India Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Spotify after a licensing dispute with a top label.As The Independent report, fans have been sharing their anger after hundreds of songs from the Indian label Zee Music Company have been disappearing from playlists.The label, which purports to be India’s second most popular, claims it is home to more than 50 per cent of new Bollywood music.Now, hugely popular soundtracks to films including Bajirao Mastani, Ram-Leela and Gully Boy have all been removed from the service, while the song ‘Apna Bana Le’, from new film Bhediya, has also been removed despite being the most-streamed song in India on Spotify in recent weeks.In a statement toBillboard, Spotify said: “Spotify and Zee Music have been unable to reach a licensing agreement.“Throughout these negotiations, Spotify has tried to find creative ways to strike a deal with Zee Music and will continue our good faith negotiations in hopes of finding a mutually agreeable solution soon.”Elsewhere, it was recently revealed that Spotify executives have only spent 10 per cent of their $100million (£81.75million) budget on a new fund to promote music and audio content by members of “historically marginalised groups”.The Creator Equity Fund was launched last year in the wake of controversy surrounding Joe Rogan’s Spotify-exclusive podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, due to uses of the N-word and COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.Just over a year on, however, Bloomberg has found that the initiative has got off to a slow start.

A new pan-Asian street food bar, takeaway and restaurant, is set to open this weekend on Deansgate, but it’s been over 40 years in the making. Suki Suki will be serving up sticky wings, steaming ramens and katsu curries, but bringing with it generations of culinary pedigree.

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett has joined forces with guitar manufacturer Gibson to create replicas of his iconic “Greeny” Les Paul.The original 1959 model has become iconic in the guitar world, having belonged to members of some of the world’s biggest bands. Originally, the axe was owned by Fleetwood Mac‘s Peter Green and from there it was passed down to Thin Lizzy’s guitarist Gary Moore, who played it for decades.Now, the design is owned by the thrash icon and Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, who has teamed up with the manufacturer to create replicas.“I am very honoured and grateful for this opportunity with Gibson,” Hammett said.

Julia MacCary editor Focus Features has dropped the trailer for Wes Anderson’s upcoming comedy “Asteroid City.”  “Asteroid City” is set in the 1950s in a fictional American desert town. At a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention, which is designed to unite students and parents in scholarly competition, chaos ensues as world-changing events take place.  The film’s main cast includes Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Hong Chau and Scarlett Johansson. Also featured in the film are Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan, Grace Edwards, Aristou Meehan, Sophia Lillis, Ethan Lee, Jeff Goldblum and Rita Wilson.

Legendary comedian and TV star Paul O'Grady has died "unexpectedly but peacefully" aged 67, following years of health battles. Tributes have poured in for the star, who hosted The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs. He was known for his love of animals, and raised a lot of money and awareness about those in need, whilst also adopting a number of animals himself.

Just weeks away from giving birth, Binky Felstead has opened up about the difficulties that have come from being pregnant while already a mum to two young children. Speaking candidly about the exhaustion she's felt this time around, the former Made In Chelsea star, 32, tells us that after the interview concludes she'll be taking herself off to bed, adding that her toddler Wolfie, two, is likely to keep her up at night. Along with her son Wolfie, whom she shares with husband Max Darnton, Binky is also mum to five-year-old India from her relationship with Josh Patterson.The soon-to-be mum-of-three tells us: "It’s knackering having a toddler as well as a five-year-old.

Juggling the demands of two young children while being pregnant is no mean feat, but Binky Felstead is taking it in her stride. Although she tells us she’ll be putting her feet up after our interview, the former Made In Chelsea star, 32, who is expecting a baby boy this spring, admits looking after her 21-month-old son Wolfie while expecting does “take its toll”. Binky, also mum to daughter India from her relationship with Josh Patterson, says, “It’s knackering having a toddler as well as a five-year-old.

Jobs are set to be lost at a Manchester-based push bike brand after racking up losses of almost £4m.

Priyanka Chopra got her start in Bollywood movies in her native India before heading to Hollywood when she was cast as the lead in ABC drama “Quantico”.

Naman Ramachandran Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4” shot its way to the top of the U.K. and Ireland box office with a £5.3 million ($6.5 million) opening weekend, according to numbers released by Comscore. In its second weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Shazam! Fury Of The Gods” collected £1.09 million in second place for a total of £4.09 million. In third place, Warner Bros.’ “Creed III” earned £731,273 and now has a total of £12.8 million after four weekends. Paramount’s “Scream VI” grossed £597,937 in fourth place in its third weekend for a total of £6.2 million. Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros.’ “Allelujah” that took £463,973 in its second weekend for a total of £2.02 million.

Naman Ramachandran Hollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas has revealed for the first time why she quit her native Bollywood industry in India and started fresh in the U.S. Speaking on the “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard” podcast, Chopra Jonas, who was a huge star in Bollywood before she moved to the U.S., said: “I was being pushed into a corner in the industry. I had people not casting me for reasons… I had beef with people. I was tired of the politics. I was just like, ‘I need a break.'” The break came in the shape of a music career in the U.S. In 2011, Universal Music Group signed Chopra Jonas to a worldwide recording agreement with DesiHits, and part of the deal was that her first studio album would be released by Interscope Records in North America and by Island Records in the rest of the world.

Netflix could remove an episode of The Big Bang Theory over a “derogatory” remark made about Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit.Last week, Indian political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar claimed he had issued a legal notice to the streaming service, asking it to remove the first episode of season two, in which Raj Koothrapalli (Kunal Nayyar) and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) compare actors Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit.During their conversation, Sheldon refers to Aishwarya Rai as a “poor man’s Madhuri Dixit”. To which Raj replies: “Aishwarya Rai is a goddess.

The Issa Brothers, who own Asda, are 'considering an £8bn takeover of sandwich giant Subway', according to reports.

Users of "very common medicines" are being asked not to buy in bulk as shoppers are being warned of shortages on pharmacy shelves.

Shoppers all across the country have been warned of low Calpol stocks on high street shelves.

Naman Ramachandran Yash Raj Films’ “Pathaan” is the biggest Indian hit of the year so far grossing $130 million. The studio’s Akshaye Widhani also served as a co-producer on the film. Part of the release strategy around “Pathaan” was keeping Shah Rukh Khan away from the film’s promotions, creating curiosity around the superstar’s comeback film, the first time he’d headlined a project since 2018’s “Zero.” “There was a lot of excitement and hunger to see India’s biggest movie star on screen after four years. We wanted to preserve that. So when we got into a room with him to talk about marketing the film, we all felt what if we went with a different strategy this time, which is less is more. So we hold back Shah Rukh, not have him seen pre-release, not have him interact with anybody pre-release,” Widhani told Variety. “But once the the film is out, then we come out into the media. That was a conscious decision and one that paid off well, because the whole excitement to go watch him on screen became even more, and the hunger increased when you didn’t see him. And it worked well for us.”

Tatiana Siegel On a chilly Oscars eve, Donnie Yen has just returned from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where he was rehearsing for the Academy Awards along with a slew of fellow global superstar presenters like Spain’s Antonio Banderas and India’s Deepika Padukone. The “John Wick: Chapter 4” scene-stealer, who hails from southern China, feels good about how the following night might unfold, namely for his friend and Hong Kong neighbor Michelle Yeoh. Her victory and that of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” would be a landmark moment for Asian representation, he says.  “I’ve known her for more than 20 years, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here — to support her and share in a possible historical moment,” he says of his “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” co-star. “And ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ has a lot of Chinese language and it talks about the Chinese heritage, which I find out has been so accepted and embraced here. So, that really warmed my heart. I’m sure hoping for Michelle.” 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief In cricket-mad India the upcoming Indian Premier League tournament could be a watershed for the country’s jostling media empires, according to Singapore-based consultancy and analysis firm, Media Partners Asia. Video rights for the tournament were split between incumbent pay-TV player Disney Star India, which paid close to $3.1 billion for broadcast rights to the five 2023-2027 editions, and Viacom18, which is backed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Paramount (as a minority stakeholder), in partnership with financier Bodhi Tree Systems. It paid a similar sum for the separate digital rights. Media Partners Asia estimates that advertising revenues spawned by the two-month 2023 competition will end up around $550 million – representing a clear loss on the annualized cost of $1.2 billion, or roughly $600 million per conglomerate, for the tournament rights. (The analysis firm forecasts that RIL will earn $300-350 million in ad sales, while Star’s best-case scenario is $220 million.)

Naman Ramachandran Top Bollywood star Rani Mukerji is basking in the box office success of “Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway,” which flies in the face of “cynicism” from “naysayers” as the actor describes it. The film, directed by Ashima Chibber and written by Rahul Handa, Sameer Satija and Chibber, is based on the true story of an Indian couple whose children were taken away from them by Norwegian welfare services in 2011. Mukerji plays the titular Mrs. Chatterjee who battles with the Norwegian government to reunite with her children. The modestly budgeted film released on March 17 and has grossed some $3.2 million worldwide so far.

After four years, Dean Gaffney is making a comeback to acting as he is confirmed to star in a new pantomime this April. Dean, 45, is confirmed as the Prince in the upcoming production of Rapunzel, which is loosely based on the Disney movie, Tangled. Kerry Katona,42, is also scheduled to feature in the new pantomime, playing Mother Gothel who keeps Rapunzel locked away in the tower.

Tribal Alliance Against Frauds is now demanding the Academy and the producer drop her “false claims” while activists insist she’s at best 1/2048th Cherokee.The group accuses her of profiting from usurping “real American Indian voices and perspectives” and being a fraudulent so-called “Pretendian.”Rae is married to another Hollywood producer, Russell Friedenberg, and the eldest of their three children is actress Johnny Sequoyah, who currently stars in the reboot of Dexter. Ironically, Rae was already caught up in the highest-profile “Pretendian” scandal to hit Hollywood.

Edinburgh locals were treated to a surprise appearance from entrepreneur Richard Branson who was in town for the grand opening of Virgin Hotels' new Victoria Street location.

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is set for many, many sleepless nights after he and wife Priscilla Chan welcomed their third child into the world.The genius behind Facebook, who was played by Jesse Eisenberg in David Fincher's acclaimed pseudo-biopic The Social Network, announced his heartwarming news via Instagram on Friday with pictures of both parents enjoying their adorable little one. "Welcome to the world, Aurelia Chan Zuckerberg! You're such a little blessing," the 38 year old wrote.

Lisa Kennedy In “Frybread Face and Me,” Benny Lovell might be a few years away from the edge of 17, but the 12-year-old Indian kid has a passion for Fleetwood Mac. It’s his fondness for the band, its witchy vocalist Stevie Nicks as well as for dolls (“action figures,” he corrects) that has his parents sending him from San Diego to his maternal grandmother on the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona. But before he gets on the bus headed east, adult Benny in voice-over offers a caveat: “If you think no one does dysfunction like Fleetwood Mac, then you haven’t met my family.” It’s 1990 and a summer that initially smacks of exile and punishment becomes one of discovery — self-discovery to be sure, but also cultural and familial.

Golden Globes’ website, it stated Doss died “after a brief illness”; no further information about his death was providd,Doss spent much of his childhood in Port Said, Egypt. As a young kid, he knew he had a passion for the entertainment industry. In an interview with HFPA in 2013, Doss explained, “I used to live in Cairo.

A.O. Scott this week ends his 23-year run as film critic for the New York Times and most movie people are glad to see him go. So is he.

Queen Charlotte is a lady in distress in the brand new trailer for “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story”.

The official trailer for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, the Bridgerton sequel show centering around Queen Charlotte, is finally here!

Amazon Prime Video is exploring more global franchise opportunities following the success of the Russo Brothers’ Citadel.

first look between Young Queen Charlotte and Young King George as well as the overwhelming weight societal pressure that awaits her in the “Bridgerton” prequel series’ teaser, the trailer spotlights Queen Charlotte’s rise to the throne amid a loving yet tumultuous marriage.As Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) arrives to the famed palace lamenting “Why me?” her brother attempts to knock some sense into his stubborn sister, saying “there are worse fates than marrying the king of England.”While her brother might be right, Charlotte quickly starts to feel the weight of the nation on her shoulders as her union with the king is expected to bring about societal unity and “as many babies as possible.” While Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) offers Charlotte support as she prepares for her impending marriage and royal debut, there’s just one problem: Charlotte has not yet met her soon-to-be husband.Then comes the highly anticipated introduction as Young King George (Corey Mylchreest) discovers Charlotte trying to climb over the castle wall from what she expects will be a disaster of a life — which is intercepted when George provides the reassurance Charlotte had been craving.“I realize you have no reason to like me,” George tells Charlotte. “But if you will give me one evening of your time, then I might make you hate me a little bit less.” While their whirlwind romance satisfies the desires of both the pair and their closest advisors, their relationship is quickly shrouded in secrecy as George’s whereabouts and condition is hidden from Charlotte, leading to a tense confrontation between the couple.“I do not want to fight,” George insists, while Charlotte declares “I want to fight with you.

BreAnna Bell Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for its forthcoming “Bridgerton” prequel series, “Queen Charlotte.” The first full trailer of the upcoming season introduces viewers to a young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio), who goes on a journey of self-discovery and love. After being paired in an arranged marriage to King George, a worried Charlotte opens the nearly three-minute clip wondering why she was chosen by the royal family to ascend the throne as the wife of England’s young leader. “Centered on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, this ‘Bridgerton’-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in ‘Bridgerton,'” reads the show’s official logline, per Netflix.

Queen Charlotte came to play.Netflix dropped the official trailer for on Thursday, with the two-and-a-half-minute treat opening with young Charlotte (India Amarteifio) lamenting over why been the one picked to marry King George (Corey Mylchreest). As she's reminded in the carriage to the Ton, «There are worse fates than marrying the king of England.»Of course, there's an agenda behind Charlotte's royal union with George. One, their marriage would act as a unifier for society.

Naman Ramachandran Real life husband and wife couple, celebrity cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma, are merging their respective foundations – Anushka Sharma Foundation and Virat Kohli Foundation – to launch SeVVA, a joint non-profit initiative aimed at helping those in need. Sharma and Kohli said in a joint statement: “In the words of Kahlil Gibran ‘for in truth it is life that gives unto life – while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.’ With this sentiment in mind, we have decided to work together through SeVVA aiming to reach out to as many people as possible. SeVVA’s work won’t be confined to a particular issue as it will continue to strive for social good by championing humanity which is the need of the hour today.”

Maura Higgins ditched her usual glam look on Tuesday as she went make-up free for a trip to the shops in Essex. The former Love Island star, 32, looked nearly unrecognisable as she sported baggy grey tracksuit bottoms and a black Victoria's Secret hoodie while shopping for groceries at a Sainsbury's store.

EXCLUSIVE: The UK Asian Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and today, Deadline can share the official lineup for the jubilee edition, running at venues across the UK from May 4 — 14.

Ramadan begins as the sun goes down tonight, and runs until April 21, meaning that Muslims across Greater Manchester and across the globe will be observing their sawm - abstention from eating and drinking - during daylight hours.