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observed: “The organisation did not have too many other options to impose, especially with Smith’s membership now no longer active following his resignation.”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
Andrew Garfield speaks up on his return as ‘Spider-Man’

Los Angeles, April 22: Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield, who has openly expressed his desire to return as Spider-Man, has said that the idea has to be very novel.
If the actor returns as the web-slinging superhero, it will be his fourth movie following 2012’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, 2014’s ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ and 2021’s ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, the latter of which powered to $1.9 billion at the worldwide box office on the strength of Garfield teaming up with fellow web-slingers Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire, reports ‘Variety’.
However, Andrew Garfield said at Middle East Film & Comic Con that coming back as Spider-Man hinges on an offbeat story idea.
He said (via Entertainment Tonight), “It would have to be very weird. I would like to do something very strange. Something very unique, and offbeat and surprising, kind of like the creative freedom they have with the animated ‘Spider-Verse’ movies”.
In an interview with Esquire magazine last year, the two-time Oscar nominee said he was “left dangling” when his Spider-Man role came to such an abrupt end after ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ disappointed at the box office.
As per ‘Variety’, that film’s lackluster performance resulted in Sony coming to an agreement with Disney to share ‘Spider-Man’ so that the superhero could officially enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Tom Holland took over the role with 2017’s ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. But the success of ‘No Way Home’ proved there’s still a lot of love for Garfield’s iteration of the comic book hero.
“For sure, I would 100% come back if it was the right thing, if it’s additive to the culture, if there’s a great concept or something that hasn’t been done before that’s unique and odd and exciting and that you can sink your teeth into”, Garfield told Esquire.
“I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I’m joyful in return”, he added.
Tom Holland’s next ‘Spider-Man’ movie is officially titled ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and is set to hit theaters July 31, 2026.
Bollywood
Indian cinemas biggest stars rally behind WAVES 2025 event in Mumbai

Mumbai, April 19: The who’s who of the Indian film industry are set to attend the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) in Mumbai.
On Saturday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways of India took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a promotional video featuring the biggest stars of Indian cinema including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Vikrant Massey and Nagarjuna.
In the video, the actors talk about the upcoming event, and also reveal that the conversation will be taken forward by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
It’s also revealed in the video that the event will see thought leaders from the entertainment industry, and pioneers across the industries lending their inputs to the event.
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) is a global platform that unites pioneers, visionaries, and aspiring creatives from the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry.
The event is organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Create in India Challenge, and is poised to be a groundbreaking forum for discussions, collaborations, and transformative innovations.
It is sponsored by Netflix and orchestrated by Reskilll, and is set to redefine the future of storytelling, filmmaking, and digital content creation.
Waves Summit 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary. With over 3,000 applications, only the top 600 candidates were meticulously selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The ‘Trailer Making Competition’, the event’s crown jewel, saw an overwhelming 134 entries, showcasing an array of creative talents eager to make their mark in the industry.
The event has seen over 3,000 applications, of which top 600 candidates have been selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The event is set to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4 in the BKC area of Mumbai.
Bollywood
A.R. Rahman reveals how news about his personal life affects his mental state

Mumbai, April 17: Music maestro A.R. Rahman, currently preparing for his ambitious “Wonderment” tour, has admitted that news and rumours about him do take a toll on his mental well-being. In an exclusive conversation with Media, A.R. Rahman opened up about his preparation for the ‘Wonderment’ tour, the use of AI in music, his mental state, and much more.
When asked, “Music requires a happy state of mind, do news and rumours about you that circulate everywhere affect you?”
Rahman replied, “I think every artist goes through this. Sometimes they are in a very, very sad state, and they have to do ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya’ or ‘Hamma Hamma’. You can’t say I’m not in the mood. They will go to somebody else. Sometimes you are very happy, and they want you to do the saddest song. You should be ready for it. In music, you have to be in a very neutral condition. You are almost like an actor. You are sad inside but you have to play happy.”
When further inquired , “But as an artist and as a human being, does it really affect you when you read so much about yourself.” Opening about it Rahman quipped, ‘It does, It does affect but it’s part of the game. The ups and downs.”
For the unversed, A.R. Rahman’s wife announced her divorce with him in the month of November 2024. Soon a social media post went viral accusing Rahman of having an extra-marital affair with one of his band members which led Rahman to issue a statement. He also announced to take a legal action against those spreading defamatory news about him.
Further during the conversation, A.R. also spoke about his health and shared a message with his fans stating “Thank you for all the love. Sorry to have scared you. The hospital gave something which went viral. I am here healthy with all your prayers and love. See you on the 3rd at D.Y. Patil stadium.”
In the month of March, A.R. Rahman was admitted to the hospital in Chennai due to chest pain.
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