Holly to Bolly: First Indian film on Mars in the pipeline, Halle Berry divorce finalised, and more

First Indian film on Mars in the pipeline

Director Pritish Chakraborty has spoken about his upcoming project Mangal Ho which will be set in outer space. "It is the first entertaining comedy film from India on the topic of Mars," says Chakraborty. "Our tag line revolves around the theme of the first Indian civilisation on Mars. We are showing a time period that is 25 years ahead of now. Actor Annu Kapoor (pictured) has a major part in the film and will play the character of an Indian scientist." Chakraborty is planning to release a short promotional video of the science fiction musical to the public on January 26 this year. — IANS

William Christopher of MASH fame dies

Actor William Christopher, who played the unassuming US. Army chaplain, Father Mulcahy, in the long-running hit TV series M*A*S*H, has died, he was 84. Christopher, who was diagnosed with cancer about 18 months ago, passed away at his home in Pasadena, California. The actor's wife of nearly 60 years, Barbara Christopher, was with him at the time. Christopher landed his signature role on M*A*S*H after another actor played the part on the show's pilot episode. He went on to portray the softly spoken character for the duration of the series, which ran from 1972 to 1983 on the CBS network and continued to air in syndication for decades afterwards. — Reuters

Oliver Martinez divorce from Halle Berry finalised

Olivier Martinez's divorce from Halle Berry has been finalised in the United States. The couple filed the motion in October 2015 after marrying in 2013. After the announcement, a close friend of the French actor spoke of the 50-year-old's disappointment that his relationship with the actress who has starred in such movies Monster's Ball and Catwoman had broke down. "He always hoped that they could work things out," the source told people.com, "He never expected to be divorced. He and Halle always had a very passionate relationship. There was a lot of arguing, but also a lot of love," the source adds. Martinez will continue living in Los Angeles to be near Maceo, the 3-year-old son his shares with Berry. — IANS

Mariyappan Thangavelu biopic in the works

Filmmaker Aishwarya Dhanush Rajinikanth’s next project will be a biopic about the Indian Paralympic high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu.

Simply titled Mariyappan, the Tamil film will chart the life of the 21-year-old athlete who won a gold medal for India in the 2016 Summer Paralympics games in Rio de Janeiro. A poster promoting the film has been unveiled by Shah Rukh Khan who wrote on his Twitter page: "Here's presenting the first look of the biopic on Mariyappan Thangavelu, our very own national hero. All the best Aishwarya." The film, which is slated for release later this year, will be simultaneously shot in Tamil and English. — IANS

Kylie Minogue hoping for a calmer 2017

Singer Kylie Minogue, who became engaged to boyfriend Joshua Sasse in February last year, is mapping out the coming 12 months. "I've had a lot of great moments in 2016; it's been a bit crazy. I hope that in 2017 things settle down," Minogue told Hello! magazine. The 48-year-old Australian, best known for her 2000 smash hit Spinning Around, added she still has many things she wants to achieve professionally in the coming year. "I'd love to make a new pop album and go on tour," she says. "I'm also thinking, by popular demand, of bringing back my lingerie line." - IANS