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Shadow of new Covid variant on Oscar celebrations

Published

3 years ago

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Organisers are taking precautions to prevent the 2022 Academy Awards from being a super-spreader, as other awards shows and film festivals have proven to be in the pandemic era.

Attendees will have to show two negative PCR tests and be fully vaccinated in order to attend the festivities. On Friday, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences updated its COVID protocols and rules, announcing that people “..who tested positive for Covid and are within a zero to five-day window from the date of their first positive test, are not permitted to attend under any circumstances.”

There’s a reason that the rules are so stringent, reports ‘Variety’.

This year’s Academy Awards kicks off as Covid infections are once again on the rise.

On Thursday, public health officials announced that cases of BA.2, the new and highly contagious sub-variant of omicron, climbed 130 per cent in a week, though cases remain low. Adding to the unease is the fact that the BAFTA Awards on March 13 appears to have been a variable Petri dish with studios privately reporting that dozens of executives contracted Covid at the event — stars such as Kenneth Branagh and Ciaran Hinds and ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who appeared at the show, also came down with the virus, reports ‘Variety’.

Add to that the spread of Covid at recent industry events such as, where ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ star Michelle Yeoh tested positive for coronavirus after the film premiered at the Texas festival. Some nominees are concerned that their recent bouts with Covid will prevent them from making the trip to the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are handed out.

Jamie Dornan recently told Variety at the Oscar Wilde Awards on Thursday that he’s hoping his ‘Belfast’ compatriots will be on hand.

“I can’t even imagine going on Sunday night without those guys,” Dornan said.

Don’t be surprised if Oscar co-hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall deliver some Covid quips as a way of acknowledging the pandemic elephant in the room.

But the Oscars are but one stop on a long and boozy jaunt around Los Angeles on Sunday.

Winners, nominees, power brokers and press hop from the Governor’s Ball to the Vanity Fair party to soirees hosted by the likes of Apple, Neon and Warner Bros

That kind of marathon socialising could lead to more exposures. Several party and event planners tell Variety that they’re sticking to their protocols for now — most are requiring guests to show that they are full vaccinated (with booster, that is) and provide proof of negative test within 48 hours of the event.

However, none of the events have a mask mandate and the Oscars are only recommending that guests wear masks.

“People in Hollywood are willing to go to parties and possibly contract Covid because they don’t think it’s a big deal,” one party planner said.

“They see their friends and family getting it now and it’s seen more as an inconvenience than anything else.”

This source also opined, “It really is a brash display of privilege because probably most haven’t lost many people to the disease because they have money and access to health care when it was needed most during the worst part of the pandemic.”

Last night’s W magazine party was held outdoors at hotspot Gigi’s. A consistent question heard throughout the night was, “Are we all getting COVID now?” Guests nervously joked that Oscar weekend could be a “super spreader.” Mask-wearing at W’s party and a Vanity Fair party earlier in the evening at Mother Wolf was a rare sighting.

Denis Villeneuve was one of the few prominent people seen wearing a mask as his team hopped from a reception for Canadian filmmakers and Canada-based productions to the W party. It was also notable because the event was held largely outside, a sign that Villeneuve isn’t taking any chances about contracting Covid before Sunday’s ceremony where his sci-fi epic “Dune” is up for 10 awards.

Most event attendees seem unfazed, with much of Hollywood returning to hugging, handshaking and enthusiastic candle-blowing out in the case of Quentin Tarantino’s surprise birthday cake at W.

Since COVID upended life in 2020, the movie business has been through several peaks and valleys. Outbreaks on sets have become a staple of production, as have COVID bubbles, masks and frequent testing.

The entertainment industry has grown hopeful that the virus is fading at various points, only to have Delta and Omicron emerge as painful reminders that the credits have yet to roll on the highly contagious disease. A month ago, cases seemed to be falling and the business appeared poised to celebrate a return to normalcy. Now, that festive spirit is tinged with those old feelings of anxiety and unease that have been so pervasive over the last two years.

“It’s not over,” one Oscar attendee told Variety.

“We may wish COVID was finished, but it’s not done with us yet.”

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Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari-starrer ‘The Bhootnii’ trailer is all about ghosts, gadgets and guns

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6 days ago

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March 29, 2025

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Mumbai, March 29: The trailer for the upcoming film “The Bhootnii”, starring Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari, Mouni Roy, and Sunny Singh, was unveiled on Saturday. It promises a thrilling blend of fun and spookiness.

The trailer is filled with witty punchlines, eerie thrills, and a generous dose of Sanjay’s iconic swag. The Bhootnii promises to transport audiences into a world where horror meets humor in the most unexpected ways.

The makers launched the trailer of the movie at a mega event in Mumbai in presence of the entire star cast.

It was on February 26, when Sanjay had revealed the title of the film, which was earlier called “The Virgin Tree”, on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. It was also revealed that the project will be hitting the theatres on April 18, 2025.

The makers had also shared a teaser, which gives an insight into the mystical world where ‘love turns into darkness’.

Soham Rockstar Entertainment and Three Dimension Motion Pictures are presenting “The Bhootnii”, which has been produced under the banner of A Soham Rockstar Entertainment Production by Deepak Mukut, Sanjay Dutt, Hunar Mukut, and Maanayata Dutt.

Additionally, Sanjay’s lineup includes the much-awaited sequel “Welcome to the Jungle.” The Ahmed Khan’s directorial enjoys an ensemble cast with Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Lara Dutta, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, and Tusshar Kapoor.

The film is the third installment to the “Welcome” franchise. It was first released in 2007 and the second part Welcome Back hit the screens in 2015.

Furthermore, Sanjay will also be seen playing a crucial role in “Son of Sardaar 2”. The drama has Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur as the lead pair. Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, Ajay Devgn has produced the film under the banner of Devgn Films in collaboration with Jio Studios.

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Hrithik Roshan turns director for ‘Krish 4’ produced by Aditya Chopra

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7 days ago

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March 28, 2025

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Mumbai, March 28: Actor Hrithik Roshan is set to turn director for the upcoming film ‘Krrish 4’, and take the baton from his father Rakesh Roshan for the franchise. The development of the fourth installment of India’s biggest superhero franchise has been confirmed by Rakesh Roshan, who has helmed the earlier 3 parts of the franchise.

The film is being produced by Yash Raj Films in association with Rakesh Roshan. The Indian superstar Hrithik Roshan will be swinging between the two departments of direction and acting for the film as he essays the titular superhero in the franchise. The shooting for the film is set to begin early next year.

Confirming the development Rakesh Roshan said, “I’m passing the baton of the director of Krrish 4 to my son, Hrithik Roshan, who has lived, breathed and dreamt about this franchise since its inception with me! Hrithik has a clear and a very ambitious vision of taking Krrish’s journey forward with the audience for the next decades”.

He further mentioned, “I couldn’t be more proud to see him wear the director’s hat for a film that means the world to us as a family. ‘Krrish’ has entertained audiences the world over and Hrithik will now reveal the next chapters of this superhero saga and take the vision I created so many years ago to greater heights”.

The department of direction is not something new for Hrithik as he worked as an assistant director on the sets of films like ‘Karan Arjun’, directed by his father. In fact, it was Hrithik, who started the trend of actors learning the ropes on a film set, gaining practical knowledge of the technicalities involved in filmmaking, and eventually venturing into acting with the wealth of filmmaking knowledge.

Rakesh Roshan is thrilled that Aditya Chopra is taking over the reigns of ‘Krrish 4’ as the producer.

He further mentioned, “It brings me so much joy to see someone like Adi as the producer of Krrish 4. It was he who convinced Hrithik to sit in the director’s chair. Adi and Yash Raj Films have the knowledge, understanding and technological might to produce this film and add great value to this project”.

“Hrithik and Adi coming together as a producer-director pair with me behind them is a rare and deliciously creative combination! I’m sure they will turn Krrish 4 into a theatrical experience that has never been made in India. The dream is to make India proud globally with a larger than life experience like ‘Krrish 4’”, he added.

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Aamir Khan vs Salman Khan: Face-Off to determine who is the real ‘Sikandar’

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1 week ago

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March 25, 2025

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Mumbai, March 25: In a battle of Bollywood giants, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan are facing off to claim the title of the real ‘Sikandar.’

As both stars have made significant marks in their careers with iconic roles, the question of who truly deserves the title of ‘Sikandar’ has even left filmmaker AR Murugadoss in a tough position. On Tuesday, Salman shared a video of him with Aamir and Murugadoss on his Instagram handle, writing, “Amar Prem ka Andaaz with AR Murugadoss! #SikandarMeetsGhajini #AamirKhan #SajidNadiadwala’s #Sikandar Directed by @a.r.murugadoss.”

In the video, the trio can be seen seated, engaged in an intriguing conversation. The clip opens with Aamir asking AR Murugadoss, “Between me and Salman, who is the real Sikandar?” The filmmaker is seen with a serious expression on his face.

Interestingly, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan share a great rapport. They had previously worked together in the iconic film “Andaz Apna Apna.” The two superstars often show mutual support for each other’s films, and this camaraderie is evident as part of Salman’s upcoming film “Sikandar” promotions. Not to forget, the ‘Wanted’ actor even made an appearance at the screening of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid’s debut film, showing his support for the young actor.

Meanwhile, Salman is currently busy promoting his next project, “Sikandar,” which marks his first on-screen pairing with Rashmika Mandanna. On March 23, the makers dropped its highly awaited trailer, packed with action and suspense. In the trailer, the ‘Dabangg’ actor takes on the titular role of Sikandar, a man driven by a strong sense of purpose.

Speaking at the trailer launch, the actor spoke about the age gap between superstars and younger actresses, sharing his thoughts on the evolving dynamics in the film industry. In his trademark style, Salman stated, “I have a 31-year age difference between me and the heroine. The heroine doesn’t have this problem. The heroine’s father doesn’t have this problem.” He then turned towards Rashmika and asked her, “You don’t have this problem, right?”

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, “Sikandar” is set to release in theatres on March 30, 2025.

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