KK, Popular Indian Singer, Dies at 53

The e-auction’s over, and became clear yesterday, Viacom18 is the big winner of Indian Premier League cricket rights. The company bagged digital rights in India for 410 games over the next five years for $2.6B and today followed up with the international rights for three of the other big cricketing nations — Australia, South Africa and the UK — for around another $420M.

Naman Ramachandran “Tanaav,” the Indian adaptation of hit Israeli series “Fauda,” will debut on streamer SonyLIV. Set in Kashmir in 2017 and shot on locations there, “Tanaav,” which means tension, chaos, stress, tells the story of a Special Covert Ops Unit over 12 episodes.

Viacom18 has bowled out the opposition and caught the sought-after streaming rights to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament.

Indian Premier League cricket tournament, one the world’s richest sporting events, have been sold for a combined $5 billion, according to several reports.The successful bidders have not been named as the auction, which started on Sunday is ongoing and may run to a third day.The TV rights went for $2.72 billion and the digital rights for $2.28 billion, for a five-year deal covering the 2023-2027 tournaments. In both cases the rights packages are limited to the Indian subcontinent.There are two more rights packages on offer – for selected tournament games including the playoffs, only for the Indian subcontinent; and TV and digital rights for the rest of the world.

S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR, a huge hit when it opened in March, is dipping back into the U.S. market in a novel and, so far, successful bid by distributors to expand the reach of the Telegu period drama beyond the traditional audience for Indian film.

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. marketing giant Trailer Park Group has taken its first steps into India with the acquisition of Mumbai-based creative agency White Turtle Studios.

Johnny Depp isn’t worried about spending too much at dinner. On Sunday, the actor enjoyed dinner a the Varanasi Indian restaurant in Birmingham, England where he reportedly spent more than $62,000 (£50,000).

A controversial TV ad in India is garnering condemnation from Bollywood stars.

“authentic Indian cuisine,” cocktails and rosé Champagne at the Varanasi restaurant serving “heavenly recipes and soothing ambience,” according to its website. The actor — declared a “down-to-earth bloke” by restaurant staff — famously scored a big victory Wednesday when he was awarded a $10.35 million judgement in his brutal defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, 36.The “Edward Scissorhands” star was hanging out with his musician friend-collaborator Jeff Beck, 77, and 20 other people in their party at what’s billed as “Birmingham’s largest Indian restaurant.”Depp has been staying in the United Kingdom to join Beck on his tour.

Johnny Depp has been spotted in Birmingham - ahead of an expected performance at the Symphony Hall tonight. The star has been seen on tour across the UK with his long time friend Jeff Beck in recent days. Beck is performing at the Symphony Hall tonight - and it looks even more likely Depp will join him after he was spotted at a Birmingham restaurant on Sunday evening.

Times of India reports.KK was in the city for a two-day run of gigs and began to feel ill during Tuesday night’s performance in front of a thousand concertgoers.His set went on for about an hour, after which he reportedly collapsed in his hotel room, local news outlets reported.The singer — who boasted nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram — was then rushed to the hospital but was unable to be saved by medics. According to the outlet, KK ultimately suffered a heart attack.The singer was known for his versatility on stage.

Bollywood singer KK – full name Krishnakumar Kunnath – has died. He was 53. The popular Indian musician died Tuesday night (31 May) in Kolkata, India.

KK, a popular Indian playback singer and songwriter with more than 300 film and TV credits, died Tuesday of cardiac arrest in Kolkata, shortly after performing a concert. He was 53.

Sidhu Moose Wala, a prominent Indian rapper-turned-politician, was shot dead Sunday while driving in the Mansa district of Punjab, police said. He was 28.

Popular Indian rapper and singer Sidhu Moose Wala was shot and killed on Sunday evening. The artist, 28, was taken to hospital in the Mansa region of the Punjab state where he was declared dead. Punjab police official VK Bhawra has stated that the killing was the result of an inter-gang rivalry (via The Guardian).

Naman Ramachandran India’s Kamal Haasan is a true multi-hyphenate. Beginning as a child actor in 1960, he is one of the country’s most consummate actors with films like “Pathinaru Vayathinile” (1977) “Moondram Pirai” (1982) “Nayakan” (1987), “Thevar Magan” (1992) and “Vishwaroopam” (2013) behind him.He also produces via his Raajkamal Films International (RKFI), writes, directs, and runs the  Makkal Needhi Maiam political party.The upcoming “Vikram,” directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj (“Master”) and costarring Fahadh Fasil (“Maalik”) Vijay Sethupathi (“Kadaisi Vivasayi”), will be Haasan’s first release since 2018’s “Vishwaroopam 2.” It is produced by RKFI.Haasan was at the Cannes Market to launch NFTs based on “Vikram” from Fantico, a digital licensed platform of Singapore’s Vistas Media Capital.

Naman Ramachandran Rotem Shamir, whose credits include hit series “Fauda” and “Hostages” will make his Indian film debut as director of “Garud.”Inspired by real events, “Garud” will present a fictionalized depiction of the rescue mission in Afghanistan, based on the story of a police officer and his team of special forces.The film will be produced by Ajay Kapoor (“Attack”) for Ajay Kapoor Productions and Subhash Kale for Vikrant Studio. The cast is being finalized.Kapoor said: ” ‘Garud’ is a huge project for me, I’m emotionally driven to the film and want to give it the best treatment possible.

Naman Ramachandran The late Govindan Aravindan’s 1978 masterpiece “Thamp̄” (“The Circus Tent”) is one of two Indian films at this year’s Cannes Classics selection, alongside Satyajit Ray’s “Pratidwandi” (“The Adversary”) from 1970.“Thamp̄” was painstakingly restored by India’s Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), an organization founded by filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur (“Celluloid Man,” “CzechMate: In Search of Jirí Menzel”) in 2014. Dungarpur facilitated the restoration of Uday Shankar’s landmark film “Kalpana” (1948) by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation, the restored version of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012.

Naman Ramachandran Deaf Crocodile Films and Gratitude Films have acquired Indian films “Lalanna’s Song” and “Dhuin” for North American distribution. The deals were completed during the Cannes Market.“Dhuin” is one of six Indian titles selected by India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a market screening.

Naman Ramachandran The cream of the current crop of young Indian documentary filmmakers were on fire during the annual Doc Day at the Cannes Film Market, discussing ways of expressing dissent within India’s current political dispensation.Since 2014, India has been ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Shaunak Sen’s “All That Breathes” is showing as a special screening at the festival and previously won the documentary grand jury prize at Sundance. It follows Delhi-based Muslim brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who, against the backdrop of the territory’s polluted atmosphere and escalating sectarian violence, devote their lives to saving the black kite bird species.“I was absolutely certain that this film was not a snapshot of the current political moment; this film’s main interests were ecological and the human-bird relationship,” Sen said.