SRK to open IFFI 2017; Salman for closing ceremony

Agencies
November 20, 2017

Panaji, Nov 20: The 48th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has a star-studded line-up for the event, which will be inaugurated by superstar Shah Rukh Khan while Salman Khan will be present at the closing ceremony.

Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif and Shahid Kapoor will also be present at the inauguration, which will be held tomorrow at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim, near Panaji.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar among others, would be present at the event.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award at the event, while Canadian director Atom Egoyan will receive Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Directorate of Film Festival (DFF) and Goa government's Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) are jointly organising the festival, which will be held at two venues Kala Academy and Macquiniz Palace.

The organisers said 195 films from across 82 countries would be screened, including 10 world premiers, 10 Asian and international premiers and over 64 Indian premiers will be presented during the festival.

Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's new film "Beyond The Clouds" will open the IFFI.

The event would conclude on November 28 with the world premiere of Indo-Argentinian co-production "Thinking of Him", directed by Pablo Cesar.

"The closing ceremony will be graced by noted actor Salman Khan. This in addition to a galaxy of noted industry professionals, international guests, dignitaries and film celebrities who will attend the festival," the organisers said in a release.

Noted actress Sridevi will inaugurate the Indian Panorama section of the festival on November 21.

On the same day, IFFI 2017 Country Focus on Canada will be celebrated with a grand red carpet opening and amidst the presence of noted Canadian actors and celebrities.

The segment has been organised in association with the government of Canada in collaboration with Telefilm Canada, curated by the Toronto International Film Festival.

In the international competition section of IFFI 2017, which carries a cumulative cash prize of over Rs 1 crore, 15 finest films of the year will be showcased.

The international competition jury will be headed by renowned filmmaker-poet Muzaffar Ali. The other jury members are director Maxine Williamson from Australia, actor-director Tzahi Grad from Isreal, Russian cinematographer Vladislav Opelyants, director and production designer Roger Christian from the United Kingdom.

"This edition of the festival will also be presenting films from a record number of women filmmakers in addition to a carefully curated section of restored classics from across the globe, which include the recently completed restorations of Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' and Tarkovskys 'Sacrifice', among some other notable films," the organisers said.

The IFFI 2017 will also present a specially curated section celebrating the most loved spy in films - James Bond.

The segment will showcase nine films featuring various leading actors, who have essayed the iconic character.

Additionally, the festival will present four movies from young filmmakers.

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Agencies
May 18,2020

Muzaffarnagar, May 18: Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family has been quarantined for 14 days in his house in Budhana in Muzaffarnagar district.

The actor and his family underwent medical screening and have tested negative for Coronavirus.

The actor reached his home on May 15 after taking a travel pass. He and his family have been asked to remain in home quarantine till May 25.

His mother, brother and sister-in-law also made the journey with him in his private vehicle.

The actor told reporters that he underwent medical screenings at 25 points during his journey.

Kushalpal Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Budhana police circle, said that the health officials had visited the home of the actor and ordered a 14-day quarantine for them.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

Chennai, Jul 30: Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli on Wednesday said he and his family members have tested positive for coronavirus and are currently quarantined at home.

The director, best known for his epic fantasy hit Baahubali series, said they got tested after they developed mild fever recently which subsided by itself.

“My family members and I developed a slight fever few days ago. It subsided by itself but we got tested nevertheless. The result has shown a mild COVID positive today. We have home quarantined as prescribed by the doctors (sic)” he said.

In a subsequent tweet, Rajamouli said he and his kin are asymptomatic and “feeling better”. They are, however, following all the precautions and instructions.

“Just waiting to develop antibodies so that we can donate our plasma,” he added.

Before the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown was announced in March, the filmmaker was working on his upcoming period action drama Rise Roar Revolt.

The Telugu film, featuring actors Ram Charan and NTR Jr in the lead, is a fictional tale based on the lives of two freedom fighters in early 20th century.

Andhra Pradesh witnessed its worst single day spike of coronavirus on Wednesday, 10,000 plus cases, as the other southern states, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also reported high daily numbers, although they saw a dip in the infections.

The cumulative tally of southern states — AP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry was 24,855 on Wednesday.

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News Network
July 14,2020

Los Angeles, Jul 14: US officials on Monday found the body of "Glee" actress Naya Rivera in the Californian lake where she drowned last week during a boat trip with her four-year-old son.

Rivera's body was retrieved and an initial examination found no evidence of foul play or suicide, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub told a press conference.

"We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera," said Ayub, pointing to the location, appearance, clothing and condition of the body.

Her body was being taken to a medical examiner's office for a full autopsy and confirmation of her identity from dental records, though no other missing persons have been reported at Lake Piru, he added.

Rivera, 33, is believed to have accidentally drowned after renting the boat with her young son at the camping and recreational hotspot around an hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles.

She vanished on Wednesday afternoon, and a massive search involving divers, patrol boats and helicopters was launched after her sleeping son was spotted drifting alone in a boat on the lake.

The son later told investigators that Rivera had helped him into the boat before "he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water," said the sheriff.

Ayub pointed to the lake's strong currents as a possible cause of a fatal accident.

"The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting -- it was unanchored -- and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," he said.

The lake has been closed to the public since Wednesday, with around 100 personnel, including the US Coast Guard and rescuers from neighboring counties, joining the search.

Search teams used footage from video messaging calls Rivera made from the boat before her disappearance, as well as interviews with her son, to scour portions of the lake bed for her remains over six days, with no success.

"We believe she was concealed within some of the shrubbery on the floor bed of the lake" before eventually floating to the surface due to natural decomposition, said Ayyub.

With less than one foot (30 centimeters) of visibility underwater in daylight, the recovery operation was a "complex search effort" even with use of sonar equipment, he said.

Rivera was best known for her role as high school cheerleader Santana Lopez in "Glee."

She starred for six seasons in the wildly popular musical television series set in a US high school that ended in 2015.

The "Glee" cast has been struck by tragedy before.

Actor Mark Salling took his own life in 2018, weeks before being sentenced for possession of child pornography.

Canadian castmate Cory Monteith died in July 2013 of an overdose of drugs and alcohol.

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