Have you heard? Pirouettes for pyaar

Diljit Dosanjh

Pirouettes for pyaar

Allegations of non-payment of dues levied against Diljit Dosanjh were refuted in no time after the artiste was accused of not providing monetary compensation to the dancers who recently performed on his tour. The team of dancers responded in praise of Dosanjh, and alluded to the fact that the LA-based choreographer who stirred the controversy was unaware of all the details. It all began with a social media post in which choreographer Rajat Rocky said the GOAT singer hadn't paid the dancers. "While we are proud of a desi artiste breaking glass ceilings and doing sold-out tours across North America, I am deeply disappointed that desi dancers are still undervalued as an industry. All of the desi dancers on Diljit's Diluminati Tour were not paid and were expected to perform for free. Diljit, we are very happy for your success, but your dancers should have been paid and been part of the production budget." The dance team responded, stating, "From the moment we were contacted to the final performance, we were enveloped in respect and professionalism by Diljit Dosanjh and his incredible team. We are proud of our participation and the new avenues it has opened for the Punjabi community. Do not try to break our bond. We stand united."

War in a time of love

The makers of Shahid Kapoor and Pooja Hegde's next have chosen a rather peculiar date to release their action film - the day of love! "Get ready for a violent Valentine's Day. Deva releasing in theatres on February 14, 2025," Kapoor wrote on social media while sharing a still from the film featuring him. The movie was initially touted as a remake of the 2013 Malayalam film, Mumbai Police, which featured Prithviraj Sukumaran. However, the makers later clarified that the story would be different. Directed by Malayalam filmmaker Rosshan Andrrews, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Deva features Kapoor as a defiant police officer, and Hegde as a journalist.

Sibling story on screen

Streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar announced that its upcoming series, Life Hill Gayi, will release on the platform on August 9. Starring Divyenndu, the show is about two siblings, who, after being stripped of their wealth, have to prove their worth in order to get the family inheritance. The adventure takes them from a city to the quaint little town of Uttarakhand. The comedy series is directed by Prem Mistry and written by Jasmeet Singh Bhatia.

Turning filmy

The Bihar government approved its first film promotion policy, aiming to provide full institutional support to movie makers. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by chief minister, Nitish Kumar. The additional chief secretary of the Art, Culture, and Youth Affairs Department, explained that under the new policy, filmmakers will receive assistance to make movies showcasing Bihar's rich cultural heritage. "The policy includes financial grants of up to R 4 crore for producing films, documentaries, and serials in regional languages and others," she said.

Spotted Tabu?

The second teaser of HBO Max's Dune: Prophecy, a prequel series to Denis Villeneuve's blockbuster Dune movies, has offered a first look at Tabu, who plays the role of Sister Francesca. The Warner Bros Discovery-owned streamer released the second teaser recently and also revealed that the six-episode series will premiere in November this year. Tabu, known globally for movies such as The Namesake, Life of Pi and A Suitable Boy, makes a brief appearance towards the end of the teaser clip. Her character, Sister Francesca, is described as a "strong, intelligent, and alluring" person who leaves a lasting impression in her wake.

PeeCee marks her 42nd

Overwhelmed with the love she received on her 42nd birthday, actor Priyanka Chopra expressed her gratitude to her husband, singer Nick Jonas, who surprised her on the special day. Taking to Instagram, she shared pictures from her celebration, including the one held on set. "It was a working birthday this year. I've had so many of those over the years, and I've realised it's one of my favourite ways to celebrate my birthday. To be doing what I love, on a film set. Thank you to my incredible husband, who made his presence felt," she wrote.

Big earners

Propelled by the popularity of titles such as Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, The Great Indian Kapil Show, and Amar Singh Chamkila, India has emerged as the third country in revenue per cent growth for streaming service Netflix in its second quarter. In Q2, India was the second and third country in terms of paid net adds and revenue per cent growth, respectively, due to the success of titles like Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, which had 15 million views to become the streamer's biggest Indian drama series ever. Imtiaz Ali's film, a biopic of Amar Singh Chamkila, with 8.3 million views, was another major title. Success was also registered with Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies and the Ajay Devgn-starrer, Shaitaan.