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Believe the hype: Black Panther is easily Marvel’s best film to date. This exhilarating, beautiful and genuinely moving superhero film is firmly rooted in the point of view of director and co-writer Ryan Coogler, a tremendous example of the radical possibilities to be found in Afrofuturism. Coogler builds a thrilling, exciting world, and threads throughout it a story filled with pathos and real-world gravitas. Although our hero, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), hails from the African country of Wakanda – a technological wonder powered by the natural resource vibranium – Black Panther is Coogler through and through, with a storyline that originates on the streets of Oakland, Calif. The conflict of the film lies in the gulf between the experiences of the Wakandans, who have been shielded from the world’s inequalities, and those who have been colonised, enslaved and oppressed. T’Challa, who becomes king of Wakanda at the beginning of the film, has to decide how he’s going to position Wakanda to aid in the liberation of black people throughout the world while also protecting his country. He may be the king, but Boseman very classily allows himself to be upstaged nearly every minute of Black Panther by the women of Wakanda. He’s flanked by the luminous Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, a Wakandan spy and his love interest, as well as the warrior Okoye, the stunning, righteous and ferocious Danai Gurira, who just about walks away with the whole movie. His mother, Ramonda, is played by the inimitable Angela Bassett, and two newcomers also shine: Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s spunky sister, Shuri, and Winston Duke as M’Baku, a rival tribe leader who challenges him for the throne. Electronic hip-hop beats from Kendrick Lamar course throughout the bold, colourful world, which melds traditional African aesthetics with modern flair. Coogler brings his audacious, slick style to Black Panther, with long tracking shots and clean, crisp action shot by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison. Black Panther is an epic, immersive, world-building experience, but it stays grounded in its action, and pitches the stakes and scope at the individual level. The visual thrills are suspenseful because we care about the characters involved. This is a superhero film with a point of view that is fiery, radical and revolutionary ­ which comes from Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger, a villain and the most fascinating character. With his punky dreads and gold lower canines, Erik oozes cool. But what makes him so riveting is not his style, swag or sex appeal, but his deep well of anger. Jordan is a live-wire onscreen, his rage constantly at a low roiling boil. He simmers like he’s spring-loaded, ready to explode at any moment. Erik’s rage is justified. You feel it in your bones, because Jordan makes it that real. He’s a kid who grew up on tough American streets, without a father, not in Wakanda enjoying a futuristic, royal lifestyle. He wants to harness that power for black liberation, and although the methods he employs are extreme, you root for his success. Erik is filled with all the rage, grief, fear, resentment and fire that comes from being a minority crushed by a coloniser – an Afrofuturist Nat Turner. T’Challa could never know that pain. His regal pride is what we love about him, but we yearn for Erik’s victory because he wears his chip on his shoulder as a badge of honour, using his pain for strength. Black Panther is bound to be one of the best films of 2018, period, no need for the qualifiers “superhero” or Marvel. It’s an awesome vision from one of our most exciting young directors, coursing with his DNA – his values, beliefs and perspective branded indelibly upon it. – TNS

Actress Mallika Sherawat says she hopes to see a world where every woman is free from fear and lives “unshackled”. A day after the Supreme Court reaffirmed the death sentence in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, Mallika took to Twitter to share an emotional post about the ordeal women face in society. Referring to the victim, a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern, Mallika wrote: “She had worked hard to free herself from the shackles of the rules that society often slots for its women. Her parents supported her every step of the way. But those who violated her questioned her morals, questioned her right to be out at night. “Some even, post her trauma, dared to say she deserves it. Complete closure for her family might have to wait till those barbarians are hanged, but Nirbhaya’s soul is free today.” The actress, a women’s rights activist, also talked of an incident in which 26 girls were saved from being trafficked. Mallika, who comes from Haryana — which once had the lowest female child ratio — entered the film industry much to the dismay of her family members. She says it was running away from home that gave her courage. “Stifled in a patriarchal family, I neither had freedom nor choice. I faced innumerable hardships because I dared to question and challenge the status quo. When I got a chance, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and I survived. Today I stand on my own two feet and I decide how I live my life,” added the actress who has featured in films like Murder, Khwahish, Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Welcome and Hisss. The journey hasn’t been easy as she was called “enough names and treated in myriad ways.” Women across the world are “buried under societal pressure, scared of the consequences, subjugated and constantly violated”, and are wanting to be free. For Mallika, it’s a changed story today. She says she wants to help end women’s subjugation. “Every young girl, every woman has dreams. Every woman who is empowered can empower another... I want to free every girl from fear.... Let us fight to create a society where women live with pride and not with worry. Let us battle the odds to build a world where girls and women live unshackled.” – IANS Each day brings new challenges,  victories says Sonali Bendre Actress-writer Sonali Bendre Behl, who has been diagnosed with a “high-grade cancer” and is undergoing treatment in New York, says every day brings both challenges and victories and the only thing that she wants to focus on is “positive” outlook. In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Sonali shared a photograph in which she is seen sporting short hair. She expressed gratitude to all her friends, fans and family members for the love and support that has come her way since she revealed her battle with cancer. “In the words of my favourite author Isabel Allende, ‘We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome’.”  Sonali said the “outpouring of love” she has received in the last few days has been “overwhelming”. “I’m especially grateful to those of you who shared stories of their experiences in dealing with cancer, whether it was your own or the loved ones. Your stories have given me an extra dosage of strength and courage and more importantly, the knowledge that I am not alone,” she said. On how she is dealing with the change, she said: “Each day comes with its own challenges and victories and so for now I am taking this one day at a time. “The only thing I am trying to be consitent about is maintaining a positive outlook... Literally, switch on the sunshine — it’s my way of dealing with this. Sharing my journey is also part of this process... I can only hope it reminds you that all is not lost and that someone, somewhere understands what you are going through.” Her health condition forced her to step down as the judge of a reality TV show India’s Best Dramebaaz. Actress Huma Qureshi has stepped into her shoes. Sonali is married to producer Goldie Behl. They have one son Ranveer together. – IANS Accolades make  artistes feel worthwhile: Anuradha Paudwal Veteren singer Anuradha Paudwal, who was felicitated at Britain’s House of Commons for her contribution to music and charitable initiatives, says awards and accolades are an acknowledgement of artistes’ struggles. “Music is my lifeline and when adulation and respect come from unexpected quarters, that too an invitation to be acknowledged in the historic and prestigious eight-decade old House of Commons, it does feel great,” Anuradha said in a statement to IANS. “I sing for those who love music. And the love, warmth and reciprocation makes me feel honoured and respected. It is these moments that make us artistes feel that our struggle was well worth its while,” added the National Award-winning singer who has sung in Bollywood movies like Aashiqui, Ram Lakhan, Saajan and Dil, besides having an array of devotional songs to her credit. As of now, she is on a tour to the UK and Australia. “I am awaiting my next destinations — Sri Lanka and the US. The tour is with Kumar Sanu with whom I share great respect and rapport,” she said. On the music front, she says “there is a very interesting devotional project on Adi Shankaracharya’s works”. “It is still in its formative stage but it is an amazingly fulfilling musical tribute,” said Anuradha. She also wants to give back to society. “I support martyrs’ families, aid villages which lack basic infrastructure and do my little bit.” – IANS

Cruise ship holidays are becoming ever more popular. They have certainly been very helpful in the career of English singer Jane McDonald. Now back in the UK top ten with her latest album, Cruising with Jane McDonald, features the 1998 BBC Television observational documentary series, The Cruise, which transformed Jane into a star. She was 34 and had been singing for more than a decade when BBC decided to make 12 programmes, boarding the luxury cruise ship Galaxy as it sailed around the Caribbean. Jane’s personality and her vocal talent was revealed during the clips of her performances. BBC also broadcasted two special Cruise programmes focusing on Jane. The first covered her marriage to Danish plumber Henrik Brixen in St Thomas, Virgin Islands. The couple had met during an earlier cruise when they were working on Century, Galaxy’s sister-ship. The second special was Jane’s Cruise to the Stars. Airing on December 31, 1998, it effectively topped and tailed the most remarkable year of her life. The first episode of The Cruise was broadcasted on January 13 while Jane Ties The Knot had been televised in July. This was also the month when her self-titled debut album had stormed straight to number one on the UK chart. “It was unbelievable,” she smiled. “I began 1998 as a largely unknown girl from Wakefield in Yorkshire who had sung in so many clubs around northern England without ever being noticed by any really important people and ended the year as a household name. I recorded as the best-selling album and even had a top ten hit on the Christmas week singles chart.” Ironically, Jane almost turned down the offer to perform aboard Galaxy. Apart from meeting Henrik, from whom she is now divorced, she had an unhappy time on Century. There were delays in being paid, technical difficulties with the sound equipment and generally stressful working conditions. Jane returned to singing in the clubs. It was only the opportunity to become the headlining singer on Galaxy which tempted her back to sea. “I never imagined what the outcome from the TV series might be. But I had always considered myself a success even if it had been on a much lower level. “I think if you have a job like a singer, where you’ve been blessed with a gift and you’re making a living from it, then you’re a success even if you’re not famous. I was doing something I loved and that was a success itself, even if a club did close the curtain on me part ways through a song because it was time for the bingo.” Further big hit albums followed Jane’s chart-topping debut. These were promoted on numerous sold-out concert tours. But her popularity with television viewers was such that Jane was also able to carve out a career as a television personality. Her many credits include guest appearances on a wide variety of shows ranging from Ready Steady Cook to Tipping Point: Lucky Stars. Her presentation work included eight years on Loose Women. “I’ve been very lucky to be able to do so many things which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Even those times when I’ve decided to stop doing something, usually against good advice, I’ve then had offers to do some other really interesting projects. “The most exciting of these was playing Grizabella in a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s wonderful stage musical, Cats. I had decided to stop doing television shows. I’d reached a point where I thought I needed to do something else but had no actual plans. A lot of people thought I was being foolish. In some ways, I just wanted a rest. I had almost done 97 shows of some sort one right after the other. “But the offer came for me to audition for Cats. I was a lot older than the other people auditioning and thought I didn’t stand a chance. Funnily enough, having no expectations took some of the pressure off when I auditioned for Andrew but I still couldn’t believe it when they called me to say I’ve got the part.” Jane freely acknowledges that performing in Cats made her a better singer. “I didn’t realise how unfit I was. The warm-up exercises were all about strengthening the core of the body. Doing them allowed me to belt out songs like I’ve never done before. I got into my fifties and felt like I was just learning to sing.” Alongside all her stage work, Jane returned both to television and cruising in 2017 with her British Academy of Film and Television Award-winning series, Cruising with Jane McDonald. “I almost didn’t go to the BAFTA ceremony. I didn’t think there was any chance of the show winning and I was filming my other new show, Jane and Friends. I didn’t prepare any acceptance speech. Mark Powell, the executive producer, wrote a speech for me and said I should put it in my pocket just in case. I almost didn’t take it with me.” Part travelogue, part documentary and part entertainment, it is the songs sung by Jane at the end of each programme which make up the track list on her Cruising with Jane McDonald album. “It’s been wonderful for me to be able to sail off on so many different cruises. I’d never been on a river cruise before doing one for the show. Recording the songs for the album brought back all the fantastic memories of visiting the beautiful coastline of California, colourful Cuba, rugged Iceland and so many other wonderful places. It made me want to sing my heart out.” in brief Tupac Shakur A new television documentary claims to have solved the 22-year-old murder of rap star Tupac Shakur. Rapper Keefe D, real name Duane Keith Davis, is dying from cancer. He says he is the only person still alive who can reveal what happened on the night of September 7, 1996 and wanted to do so before he passes away. It is known that Tupac and Death Row Records boss Suge Knight attended the Mike Tyson v Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After the fight, Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson was spotted in the MGM Grand lobby. He, and other members of the Crips gang, had allegedly robbed a Death Row employee earlier in the year. Tupac, along with his and Suge Knight’s entourage, took revenge by attacking Anderson. Later that night, Anderson, plus fellow Crips Keefe D, Terrence ‘T-Brown’ Brown, and DeAndre ‘Dre’ Smith, searched Las Vegas for Tupac with the intention of exacting retribution. He was eventually found, according to Keefe D, standing up through the open top of a car ‘like a celebrity in a parade.’ The Crips pulled alongside in their car and Orlando Anderson fired the shots from which Tupac eventually succumbed six days later. Assuming Keefe D’s words are true, they confirm a 2002 story in the Los Angeles Times by investigative reporter Chuck Phillips who named Anderson as Tupac’s killer. He had died four years earlier, aged 24, in an unrelated gang shooting. Las Vegas police had discounted Anderson as a suspect after one brief interview. Cheryl Cole/Liam Payne Love for one another and their son, Bear, is apparently not enough to keep Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne together. Liam had insisted earlier this year that they were a very happy family. He and Cheryl still say they love each other and will continue to co-parent Bear. So, why have they decided to split up? Friends have suggested they are simply two different people with little in common. This seems strange in view of their both being in the same profession. But it looks like the birth of their son, coupled with Liam’s burgeoning solo career, has caused a division in their relationship. Former One Direction star Liam has promoted his music with appearances all over the world. Conversely, Bear has become Cheryl’s top priority. She prefers to stay at home with him. Liam keeping in touch by Face Time just didn’t work for her. Halsey/G-Eazy Cheryl and Liam are not the only pop music power couple to announce their split. American singer / songwriter Halsey and rap star G-Eazy had been dating for exactly one year when Halsey used her Instagram account to inform her fans that she and G-Eazy are ‘taking some time apart.’ “I’m eager to continue the upcoming passage of time dedicating myself to my art and career, and the duration of my tour,” she added. “I wish G-Eazy the best.” The couple released a big hit song last December. They co-wrote and duetted on Him & I, the second single taken from G-Eazy’s fourth studio album, The Beautiful & Damned.

Her 40s have been eventful and enlightening. Actress Manisha Koirala, a cancer survivor, says contrary to common perception that middle-aged female actors get less work in Bollywood, she feels liberated more than ever. “I think I am more liberated as an artiste in my late 40s. I was having a conversation with Shabana Azmiji where she was saying, ‘As an actress and as a woman, we always want to look good. How did you become so carefree?’ I think the greedy actor in me takes over at times. “Being a woman, I want to look pretty in every phase of my life but I also love acting. If I have to sacrifice my vanity for a character that I am excited to play, I am ready,” Manisha said. Having said that, Manisha pointed out that tomorrow if she is offered a role that demands glamour, she will again start working on her looks. “Basically, my priority is the character first. I have done my share of looking glamorous on-screen in many films,” said the actress, who mesmerised audiences with her performance in 1942: A Love Story. Of late, Manisha has fetched praise for her performance in Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju in which she has played the iconic Nargis Dutt and in a web film Lust Stories. On Sanju, Manisha said, “I was quite nervous about how people will receive me in the film where I am playing the role of such an icon, Nargis Dutt. I was more worried because I knew how great the rest of the actors were in the film. They were brilliant and I was worried for whether people would notice my performance or not “I am still one of those actresses who need people’s appreciation to know that I have done the right thing. Even after spending a substantial time in the entertainment business, before the release of the film, I am nervous,” laughed the Khamoshi actress, adding that such nervousness also occurs on the first day of the shoot. According to her, from her first film till today, a journey of 27 years, she has treated every film like her first film. “It is never ‘just another film’ for me. It is a new opportunity to act, tell a story,” said the Bombay actress, who has her roots in Nepal. In Lust Stories, an anthology of four films, Manisha plays a complex woman in a relationship with her on-screen husband’s best friend. She says it was the first time she has worn a swimsuit for a film. “That was the idea of director Dibakar Banejee. He came saying this is how he wants the scene to be, and my first reaction was like, ‘Why? I mean in my youth, I never wore a swimsuit in films’.” Manisha said she was initially reluctant to play the role as it was difficult for her to comprehend certain aspects of the character. “That is where I had to trust the director,” she said. Did she judge the character for her difficult relationship with her husband and for having an affair with his best friend? “Well, I went through the dilemma in my head while playing Reena. It is not easy to be non-judgmental about the character I play,” said Manisha as she recounted a conversation with the actor who played the villain in Clockwork Orange. “I met him after I finished shooting Lust Stories and I had a conversation with him regarding the same. I agreed with what he said. We, as actors, should be non-judgmental about the characters we play on-screen, otherwise we are limiting ourselves.” Will she accept the role of mother that usually middle-aged women get in Bollywood film? “I will wait for the right role instead of the typical ones. But I think now cinema is changing and filmmakers, audiences and critics have started appreciating all kinds of cinema.”– IANS Johny Lever all praises for Back To Dad Veteran comedian Johny Lever is all praise for the youth-oriented film Back To Dad. “This is one of the best youth-oriented movies I’ve watched so far. The script of the film is very beautifully done. Back To Dad gives a message that every youngster should learn and this is surely going to leave a very strong impact on the masses,” Johny said in a statement. Directed by Prabhat Kumar, the film is produced by Anup Gadal under Annora films.  Talking about the film, Johny said, “This film talks about a guy named Joel who along with his friends Samuel and Peter goes astray, falls in love with a chic woman named Abhiya, runs away with her and gets cheated. The second half emphasises on his struggle and how he gets back to his father.”– IANS Alia Bhatt wraps up Kalank schedule Actress Alia Bhatt has wrapped up the schedule for her upcoming film Kalank. Alia recently posted to her Instagram stories and shared a photograph of herself. She captioned the image, “And that’s a schedule wrap for me on Kalank.” The actress also mentioned that she will start working on her upcoming film Brahmastra, which stars Ranbir Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan as well.  Kalank also features Sanjay Dutt, Varun Dhawan, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Aditya Roy Kapur. Abhishek Varman is directing the ‘epic drama’, which will hit the screens on April 19, 2019. The film is being produced by Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta and co-produced by Fox Star Studios.– IANS Akshay on Gold, promoting hockey Actor Akshay Kumar, who is playing the lead role in his multi-starrer upcoming film Gold, based on hockey, says the game should get more spotlight and encouragement from people as it holds a strong value of history and pride of the country. Considering the fact that Bollywood has thrown spotlight on hockey with films like Chak De India, upcoming Soorma and Gold, Akshay said making such films will give the sport the attention it deserves. “Apart from cricket, people should know more about other sports like hockey, kabaddi, football. The audience should know more about Hockey, and it should be encouraged. “People should know what happened in 1948. How we won the first Olympic gold medal in hockey after the independence of India. I think things also have changed because the government is supporting the sport a lot, I am happy seeing the encouragement,” Akshay said. Akshay is playing a Bengali character named Tapan Das who had a dream to win the gold medal in hockey. “I hope after this film, hockey gets the respect that it commands. It is an important game that gave our country the first ever gold medal after independence. So I hope things change after our film,” Akshay said. Gold is scheduled to release on August 15.

The unlimited breadsticks approach of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ensures that we remain full of carbs, all year, as each franchise rolls out another metaphorical Olive Garden. Some of the movies offer veritable superhero conventions, most recently the ensemble blowout Avengers: Infinity War, which managed to make $2.3 billion worldwide without any interesting action sequences, mainly on the strength of that ridiculously dire cliff hanger ending. But other Marvel breadstick platters are a little lighter, a little less apocalyptically threatening, such as Ant-Man (2015) and the new Ant-Man and the Wasp. I’m fond of these movies. They’re more my speed. It wouldn’t be Marvel without an action climax twice as long as it is compelling, but returning director Peyton Reed is a nimble, clever company man, not a miracle worker. The sheer volume of Marvel movies has a way of wiping your memory clean, so that you forget how pretty good many of these have been previously. Marvel studio head Kevin Feige has figured out how to let each franchise take its own shape and establish its own tones within a prescribed scale. (Patty Jenkins and Wonder Woman accepted the DC Comics strategy, by contrast, seems to be, as long as we hire the wrong directors and take all the fun out of it, we’ll be fine.) The tone of Ant-Man and the Wasp is in the title. Nobody’s threatening a war without end here. The screenplay continues the story of genial ex-con Scott Lang (Paul Rudd, also one of the five credited writers), who stumbled onto the subatomic-particle spandex invented by former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). For 30 long years Hank’s wife and partner Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) has been lost in the quantum realm, which resembles a polyp-ridden aquarium, daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) yearns for her, as does Hank. They have the technology, the wasp getup originally worn by Janet. Now it’s Hope’s turn to try it on and, like Lang/Ant-Man, radically shift her size and dazzle her enemies with the click of a remote and a kick to the head. Hank builds a tunnel for quantum realm spousal extraction, and Scott/Ant-Man’s the man for the plan. Meantime, though, he has child care responsibilities. Abby Ryder Fortson returns as young Cassie, Judy Greer is back as her mom, Scott’s ex - Bobby Cannavale again provides unexpected sweetness as Cassie’s stepdad. Everybody gets along, which is nice to see in a movie like this. Scott has three days to go on a house arrest stint for world saving activities depicted, briefly, in Captain America: Civil War. But the Pymfolk need him, stat. Many adversaries covet the schmaltzy ant and wasp suit technology for their own interests. Walton Goggins slimes around as a ‘quantum energy’ dealer, in bed with bad people from other countries, Hannah John-Kamen (Black Mirror) is the pale, smoky-eyed Ghost, who phases her way through solid matter and searches for a cure to relieve her constant pain. Laurence Fishburne plays Hank’s former S.H.I.E.L.D cohort and rival. Scott’s fellow security expert business partners pop in for comic relief. But that’s not really accurate, for a change. Director Reed looks for the buoyant details and witty asides in most every scene. The script provides plenty. “Do you guys just put ‘quantum’ in front of everything?’ Scott says, interrupting another realm of scientific hooey. Rudd is such a friendly, likable presence. He sets this movie’s pace, while Lilly’s fiercely committed Hope/Wasp acts as the perfect counterweight. Rudd’s scenes with Lilly and with Fortson make the movie matter in human terms. Visually here’s the crucial thing with Ant-Man and the Wasp, the sequel has upped the instances and exploits of the rapidly changing superheroes, and every time the movie cuts to a shot of the heroes’ miniaturised car, scooting around the streets of San Francisco, it’s good for a laugh. Similarly, the first time Hank’s secret laboratory gets shrunk down to a suitcase size, it’s an adroit visual gag. Scott can’t quite control whatever size he’s about to transform into, which makes his dilemma relatable to anyone who never really knows if hitting send will actually send something to someone. The action finale follows the Marvel rule of leave ‘em overstuffed with breadsticks, yet somehow ready for more. The byplay, more than the mayhem, makes the Ant-Man outings distinctive. One late scene between Rudd and Randall Park (as continually hoodwinked agent Jimmy Woo) exists entirely to let two masters of droll hesitation do what they do best. Does it “forward the plot”? Does it kill you with digital seizures we’ve all experienced before? No, and no. It’s just funny.– Chicago Tribune/TNS

National Award winning actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who plays Ganesh Gaitonde, crime lord, in the forthcoming Sacred Games Netflix series, says the team knew that creatively, they had to bring ‘the best’ on the table with the show. Sacred Games is an eight-episode show based on Vikram Chandra’s similarly titled book. It is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap. Asked if the series format of storytelling changed his performance as an actor, Nawazuddin said, “The script was written with a lot of details and because the story is told in eight episodes, this means an eight-hour show. As an actor, I got a chance to go close to the character. “It has a much nuanced portrayal on screen. It has not only given me a chance to go deeper into the character but also explore the possibility to work on a scene better.” The actor has explored the digital space earlier with few short films like In Defence of Freedom and Carbon. He believes the production quality of Netflix is higher and he loves that. “Since the digital platform is quite open to people these days, many are coming in the business and making shows. Some of them are good, and some are sub-standard. But Netflix has maintained a quality. As we all know, the level is of international quality and it caters to the global audience. “So when we are acting, we know that we have to bring our best game on the table.” As one of the more popular Indian actors in the film festival circuit, Nawazuddin has travelled to some of the iconic galas with movies like Patang, The Lunchbox, Dekh Indian Circus and Manto. Will a Netflix series help to build a good global audience? “As an actor, I just did my work. For me, it is just another opportunity to deliver my best on screen,” he said. — IANS

Madhuri Dixit, known not only for her acting skills, but also for her evergreen dance numbers like Dhak dhak karne laga, Choli ke peeche kya hai, Kay sera sera and Kaahe chhed mohe, says classical dance strengthens a person’s foundation in the art form. An accomplished kathak dancer herself, Madhuri, who is judging dance reality TV show Dance Deewane said, “Throughout the show, I stress on the importance of learning classical dancing because it gives you a sense of discipline, sense of rhythm and sense of expression. So, your foundation as a dancer gets set strong. Then, you can do any form of dance. “For eight years as a kid, I only learnt kathak and practiced it for several hours. After that, when I started trying out different styles of dancing, my body movements flowed in a certain manner, making the dance look graceful, effortless and everything that people talk about. “What I am trying to say is that if you want to look effortless while dancing, you have to learn that grace through the discipline of practice.” As Dance Deewane welcomes dancers from all generation, asked if elderly people can be as flexible as youngsters, Madhuri, said: “Flexibility and dancing is not just all about flips and standing on your hands. Dance is also about grace and expression. In our show, we have got some of the fantastic dancers across generation. That is the beauty of our show.” With a generation change, Bollywood rarely gets to see a classical dance number in films anymore. Asked if there is a dearth of trained dancers among heroines these days, Madhuri said, “Bollywood films are about dance, music and narration these days.Yes, we still get to see dance in our films like Baaghi and Tiger Zinda Hai, but this dance is different because the generation is different. “They are so well-exposed to western dancing, so the young audience who are watching films relate to such dancing. I think it is a natural change.” But why are youngsters are taking more interest in learning western dancing? “I think one of the reasons why western dance is getting much popular than our traditional Indian dance among masses is that you have to learn a kathak, a Bharatanatyam under the guidance of a Guru, whereas in western dance, you can copy from the video. There is a difference. “Having said that, I think Bollywood dance is a melting pot of every dance form,” said the multiple award-winning actress, adding that there is also a difference in the way dance is shot today. “Cuts are faster, picturisation is different. As a dancer, before finishing an expression, the next shot appears, but I think this generation wants things faster,” said Madhuri, who is busy shooting Kalank these days. – IANS

Debra Granik makes films about life on the edge, humanity clinging to a corner of civilization. The filmmaker, who earned an Oscar nomination for 2010’s Winter’s Bone, featuring Jennifer Lawrence in her breakout role, who is very selective about her work. In Winter’s Bone, life on the edge is dangerous, hard and scrappy. In her new film, Leave No Trace, life is even more unpredictable, but there’s something rather beautiful, peaceful, even perfect in this existence. Intense character actor Ben Foster, stars as Will, opposite young actress Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie as his daughter, Tom. The pair lives an unconventional, impermanent life in the verdant woods on the outskirts of Portland, Ore. Within this lush paradise, Granik introduces us to their home life, their routines and rhythms, small pleasures and hypervigilance. They scavenge for greens and mushrooms, read, play chess, scare of packs of animals away and practice drills to hide from the park rangers and police. The screenplay by Granik and Anne Rosellini is based on Peter Rock’s novel, My Abandonment, and like Winter’s Bone, it is a study in efficiency, achingly spare but telling in all the right ways, leaving space for the actors to inhabit fully realised and starkly realistic characters. Just as Granik carefully shows us their life, she parcels out Will’s past. A trip to the VA to pick up prescriptions, a tattered New York Times he carries that bears the headline ‘In Unit Stalked by Suicide, Veterans Try to Save One Another.’ Working at a Christmas tree farm, the one shot he gives at a ‘normal’ life, he hunkers down between the trees, curled into a ball, as a helicopter hovers overhead, chainsaws and machines whining. Leave No Trace is a film about living with mental illness, and about living with a person who has mental illness. Tom carefully and gently parents her father as much as he does her, if not more so. When they are flushed out of their small but adventuresome life in the forest, Tom adapts. She’s nearly feral and under socialised, but she always finds an animal to curl up to. Her quiet insistence that they make a stable life somewhere, anywhere, grows as her father increasingly cannot cope with the structures and authority of life inside society. Foster’s naturalistic intensity fits so perfectly into Granik’s sparse, evocative style that the collaboration seems fated. But it’s McKenzie who owns the film as the fragile yet hardy Tom. McKenzie gives her a wide-eyed yet knowing innocence. Her survival skills are unmatched if her social skills struggle, and throughout the course of the film, we watch her start to listen to and trust herself. Although untamed, she’s self-possessed, her strength delicate but mighty. Although dangerous and difficult, life on the edge in Leave No Trace seems good, simple and rich with hard-fought beauty. But perhaps it’s not Granik’s perspective that has shifted, but ours, as viewers. When civilization feels threatened, starting over in the woods seems not only appealing, but maybe even necessary. Especially when seen though Granik’s discerning eye. How lucky we are to have her work. – TNS

It looks like a sci-fi telephone booth. But instead of talking on a phone, the person inside it is supposed to sing - alone or with a partner. This is a Chinese karaoke booth, an example of a booming trend in the country’s shopping centres and gaming halls. A black lacquered steel frame holds the glass walls together and a curtain shields the visitor off from the outside world. Entering the small room, one finds two monitors, two microphones and two barstools. In other words, no room for a crowd. Students Li Jingya and Duan Huimin are sitting in one booth, headphones on, crooning Chinese pop songs. The two young ladies are able to choose from Japanese, Korean and English texts, including international hits like Adele’s Someone Like You and Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On. The two friends say the karaoke booth principle is both practical and entertaining. “When you are out shopping and things start to get boring, you can simply go into the booth and sing something,” 22-year-old Duan says. An Internet connection makes the karaoke booth experience even more special. Smartphone users who install the Chinese app WeChat can use their phones to select the songs and record their performances. They can then share their recordings with friends via social media - or even through a live transmission. But it’s not only about songs. People also use the booths to recite Chinese poems, including the patriotic Snow by Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong. In it, the former chairman of the Communist Party of China evokes the country’s beautiful landscape, its heroes and of the inadequacies of emperors past. For truly great men/Look to this age alone, he concludes. Air conditioning and dimmable overhead lighting help the singers feel as cozy as possible. There is, of course, a charging point for phones. But even with these added comforts, will the booths ever replace the conventional karaoke? “I still prefer the open areas,” Li says. “Inside here it feels a bit cramped.” But not everyone feels that way. Particularly for introverted music lovers, the booths are perfect. There’s Wei Shuhang, 24, for example. “In the booth I simply feel safer and enjoy singing by myself,” she says. She prefers the atmosphere of the booth, because she finds Chinese karaoke open places to be chaotic. Whereas in western restuarants karaoke is often sung in front of a large audience, Chinese inns usually employ many separate rooms. That means you never know who is celebrating in the room next door and who might be able to hear your croonings. Wei says: “I simply like the surroundings of the booth better. I don’t have to worry about my safety. But it is a bit expensive.” Half an hour in a booth costs 57 yuan (about 8.75 dollars). First introduced in 2013, the karaoke booths are booming. By 2016, around 20,000 had been installed throughout China, and the figure is now estimated at over 30,000. Market analysts foresee the numbers rising further and one day reaching 200,000. A booth costs between 20,000 and 30,000 yuan (3,080-4,615 dollars). The investment can be recouped in about half a year, the analysts say. – DPA

From Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya to Salam-E-Ishq Meri Jaan, veteran actress Rekha left everyone smitten with her grand finale performance at the 19th edition of IIFA. Known for her elegance and twinkle toes, Rekha, 63, looked stunning in a powder pink Anarkali bedazzled with silver zari work as she performed live on stage after two decades. She brought alive the 1981 film Umrao Jaan as she swayed effortlessly on numbers like Dil Cheez Kya Hai and In Aankhon Ki Masti.  She also danced on numbers from the 1960 film Mughal-E-Azam like Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and Thare Rahiyo from Pakeezah. After the Khoobsoorat actress finished with her 20 minutes performance, the audience and celebrities were left asking for more. Actors like Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Kartik Aaryan went on stage to do an encore of Salam-E-Ishq with her. After her performance, Rekha said, “after sharing stage space with these great actors today, I feel I have become a better actor and a better person”. “I have become a better actor and a better performer after the star dust has rubbed on me,” she added Held at the 2,000-seat Siam Niramit, Rekha received a standing ovation from her fans. Co-hosted by Riteish Deshmukh and Karan Johar, the 19th edition of the International Indian Films Academy (IIFA) Weekends and Awards saw a spectacular gala.–IANS

It’s taken quite some time but singer /songwriter Tom Walker finally has a UK top ten hit with Leave A Light On. The song spent 14 weeks on the singles chart before eventually cracking the top ten. But this is nothing compared to the fact that Leave A Light On was actually released as long ago as last October. “I wondered if maybe it wasn’t going to happen for me in Britain,” said 26-year-old Tom. “Leave A Light On became a top ten hit in numerous countries and even reached number one in France. I’m so happy that things have come good in the U.K.” Not that Tom lacked a British fan base. He plays sold out concert tours and his songs rack up millions of plays on streaming services. But significant chart success had always proved elusive. “I hope Leave A Light On will be my breakthrough song when it comes to having chart hits. I’m particularly pleased that it has appealed to so many people. It’s a special song which is very personal to me. “I wrote Leave A Light On about a very good friend of mine who was going through a tough time battling addiction. Thankfully, he is fine now. But I wanted to write something at the time which would be a message of support to him and any other person who is going through a dark period in their life. There is always going to be someone there who will be that light for you when you need it most.” Although he was born in Glasgow, Scotland, Tom’s family moved to Manchester, England, when he was very young. He was inspired to become a musician after attending an AC/DC concert, an Australian rock band. “My dad is a big fan of AC/DC. He took me to the concert. I was only a young child so the whole day was an amazing experience. I was captivated by Angus Young. He played guitar while darting around on the stage. Watching him made me realise what I wanted to do with my life.” Tom’s music and style of performance could hardly be more different from AC/DC. But the inspiration of Angus Young saw him develop a natural affinity with the guitar which led on to his also mastering a number of other instruments. In terms of his own music, it is artists such as John Mayer and Paolo Nutini who have been particular influences. “I have so much admiration for Paolo Nutini. I love the sound of his voice. Everything he does is just awesome. But we’re in a time when there are so many wonderful singer / songwriters around. I’ve been lucky enough to be the support act on tours with Jake Bugg, Gallant and George Ezra. They are all incredibly talented artists.” Tom’s success with Leave A Light On should see him playing much larger venues on his future tours. It is a prospect which leaves him with mixed feelings. “I love playing the smaller, more intimate concerts but I also love playing music festivals. I’m not a massive fan of Adele but I saw her performing on the main stage at Glastonbury and it was the best concert I’ve ever seen. The energy on that stage was just at another level. I’ve been asked where I’d like to see myself in five years’ time and my answer is headlining the main stage at Glastonbury.” His next step towards this goal is the release of Tom’s debut album. The release date is another matter. He has around 150 concerts scheduled for 2018. “Solid gigging worked for Ed Sheeran so I’d love to follow in his footsteps. I think he did about 350 gigs in a year so I’m slacking in comparison. I’m hoping the album will be out some time this year. But I can’t do everything at once and I would like to make the most of all the opportunities that are coming my way at the moment.” in brief Pitbull and Leona Lewis Gotti has been awarded a mark matched by very few other films. The biographical crime drama chronicling the three-decade reign of New York mobster boss John Gotti was given an approval rating of zero percent on the Rotten Tomatoes film and television review website. The movie was panned by critics after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. American critics were equally scathing after Gotti received its general release. Perhaps there will be a more positive response to the film soundtrack album. The first song released as a single is Amore, a duet between American rapper, Pitbull, American rapper and Leona Lewis, English singer. The two artists previously collaborated on Only Ones To Know, a soundtrack from Pitbull’s 2017 tenth studio album, Climate Change. That song was not released as a single but Amore should be given the full promotional treatment. As yet though, there is no accompanying video.  Luis Fonsi/Stefflon Don The Despacito man is back on the music scene with another reggaeton dance floor filler.  Luis Fonsi, Puerto Rican actor and singer collaborated firstly with Daddy Yankee, rapper and then Justin Bieber on his 2017 worldwide smash, Despacito. The follow-up, Echame La Culpa, saw Luis partner with Demi Lovato, American singing star. This song also proved hugely popular in Spanish speaking countries but only peaked just inside the top 50 on both the U.K. singles chart and Billboard’s Hot 100. Luis has now released his new single, Calypso. The featured artist is rather less well known than his previous collaborators. It is British rapper Stefflon Don. She has never had a hit record in America and there must be many music fans hearing Calypso who know nothing about Stefflon. But her inclusion on the song is not quite as strange as it might initially seem.  Stefflon was nominated in the Best International Artist category at the 2018 Black Entertainment Television Awards and named in the prestigious 2018 Freshman Class by American hip hop magazine, XXL. This kind of recognition has effectively seen the former hairdresser and cake decorator labelled as an up and coming artist in the rap world. Her apparently unlikely collaboration with Luis Fonsi on Calypso would therefore seem to make a good deal of sense. The song is mostly sung in Spanish but there are some verses in English.  XXXTentacion The killing of rap artists never really comes as any great surprise. It is a genre which frequently glorifies drugs, guns and violence mostly performed by people who, no matter how much money they earn, seldom seem able or willing to leave behind their all too often criminal past. Jahseh Onfroy, better known as XXXTentacion, may perhaps have been an exception. The 20-year-old star had not been a good person. He was no stranger to the criminal justice system, youth detention and prison. He was also facing further charges of false imprisonment and witness tampering. But XXXTentacion did seem to have recognised his numerous faults and was genuinely trying to become a better person. Critics have suggested his recent acts of philanthropy and charitable work were nothing more than an attempt to improve his public image ahead of a trial which could have seen him jailed for decades. We will never know the truth. XXXTentacion’s murder may have robbed the hip hop community of the prime example of a bad guy gone good. Although police are currently investigating his death as an armed robbery which escallated into murder, XXXTentacion’s altercations with fellow rappers leave things open to doubt. Rumours persist that his shooting was actually an execution ordered by others in a rap world. Indeed, members of XXXTentacion’s family have said they do not accept the police line of a robbery gone wrong and firmly believe he was deliberately killed. The arrest of 22-year-old Dedrick Williams may provide some answers. Already on probation for grand theft of a motor vehicle, Williams was initially arrested for stealing another car and operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s licence. Police have not yet said how he was then linked to the slaying of XXXTentacion but Williams has been charged with first-degree murder. XXXTentacion isn’t even the most recently murdered rapper. Just hours after his death, 21-year-old Pittsburgh rapper Jimmy Wopo, real name Travon Smart, was killed in a drive-by shooting. Police seem to have no solid leads in his murder.

From making his mark as a commercially successful and award-winning actor to giving his children wings to fly high, Anil Kapoor, 61, has aced his reel and real life. The actor, who has clocked 35 years of his showbiz journey, says maintaining the consistency is tougher than dealing with tough times. With National Awards and a bag of films of mixed genres, the veteran actor has experienced a lot of highs and lows in his journey. Reflecting on what his toughest time in all these years was, Anil says, “Bad days never last long because we find a way to resolve it. Maintaining the consistency of success in personal and professional life is very tough.” “It is a constant thing that one has to work on. In lows, I think from where have I started from when I had nothing to now.I think about how to stay consistent. That is how I roll” His daughters, producer Rhea Kapoor and actress Sonam Kapoor have been at the forefront of bringing films that celebrate women empowerment in an entertaining manner through the banner’s recent films. “I give full credit to them. As a father, I only encouraged them because I allow my children to do their mistakes to learn from them. That does not mean they are making mistakes all the time, but I let them be so to grow as an individual rather than be a mirror image of their parents,” he said. Anil, who also has a son Harshvardhan Kapoor, pointed out how his banner’s last production Veere Di Wedding delves on that. “Parents should allow their children to fly. If they fall, they should stand by them. Perhaps that is how three of my children are very different from each other. “My Harsh is very introvert and Sonam is very emotional and loves to communicate all the time. Rhea is a boss girl and she takes charge of everything,” added Kapoor. Considering the fact that in any middle-class Indian family, there is a culture of silence where children do not share their personal troubles with their parents, Anil says it is the responsibility of the parents to create a friendly environment. “Every child shares certain things with their mother and hides from father and vice-versa. If both the parents are in sync with each other, then the issue is resolved,” he said. Who is his favourite from his three children? “There is a trick that I play and you want me to unveil it. My favourite changes every day but I treat all of them in such a way that each one of them thinks he or she is my favourite,” quipped Anil. With two young and successful actors and a film producer along with their superstar father, who overrules whom in the Kapoor house? “Yes, that is right... My children are doing good, but ‘baap baap hota hai, aur wo main hoon (father is a father after all, and I am the father)’,” he said, adding that he already has Fanne Khan, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga and Total Dhamaal lined up after his latest release Race 3. “I told them that now that your films are released and mine are in the pipeline, everyone should talk about me only. I am the star in the house,” laughed the actor, who defies age with his fitness and enthusiasm. – IANS

Rapper and music composer Badshah, who is excited about his new reality show Dil Hai Hindustani 2, says that rapping is not taken seriously in India as an art form.  Badshah was interacting with the media at the launch of forthcoming reality show along with singer Sunidhi Chauhan on Monday. Sunidhi and Badshah will be judging the second season of the reality show along with Bollywood singer and composer Pritam. The show, which first aired in January 2017, provides a platform for people from all over the world and of varying age groups to showcase their talent in Indian music. Badshah, who has delivered some chart-busting rap songs like Chull, Saturday Saturday and the most recent Tareefan is eager to spread awareness about rap as an art form.  Talking about it, he said: “Rapping along with dance and stand-up comedy is not taken seriously as an art form in India and this misconception should change.” “That is one of the main reasons why I have chosen to be a judge on the show. But apart from that, I’m here to have fun as well, and have a better connection with the audience,” he added. The rapper is also gearing up to produce Bollywood and Punjabi movies and also launching a web series soon through his production house. Talking about the future of the digital platform, Badshah said, “I think digital media is the future, so it’s very important for any production house right now to concentrate on digital media.” – IANS

When is a band not a band? Four former members of Swedish heavy metal outfit Ghost contested this point in a 2017 lawsuit brought against founding member Tobias Forge. Simon Soderberg, Mauro Rubino, Martin Hjertstedt and Henrik Palm filed suit in the district court of Linkoping, Ghost’s home city, accusing Tobias of withholding financial information and payments to other members. Tobias counter argued that no legal partnership had ever existed between the other members and himself. He claimed they were paid a fixed salary to perform and execute the band’s image as he instructed and they were effectively ‘musicians for hire.’ The legal action is still ongoing so Tobias cannot make comments about it but he can discuss how the unveiling of his identity has impacted the band. “I suppose it was inevitable that my identity would be revealed at some time,” conceded the 37-year-old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. “I did wonder if removing that anonymity might damage the band. But it actually seems to have had the opposite effect. “Maybe all the publicity brought about by my being named in the lawsuit has made Ghost known to more people and prompted them to take an interest in our music. Our new album, Prequelle, is the most successful we’ve ever made.”  The band’s anonymity is achieved by masks, costumes and characters. The backing musicians are referred to as Nameless Ghouls identified individually only as Fire (formerly Alpha), Water, Wind, Earth and Ether. When asked for autographs, the musicians simply draw the symbol which accompanies their moniker. Tobias performed under the guise of several characters. His current incarnation of Cardinal Copia followed Papa Emeritus I, II and II. He also adopted the identity of a Nameless Ghoul to give interviews. “It’s all about theatre,” he remarked. “I’d played in several other bands before forming Ghost. I wanted my new band to be different. Some songs came first. I wanted to match them to a show which was more than just a rock concert. I loved horror movies so I had this dream to put together a kind of horror show around the music. It took about two years to get the imagery right.” Although the basic idea for Ghost was developed in 2006, their debut album, Opus Eponymous -Latin for self-titled work, was not released until 2010. “I was still playing in other bands so didn’t have too much time to spend on creating material for Ghost. I asked my bassist friend Gustaf Lindstrom to help me record three tracks for a demo and I had studio musician Ludvig Kennberg play drums on the album but every other instrument and vocal was performed by me. “I had this whole stage show concept which I obviously couldn’t perform alone so that’s how I came to recruit the first band members for Ghost. Since then, there have been quite a few personnel changes among the Nameless Ghouls. “I’ve always referred to Ghost as we rather than me because I wanted to preserve the theatrical aspect of our show. I want Ghost to be larger than life. I couldn’t achieve this on my own. I need the others to perform the songs on stage and portray their roles as Nameless Ghouls.” Ghost has now released four studio albums, one live LP and two EPs. Square Hammer, one of their nine official singles, topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in 2016. In so doing, Ghost became the first Swedish band to hit number one on this chart. “It’s been very gratifying to see how our following has grown over the years. A few of our fans have complained that some of the songs on Prequelle might be too commercial but our albums have always been different. We probably have a core sound but the songs have always been variations of this. “We have a bigger band now in terms of personnel. We have backing singers for our new stage show. The whole thing will be bigger and better than anything we’ve done before. But this is just the latest stage in the evolution of Ghost. There will be a lot more still to come.” in  brief Mike Shinoda Linkin Park star Mike Shinoda has revealed the sadness behind the writing and recording of his newly released debut solo album, Post Traumatic. Mike issued a three-song EP with the same name back in January. The tracks all deal with his feelings after the suicide last year of Linkin Park bandmate Chester Bennington. Almost every song on Mike’s album have the same subject matter. “The songs stemmed from a very dark place,” Mike admitted. “I wasn’t leaving my house. I’d lost one of my closest friends and collaborators. I felt very much lost. “I wanted to put this terrible experience into music. My life was very difficult but the music was relatively easy. Writing the songs was my way of expressing my emotions. Creating them did make things a little easier. “The passing of time has also helped. At first, almost every day was terrible. Now, I have less bad days. Eventually, I will find a new normal.” Mike’s new single is Running From My Shadow. It also features Canadian rock rapper Grandson. Shakira There has been good and bad news for Colombian superstar singer Shakira. On the positive side of things, she is now performing a concert tour after fearing she would never sing again. “I originally thought I had strained vocal cords,” she said. “But the problem worsened when I tried to resume singing. I suffered what was thought to be a vocal haemorrhage but it was actually a vascular lesion which is much worse than a haemorrhage.” “There were many times when I thought I would never be able to sing my songs again. I saw a number of doctors who all suggested surgery. But I held off from taking that step and, miraculously, the lesion disappeared completely. It must have been the power of prayer. “I took things easy when I tried to sing again but there were no problems so my El Dorado world tour was rescheduled. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to get through a concert as my first show in Hamburg.” Delighted as she was by her opening date, the aftermath of her second concert two days later in Cologne brought bad news. “Gerard (Shakira’s partner, Spanish football star Gerard Pique) and I were burgled on the night of that show. Gerard was with me before he had to go off to the Spanish national team. Thieves broke into our house in Spain and stole things such as watches and jewellery.  “It’s upsetting of course but no harm came to Gerard’s parents who were asleep during the robbery and objects can be replaced. My voice can’t so I definitely came out on the plus side of events.” Guns N’ Roses Fan filmed footage has been posted online of Guns N’ Roses performing a cover of Velvet Revolver’s Slither and their own early track, Shadow Of Your Love, during the recent Download Festival at Donington Park, England. Guns N’ Roses stars Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum were members of Velvet Revolver. Slither was the lead single from their 2004 smash hit debut album, Contraband. The song also earned Velvet Revolver the now defunct Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Shadow Of Your Love was originally written by Axle Rose and Paul Tobias for Axle’s pre-Guns N’ Roses band Hollywood Rose. It ended up being the first song Guns N’ Roses rehearsed together for their 1987 debut album, Appetite For Destruction.  Shadow Of Your Love was recently re-released to promote the upcoming reissue of Appetite For Destruction. It has so far peaked at number six on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart. Appetite For Destruction: Locked N’ Loaded is set for release on June 29. It is available in four different editions. The ultimate collection is certainly aimed at hardcore Guns N’ Roses fans. It contains 73 songs, 49 of which have never previously been released. There is a 96-page book featuring never-before-seen photographs from Axle’s personal archive, 12 lithographs and a variety of replica memorabilia.

The quirky and compelling Kalki Koechlin essays a dysfunctional French immigrant in an Indian metropolis struggling against and being defeated by loneliness and discrimination in The Job, a strange and disturbing short film produced by Kushal Shrivastava who directed last year’s whimsical thriller Vodka Diaries - and directed by Siddharth Sinha.  For some of the 15-odd minutes of running time, we see Kalki washing her hands in the restroom of her workplace. This is a suburban recreation of William Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth who, stricken with guilt washes her hands over and over again trying to rid herself of the imaginary blood on her hands. It is not only the blood that is imagined by this unnamed French woman, frightening in her forlornness struggling to articulate her inner demons. We see her indulge in conversations with entities that only she can see: her bully of a boss, a credit-card consultant on the phone, her pet cat on the floor whom she feeds milk and her ailing mother on the bed who implores the daughter to take it easy and yes, to carry the bag to work that suits her dress.  We don’t see these people. We only take Kalki’s word for it. And her word, we soon realise, is not dependable as she is a neurotic, paranoid woman whose consciousness has collapsed into a delusional heap. The actress delivers yet another persuasive performance pulsating with paranoiac possibilities.  The aura of desolation and desperation that Kalki creates in this disturbing yet not fully satisfying short-film creeps up on us in sinister shapes that claim our sanity, challenging us to see urban neurosis as a sickness that is rapidly growing endemic.  Kalki is effective in portraying the scourge of suburban spinsterhood.  The Job is also a statement on the migrant’s plight in a strange land riven with crimes and discrimination. Who knows what evil forces have been unleashed on this French woman to drive to this desperate state of self-abnegation? The Job has more questions than answers. It relies entirely on its lead actress’s ability to convey angst in times of excruciating crisis. And I am not entirely sure that is a good thing or bad. — IANS

he young male Humboldt penguin with the yellow tag on his right wing is a star pupil: He touches the coloured board with his beak for a full four seconds. After a clicking noise, there’s a tasty sprat from his trainer, Anne May as a reward. May has been working with four birds at the Ozeaneum in the northern German city of Stralsund for the past several weeks, training them to react to certain stimuli. But the birds, separated from the rest of the flock, aren’t being taught tricks in order to amuse visitors. The tests have a scientific purpose: Marine biologists from Germany and Denmark are researching penguins’ powers of hearing, with the goal of training the birds to be able to indicate whether they hear an audio signal on land or in the water at a later research stage. As the world’s oceans have become increasingly crowded in the last few decades, the amount of underwater noise has also grown enormously: a ship’s propeller, for example, produces a constant drone. Anchors for oil rigs and wind turbines are drilled into the ocean floor, where mining companies are also digging for minerals. “The problem of noise is similarly as bad as the problem of rubbish for [the health of] animals, but the public is not nearly as aware of it,” says Harald Benke, director of the German Oceanographic Museum. It is not yet known what effect underwater noise has on penguins’ hearing and whether it confuses the birds when they travel the world’s oceans. In fact, scientists have only rudimentary knowledge about what frequency and volume of noise that penguins can hear. Aside from a 1969 study on the hearing of African penguins on land, there have hardly been any scientific examinations of the subject, according to marine biologist Michael Daehne, who has been leading the project in Germany. “In order to make predictions about what effect underwater noise will have on penguins in the future, we need to have some basic data to start with,” he says in explaining the motivation for the study. During the three years that the project has been scheduled to run, the researchers want to develop audiograms – a graph that shows the range of hearing levels – for the different penguin species. The birds won’t be sent to a sound laboratory for the tests, but instead they’ll later be put in sound booths on land and underwater, where they’ll be played various noises and audio signals. The University of Southern Denmark, the Marine Science Center at the University of Rostock in northern Germany and the Natural History Museum in Berlin are also taking part in the study on penguins. “Penguins are amphibious beings, living between two worlds – land and water,” says Daehne. Through evolution, penguins lost their ability to fly in order to better adapt to the waters of the ocean. They can spend long times at sea and efficiently hunt and move underwater. “Like all birds, penguins don’t have an outer ear, and unlike mammals, which have three auditory ossicles, birds only have one,” says Daehne. Sound waves spread at different speeds through the air and through the water, he adds, meaning scientists can assume that penguins hear noise differently on land and in the water. Exactly how is what they are hoping to find out during the course of their project. As well as Humboldt penguins, native to South America, the researchers in Odense are also testing gentoo penguins, southern rockhopper penguins and king penguins. “The Humboldt penguin’s learning curve is really steep,” says May of her charges, who rub up happily against her legs, stretching their necks to look up at her without hesitation. However, a lack of reserve should not be mistaken for intelligence, May adds, saying she doesn’t want to pass judgement on the brain power of her charges. – DPA

Hearts Beat Loud is a quiet film in tone and delivery. Don’t let that fool you. The production from writer/director Brett Haley shouts its messages about love, family and the addictiveness of passions. Haley has shown how commanding a film delivered in lean-in-to-hear quiet tones can be. In a world where theatres shake with the latest big action movie, it’s a gift to find a film that shakes the viewer’s emotions with an equal amount of intensity. Frank Fisher (Nick Offerman) is a retail dinosaur desperately trying to hold on to the record store business he has run since ending his days as a professional musician. It’s a fool’s errand, as the world has grown past his passion for vinyl — and for him. At the same time, Frank is facing the parental realities that his daughter, Sam (Kiersey Clemons), is leaving home to go to college. Frank wants the best for his daughter, but the separation anxiety is full blown, because the pair made their way together since the death of Frank’s wife. What appears to be a life preserver comes to Frank in the form of a song he and Sam have recorded. After Frank posts the tune online, the reaction is strong enough that all he can see is a future where the father-daughter team becomes a permanent band. That would keep his passion for music alive and be a detour for his daughter’s plans to leave home. Haley does a beautiful job in showing the impending joy and eventual reality check Frank faces. This happens when he must deal with the decision between focusing on his own passions or be willing to let them go for a greater good. Offerman turns in a quietly powerful performance as both the caring father and the passionate musician. Each note of his performance resonates with emotional tones that are anchored in reality and accented with heart. It’s a balanced performance that at times makes the viewer sympathetic to his need to hang on to the two greatest loves of his life — music and his daughter — while at the same feeling pity for him when he takes such a stubborn stance. It helps that he gets such a strong performance from Clemons to match the emotional moments. Sam is facing her own emotional crossroads, especially with the new love in her life, Rose (Sasha Lane). Couple that with her deep feelings for her father, and Clemons gives Sam a grounded feel. Both performances work so well because Haley has avoided the standard family drama clichés, and the way father and daughter act is so richly wrapped in reality. Hearts Beat Loud is an honest portrayal of relationships — whether they be with people or music — from start to finish. Their performances are even more impressive when adding the musical element. Clemons has a rich singing voice, and Offerman’s musical skills are just strong enough to make the title tune the most memorable and important film song since That Thing You Do. Hearts Beat Loud is a small movie, but that should not stop Oscar voters for considering it for a nomination in the Best Song category. The work by Offerman and Clemons would have been enough to recommend the film, but Haley doesn’t stop there. His use of Toni Collette, Ted Danson and Blythe Danner in supporting roles provides bonus moments that are equally as powerful and fun. Collette’s portrayal of the woman who could potentially be a new love in Frank’s life is full of the kind of warmth she brings to every role. The fun in watching Collette is she has a way of playing even the smallest of roles in such a way that the character come across as deeply complex. Danson provides a fun air when the film begins to slip toward the melancholy. His role is not that far removed from Danson’s days on Cheers, but when you do something well, there’s no sin in repeating the work. All this goes to make Hearts Beat Loud — despite its grammatical miscue — a lyrical tale of dealing with passions. It warmly deals with how there are times to fight for what you love and times to let go. The examination of both is delivered with great panache through the finely tuned script by Haley and the acting performances that are in perfect harmony. — TNS

First things first. Going by the trailer, Karan Johar’s production and Shashank Khaitans directorial Dhadak is nothing like the original film Sairat. Dhadak is not an adaptation. It is a different beast altogether. Far more flamboyant and feral, filled with noise, colour and drama, leaving behind the comparatively compact world of Sairat where the stress was on the friction between the two castes which clashed over the lovers’ audacious crossover from into each other’s forbidden territory. This is a more generic world of colour, drama and music undercut by an overweening innocence and a ruinous oblivion to the ground reality that makes the lovers look as pristine as Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in Bobby. Indeed, Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor bring into play the same non-sexual dynamics of intense love that William Shakespeare and then Raj Kapoor mastered in their versions of Romeo and Juliet. While Janhvi plays the more knowing half of the couple, Ishaan makes innocence and surrender to the passion of first-love look convincing, sincere and heartfelt even in today’s age of unrelieved cynicism. In Janhvi, we see heartstopping flashes of her legendary mother Sridevi, especially in the way she projects the arrogant proprietary pride of ownership every time she looks at her utterly smitten other. I don’t know how much of Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat is preserved in Dhadak. No much, I suspect. I am sure Manjule would find it hard to recognise his own film in this hybrid avatar of colours and emotions that leap at us with enticing fervour. But there is one proud mother up there smiling every time her daughter smiles on-screen. A star is reborn.  Meanwhile, filmmaker Karan Johar avoided the use of the word “nepotism” — which had sparked a roaring debate in Bollywood two years ago — at the trailer launch of Dhadak. He says the talents — irrespective of their family name — work hard to be where they are. Karan has launched a slew of celebrity children in Bollywood — from Alia Bhatt to Varun Dhawan and now Janhvi to Ananya Pandey. At the trailer launch of Dhadak, Karan was asked what are the things he has to keep in mind when he makes films with such talents, who come with a film background. He said: “That they grow beyond their name and make their own identity. I think that is our responsibility and their responsibility.” “These days people focus more on names rather than the talent, but they tend to forget that one puts in a lot of hard work, heart, dedication, discipline and mental preparation to face the camera, the audience and the media... It is not easy, really. It is difficult.” Without mentioning the term “nepotism”, which had become widely used when actress Kangana Ranaut accused Karan of being a “flagbearer of nepotism” two years ago, he said: “We always use a tag... Like a word of the season. I know that word (nepotism) was doing the rounds for last two years and I am again perhaps, encouraging the same concept... But I will not utter the word. But I want to say, they are not here because of that word, but because of their hard work.” Asked what made him choose Janhvi and Ishaan for the film Dhadak, a remake of the hit Marathi film Sairat, Karan said: “The story is about an innocent love story. To bring such innocence on-screen, I needed first-time talent.” He said Ishaan first struck him while judging a TV show with Ishaan’s step brother Shahid Kapoor. “I was judging a show with Shahid where Ishaan happened to meet him on the set. So I just saw Ishaan and got a glimpse of a certain body language, expression and personality. So, I instinctively decided on him. “I think Manish Malhotra is the fashion father of Janhvi. He knows her for a long time. He used to keep talking about her so much that I felt like I know her even before meeting her. Then I went to meet her family where I saw her. Then later when I met her personally, I saw her potential to be on-screen and saw that spark and excitement,” said Karan. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, Dhadak is releasing on July 20. — IANS

In the braggadocio world of rap, it is highly unusual to hear anyone admit he still has a great deal to learn. Yet this is precisely the attitude of 23-year-old Atlanta, Georgia, native Dominique Jones, better known to music fans as Lil Baby. He may be a novice in the music business but Baby’s talent is clearly apparent and has been recognised by rap fans. His debut studio album, Harder Than Ever, has stormed straight to number three on the Billboard 200. The album has also spawned a smash hit single. Yes Indeed has so far peaked at number six on Billboard’s Hot 100. This track should have been the lead single from Harder Than Ever. Baby, who has a habit of voicing “You know what I’m saying” after almost every statement, explained why Southside became the first single. “The song got leaked online so I felt like I had no choice but to run with Southside as the lead single. I wasn’t even planning on releasing that song as a single. Definitely not before the album dropped. “I wanted to do something different as far as my presentation to show what was coming. But Southside was pretty well received and reached number 79 on the Hot 100. Maybe it worked out for the best in the sense of preparing people to hear Yes Indeed.” His big hit track also features Canadian superstar Drake. “Drake wanted to do something with me. He is very generous with his time and his talent. You don’t have to be a big name player for Drake to be interested in working with you. He said he’d send me a song and that was exactly what happened. He sent me part of Yes Indeed. I worked on it and sent my verses back to him. We chopped it up and had a great song.” The track attracted considerable interest when it was played during the release party for Canadian rapper Preme’s debut studio album, Light Of Day. “It didn’t have a title at that time. People started calling it Pikachu. After the party, Pee (Quality Control Music CEO Pierre Thomas) put a snippet on his Instagram account but he quickly deleted it because he didn’t want the song to leak online.” It was his friends Pee and Quality Control co-founder Coach K, real name Kevin Lee, who were instrumental in persuading Baby to try his hand at rapping. “I always loved music and knew a lot of people on the Atlanta music scene. But I had never considered the possibility of becoming a rapper. “I was born into poverty. My father left when I was two. My mother had to raise me and my two sisters as a single parent. We lived on food stamps and government assistance. I grew up around people who made it in the music business. That’s how I came to be part of the scene without being a rapper or musician. “When you are poor, you do what you can to put food on the table. I dropped out of school in tenth grade to become a full-time drug dealer. This raised my family’s standard of living, but I couldn’t stay ahead of the police forever. I got caught and spent two years in jail.” Baby had no wish to endure more time in prison. Upon his release, he listened to all those friends who kept urging him to try rapping. He was surprised and delighted by the result. “My friends saw things in me that I definitely didn’t see in myself. I’d never even tried rapping. But I realised I was good. I could do this thing that I’d never even thought about.” His debut mixtape, Perfect Timing, was released in April, 2017. This was followed by three more mixtapes throughout the rest of the year. The last of these, Too Hard, was issued last December. It became Baby’s first entry on the Billboard 200 peaking at number 80.  He had already hit number 71 on the Hot 100 with his single, My Dawg. “The (University of) Georgia football team played My Dawg in their locker room. They wanted it to become their official anthem (the team nickname is Bulldogs) but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Baby’s rap style is not easy to define. There is a distinct variation in many of his songs. “I started out from scratch. I knew nothing. I’m a quick learner but I’m still a long way from mastering my craft. I’m improving every day. The more I practice, the more I’m advancing. “I’ve become a far better lyricist. My passion for music has grown as I’ve improved. I’m really excited about Harder Than Ever because I feel like the album is all the way up to par. But my future releases will definitely be better. I’m still in the new to music period and have so much all around artist development still to come. I’m good now but I’m nowhere near where I’m going to be.” in brief Prince Anyone with around $27,500 to spare who would like to own an original vinyl copy of Prince’s legendary LP, The Black Album, now has the opportunity to buy the record. The Black Album should have been Prince’s 16th studio LP, the follow-up to 1987’s Sign O’ The Times. But Prince was in one of the more weird periods in his life. He insisted the album should be issued with no name and no cover art in a plain black sleeve. There should also be no promotion nor even an announcement that a new Prince album had been released. One week before The Black Album should have been issued, Prince claimed to have had a “spiritual epiphany” and demanded that all copies should be destroyed. He actually footed the bill for their destruction. Just nine are known to have survived. Five pristine copies were offered for sale last year. One of these fetched $42,298. The lesser price for the album currently being offered for sale at the Discogs website reflects the record having been played. The five sold last year were still sealed in their original packaging. Ironically, The Black Album is owned by many Prince fans. He eventually allowed the record to be released seven years later in 1994 though only as a limited edition CD. It has never been released on vinyl. Expensive as The Black Album may be, it does not match the price for an album entitled Camille which Prince made for himself. He adopted a feminine alter-ego for the songs on this record. Only 17 copies are believed to exist. One was sold last October. It fetched $59,000. Rick Astley Rick Astley’s 50 was the surprise smash hit album of 2016. His first LP for 11 years, it hit number one on the UK chart and was listed among the top 20 best-selling albums of the year. Rick’s ninth studio album, Beautiful Life, is set for release on July 20. But he is already back on the music scene with the title-track having just been issued as his latest single. There is no video as yet but an official audio posting of the song can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilGeSVZkC9k The 12 tracks on his forthcoming album were all written, produced and recorded in Rick’s home studio.  “I love tinkering around with bits and pieces in my little studio,” Rick smiled. “Being in there is like my refuge. Before I really knew it, songs were being created and I was making a new record.” The album can be heard in full via links to Apple or Spotify from www.rickastley.co.uk/ Cardi B 2018 has so far been a special year for rapper Cardi B. The 25-year-old New Yorker topped the Billboard 200 with her debut album, Invasion of Privacy. She is also pregnant with her first child with her fiance, Migos rapper Offset. But Cardi is in the news now for her support of the New York strip club where she used to work. She has always spoken positively about her time as an exotic dancer. It enabled her to escape poverty and an abusive relationship. The club has been shut down by police. This came about after owner Imran Jairam accused precinct police chief Emmanuel Gonzalez of unfairly targeting the venue amid allegations of a failed blackmail attempt. It is alleged the shutdown was ordered by Gonzalez after his demands for a variety of free gifts were rejected. Rap stars 50 Cent and Joe Budden have already protested the closure on their Instagram accounts. Now Cardi has used her Instagram story to add her voice to the protests. She still has fond memories of working there and demanded justice for the club. She said there have never been any shoot outs, no-one has ever been murdered there and the locks should immediately be opened. As yet, the venue remains closed.

Manto is a story about creative rebels trying to make a statement on freedom of expression. Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin feels this will help it strike a chord with everyone irrespective of region or nation. He says the film has a relevant subject as artistes and writers are facing trouble in expressing their opinion in many nations. With Manto, director Nandita Das is tracing the life of writer Saadat Hasan Manto, essayed by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Manto won acclaim for penning an impressive body of work touching various genres — especially for weaving stories around the ordeal of partition as well as sexuality. It was the only Indian film in Un Certain Regard category at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. “There was global audience at the fest and they gave a standing ovation... The feedback that we got was that the story transcends borders, which is great,” Tahir said. “If you come to think about it, Manto was a maverick and a rebel who believed in creative freedom and freedom of speech. In today’s political scenario in a lot of countries, it is a major issue for artistes and writers to not be able to write what it is that they want to convey. There is an underlying universality in the subject,” he added. Tahir is a part of the Manto universe as yesteryear actor Sunder Shyam Chadda, Manto’s close friend. Shyam Chadda made his debut with Gowandhi, but got his big ticket to fame with Majboor. He added more power to his star status with hits like Dillagi, Patanga and Samadhi. He died on April 25, 1951, after falling off a horse on the sets of the film Shabistan. Asked if it was challenging to bring a true story alive on the silver screen, Tahir said: “Yes, because it is someone’s life and it is about someone who has got relatives today who will be watching it.” So how did he prepare for the role? “There were conversations with existing relatives. There were photographs and albums to be seen to figure out what the person was like. Shyam Chadda, in a short span, became a superstar and died in a horse riding accident. In a short time, he gave five or six hits, worked with popular actresses, and was hobnobbing with everyone. “But everyone is very different in the public eye and in private life. When you are playing him, it is important to understand what he was like in the private life as well. One of the greatest sources was Manto’s book Stars From Another Sky. He had talked about his relationship with him (Shyam) in one chapter.” Tahir says it was interesting to see that they had the same fears and insecurities which “we have today”. The actor says one would love to live in a world where creative freedom “was something which was open and available to all”. “But unfortunately that is not the scenario today and we hope to make a small imprint on that,” added Tahir, who achieved a measure of as the villain in Mardaani. There are projects like Kai po che!, Force 2 and Time Out to his credit too. “In Mumbai, you don’t make choices. They choose you. My interest is to do interesting lead parts, to tell different stories and to surprise the audience. But as they say in Mumbai, everything is pre-written and it chooses you,” said the actor when questioned about what drives his choice of projects. What’s his next venture? “I am in talks with some people and will make an announcement soon.” Manto, co-produced by HP Studios, Filmstoc and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, is expected to be released in India in September. — IANS