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Jaipur, Jan 31: Union minister Giriraj Singh has said that Chittor queen Padmavati was being trifled with because she was a Hindu, adding that Hindu gods and goddesses are fair game for filmmakers who wouldn't dare to make a movie on Prophet Mohammed. Without taking his name, Giriraj also justified the vigilante group Karni Sena's attack on filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the set of the movie.

Tehran, Jan 30: Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi said today he will not attend next month's Academy Awards, comparing President Donald Trump's visa ban on seven Muslim countries to the actions of hardliners in his own country. Farhadi, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film for "The Salesman", said in a statement carried by Iranian news agencies that he had initially planned to

Jaipur, Jan 30: Protests over "Padmavati" took a new turn today with Rajput groups coming up with fresh demands of title change and a review before the release even as Bhansali productions made it clear that there is no romantic dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Alaudin Khilji. The demand was raised at a joint press conference which was convened by Rajput Sabha to announce that they and

Manila, Jan 30: Iris Mittenaere from France has been crowned the new Miss Universe during the 65th edition of the pageant, while Miss Haiti Raquel Pelissier was named first runner-up. Iris, 24, is a Parisian native, currently pursuing a degree in dental surgery. She plans to use her Miss Universe platform to advocate for dental and oral hygiene. Out of the 86 contestants in the finals, Iris

London, Jan 30: Twenty years after her death, a statue of Princess Diana has been commissioned by her children Prince William and Prince Harry who said "the time is right to recognise her positive impact" with a permanent statue. The sculpture will be erected in the public grounds of her former residence, Kensington Palace. A sculptor has yet to be chosen but a spokesperson said work on the

London, Jan 29: Legendary British actor John Hurt, best known for playing a drug addict in "Midnight Express," Kane in "Alien," the title character in "The Elephant Man," and Winston Smith in "1984" has died. He was 77. Hurt's agent confirmed the actor's death, reported Variety. No cause of death was immediately known, but Hurt revealed in 2015 that he was battling pancreatic cancer. The actor

Mumbai, Jan 28: Actress Deepika Padukone says she is in "state of shock" over the attack on director Sanjay Leela Bhansali during the shooting of his directorial venture "Padmavati" in Jaipur. The 31-year-old actress, who is playing the lead role of Rani Padmavati in the film, expressed her anger in a series of tweets. "In a state of shock!deeply saddened and disheartened by yesterday's events

New Delhi, Jan 28: Bollywood super-star Akshay Kumar is all set to tie up with the Narendra Modi government to guide citizens in financing aid to kin of martyrs. Many people wish to extend financial help but are unaware of whom to contact and how to go about the procedure. The government has come up with a plan to help these willing citizens and have chosen Akshay Kumar to bridge this gap. The

Mumbai, Jan 28: Film industry has come together to condemn the attack on director Sanjay Leela Bhansali during the shooting of his directorial venture "Padmavati" in Jaipur calling it "appalling", "ridiculous" and "mockery of democracy". Bhansali, was shooting for his new film in Jaipur's Jaigarh Fort, when he was assaulted by activists of a Rajput community group, Karni Sena, who also vandalised

New Delhi, Jan 27: After being acquitted in the Arms Act case, last week, linked to the killing of a blackbuck 18 years ago, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has now reportedly left the Jodhpur court after recording his statement in the much-talked-about poaching case. The 51-year-old star was asked 65 questions by Chief Judicial Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit. He pleaded innocence in the case