Protests against Padmavati film intensifies in Rajasthan

Agencies
November 8, 2017

Jaipur, Nov 8: Protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming movie Padmavati have intensified in Rajasthan with several organisations stating their objection to the movie over Rani Padmini’s portrayal, while distributors have also decided to wash their hands off it. “We don’t want to get involved in this controversy; our company has decided to not get involved in this film until this controversy is sorted out,” said Raj Bansal, a leading film distributor from Rajasthan. “None of my colleagues – there are 3 – 4 (top) distributors in Rajasthan – and none of them is ready for it. There may still be time to settle the controversy but it keeps on increasing now, to Gujarat, Maharashtra…” he said.

BJP MLA Diya Kumari, of the erstwhile Royal family of Jaipur, issued a statement Tuesday saying that “no film should hurt the sentiments of a community by twisting historical facts. The director of the film Padmavati, Sanjay Leela Bhansali should not wrongly depict the story of Queen Padmavati of Chittor. He should get the facts in the film verified by a forum of historians and then release the film.”

She said, “Rajputs will not allow any distortion of the valiant history of Rajasthan and sacrifice of its people in fighting barbarians. If the movie does not display authentic history or takes any liberties, it will not be allowed to be released.”

Top Rajput body, the Shri Rajput Sabha, also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday and gave an ultimatum of November 12 for a countrywide ban of Padmavati and an FIR against “habitual offender” Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It said that “this type of distortion of history in films like Padmavati will ruin the history and damage the highest values for which our ancestors lived and died.”

“If people see Padmini dancing like stage actor, who will cherish the historical saga of Jauhar, rarest of rare incident of history.there is the glorification of the most barabaric, most devil, most vulgar attacker Alauddin Khilji. As you know, about 16,000 great Rajputanis of Rajasthan dedicated their lives and became martyrs for maintenance of nation’s prestige, religion, culture and Bharat Mata.Why we allow such glorification of our all-time worst enemy?” They have also asked the PM to “warn” Smriti Irani as she “has formally supported for release of film,” so that she may “be a bit careful in such important matters and withdraw her remarks.”

On Sunday, Congress spokesperson and Jaipur Congress president Pratap Singh Khachariyawas had said, “If the movie distorts history, then it is the responsibility of the Central and state government to ban it. The government is mistaken if it believes that it can screen the movie with distorted history,” he said, warning of a law and order situation if the government proceeds with the movie in its current form.

A day before him, Union minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Uma Bharti, had written an open letter stating, “If you are making a historical film, you cannot violate the facts.” She said that even to this day, “we have respect for Padmavati and hatred for Khilji.” She had said that people should find a way to address the apprehensions being raised on the film.

Several other organisations, such as Rajput Karni Sena, Shri Rajput Karni Sena, Antarrashtriya Brahman Mahasangh, and others have protested over the movie. The Bajrang Dal also said that it would protest the release of the movie in Rajasthan on November 10. Johar Smriti Sansthan had also called a bandh in Chittorgarh last week against the movie, which is scheduled to release on December 1.

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News Network
March 19,2020

New Delhi, Mar 19: Days after being diagnosed with COVID-19, 'Oblivion' actor Olga Kurylenko said that she is better as her fever has now gone.

The 40-year-old actor took to Instagram to share the health update with a picture of herself wearing a face mask.

"Hello everyone! I'm feeling better today. My fever is gone! I hear people can't figure out where I currently am. I'm in London!," she wrote in the caption.

The 'Quantum of Solace' actor also shared details about coronavirus with her Instafam.

"How do I know it's coronavirus and not just a flu? I did a test for coronavirus which came back positive. What are the medicines that doctors prescribed as treatment? NONE!" she wrote.

"I was told to take paracetamol in case my fever was too high and if I was in too much pain. However, I do take vitamins and supplements. Please note that these vitamins do NOT cure coronavirus but only help the immune system be stronger in order to fight!" Kurylenko added.

She also shared a detailed list of medicines that she is taking to deal with the condition.

The 'Oblivion' actor joined the growing list of entertainment figures who have contracted the highly contagious virus on Monday.

Other Hollywood personalities who were earlier diagnosed with COVID-19 are superstar couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. The celebrity couple has been discharged from the hospital and are under quarantine at their home.

Other celebrities that are currently battling with the coronavirus are music producer Andrew Watt, 'Game of Thrones' actor Kristofer Hivju, and actor Idris Elba.

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Agencies
June 6,2020

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie feels discrimination and impunity cannot be justified in any way, and says she hopes people in the US can come together to "address the deep structural wrongs in our society".

The Oscar-winning star, who turned 45 on Thursday, also donated $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, reports people.com.

"Rights don't belong to any one group to give to another. Discrimination and impunity cannot be tolerated, explained away or justified. I hope we can come together as Americans to address the deep structural wrongs in our society," Jolie said.

"I stand with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in their fight for racial equality, social justice, and their call for urgent legislative reform," she added.

Meanwhile, the actress celebrated her birthday amid lockdown with her six children -- Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

The actress and activist has been active since the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world and has donated to different organisations.

Jolie previously donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry, the organisation working to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I knew that there were problems in America, that there was poverty, but I could not believe when I realised how many school children in America were dependent on a meal to not go hungry. I was so disgusted that we have gotten to this point as a country and that we would let the most vulnerable be in such a state. I can't imagine what it feels like for those parents," she said while opening up about her reason to get associated with the organisation.

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News Network
February 26,2020

New York, Feb 26: Disney CEO Bob Iger, who steered the company’s absorption of Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel and Fox’s entertainment businesses and the launch of a Netflix challenger, is stepping down immediately, the company said in a surprise announcement Tuesday.

The Walt Disney Co. named as his replacement Bob Chapek, most recently chairman of Disney’s parks, experiences and products business.

“Did not see this coming -- Wowza,” tweeted LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield.

Iger will remain executive chairman through the end of his contract on Dec. 31, 2021. Besides leading the board, Iger said he will spend more time on Disney’s creative endeavors, including the ESPN sports network, the newly acquired Fox studios and the Hulu and Disney Plus streaming services. He said he could not do that while running Disney on a day-to-day basis.

“It was not accelerated for any particular reason other than I felt the need was now to make this change,” Iger said on a conference call with reporters and analysts.

Iger steered Disney through the successful purchases of Lucasfilms, Marvel, Pixar and other brands that became big moneymakers for Disney. Last year, the top five movies in U.S. and Canada theaters were all Disney movies, including two from Marvel and one from Pixar. With the Dec. 20 release of the latest “Star Wars” movie, Disney had seven movies that each sold at least $1 billion in tickets worldwide last year.

Iger’s most recent coup was orchestrating a $71 billion purchase of Fox’s entertainment business in March and launching the Disney Plus streaming service in November. That service got nearly 29 million paid subscribers in less than three months. In a statement, Iger said it was the “optimal time” for a transition.

Pivotal Research Group analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak said Iger had implied he would stay until his contract ended in 2021.

“On the other hand, they just successfully closed the Fox deal and had an unquestionably successful launch of Disney Plus so maybe he felt earlier was better to hand off the reins,” he said.

Colin Gillis, director of research at Chatham Road Partners, said the choice of Chapek seems solid because his parks division has had success.

Chapek said that while he has not led television networks or streaming services, his background in consumer-oriented businesses should help. Chapek and Iger both stressed that Disney would continue on the direction it had already been taking.

Disney is facing challenges to its traditional media business as cord-cutting picks up, meaning less fees from cable and satellite companies to carry Disney networks such as ABC, ESPN and Freeform. Disney’s own streaming services require the company to forgo money in licensing revenue, although the company is betting that money from subscriptions will eventually make up for that.

In the short term, Disney parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China, remain closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. In a CNBC interview, Chapek said the outbreak may be a “bump in the road,” but he said the company could weather it given “affinity for the brand.”

Iger told CNBC he had no plans to stay with Disney beyond next year.

Iger’s appointment as CEO in 2005 had been accompanied by controversy and protest from dissident shareholders Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold. But he has come to be seen as a golden-boy top executive, and even someone who could run for president.

Iger told Vogue in 2018 that he had started seriously exploring a run for president because he is “horrified at the state of politics in America today,” but the Fox deal stopped his plans. Oprah Winfrey told Vogue that she “really, really pushed him to run.”

Iger, a former weatherman, joined ABC in 1974, 22 years before Disney bought the network.

At ABC, Iger developed such successful programs as “Home Improvement,” “The Drew Carey Show,” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and was instrumental in launching the quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” He was also criticized for cancelling well-regarded but expensive shows such as “Twin Peaks” and “thirtysomething.”

Since Iger became CEO, Disney’s stock price has risen fivefold. Its stock fell more than 2% in extended trading following the announcement, on top of a broader market selloff on virus fears during regular trading.

Iger, 69, was the second-highest paid CEO in 2018, as calculated by The Associated Press and Equilar, an executive data firm. He earned $65.6 million. The top earner was Discovery’s David Zaslav who earned $129.5 million.

Susan Arnold, the independent lead director of the Disney board, said succession planning had been ongoing for several years.

Chapek, 60, is only the seventh CEO in Disney history. Chapek was head of the parks, experiences and products division since it was created in 2018. He was previously head of parks and resorts and before that president of consumer products.

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