Entertainment

Jean-Claude Van Damme
| Photo Credit: Danny Moloshok

Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is facing serious allegations in Romania, where a criminal complaint has been filed against him for allegedly engaging in sexual relations with trafficked women.

According to CNN affiliate Antena 3, the Street Fighter star, 64, is accused of knowingly accepting five Romanian women as a “gift” from a criminal group led by Morel Bolea. The complaint, filed with Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), claims Van Damme was aware that the women were victims of human trafficking.

Attorney Adrian Cuculis, representing one of the victims, told the outlet that the women “were in a state of vulnerability, with the suspicion that they were exploited.”

The alleged incident reportedly occurred in Cannes during an event organized by Van Damme. One of the women present at the gathering provided testimony to prosecutors, leading DIICOT to open an investigation.

“Several Romanians who are currently being investigated for forming a criminal group and pimping, allegedly offered Jean-Claude Van Damme five Romanian women… The person who received those benefits knew their condition,” Cuculis stated.

This case is linked to a broader human trafficking investigation that began in 2020 by Romania’s Prosecutor’s Office. Before any formal legal action can proceed, the High Court of Cassation in France must authorise criminal proceedings, after which suspects will be summoned to Romania for questioning.

Van Damme, known for his roles in Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and The Expendables 2, has not publicly commented on the allegations. His representatives and DIICOT have also yet to issue a response.

Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran‘s L2: Empuraan has taken the box office by storm, setting a new record for the highest first-week collections in Malayalam cinema. The much-anticipated sequel of Lucifer has earned a staggering Rs 83.73 crore in its first seven days with one more day left for the week to go.

Breaking Down the Numbers

From its opening day, L2: Empuraan showcased its box office dominance:

Setting New Records

With its phenomenal Rs 83.73 crore first-week collection, L2: Empuraan has already become the highest-grossing Malayalam film in terms of opening week numbers. This surpasses previous benchmarks set by other Malayalam blockbusters like The Goat Life ( Rs 47 crore), Manjummel Boys ( Rs 26.35 crore ), 2018 ( Rs 24.85 crore) and Aavesham ( Rs 30.45 crore) .
Moreover, the film’s global appeal has been evident in its overseas earnings, where it has become the first Malayalam film to gross over $14 million in just four days. In the UAE, L2: Empuraan ranked among the top opening weekend performers, trailing only behind massive Bollywood and Hollywood blockbusters.

On Track to Overtake The Goat Life

Given its momentum, L2: Empuraan is all set to surpass The Goat Life’s lifetime earnings of Rs 85 crore before the end of the day With its strong hold at the box office, L2: Empuraan is well on its way to rewriting the history of Malayalam cinema.
Despite its success, the film faced controversy in India over allegations of promoting an ‘anti-Hindu agenda’ due to its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, thereby leading to 24 cuts in the film. The new version will be screened from today mostly.
The backlash led to Mohanlal addressing the concerns on social media. In his statement, he expressed regret over any distress caused, saying, “I have come to know that certain political and social themes in Empuraan, the second installment in the Lucifer franchise, have caused considerable distress among many of my loved ones. As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films promote hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group. Therefore, both I and the Empuraan team sincerely regret the distress caused. We take full responsibility and acknowledge that such issues should be addressed. For over four decades, it is you, the audience, who have been part of my cinematic journey. Your love and trust are my strength. I believe there is no Mohanlal beyond that.” Following this, actor-director Prithviraj also shared Mohanlal’s statement, further addressing the concerns.

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.