The United States' first lady, Michelle Obama, has defended Clint Eastwood's hit film American Sniper, which has been accused of whitewashing the story of the Iraq war. "While I know there have been critics, I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I've heard first-hand from military families over these past few years," she said. Obama was speaking at an event on Friday encouraging the entertainment industry to portray accurately the experiences of veterans. Describing American Sniper as a "complex, emotional depiction of a veteran and his family", she said it reflected "those wrenching stories that I've heard – the complex journeys that our men and women in uniform endure". Critics on the left have slammed the record-breaking film and say the subject of the movie, former Navy Seal Chris Kyle, deserves no praise for his work as a sniper. – AP
Fitoor first film to be shot after Kashmir floods
Fitoor, an adaptation of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations starring Rekha, Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur, is the first Bollywood movie being shot in Kashmir after last year's devastating floods. Fitoor is directed by Abhishek Kapoor, who made Kai Po Che. The romantic film is about a love triangle involving a Kashmiri boy Noor (Kapur), his love Firdous (Kaif) and the Begum (Rekha). Shooting started in the famous Nishat Garden on the banks of the Dal Lake in the summer capital Srinagar, as Kaif arrived at the sets wearing a burqa in typical Kashmiri style in the morning. Production is running late, as the film had been scheduled for release last year, sources in the film unit said. – IANS
Sundance showcases Lily Tomlin
The writer-director Paul Weitz knew what he was after when he was writing Grandma, the official closing-night selection at the Sundance Film Festival. "I just wanted to see a movie where [Lily Tomlin] was in every scene," he said. "So I wrote it." Tomlin is the grandmother of the title in this heartfelt comedy. A professor and one-time well-known poet, she becomes bitter and ornery after her partner of 38 years dies. Marcia Gay Harden, Sam Elliott, John Cho and Laverne Cox have smaller roles in the movie. Sony Pictures Classics picked up distribution rights to the film earlier this week, though no release date has been announced. – AP
Tejaswini Kolhapure has a daughter
The Ugly actress Tejaswini Kolhapure and her husband Pankaj Saraswat have had a daughter, the former's actress niece Shraddha Kapoor has revealed. The baby was born on Friday. "Hey guys so yday was one of the most memorable days. My masi @TejuKolhapure delivered a beautiful baby girl," Shraddha tweeted Saturday. The newborn's arrival has spread cheer in the family. "I have a lil sister!! The whole family is craaaazy with joy! Will post a pic soon," tweeted Shraddha, who is the daughter of Shakti Kapoor and Tejaswini's sister Shivangi. – IANS
Rap music mogul ‘Suge’ Knight arrested in fatal hit-and-run
Sheriff’s deputies booked the former hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight on suspicion of murder after they said he hit and killed a man with his pickup truck, seriously injured another and then fled.
His lawyer said Knight was an innocent victim who accidentally ran over his friend as he tried to escape a group of attacking thugs. The incident was the latest in a long line of brushes with death and the law for the 49-year-old founder of Death Row Records, one of the genre’s leading labels. Knight started the label that helped solidify West Coast rap with Dr Dre, who had been a member of the legendary group NWA. The label also launched the career of Snoop Dogg and was the home of Tupac Shakur in the last months of his life. – AP
[ artslife@thenational.ae ]
