Kangana Ranaut: I've Been Harassed By Actors On Sets But It Wouldn't Come Under #MeToo

Agencies
January 22, 2019

New Delhi, Jan 22: Kangana Ranaut says she was harassed several times by actors on film sets and while it wouldn't fall under #MeToo as it wasn't sexual, the experience was daunting and humiliating. The actor said harassment can happen on several levels and she has faced toxic behaviour from many people in her career. "Harassment happens on many levels. So many times on sets, I wasn't sexually harassed, but some people had ego issues. I was harassed on many other fronts. It wouldn't come under #MeToo but it was still harassment," Kangana told PTI.

The actor said the harassment ranged from making her wait for long hours to dubbing her voice without her consent. Talking about her harrowing experiences, Kangana said, "Making me wait on set for six hours, willingly giving me wrong call time to make me stand, always giving me the wrong set of dates so I'm missing out on opportunities and then cancelling the schedule last minute by these heroes."

"Ganging up on me and not inviting me to film events, launching trailers without me and then someone else dubbed for me without even telling me, which is violating the basic right of taking permission from an actor," she added.

The Queen star said because of the #MeToo movement, which hit India last year, men in the industry are scared. "People are scared, obviously and they should be. Men are scared in the industry. This isn't going to stop. This will continue till we really go into the root cause of it because essentially it's a patriarchal society which is extremely chauvinistic," she said.

"We need to come to a point where they are scared. All the talks of 'what if women lose work' should stop. I believe there's no life without dignity. You shouldn't worry about raising your voice," Kangana added.

The actor had come out in support of the survivor when allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against Queen director Vikas Bahl. Kangana, 31, said going forward strict rules and immediate action policy should be implemented to make film sets safer for women.

"On film sets there have to be strict rules and strict action should be taken. Things can't be solved on a personal level or behind closed doors. Things should be taken to authority and immediate action is the need of the hour. When anyone raises concern, people-director, producer or anyone-need to solve it. We need to become more sensitive about these things," she said.

Kangana will be next seen in Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi. The much ambitious period-drama features her in the titular role and has been directed by Krish and Kangana. The film releases on January 25.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

Washington, Jan 11: Fresh off his win at the Golden Globes, actor Joaquin Phoenix participated in a climate change protest and was arrested by the police.

The "Joker" star took part in the weekly protests against climate change, started by Hollywood veteran Jane Fonda.

According to Variety, the 45-year-old actor also addressed the crowd of close to 300 people.

In his short speech, he took aim at the meat and dairy industry for being the third leading cause of the climate crisis.

"Sometimes we wonder what can we do in this fight against climate change, and there is something that you can do today and tomorrow, by making a choice about what you consume," Phoenix said.

"There are things I can't avoid. I flew a plane here today, or last night rather, but one thing I can do is change my eating habits," he added.

Besides Phoenix, veteran Hollywood star Martin Sheen also turned up for the protest and got arrested by the police. Actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Susan Sarandon were also present.

Capitol Police said it arrested 147 people who were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding. All the protestors were later released.

Fonda, who was on stage with Phoenix, called him "one of the greatest living actors today".

She has been protesting weekly as part of her "Fire Drill Fridays" initiative since announcing she was moving to Washington "to be closer to the epicenter of the fight for our climate." Her participation has ended in multiple arrests.

Earlier this month, Phoenix had talked about climate change at the Golden Globes ceremony, asking Hollywood to walk the talk on the issue.

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News Network
July 1,2020

Los Angeles, Jul 1: Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas has struck a two-year television deal with Amazon. The 37-year-old actor shared the news about her "multimillion-dollar" first look deal with the streamer in a post on Instagram.

"So honoured and excited to finally share this news with you. Looking ahead, we already have so much on our slate! Big thank you to @jsalke and her team at Amazon for being such great partners, and for sharing in the belief that talent and good content knows no boundaries," Priyanka wrote.

The actor, who launched her own production banner Purple Pebble Pictures in 2015, said she aims to create "great content" featuring "creative talent" from all over the world.

"This has always been the DNA of my production house Purple Pebble Pictures, and is the foundation of this exciting new endeavour with Amazon. ⁣⁣

"And as a storyteller, my quest is to constantly push myself to explore new ideas that not only entertain but most importantly, open minds and perspectives," Priyanka said.

She thanked her fans for being a "big part of my journey so far".

"And for those who are just getting to know me, or maybe only recognise me as Alex Parrish from 'Quantico', I'm excited for you to get to know me better," Priyanka concluded.

Priyanka, who started her Hollywood career with ABC series Quantico, has featured in films such as Baywatch and Isn't It Romantic.

Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told Variety that she bonded with the actor over their "shared passion for diverse global storytelling".

"Priyanka is drawn to exciting original content and characters that can resonate globally. She’s a powerhouse producer, and we are thrilled to collaborate with her for years to come," she added.

Prior to her deal with Amazon, the actor lined up two projects with the streamer. She will star opposite Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden in upcoming thriller series Citadel, to be produced by Anthony and Joe Russo.

The actor will also feature in Sangeet, an unscripted series co-produced with her husband, Nick Jonas.

Priyanka's another project with Amazon is a film about Ma Anand Sheela, the assistant to guru Bhagwan Rajneesh (also known as Osho). The actor will be producing the movie which is based on Netflix docu-series Wild Wild Country.

Besides her association with Amazon, the actor will next star in two Netflix projects -- superhero movie We Can Be Heroes and The White Tiger,  opposite Rajkummar Rao.

She is currently shooting for Keanu Reeves-starrer The Matrix 4, which recently resumed filming after production was halted by the pandemic.

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News Network
June 19,2020

Mumbai, Jun 19: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s memories will continue to be celebrated as Instagram has memorialised his account, adding “remembering” to his bio.

Rajput, 34, known for films like "Kai Po Che!", "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Chhichhore", was found dead in his Bandra apartment on Sunday, sending shockwaves in the film industry and elsewhere.

Days after his untimely demise, Instagram added “remembering” to his account bio and memorialised it as a place to remember the actor’s life.

According to the photo-video sharing website, no one can log into a memorialised account. The posts the deceased person shared, including photos and videos, stay on their page and are visible to the users they were shared with.

Also, once the account is memorialised, no one will be able to make changes to any of the existing posts or information.

The actor’s last post on the social media platform was a tribute to his late mother on June 3.

Rajput’s death is being investigated by the Mumbai Police and so far statements of over 13 people, including actor’s family members and close friends, including actor Rhea Chakraborty and casting director Mukesh Chhabra, have been recorded.

The police have also sent a letter to Yash Raj Films seeking details of the contracts it had signed with him.

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