castle, a dispirited woman and her ill-tempered husband decide to spend the night, as time and reality slowly starts to shift around them."

Directed by Kevin Kopacka

Starring: Jeff Wilbusch, Anna Platen, Frederik von Lüttichau, Luisa Taraz

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Mental Health And Horror: A Documentary Teams Up with Mixtape Massacre for Charity T-Shirt Drive: "The team behind the popular horror board game Mixtape Massacre and the filmmakers behind the upcoming documentary Mental Health and Horror: A Documentary have teamed up on a t-shirt design with a simple message: “Horror. You’ve Been Missing Out”. The quote comes from Michael Kennedy (writer of Blumhouse’s Freaky) in a recent clip that was exclusively premiered by Bloody-Disgusting.

The best part, all proceeds from the shirts will be donated to Nami, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Killer merch for a great cause.

Exclusive: Warren Kole (Shades of Blue) is set as a series regular and Peter Gadiot (Queen of the South), Keeya King (Van Helsing) and Alex Wyndham (Rome) have been tapped for recurring roles in Showtime’s drama series Yellowjackets. Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress star in the drama series from writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Entertainment One and studio-based producer Drew Comins. Production has begun in Vancouver, Canada for a 2021 debut on the network.

Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving...

"Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai", the title of Salman Khan's latest film that premiered on the digital platforms, Zee5 and Zeeplex, on the occasions of Eid on May 13, catches one's fancy. It certainly helps the film generate curiosity as well as positive vibes, a factor that helps a film get an opening response.

Actually, "Radhe" was Salman's screen name in his earlier hit "Tere Naam", and later used in his comeback film "Wanted" (2009), which was a remake of the Telugu film "Pokiri", directed by Puri Jagannadh. The Hindi remake was directed by Prabhu Deva.

Salman Khan has been a versatile actor who established himself with his very second film, "Maine Pyar Kiya", a traditional love story, and he has reigned in comic roles in films from "Andaz Apna Apna" and "Judwa" to "Ready". He has also played a second fiddle to Jackie Shroff in "Bandhan".

Just when Salman's career...

If “Io Sì (Seen)” wins the song Oscar on April 25, it will mark only the fourth time in Oscar history that a foreign-language lyric has taken the prize. Diane Warren’s song for “The Life Ahead,” which co-lyricist Laura Pausini sings in Italian, is the 10th song not in the English language to be nominated.

The winners were the title song from 1960’s “Never on Sunday,” in Greek; “Al Otro Lado Del Rio,” from 2004’s “The Motorcycle Diaries,” in Spanish; and “Jai Ho,” from 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” a mix of Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi languages.

One of its strongest competitors is “Husavik,” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” which is sung partly in Icelandic.

A non-English lyric is not necessarily a handicap. Multiple factors go into an Oscar song win, and it isn’t always just the competition. Manos Hadjidakis’ song “Never on Sunday” — from Jules Dassin...

You wouldn’t necessarily think that sound would go hand-in-hand with film editing, but at the Oscars, those awards have often gone to the same film. In fact, the last seven film editing winners in a row have won one or both sound awards (this year the two sound categories were consolidated). And only seven film editing winners in the last 20 years have failed to win a sound prize. Could “Sound of Metal” continue this trend?

SEEWhy ‘Sound of Metal’ has a very specific advantage in the Best Sound Oscar category

While sound and film editing are quite different disciplines, they tend to advantage the same two kinds of films. One kind is action movies that tend to include a lot of fast-paced cuts and explosive audio effects. That includes “Black Hawk Down” (2001), “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007), “The Hurt Locker” (2009), “Gravity...

Singer Amaal Mallik feels musicians and lyricists should be granted the legal right of their works, which they deserve.

Asked what changes he wants to see in the music industry, Amaal Mallik said, "On the more technical front, I would like to hear and create something more organic. I see an inclination lately towards artificially created sounds, which are amazing too, but I feel it should be supplemented with something more. My film score in 'Saina' and my single 'Tu mera nahi' will help in proving that live musicians along with digitally produced music can go hand in hand and create a commercially hybrid score or song that can win both charts and hearts."

"I also hope that the legal rights we musicians and lyricists deserve are given to us. I guess the latter will take its own course and we have to wait and see what happens next," he added.

By Sugandha Rawal

New Delhi, Nov 8 (Ians) Amaal Mallik likes to describe himself as a clean, spiritual musician. He says he does not respond well when people try to corner him, or try to come between him and his passion for music.

That's the emotion the singer-composer picked to channel in his debut pop song "Tu mera nahi", a heartbreak number he has composed and sung, on the lyrics by Rashmi Virag.

"There is no script or story that is readily available to work on. Artistes usually tune inwards to look for influence and emotion. It's not always necessary that one needs to be experiential in nature. Even the understanding of a certain emotion leads you to express. `Tu mera nahi‘ comes from a place of longing," Amaal told Ians.

"It's also an emotion that I relate to as I've been through this several times, with several people -- whether a friend or a relationship.

Mumbai, Oct 30 (Ians) Singer-lyricist Danish Sabri feels critics play an important part in the career of an artiste because they motivate them to do their best work.

Danish has written and sung the dance number "Basanti" in the upcoming film "Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari". The song has garnered over 2.5 million views on YouTube since release. In the past, he has written lyrics for films such as "Jai Ho", "Tevar", "Munna Michael", "Drive", "Pagalpanti" and "Dabangg 3".

Talking about positive response to "Basanti", Danish said: "It makes you feel good when your work is being appreciated by the audience. I think making the song a hit or a flop is completely up to the audience. I feel your fans will always like your work, and then there are critics who always find some loopholes in your work. I love my fans because they support me but I feel critics are more...

Actress Sana Khan has declared that she is quitting the world of showbiz in order to serve humanity and follow the path of her Creator.

"I declare that from today onwards, I have resolved to say goodbye to my showbiz lifestyle forever and serve humanity and follow the orders of my Creator. All brothers and sisters are requested to pray for me to Allah to accept my repentance and grant me the true ability to live in accordance with my determination of spending my life following the commandments of my Creator and in the service of humanity, and grant me perseverance in to," she announced on Instagram, in a note written in Hindi and English.

"All brothers and sisters are requested to not consult me with regards to any showbiz work henceforth," she added in the post that she shared on Thursday night.

Sana has also removed several pictures from her Instagram account.

It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman was a 1966 musical flop that almost saw a revival in 2010. Here’s what happened.

“Dallas is a long way from Metropolis, but within the space-age architecture of the Dallas Theater Center, Superman was preparing to take flight. It was 2010, and the organization was on the verge of premiering what it hoped would be one of the biggest shows in its history: an entirely reimagined take on the 1966 Broadway production It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman.”

Read more at Vulture.

Toshiba, a long-time household brand name for personal computers, is exiting the PC sector.

“Two years ago, Toshiba signaled its intention to get out of the personal computer business by transferring 80.1 percent of its Toshiba Client Solutions (Tcs) shares to Foxconn-owned Sharp. Last week, the company confirmed all remaining shares had also been transferred to Sharp,...

Playtime, the well-established European film and TV group based in Paris, has scored a flurry of deals on three anticipated international series, “Trauma,” “Mental” and “Helvetica,” as well as on the documentary “Voulez-vous rire avec moi ce soir.”

Produced by Empreinte Digitale (“Missions”), “Voulez-vous rire avec moi ce soir” was picked up by Netflix in French Speaking Europe, Africa, UK, Australia, Us and Canada. The series, which portrays top comedians around the world, was directed by Yacine Belhousse and premiered on the local cable channel Comedie Plus.

A popular French series, “Trauma” was acquired by Walter Presents for the U.S. and for the U.K. where it will air on Channel 4’s platform All4 and digital channel More4.

“Trauma is a superb French series: a dark, twisted psychological thriller with plenty of cliffhangers and a unique, compelling premise which makes it a perfect addition to the Walter Presents collection,...