Probellum Fight Night
Desert Safari
published 17 days 3 hours 26 minutes ago.
Emmy-winning actor Tony Shalhoub has revealed that he and his wife contracted COVID-19 last month in New York. "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" star opened up about his diagnosis in a video for Peacock Presents At-Home Variety Show, reports dailymail.co.uk. The 66-year-old actor is married to Brooke Adams, 71. "It was a pretty rough few weeks," he said, adding: "But we realise that so many other people have and have had it a lot worse." Shalhoub did the video from the living room of his highrise apartment in the city. He was seen sitting on a sofa while stroking his pet dog. "Stay safe and stay sane," he said, after which he got up and went to his balcony to applause and salute the frontline workers. In a segment for the At-Home Variety Show, he also reprised his role as the beloved Adrian Monk from "Monk". He is a retired detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder and other phobias. The video imagined how Monk would deal with the current coronavirus crisis.
published 14 days 10 hours 29 minutes ago.
Bollywood veteran star Madhuri Dixit Nene celebrated her 53rd birthday on May 15. On her special day, there was a flood of heart-warming wishes from her fans online and fellow actors such as Shatrughan Sinha and Abhishek Bachchan. “She has won us all with her most endearing smile in different genres of films in a career spanning almost 3 decades. She is one of the most versatile & talented actresses we have,” Sinha tweeted. The 74-year-old star also noted that Dixit Nene is one of the most “expressive and graceful dancers.” “May you be blessed with joyous moments, love & a peaceful life ahead. Love & regards to your beautiful family. Happy birthday,” Sinha concluded. Meanwhile, Bachchan took to Twitter to wish the “dream girl” of Bollywood on her special day. “Wishing you a very happy and healthy birthday Madhuri ji. All our love and respect,” the ‘Guru’ actor tweeted. Dixit Nene has been married to the US-based cardiovascular surgeon Dr Shriram Nene since 1999 and they have two sons together — Arin and Raayan.
published 2 days 15 hours 4 minutes ago.
It has been 10 years since Karthik and Jessie — the lovers of the hit Tamil romance ‘Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa’ — parted ways. Director Gautham Menon, who made the film in 2010, teased fans with his new short film — ‘Karthik Dial Seytha Yenn.’ A lot of water has flown under the bridge since 2010. The short film opens with Karthik (Simbu) going through a writer’s block. Frustrated with himself, he then notices his mobile phone on the window sill. He picks it up and who do you think he calls? Jessie — his ex (Trisha). Karthik is aware from a Facebook post that Jessie has come down from New York and was in Kerala with her family. Probably out of courtesy, he asks about her husband referring to him as ‘Unn aalu’ (your man). But he cuts Jessie short when she goes on to talk about her husband and his social activities with — “I need you. No one else can fix me.” Karthik laments the current situation of uncertainty and his inability to write. “I want to be in your arms, I want to touch you; I want you as a man,” he continues. Revealing more would be a spoiler. Trisha lends grace to her Jessie. You can feel her discomfort with Karthik’s needs, yet Jessie handles her former lover in a dignified way and most beautifully. Kindling curiosity, Menon reveals a bit about her husband Roy, whom she is in love with. Jessie has moved on in life. Roy seems to be someone who is secure, mature and practical. The short has been appreciated and trolled but one thing is clear — ‘Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa’ part two is in the works. “The scripting is going well,” said Menon. “Shooting will happen next year. The casting of Roy and new characters has not been decided.” Has he met someone like Roy? “I have actually met too many Roys — they are all dignified and nice. They hold their own,” he said. The short film was made during lockdown. Menon remotely guided Simbu and Trisha, who shot their scenes inside their houses. Filming the short was tedious. “It wasn’t easy, though both Trisha and Simbu were hoping that I shoot it in person.” AR Rahman’s score blends seamlessly into the narrative. The film is now streaming on YouTube.
published 16 days 9 hours 28 minutes ago.
‘Baaram’ (Burden) opens with a village fair. There is colour all around and the air is filled with vendors’ shouts. An old man — Karuppusamy (R Raju) — is sauntering around checking the price of a balloon and of a flute but does not buy either. Karuppursamy arrives at his sister Menmozhi’s house to a warm welcome and a hearty dinner. The siblings share an easy camaraderie and warmth as they reminisce on their childhood days when they visited the fair. Menmozhi’s three sons, Murugan, Mani and Veera, are fond of their uncle, but clearly Veera is Karuppusamy’s favourite. Karuppusamy works as a security guard in the neighbourhood. The following day, while returning from work, he meets with an accident. Karuppusamy needs surgery for his fractured hip so his son Senthil (SuPa Muthukumar) is called for. Senthil is not keen on spending for his father’s operation and against the wishes of his cousins he takes his father to the village stating that he will seek a traditional treatment there. Director Priya Krishnaswamy explores the practice of thalaikoothal through Veera who probes into his uncle’s demise. ‘Baaram’ is hard hitting as it reveals the existence of parricide in parts of Tamil Nadu. New methods of killing have replaced the ancient ones. Last year, there was another Tamil film ‘KD Engira Karuppu Durai’ (now on Netflix) that explored this tradition. Directed by Madhumita Vijay, ‘KD’, after opening on a sombre note, turned into a fun tale of bonding between an old man and a little boy with them finding joys in living life. ‘Baaram’, meanwhile, dares to look into the eyes of this gruesome practice that is meant to relieve one from the burden of looking after elderly parents. There is a realism in the staging of several scenes, such as Karuppusamy’s accident. Krishnaswamy’s clear writing and characterisation is matched by excellent performances. Jayalakshmi lives the role of Menmozhi; R Raju as Karuppuswamy endears himself to the audience. Sugumar Shanmugam (Veera) and P. Samanaraja (Murugan) impress. With his eyes and body language SuPa Muthukumar does a fine job being Senthil, who is a classic example of how selfish and inhuman one can become. Without taking any stance, Krishnaswamy narrates this story that asks silently: Can our parents become a burden when old and helpless? _____ Don’t miss it! Baaram is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
published 9 days 13 hours 23 minutes ago.
Emirati sci-film ‘Aerials’ is now streaming on subscription service Netflix. The 2016 film, widely considered to be the first sci-fi feature length from the UAE, premiered four years ago. ‘Aerials’ follows a couple who wake up to find that aliens have shut down Dubai. Power is shut off and cars come to a standstill. The couple, stuck at home, must face a new reality. Dubai-based director SA Zaidi, who created ‘Aerials’ with Ghanem Ghubash, describes ‘Aerials’ as an “experminetal attempt at the sci-fi genre”. “I feel ‘Aerials’ releasing on Netflix at a time when cinemas are closed worldwide will help us reach a much larger audience both internationally and within the region,” Zaidi told Gulf News. ‘Aerials’ stars Sagar Al Yasery as the lead actor and veteran Emirati actor Mansoor AlFeeli in a supporting role. In an interview ahead of the film’s release in 2016, Zaidi told Gulf News: “You keep seeing it in Hollywood films. That scene of the spaceship over New York or Los Angeles or London. People are bored of it… I have always wanted to give people a new visual perspective, a new iconic image.” Zaidi is currently working in collaboration with Ghubash on a new sci-fi horror film, which the pair have spent two-and-a-half years writing together.
