World News
Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan dies at 53
Acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan, whose international movie career included hits such as Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi and The Amazing Spider-Man, has died aged 53, his publicist said.
Khan, who was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, died on Wednesday after he was admitted in a Mumbai hospital for colon infection. He was 53.
“Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him,” his publicist said in a statement.
He spent his final hours “surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about,” a statement released by his family said.
The actor had spent several months last year in the United Kingdom undergoing cancer treatment.
His mother, Saeeda Begum, died four days ago on April 25.
He is survived by his wife, TV producer Sutapa Sikdar, and sons Babil and Ayan.
One of the best crossover actors
Born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan on January 7, 1967, Khan discovered an early passion for acting and studied at the elite National School of Drama.
But his training in Shakespeare and Chekhov did little to ease his entry into the Hindi film industry, which was largely focused at the time on churning out formulaic song-and-dance blockbusters.
Even as he landed a role in 1988’s Salaam Bombay – directed by first-timer Mira Nair – his part was slashed to a cameo.
He sobbed for hours when he found out about the cuts, he told India’s Open magazine. “It changed something within me. I was prepared for anything after that,” he said.
Television roles followed, along with a handful of bit parts in Bollywood, where producers routinely dismissed him as looking too unconventional to play the lead.
By the time British director Asif Kapadia cast him as a mercenary in The Warrior, he was ready to quit acting, frustrated over the direction of his career.
But, in a sign of the global success that lay in wait, the 2001 film racked up awards and won Khan praise – including in India, where a new generation of directors was eager to experiment with fresh storylines.
His drama school training came in handy when he was cast in Maqbool and Haider – contemporary Hindi adaptations of Macbeth and Hamlet.
But he also charmed audiences in lighter fare such as Piku, featuring Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, and The Lunchbox, in which he played a lonely accountant in love with a housewife.
An incredible talent’
The tall and lanky actor won India’s national award for his performance in Paan Singh Tomar. He was also awarded with Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.
Khan was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark in Western cinema, following earlier crossover pioneers like Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth and Om Puri.
He featured in several award-winning international films such as The Warrior, Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi. In Hollywood, he worked in The Amazing Spider-Man, Inferno and Jurassic World.
He consciously sidestepped traditional Bollywood tropes, focusing on the subtleties of his craft.
This allowed him to carve out a stellar career in Hollywood as well, where he collaborated with Oscar-winning directors such as Danny Boyle and Ang Lee and appeared in the HBO show In Treatment.
The actor was last seen in Bollywood comedy, Angrezi Medium, which was released in March.
“An incredible talent,” said Amitabh Bachchan in one of many Twitter tributes.
“A gracious colleague. A prolific contributor to the world of cinema… left us too soon creating a huge vacuum,” said the actor.
Filmmaker Karan Johar said, “Thank you for raising the bar as an artist … Thank you for enriching our cinema… We will miss you terribly, Irrfan.”
SOURCE: Aljazeera
World News
MICHAEL MCINTYRE CONFIRMS SOUTH AFRICAN DATES FOR HIS “MACNIFICENT” COMEDY TOUR
Michael McIntyre remains one of the top-selling comedy tours ever in SA and will perform September 2024, on Thursday 12th at Sunbet Arena at Times Square, Menlyn and Friday 13th at GrandWest, Cape Town.
Much has happened in the five years since his last tour and Michael will be making mirth from the madness of it all. Michael is the host of two of the BBC’s most successful entertainment shows, the BAFTA-winning Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and The Wheel, which he devised and also hosts for NBC in America. His previous tours have sold over four million tickets and broken box-office records around the world. Michael’s return to stand-up is not to be missed!
Age restriction: STRICTLY 14+. Children younger than this will not be admitted even if accompanied by an adult Tickets available at TicketPro.co.za.
Pre-sales from 10 am THURSDAY 28th March.
General Public on sale from 11am Tues 2nd April – i.e. no code required
World News
Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) Movie Premiere: Where Cinema Meets Couture
On Sunday, March 25, 2024, the Nollywood industry saw a historic moment as the much-awaited debut of Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) took center stage at Film House Cinemas, Circle Mall, Lekki. The film’s grand premiere, which was produced by Eniola Ajao in association with Anthill Studios, was a momentous occasion in the history of epic blockbuster movies.
Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) had its much-awaited debut attracting a star-studded cast of industry professionals. A bit of star power was added to the premiere by the presence of well-known people like Toyin Abraham, Mercy Aigbe, Odunlade Adekola, Femi Adebayo, Iyabo Ojo, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Gbenga Adeyinka, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Denrele Edun, Rukayat Lawal, Wasila Coded, Wumi Toriola, Phyna, Peju Ogunmola, Dayo Amusa, Iyabo Ojo, Antar Laniyan, and others.
Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju) opened with a grandiose fashion show that went above and beyond the usual moviegoing experience. The red carpet was a glistening display of avant-garde and opulent looks that added even more excitement to the evening’s festivities.
Directed by Odunlade Adekola and Adebayo Tijani, “Beast of Two Worlds” looks at the life of a desperate king facing banishment due to his three wives’ inability to produce a son, he takes a new wife from another world who promises him an heir but her arrival brings unforeseen chaos to the kingdom forcing the king to confront his fears and fight to secure his dynasty future.
The cast includes Odunlade Adekola, Eniola Ajao, Sola Sobowale, Femi Adebayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Akintola, Fathia Balogun, Ibrahim Chatta, amongst others.
Beast of Two Worlds is set to show nationwide in cinemas from March 29, 2024, and distributed by Film One.
Watch the trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17aQ8ibDXVg
About Beast of Two Worlds
Beast of Two Worlds looks at the life of a desperate king facing banishment due to his three wives’ inability to produce a son, he takes a new wife from another world who promises him an heir but her arrival brings unforeseen chaos to the kingdom forcing the king to confront his fears and fight to secure his dynasty future.
World News
Electric Forest Announces Additional Artists for Sold Out 2024 Edition
New Additions Feature Seven Lions, Sara Landry, G Jones, Hiatus Kaiyote, ODD MOB & OMNOM present HYPERBEAM, Layton Giordani, Boogie T, Cannabliss, Levity, Chaos in the CBD, Emo Nite, Brandi Cyrus + Many More
Taking Place June 20-23 in Rothbury, Michigan
Limited Wristbands Back On Sale Friday, March 29
https://www.electricforest.com
Today, Electric Forest announces 40+ additional artists joining the lineup for its sold out 2024 edition. Taking place June 20-23 in Rothbury, Michigan, Electric Forest remains one of the world’s most interactive festivals, fostering an immersive atmosphere of connection and discovery upheld by the pillars of community, creation, and inclusion.
Electric Forest’s new lineup additions include melodic bass maestro Seven Lions, experimental bass veteran G Jones, high priestess of hard techno Sara Landry, and Grammy-nominated band Hiatus Kaiyote. The billing expands with techno new school selector Layton Giordani, post-punk revivalists Emo Nite,Nashville’s Brandi Cyrus, Kiwi brother-duo Chaos in the CBD, multi-instrumentalist live legend Boogie T, Chicago’s rising electronic trio Levity, and the new collaborative project of tech house sensations ODD MOB & OMNOM present HYPERBEAM.
Electric Forest’s latest additions join a stacked roster of headliners including Forest favorite Pretty Lights, the bone-rattling sounds of Excision, and Cyclops Recordings founder Subtronics. A variety of rare collaborative artist sets are also on deck, including EVERYTHING ALWAYS (Dom Dolla + John Summit), LSZEE (CloZee + LSDREAM), and Big Gigantic and NGHTMRE teaming up for their Gigantic NGHTMRE project.
Jam fans can rejoice as The String Cheese Incident returns to perform two Incidents, plus sets from fellow torchbearers of the genre The Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee. Some of the more unexpected names on the lineup include Grammy-winning singer Nelly Furtado and famed Atlanta hip-hop artist Ludacris, each bringing their iconic sounds to the forest. The list of headliners is rounded out by Belgian techno queen Charlotte de Witte, a solo set from John Summit, and performances by Black Tiger Sex Machine, Ben Böhmer, and Knock2.
This year, Electric Forest will continue its offering of elevated culinary experience add-ons. Highlights include breakfast with a side of sass at the Drag Brunch, a four course meal inspired by the Forest, seasonal produce, and mystical creatures at Forest Feast, Buena Vida, an Agave spirits interactive cocktail tasting experience, and Wig Out Pig Out, a wig wearing authentic BBQ. Additional offerings include Brie Our Guest, Champagne French Fry, The Gouda Life, Forest Food Tour, and Good Life Brunch with Chef Sarah.
Fans will also be able to purchase exclusive guided tour experiences, allowing them to explore Sherwood Forest or experience the Dream Emporium before festival gates officially open. The exclusive tours will give fans an exclusive sneak peek at the new art, installations, and surprises the Forest has to offer while learning about the artists, history, and production process of the festival directly from the Electric Forest team. Sherwood Forest tours will conclude at TheWoodlands Bar for happy hour and are extremely limited capacity.
Electric Forest also recently announced the full programming for its beloved Plug In Programs, offering fans the unique opportunity to contribute and collaborate directly with the festival’s production teams. Highlights include the Art Installation Sponsorship Program, allowing artists to bring their creations to life in the forest, The Brainery which offers educational workshops and classes, The Wish Machine which grants a wish in exchange for inspirational and charitable deeds done in the community, and the Electric Forest Radio On Air ExtraordinAIRE Program for aspiring radio personalities, show hosts, behind-the-scenes technicians, fan interviewers, and more.
Since 2011, Electric Forest has remained committed to the constant reimagination of what a festival experience can be. It’s this thoughtful and innovative approach to production and programming that has helped foster one of the world’s most dedicated festival communities. It’s a place where acceptance, safety, and self-expression are the most valuable currency, surprise and wonder hide around every corner, and no two journeys are the same.
Wristbands for Electric Forest 2024 are currently sold-out, but limited wristbands will go back on sale this Friday, March 29 at 12pm EST. More information can be found at ElectricForest.com. Add-Ons, Vehicle Passes, Early Arrival, Group Camping, Shuttles, Lockers, and more can be found here.
The complete list of Electric Forest 2024 artists is available below.
Electric Forest 2024 Lineup (A-Z)
ACRAZE
ALLEYCVT
ATLiens
AYYBO
Baggi
Barclay Crenshaw
Ben Böhmer
Black Tiger Sex Machine
Boogie T
Brandi Cyrus
Calussa
Cannabliss
Cannons
Caspa
Cassian
Chaos in the CBD
Charlotte De Witte
Chase & Status
Coco & Breezy
Cuco (DJ Set)
Dimension
Dirtwire
Dixon’s Violin
DJ Susan
DJ Tennis
DRAMA
Dumpstaphunk
Eggy
Emo Nite
Equanimous
EVERYTHING ALWAYS (Dom Dolla + John Summit)
Excision
G Jones
Gigantic NGHTMRE
Green Velvet
Hamdi
Hiatus Kaiyote
INZO
it’s murph
Jenna Shaw
JJUUJJUU
John Summit
Juelz
Kenny Beats
Kiltro
Knock2
Layton Giordani
Levity
Le Youth
Lettuce
LEVEL UP
Levity
Libianca
Little Stranger
LP Giobbi
LSZEE (CloZee + LSDREAM)
Luci
Ludacris
LYNY
Maddy O’Neal
MÆSØNIC
Major League Djz
Mascolo
Marsh
Matroda
Mau P
Michaël Brun
Mojave Grey
NEIL FRANCES
Nelly Furtado
Neoma
ODD MOB & OMNOM present HYPERBEAM
ODEN & Fatzo
Only Fire
PAPERWATER
Peach Tree Rascals
Polyrhythmics
Pretty Lights
Próxima Parada
Ranger Trucco
Rawayana
Redrum
Sammy Virji
Sara Landry
Seven Lions
Shae District
Slayyyter
Subtronics
Sultan + Shepard
Super Future
SWAYLÓ
The Disco Biscuits
The String Cheese Incident
Thought Process
Tripp St.
TSHA
Umphrey’s McGee
Unusual Demont
venbee
Vini Vici
VNSSA B2B Nala
Westend
Whyte Fang
Will Clarke
Wooli
Zen Selekta
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