Can Dev Patel be the first Indian actor to win an Oscar?

February 26, 2017

New Delhi, Feb 26: The Oscars this year could be historic for India. If Dev Patel, who has been nominated for best supporting actor for the film "Lion", takes home the statuette, he will be the first true blue Indian to win an Academy Award for acting. Ben Kingsley, who won the best actor Oscar in 1983 for "Gandhi", is half-Indian.

lion

Talking to British daily Telegraph, Patel said, "It's time an Indian won the Oscar." In fact, the last time an actor of Indian descent was nominated for an Oscar for acting was 13 years ago when Kingsley got the nod for "House of Sand and Fog".

Drawing a comparison with African-American actors, he said, "The storytelling is where you want the diversity. But we're on the cusp of something. When you look at the African-American struggle in cinema, you've got these beacons like Sidney Poitier and Will Smith, and Denzel and Samuel L Jackson. Now tell me, how many Indians have gone on and won Oscars?"

However, the competition's tough with many betting on "Moonlight's" Mahershala Ali, who could be the first Muslim to win the prize.

Even if Patel misses the big prize, India's chances are encouraging. "Lion" is based on the real-life story of an Indian street kid who is adopted by Australians and later locates his biological mother in Madhya Pradesh. The movie is based on Saroo Brierley's book "A Long Way Home" and is nominated in six categories, including best supporting actress, best film, cinematography and original music score. Patel plays Saroo while Mumbai child actor Sunny Pawar plays his younger version. The film, directed by Garth Davis, stars Nicole Kidman as his adoptive mother.

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News Network
May 30,2020

Mumbai, May 30: Actor Vaani Kapoor on Saturday said she will go on a virtual date with five people as part of an initiative to raise money for daily wage earners, who have been affected due to the nationwide lockdown implemented to rein in coronavirus.

Vaani has teamed up with actor Arjun Kapoor's sister Anshula Kapoor’s online fundraising platform, Fankind, to raise funds for daily wage workers.

Vaani and Fankind have come together to provide five of her fans a chance to go on a virtual date with her - by donating to provide food to daily wage workers.

“As human beings, we will need to come forward and support as many people as possible in need due to the coronavirus pandemic in our country. I’m doing my bit to support the daily wage earners of our country and their families who are in dire situations given the lockdown.

“My activity, in which five lucky winners can have a virtual date with me, will see us collect funds to help feed them and their families across the country," Vaani said in a statement.

Earlier, Arjun too supported the initiative to help daily wage earners.

According to the press release, the funds will go to GiveIndia, a non-profit organisation, which will provide hot cooked meals to wage earners and their families. Each meal costs Rs 30 and will be delivered in various areas of Maharashtra, Bangalore, and Chennai.

A.T.E. Chandra Foundation has also come on board and will be adding 25 percent of the total donation value collected as a matching amount, thereby multiplying the impact, the release said.

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News Network
February 10,2020

Chennai, Feb 10: The Income Tax Department on Monday summoned Tamil actor Vijay over charges of tax evasion and his alleged links with financier Anbu Chezhiyan.

The development comes after the IT Department on Friday carried out a raid at the actor's residence in Panaiyur area in Chennai.

IT sleuths held searches in connection with the success of a recent film which was a Box Office hit, collecting around Rs 300 crore.

As per sources, the IT Department on Thursday recovered Rs 65 crores from the residence of Vijay's alleged financer in Chennai during raids which were carried out in the connection with the tax evasion case linked to AGS Cinemas.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

New Delhi, Jan 11: The Delhi High Court on Saturday restrained from releasing Deepika Padukone-starrer 'Chhapaak' movie without due credits to the lawyer who represented the acid attack survivor, Lakshmi Agarwal, in her legal battle.

The restraint will be effective from January 15 in multiplexes and live streaming and for others from January 17.

The court directed filmmaker Meghna Gulzar to give due credit to lawyer Aparna Bhat who fought the criminal case for the acid survivor on whose life the movie is based.

It passed the order on a petition filed by Fox Studio challenging a trial court order which had directed the filmmakers to give credit to Bhat.

Delhi's Patiala House Court had earlier this week passed an order granting an ex-parte interim mandatory injunction directed that the filmmaker has to carry a line "Aparna Bhat continues to fight cases of sexual and physical violence against women" during the screening of the film.

Fox Studios then requested the Delhi High Court to set aside the trial court order.

The petitioner submitted that if the order passed in a suit filed just one day before the release of the film, is not vacated, varied or modified, then the petitioner will suffer grave injustice and irreparable harm and injury.

The movie, which hit the cinemas yesterday, is based on Laxmi's life. In 2005, at the age of 15, she was allegedly attacked by a spurned lover.

Laxmi had to undergo several surgeries. Later, she started helping other acid attack survivors and promoted campaigns to stop such gruesome attacks.

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