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Chennai, Sep 21 (IANS) National Award-winning art director Thota Tharrani has disclosed that temples provided the best reference for his team to create sets for director Mani Ratnam's much-awaited magnum opus "Ponniyin Selvan 1", the story of which is set in the tenth century.

In a video clip released by Lyca productions, the firm that is making the film along with director Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies, the ace art director is seen saying: "I am doing this film with Mani (Mani Ratnam) after 28 years."

Disclosing that he works out whatever he wants first on paper even today, the art director says: "Whatever I want, I work out on a paper. I work out on a graph, even today."

Stating that the Latha Mandapam was the first set that the art department did for the film, the art director says: "Mani explained to me that he needed a little water front. So, what we did was to erect the whole water pond --two bodies and then the centre passage. It would lead to the exterior of the wall."

Giving details of how they went about recreating the monuments of that era, he says: "We had a person to research on what was used at that time. For instance, did they write on palm leaves or on leather? Yalis were not kept like this. They were only kept in certain areas and things like that. One major source of information is the temples. These are the best references we can get. Two pillars cannot be the same. Only alternate pillars would have one design."

The art director also sheds light on the enormous challenge his team faced while working on this epic film.

"We had some people to get dresses made for the animals. It was not easy. Everyday morning, (one had to) dress up the horse and give the actors -- swords and the spears. Plus, dummies were made. We had to do it in wood, we had to do it in fibre glass and we had to do it in steel with fibre glass and supply them whenever they wanted."

However, the art director and his team seems to have relished the challenge.

"We are making something which is already an epic. So, we have tried to work out on the epic," he signs off.

--IANS
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Chennai, Sep 21 (IANS) Actress Varsha Bollamma, who has acted in several critically acclaimed films in Tamil and Telugu, on Wednesday chose to have some fun with her followers on Instagram by putting out a video clip in which she was seen asking "tough questions" and also answering them.

Taking to Instagram, the actress wrote: "After years of research, I bring to you the toughest questions to crack.!! #DontHate," and posted the clip.

Some of the questions she asked and answered in the clip included: "What did one volcano say to another?"

"I lava you."

"What do you call a honey bee that is from the United States of America?

"A USB".

"What do you call an ant that will never leave you no matter what you do?"

"A PermanANT."

"What do you call a honey bee that is not sure?"

"A MayBE."

"Which sweet is never on time?"

"ChocoLATE, cos it is always late."

On the work front, the actress will next be seen in the Telugu film 'Swathimuthyam', which is scheduled to hit screens on October 5.

--IANS
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Chennai, Sep 21 (IANS) Kajal Aggarwal, who has now taken a liking for horse riding, said that our bodies could change but our indomitable spirit and burning passion need not.

The actress, who only months after delivering a baby, is back at work shooting for director Shankar's much-awaited 'Indian 2', featuring Kamal Haasan in the lead, took to Instagram to explain how she has got back into the grind because of her determination and passion for cinema.

Posting a video clip of her riding a horse, she wrote: "Eager and excited, I jumped back into work four months post-partum! Little did I realise that it would feel like starting from scratch. My body wasn't the same as how it used to be. Pre-baby, I could endure very long workdays with taxing amounts of physical activity and then hit the gym."

"Post baby, it's been hard to get back my energy levels. Mounting a horse, let alone riding it seemed like a huge task! My body protested with the martial arts training that came so easily to me earlier."

"Our bodies can change/ may change/ will change but our indomitable spirit and burning passion, need not. We've got to just keep showing up for ourselves and consistently making each day count. It's all about what we choose to prioritise to focus on and not feel guilty about our choices."

Commenting on 'Indian 2', she said: "I'm so glad I've jumped back into the drill with you. Stoked to learn new skills on the job and pursue them as hobbies after. So fortunate to be a part of this industry I call home! Grateful for the opportunities to constantly learn and become an upgraded version of myself."

--IANS
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By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe
New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANSlife) Kareena Kapoor Khan is a bonafide fashionista and one of the most celebrated celebrities in the last two decades. Adored by fashion forecasters for her sense of style, she leaves no stone unturned when it comes to creating a statement. As the ravishing Bollywood star turns 42, here's a throwback of her iconic saree looks over the years.


White love

Kareena's satin snowy saree amped up with a crystal border is a must for every young girl out there. To jazz her look further, she paired the saree with a statement blouse embellished with crystals. She keeps the makeup classic with kohl eyes, and a pink lipstick. As for her jewellery, she kept it all simple and put on just a pair of diamond and emerald earrings does the trick, and who needs a necklace when you've got those sultry collarbones to flaunt? (Diet starts tomorrow!)

Shining like a superstar!

The sequin-sheeted sari has been doing rounds lately! It has been worn by Janhvi Kapoor, Tara Sutaria, Kiara Advani, and of course, our stunner Kareena. She stepped out in a light pink sequin saree for a night out in the town.

Green magic!

For Diwali this traditional look is spot on. Her jewel toned satin sari, a narattana necklace set, sindur and minimal makeup for Diwali 2019, had everyone's attention. Bebo was a true testament to 'this Diwali don't light a patakha, be one'. If you've just gotten married, take inspiration from Kareena on how to slay as a newly wed.

Raising the heat

Probably the only time Kareena wore a red hot saree is when she stepped out as a newly wed. Since red is such a bold and bright colour, it always works to not go overboard with your makeup or jewellery. Although a sexy blouse never hurts!

Flourishing in Polka dots!

Kareena wore this funky saree as one of her festive looks. This Chanderi printed saree with big black polka dots, a bandeau blouse and a big black bindi teamed with silver earrings is great for a office party or formal dinner.

Navyasa by Liva sarees has a selection of iconic sarees you can choose from!

(N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in)

--IANS
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Los Angeles, Sep 20 (IANS) Popular rapper Eminem's 26-year-old daughter Hailie Jade is speaking out on the attention surrounding her relationship with her father.

Hailie Jade recently hosted a 'Ask Me Anything' episode of her podcast, but that doesn't mean she should only be asked the famous rapper.

Addressing the questions she received about the 'Slim Shady' artiste, Hailie spoke on how it feels receiving questions about only her dad, reports eonline.com.

"Does it bother me when I get asked about my dad?" Hailie said on her 'Just a Little Shady' podcast "Because a lot of questions were about my dad."

As she put it, "The best way to say this is yes and no... Honestly, it's to a point. I obviously expect it. And there's certain things I can understand why people are just genuinely curious about, as anyone would be when you've kind of grown up half in the spotlight."

However, she said there's a balance to be had when growing up in the public eye, saying, "Once it gets past that point though, I'm like, 'I'm a person too.'"

The 26-year-old noted that she has more to offer than just being Eminem's daughter.

"So, it becomes tricky because I get it," Hailie added.

"But then, after a certain extent, I'm not going to speak on behalf of anyone. I'm not going to answer stuff that I don't specifically have the answers to."

Hailie detailed how her life was impacted by all the curiosity surrounding her father.

"I feel like growing up, when it would happen, I would get more bothered by it because I was like, 'Why do people care?'" Hailie said.

"I was young and I didn't totally understand the situation so I was like, that's my dad. I don't ask you about your dad."

Though some questions have been OK to answer, Hailie noted that others would cross a line.

"And there are certain things that, yeah, that's just weird that you want to know that, but then things that have been a little bit shared I understand why people are like, 'OK is this true?'" Hailie added.

"Some stuff it's just like, that's weird. Let's move on."

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 20 (IANS) Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt, who is currently enjoying the response to her recently released fantasy adventure film 'Brahmastra' as it becomes the highest grossing Hindi film of 2022, has been feted with the Smita Patil Memorial Award.

The actress took to the story section of her Instagram to share the news with her followers. Sharing the certificate of the honour, she wrote on the picture: "Grateful and honoured to receive the Smita Patil Memorial Award. Thank You to everyone (heart emoji)."

Established in 1986 by the Priyadarshni Academy in memory of actress Smita Patil, the Smita Patil Memorial Award is awarded to an Indian actress for her contribution to Indian cinema in the period prior to the ceremony, irrespective of a particular performance. Till 1994, the award was conferred every year to the actresses. However, since 1994 the committee has been conferring the honour upon the actresses once every two years.

In the past, actresses like Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi, Tabu, Manisha Koirala, Urmila Matondkar and Kareena Kapoor Khan have been honoured with the award. The award committee drew flak in 2016 when it feted Bollywood star Katrina Kaif with the award as certain sections of media and general populace felt that the actress was undeserving of the honour.

Taapsee Pannu was the last actress to be feted with the honour before Alia back in 2020.

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 20 (IANS) Hit OTT bachelor drama 'Feels Like Home' is set to return with its second season. Taking the narrative forward, the series will witness the boys traverse through adulthood by celebrating the idea of modern masculinity, and put up a fight where needed - to protect their 'home' in the second season.

It will bring Prit Kamani, Vishnu Kaushal, Mihir Ahuja, Anshuman Malhotra, Himika Bose and Inayat Sood to the screen and on a trip down memory lane, filled with nostalgia.

Commenting on the occasion, director Sahir Raza said in a statement: "We are delighted to bring the second season of 'Feels Like Home' to audiences both young and old. The second season is in many ways more mature, it attempts to deal with complex interpersonal relationships, pushing the central characters to grow and evolve. We hope audiences will find the journey relatable and the characters loveable."

During the course of the second season, the show will uncover the boys' vulnerable sides and draw attention to their emotional journeys where they learn to 'adult', confront their feelings and find themselves along the way while learning to keep their most important relationships and friendships strong.

Season 2 of 'Feels Like Home' will drop on OTT platform Lionsgate Play on October 7.

--IANS
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London, Sep 20 (IANS) North-west England's Stanlow oil refinery has stood near the banks of the river Mersey for almost 100 years. But, today, its managers want to ensure it has a low-carbon future over the next century. It produces about 17 per cent of road fuels in the UK and some heavy investment is going into decarbonising the facility -- funding plans to capture emissions and store them underground, Financial Times reported.

Essar Group, the India-based conglomerate, owns Stanlow and believes that, by deploying carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology, the plant will be able to prolong its life. It intends the business to play a key role in the UK's plans to build out a market for hydrogen, as a low-carbon fuel for heavy industry and transportation.

"Our company view is that carbon capture will be an important part of manufacturing for our industry and that's why we're committing to it now," says Jon Barden, chief operating officer of Essar Oil. "We are firmly of the belief that delivering net zero (emissions) is a good thing for us as a business, as the transition for hydrocarbons will be a long one," he adds, Financial Times reported.

Much hinges on making CCUS a success. The UK government last year backed two CCUS clusters for fast-track development, including the HyNet north-west project that the Stanlow refinery is part of.

CCUS has a chequered history, with the UK government pulling funding in the last decade and doubts over the effectiveness of some international projects in operation. But the UK government has recommitted to the technology and wants to have at least five industrial clusters around the country to enable the capture of emissions from heavy industry.

Essar says the chemistry and engineering is widely utilised and understood in the oil industry - though generally for maximising output by reinjecting CO2 into oilfields to squeeze out extra supply, rather than cutting emissions.

As part of the HyNet cluster in the north-west of England, the plant will be used to produce so-called blue hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is created from gas but with the emissions sequestered to create a low or zero carbon fuel. This can replace the gas used to provide power to run the facility and kick-start a wider hydrogen economy, by providing a low carbon fuel for other industries, Financial Times reported. "We want to demonstrate that this is a viable technological solution and that we can implement and run it sustainably, as part of the company's own transition to lower carbon," Barden says. "The target is to get to net zero by 2040?.?.?. but getting to 70-80 per cent of net zero is possible within 10 years."

--IANS
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Los Angeles, Sep 20 (IANS) Actress Kate Winslet has returned to work after being injured on a film set in Croatia.

The 46-year-old actress was pictured getting back into character today after she was reportedly rushed to the hospital over the weekend, reports mirror.co.uk.

She appeared to be in good spirits as she donned a khaki cargo jumpsuit on the set of her new movie Lee - which is being shot in the village of Kupari.

New pictures show her surrounded by crew as she wore a US military outfit - sporting a make-up free look.

Only yesterday, a news outlet in Croatia published pictures of the actress arriving at the hospital.

In the pictures, she was surrounded by many other people as she made her way in.

She walked into Dubrovnik Hospital wearing black clothes and a face mask. She is said to have arrived at the hospital, which is around 15 minutes from the set, in a black van.

Her new film follows World War II correspondent Lee Miller's life, portrayed by Kate, and also stars Jude Law and Marion Cotillard.

The injury ordeal comes after Kate previously discussed how she learned an incredible underwater 'superpower' for her role in the new 'Avatar: The Way Of Water'.

The star, who is no stranger to being in bodies of water for a long period of time in movies, learned how to hold her breath for a shocking number of minutes.

Speaking to Empire about her role as Ronal, a free diver of the Metkayina, the 46-year-old said that she learned how to hold her breath in a 900,000-gallon water tank for longer than any other cast member.

"Seven minutes and 14 seconds, baby!" she told the publication.

"The most amazing thing for me as a middle-aged woman was to learn something not just new, but superhuman!"

--IANS
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Los Angeles, Sep 20 (IANS) Rapper Bad Bunny's album 'Un Verano Sin Ti' has clinched another non-consecutive week at number one, its 11th time at the top spot out of 19 weeks since its release.

Not since Drake's 'Views' logged 13 non consecutive weeks at number 1 in 2016 had a similar feat been reached, reports 'Variety'.

Both 'Views' and 'Un Verano' runs were non-consecutive, however, Bad Bunny has yet to slip below a No. 2 slot. 'Un Verano' enters with the equivalent of 97,000 album sales in the US, according to Luminate via Billboard.

Former One Direction member Harry Styles also accomplishes a historic mark of 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, the longest stay at number one since Lil Nas X's chart-topping 'Old Town Road', feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, logged 19 weeks in 2019.

Out of its 24 weeks on the chart, 'As It Was' currently holds the record for the most weeks spent in the Hot 100's top two positions with 23 weeks.

Meanwhile, Steve Lacy and 'Bad Habit' remains at a No. 2 peak; Nicki Minaj's former No. 1 single 'Super Freaky Girl' lifts from No. 7 to No. 3, fueled by the release of its 'Queen Mix' rendition; Post Malone's 'I Like It (A Happier Song)', feat. Doja Cat, inches back into the song chart's top five (6-5); and Morgan Wallen's 'You Proof' jumps 10 to 6, following the premiere of its music video.

At No. 4 is Nicky Youre and Dazy's 'Sunroof' and Lizzo's 'About Damn Time' slips from its No. 5 position to No. 7. OneRepublic's 'I Ain't Worried' keeps at No. 8; Harry Styles' 'Late Night Talking' surges 9 to 3; and Future's 'Wait for U', featuring Drake and Tems, rejoins the top 10 from No. 11.

New on the albums chart is Nav's 'Demons Protected by Angels', his fifth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200.

The set, which boasts features from the likes of Future, Gunna, Lil Durk, Lil Uzi Vert and Travis Scott, entered with 67,000 equivalent album units earned. Ozzy Osbourne's 'Patient Number 9' debuts at No. 3, with 56,000 equivalent album units earned, marking the rock singer's ninth top 10-charting album.

Wallen's former chart-topper, 'Dangerous: The Double Album', slips 2 to 4 with 50,000 equivalent album units earned. Kane Brown earns his fourth top 10 with 'Different Man' entering at No. 5 (46,000 album units sold), YoungBoy Never Broke Again's 'Realer 2' skips up 71 to 6 after its first full charting week (39,000 album units sold).

'Realer 2' became available for streaming on YouTube starting Sept. 6, and then went wide to all streamers on September 7.

This alignment means its No. 71 debut on the Billboard 200 was only because it was tracked for two days of activity across all streaming services, along with three days of activity from YouTube.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again has scored his 11th top 10-charting album with 'Realer 2', and fourth top 10 of 2022. He's the only act with four new top 10s this year.

Styles' 'Harry's House' falls from 5 to 7 on the chart with 38,000 album units; Beyonce's 'Renaissance' comes down 6 to 8 with 37,000 album units; and Rod Wave's 'Beautiful Mind' also slips 7 to 9 with 32,000 album units.

And finally, rounding out the top 10 is Yeat's 'Lyfe' which debuted at No. 10 with 30,000 album units sold -- his second top 10 effort behind this year's '2 Alive'.

--IANS
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