Chennai, Feb 7: Tamil actress and DMK leader Khushboo's house was on Thursday allegedly attacked by DMK cadres. While there were no injuries in the incident, there were minor damages to property.
This came after Khushboo gave an interview to a local magazine saying that though DMK chief Karunanidhi has proposed MK Stalin's name, his elevation in the party would happen only after the general council votes.
Khushboo was not at home when the incident took place.
Mumbai, Jun 8: Veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar has won the 2020 Richard Dawkins Award for critical thinking, holding religious dogma up to scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values.
Akhtar has become the first Indian to be given the honour, which recognises a distinguished individual from the field of science, scholarship, education, or entertainment, who publicly proclaims the values of secularism and rationalism and upholding scientific truth.
Akhtar's wife, veteran actor Shabana Azmi said the award's relevance becomes more prominent especially in the current times when secularism is under attack.
"I am thrilled. I know what a hero Richard Dawkins has been for Javed. The award gains all the more significant because in today’s time when secularism is being attacked by religious fundamentalists of all hues, this award comes as a validation of Javed’s long service to rational thinking," Azmi told PTI.
The award is named after world-renowned English evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. Actor-comedian Ricky Gervais received the honour last year.
Bollywood celebrities Anil Kapoor and Dia Mirza took to Twitter to congratulate the 75-year-old writer for the recognition.
"Knowing that Richard Dawkins has been your hero since you read 'The Selfish Gene', the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award must be extra special for you @Javedakhtarjadu Saab! It's a truly incredible honour! Congratulations!" Kapoor tweeted.
Dia said Akhtar's win is a proud moment for rhe country.
"Javed Akhtar Saab has won the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award 2020 for critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values. He is the only Indian to have won this award! @Javedakhtarjadu Congratulations! You make us proud," Dia wrote.
Mumbai, Aug 6: Taking over the case of the controversial death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the CBI on Thursday registered a case naming six persons, including his actress-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family members.
Besides Rhea, others named in the FIR are her family members Indrajit Chakraborty, Sandya Chakraborty and Showik Chakraborty as well as his house manager Samuel Miranda and the actress' manager and publicist Shruti Modi.
The registration of the case came a day after the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it has asked the CBI to take over the case following a reference from the Bihar government.
The entry of the CBI will not be to the liking of Maharashtra government, as it has already raised objection to the move, saying Bihar does not have any jurisdiction for a probe, as the incident happened in Mumbai.
The CBI has invoked charges related to criminal conspiracy, abetment of suicide, wrongful restrain, wrongful confinement, theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal intimidation against those named in the FIR.
The case will be probed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Superintendent of Police Nupur Prasad. DIG Gagandeep Gambhir and Joint Director Manoj Shashidhar will supervise the investigations.
The CBI FIR is based on a case registered by Patna Police on a complaint filed by the actor's father Krishna Kishore Singh, who accused Rhea and others of abetting Sushant's suicide and misappropriating his assets. The Patna Police had invoked sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and abetment to suicide among others.
The 34-year-old actor hailing from Bihar, known for his stellar performance in Kai Poche and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story among others, died by suicide on June 14 in his apartment in Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. Mumbai Police has registered a case and had been investigating various angles when Sushant's father also registered a case in Patna against Rhea and others.
The case ran into controversy as Mumbai Police and the state government questioned the locus standi of their Patna counterparts with one of the senior Bihar Police officers who landed in Mumbai was sent to quarantine by state authorities.
Sushant's death had raised shackles with several actors and others questioning the nepotism in Bollywood after it emerged that he was under depression as he was not getting his due in the film industry.
It also assumed political colours with a section alleging that top Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's son Aditya Thackeray, also a Minister, has links to the incident. Aditya has denied any links.
BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had demanded CBI inquiry in the case.
The Bihar government acted fast in referring the case to the CBI, as the state was going to Assembly elections later this year and there was anguish among people over the state.
So far, Mumbai Police have recorded statements of 56 people, including Rajput's sisters, Rhea, and others from the film industry, after registering an Accidental Death Report (ADR).
The Enforcement Directorate has earlier registered a money laundering case against Rhea and others on the basis of the FIR filed by Patna Police. The agency on Thursday quizzed Miranda while it summoned Rhea for questioning on Friday.
Earlier, Rhea had approached the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case registered by Patna Police to Maharashtra. In her plea, she had said that she was in a live-in relationship with Sushant from a year up till June 8 when the petitioner had temporarily shifted to her own residence in Mumbai. She has been in deep trauma due the death of the actor and moreover getting rape and death threats.
Los Angeles, Jul 1: Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan and costume designer Neeta Lulla are among the 819 artistes and executives who have received invitations to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Bhatt's last movie, the Zoya Akhtar-directed Gully Boy was India's official entry for best international feature category at the 2019 Oscars. However, the film had failed to make it to the final five.
Other prominent Indian names to receive invitations are casting director Nandini Shrikent, documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain, Shirley Abraham, Amit Madheshiya, visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal.
In a statement, the Academy said the new invitees include 36 per cent of people of colour and 45 per cent women. Artistes from 68 countries have been invited as members.
Those who accept the invitation will have voting rights at the 93rd Academy Awards, scheduled to be held on April 25, 2021.
"The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travellers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now," Academy President David Rubin said.
The Academy has been actively working to introduce more diversity in its voting to avoid a controversy like 2016 when the Oscars were dubbed "white" for failing to recognise talents of colour.
The 2020 batch boasts of major Hollywood names like Cynthia Erivo, John David Washington, Constance Wu, Zazie Beetz, Florence Pugh, Zendaya, Awkwafina, Yalitza Aparicio, Mackenzie Davis, Ana de Armas, Adele Haenel, Thomasin McKenzie, Olivia Wilde and others.
The stars of multiple Oscar-winning South Korean movie Parasite -- Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Park So-Dam and Lee Jung-Eun -- are among the invitees.
Directors Lulu Wang, Ari Aster, Terence Davies, Matthew Vaughn, Robert Eggers, Matt Reeves, Alma Har’el are on the list as well.
The Academy has announced a new five-year plan that includes implementing inclusion standards for nominees.
"We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one. We are committed to staying the course.
"We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum, and in our awards," Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said.
In 2019, the organisation had invited 842 new members which included Indian names such as filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and veteran actor Anupam Kher.
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