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Hyderabad, June 16 (IANS) Prabhas mania gripped fans in the Telugu states as his much-awaited movie 'Adipurush' hit the screens on Friday to a mixed reaction.

Theatres in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh saw wild celebrations by the actor's fans. The boisterous film buffs were seen dancing and raising slogans outside the theatres just before the screening of 'Adipurush' started in the morning.

Carrying posters of Prabhas, the fans danced in gay abandon. There was huge excitement among the fans. At some theatres, fan created fuss and behaved in a bizarre manner.

At a theatre in Ramachandrapuram near Hyderabad, fans turned violent due to delay in the film's screening. Angry youngsters broke glass panes to vent anger. Police has filed a case against the youth who indulged in vandalism.

At Imax theatre in Hyderabad, the actor's fans beat up a youth for saying that he did not like the movie. The youth, who was talking to a television channels, was interrupted by the actor's fans, picked up an argument with him and started raining blows on him.

In another incident at Bramaramba theatre, the actor's fans thrashed a man when he sat in the seat kept vacant for Lord Hanuman. The man, who was in an inebriated condition, was later let off. Believing that Hanuman will come to watch the movie, a chair is being kept vacant in every theatre.

In another incident, the visuals of a young fan breaking a beer bottle and cutting his hand with a piece of glass in front of a movie poster also went viral.

At Sudershan theatre in Hyderabad, fans garlanded a huge cutout of Prabhas. One of the fans was carrying a poster of the actor with 'Maa Devudu' (our God) written on it.

Directed by Om Raut, 'Adipurush' is a mythological drama based on the epic Ramayana. It stars Prabhas as Lord Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Sunny Singh as Lakshman, and Saif Ali Khan as Ravan.

The film was released simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

--IANS
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Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) Actor Ishwak Singh, who is known for 'Paatal Lok' and 'Rocket Boys', will be seen sharing the screen with the Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor in the upcoming social comedy film 'Sarvagunn Sampanna'. The movie marks the directorial debut of Sonali Rattan.

Ishwak has already completed shooting for his part in 'Sarvagunn Sampanna', a source informed. The film is set in the 1990s and will see Vaani portraying the character of a porn star lookalike in the film.

Speaking about Ishwak's involvement, a source in the production said: "Ishwak is the perfect fit for this role. His chemistry with Vaani Kapoor will undoubtedly captivate audiences, and we are excited to present their fresh pairing on-screen."

Director Sonali Rattan, has been an associate director to filmmaker husband Kunal Deshmukh on notable films like 'Jannat', 'Tum Mile', 'Raja Natwarlal' and 'Shiddat'. The film blends comedy and social commentary, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary issues with a touch of nostalgia.

'Sarvagunn Sampanna' is being produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films.

--IANS
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Kathmandu, June 16 (IANS) Cinema halls across Kathmandu on Friday stopped the screening of 'Adipurush', a day after Mayor Balen Shah warned that no Indian movie will be allowed in the Nepal capital if the film based on the Hindu epic Ramayana does not correct the "mistake" about the birthplace of Sita.

The Nepal Film Union has urged all the cinema halls in Kathmandu to stop showing 'Adipurush' and urged theatres outside the capital to release it only after assessing the security situation.

In a tweet on Thursday, the Mayor said that in 'Adipurush', it is mentioned that "Sita is the daughter of India". He added that until this mistake will not be corrected in India and Nepal, no Indian movie will be allowed to be shown within the Kathmandu metropolitan city limit.

The film is written and directed by Om Raut and produced by T-Series and Retrophiles. Shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu languages, the film has courted controversy in India as well.

In a statement, Nepal's QFX Cinemas said: "Keeping the security of our viewers, QFX is not going to show 'Adipurush'... We are waiting for the government's decision. As soon as this issue is resolved, we will issue another notice and apologise for the inconvenience to our viewers."

Nepal's Censor Board also decided to hold back permission to the upcoming Indian epic mythological film, based on the Hindu epic "Ramayana", for the same reason.

Sita was born in Nepal's Janakpur and Lord Rama came and married her, as per the Ramayana.

Besides Mayor Balen Shah, some sister organisations of various political parties have also protested against the film and warned that they will not allow the screening until the filmmakers correct the mistakes regarding the birthplace of Sita.

This is not the first time that Mayor Shah ratcheted up the nationalist planks.

Mayor Shah on June 8 placed the map of Greater Nepal in his chamber to counter the Indian "Akhand Bharat" map placed in the new Parliament building.

The main opposition, CPN-UML has demanded to send a diplomatic note to India to protest the "Akhand" map.

--IANS
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Los Angeles, June 4 (IANS) Hollywood star Michael Keaton thought his vision of Batman was unlikely to happen. The 71-year-old actor took on the title role of the superhero in the 1989 film directed by Tim Burton and returned to star in its 1992 sequel 'Batman Returns'.

He explained that he believed his own views on the character would not make the final cut because he could not imagine anyone wanting to see him portrayed in that way, reports 'Female First UK'.

He told 'Empire' magazine: "I remember exactly where we were. He said, 'I wanna talk to you about something. I just want you to read this, because I think I'm gonna make this movie' What's interesting if you think about this is that up until then, his and my relationship was only 'Beetlejuice'. So there was something, I don't know that I've ever asked him this, actually, but something gave him the idea and so he said, ago home and read it."

He further mentioned, quoted by 'Female First UK', "I said, 'Well, no one's going to do what I think, this is probably not going to happen, because I can't imagine anyone would want to make the movie that I see' and all I said, 'listen to me Tim'. And I started to go down the list of the guy, Bruce Wayne with him, my take on him and he didn't say anything but his hair was long at the time and I could see it moving as he nodded, 'yes, yes, Exactly'. He's a rare breed, a true artist and a true original."

"He was already seeing it and it was basically the Frank Miller stuff. And I wasn't aware of all that stuff, I just knew what it was, but I knew I had to read the Miller stuff. And I thought, 'oh, this could be interesting," he added.

--IANS
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Los Angeles, June 4 (IANS) Actress Margot Robbie thinks the soundtrack to "Barbie" fits "perfectly" with the upcoming film.

The 32-year-old actress will star as the titular doll opposite Ryan Gosling as Ken in the upcoming movie and now that "Levitating" hitmaker Dua Lipa - who also has a part in the film - has released 'Dance the Night", says that Dua has "totally nailed it" with the dance record, reports 'Female First UK'.

She told 'The Sun': "There are movies where you hear a song on the soundtrack and just think, 'Wow, that fits perfectly'. That is what Dua has achieved with 'Dance The Night' - she has totally nailed it."

In the lyrics, Dua sings: "I'll still keep the party runnin', not one hair out of place".

As per 'Female First UK', the "Bombshell" star went on to add that the song will make fans want to "get up and dance" and joked that perhaps she and her co-stars will be out partying to the track following the London premiere.

"It not only fits the movie perfectly, but when you hear it, you will just want to get up and dance. Maybe after the London premiere, we can have a few drinks and cut a few shapes to it on the dance floor. I am always down for that," she added.

Earlier this week, Dua's co-writer Mark Ronson said that the whole prospect of teaming up with her for the film started with a DM and believes the movie will be "incredible".

He said: "(I said to her) I only have the track so far, as they started rehearsals, but I would f****** love it if you would consider co-writing and starring in it. I honestly think the movie's going to be incredible."

"Barbie" will be released in cinemas on July 21, 2023.

--IANS
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Los Angeles, June 4 (IANS) Canadian actor Elliot Page has revealed he was dating Kate Mara shortly after coming out as gay in 2014.

Reflecting on the romance in an excerpt from his new memoir 'Pageboy', the 36-year-old explained that at the time, Mara was also dating 'The Handmaid's Tale' star Max Minghella, who was supportive of her exploring her feelings for Elliot, reports 'Mirror.co.uk'.

Speaking of Kate, whom he met on the set of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past', the actor wrote in the excerpt: "The first person I fell for after my heart was broken was Kate Mara," who he added "had a boyfriend at the time, the lovely and talented Max Minghella."

As per 'Mirror.co.uk', the 'Umbrella Academy' star Elliot claimed that Kate told her at the time, "I never thought I could be in love with two people, and now I know I can."

Elliot added in the copy obtained by 'People' magazine: "This was right after I'd come out as gay, and it was a time of exploration and also heartbreak. I think my relationship, or whatever you want to call it with Kate, very much encapsulates a certain dynamic that I consistently found myself in, which was falling for people that -- I think a lot of us do this -- who aren't fully available. And the sort of safety in that and the highs and the lows and the serotonin bump, and then it goes away."

Kate has read Oscar-nominated Elliot's memoir and will be supporting him at a book release event later this month.

The publication adds that the pair went on to play lovers in the 2017 flick 'My Days of Mercy' and are still close.

Elliot said that the "love and care that we have for each other is its own special thing... separate from the intimacy that I write about."

--IANS
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Mumbai, June 4 (IANS) Actress Aditi Rao Hydari, who was recently seen in the second season of the streaming show 'Taj', and 'Rang De Basanti' actor Siddharth, who are rumoured to be dating, are currently on a vacation in Rajasthan.

Actress-turned-politician Bina Kak took to her Instagram recently and dropped a few pictures with Aditi and Siddharth.

Along with the pictures, Bina wrote, "Happiest when the children visit me at home."

In the first photo, Aditi sat on the stairs while Bina posed near her. A dog was also seen in the frame with them. In the picture, Aditi wore a black and white T-shirt, blue denims and sneakers. Bina was seen in an all-white outfit.

The second picture has Aditi, Siddharth and Bina posing for the camera.

Aditi and Siddharth were seen together flying out of Mumbai on Friday. There have been speculations around Aditi and Siddharth dating each other as they are often spotted together. However, they haven't confirmed or denied the reports of them dating.

The two actors met while working on the Telugu film 'Maha Samudram' in 2021.

--IANS
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Mumbai, June 4 (IANS) Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who is busy with the post-production of her upcoming directorial 'Emergency', has shared a video of her dance rehearsal session.

The Padma Shri awardee took to the Story section of her Instagram on Sunday and shared the video of her practise with her guru. She wrote on the video: "Morning dance routine with Guruji @rajendrachaturvedi."

In the video, the actress is seen donning a white suit. She also wore ghungroos as she did Kathak's steps on the beats of Tabla.

Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress will be soon seen essaying the role of the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi in her upcoming film 'Emergency' which marks her first solo directorial. She will also be seen in 'Tejas' in which she will be seen portraying the role of an Indian Air Force pilot. The actress also has 'Chandramukhi 2' in the pipeline.

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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Yoodlee Films, the film studio of Saregama India Limited, has released the first look poster of 'Bazooka', its big-budget Malayalam action thriller featuring superstar Mammootty.

The poster features Mammootty as the central figure in a dimly lit space next to a bike almost as if he is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. The filming of 'Bazooka' began on May 10 in Ernakulam, Kerala. It is being helmed by debutant director Deeno Dennis and also stars Gautham Menon.

Talking about the film, Dennis said: "As I have said before, I always dreamt of working with Mammootty sir and this poster has finally brought that dream to life. I feel so thrilled to see his commanding presence in a story that I always wanted to tell. I can't wait to share the teaser and eventually the film, which is truly the labour of love for all of us."

Co-Producer Jinu V. Abraham added: "Every single milestone we have reached with this film has been special and the poster launch is no different because we are sharing the first look of Mammootty sir's character and of the film with the world. The response so far has been fantastic and indicates how eagerly fans are waiting for this film." 'Bazooka' is co-produced by Theatre Of Dreams.

'Bazooka' is the latest addition to Yoodlee's 2023 Malayalam slate with films such as Tovino Thomas's next, 'Anveshippin Kandethum'. and 'Kasargold' (with Asif Ali and Sunny Wayne).

--IANS
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Mumbai, June 2 (IANS) The streaming courtroom drama film 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai', which stars National Award winning actor Manoj Bajpayee as a lawyer, is set to be released in two additional languages of Tamil and Telugu. The film has also been released in theatres making it the first Hindi film to migrate from OTT to theatres.

The Telugu and Tamil versions of the film will drop on OTT on June 7. The film, directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, has Manoj's character P.C. Solanki fighting the biggest case of his life against a powerful self-styled godman in a minor girl's rape case.

Despite death threats against him, his family and the key witnesses, P.C. Solanki is persistent in his fight for truth.

Manoj Bajpayee said: "I am overwhelmed by all the warmth, love, support and affection the film has received from fans, critics and my friends in the industry. It is a matter of pride to be recognised for a film which tackles such an important subject. It's a film that will connect with audiences across languages. I am still eager to see how the audience in the South responds to it. Truly hope they like the film."

Produced by Vinod Bhanushali's Bhanushali Studios Limited, Zee Studios and Suparn S Varma, 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai' will premiere in Tamil and Telugu on June 7, 2023 on ZEE5.

--IANS
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