Oscar-winning sound mixer Gregg Rudloff dies at 63

Bengaluru, Jun 9: There’s no denying the fact that Sudeep is one of the most popular and sought-after names in Kannada cinema. The versatile actor has won the love of fans due to his ‘pan-India’ look and impressive selection of roles. A self-made star, he paid his dues before making it big in Sandalwood. The Bachchan actor had, some time ago, told Film Companion that his initial years in the industry were anything but easy.

 The mass hero revealed that his first two movies never saw the light of the day as they were abandoned midway. Following the setback, he finally made his Kannada debut with V Umakanth’s Thayavva and began a new chapter in life. Sadly, the film sank without a trace and was removed from theatres within three days of its release.

“My first two films did not see the light of the day while the third one did not see people,” he added.

Sudeep ultimately tasted success with the 2001 release Huchcha and the rest is history. Over the years, ‘Deepanna’ has starred in several commercially successful movies and proved that he is a certified ‘A-lister’. The star has also made an impact in non-Kannada movies like Rann and Eega, expanding his fanbase big time.

Coming to the present, Sudeep was last seen in the Bollywood biggie Dabangg 3 that did decent business at the box office. The actioner saw him share screen space with Salman Khan, giving fans a reason to rejoice. The cast included Arbaaz Khan and Sonakshi Sinha.

He will be turning his attention to the Kannada biggie Kotigobba 3, the third instalment of the Kotigobba series. The film, directed by Shiva Karthik, is one of the biggest movies of the year. It features Shraddha Das, Madonna Sabastian and Aftab Shivdasani in key roles.  He  will also be seen in the Anup Bhandari-directed Phantom.

Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix finally ended his dry run at the Oscars as he picked up the best actor trophy for his performance in and as "Joker" at the 92nd Academy Awards.

The 45-year-old actor had earlier bagged a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his turn as a failed, unhinged stand-up comedian who descends into chaos.

In a lengthy and rambling speech, Phoenix touched upon racism, climate change and gender inequality. He also remembered his brother River Phoenix, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 23 in 1993.

"When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric. He said, 'run to the rescue with love and peace will follow'," Phoenix said. At the Academy Awards and the entire Hollywood award season, Phoenix had emerged as an undisputed frontrunner even though he was up against the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"), Adam Driver ("Marriage Story"), "Antonio Banderas ("Pain & Glory") and Jonathan Pryce ("The Two Popes").

An Oscar had eluded Phoenix for the most part of his career, despite his successful collaborations with Ridley Scott ("Gladiator"), James Mangold ("Walk The Line") and Paul Thomas Anderson ("The Master"), all of which had earned him nominations.

But as Arthur Fleck aka The Joker, Phoenix finally managed to break that jinx and became the second actor to win an Oscar for playing the DC comic book villain after the posthumous best supporting actor win to Heath Ledger in 2008.

As Joker, Phoenix took a deep dive into character, capturing its essence as well as maniacal spirit in both body and soul.

He lost 52 pounds to get into the physicality of Fleck and turned to a pathological disorder to get his distinct laughter right.

Phillips wrote the part keeping Phoenix in mind though the actor took some convincing to play the role.

Phoenix started the film's festival circuit tour on a positive note at Cannes last year that followed by stops at Venice and Toronto.

The film had also courted controversies, owing to its theme of gun violence in the movie as well as Phoenix's temperamental press tour that saw him walking out of an interview midway.

But critics and the fans loved the actor's riveting turn in the movie and his pointed speeches.

At the Golden Globes, he called out the industry for its insensitivity towards climate change and pulled up his peers for using private jets for travel, while at the SAGs, he joked how he would always lose a role to DiCaprio and asked Christian Bale to deliver a bad performance for once in his career.

In his acceptance speech at the BAFTAs, Phoenix acknowledged the lack of diversity in the nominations, calling himself a part of the problem. Phoenix's career most praised performances include "Signs ", "We Own the Night", "Two Lovers", "The Immigrant", "Her", "You Were Never Really Here" and "Inherent Vice".

New Delhi, Mar 19: As a precautionary measure to combat the spread of coronavirus, Bollywood actors including Preity Zinda, Sidharth Malhotra, and Shraddha Kapoor are maintaining their social distance, while calling on fans to follow health guidelines and maintain good hygiene.

Joining others in sharing what to do while practicing self-isolation at home, Preity Zinda on Thursday took to Instagram and shared a video where she is giving an oil massage to her mother.

In the shared video, the 45-year-old actor was seen at the comforts of her home, giving a good nice 'Champi' to her mom.

She also encouraged everyone to try 'Champi' at home as she suggested it is good for one's hair.

"To keep our heads cool during this home quarantine it felt right to give mom the classic Champi Making the most of staying home & bonding kyuki sir jo tera chakraye, ya dil dooba jaaye- aaja pyaare paas hamare, kahe ghbraye. This too shall pass #day8 #homequarantine #staysafe #oilmassage #covid19 #Staypositive #Ting," the caption read.

On the other hand, actor Sidharth Malhotra is using the self-isolation period to focus this on things one always wanted to do but could not due to time restrictions.

"It's time to take some time off and focus on things we've always wanted to do but never had enough time for. Let's read, reinvent and live our hobbies, spend time with our family and just try to do all we can to stay safe and keep others around us safe too!"

The 35-year-old actor also urged everybody to take measures to avoid the spread of the disease.

"I love you guys, so please take good care of yourself, stay at home, wash your hands and avoid unnecessary travel," he added.

Meanwhile, Shraddha Kapoor has been posting a series of pictures right from the time of her being at home as a precautionary measure from the spread of the virus.

From reading to having a home-made meal to sharing balcony pictures, the 33-year-old actor has made her presence felt online.

On Thursday, the 'Baaghi' actor shared a picture of Bamboo toothbrush, promoting the use of eco-friendly products.

"Being home #BambooToothbrush #Ecofriendly #MorningRitual," the caption read.

According to official data provided by the Ministry of Health, the country has 169 reported cases of COVID-19.