Did 'Quantico' to break ceiling for actors who look like me: Priyanka

Agencies
September 7, 2017

Toronto, Sep 7: She impressed the audience in the West with her powerful performance in "Quantico" and actor Priyanka Chopra said she took up the American TV series to pave the way for artistes like her who come from different ethnicities.

The 35-year-old actor was speaking at TIFF Soiree's Share Her Journey segment organised by Toronto International Film Festival. The snippets of the tete-a-tete were tweeted from TIFF's official account.

"When the opportunity came my way (to work in America), I saw it as an opportunity to break the ceiling for actors that look like me. Once I was asked not to be a part of a cast because I was too ethnic... I didn't realise how hard it was until I came to North America," Priyanka said.

The actor said her role of FBI agent, Alex Parish was "not written for an Indian girl".

She added the ABC show, which has been renewed for a third season, "started a conversation about what terrorists are (supposed to) looks like".

Talking about her journey in films, Priyanka said there was a time when filmmakers dropped her due to difference in opinion, which came with her being a woman.

"I've had people take away films from me because I might not have agreed with them," she said.

The actor also discussed her critically-acclaimed films such as "Fashion" and "Mary Kom".

"'Fashion' had many things that a female character wouldn't do (in a Bollywood film) - drinking, smoking. It had truth. (It) gave women the power to talk about different facets of their lives. I (became) a pioneer for women of my generation...

"'Mary Kom' was a challenging movie, which excited me even more. Give me something difficult and I'll always say yes," she said.

Priyanka won the National Film Award for best actress for the Madhur Bhandarkar-directed film.

On the red carpet of the 42nd annual film festival, the actor praised "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins for helming a studio superhero film.

"It's not easy — when you come into entertainment being a woman. You've got to pull your socks up for a fight. No one's going to hand it out to you, whether it's credit, whether it's parts, whether it is the ability to make movies.

"You can understand how hard and few and far between these opportunities are. But it's got to take people like us to stand out there, dig our heels in and say we're not going to stand for it anymore," Priyanka told CBC Toronto.

The actor was present at the festival for the screening of her maiden Sikkimese production, "Pahuna".
TIFF runs will run till September 17.

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News Network
January 22,2020

Patna, Jan 22: Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressedher desire to make a movie on Chandragupta, the shepherd-turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has “not done enough justice to our history”.

The national award winner was here to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session.  Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar.

“The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here,” she said.

Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai, the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in ‘Manikarnika’, when asked if she would like to be associated with a film on any historical figure from Bihar, said, “It would be Chandragupta Maurya. The film industry has not done much justice to our history”.

A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 32-year-old, who has won three National Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, replied in the affirmative when asked about reports that she has turned producer and her first venture is based on the theme of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Himachal Pradesh-born actress, who has courted controversy for taking on well-entrenched Bollywood “insiders” like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan, said she has had a rebellious streak since childhood and shared an anecdote about her breaking her teacher’s stick upon being hit for chatting with a classmate in school.

When Kishan asked why she has gained so much weight, Ranaut replied it was in preparation for her upcoming biopic “Thalaivi”, based on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The actress said her forthcoming release “Panga” is a family drama.

Ranaut said after landing in Patna, she gorged on ‘Litti Chokha’, a local delicacy.

She also regaled the audience by greeting them in Bhojpuri and repeating several commonly used phrases of the dialect after Kishan.

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Agencies
February 20,2020

Chennai, Feb 20: Three people, including an assistant director were killed and 9 others injured when a crane used for the shooting of “actor Kamal Haasan starrer “Indian 2” film crashed down at Nazarathpet near Poonamallee here late on Wednesday night.

Police said the accident occurred when a group of workers were engaged in erecting a set for a scene at EVP film city, private studio. As the crane crashed down, a heavy-duty light stand that was mounted on it also fell on the workers.

Mr Haasan and the film director S.Shankar escaped unhurt in the accident.

The deceased were identified as Krishna (34), an assistant director of the film, Madhu (29) and Chandran (60), who was part of the catering team.

Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel, along with a fire tender from Irungattukottai rushed to the spot and retrieved the bodies from the spot.

Mr Haasan, who was at the accident spot, also helped to transport the injured people to a private hospital near Poonamallee.

The bodies were sent to the Government General Hospital for post-mortem.

The Nazarathpet police have filed a case and are investigating the cause of the accident.

Meanwhile, Mr.Haasan condoled the death of three people during the film shoot. “The accident is the most horrific I have seen in my film career. I have lost three colleagues, but my pain pales in comparison to the grief of those who have lost their loved ones.

My deepest sympathies to them, he tweeted.

The Lyca productions also expressed condolences over the tragic accident. “We are extremely saddened with the unfortunate accident happened at the sets of Indian 2. We have lost three of our most hardworking technicians, it tweeted.

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News Network
February 2,2020

Feb 2: After creating a buzz with her recent low-key marriage, actor and model Pamela Anderson recently broke off her marriage with famous movie mogul Jon Peters, after just 12 days the wedding, reported Fox News.

The couple got married on January 20 in Malibu, California in a private marriage ceremony.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news of the couple's split on Saturday stating that the pair has decided to "uncouple."

"I have been moved by the warm reception to Jon and my union. We would be very grateful for your support as we take some time apart to reevaluate what we want from life and from one another," Fox News quoted Anderson saying.

"Life is a journey and love is a process. With that universal truth in mind, we have mutually decided to put off the formalization of our marriage certificate and put our faith in the process, "she added.

Fox News further quoted a source close to Anderson as saying, "She's known Jon forever, but she never lived with him, contrary to some reports. And until you live with someone... Well, let's just say Pamela asked for a break. She is heading back to her compound in Ladysmith, Canada, to be with her family."

According to Fox News, the couple did not have any official marriage license.

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