The Fast & Furious 7 director James Wan put up a photograph on Instagram on Monday showing a placard from the set, accompanied by the caption: "First day back filming. Better and stronger." The cast of the seventh instalment in the F&F franchise, including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, will soon be in Abu Dhabi to film on location. Production was put on hold when one of the franchise's key actors, Paul Walker, died in a car crash in November. The first footage from the film debuted at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last week. It featured Walker and the rest of the actors sitting in cars that are dropped out of an airplane and parachute their way down to the ground. F&F7 is due out in April 2015.
Aishwarya back on the big screen soon
The filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar has said Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is expected to join the cast of his forthcoming drama, Happy Anniversary, India Today reported. Kakkar added that the actress, who took time off after the birth of her daughter in 2011, will reportedly star opposite her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, and alongside her long-time screen rival Sushmita Sen. Bachchan was last seen in the 2010 film Guzaarish, in which she was cast opposite Hrithik Roshan. – The National staff
Springsteen among those to fete Rock Hall class
Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Carrie Underwood, Chris Martin: the stars are turning out to salute the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The hall of fame announced on Tuesday that The Boss will induct and perform with his E Street Band, while a superstar line-up of Nicks, Underwood, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Sheryl Crow will perform for Linda Ronstadt. Glenn Frey will induct the singer. Michael Stipe of REM will induct Nirvana, Coldplay's Chris Martin will induct Peter Gabriel, Tom Morello handles those duties for KISS, and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson will induct fellow Philadelphians Daryl Hall and John Oates. The Dubai-based Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) is also being inducted during the April 10 ceremony, which will be broadcast on May 31 on HBO. – AP
Jackie Shroff’s son to borrow tune from dad’s film Hero
The title track of Jackie Shroff's 1983 film, Hero, has been adapted for the forthcoming debut film of his son Tiger Shroff. Titled Heropanti, the film also marks the debut of the actress Kriti Sanon. The music is composed by Sajid and Wajid and the film is directed by Sabbir Khan. "The original Hero tune is all melody, this one is more peppy," said Khan. "Even Tiger, who was overwhelmed at the thought of using his father's cult song, is happy. I'm now waiting for Jackie's reaction." Heropanti is due out in May. – The National staff
Frankie Knuckles dead at 59
The legendary house music DJ Frankie Knuckles has died, according to Chicago's NBC 5 news network. He was 59. The cause of Knuckles's death has not been revealed yet but a statement is expected later today. Knuckles is widely recognised as "the Godfather of House Music" and has even had a street in Chicago named after him. Fellow DJ David Morales tweeted: "I am devastated to write that my dear friend Frankie Knuckles has passed away today. Can't write anymore than this at the moment. I'm sorry." Questlove Jenkins of The Roots, the band that appears on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, also tweeted his shock at the death: "Frankie Knuckles was so underappreciated. He was the DJ that DJs aspired to be. True dance pioneer." Knuckles played a set at Atlantis, The Palm's Sandance in October 2012. The Dubai-based DJ Marko Smokingroove was upset by the news, and said: "If ever there was a legendary figure to look up to, it was Frankie Knuckles. He was a true innovator of house music – it was a honour to play in the same line-up as him." – The National staff
Engaged Johnny Depp shows off new ring
Johnny Depp on Monday showed off a diamond engagement ring that he called a "chick's ring" – indirectly confirming rumours of his engagement to the actress Amber Heard. Asked whether he was engaged, the Pirates of the Caribbean star said: "The fact that I'm wearing a chick's ring on my finger is probably a dead giveaway. Not very subtle." His comments follow months of unconfirmed reports of his engagement to Heard, 27, who starred alongside Kevin Costner in 3 Days to Kill released in the United States earlier this year. Depp and Heard starred together in The Rum Diary, filmed in Puerto Rico in 2009. In 2012, Depp split with his partner of 14 years, the French model-singer Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children. – AP
How I Met Your Mother comes to a close
In its 208th and final episode on Monday, the CBS TV comedy How I Met Your Mother finally revealed the mystery contained in its title. Josh Radnor's character Ted meets the mum, played by the actress Cristin Milioti, on a rainy train platform after his friends Barney and Robin are married. But that marriage doesn't last, and neither does Ted's, because Milioti's character, Tracy, dies. And at the end of the one-hour episode, the romance that seemed natural at the show's beginning, between Ted and Robin, is rekindled. The creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas say they knew the plot for the final episode when the series premiered nine years ago. – AP
