Entertainment
Academy’s Oscars ban on Smith can’t stop his future noms, wins
Best Actor Oscar winner Will Smith on Friday (U.S. Pacific Time) accepted the decision of the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences to ban him from all Academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years, reports ‘Variety’.
Smith, who resigned from the Academy last week, replied soon after in a statement, saying: “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
In a statement issued after its 54-member Board of Governors took the call, the Academy noted: “The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage.”
Apologising for the way it came across as unprepared, the Academy said: “During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.”
The statement also hailed comedian Chris Rock, the recipient of Smith’s infamous slap. It said: “We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.”
Reporting on the Academy’s action, ‘Variety’ observed: “The organisation did not have too many other options to impose, especially with Smith’s membership now no longer active following his resignation.”
It added: “His resignation and barring from future telecasts does not preclude him from being nominated or even winning future Academy Awards during that time.”
There have been calls from industry insiders and moviegoers for Smith’s Oscar to be taken back, which the Academy has no legal authority to claim, ‘Variety’ noted. “To compare, convicted criminals Harvey Weinstein and director Roman Polanski still hold their Oscars following their expulsions,” it added.
Smith assaulted Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith, also a Hollywood star, has spoken publicly about her struggles with hair loss due to the condition known as alopecia. Smith later apologised to Rock in an Instagram post the day after the incident.
The Oscars have struggled with their messaging and fallout after the incident. Criticism was heated from Academy members and Hollywood industry professionals regarding the decision to allow the ‘King Richard’ actor and producer to accept his statuette and speak for several minutes uninterrupted.
When the disciplinary proceedings were announced, the Academy said in a statement that Smith had refused to leave the ceremony, something multiple sources have refuted.
Entertainment
Bagheera OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Sriimurali’s Superhero Film
Bagheera is a superhero film starring Sriimurali in the lead role. The film was released in theatres on October 31, 2024, and it received positive reviews from critics and audiences. The film had a worldwide box office collection of Rs 29 crore and it emerged as the highest-grossing Kannada film of 2024. It is streaming on OTT.
Where to watch Bagheera?
The film is streaming on Netflix. The Kannada language film is written and directed by Dr Suri.
What is the story of Bagheera?
The film centres around a young boy named Vedanth, who aspires to be like Superman and sees him as a symbol of hope. However, he eventually decides to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a police officer like Prabhakar, his father. Years later, after successfully passing the exam, Vedanth joined the police force. One day, he organises a police operation that leads to the arrest of several gangsters.
However, he is shocked to discover that the criminals are released due to the corruption of high-ranking officers. He also learns that his father is also a corrupt officer. However, his life turns upside down when he discovers that a girl died by suicide because she was sexually assaulted. After the incident, Vedanth decides to seek justice. He wears a superhero costume and becomes Bagheera, a vigilante who indiscriminately kills wrongdoers. But, when a CBI officer named Guru commands his team to apprehend Bagheera at all costs, will Vedanth be able to protect his true identity?
Cast and production of Bagheera
Bagheera features Sriimurali as IPS Vedanth Prabhakar and Bagheera, Rukmini Vasanth as Dr Sneha, Prakash Raj as Guru, a CBI officer, Achyuth Kumar as Prabhakar, Rangayana Raghu as Narayana and Sudha Rani as Vedanth’s mother, among others. It is produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the baneer of Hombale Films.
Entertainment
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Salman Khan Casts Vote Amid Heavy Security In Mumbai’s Bandra
The Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 are taking place today, November 20, 2024, and Bollywood actor Salman Khan stepped out in Mumbai to cast his vote. Photos and videos of the actor have surfaced on the internet, which show him surrounded by heavy security.
The Kick actor cast his vote at a polling booth in Mount Mary Convent High School in Bandra West. Khan was seen wearing a grey T-shirt, paired with denim jeans, and wore a black cap.
Earlier today, Salman’s parents, Salim Khan and Salma Khan, made their way to the polling booth on Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by a team of bodyguards.
Bollywood
Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency To Finally Hit Theatres In 2025, New Release Date Announced For 4th Time
It will indeed be a happy new year for actress Kangana Ranaut as her much-hyped film, Emergency, will finally see the light of the day in 2025. After several setbacks, delays and controversies, the film is now all set to hit the silver screens on January 17, 2025.
Kangana took to her social media handles on Monday to announce the new release date of Emergency. “17th January 2025 – The epic saga of the nation’s most powerful woman and the moment that altered India’s destiny. #Emergency – Unveils Only in cinemas on 17.01.2025! (sic),” she wrote.
In the poster, Kangana can be seen acing the ‘Indira Gandhi look’, along with Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talapde, Vishak Nair and Milind Soman. While Kher will be seen essaying the role of JP Narayan, Shreyas will play Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vishak Nair grabbed eyeballs as Sanjay Gandhi in the trailer, and Milind Soman will play Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in the upcoming film.
This is the fourth time that the makers have announced a release date for Emergency. The film was first supposed to release in November 2023, but it was then pushed to June 2024. The film was once again postponed to September 6, 2024, however, just days before the D-day, the Censor Board refused to grant the film a valid certificate.
Several Sikh bodies objected to certain incidents shown in Emergency and moved court, stating that the film will show their community in a negative light. Taking in cognizance their plea, the CBFC did not give the censor certificate to Emergency, forcing the makers to push the film indefinitely.
It is to be noted that Emergency is even more special for Kangana as it marks her debut as a director. The film also stars Mahima Chaudhry, Satish Kaushik, and others in key roles.
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