Maradona film premieres in Cannes in legend's absence

Agencies
May 20, 2019

Cannes, May 20: British director Asif Kapadia's highly anticipated third documentary feature, "Diego Maradona", premiered Out of Competition at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Sunday night.

Expectations ran high but the football legend could not make it to the festival owing to shoulder surgery that he is undergoing in Mexico.

Kapadia, an Indian-origin filmmaker whose association with the festival goes back to 1998, when he won the Cinefondation second prize for his Royal College of Art graduation film "The Sheep Thief", made his narrative feature debut with "The Warrior" (2001), starring Irrfan Khan.

He has since earned the reputation as one of the world's most bankable biographical documentary makers following the success of the BAFTA Award-winning "Senna" and the Oscar-winning "Amy".

"Both those documentaries," the director said during a Talent Talk session organised in the UK Film Centre in its Pavilion here, "were about great people who died young. I did not want to repeat myself. That is why it felt right to do a film on a man who is still living and growing old."

"Diego Maradona" the film has emerged out of several years of rummaging through video footage, researching innumerable published articles and conducting 80-odd interviews.

The 130-minute film focuses on the Argentine football legend's turbulent and triumphant seven-year stint with SSC Napoli, which he joined in 1984 for a then world record fee.

The film captures the life and times of the genius through his triumphs and tribulations of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was a period during which Maradona saw great highs, including Argentina's 1986 World Cup victory, and lows, which included messy run-ins with authority.

"This film was a new challenge," said Kapadia. "Diego wasn't the most reliable witness. His version of events was often exactly the opposite of what is on record. But he is obviously a very charismatic person and a great storyteller."

"The film also addresses a lot of issues away from football – racism, family problems, addiction issues, troubles with the mafia. It is a crazy operatic film," Kapadia said.

It was a topsy-turvy ride that included Maradona leading the Naples club to its first-ever title.

Comparing it with his earlier two documentaries, the second of which ('Amy') played in Cannes in 2015, Kapadia said, "'Senna' was an all-action hero film, 'Amy' was a musical and this one is like a gangster film."

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News Network
July 26,2020

Mumbai, Jul 26: Just days after actor Kangana Ranaut made some claims on Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide case and asked why the Mumbai police is not summoning some people of the Hindi film industry, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday said that film director Mahesh Bhatt and Karan Johar's manager will be called for the questioning.

"Tomorrow Mahesh Bhatt will be called for questioning and we will later call Karan Johar's manager too. If required Karan Johar can also be called for the questioning in Sushant Singh Rajput case," he said while speaking to news agency.

A day Rajput's suicide, Kangana had released a two-minute video speaking highly of the deceased actor and accusing certain sections of the film industry for not acknowledging the star's talent.

Kangana had also claimed that some of the last social media posts by the actor made it evident that he was struggling to survive in the industry.

According to the police, statements of 39 people, including film critic Rajeev Masand, director-producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and filmmaker Aditya Chopra have been recorded in the investigation so far.

Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence on June 14.

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News Network
July 18,2020

Mumbai, Jul 18: Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan on Friday were shifted to a city hospital, almost a week after they were tested positive for COVID-19. Aishwarya, 46 and eight-year-old Aaradhya were diagnosed with coronavirus on Sunday, a day after the actor’s father-in-law, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, and husband Abhishek Bachchan tested positive for the COVID-19.

The mother-daughter duo was self-quarantining at home till now.

“Both Aishwarya and Aaradhya were admitted to Nanavati hospital today. They are fine,” hospital source said.

Aishwarya needed medical attention, another insider said.

Amitabh, 77, and Abhishek, 44, both are already in the isolation ward of Nanavati hospital.

Since his diagnosis, Amitabh has been regularly updating his admires about his health on social media.

“In happy times, in times of illness, you our near and dear, our well wishers, our fans have ever given us unstinting love , affection care and prayer .. we express our bountiful gracious gratitude to you all .. in these circumstances hospital protocol, restrictive,” the screen icon tweeted on Friday evening.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), coronavirus cases in Mumbai rose to 98,979 with 1,228 new patients being reported on Friday.

Death toll due to the pandemic rose to 5,582 with 62 new fatalities being recorded.

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News Network
June 30,2020

Mumbai, Jun 30: Actor Aamir Khan on Tuesday issued a statement and confirmed that some of his staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, while the rest of his family members have tested negative.

Khan also announced that he was taking his mother for a COVID-19 test and urged his fans to pray for her test to come out as negative.

The '3 Idiots' star put out the statement on Instagram and said, "This is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility."

Thanking the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for their precautionary steps, he added, "I would like to thank the BMC for taking such good care of them, and for fumigating and sterilising the entire society."

Informing about the health of his family members, the 'Thugs of Hindostan' actor added, "The rest of us have all been tested and found negative," and informed that, "Right now I am taking my mother to get her tested. She is the last person in the loop. Please pray that she is negative."

Thanking the BMC, and hospital authorities for their swift prompt, he added, "I would, once again, like to thank the BMC for the prompt, professional and caring manner in which they helped us. And a big thank you to Kokilaben Hospital and the doctors, nurses and staff there. They were very caring and professional with the testing process."

Aamir also urged his fans to be safe amid the coronavirus outbreak.

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