BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, Dec 31 (IANS) Award-winning singer Shawn Mendes is having a "hard time" with social media, just days after his former girlfriend Camila Cabello announced she was taking a break from social media. ## Mendes said: "I'm a having a little bit of a hard time at the moment and just kind of my relationship with it." ## However, the singer is grateful to his fans for sending him their feedback about his new song 'It'll Be Okay', reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## He added: "But I have lots of people sending me videos and telling me what's going on. I think that when I make music, the ultimate goal is to kind of be sitting there and have my own truth revealed to me. ## "A lot of the time when I'm writing songs, I'm using music as a platform to be able to get to a place inside myself that I wouldn't be able to get to by just talking to people or thinking about it. ## "I see a lot of TikToks of people crying and getting emotional and stuff, and I hope that's because there's some truth in the song, and there lies honesty in it. I just feel so proud of that song and I'm so grateful you guys are connecting with it, and I feel so grateful that people are being vulnerable with it and people are just having fun with it." ## Earlier this week, Cabello, who split from Shawn last month after two years of dating, took to her Instagram stories to tell her followers she will not be online again until 2022. ## She wrote: "going on a lil social media detox till the new year, just wanna spend a little less time on my phone this week x love y'all." ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 31 (IANS) Director Hardik Mehta, whose recent web show 'Decoupled' has struck a chord with connoisseurs of humour, feels that for a filmmaker to do complete justice to a script, it's imperative that they don't let their personal inclinations or politics seep into the design and positioning of a scene. ## The director says: "My thought process or politics might not completely align with what Manu (Joseph, the writer and creator of, 'Decoupled') would have proposed in a scene. But as a filmmaker, it's my job, it is my prerogative to ensure that a scene is directed and made in a way that is absolutely convincing." ## For him, keeping the personal inclinations aside and to work together towards a constructive outcome forms the essence of the collaborative process that filmmaking is. ## He says: "That is exactly where collaboration comes in. That has actually been a very interesting part of making this series." ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, Dec 31 (IANS) Novelist George R.R. Martin has seen a rough cut of the 'Game of Thrones' spin-off series 'House of Dragons' and "loved it", as he said that the "Targaryens are in very good hands". ## The 73-year-old author wrote the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series of books that the HBO fantasy drama was based on, and has now teased the upcoming spin-off series, which tells the story of the Targaryen family, is set to be "amazing", reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## In a post on his website in which he reflected on 'House of Dragons' being named IMDb's "most anticipated new show" of 2022, he wrote: "Don't tell anyone a I've seen a rough cut of the first episode. And loved it. It's dark, it's powerful, it's visceral a just the way I like my epic fantasy." ## Martin went on to praise executive producers Ryan J. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik for their work on the series, and said the show was "in very good hands". ## He added: "Ryan and Miguel have done an amazing job. And the cast a just as with 'Game of Thrones', most viewers will only have heard of a few of the actors, but I think you are going to fall in love with a lot of them. (Only to have your heart broken later when a but no, that would be telling). ## "I think the Targaryens are in very good hands." ## The author concluded his post by telling fans to "anticipate away" ahead of the show's premiere and said, "I do not think you will be disappointed". ## 'House of Dragons' follows the Targaryen civil war, which occurred about 300 years before the events that took place in 'Game of Thrones'. ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 31 (IANS) Television actors Vishal Gandhi and Manish Khanna have talked about their entry in the show 'Meet' and how their characters will add more drama to the storyline. ## Vishal, who plays Tej Ahlawat in 'Meet', said: "My character in 'Meet' is slightly different from the usual ones I've portrayed so far. He is a well-respected guy who has been turned into a mentally unstable beggar because of some past incidents in life. ## "I am sure the revelation about my character will leave everyone astonished and that's why I agreed to be a part of this show." ## The actor, who is known for playing grey shaded character Mihir Sukhadia in 'Tamanna', said he loves to play challenging roles. ## He added: "It is also challenging to play divergent characters and as an actor, I am also seeking such roles." ## On the other hand, 'Yeh Hai Mohabbatein' actor Manish also expressed his happiness at being a part of the show. ## He shared: "I'm really glad to be a part of a show like 'Meet' which is loved and appreciated by the audience so much. It's always a challenge to join a show midway because the viewers are already accustomed and used to the actors, however, a new face always adds to the drama." ## He further shared about his on-screen personality, saying: My character of JP is slightly in the grey zone, but he is not wrong as a person. He just wants what is best for his daughter. I am sure JP's tricks are all set to bring in a lot of high-voltage drama and I hope I do justice to my character in 'Meet'." ## 'Meet' airs on Zee TV. ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, Dec 31 (IANS) Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has donated 25 houses to homeless veterans in Los Angeles, after teaming up with the Village for Vets programme. ## Schwarzenegger paid $250,000 to purchase the structures, located in West Los Angeles, according to Fox11, and donated them to those who previously fought in the US armed forces but are now facing homelessness, reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## The 74-year-old actor tweeted about it. ## He wrote: "Today, I celebrated Christmas early. The 25 homes I donated for homeless veterans were installed here in LA. It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes. ## "I want to thank @villageforvets for arranging the homes and being a fantastic partner, @secvetaffairs, @amvetshq and everyone who worked with us and made this possible. We proved that when we all work together, we can solve any problem." ## One veteran named Bruce Henry Cooper told Fox11 the project had been a "life-saver" for him and other homeless veterans this Christmas. ## He added of the 'Kindergarten Cop' actor: "He has not forgotten us." ## The Village for Vets project has been working with retired service members who have resorted to living on the streets since 2016, by setting them up with tiny houses that are fully equipped with water, heating, electricity and air conditioning. ## Schwarzenegger also told Fox11 in an interview that he considered the joy he felt after his charitable deed to be "the greatest Christmas gift" he could have received. ## He said: "It makes me feel good that I can give something back to this country that has given everything to me. I had this great success, only because of America a Whatever I tackled, I achieved because of America, so to me it's always great to give something back." ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, Dec 31 (IANS) Late Swedish EDM star Avicii's diaries have been reproduced in Mans Mosesson's upcoming book titled 'Tim - The Official Biography of Avicii' and they give an insight into his health issues and mental health struggles. ## Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was just 28 when he took his own life during a holiday in Oman three years ago but he suffered with alcohol and drug addiction following his ascent to fame, reports femalefirst.co.uk. ## Now, his diaries have been reproduced in Mosesson's upcoming book and they give an insight into his health issues, including being rushed to hospital in January 2012 after developing pancreatitis - caused by excessive drinking and acne medication. ## Avicii was warned that another drink would kill him and he turned to his diaries to share his feelings, including his relief at ending up in hospital. ## He wrote: "I had a hard time accepting never drinking again though strongly suggested from all doctors to wait at least a year before even having a beer. ## "Of course, I didn't listen to the majority of the doctors, I listened to the couple who said it was ok if I was careful. I was ignorant and naive and touring the world, still on the never-ending tour - because once you've circled it once, guess what? ## "You start right back over again. Those days in hospital were the most anxiety and stress-free days I can remember the past six years, those were my true vacations, as depressing as it might sound. ## "The relief of going from extreme pain to none, knowing that no one is expecting anything other than for you to wait it out (which is the only way of treating pancreatitis) and then recover was huge. It was an extreme relief considering the insane schedule I had kept up until that point." ## He shared his experiences at rehab in 2015 and implored his future self to deal with his pain. ## "It needed to be explained to me very logically and caveman-esque for me to truly understand its nature and how it was harming me. Ouch, pain. Why me pain now? Uncomfortable feeling... ## "Future Tim deal with pain. Future Tim deal with pain better than present Tim because already there's too many present pains more urgent to deal with," he had said. ## Avicii also took up meditation to combat his demons and quickly became obsessed with it. ## "It feels like I am in a new default mode of being which is very new and a little bit scary. It felt like the fears the last couple of days caused havoc in me, but I remember the tip to focus on my breathing." ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 31 (IANS) Malayalam actor G.K.Pillai, who was famous for playing the villain in action films and for performing stunts without using body doubles, passed away on Friday. He was 97 and died because of an age-related illness. ## After spending 13 years in both the Army and the Navy, Pillai retired from the military and launched his illustrious career in Malayalam cinema with the film 'Snehaseema' in 1954. He acted in more than 325 films and later ventured into television, where he was active till two years ago. ## A hugely respected actor, Pillai's baritone voice was his distinguishing feature and it won him many roles and several film awards. He also dabbled in politics and was seen frequently in Congress party circles. ## He is survived by six children. His wife had predeceased him. The last rites will be held here later in the day. ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, Dec 31 (IANS) The Chinese government-backed Golden Rooster Awards honoured Oscar-winning drama 'The Father' with the event's first-ever prize for best international film in the coastal city of Xiamen. ## Beijing hopes that its star-studded awards ceremony can surpass the Taipei-based Golden Horse Awards, once known as the "Oscars of Asia" for Chinese-language content. ## This year, the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, which kicked off Tuesday, added the international film competition category for the first time, reports variety.com. ## This year's 34th iteration honors films screened theatrically in China between July 1, 2020 and July 15, 2021. ## 'The Father' beat out animation 'Wolfwalkers', World War II drama 'Persian Lessons', Italy's live-action 'Pinocchio' and the Thai drama 'Happy Old Year'. ## The film grossed $4.14 million in China in June nearly double the $2.12 million it earned in the US. ## Veteran helmer Zhang Yimou was the most decorated of this year's ceremony, with his two films 'Cliff Walkers' and 'One Second' bringing home four of the top prizes. ## Zhang won best director for his work on spy thriller 'Cliff Walkers', which also netted a best actor win for his lead, Zhang Yi. Beijing had selected the film as this year's submission to the Academy Awards. The director's Cultural Revolution-set 'One Second' won best supporting actor (Fan Wei) and best sound. ## The prize for best feature film went to jingoistic local drama 'Island Keeper', a film created as an ode to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist party based on the real-life story of a couple who face hardships to guard China's coastline. Fellow 100th anniversary title '1921' took home gold with best screenplay. ## Zhang Xiaofei won best actress for her work as the titular mom in the Chinese New Year hit 'Hi, Mom', while Zhu Yuanyuan won best supporting actress for her work in family drama 'My Sister'. ## Stay tuned.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 29 (IANS) The youth-oriented drama 'Ziddi Dil-Maane Na' completed 100 episodes on December 29. It turned out to be indeed a great moment for the actors and they thanked the entire team and audience for their support. ## The show features Kaveri Priyam, Shaalien Malhotra, Diljot Chabbra, Kunal Karan Kapoor, Simple Kaul and Aditya Deshmukh in lead roles. ## Kaveri Priyam, essaying the role of Monami, said: "There is always a feeling of immense pride to see your show and character get so much love and appreciation by the viewers. For us, completing 100 episodes is a proud and wholesome moment. We as a team couldn't be more grateful for all the love and support and we hope to continue the audiences with our work. 'Ziddi Dil Maane Na' has taught me so much, and I'm really happy to be a part of this journey." ## Diljot Chhabra, who is seen as Sanjana is all delighted and called it a proud moment for her that the show continues to be loved by viewers. ## She shared: "I am immensely excited and somewhat at a loss of words to describe my happiness because it still feels like yesterday when I just started shooting for 'Ziddi Dil Maane Na', and now the show has completed 100 successful episodes. It feels even more special because we reached this milestone almost while the year ends and promise to keep entertaining you guys with more exciting twists and turns in the coming year." ## Shaalien Malhotra mentioned that they have received positive feedback for the show and their respective characters from the audience. ## He added: "I cannot describe how happy I am that 'Ziddi Dil Maane Na' has finally hit a century. I would take this opportunity to thank my loving cast and crew, without them, this wouldn't have been possible at all! It is amazing to watch our fans get attached to our characters so much, and there is nothing more satisfying than entertaining people, I hope we can continue to do just that with this show for years to come." ## 'Ziddi Dil Maane Na' airs on Sony SAB. ## Stay tuned,

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, Dec 29, 2021: Amaravati, Dec 28 (IANS) Amid the ongoing row in Andhra Pradesh over ticket prices in cinema theatres, the state government on Tuesday formed a committee to look into the issue. ## After a meeting with film distributors, Cinematography Minister Perni Nani announced that the committee will take a decision on categorisation of theatres and suggest the ticket prices to the government. ## The minister said the panel was formed to resolve the issue and assured that the government will carefully consider its recommendations. ## He said distributors and their associations brought their problems to the government's notice and have demanded a hike in ticket prices. The government has also received similar requests from other sections of the film industry. "All these requests are under our consideration. We will take appropriate decision after receiving the report of the committee," he said. ## Stating that the committee has been formed on the advice of the High Court, he clarified that the government is not adopting any delaying tactics by constituting the committee. He claimed the government's intention was to ensure that the entertainment is accessible to common man at an affordable rate. ## The minister denied that the government is targeting theatre managements and said the action was being taken only against those who are running theatres without permissions or in violation of rules. He said action was taken against 130 theatres. He denied that this has anything to do with the Government Order (GO) 35. ## Under this GO the government had slashed the ticket prices. The High Court on December 14 suspended the GO but the government went for an appeal against the order. The court subsequently ruled that theater owners can apply to the government for revising the ticket prices. ## The minister took exception to actor Nani comparing cinema ticket prices in the state with prices in kirana shops. He hoped that the next time the actor will make a statement with some responsibility. ## He also questioned the right of actor Siddharth to comment on ticket prices in Andhra Pradesh. "He may have made some comment about Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin. He lives in Chennai, pays taxes there so how is he concerned with the ticket prices in Andhra Pradesh," he asked. ## For more and the latest news about Tollywood, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) There's a famous saying: "Before you conquer the external world, you have to master the inner world of your mind". Very few understand and follow these discourses, but those who manage, go on to be achievers. ## One such person is Ranveer Singh. In a candid conversation with IANS, the actor, now seen playing Kapil Dev in Kabir Khan's '83', shared how he defeated his 'know it all' attitude during the initial stages of his career. ## Ranveer works extremely hard on his movies. From bulking up for his role of Alauddin Khilji in 'Padmavat' to transforming into a thin guy in 'Gully Boy', the Bollywood sensation is a living example of how one should approach one's work with utmost sincerity. ## There was a crucial lesson he learnt in the initial stages of his career and this eventually helped him become a superstar. ## The acclaimed actor has established himself as the biggest superstar of his generation with '83'. His performance is getting praise from both film critics as well as cricket fans. ## Despite such an impressive roster of achievements in a short span of time, the 36-year-old actor continues to be down to earth and believes there's a lot more to be done. ## "Mai actor ban gaya yaar, mujhe aaj tak yakin nahi ho raha hai! (I am an actor, I still can't believe it!) I got a chance to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Zoya Akhtar, Rohit Shetty, Kabir Khan, Karan Johar ... what's happening is beyond my imagination. I am overwhelmed with the response I am getting. Who gets Kapil Dev's role in such a big film? I'm touched," a teary-eyed Ranveer told IANS in an exclusive interview. ## Getting nostalgic, the actor said: "Let me tell you about my journey. Ten years back, when I started my career in Bollywood, I thought that I knew it all (in acting) and was entitled ... I mean after 'Band Baaja Baaraat', I thought I knew everything about acting. And was entitled ... like, whatever chances I am getting, I deserve it. ## "Actually, when I was struggling, I didn't feel like that, I was always so anxious at that time. My experiences made me anxious. I felt I had been wronged ... all the rejections, the humiliation! I (felt then that I) have been working hard for the past three-four years but not getting an opportunity. ## "After a point, it starts playing with your mind. And it starts making you feel frustrated, anxious and bitter. So, when 'Band Baaja Baaraat' became a hit, it was coming from inside. I started projecting entitlement ... that I know everything about acting. ## "But then, as time passed and I worked more and more, and as I matured, I realised, 'oh sh*t, I know nothing about acting'. This is limitless. There is no boundary. You can go to any extent. You can die here. This is what I learnt and realised that the more you work, the more you can give. Performance art has no limit," Ranveer said. ## Emphasising how grateful he was for the opportunities that had come his way, he said. "I feel really honoured to have worked with big directors. My mentor used to say that I must work in a way that next time when the director is making a movie, you should be his/her first choice." ## Ranveer is a shapeshifter, as we have seen from 'Bajirao' and 'Padmavat', to 'Simmba', to 'Gully Boy' and '83'. But there is a risk involved in this business of losing and gaining weight constantly. It can be dangerous. ## Responding to this observation, Ranveer said: "Yes, there is risk involved. I do take high risks. We have to shape our body as per the demand of the character. We train for this under supervision and follow a strict schedule." ## Helmed by Kabir Khan, '83' narrates the story of the Indian cricket team's historic 1983 World Cup win. Ranveer plays Kapil Dev, the captain of the victorious team; the rest of the cast includes Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Deepika Padukone, Neena Gupta and Wamiqa Gabbi. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Raigad (Maharashtra), Dec 26 (IANS) In a scare on the eve of his birthday (on December 27), Bollywood megastar and 'Bigg Boss 15' host Salman Khan was bitten by a snake at his farmhouse here, industry sources said. ## The snake was reported to be non-poisonous. On Saturday, Salman Khan was seen having a pre-birthday bash on 'Bigg Boss 15' with Alia Bhatt and other cast members of the multilingual S.S. Rajamouli film, 'RRR'. ## The incident happened early on Sunday (December 26) at his sprawling farmhouse in Panvel, which is close to Navi Mumbai in the Raigad district. The farmhouse is located in a green, thickly forested area. ## The snake bite caused panic in Salman Khan's security detail and family. He was rushed to a hospital in Navi Mumbai for treatment and later discharged. Despite efforts by IANS, his family was not available for comments on the matter. ## Sources close to the family said that the star's Panvel getaway home, where the Khan clan spends quality time, especially during long weekends or in the festive season, is said to be populated with snakes. ## A couple of years ago, a cobra was seen slithering around, but there has been no untoward incident. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.