Priyanka Chopra calls for gender equality in films

Mumbai, Jun 19: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s memories will continue to be celebrated as Instagram has memorialised his account, adding “remembering” to his bio.

Rajput, 34, known for films like "Kai Po Che!", "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Chhichhore", was found dead in his Bandra apartment on Sunday, sending shockwaves in the film industry and elsewhere.

Days after his untimely demise, Instagram added “remembering” to his account bio and memorialised it as a place to remember the actor’s life.

According to the photo-video sharing website, no one can log into a memorialised account. The posts the deceased person shared, including photos and videos, stay on their page and are visible to the users they were shared with.

Also, once the account is memorialised, no one will be able to make changes to any of the existing posts or information.

The actor’s last post on the social media platform was a tribute to his late mother on June 3.

Rajput’s death is being investigated by the Mumbai Police and so far statements of over 13 people, including actor’s family members and close friends, including actor Rhea Chakraborty and casting director Mukesh Chhabra, have been recorded.

The police have also sent a letter to Yash Raj Films seeking details of the contracts it had signed with him.

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.

Los Angeles, Jul 1: Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas has struck a two-year television deal with Amazon. The 37-year-old actor shared the news about her "multimillion-dollar" first look deal with the streamer in a post on Instagram.

"So honoured and excited to finally share this news with you. Looking ahead, we already have so much on our slate! Big thank you to @jsalke and her team at Amazon for being such great partners, and for sharing in the belief that talent and good content knows no boundaries," Priyanka wrote.

The actor, who launched her own production banner Purple Pebble Pictures in 2015, said she aims to create "great content" featuring "creative talent" from all over the world.

"This has always been the DNA of my production house Purple Pebble Pictures, and is the foundation of this exciting new endeavour with Amazon. ⁣⁣

"And as a storyteller, my quest is to constantly push myself to explore new ideas that not only entertain but most importantly, open minds and perspectives," Priyanka said.

She thanked her fans for being a "big part of my journey so far".

"And for those who are just getting to know me, or maybe only recognise me as Alex Parrish from 'Quantico', I'm excited for you to get to know me better," Priyanka concluded.

Priyanka, who started her Hollywood career with ABC series Quantico, has featured in films such as Baywatch and Isn't It Romantic.

Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told Variety that she bonded with the actor over their "shared passion for diverse global storytelling".

"Priyanka is drawn to exciting original content and characters that can resonate globally. She’s a powerhouse producer, and we are thrilled to collaborate with her for years to come," she added.

Prior to her deal with Amazon, the actor lined up two projects with the streamer. She will star opposite Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden in upcoming thriller series Citadel, to be produced by Anthony and Joe Russo.

The actor will also feature in Sangeet, an unscripted series co-produced with her husband, Nick Jonas.

Priyanka's another project with Amazon is a film about Ma Anand Sheela, the assistant to guru Bhagwan Rajneesh (also known as Osho). The actor will be producing the movie which is based on Netflix docu-series Wild Wild Country.

Besides her association with Amazon, the actor will next star in two Netflix projects -- superhero movie We Can Be Heroes and The White Tiger,  opposite Rajkummar Rao.

She is currently shooting for Keanu Reeves-starrer The Matrix 4, which recently resumed filming after production was halted by the pandemic.