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'India, you are always special': Kurta-clad Ed Sheeran regales fans at Mumbai concert

Agencies
November 20, 2017

Mumbai, Nov 20: Thousands gathered on Sunday at the Jio Gardens, Bandra Kurla Complex, to catch a glimpse of British pop sensation Ed Sheeran, who belted out a set of 17 songs, including hits such as 'Shape Of You' and 'Galway Girl' with only a guitar and a loop station.

The 26-year-old singer-songwriter arrived in India on the Asia leg of his tour for his new album 'Divide'. He honoured his promise to Indian fans even though he recently suffered fractures in his right wrist and left elbow in a bicycle accident.

He was to trek in Taipei, Osaka, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong through November 5, which he had to cancel due to the injuries.

The gates of the venue opened at 5pm as a crowd of around 10,000 waited for Sheeran to crank up the jukebox.

American artiste Lauv regaled the fans with popular singles such as 'I Like Me Better' and 'Easy Love'.

"I am from California and this is my first show in Asia. I am having a great time here. Thanks to Sheeran and his team, he is such a talented genius, and down to earth guy. I am grateful to him, his team," he said.

The Grammy Award winner did not tease his fans as he sauntered onto the stage in a casual manner around 8pm in T-shirt and jeans.

Sheeran instantly struck a chord with the eager audience as he started the show while strumming to the ode to his hometown, 'Castle on the Hill.'

The stadium reverberated with the rock band-influenced guitar anthem by the singer, who went on to sing tracks such as 'Eraser', 'Bloodstream' and 'I See Fire', from the 2013 film 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' soundtrack.

Sheeran performed 10 songs from 'Divide,' while five came from 'Multiply' and two from his debut album 'Plus'.

During his gig, the singer had donned a turquoise kurta that had 'Divide' written on its back in Hindi.

Towards the end of the concert, Sheeran returned to the stage, wearing a blue T-shirt that read 'India', and sang hits such as, 'Shape of You' and 'You Need Me'.

A night high on octane was full of sing-alongs. The artiste engaged with the crowd and got them singing and dancing throughout his 90-minute long concert.

"India: you are always special and this night is magical. Thank you all so much. Hope you all are having a good evening? Pleasure to be back in India. I want the crowd to be involved in my show ... sing as loud as you can, you can dance out here ... I want to see you all dancing, singing and I am going to give you all," Sheeran told the crowd.

To the fans, who enjoyed and grooved on every song, Sheeran kept saying, "Mumbai sing out loud!"

Sheeran, who last came to Mumbai in 2015 for a gig, said he was happy to be back in India.

"This has been a cool year for me... I've been all over the world. Here, in Mumbai, it's a great crowd. When I came here last time, the crowd was so loud. I think you all can be loudest. I am so so happy, pleased to be here. This country is good, the people here are so good. It's amazing!"

Sheeran landed here on Friday amid heavy security and much fanfare. He was welcomed at the airport in a traditional ceremony with flowers, dancers and dhols.

After he landed, Sheeran partied with Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor with wife Mira, Malaika Arora and others, who enjoyed a party at filmmaker Farah Khan's residence, who hosted the much-publicised night in the honour of the 'Shape Of You' hitmaker.

According to the organisers, Sheeran is accompanied by an entourage of 45 people, and has put up in a hotel in south Mumbai.

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Agencies
August 4,2020

New York, Aug 4: National Award-winning documentary "Son Rise" and Geetu Mohandas-directed "Moothon" were among the films that took home the big honours at the 20th New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), which switched to a virtual edition this year amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Over 45 feature-length narratives, shorts and documentaries from the Indian subcontinent were showcased at the festival’s virtual edition that ran for 10 days beginning July 24.

The films programmed were in various languages including Assamese, Bengali, Haryanvi, Hindi, English, Ladakhi, Maithili, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali and Tamil.

The award ceremony for the festival was held virtually Sunday, with the filmmakers, cast, award winners and festival officials joining from across India and the US.

The award for the Best Documentary (Short) went to Saurav Vishnu-directed "Tailing Pond", which highlights the "horrifying effects of uranium extraction on the health of the indigenous population" of Jadugoda, Jharkhand.

"Son Rise" by Vibha Bakshi won the award for Best Documentary (Feature).

The documentary had won the National Award for the Best non-feature film in 2019 and was among the two centrepieces hosted by the festival this year. NYIFF called "Son Rise" “a powerful documentary about patriarchy in Haryana and efforts by a few good men to bring meaningful change in the society.”

The award for Best Short (Narrative) went to Sanat Ganu's "Arabian Nights". The narrative focuses on a child, his imaginary friend and a family that attends a conference where the attendees believe the earth is flat.

Director and scriptwriter Sudhanshu Saria accepted the award for Best Screenplay for "Knock Knock Knock". Saria’s screenplay “explores the lonely life of a man, an unlikely friendship that may or may not be real.”

Sanjana Dipu won the award for Best Child Actor for "Moothon" for her performance of a teenager in search of a brother.

Garggi Ananthan won the Best Actress award for her role as Kalyani in the film "Run Kalyani" and the Best Actor award went to Malayalam star Nivin Pauly for "Moothon". The award for the Best Director went to 23-year old Achal Mishra for "Gamak Ghar".

"Moothon" won the award for Best Film and its director Mohandas accepted the award for the film, which is "about love and loss that travels from the quiet, lush beaches of Lakshadweep to the mad hustle-bustle of the streets of Mumbai."

Produced by award-winning Indian film director and writer Anurag Kashyap, "Moothon" had premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

NYIFF festival director Aseem Chhabra said that the process of searching for films for the festival began last fall and they were ready to showcase them to audiences in New York in April but had to change plans for the festival due to the pandemic.

"I know the best way to enjoy films is in a theatre with the audience and have live interactions, conversations. But the virtual festival is the next best option and in the process, we have been able to reach out to a much larger audience in the US, North America as well in several other countries.”

NYIFF said that a virtual edition expanded the reach of the festival and audiences from 95 countries were able to access and view the films.

Dr Nirmal Mattoo, Chairman of the Indo-American Arts Council, co-founder and owner of Atlantic Dialysis Management services, the largest private dialysis provider in New York State, said NYIFF works with an independent jury - filmmakers, film professors, writers and critics.

Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), the leading cultural organisation, presents the festival.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the closure of theatres but we believe that in such trying times arts, including films are even more important for the community’s well-being. So, this year we have decided to bring the films directly into your living rooms.” IAAC Vice-Chairman Rakesh Kaul had said.

The New York Indian Film Festival is the oldest Indian film event in North America. Over the years, the festival has held New York premieres of a wide range of films, many of them critically acclaimed, including "Monsoon Wedding", "The Namesake", "Slumdog Millionaire", "Shahid", "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" and "Gangs of Wasseypur". 

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News Network
July 12,2020

Mumbai, Jul 12: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sealed actor Rekha’s bungalow in suburban Bandra after a security guard there tested positive for coronavirus, a civic official said on Sunday.

The guard at the 65-year-old actor’s bungalow ‘Sea Springs’ tested positive on Tuesday, the official said.

The BMC has put a board outside the premises declaring the are as a containment zone. The security guard has been hospitalised at the BMC’s COVID-19 care facility in Bandra Kurla Complex, he said.

As the bungalow is a standalone one, only a portion of it has been sealed, he said.

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News Network
July 6,2020

Jul 6: Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero, who specialized in playing tough guys on Broadway in such shows as Waitress, A Bronx Tale and Bullets Over Broadway, has died in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications after contracting the coronavirus. He was 41.

Cordero died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai hospital after more than 90 days in the hospital, according to his wife Amanda Kloots. “God has another angel in heaven now,” she posted on Instagram. “Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband.”

Nick Cordero entered the emergency room on March 30 and had a succession of health setbacks, including mini-strokes, blood clots, septis infections, a tracheostomy and a temporary pacemaker implanted. He had been on a ventilator and unconscious and had his right leg amputated. A double lung transplant was being explored.

Kloots, sent him daily videos of her and their 1-year-old son Elvis, so he could see them if he woke up, and urged friends and fans to join a daily sing-a-long. A GoFundMe page to pay for medical expenses has raised over $600,000.

“I tell him, I say, ‘You’re gonna walk out of this hospital, honey. I believe it. I know you can,’” she told “CBS This Morning” over the summer. ”‘We’re gonna dance again. You’re gonna hold your son again.’ My line is, ‘Don’t get lost. Get focused.’”

The lanky Cordero originated the menacing role of husband Earl opposite his estranged wife, played by Jessie Mueller, in Waitress as well as the role of Sonny in Chazz Palminteri’s A Bronx Tale. It was at Bullets Over Broadway where Cordero met his wife. The two married in 2017.

Cast members from “Waitress” — Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Kimik Glenn and songwriter Sara Bareilles — helped raise money for Cordero by covering his song “Live Your Life.” Sylvester Stallone sent a video with best wishes.

Kloots had said that it was difficult to tell whether Cordero understood what happened to him, but said he could respond to commands by looking up and down when he was alert.

Her husband played a mob soldier with a flare for the dramatic in Broadway’s Woody Allen 1994 film adaptation of Bullets Over Broadway, for which he received a Tony nomination for best-featured actor in a musical. He moved to Los Angeles to star in Rock of Ages.

On the small screen, Nick Cordero appeared in several episodes of Blue Bloods and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and he had a role in the film Going in Style.

Actor and guitarist for Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt offered Cordero his first TV acting gig in the final episode of Lilyhammer. After he was hospitalized, Van Zandt teamed up with Constantine Maroulis and Vincent Pastore to make a video performing “Live Your Life.”

Cordero was last onstage in a Kennedy Center presentation of Littler Shop of Horrors. His off-Broadway credits include The Toxic Avenger and Brooklynite.

The coronavirus has sickened other Broadway veterans, including the actors Danny Burstein, Tony Shalhoub, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Gavin Creel, Aaron Tveit and Laura Bell Bundy as well as composer David Bryan. It has also claimed the life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally.

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