‘Avengers: Endgame’ blows up Hollywood records with huge weekend take

LOS ANGELES: "Avengers: Endgame," the hugely anticipated series-ender from Disney and Marvel, set a new standard for Hollywood blockbusters this weekend with stunning hauls of $350 million in North America and $1.2 billion worldwide, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday.To put the North American figure in perspective, that means the final chapter in the adventures of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and company took in 43 times what the No. 2 film, Disney’s "Captain Marvel," earned for the three-day weekend: a more pedestrian $8.1 million."Avengers" looks likely to remain strong, having drawn a sky-high 96 percent rating from critics on the Rotten Tomatoes website. With a star-studded cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper and Josh Brolin, it took in a jaw-dropping $329 million in China alone, Variety reported."Avengers" could lead to "the biggest revenue-generating summer (and year) in box office history," according to Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian.Back on Earth, last week’s top film, Warner Bros.’ horror flick "The Curse of La Llorona," slipped to third spot at $7.5 million. It stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz and Patricia Velasquez in the story, loosely based on Mexican folklore, of a Los Angeles woman trying to protect her children from a ghost.In fourth was "Breakthrough," at $6.3 million. The faith-based story of a mother (Chrissy Metz) who refuses to abandon hope after her son (Marcel Ruiz) falls into an icy lake, was produced by NBA star Stephen Curry.And in fifth was Warner Bros.’ lighthearted superhero tale "Shazam!", at $5.5 million. It stars Asher Angel as Billy Baston, an unhappy foster kid who becomes a muscular superhero (Zachary Levi) when the secret word is pronounced.Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were:"Little" ($3.4 million)"Dumbo" ($3.2 million)"Pet Sematary" ($1.3 million)"Us" ($1.1 million)"Penguins" ($1.1 million)

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'Avengers: Endgame' breaks global box office record with $1.2 billion

LOS ANGELES:  "Avengers: Endgame" has now moved to a whole new level, smashing opening-weekend records with a global $1.2 billion take at the box office. "Avengers: Endgame", the hugely anticipated series-ender from Disney, set a new standard for Hollywood blockbusters this weekend with stunning haul of $1.2 billion worldwide. The film took in $350 million in the US and Canada, smashing the previous record of $258 million that was held by the superhero team’s own gloved hands with last year’s "Infinity War". Disney now boasts the top four spots for opening weekends in the U.S. and Canada, rounded out by “The Last Jedi” and “The Force Awakens” from the Star Wars franchise, according to researcher Comscore Inc.The worldwide total included $330.5 million in China, and records fell like skyscrapers under attack. “Avengers: Endgame” took in a domestic record of $156.7 million on its first day, including Thursday night previews, beating the previous mark of $119 million held by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015."Avengers" could lead to "the biggest revenue-generating summer (and year) in box office history," according to Comscore´s Paul Dergarabedian.Back on Earth, last week´s top film, Warner Bros.´ horror flick "The Curse of La Llorona," slipped to third spot at $7.5 million. It stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz and Patricia Velasquez in the story, loosely based on Mexican folklore, of a Los Angeles woman trying to protect her children from a ghost.In fourth was "Breakthrough," at $6.3 million. The faith-based story of a mother (Chrissy Metz) who refuses to abandon hope after her son (Marcel Ruiz) falls into an icy lake, was produced by NBA star Stephen Curry.And in fifth was Warner Bros.´ lighthearted superhero tale "Shazam!", at $5.5 million. It stars Asher Angel as Billy Baston, an unhappy foster kid who becomes a muscular superhero (Zachary Levi) when the secret word is pronounced.The others on the weekend´s top 10 were:"Little" ($3.4 million)"Dumbo" ($3.2 million)"Pet Sematary" ($1.3 million)"Us" ($1.1 million)"Penguins" ($1.1 million)

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Kajol had a big crush on Akshay Kumar, reveals Karan Johar

MUMBAI: Bollywood's amazing actress Kajol, who has  shared great onscreen chemistry with Shah Rukh Khan, Amir Khan, and  husband Ajay Devgn, had a crush on Akshay Kumar, filmmaker and her close friend Karan Johar revealed.Karan Johar and Kajol  are best of friends and have many secrets of each other.  In a fun-filled chat show, the Bollywood friends talked about how they met for the first time and shared memories of industry parties.  The filmmaker revealed that the Dil Wale Dulhanya Le Jainge actor had a crush on her Yeh Dillagi co-actor Akshay Kumar. Responding to a question that how he met  with kajol, Karan  said: "I met Kajol at  the premiere of Henna movie. Kajol had a big crush on Akshay Kumar and was looking for him and I was her support then. So both of us were looking for him at the entire event. While we didn’t find Akshay, but it was the beginning of our friendship. Both of us stayed in South Mumbai and that’s where our friendship developed further." Kajol also shared an interesting anecdote from the party they met first, saying:  "It was a film party at a discotheque. Karan arrived in a three-piece suit and I just couldn’t stop laughing, wondering what kind of a man wears that!"During the show, Karan revealed that he was originally named Rahul but after six days of his birth her mother changed his name. "In my  birthday party my name is Rahul Kumar Johar but my passport says Karan. My parents named me Rahul, but six days after I was born, my mother had a dream that my name should be Karan and she changed my name."

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Amitabh Bachchan to play a transgender character in upcoming film with Akshay Kumar

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan having performed a myriad of roles over the course of his extensive career in Bollywood will now be essaying the role of a transgender.The film helmed by Tamil actor and director Raghava Lawrence who is venturing into Bollywood for the first time, is showcasing Akshay Kumar along with BigB. Speakign to Deccan Chronicle about the film Lawrence stated: "Akshay Kumar and I have been in talks for a year and a half toying with the idea of remaking Kanchana in Hindi. And after several discussions, it has come to shape finally. I am improvising the script to suit the present times, Akshay's image and also Bollywood audience tastes." Bachchan will be playing the character of a transgender named Kanchana that was originally essayed by Sarathkumar in the Tamil version of the film. 

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Ali Zafar breaks down in tears, asks Meesha Shafi to end the fiasco

Ali Zafar, speaking about the sexual harassment allegation placed against him, broke into tears on Sunday telling Meesha Shafi, if she takes one step forward in ending the fiasco, he will take ten steps forward.Speaking on Geo News’ programme Naya Pakistan, the singer losing control over his emotions stated: “I have stayed silent for a year on the topic, whenever an allegation like this is placed on any man or woman, it completely destroys them.”Asked why Shafi who already possessed a prominent stature in industry would falsely accuse him merely for fame, Zafar stated: “I don’t know why she is doing this, you should ask her. She should come to the court and reveal what her intention was.”Adding that he had been getting threats from fake Instagram profiles, Zafar said: “She had been performing with me on the stage, if she was harassed, why did she message me after that saying ‘Had a great time jamming and performing. Grateful for the kind word Ali has to say on stage.’ Would a woman who has just gotten harassed say that to her harasser?”Furthermore, he protested that a harsh and derogatory language was getting used against him on social media by Meesha’s lawyer Nighat Dad: “The language used by her lawyer for me is that the language used by a lawyer? She claims to be a human rights activist but does anyone use this kind of a language against someone’s family?”Sending a message to Meesha on-air, Zafar went on to state: “We both know each other since a long time, my kids have played with yours. I still urge you to block out all voices and just isolate yourself and connect to God and end this. If you put one foot forward I will come ten steps forward.”Concluding the interview, the Teefa in Trouble actor said: “I don’t want the defamation money and even if I get the money I will make sure to spend it on issues faced by women.”'I will see through it'‘Even if Ali lets it go, I will see it through.’ Jumping to her husband’s defence, Ayesha Fazli also posted on social media that the criminal cruelty the family faced cannot be described in words. “The cyber bullying & betrayal by friend(s) has been a big eye opener. Even if Ali lets it go, I will see through it. #FaceTheCourtMeeshaShafi,” she tweeted.Zafar had filed the defamation suit last year against Shafi, who had accused him of sexual harassment. The suit, claiming damages of Rs1 billion, was filed under the Defamation Ordinance 2002. In the notice, the singer claimed Shafi damaged his reputation through false allegations of sexual harassment.Meesha's lawyerMeesha Shafi 'will go once court will direct her to' appear, lawyer Nighat Dad said. A day ago, women's rights lawyer Nighat Dad explained that singer Meesha Shafi "has not been called by the court as of yet" but "will go once court will direct her to" appear.Dad was speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan in response to singer Ali Zafar's comments outside a sessions court in Lahore earlier when he claimed that he was being targeted through an organised plan for personal gains.Dad denied the allegations and said that the campaign, instead, was under the hashtag "#FaceTheCourtMeeshaShafi". When TV show host Shahzad Iqbal asked the lawyer about why she follows what he claimed were suspicious accounts, Dad said: "I follow any account that supports Meesha Shafi and her cause. I retweet tweets posted in favour of Meesha Shafi and her cause." However, "if Ali Zafar believes that an account is fake, he can go ahead and lodge a complaint," she added.

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Brie Larson wants Marvel to have more LGBTQ representation

With Avengers: Endgame being the topic reigning over everyone’s hearts and minds subsequent to its release, there are some people hoping for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to play a part in welcoming diversity as well.Hollywood’s fierce actor Brie Larson who plays Captain Marvel in MCU and had a key role in Avengers: Endgame as well, stepped forward voicing out her expectations from Marvel films to have more representation from LGBTQ community. "That breaks my heart to hear that because there’s no reason. I don’t understand how you could think that a certain type of person isn’t allowed to be a superhero. So to me, it’s like, we gotta move faster. But I’m always wanting to move faster with this stuff," she stated.

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Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke strolls New York disguised as Jon Snow

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clark has been striding through New York City giving fans a surprise as she was disguised behind the get-up of Jon Snow played by Kit Harrington.The actor who essays the role of Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO hit series was spotted in a video she posted on her Instagram, strolling through the Big Apple asking fans if they would be interested in watching the final episode of GoT’s final season with Emilia but sadly the unwary lady answered: “I'm a walking dead fan." "Christ, I'll tell you how it ends you could put it on the Internet?" Emilia replies but to no avail. She was also spotted leaving a souvenir store with a shirt saying: ‘I love Dany’ while telling her fans about the opportunity of watching he final episode with the star herself. “Oh yeah, I am kit Harington without the (any) abs. Maybe I’ll wear this outfit when I host your Game of Thrones finale party! Maybe I’ll let you wear the beard!! That’s right—you and three friends could come hang with me in London, take lots of fun photos, ask me all your burning GoT questions (yes I kept the dragons, no kit didn’t keep his hair) and enjoy a private screening of the final episode,” she captioned the video. 

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Akshay Kumar down with Avengers: Endgame fever, asks fans to choose him or Iron Man

Looks like the Marvel fever has spread throughout making its impact on even high-profile Bollywood celebrities who are seeking inspiration from Avengers: Endgame stars and unveiling their inner ecstatic fans.Bollywood megastar Akshay Kumar in his attempt to twin with Robert Downey Jr. aka Iron Man was spotted donning the same tie as him and putting followers in a tricky position asking who amongst the two stars wore it better. The Padman actor showing a picture of the two in the Givenchy ties captioned the photo: “When #IronManWears the same Tie as you!!#WhoWoreItBetter Ps: #EndGame is out of this World.”After the post was made, Akshay’s followers seemed to stand divided as some thought "PadMan > IronMan" while others wrote "No offence but RDJ comes first.”

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Yasir Hussain tries to be funny with transphobic comments, gets slammed instead

Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain can’t seem to be staying away from controversies for too long as the actor is yet again facing the wrath of the public for an insensitive joke he cracked about transgender. The 32-year-old Lahore Sey Aagey actor will be essaying the role of a transgender character for his upcoming project, of which he shared pictures on his social media. It was soon pointed out by a concerned user why transgender themselves are not asked to portray their own characters when Yasir mockingly replied: “Matlab aap ko job chahiye? [That means you want the job?]”This wasn’t the only problematic statement by him spotted as he replied to another ill-informed user who said: “Kisi khusry ki bddua lggyi h shyd [Maybe it’s a curse by some transgender].” He once again replies by trying to be funny but failing miserably: “aap me badua Di thi kya ?? [Did you curse me?].” The transphobic jokes he cracked underneath his Instagram post were soon deleted after it unleashed the wrath of netizens calling him out for being disrespectful of the resilient marginalized community. The Nach Na Jaaney actor had landed in hot waters two years prior as well when he made an inappropriate joke related to child molestation at the Lux Style Awards about Ahsan Khan’s Udaari as well. 

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After Zero's failure, Shah Rukh Khan hesitant to work on new projects

King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan doesn’t seem to be getting over the failure of his last released film Zero as he has several times voiced his qualms regarding the film’s failure and has now revealed that he will not be going on board any new project either. During an interview with CRI Hindi, the Dilwale actor shed light on how he would like to go on a hiatus for a while following the letdown that was Zero, stating that he wants to spend more time with family."This time, I didn't feel like doing it. I thought, this time, I will take out time to watch films and listen to scripts and read books. My kids are also doing finishing their college life. Suhana is still in college, Aryan will hopefully pass his college in a year. I want to spend more time with my family,” he stated."I said somewhere that I might decide in June about my next project. But I won't even do it in June, I will only do a film when I feel like doing it from my heart. I only act when it comes from my heart, but this time I don't feel like doing it. A lot of people are telling me stories, I've heard 15-20 stories, I liked 2-3 of them. But I haven't decided yet which film to do. Because the moment I take a decision, I will have to start working on films. I will completely be engrossed in it,” he added. He went on to say: "I won't do anything for 2-3 months. There are a few stories that are good, but I have not taken a decision emotionally. Mentally, I know it's good. But I haven't decided anything yet."The long and hard thought he is giving perhaps has a lot to do with how Zero performed at the box office. 

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Alia Bhatt, Sunny Leone among Bollywood celebs who can't vote in Lok Sabha polls

With the Lok Sabha elections 2019 around the corner for those residing in Mumbai, B-Town celebrities are prepping up to exercise their democratic rights and flaunt their inked thumb on April 29. However, there are some prominent names who cannot vote.Akshay Kumar: The 51-year-old Padman actor in spite of having Amritsar as his birth place, would not be able to vote this time either as he holds a Canadian citizenship that he took upon the offer, forsaking his Indian nationality since his home country does not permit citizens to hold two passports. Alia Bhatt:Much like Kumar, the 26-year-old Raazi starlet would also not be able to cast her vote as she along with her mother Soni Razdan is a British national.Katrina Kaif:You may have predicted this Bollywood queen’s name in the list as she was born in Hong Kong and holds a British passport much like Alia Bhatt.Jacqueline Fernandez:The 33-year-old Race 3 actor may have made a name for herself in Bollywood but the actor herself hails from Sri Lanka which is why she won’t be making an appearance at the voting booth either.Sunny Leone:The beauty queen of Bollywood like the others will also be chilling at home at the day of polling as she too is not an Indian citizen but holds a Canadian nationality being born in Ontario, Canada.

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Eman Suleman vs Iman Ali: LSA 2019 row intensifies

Amidst the Lux Style Awards row, it now looks like the two rival groups have two namesakes representing each with their completely conflicting views as model Eman Suleman has become the flagbearer of the boycott while Iman Ali, who is also a model, has been vocal against the insiders standing against the award show.With Ali terming the boycott as ‘childish’ and calling people out for jumping to conclusions, singer Meesha Shafi has stepped in subtly making a snide remark at the model by singing praises of Suleman instead. “There’s a new Eman in town. And she’s not just beautiful from the outside. The substance she holds within is absolutely stunning. She’s not a mere star. She’s a meteor. So so much better than the last one,” tweeted Meesha along with a picture of Suleman. Earlier, the Bol actor had issued a statement attacking the celebrities stepping out of the award show: “Our sense of entitlement to quickly judge anyone and jump to conclusions is worrisome, specially in this age of social media. Fame and respect should be earned with hard work in time, not by childish walk outs and social media posts playing judge, jury and executioner.”Responding to Ali’s statement, Suleman had dropped a comment underneath saying: “Why did you delete our comment.Like I said before, we’ve worked very hard and it saddens me to see that you, denigrate our efforts. What about the victims who have suffered at the hands of perpetrators in this industry, and other work places; they never got the chance to work hard and achieve what they could, instead the victims ostracised.”

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Chef Fatima Ali gets honoured with James Beard Media away posthumously

The late Pakistani-American chef Fatima Ali who took the world by storm through her emotional and heart wrenching story of battling cancer and pursuing her dreams has been honoured with the James Beard Media Award posthumously.The Top Chef contestant who breathed her last, earlier this year in January was given the James Beard Award for the essay she published in 2018 for Bon Appetite magazine that narrated her story of suffering with terminal cancer and how she was aiming to live during her numbered days. The award ceremony that will officially honour her with the award will be on May 6, 2019. Fatima was diagnosed with a rare type of bone and soft tissue cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma in 2017 and after being declared cancer free in 2017, the late chef was diagnosed again in February 2018 and was later told that her days were numbered.  

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