Connect with us
Monday,09-November-2026
Breaking News

Entertainment

Legendary Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis passes away at 96

Published

on

Mikis-Theodorakis

‘Serpico’ and ‘Zorba the Greek’ music composer Mikis Theodorakis has died at 96. The beloved Greek composer’s rousing music and life of political defiance won acclaim abroad and inspired millions at home.

The Greek flag was lowered to half-staff at the Acropolis as three days of national mourning were declared. Theodorakis’ death at his home in central Athens on Thursday was announced on state television and followed multiple hospitalisations in recent years, mostly for heart treatment.

Theodorakis had a prolific career that began at the age of 17. As a composer he began in earnest, as he worked in a huge range of genres from film scores and ballet music to operas, as well as chamber music, ancient Greek tragedies and Greek folk, setting the work of leading poets to music, including Spain’s Federico Garcia Lorca and the Greek Nobel laureate Odysseas Elytis.

A music series based on poems written by Nazi concentration camp survivor Iakovos Kambanellis, ‘The Ballad of Mauthausen’, described the horrors of camp life and the Holocaust.

But it was the Oscar-winning film adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ ‘Zorba the Greek’ in 1964, and the slow-to-frenetic title score by Theodorakis that made him a household name. The movie starring Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, and Irene Pappas picked up three Academy Awards.

Fans of his music were as varied as his work. ‘The Beatles’ sang a cover of his song and he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union.

But the towering man with trademark worker suits, hoarse voice, and wavy hair also is remembered by Greeks for his stubborn opposition to post-war regimes that persecuted him and outlawed his music.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared three days of national mourning, posting a photograph with Theodorakis at his home following a recent hospitalization.

“I had the honour of knowing him for many years and his advice has always been valuable to me, especially concerning the unity of our people and overcoming divisions,” Mitsotakis wrote.”The best way to honour him, a global Greek, is to live by that message. Mikis is our history.”

Born Michail Theodorakis on the eastern Aegean island of Chios on July 29, 1925, he was exposed to music and politics from a young age.

Theodorakis began writing music and poetry in his teens, just as Greece entered World War II. During the war, he was arrested by the country’s Italian and German occupiers for his involvement in Left-wing resistance groups.

Entertainment

Shruti Haasan tells dad Kamal Haasan on his birthday: You are just the rarest of the rare Appa!

Published

on

Chennai : Actress and singer Shruti Haasan, who is also the elder daughter of actor, producer and parliamentarian Kamal Haasan, on Saturday penned an adorable birthday wish for her dad in which she called him a “glorious uncut diamond” and a person who was “the rarest of the rare”. Taking to her Instagram page to pen the birthday wish to her dad, she wrote, “Happy birthday Appa dearest! I think you’ll appreciate very much that I don’t wax eloquent on here as to why I love you the most but I’ve not always been the best at taking your advice (smiley face).” She went on to say, “I spoke to you this morning to wish you and one of the first things you did was recommend a movie you’d just watched and then proceed to break down why it is that you love that movie so much… years and years in your favourite playground of cinema haven’t jaded, not even a little bit the love and with which you live this magical life and the gifts you give us through your craft.”

Stating that the heart of the little boy who looked up at his first bright light on his very first movie set was vibrant, alive and always searching for more, she said, “You are just the rarest of the rare Appa,the most glorious uncut diamond sparkling in the way only you can. Love you to the moon and back.” Meanwhile, birthday wishes have been pouring in for actor Kamal Haasan from various people cutting across film industries. Raaj Kamal Films International, the actor’s production house, wished the actor a happy birthday by releasing two new stills from his just titled film, ‘Sandiyar’.

Seeking to mark Kamal Haasan’s birthday on Saturday, Raaj Kamal Films International had on Friday announced on its X timeline that the film had been titled ‘SANDIYAR’. The production house also released a poster from the film that showed Kamal Haasan sporting an intense look and holding a revolver. Kamal Haasan was seen leaning into a car through its window. Blood marks on the car’s door gave the impression that the film would be a grim action thriller. The film boasts of a fantastic technical team. It will have music by one of the film industry’s best music directors Anirudh Ravichander. Stunts for the film are to be choreographed by National Award winning stunt masters Anbariv. Cinematography for the film is to be by Sunil KS. While production design is being handled by C S Balachander, costumes in the film are being designed by Amritha Ram. The film is to be produced by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran, with S Disney joining in as co-producer.

Continue Reading

Bollywood

Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘little unicorn ’ Raha turns four, actress shares fun pics from her Bluey-themed party

Published

on

Mumbai : Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt on Saturday gave fans a glimpse into daughter Raha Kapoor’s fourth birthday celebrations. Sharing a series of pictures from the intimate, cartoon-themed bash on her social media account, Alia revealed all the fun that took place at the event. The first picture featured Alia and Ranbir Kapoor with Raha as they appeared to celebrate her special day together. Alia captioned it, “she’s 4” followed by a teary-eyed and a rainbow emoticon.

Another picture showed Raha, dressed in a grey checked outfit with a floral skirt, walking barefoot across the lawn, with hair styled in multiple tiny sections decorated with colourful clips. Alia captioned the adorable frame, “our little unicorn”. The actress also shared a close-up moment of herself planting a kiss on Raha’s cheek. The picture was captioned simply, “obsessed”. In another picture, Raha can be seen colouring a rainbow-themed sheet, and a birthday cake featuring hand-drawn cartoon characters was also captured in the carousel. Alia captioned the cake picture, “blessed.” The final picture showed Alia posing happily in front of a colourful birthday backdrop. The birthday event setting featured balloons, a cartoon-style bus and the words “Raha’s 4th Birthday”. Alia captioned the picture, “& ever”.

For the uninitiated, Raha was born on November 6, 2022, to Alia and Ranbir, who had tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at their Mumbai home on April 14, 2022. The couple announced that they were expecting their first child in June 2022, with Alia sharing a picture from her sonography session. Recently, Ranbir in a conversation around his film “Ramayana”, described Raha as the “diya” of his life and said the coincidence of playing Lord Ram while becoming a father had been a turning point for him. He had also spoken about how fatherhood changed his priorities and his outlook towards life. Alia, too, has previously spoken about Ranbir as a hands-on father. She described him as sensitive and said that his love for Raha is evident in the way he interacts with her. The couple had revealed Raha’s face to media and fans on Christmas in 2023. A few months after that, they started to keep Raha away from the public eye.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Aksharaa Haasan’s heartfelt wish for Kamal Haasan: Not everyone has the ability to be a dad

Published

on

Mumbai : Veteran actor and politician Kamal Haasan’s younger daughter, Aksharaa Haasan, wished the ‘Indian’ actor with a loving post on IG. On Saturday, Aksharaa dropped a goofy photo with Haasan and penned, “Anyone can be a father but not everyone has the ability to be a dad, friend and inspiration. Happiest birthday dearest Bapuji @ikamalhaasan “. Aksharaa’s sister and Kamal Haasan’s elder daughter, Shruti Haasan, called her father a “glorious uncut diamond” and a person who was “the rarest of the rare”. Her birthday post for her father went, “Happy birthday Appa dearest! I think you’ll appreciate very much that I don’t wax eloquent on here as to why I love you the most but I’ve not always been the best at taking your advice (smiley face emoji).”

“I spoke to you this morning to wish you and one of the first things you did was recommend a movie you’d just watched and then proceed to break down why it is that you love that movie so much… years and years in your favourite playground of cinema haven’t jaded, not even a little bit the love and with which you live this magical life and the gifts you give us through your craft.” Shruti went on to add. “The heart of the little boy who looked up at his first bright light on his very first movie set is vibrant , alive and always searching for more. You are just the rarest of the rare Appa,the most glorious uncut diamond sparkling in the way only you can,” the ‘Salaar’ actress went on to add. Shruti concluded the post by expressing her immense love for her father. Wishes have been pouring in from all sides for Haasan on his special day from both the entertainment and political world.

Continue Reading

Trending