Shah Rukh Khan to perform at IPL cricket launch
The organisers of the Sixth Indian Premier League cricket tournament (IPL 6) have lined up Shah Rukh Khan and the American rapper Pitbull for their launch party on April 2 in Kolkata. The actress Katrina Kaif will also perform at the opening ceremony of the world's most lucrative cricket series. Khan, who co-owns the Kolkata Knight Riders team with the actress Juhi Chawla, and Pitbull were both reported to be delighted to be asked to play at the show. "SRK loves the 'City of Joy', he is very excited to perform there. Katrina will be performing there for the first time," a source from IPL told IANS. "When Pitbull was told he was invited to perform at the IPL opening ceremony and SRK would also be performing, he agreed within minutes." - IANS
The critically acclaimed two-part crime drama Gangs of Wasseypur will be screened at the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival. The movie, directed by Anurag Kashyap and starring Manoj Bajpayee and Huma Qureshi, will be screened on Friday. Gulabi Gang, a documentary on the Indian activist Sampat Pal and her vigilante group, will also be shown. Directed by Nistha Jain, the film will compete in the festival's documentary section. The other Indian documentaries are Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing, Kaoru Ikeya's Roots and Delphine Lanson's Father's Birth. The 17-day festival will close on April 2. – IANS
The politician Priya Dutt has expressed her gratitude to fans and the film industry after her brother, the Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, was convicted for possession of illegal weapons, a ruling that was upheld by India's Supreme Court. Last week, Sanjay was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bombings. In a statement, the Congress MP said: "I would like to thank the film industry, prominent personalities and, most of all, the people of India for their gestures of love and support shown towards Sanjay and our family. It is in your lowest moment that you can truly know your friends." – IANS
Sajid Khan says he is very fond of Sonakshi Sinha
The director Sajid Khan says he is keen to work with Sonakshi Sinha again after she performed a dance number titled Thank God It's Friday in his forthcoming film Himmatwala. "I wanted to work with Sonakshi after I saw her in Dabangg. You will see Sonakshi in one of my future films. I am very fond of that girl," Khan told reporters. Until now, Sinha has been cast as a conventional Bollywood leading lady in her recent movies, Dabangg and Rowdy Rathore. Khan said he wanted to discontinue the trend and give Sinha material that will challenge her. "A lot has been said about her not being modern. I want to break this image," he added. Himmatwala, starring Ajay Devgn, will be out on Thursday in cinemas across the UAE. – IANS
