A lot of negativity attached to being a heroine: Bhumi

Agencies
November 26, 2017

Panaji, Nov 26: Women-oriented films and strong female characters may be the latest trend in Bollywood, but Bhumi Pednekar believes society still holds regressive views towards a heroine.

The 28-year-old actor, who delivered a Masterclass on 'Breaking Stereotypes' at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI), says a strong and confident woman is always labelled as "difficult".

In an interview with PTI, Bhumi says, "Everywhere in the society, even my extended family, when they got to know that I am going to be an actor, they were very worried because there is a lot of negativity attached to my craft or being a heroine.

"I feel in our culture, the girl, with any sort of power is called difficult or various words that are demeaning just because she has a voice, has confidence and stands for her rights. It is sad, but it is the truth of our country. Our culture hasn't evolved much and we need to do something about it." 

The actor believes cinema for long has also failed women by viewing female characters according to the male gaze.

"In terms of the treatment of a female actor on-screen, we have gone backwards and how. We had actors like Devika Rani when cinema started in India and suddenly things became regressive. Women had nothing to do in films except praying for their husband's well-being.

Bhumi, however, adds, "I am not against traditions, but they are not meant to be regressive... It is heartbreaking to see the kind of atrocities women are suffering across the globe. As human beings, we need to evolve with time and if you fail to do that, your existence will suffer." 

After her successful debut with "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", the actor says she rejected around 23 scripts as the female character had nothing to do in the proposed projects.

Bhumi, however, is glad that after featuring in the role of an overweight woman in the Sharat Katariya-directed movie, she was not stereotyped.

"Cinema has the power to change the society. Through my films, the kind of characters I have played and will play, I am trying to do my bit in changing the patriarchal mindset. I am vocal about my thoughts which I think will somewhere help in bringing about a change." 

This year she delivered two hits - "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" and "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan" and Bhumi will soon start filming director Abhishek Chaubey's next, titled "Chambal".

The movie also features Sushant Singh Rajput.

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News Network
April 2,2020

New Delhi, Apr 2: Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber on Thursday announced that he is postponing all of his scheduled 2020 concerts for his 'Changes Tour' due to the global outbreak of coronavirus.

The singer took to Instagram and posted a statement on the platform to make an announcement in the regard.

"In light of the current public health crisis. And with the deepest concern for all those being affected. Justin Bieber will be postponing all currently scheduled 2020 dates for the changes tour," read a statement.

"While Justin -along with his band. Dancers and crew - has been hard at work preparing an amazing show. He has always put the health and well-being of his fans first and foremost," the statement further read.

The statement also said that the 'Cold Water' singer, "is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get back out on the road and perform in a space that is safe for everyone."
Bieber asked all his fans to hold on to their tickets as the dates of the tour will soon be rescheduled.

According to the World Health Organisation, COVID-19 has affected over 8,27,419 people globally and has spread to almost 206 countries.

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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
March 23,2020

Washington, Mar 23: Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, US media reported Sunday.

Harvey Weinstein, 68, is in prison in northern New York state after being sentenced to 23 years in jail for rape and sexual assault.

The fallen film producer's diagnosis was first reported Sunday evening by local paper the Niagara Gazette.

Harvey Weinstein's spokespeople have declined to comment to US media on the subject.

The New York state Department of Corrections did not respond when contacted by AFP for confirmation of the reports.

Harvey Weinstein was transferred Wednesday to a prison near Buffalo, 350 miles (560 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

Prior to his transfer, he stayed at Rikers Island prison and a Manhattan hospital, where he was treated for chest pains.

Crowded US prisons have the potential to become hotbeds for coronavirus infections. Last week, guards at Rikers and New York's Sing Sing prison tested positive for the virus, local media reported.

As of Sunday, the virus has killed 417 people in the US out of more than 33,000 cases, according to a tracker managed by Johns Hopkins University.

Harvey Weinstein was convicted in February of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, while being cleared of predatory sexual assault charges.

He was convicted of raping ex-actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and of forcibly performing oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006.

Nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, have leveled sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of "Shakespeare in Love" and numerous other critical and box office hits.

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