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IANS News

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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

Articles Written By IANS News

Lockdown solution: Chris Evans suggests adopting a dog
2240 days ago
Hollywood

Lockdown solution: Chris Evans suggests adopting a dog

Los Angeles, April 21 (IANS) "Captain America" star Chris Evans has advice to everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic -- adopt a dog.## Evans adopted his canine companion Dodger in 2015.## Asked about the best ways to cope during self-isolation, he said everyone needs to get a rescue puppy because they are "missing out", reports femalefirst.co.uk.## "I would never subject anyone to advise that would come from me. There's nothing I can give you that ... Do you know what my advice would be? Adopt a dog! Everyone should go out and get a dog. If you don't have a dog in your life, especially during this time, you're missing out," He told USA Today.## Is Dodger proving to him with comfort during these unsettling times?## He said: "Oh, yeah, absolutely. He doesn't leave my side."## Evans has been working on his scripts and promoting his latest series "Defending Jacob".## He said: "A lot of that's put on hold right now. There's always a stack of scripts you can check out, but ... everything is kind of being punted months and months and I think a lot of people have other priorities."## Evans, 38, says he feels "lucky and blessed" to be with his family at this difficult time, but admitted everyone feels like they are "stuck" in a "disturbing wait-and-see pattern" to see how the pandemic will impact their lives going forward.## Stay tuned...

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Joe Russo: India rarely seen in international action films
2240 days ago
Hollywood

Joe Russo: India rarely seen in international action films

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) "Avengers: Endgame" co-director Joe Russo says India is a beautiful country but its locales are rarely been tapped in modern international action films.## Russo is glad that he got a chance to capture the beauty of the country in Netflix's upcoming action film "Extraction".## "India is a beautiful country. It is also rarely seen in a modern international action film. Some beautiful cultural aspects of the story (in ‘Extraction') would be enriched by setting in India and it does really pay off beautifully in the film," Joe said in a video, released by Netflix before the release of the film.## Originally titled "Dhaka", the film revolves around Tyler Rake (essayed by Chris Hemsworth), a fearless, black market mercenary, who embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he is enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. It has been shot extensively in India, along with other places around the world. It is directed by Sam Hargrave.## It also stars Indian actors Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi, Priyanshu Painyulli, and Rudraksh Jaiswal. The screenplay of the film is done by Joe Russo. The film is produced by Russo Brothers (Joe and Anthony Russo), Mike Larocca, Chris Hemsworth, Eric Gitter, and Peter Schwerin.## In the clip, Hargrave is seen embracing Indian traditions and praying before starting the film.## "We started the day with a traditional Indian blessing. They infused the production with a lot of Indian traditions," Hargrave said in the clip.## Looking back at his time in India, Hemsworth said: "Here we are in India. We are on the set of our movie for Netflix. Aesthetically, I think this film is beyond unique. So vibrant and full of movement. I don't think anyone shot a film like this here before. The public would turn up in thousands to watch us shoot. Every time they would call cut, they would cheer and clap. It was like being in a coliseum or something."## "Extraction" will release on April 24.## Stay tuned...

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Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman pause fun feud for COVID-19 relief
2241 days ago
Hollywood

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman pause fun feud for COVID-19 relief

Los Angeles, April 21 (IANS) Hollywood stars and good friends Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are putting a pause to their long-running banter-filled feud as part of the All-In Challenge.## The pair have vowed to put its well-documented sparring on hold for the sake of charity, reports aceshowbiz.com.## "Hugh and I have a temporary cease-fire on our feud for the @allinchallenge," Reynolds wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of the pair.## Jackman confirmed, adding: "So, I've agreed to trust that Ryan can hold his tongue for one day. A (very) temporary cease-fire for the @allinchallenge."## The All-In Challenge invites stars to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences to fans who donate funds, which will go directly to Feeding America, Meals On Wheels, World Central Kitchen and No Kid Hungry. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman will come together to help one lucky family run a lemonade stand.## "Now, at long last, these two arch-nemeses are calling a cease-fire and putting aside their differences for a full 24 hours to help children make a difference," a statement on the organization's website read.## The statement further read: "Armed with a fresh copy of 'Running a Lemonade Stand for Dummies', Ryan and Hugh will come to your home and help your children set up and run a semi-successful lemonade stand for two hours, with all proceeds going to help first responders."## The duo's friendly feud began when Reynolds tried to convince Jackman to reprise his role as popular Marvel Comics character Wolverine one more time for a future "Deadpool" movie after Jackman announced 2017's "Logan" would be his last outing as the "X-Men" mutant.## Ever since then, Reynolds and Jackman have poked fun at each other on social media.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned...

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Indo-American singer Subhi on dealing with quarantine
2241 days ago
Hollywood

Indo-American singer Subhi on dealing with quarantine

Los Angeles, April 21 (IANS) Indo-American singer Subhi, who currently lives in Chicago, opened up on life in the time of the novel coronavirus.## "We are all living in an unprecedented time as COVID-19 continues to evolve and impact not only the regular course of professional lives but also our personal lives. It's a very strange time for the world because we all are going through something no one imaged would happen," said the singer.## "Chicago has about 22,000 (COVID-19) cases. It's definitely a rough time for the US and the world in general. Everyone is quarantined in their homes. Chicago's Mayor had declared 'Shelter in Place', which means everyone is supposed to stay at home except if they need to step out for groceries and go to the pharmacy. People are being very careful, and when they do step out everyone is maintaining social distancing. The weather in Chicago is still cold -- about 2 degrees Celcius -- and this has also helped in keeping people at home. Everyone here is doing their best at following orders and things are in control," Subhi said.## On the work front, Subhi recently unveiled her song "Mehfil", which is about the LGBTQ+ community.## Sharing what went behind the making of the track, she said: "I moved to the United States when I was in high school. As I was growing up, I understood that Love is Love. Love cannot be restricted by borders or gender or religion. Mehfil is a love song that emphasis the right to choose who you want to love.## "Everyone should be free to love who they want to irrespective of their gender, religion, caste or creed. In a world where there is so much hate, I want to create music which is feel good and positive. I collaborated with Pulkit Datta on the Music video of the song to portray this message. With Pulkit's creative direction, we were subtly yet effectively able to portray the meaning of love we wanted the world to see. The music video has a simple message � Love who you want to love'. This song is for all communities - for mankind in general. It definitely supports the LGBT community but I wrote the song keeping everyone in mind."## Stay tuned...

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When Big B and Muhammad Ali almost co-starred in a Prakash Mehra film
2242 days ago
Hollywood

When Big B and Muhammad Ali almost co-starred in a Prakash Mehra film

Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has blogged about meeting boxing legend Muhammad Ali, recalling how bigwig filmmaker Prakash Mehra almost cast the two icons in a film.## Big B went down memory lane and expressed in his blog post: "Its been a groggy night .. had been watching the Greatest Mohammad Ali in his numerous victories .. and Tyson .. and it just would not leave the attention .. became past 4 am .. and then suddenly thought of the meeting itself with the MAN."## The veteran actor also revealed in the blog post how one of the "Golden directors" of Bollywood, Prakash Mehra had wanted to make a film featuring the late American boxer and Amitabh Bachchan. However, the film never happened.## "Beverly Hills at his residence, LA, USA .. Prakash Mehra had wanted to make a film with him and moi ..never went beyond that meeting and the pictures .." he shared.## Revealing more about the meeting, Big B wrote: ".. funny, but a most humble man who did live in Beverly Hills the elite locality, but was so filled with humility and grace .. he threw a couple of punches at me, as he is wont, with all that he met .. argued waved about and needed a Lawyer to fight the case .. nothing became of it .."## Late filmmaker Prakash Mehra and Amitabh Bachchan have collaborated to craft some of the biggest hits of Bachchan's career, including "Zanjeer", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar", "Namak Halaal", "Laawaris" and "Sharaabi". A film featuring superstar Bachchan alongside the legendary boxer, and helmed by one of Bollywood's most successful directors of his time, would surely have been a feast for the fans.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Lady GaGa concert raises $128mn for COVID-19 relief
2242 days ago
Hollywood

Lady GaGa concert raises $128mn for COVID-19 relief

Los Angeles, April 20 (IANS) Pop star Lady GaGa's COVID-19 relief concert "One World: Together at Home" has raised almost $128 million in the US.## The two-hour event, which also saw the participation of Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, featured performances by Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lizzo, and Taylor Swift among others, was not planned as a fundraiser but the April 18 show inspired people across America to donate, reports aceshowbiz.com.## The "Poker face" hitmaker kicked off the special with a performance of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" and closed the show with an all-star rendition of "The Prayer" featuring singers Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.## The Global Citizen officials, who helped put the show together, confirmed the event raised $127.9 million for COVID-19 aid.## "Thank you @ladygaga for helping @GlblCtzn create this historic global broadcasting event. To everyone around the world: Stay strong, stay safe, we will be together in person soon," the message read.## Stay tuned...

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Tom Hanks on his battle with coronavirus
2242 days ago
Hollywood

Tom Hanks on his battle with coronavirus

Los Angeles, April 20 (IANS) Oscar-winning star Tom Hanks has opened up on his battle with the deadly coronavirus and on living in isolation, saying he had "bad body aches and was very fatigued", while his wife and actress Rita Wilson went through a tougher time.## Wilson and Hanks were among the first celebrities to reveal they're positive diagnosis last month, while they were in Australia. Hanks was filming an untitled Elvis Presley film in the country. The couple are now back in Los Angeles and on the way to recovery.## In an interview on The National Defense Radio Show, the 63-year-old actor detailed his and wife's struggle with respiratory illness, reports people.com.## "Rita went through a tougher time than I did," he said of their recovery in Australia, adding: "She had a much-higher fever and she had some other symptoms. She lost her sense of taste and smell. She got absolutely no joy from food for a better part of three weeks."## He continued: "She was so nauseous, she had to crawl on the floor from the bed to the facilities. It lasted a while."## Hanks "had some body aches and was very fatigued", and shared how he struggled to find the energy to do simple exercises. He and Wilson were placed in "lockdown for three days" in a local hospital.## "Whoever it was, doctor, nurse, would come into our air pressurized room, our isolation rooms. She said, ‘How are you feeling?' and I said, ‘I just had the weirdest thing. I just tried to do basic stretches and exercises on the floor and I couldn't even get halfway through', " he recalled, adding that he was "wiped" after 12 minutes into a 30-minute exercise routine.## "And she looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being," he joked, adding: "And she said, ‘You have COVID-19'."## They still do not know when or how they got infected with the virus in Australia.## Wilson also opened up about her COVID-19 experience during her appearance on "This Morning". The actress said that among her initial symptoms were "chills as I've never had before."## "Looking back, I also realized that I was losing my sense of taste and smell, which I didn't realize at the time," Wilson recalled, adding that her fever "got close to about 102 by day nine".## She said that doctors gave her chloroquine which had "extreme side effects" on her.## "I was completely nauseous and I had vertigo. I could not walk and my muscles felt very weak. I think people have to be very considerate about that drug. We don't know if it's helpful in this case," she added.## Stay tuned...

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Reese Witerspoon doesn't find celebrities 'special'
2242 days ago
Hollywood

Reese Witerspoon doesn't find celebrities 'special'

Los Angeles, April 20 (IANS) Actress Reese Witerspoon feels celebrities are not special people.## On Jameela Jamil's podcast "I Weigh", the actress spoke about her past mistakes and why she feels talent doesn't make anyone a good person, reports femalefirst.co.uk.## According to the publication, Reese and her husband Jim Toth got arrested in 2013 over suspicion of driving while intoxicated.## She said: "I did something really stupid. It was so embarrassing and dumb ... But, you know what -(it) turns out I breathe air. I bleed the same way. I make dumb decisions. I make great decisions. I'm just a human being.## "We're all just the same as each other and we're all trying to find what our special skills are. My special skill is storytelling but that doesn't mean I'm a special person. Talent doesn't make you a good person," she added.## Stay tuned...

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Dwayne Johnson feels lockdown had positive effect on his marriage
2243 days ago
Hollywood

Dwayne Johnson feels lockdown had positive effect on his marriage

Los Angeles, April 19 (IANS) Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson says "self-quarantining" amid the coronavirus pandemic has had a positive effect on his marriage.## The actor, who is self-isolating at home with his wife Lauren Hashian, daughters Jasmine Lia, 4, and Tiana Gia, 2, opened up about how he and Hashian are maintaining a healthy relationship on Instagram when a fan asked how social distancing has been affecting his marriage, reports people.com.## Through a video message, Johnson explained that he and Hashian have been "doing (their) best" amid the circumstances.## While he admitted that the two "are going through dumb s**t" and occasionally "get snippy" with one another, he feels that "the quarantine has had a very positive effect on my relationship and my marriage".## The 47-year-old star explained that he felt "wobbly" the first two weeks of quarantine as he felt unsure of the future, but he "realized kinda quickly how critical it was for (him and his wife) to be ultra considerate, caring and empathetic of one another".## "Be even better listeners. Even better communicators. Recognize that during these times, we're not operating at full brain & emotional EQ capacity as we usually are, he said.## Throughout his experience at home, however, the former professional wrestler said his wife is "the best" and that the two "try to go easy on each other, to go light and not get too judgy". He also gave a piece of advice about what to do when you get "short-tempered" with a quarantine partner.## "Grab your partner by the shoulders, like I grabbed Lauren. Look them directly in the eyes and say with full conviction, "baby, you're not wrong". You're just not used to being right' and then count the seconds it takes for you both to belly laugh you assess off," he joked, adding: "Then sip some @teremana later that night and make some more babies."## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

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When 'Joker' Joaquin Phoenix was almost cast as Batman
2243 days ago
Hollywood

When 'Joker' Joaquin Phoenix was almost cast as Batman

Los Angeles, April 18 (IANS) "Joker" star Joaquin Phoenix was almost cast as Batman way back in the nineties.## After George Clooney's 1997 outing as the caped crusader in "Batman & Robin" flopped, "Black Swan" director Darren Aronofsky was tipped to direct a new Batman film, and Phoenix was his first choice for the role.## Aronofsky said that he wanted to re-invent Batman and suggested Phoenix as the leading role, reports aceshowbiz.com.## "The studio wanted Freddie Prinze Jr. and I wanted Joaquin Phoenix. It was a different time. The Batman I wrote was definitely a way different type of taking than they ended up making," Aronofsky tells Empire of his plans for "Batman: Year One".## He added: "The Batman that was out before me was 'Batman & Robin', the famous one with the nipples on the Batsuit, so I was really trying to undermine that, and reinvent it. That's where my head went."## However, Aronofsky's vision of Batman never got realized because the project never went into production.## Nearly a decade later after "Batman & Robin", Christopher Nolan would revive the caped crusader with "Batman Begins" in 2005, the first of his genre-bending "Dark Knight" series of blockbusters. Christian Bale essayed Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne in Nolan's trilogy.## Meanwhile, the title "Batman: Year One" has been used for an animation film, released in 2011 and directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu.## While Ben Affleck played Batman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice" and "Justice League", Robert Pattinson will be taking the role in Matt Reeves' upcoming film "The Batman".## Earlier this year, Phoenix bagged an Oscar for playing Batman's nemesis the Joker in Todd Phillips' 2019 hit "Joker".## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Sam Smith to self-isolate after showing COVID-19 symptoms
2244 days ago
Hollywood

Sam Smith to self-isolate after showing COVID-19 symptoms

Los Angeles, April 18 (IANS) Singer Sam Smith says he may have contracted the coronavirus two weeks before the lockdown began in the UK.## Smith's sister exhibited symptoms, and in a new interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, the "Stay With Me" singer said they caught the infection even though he was never tested, reports aceshowbiz.com.## "I know I have it, 100 percent have it. I'm just going to assume that I did because everything I've read completely pointed to that. I think I definitely had it. And then as soon as I had it, my sister five days after me started getting the same symptoms who are living with me, he said."## The two then self-isolated for three weeks to make sure they were clear of the virus.## "It was clear. Because I've got an older nan (grandmother) and stuff, so we didn't want to risk anything. I got it about two weeks before the U.K. really hit. Well, I think I got it. I don't 100 percent know, but I got it and then as everyone was kind of really on lockdown, that's when I got over it, luckily."## Stay tuned...

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COVID-19 effect: Taylor Swift pushes all 2020 concerts to next year
2244 days ago
Hollywood

COVID-19 effect: Taylor Swift pushes all 2020 concerts to next year

Los Angeles, April 18 (IANS) Singer Taylor Swift is pushing all her scheduled shows of this year to 2021.## "I'm so sad I won't be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision," Taylor said on Instagram Stories, addressing her fans, according to a report in eonline.com.## "Please, please stay healthy and safe. I'll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now, what's important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us."## This summer, she was scheduled to perform at select arenas as part of her Lover Fest.## Meanwhile, Taylor has been practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.## "During this time I know that a lot of my friends and I have been doing a sort of weekly family FaceTime, which is always hilarious," Taylor said on a show.## "I think it's really important that we all stay connected because, you know, isolation doesn't have to be an all-encompassing thing. We may be all isolated physically but we can still keep in touch with people, we can still play games with our friends and families on our phones—that is one of the great things about modern technology."## "So I hope you guys are doing a lot of self-care in terms of staying connected to the people that remind you of home, even if the situation is strange and really confusing at this moment," she added.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

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