Entertainment

Moviegoers are in for a treat as the much-awaited sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is happening, reported Variety.

Director David Fincher is set to direct the follow-up to Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film, with Tarantino writing the script. The project is being developed at Netflix, where Fincher has a first-look deal.

Brad Pitt will return as Cliff Booth, the stuntman who won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The original film, which stars Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie, was a tribute to Hollywood’s golden era and became a major hit. However, it is unclear if DiCaprio or Robbie will return for the sequel, reported Variety.

The original movie was released by Sony Pictures, However Tarantino had secured rights to the story, which allowed him to take the sequel to Netflix.

The news comes after Tarantino dropped his planned tenth film, The Movie Critic, which was supposed to star Pitt in the lead role.

According to Variety, some reports had suggested Pitt’s character in the film would be similar to Cliff Booth, but now he will officially reprise his role in this sequel.

Pitt and Fincher have worked together in the past on Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, making this a highly anticipated reunion. Fincher has also directed two films for Netflix before: Mank and The Killer.

More details about the sequel, including its title and full cast, are yet to be announced.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Today’s deal is from a World Championship team event some years ago. It was a two-team match, but all teams in the event were playing the same deals.

West was Renee Secrete, from London, where a one no trump opening usually shows 12-14 points. She chose to lead the king of spades. The sight of dummy gave her much to think about. Partner could have at most three spades for his one no trump response. South, therefore, had a six-card spade suit. Why had South passed as dealer instead of opening a weak two-bid? Obviously South had a very poor suit, but still, he chose to bid at the two level. He must have something. Secrete decided that the likely reason for South’s initial pass was that he had too much defence, outside of his spade suit, for a weak two-bid. It was quite likely, reasoned Secrete, that South held both missing aces.

Secrete found the inspired shift to the eight of diamonds at trick two. East won with the king and shifted to a heart, and there was nothing declarer could do to avoid losing a heart ruff later in the play. Down one after a lovely defence. We are told that no other declarer in this event, who was playing in a spade contract, was held to eight tricks.

The play revolves around the lives of the protagonists, a man and a woman, who are both waiting for a delayed flight in a small-town airport lounge.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Ennui Collective, a performance and media art collective based in Bengaluru, opened its new play Thus Spake Shoorpanakha, So Said Shakhuni, in March. The team is gearing up to present a couple more shows of the production with one show on April 6, at Atta Galatta, Indiranagar at 7 p.m., and two shows at Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield, on April 13, at 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. 

Modern setting

For audiences over the age of 16, the play revolves around the lives of the protagonists, a man and a woman, who are both waiting for a delayed flight in a small-town airport lounge. The woman provokes the man into conversation, setting off a series of narratives that feature two characters from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata: Shoorpanakha and Shakuni. Their lives and experiences are set in the context of this century, indicating that the stories of power, ambition and revenge span history and myth, says the synopsis of the play.

Written by Poile Sengupta, the play is directed by Samragni Dasgupta and performed by Jimmy Xavier and Urvashi H.V. Speaking to The Hindu, Samragni said that the play struck a chord with her when she read it at the Drama Library by Bhasha Centre for the first time. “The play was funny, it was sarcastic, humourous, nuanced, and it was talking about some very important things. It felt like the play encompasses things that are really relevant today while also using mythological characters, which made it very relatable. The play is a new dimension to modern day problems,” she added. 

“The conversations around sexuality, politics, war, the idea of agency, all of these aspects came out through a very interesting dynamic in this play, which is why I was very excited to direct it,” Samragni explained.  

Many versions

Talking about bringing two epics into the play, Mahabharata and Ramayana, Samragni said that at her home, growing up with these mythologies, especially Ramayana, was always seen through a feminist perspective. “There are so many versions of these epics, especially Ramayana. But with this play, it gives you a whole new set of perspectives of what these epics could be,” she said.

The director said that Poile Sengupta has given them a very beautiful space to play around in, through this script. “Poile’s script helped us understand new dimensions of these two characters Shoorpanakha and Shakuni. I enjoyed looking at these characters through a different lens. In this play we do not just look at Shoorpanakha as a victim, or Shakuni as a warmonger or a cunning politician. The script helps us see why they did what they did, and the impact of what they did. An equal stage presence was already given by the playwright for these characters, which became easier for me to explore,” said Samragni.  

Tickets for the shows are available on BookMyShow and at the venues.

Salman Khan’s Sikandar is in trouble. The film, which marked Salman Khan’s Eid comeback after 1-year break, continues to underperform at the box office after the Eid holiday. Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna’s film witnessed a massive 50% drop in earnings on Wednesday (April 2). The film earned Rs 9.75 crore on Wednesday, as per Sacnilk. 

Sikandar, released on March 30, managed to earn Rs 26 crore on its opening day. On Eid, the film earned Rs 29 crore, followed by Rs 19.5 crore on Tuesday (April 1). The film’s total earnings at the domestic box office stand at Rs 84.25 crore (net) after 4 days of its release. The film was made on a budget of Rs 200 crore.

The poor performances of big-budget Hindi films in theatres initiated a conversation around the “dying” state of Bollywood for a while. Needless to say, Salman Khan’s Sikandar would add more fuel to the ongoing chatter. Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2, which smashed records after records in December 2024, earned Rs 85 crore (net) in Hindi on its fourth day of release (December 8). 

Sikandar’s underperformance brought the South vs Hindi films debate on the forefront for one more time.

Sikandar marked Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna’s first collaboration on screen. The film also marked Salman Khan’s first project with AR Murugadoss, who previously directed Aamir Khan in the 2008 blockbuster Ghajini.

The movie has been bankrolled by Sajid Nadiadwala’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. The film surpassed Salman Khan’s last Eid release Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, which had minted Rs 15 crore on its opening day. But Sikandar couldn’t beat the opening collections of Tiger Zinda Hai, which earned Rs 33 crore on Day 1.

They say the bond that you share with your siblings and cousins goes way beyond words. An example of the same was recently set by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s kids, Suhana Khan and Aryan Khan, who enjoyed a fun-packed night out with their first cousins, Arjun Chhiba and Alia Chhiba.

Gauri Khan shares a picture of Suhana Khan and Aryan Khan with cousins

Shah Rukh and Gauri have always valued family over everything else, and the same values have been passed down to their children. Thus, when all the kids hung out together, it left Gauri Khan beaming with joy, and thus, taking to her social media handle, she shared an all-smiles picture of her children and their cousins’ fun outing. In the said picture, Suhana and Aryan twinned in the combination of black and blue. Suhana went for a plain and chic tube top paired with blue denims, while Aarya rocked a solid black t-shirt with blue jeans. Their cousin Arjun was also seen in a black t-shirt complemented with a faded blue denim jacket, while Alia opted for a halter-neck purple top. Further, the girls went for a minimal makeup look for their night out. On the one hand, where Suhana’s tinted lips and perfect maskara shone in the picture, Alia’s blushed cheeks and pink nude lipstick made an appealing statement.
Sharing this perfect family moment, Gauri posted a heart emoticon on social media. The picture went viral in no time, with Bollywood celebrities showering their love on the post. The Delhi-based socialite and art collector Shalini Passi, actor Sanjay Kapoor and his wife, as well as ‘Fabulous life of Bollywood wives’ fame Maheep Kapoor, posted a red heart emoticon on the post, while Jewelry designer Farah Khan Ali wrote “Handsome and beautiful cousins.”

The day before, Suhana’s cousin, Alia Chhiba, posted a collection of photos from her trip to Mumbai. She captured every treasured moment, from breathtaking sunsets to extravagant meals with her relatives. In her post, she wrote, “bombay, bites and big smiles!” Suhana replied with a heartfelt “Miss uuu” in the comments, demonstrating their strong sibling connection.

Suhana Khan and Aaryan Khan’s upcoming movies

Suhana Khan, after her OTT debut, will be making her much-awaited big-screen debut alongside her father, Shah Rukh Khan. They will be seen in Siddharth Anand’s highly anticipated film King,’ along with Abhishek Bachchan and Abhay Verma.
On the other hand, Aryan Khan enjoys the world behind the camera. He recently completed his directorial debut, ‘Ba*ds of Bollywood,’ featuring Bobby Deol and Lakshya. It is expected to be released in first week of June.