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Shadow of new Covid variant on Oscar celebrations

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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.”

Bollywood

Shehnaaz Gill on exploring Bengali culture through ‘Singh Vs Kaur 2’: ‘I enjoyed it a lot’

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Mumbai, Sep 3: Actress Shehnaaz Gill has opened up about her character Jasneet Kaur in “Singh Vs Kaur 2.”

Speaking exclusively to media, she shared what made portraying the Bengali-rooted character an interesting experience for her. Jasneet Kaur comes from a Bengali background, while the story of the film travels across Punjab, Kolkata, and Canada. Speaking about the character, Shehnaaz shared that the role gave her an opportunity to explore different cultures, languages, and personalities.

Gill stated, “It was a lot of fun, and it was a very interesting character. And I enjoyed living in that culture. And seriously, when you watch the film, the way we have presented Kolkata so beautifully, you will find it very interesting. When you watch the film on 11th September, you tell me how much you found my character interesting. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Shehnaaz has opened up about being part of the ‘Singh vs Kaur 2’ franchise and addressed the possibility of comparisons with the first film. The actress said she does not feel any pressure, as her character Jasmeet is different from the one portrayed in the original. The actress explained that while the first installment featured a different character named Jasmeet, the sequel introduces her in the role.

“I think, as far as comparisons are concerned, in Singh Vs Kaur, the first character was a girl named Jasmeet, who was someone else. Now, it’s me. So, I don’t have any pressure about this at all. And I don’t think there will be any point of comparison because, of course, some things have a lot of impact on the audience’s minds. But when people see me, trust me, they will fall in love with me too,” said Shehnaaz.

Directed by Navaniat Singh, ‘Singh Vs Kaur 2’ stars Gippy Grewal and Shehnaaz Gill in the lead roles. The film is slated for a worldwide release on September 11, 2026.

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Priyanka Chopra recalls summer of 2017 when she gave Nick Jonas her number

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Mumbai, September 3: Global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas took a trip down memory lane as husband Nick Jonas and his brothers Joe and Kevin released their latest song “Listen When Sad”.

She shared a nostalgic compilation of their relationship and recalled the summer when she gave Nick her number, in the summer of 2017.

Priyanka shared a video featuring a series of pictures capturing happy moments from her journey with Nick, including their early days together, travels and family memories. The actress captioned the post as,“Oh yes!

I do remember, the summer, I gave you, my number… circa: summer 2017 Sound on New Song Out Now | #ListenWhenSad @jonasbrothers.”

For the uninitiated, the post comes as the Jonas Brothers’ new single “Listen When Sad” was released on August 28.

The song nostalgically revolves around memories of young love, including the line about a summer when a girl gave someone her number.

Priyanka’s compilation also included a picture from a family holiday in Goa, featuring her cousin and actress Parineeti Chopra, brother Siddharth Chopra and other family members posing together.

Parineeti, who seemed thrilled, also took to the comments section to reminisce about the trip, writing, “Dayum that Goa trip was THE ONEEEE”.

Talking about the Priyanka and Nick’s love story, while the couple’s first face-to-face meeting took place at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in February 2017, Nick apparently had already made the first move months earlier.

On September 8, 2016, he had sent Priyanka a Twitter DM saying, “I’m hearing from a few mutual friends that we should meet.” Priyanka replied asking him to text her instead considering her team had access to her social media account, which is how Nick got her number.

The two later met for drinks in New York and were subsequently invited to attend the 2017 Met Gala together by Ralph Lauren.

Their relationship eventually turned serious in 2018. Nick proposed to Priyanka and the couple tied the knot in a lavish wedding ceremony in Jodhpur in December 2018.

The couple are parents to their daughter Malti Marie.

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Sanjay Dutt says, ‘Grateful for the bond we share’ as he wishes Rakhi to sisters Priya & Anju

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Mumbai, Aug 28: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt said that he is extremely grateful for the bond he shares with his sisters Priya and Anju.

On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Sanjay treated his Instagram family to some rare and precious moments with his siblings.

The ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.’ actor shared that he feels truly blessed to have Priya and Anju as his sisters.

He wrote on the photo-sharing app, “Priya and Anju, I feel truly blessed to have you both as my sisters. Through every chapter of life, your love and support have been a constant. Grateful for the bond we share. Happy Raksha Bandhan (sic)”, followed by a red heart emoticon.

Earlier today, Priya also compiled a heartfelt note for Sanju on social media.

Celebrating the bond they have managed to create over the years, Priya reflected on their childhood together.

Taking a trip down memory lane, she dropped a couple of photos from when they were kids and penned, “From childhood memories to all that life has brought our way, some things never change. The love, the laughter, the arguments, the endless stories, the unspoken understanding… and the comfort of knowing that no matter where life takes us, we will always have each other.”

“We have grown up together, watched life change around us, celebrated some of its most beautiful moments, and stood beside each other through the difficult ones too. And somewhere through all those years, this bond has remained one of the few constants I can always come back to.

“Happy Raksha Bandhan, Bhaiya. Here’s to all the memories we have made, all the years we have walked through together, Always grateful to have you as my brother,” she went on to add.

Their parents, late legendary actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis, got married back in 1958.

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