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Bhumi speaks up for gender-neutral performing arts awards

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Hours after Brian May, the guitarist of the British rock group Queen, slammed the decision of the Brit Awards management to do away with gender-specific awards, Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar came out in support of the move, saying that it is time human beings started celebrating artistes irrespective of the gender they belong to.

The Brit Awards, which celebrate the best in British and international music, have replaced Best Male/Female Solo Artiste of the Year and Best International Male Solo/Female Solo Artiste of the Year with two gender-neutral categories — Best Artiste and Best International Artiste of the Year, respectively.

Pednekar, who is known to articulate her opinions on gender and environmental issues, says that society needs to be more open to the reality that’s unfolding each day.

Batting for inclusivity, Pednekar said: “I have always felt that gender must not be important to determine the value of an artiste’s skill or creation. Artistes should be celebrated solely because of their body of work and not by how they choose to identify themselves.”

Almost echoing the sentiments of the best-selling ‘genderqueer’ English Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Sam Smith’s concern that the award categories ruled out non-binary artistes like him, Pednekar said: “People are identifying with diverse genders and we just can’t turn a blind eye to this reality.”

Pednekar praised the Brit Awards management for “doing away with gendered awards” and said: “We have to ensure that our society acknowledges gender diversity. I laud the Brit Awards. It is a step in the right direction and shows across the world will soon follow suit.”

She added a note of caution, saying the journey towards more inclusivity must not come at the price of representation. “We should also keep in mind that while we try to be more inclusive, it should not lead to less representation or less inclusion of genders in a world that is governed by the binary lens. That would be counterproductive to equality.”

Most recently, the Berlin Film Festival awarded its first-ever gender-neutral Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance to Maren Eggert for her role in the German sci-fi romance, ‘I’m Your Man’.

The Gotham Awards, which will be held on Monday, November 29, also announced that their best actor and best actress prizes will be combined into a single lead performance category.

Bollywood

Nick Jonas recalls hilarious moment when 4-year-old Malti Marie barged into Jonas Brothers’ green room before show

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Mumbai, Sep 30: Singer Nick Jonas recently opened up about a hilarious behind-the-scenes moment involving his four-year-old daughter Malti Marie, recalling an almost awkward moment when the little one unexpectedly barged into their green room just before a show.

In a podcast conversation, Nick recounted the incident involving Malti and his wife, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

He said the best part of the night was not the show itself, but what happened backstage when Malti decided to walk into the room where Nick, Kevin and Joe were getting ready.

Recalling the incident, Nick said, “The best part about the whole night was actually not the show and not trying to make anybody mad. Hold on. It’s what happened during the show.

Malti Marie and Priyanka were there and, you know, the protocol is to just sort of knock and then, but there’s no door into the stage, it’s just curtains. You can’t knock a curtain.”

He added, “Malti was very excited and, obviously, she’s four and a half, so she just kind of burst into the room. Luckily, we were all in our boxer briefs and stuff, tank tops, actually. She looks at us and she goes, ‘Oh, you are in summer clothes.’ It was perfect. It was so funny.”

For the uninitiated, Priyanka and Malti have frequently been seen attending Nick’s performances and supporting him from the audience.

Just months ago, the mother-daughter duo were seen cheering and dancing at a Jonas Brothers concert, showing their support for Nick.

Nick performs alongside his brothers Kevin Jonas and Joe Jonas as part of the Jonas Brothers.

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas welcomed their first child, Malti Marie in January 2022 through surrogacy.

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan obliges to paps’ request, asks them to pose for a group selfie

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Mumbai, Sep 30: Global icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was seen striking a warm interaction with the paparazzi on Tuesday night.

A video on social media shows the actress obliging photographers as she made her way towards her car after returning from Paris Fashion Week.

In the video, Aishwarya is seen signing an autograph for a fan before stopping to acknowledge the paparazzi waiting to photograph her.

Rather than simply posing for individual pictures, the actress had a sweet suggestion for the photographers. Addressing them, she said, “ Aao sab log ek photo lete hain” (Come, let’s all take a picture together)

The paparazzi appeared delighted by Aishwarya’s gesture as she made sure everyone could be part of the photograph.

Aishwarya has just returned from Paris where she walked the runway in a dramatic velvet creation with a crystal-embellished cape.

The actress, who has been married to actor Abhishek Bachchan since 2007, is part of one of Bollywood’s most prominent families.

Her equation with the paparazzi also makes for an interesting contrast with her mother-in-law Jaya Bachchan’s who is often stirring headlines for her complicated relationship with photographers.

Jaya has openly spoken about her discomfort with paparazzi culture and has often objected when photographers flock around her or photograph her in private moments.

Jaya has also made it clear that she is willing to pose when photographers maintain a proper distance and allow her to approach them on her own terms.

Meanwhile, Aishwarya made news recently when she was spotted at the airport while heading to Paris, without her daughter Aaradhya.

The little girl never fails to accomany her mother at many events and travels, but this time around she seems to have given it a miss.

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India release of Korean thriller ‘Hope’ pushed to October 23

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Mumbai, Sep 29: The release of the much-talked-about upcoming Korean sci-fi thriller ‘HOPE’ has been pushed.

The drama, which was originally scheduled to be out in the cinema halls in India on September 25 this year, will now get a theatrical release on October 23, 2026.

The release was delayed so that there is sufficient time for the requisite screening of the film and certification process by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Now, the English version of the movie has been approved by the CBFC without any cuts, whereas the certification process for its Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions is presently underway.

Presented by Plus M Entertainment and backed by Forged Films, along with, Plus M Entertainment and Westworld, the drama is being released in India via Star Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

The worldwide release for ‘HOPE’ is slated for November this year.

Meanwhile, the project will premiere in the UK, Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland this week. Following this, it will be out in Argentina, Germany, France and Spain in October, along with other international markets.

‘HOPE’ has been made under the direction of Na Hong-jin, the renowned filmmaker known for his work in ‘The Chaser’, ‘The Yellow Sea’ and ‘The Wailing’.

Set in a remote port town, the film talks about what happens when they discovery an unidentified object, triggering a mysterious and dangerous chain of events.

‘HOPE’ enjoys an ensemble cast led by Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Kitsch, along with others.

‘Hope’ had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2026.

The drama has become the highest-grossing Korean film in the US, crossing USD 7 million.

While Hong Kyung-pyo is on board as the cinematographer, Kim Sun-min is the head of the editing department.

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