Holly to Bolly: Aishwarya and SRK share screen space, Twinkle Khanna releases second book and more

Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan recently shared a few moments of screen space in Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. The duo seem to have well and truly buried their longtime hatchet that started with Rai-Bachchan's unceremonious ouster from Shah Rukh Khan's 2002 production, Chalte Chalte, due to her rocky relationship with Salman Khan. According to reports in several Indian newspapers, Khan and Rai-Bachchan might once again be paired opposite each other in full-fledged roles in Karan Johar's next. When Rai-Bachchan was asked about the speculation during an interview, she neither denied nor confirmed the rumours, saying only that she's currently reading scripts and hinting that she will soon be surprising her fans and audiences - Sonali Kokra.

Former Bollywood star Twinkle Khanna releases second book

Twinkle Khanna, who retired from Bollywood to raise a family with superstar Akshay Kumar, has launched her second book The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, a collection of short stories. The four non-fiction tales explore feminism and perseverance in both a rural and urban setting. Khanna, who turned interior designer after quitting the film industry is also known for her humorous columns and tweets. Her first book Mrs Funnybones released last year and received rave reviews for its light-hearted humour. The actress told IANS that though the book is a work of fiction, her characters were inspired by people she has met.

The National Staff

Rocker Leon Russell dies in Nashville

Leon Russell, who performed, sang and produced some of rock ‘n’ roll’s top records, has died. He was 74.

Russell’s wife, Jan Bridges, said in a statement that her husband died in his sleep Sunday at their Nashville home. She said Russell had heart bypass surgery in July and had been planning on resuming touring in January. His final performance was July 10 in Nashville.

Russell recorded hit songs like Tight Rope and Lady Blue and participated in The Concert for Bangladesh. John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison played on his first album, Leon Russell. Later, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Willie Nelson were among those to cover Russell's ballad A Song for You that he wrote for the album.

On Twitter, Cat Stevens wrote that Russell was “a great influence and songwriter.” In the early 2000s he began his own record label, Leon Russell Records.

AP

Jackie Chan wins Oscar

Five decades and 200 films later, Jackie Chan has finally received an Oscar. The Chinese actor and martial arts star won his little gold statuette, an honorary Oscar for his decades of work in film at the annual Governors Awards recently. While collecting his award, the actor recalled watching the ceremony with his parents and his father always asking him why he didn’t have Hollywood’s top accolade despite having made so many movies. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, hosts of the annual ceremony, also bestowed honorary Oscars on British film editor Anne V Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and prolific documentarian Frederick Wiseman. The evening was attended by Hollywood’s elite, including Denzel Washington, Lupita Nyong’o, Nicole Kidman, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Amy Adams and Dev Patel.

Reuters

Derbyshire to quit ‘Coronation Street’ after 55 years

Veteran actress Eileen Derbyshire, 85, will reportedly quit the TV show Coronation Street, which she has been a part of since 1961.

According to The Sun newspaper, the performer, who has played Emily Bishop in the drama, will retire after nearly six decades, following a prolonged sabbatical that she took late last year, reports mirror.co.uk

A source said the actress has been off for a long time, and there was no expectation that she will be back.

The source said she will be focusing on quality time with her family instead.

The National Staff

Bollywood director Sujoy Ghosh ready with Kahaani 2

Writer-director Sujoy Ghosh is ready with the sequel of his National award-winning film Kahaani (2012). In his sixth film as director, Ghosh has once again cast Vidya Balan for the lead role. The actor told Hindustan Times that Kahaani 2 - Durga Rani Singh is independent of the first film.

Balan, who plays the title role, is wanted for murder and kidnapping, while her co-star Arjun Rampal plays a police officer tasked with investigating the case. The movie is slated to release on December 2.

The National Staff

Aamir Khan rupee demonetisation

Even as India grapples with the sudden demonetisation of Rs 500 and 1,000 notes that was announced last week, a few Bollywood stars have come out in support of the government's move to eradicate black money from the country. Notable among the supporters is Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, who has welcomed the move, calling it a short term inconvenience in the face of major long term benefits. Even though the demonetisation is adversely affecting the businesses of most films, with producer Ritesh Sidhwani admitting that Rock On 2's collections had taken a substantial hit due to the frugal cash flow; according to a report in ANI, Aamir Khan is so supportive of the move that he says he doesn't even mind if his upcoming December release, sports biopic Dangal, is affected by the demonetisation. - Sonali Kokra.