Status quo in BJP’s organisational structure likely, Nadda to continue as President

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Status quo in BJP’s organisational structure likely, Nadda to continue as President

The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to keep its organizational structure unchanged in view of the approaching 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the number of Assembly elections this year, party sources said.

“In view of the Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly elections to be held in the coming days, the BJP has decided that national President J.P Nadda will get an extension and the state Presidents will not be changed unless there is a demand for a replacement,” a source said.

“And there will be no change in the organization until it is more necessary,” the source added.

A formal announcement in this regard after the national office-bearers meeting on January 16. Nadda’s three-year term as the party President ends later this month.

Assembly elections are going to be held in Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh this year. All except Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and BRS-ruled Telangana, the BJP or its allies are in power.

‘RRR’ is the most-favoured international film on the US awards circuit today

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‘RRR’ is the most-favoured international film on the US awards circuit today

With 32 critics’ and industry prizes handed out thus far, and Oscar nomination voting now less than 10 days away, ‘RRR’ is definitely in the reckoning on a slate of hopefuls where Steven Spielberg is one of the leading contenders with his semi-autobiographical ‘The Fabelmans’ and Cate Blanchett is locked in a riveting battle of nerves with Michelle Yeoh.

And the awards season is very much around, with the Palm Springs Film Festival kicking off later this week and the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards on their way to marking their first televised ceremonies of the season.

To find out who stands where, we turned to ‘Variety’, which has been tracking where the awards have gone so far. S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR, has won the most awards for Best International Feature (nine, compared with seven for the Korean Decision to Leave’, which was won by Park Chan-wook the Cannes 2022 Best Director award) and Best Original Score (by M.M. Keeravani, a.k.a. M.M. Kreem to Hindi cinema watchers) — four nods, behind the five, won by ‘The Batman’ and ‘Babylon’ and above the three of ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’.

The irony, though, is that ‘RRR’ is not India’s official entry — it is Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film, ‘Chhello Show’ (Last Show) — but the Tollywood blockbuster’s American promoters, Variance Films, has included it in all award categories.

The leaders in the other main categories are Best Picture: ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ – 16.

Best Director: The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ – 16

Best Actor: Colin Farrell (‘The Banshees of Inisherin’) – 16; Brendan Fraser (‘The Whale’) – nine

Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’) – 15; Cate Blanchett (‘Tar’) – 11. Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’) – 24

Best Supporting Actress: Kerry Condon (‘The Banshees of Inisherin’) – nine. Original Screenplay: ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ – 15; ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ – 10. Animated Feature: ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ – 14; ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’ – eight

Cinematography: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ – 15, Film Editing: ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ – 10

The Oscars throw up real surprises every season and this year is not going to be any different. But this list of the leaders is indicative of how the people whose votes will determine who will go home with the prized statuette, are thinking today.

SRK to Deepika on b’day: ‘Always proud and wishing for you to scale new heights’

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SRK to Deepika on b’day: ‘Always proud and wishing for you to scale new heights’

On Deepika Padukone’s 37th birthday on Thursday, her ‘Pathaan’ co-star Shah Rukh Khan penned a note of appreciation for the actress and said that he is “proud and always wishing her to scale new heights”.

Shah Rukh took to Instagram, where he shared a new look at Deepika’s character from their film and wrote: “To my dearest @deepikapadukone – how you have evolved to own the screen in every avatar possible! Always proud and always wishing for you to scale new heights happy birthday lots of love #Pathaan releasing in theatres on 25th Jan in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.”

This will be the fourth time SRK and Deepika will be seen sharing screen space together. The two have previously worked in films such as ‘Om Shanti Om’, ‘Chennai Express’ and ‘Happy New Year’.

‘Pathaan’ presents the story of an Indian spy who can get into any system or circle given his stealth and chameleon abilities to merge with the world that he resides in.

The film is the first of SRK’s three films after a hiatus of over four years for the actor. Earlier, he was seen in the 2018 movie ‘Zero’ which tanked badly at the box office.

‘Pathaan’, produced by India’s premier studio conglomerate Yash Raj Films, will drop in theatres on January 25.

James Wan already planning to turn horror movie ‘M3GAN’ into franchise

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James Wan already planning to turn horror movie ‘M3GAN’ into franchise

Filmmaker James Wan is already contemplating an ‘M3GAN’ sequel.

The 45-year-old filmmaker is a producer for the new sci-fi horror flick about a robotic doll that becomes extremely protective of a child and he explained how the flick could develop into a franchise, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“What I will say to that is, whether it’s The Conjuring Universe, or ‘Saw’, or ‘Malignant’, or ‘M3GAN’ here, we like to think of a bigger world,” James told Collider.

“For me, it’s about creating the world, and knowing who the characters are, where the story could potentially go, and then building this bigger world, and then going into that and going, ‘Okay, I’m telling this particular story, but I know other stuff that’s going on.’ ”

The director added, “So if we’re fortunate enough to have sequels, then we have an idea of where we want to go.”

‘M3GAN’ helmer Gerard Johnstone recently revealed how the movie, which stars Allison Williams and Violet McGraw, had to have reshoots to get a PG-13 age rating.

The director told Total Film magazine, “Making it PG-13 was something that happened after the fact, but it was always close to PG-13 anyway.”

“It seemed kind of a mistake not to embrace it. I even remember thinking early on, ‘This could be PG-13, and some of my favorite films like ‘Drag Me to Hell’ are PG-13.’ So we made the decision to go PG-13 and actually reshot a couple of things.”

Johnstone claimed that the reshoots actually enhanced the quality of the picture. He said, “What I was really stoked about is that when we reshot those scenes, they were more effective. It’s like, ‘Yes, you do have to cut away at certain times’, but it’s fun having to rely on sound and suggestion so much.”

Padma Lakshmi hits back after being accused of making daughter ‘uncomfortable’ with her breasts

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Padma Lakshmi hits back after being accused of making daughter ‘uncomfortable’ with her breasts

Indian-American model, TV host, author, and activist Padma Lakshmi hits back at a follower, who criticized her fun video, which was shared on her Instagram account, by her daughter Krishna.

The clip saw the celebrity chef cooking, with her daughter filming her. Her daughter, meanwhile, tried to cover her mom’s chest from the camera’s view as she put one of her hands in front of it, reports aceshowbiz.com.

When Padma asked her daughter what she was doing, the little girl said that she was “censoring”.

To that, Padma jokingly replied, “Censoring my boobs? You ate off those boobs for a good year-and-a-half.”

Further poking fun at the situation, the 52-year-old star wrote in the caption: “Little hands: ‘cover your boobs’. Also, Little hands: *zooms in on boobs*.”

Fans in the comments section mostly praised Padma for the witty remarks to Krishna.

However, some others apparently took issue with her response. “As a mom of four daughters, there’s a time and a place and when it starts making our daughters uncomfortable because we are being objectified, time to take notice,” one person said.

Catching wind of the comment, Padma immediately replied to the individual. “First if all it’s a JOKE,” she defended herself.

“And my daughter isn’t uncomfortable with me or my boobs or my posts, nor does she read these comments unless I show her because she isn’t on social media.”

“It’s really not that serious folks,” the Bravo star stressed.

The food writer later told the person that her daughter is not on social media because “she has her studies to attend to”.

Padma isn’t strange to mocking Internet users’ comments on her. Back in December, the “Spices & Herbs” author took to TikTok to share a video of her using a filter that made it look like she was drifting in a boat.

“On my way to put on a bra because user75929 told me to,” she hilariously captioned the clip.

IND vs SL, 1st T20I: Deepak Hooda loses cool on umpire over wide-ball decision

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IND vs SL, 1st T20I: Deepak Hooda loses cool on umpire over wide-ball decision

Deepak Hooda, who was the top scorer in India’s victory over Sri Lanka in the first T20, lost his cool during the game and abused the on-field umpire over the wide-ball decision.

The incident took place in the 18th over of India’s innings. Hooda tried to play the fifth ball of the over bowled by Kasun Rajitha and stepped onto the offside across the stumps and let the ball go, thinking it would be called a wide.

But the on-field umpire did not signal it as wide, leaving the batter fuming over the decision and using some unpleasant words. The video of the same is circulating on social media with people giving various kinds of reactions.

The right-handed batter even engaged in an argument with the umpire after getting a single on the very next delivery.

In Tuesday’s match, Hooda hammered 41 not out off 23 deliveries, hitting one boundary and four maximums that helped India post a modest total of 162/5 after being reduced to 94/5. Hooda, who was adjudged Player of the Match, established an unbeaten partnership of 68 runs with Axar Patel (31) for the sixth wicket.

With a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, India will next face Sri Lanka at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Thursday.

In his second conversation with NBK, Prabhas remembers Krishnam Raju

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In his second conversation with NBK, Prabhas remembers Krishnam Raju

After opening up on matters close to his heart last week on the OTT chat show ‘Unstoppable 2 with NBK’, ‘Baahubali’ star Prabhas is all set to share more interesting details about him this week.

Prabhas spoke about his uncle, actor, and late Union Minister Krishnam Raju’s death. Tollywood star Nandamuri Balakrishna, the host, along with actor Gopichand, observed silence in the Rebel Star’s honor.

Nandamuri Balakrishna, who is fondly called NBK by his fans, asked Prabhas about his relationship with his uncle, who was a legendary actor in the Telugu cinema industry.

Prabhas said: “Today, whatever we are, it is because of him. We owe him. He came to Madras in those days and worked as a villain for 10-12 years and then started his own banner and created history with women-oriented stories. Our whole family misses him today so much.”

When NBK asked about Krishnam Raju’s death, Prabhas commented: “He was ill for a month, and I was in the hospital during that phase and in touch with the doctors continuously.”

Balakrishna recalled: “I missed the moment as I was in Turkey at that time for a shoot, and when I got the news, I could not control myself from crying.”

Prabhas continued to speak about his failures and best times with his best pal, actor Gopichand, who also graced the show and spoke on his struggles during the initial times of his career.

Episode 2 of Prabhas’ conversations with Balakrishna on ‘Unstoppable 2 with NBK’ streams January 6th on aha.

James Cameron hints at showing the dark side of Na’vi in ‘Avatar 3’

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James Cameron hints at showing the dark side of Na’vi in ‘Avatar 3’

Filmmaker James Cameron said that the third installment of his blockbuster ‘Avatar’ franchise will introduce a third clan of Pandora that shows off the Na’vi’s darker side.

‘In Avatar’ and ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, moviegoers are introduced to two different Na’vi clans, the forest-dwelling Omaticaya and the water-dwelling Metkayina.

Both tribes are peaceful and only resort to violence when their land is seized by humans. However, audiences might soon find out that not all Na’vi are good Na’vi. James Cameron told France’s 20 Minutes (via Total Film) that the next installment is still-untitled.

Cameron said that ‘Avatar 3’ will explore “different cultures from those I have already shown. The fire will be represented by the ‘Ash People’. I want to show the Na’vi from another angle because, so far, I have only shown their good sides.”

“In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples,” the director continued.

“In ‘Avatar 3,’ we will do the opposite. We will also explore new worlds while continuing the story of the main characters. I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal.”

While the first two ‘Avatar’ movies centered on conflicts between Na’vi tribes and humans, it appears that the third movie will find Na’vi facing off against Na’vi for the first time in the franchise. Perhaps the fire tribe will turn against Jake Sully due to the destruction his presence on Pandora has caused thus far.

Cameron has already finished production on ‘Avatar 3’, which is scheduled to hit theatres on December 20, 2024. Should the filmmaker extend the franchise all the way to ‘Avatar 5’, then the Na’vi will come to Earth. Producer Jon Landau revealed as much before ‘The Way of Water’ opened in theatres.

“Well, it’s funny,” Landau told Gizmodo.

“I wasn’t going to talk about it, but I’ve now subsequently heard that Jim has talked about it a little bit. In [‘Avatar 5’] there is a section of the story where we go to Earth. And we go to it to open people’s eyes, open Neytiri’s eyes, to what exists on Earth.”

“Earth is not just represented by the RDA (the franchise’s evil organization known as the Resources Development Administration),” he said.

“Just like you’re defined by the choices you make in life, not all humans are bad. Not all Na’vi are good. And that’s the case here on Earth. And we want to expose Neytiri to that.”

BFI curator asserts Alia’s performance in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ is Oscar-worthy

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BFI curator asserts Alia’s performance in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ is Oscar-worthy

Alia Bhatt received words of praise from the British Film Institute’s Robin Baker, who said that the Bollywood actress should be nominated at the British Academy Film Awards and Oscars for her performance in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’.

Alia thanked Baker for all the appreciation coming her way.

On Instagram, Robin wrote: “If I was a member of BAFTA or the Academy (I’m not), this year I would be voting for Alia Bhatt as Best Actress for her performance in GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, India, 2022). She plays a prostitute turned underworld brothel madam turned campaigner for sex workers’ rights, and the joy of her performance is how she grows as her character develops.”

The head curator at BFI added: “The film is big, brash, sentimental, and hugely enjoyable, but Bhatt is sensational. There’s the additional pleasure of the film’s classic Hindi cinema references – from Gangubai’s love of Dev Anand to scenes of cinema-going in the 50s and 60s to the numerous film posters lining the streets around Bombay’s red light district.”

“If you haven’t seen it (especially BAFTA and Academy Award-voting friends), please head to Netflix ASAP.” Alia re-shared Robin’s post with a series of white heart emojis.

‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, was released in India on February 25, 2022. The film, which also stars Ajay Devgn in a cameo, had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival a week before its Indian release.

Ruhaanika Dhawan wants to focus on board exams, no plans to shift to new flat yet

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Ruhaanika Dhawan wants to focus on board exams, no plans to shift to new flat yet

‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein’ actress Ruhaanika Dhawan has all the reasons to celebrate as she purchased a flat at the age of 15, for which she wrote a long note expressing gratitude towards her parents. But she has no plans to shift right now as she is preparing for her class 10 Board exams.

Moreover, the family needs more expenditure for doing the interiors of the house and thus they will wait for a year at least.

Ruhaanika told Ians: “Right now, I have to crack my board exams and so I am concerned about my studies and classes. For my studies only, I have taken a break from acting as well and focusing on my academics. Apart from that, certain interiors and other things also need to be done. So, we will wait for the funds, save money and maybe rent it out for a year and then plan to shift to the new house.”

The actress, who started her career with ‘Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein’ and later went on to work in ‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein’, and was also seen in the film Ghayal Once Again’, gave credit to the way her mother saved the money and invested it methodically for making this happen and purchasing a 3 BHK flat at such an early stage of her life.

She added that it took years to have the financial arrangement for buying her new house: “It took 7 or 8 years to happen and it won’t be possible without the support of my parents and especially my mother. Although, I started with ‘Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein’ but that role was just for 15 or 20 days. The regular thing was ‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein’ and I still remember I used to shoot on weekends for the show. Just three days, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.”

“Every penny of my earnings was saved by my mother and she invested it properly. God has been so kind that we got good returns out of the savings and everything. My father has invested in funds. So, I got a lot of support and motivation from my parents and thus it finally happened.”

So, what is Ruhaanika planning to do after her studies? She said: “Post my studies, I want to focus on my acting career and would love to join a performing arts school in India or abroad and make a comeback on screen.”

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