Category: Entertainment

Sundance exploring venue options for 2027 film festival and beyond after 40 years in Park City

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Sundance Film Festival may not always call Park City, Utah, home. The Sundance Institute has started to explore the possibility of other US locations to host the independent film festival starting in 2027, the organisation said Wednesday.

The 2025 and 2026 festivals will still take place in Park City and Salt Lake City. But with the current contract up for renewal in 2027, the institute is taking steps to look at all options through a request for information and request for proposal process, beginning immediately. The final selection, which could still be Park City, is expected to be announced by early 2025.

“We are in a unique moment for our Festival and our global film community, and with the contract up for renewal, this exploration allows us to responsibly consider how we best continue sustainably serving our community while maintaining the essence of the Festival experience,” said Eugene Hernandez, the festival’s director.

Hernandez said they want to “ensure that the Festival continues to thrive culturally, operationally, and financially as it has for four decades.”

Park City has been home to the Robert Redford-founded festival for 40 years. The festival and its sponsors take over many venues in the small city every January to transform it into a film festival hub with theatres in places like the library and a recreation centre. Store fronts along the city’s charming Main Street become exclusive lounges for actors and filmmakers, and restaurants host cast parties after global film premieres.

Mayor Nann Worel said she does not want the festival to leave Park City, which has grown into a world-renowned mountain town since Sundance first put it on the map decades ago.

“We appreciate our partnership with Sundance, and we want the Festival to remain here for another 40 years,” Worel said.

She committed Wednesday to working with state leaders and local partners to discuss the festival’s future. Last year’s hybrid festival generated just over $118 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance’s 2023 economic impact report.

Sundance has also been a launching pad for many top filmmakers over the years and has hosted premieres for eventual Oscar nominees and winners, including “CODA,” their first best picture winner, and the past three documentary winners “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Navalny” and “Summer of Soul.” The Utah festival received a record number of submissions last year.

The festival has long sparred with local ski resorts — Park City’s other major money maker — as more than 86,000 festivalgoers fill the hotels and leave the slopes virtually empty for two weeks during peak ski season.

The festival has made concessions over the years, such as moving more screenings to neighbouring Salt Lake City and shifting its dates slightly so ski areas could cash in on a holiday weekend. But, like the resorts, it cannot afford to miss the early weeks of winter. Sundance has positioned itself as the first major film festival of each calendar year, meaning it’s the first stop for many of the best new projects from around the globe.

Deer Valley Resort, home to Park City’s skiers-only slopes, said Wednesday that it views its relationship with Sundance as mutually beneficial and strongly supports keeping the festival in town.

“Like Deer Valley, Sundance Film Festival is an integral part of Park City and greater Utah,” spokesperson Emily Summers said in a statement. “We support the festival and its long history within the community.”

“Park City Mountain values all that the Sundance Film Festival brings to our community each year, and we hope it will continue to call Park City and Utah home,” said Sara Huey, a Park City Mountain Resort spokesperson.

Redford, who stepped back from the Sundance spotlight years ago, expressed concern in 2016 that the festival as it existed might have outgrown Park City and was thinking about ways to evolve. He and his daughter, Amy Redford, who is on the board, have been involved in the process announced Wednesday.

Last month, the Institute’s CEO Joana Vicente stepped down after two and a half years in the position. Amanda Kelso, a member of the board, was appointed acting CEO, but no permanent replacement has been announced.

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Lyrics revealed from Taylor Swift’s upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department at Spotify installation

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift surprised her fans on Thursday with a library installation of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, at The Grove in Los Angeles. Collaborating with Spotify, Swift came up with a unique trick to get fans to decode the hidden lyrics.

In pictures and videos going viral on social media, the art installation, which was put up on April 16, has drawn the attention of Swifties and engaged them in checking out the setup to decode the lyrics of her album.

Los Angeles’da Taylor Swift’in yeni albümü “The Tortured Poets Department” ile ilgili bir kütüphane kuruldu. pic.twitter.com/6UCdOY9JWv

— Taylor Swift Turkey (@tswizzleturkey) April 16, 2024

“Fans will be able to explore a poetry library representing the new record. Each day the installation will be updated to include more surprises,” USA Today said in a report.

The installation includes a letter drop spot where fans share their most anticipated songs, as well as a poet’s study full of books to pose with. Where the lyrics will be hidden has not been stated, but Swifties will undoubtedly be looking for them, according to ELLE, which had access to the library.

Speaking to the magazine, Taryn Lacroix, the manager of label partnerships at Spotify said, “With poetry being a touchstone of this album, we wanted to create a campaign as thoughtful and ornate to immerse fans in the world of TTPD.”

what are the chances of me being in LA during the Spotify library installment???😭🙏🏼 #SpotifyTTPD #TTPDTimetable #TheTorturedPoetsDepartment pic.twitter.com/u2vmFiX7Uh

— clara🤍TTPD (@darlingjeongin) April 17, 2024

The Tortured Poets Department will be out on Friday, April 19. Swift will also be releasing her first single from the album at 8 pm (ET), which is 5.30 am on Saturday in India.

Also Read: Taylor Swift dropping Easter eggs about ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ on Apple Music

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ED attaches Raj Kundra’s properties worth ₹97 crore under PMLA

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Mumbai on Thursday provisionally attached businessman Raj Kundra‘s immovable and movable properties worth ₹ 97.79 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The attached properties include a residential flat in Juhu registered in the name of Kundra’s wife, actress Shilpa Shetty, a residential bungalow in Pune, and equity shares in the name of the businessman himself, the ED said in a statement.

Why ED took action?

The ED launched an investigation following multiple FIRs registered by Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against Variable Tech Pte Ltd and several MLM agents after they allegedly collected huge funds in the form of Bitcoins — worth ₹6,600 crore in 2017 — from the public with the false promises of 10% per month return in the form of Bitcoins.

The promoters have been accused of cheating the investors and concealing the ill-gotten Bitcoin in obscure online wallets.

ED further revealed that Raj Kundra received 285 Bitcoins from Amit Bhardwaj, the mastermind and promoter of the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam for setting up a Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine.

Earlier, multiple search operations were carried out in the case and three people — Simpy Bhardwaj, Nitin Gaur and Nikhil Mahajan — were arrested. The main accused Ajay Bhardwaj and Mahendra Bhardwaj are still at large.

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Decoding the box office failure of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The comments section of movie trailers has begun to succinctly predict what trade websites eventually do four weeks later. For anyone who bothered to watch the trailer of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff’s latest film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, its tragic fate at the box office should come as no surprise.

For the audience’s reaction on YouTube to the trailer of Ali Abbas Zafar’s overblown actioner was premonition enough. One viewer wrote, “It’s like watching the whole movie. Thanks for saving my money.” Another commented, “I have been to movies where I could not stay beyond half-time, but this is the first trailer that I left at half-time.” A third quipped, “Saw the movie today! Bollywood never disappoints in disappointing us.”

Made on a whopping budget of ₹350 crore, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan has earned a dismal ₹45.55 crore (net) in India in the first six days. This paltry total is despite it getting an extended weekend because of Eid. The film, which also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, and Sonakshi Sinha, raked in only ₹15.65 crore (net) at the domestic box office on its first day.

This is the lowest premiere day India total among all the recent big-budget, tentpole, star-studded spectacle films cashing in on the hyper-nationalism prevalent in the country right now. Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan, which marked Shah Rukh Khan’s historic return to theatres after a hiatus of four years earned ₹57 crore. His next, Atlee’s Jawan, outperformed by raking in a massive ₹75 crore. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif’s Tiger 3 made ₹44.5 crore. Meanwhile, Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone’s Fighter collected ₹24.6 crore.

Who’d have thought that the coming together of two of Hindi cinema’s fittest, most-admired action stars would get such a lackluster response? I get the temptation. Not too long ago, the pairing of two superlative dancing stars, each representative of their generation, nimble and agile like flying cats, seemed like a fantastic idea. Did we all not lap up War? Watching Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff dance it out in Jai Jai Shivshankar was a high few songs have been able to match since. But, then, that was 2019. In the five years since, we’ve seen countless wars. The fatigue is real.

This outright rejection of Bade Miyan Chote Miya clearly shows that the audiences have had enough of fighters and jawans. The Hindi film industry is notoriously infamous for overworking templates and formulas until it makes cine-goers nauseous, unable to watch anything even remotely similar anymore. Sports biopics, crime thrillers, competitive exam-prep stories, and now mawkish, adrenaline-pumping, chest-thumping jingoistic trash parading as movies. If one film does well, it spells doom for the entire genre. You can rest assured that it will take more than a few gigantic flops for filmmakers to pull strings on the same old trite tropes.

Whether it be Karan Johar’s wholesome potboiler Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, Konkona Sen Sharma’s sharp, incisive short anthology film The Mirror, or Kiran Rao’s delightful Laapata Ladies, these films got the love, the attention, and the numbers that they did because they were clutter-breaking, topical stories that dared to go off route and offer a different experience to an audience fed up with guns and gore.

Rajesh A Krishnan’s Crew, starring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kriti Sanon in lead roles, is the latest example of the sweet returns of risk-taking. The film, which also features Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma in lovely extended cameos, has collected an impressive ₹70.55 crore (nett) in India so far. With no major releases in April, thanks to IPL more than delivering to Indians their daily dose of entertainment, this total will most likely soar, expected to benefit from an uninterrupted run for the next two weeks.

Innumerable untold stories are waiting for their chance. If only our filmmakers stepped out of their clinical labs every once in a while to get some fresh air and, maybe, perspective.

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Salman Khan shooting case: Arrested accused fired at actor’s residence ‘to kill him’, say police

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21), who were arrested in Gujarat in connection with the shooting outside Salman Khan’s residence on April 14, were presented before Mumbai’s Killa court on April 16. The court has granted 10 days custody of the duo to the Mumbai Crime Branch (until April 25).

In a press conference, the Mumbai police’s crime branch told the court that the two arrested suspects fired shots outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s house “in an attempt to kill him.” The suspects, who are  from Bihar, had been evading authorities following the shooting incident at Khan’s residence in the Galaxy Apartment in Bandra on Sunday morning.

They were apprehended late Monday night from Mata No Madh village in Gujarat’s Kutch district and subsequently transported to Mumbai. According to the police, Gupta was driving the motorcycle during the incident while Pal, riding pillion, discharged shots at the actor’s house.

Also read: ‘No gang is left here’ | Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde after visiting Salman Khan

Presented before a magistrate’s court on Tuesday, the police requested a 14-day custody, citing the necessity for custodial interrogation to unveil the conspiracy and identify the mastermind behind the incident. Additional chief metropolitan magistrate L S Paden granted the police custody of the two accused until April 25.

In its remand note submitted to the court, the crime branch stated that the duo had fired shots outside Khan’s residence with the intent to kill him. “The two accused opened fire outside Salman Khan’s house in an attempt to kill the actor. Custodial interrogation is required to identify the mastermind and ascertain the motive,” the note read.

The police noted that initial investigations had confirmed the active involvement of the duo in the alleged offense. During preliminary questioning, the arrested suspects admitted to carrying out the firing, the police disclosed. “Custody of the accused is necessary to probe whether they had intentions to target anyone other than Salman Khan,” the police emphasized in their remand note.

The note also highlighted the necessity to recover the firearm used in the incident and investigate the motorcycle utilized by the suspects. The police revealed that following the incident, an individual claimed responsibility for it on the social media platform Facebook. According to the investigation, this account was operated from a foreign location, the police informed.

“Further investigation and interrogation of the arrested accused are imperative,” the note stated. A senior official mentioned on Monday that the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the Facebook post was traced to Portugal, and the police were in the process of verifying the account.

The suspects have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention), along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act, as per the police. At approximately 5 am on Sunday, two individuals on a motorcycle had fired shots outside the 58-year-old actor’s house in the Bandra area of Mumbai before fleeing the scene.

The motorcycle was found abandoned near Mount Mary Church, slightly over a kilometer from the actor’s residence, the police added.

Note: This article has been published with inputs from PTI.

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‘Taken aback’ by firing incident, Arbaaz Khan slams those calling it a ‘publicity stunt’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Actor Arbaaz Khan broke his silence over firing outside their family residence in Mumbai’s Bandra area, stating that his family was “taken aback by this shocking incident”.

On Sunday, two motorcycle-borne persons fired four rounds outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s house at the Galaxy Apartment in Bandra at around 5 am and fled from the spot.

“The recent incident of firing by two unidentified persons on a motorcycle at Galaxy apartment, the residence of the Salim Khan family is very disturbing and unnerving. Our family has been taken aback by this shocking incident that took place,” Arbaaz said in a lengthy statement on his official Instagram handle.

He went on to say that some people are calling it a publicity stunt which is unfortunate and “not true”.

“Unfortunately, some people claiming to be close to our family and pretending to be spokespersons have been making loose statements to the media saying it’s all a publicity stunt and the family remains unaffected which is not true and these views should not be taken seriously. No member of the Salim Khan family has made any statement regarding this incident to the media,” he wrote.

Arbaaz asserted that his family was helping and cooperating with Mumbai Police in the investigation at this time.

“We have faith in the Mumbai Police and we have been assured they will do everything in their capacity to protect and secure our family,” he wrote while thanking everyone for their support.

Arbaaz and his wife Sshura Khan, Sohail Khan, Aayush Sharma and Arpita Khan had earlier rushed to Galaxy Apartments soon after hearing about the firing incident, according to reports.

Two persons arrested

So far, two persons have been arrested from Gujarat in connection with the case. These include one who allegedly opened fire outside Salman Khan’s residence, police said on Tuesday.

They have been identified as Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21). Both of them are residents of Bihar and were taken into custody late Monday night from Mata No Madh village in Gujarat’s Kutch district, a senior official said.

Deputy Inspector General of Kutch-West, Mahendra Bagadiya, told media that they were arrested based on technical surveillance and have been handed over to the Mumbai Police.

As per the preliminary inquiry, Gupta and Pal were hired by the gang of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to open fire at Salman Khan’s house. While Pal did the firing, the other one was in touch with the gang members.

On Monday, an official said that they had even rented a house for a month in Navi Mumbai’s Panvel, where the Dabangg star has a farmhouse.

The motorbike used by the two accused was later abandoned near Mount Mary Church in Mumbai, a little over a kilometre from Salman Khan’s residence.

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Salman Khan residence firing case: Mumbai police arrests two accused in less than 48 hours

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Mumbai police crime branch has arrested two accused in the Salman Khan residence firing case in less than 48 hours since the incident occurred.

On Sunday, April 14 morning, live rounds were fired at Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence in Mumbai. The men on a motorbike were captured by the CCTV footage. Later, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s nephew Anmol allegedly posted an update on Facebook taking responsibility of the firing. The Mumbai police cyber cell also started looking into the details of the post. Anmol is wanted in singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder case and is on the run.

After Sunday’s firing, the Mumbai police formed multiple teams of the crime branch. Teams were sent to Gujarat, Navi Mumbai, Bihar and other parts of the country. Mumbai police questioned the landlord of the house rented by the accused before the firing. Police questioned the owner of the bike which was used by the accused (police believed that the bike was sold multiple times before the accused got it). On Monday, April 15, night, the Mumbai police crime branch arrested the two accused from Bhuj, Gujarat. Further investigation is going on, police said.

Mumbai police believed that the firing was done by members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Bishnoi has threatened Khan on multiple occasions for allegedly killing a black buck in Rajasthan in 1998. The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan considers the black buck sacred.

In June 2022, a letter threatening Salman Khan of meeting the same fate as singer Moosewala was found at Bandra Bandstand promenade where Salman’s father Salim Khan would go for walks. In April 2023, the Mumbai police control room received a call that threatened to kill Salman Khan. Last year, Salman’s manager received a threatening email and Mumbai police filed an FIR. Lawrence Bishnoi also gave an interview from jail and threatened to kill Salman Khan.

Also Read: Salman Khan shooting case: Who is Rohit Godara, the man who planned attack outside actor’s home?

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Rust gun supervisor sentenced to 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on set

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film Rust, at a sentencing hearing Monday in a New Mexico state court.

Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for Rust, was pointing a gun at Hutchins when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. He is scheduled for trial in July at a courthouse in Santa Fe.

The sentence against Gutierrez-Reed was delivered by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Summer who is overseeing proceedings against Baldwin. Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of Rust where it was expressly prohibited and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours in reaching its verdict.

Gutierrez-Reed teared up Monday as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke about the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He said it was a chain of events that led to Hutchins’ death and that had the armourer been doing her job, that chain would have been broken.

Friends and family, including Souza, told the court they were seeking justice for what had happened to the cinematographer. They said she was a bright beam of light, describing her as courageous, tenacious and compassionate.

Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred read a statement by Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who said her life had been split in two and that time didn’t heal, rather it only prolonged her pain and suffering. A video of a tearful Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, also was played for the court. It’s the hardest thing to lose a child. There’s no words to describe, Solovey said in her native language.

Defence attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing – including a possible conditional discharge that would avoid further jail time and leave an adjudication of guilt off her record if certain conditions are met.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the Rust investigation. She also has pleaded not guilty to a separate felony charge that she allegedly carried a gun into a bar in Santa Fe where firearms are prohibited.

Defence attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s relatively young age and the devastating effect a felony will have on her life going forward. They say the 26-year-old will forever be affected negatively by intense publicity associated with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from anxiety, fear and depression as a result.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the judge to impose the maximum prison sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a serious violent offender to limit her eligibility for a sentence reduction later, describing the defendant’s behaviour on the set of Rust as exceptionally reckless.

Morrissey told the judge Monday that she reviewed nearly 200 phone calls that Gutierrez-Reed had made from jail over the last month. She said she was hoping there would be a moment when the defendant would take responsibility for what happened or express genuine remorse.

That moment has never come, Morrissey said. Ms Gutierrez continues to refuse to accept responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins. Rust assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months unsupervised probation.

Rust props master Sarah Zachry, who shared some responsibilities over firearms on the set of Rust, signed an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in return with her cooperation.

Written testimonials in favour of leniency included letters from Gutierrez-Reed’s childhood friend and romantic partner Sean Kridelbaugh, who said Gutierrez-Reed cries constantly out of remorse in the shooting and that further incarceration would interfere with efforts to care for a relative with cancer.

Other friends and former colleagues urged the judge to emphasise rehabilitation over punishment in the sentencing. The pending firearms charge against Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days before she was hired to work as the armourer on Rust.

Prosecutors says investigations into the fatal shooting led to discovery of a selfie video in which Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, while defence attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.

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‘Bigg Boss Malayalam’ in hot water — Kerala High Court steps in

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Kerala High Court has intervened in the controversy surrounding the telecast of violent scenes in the popular reality show Bigg Boss (Malayalam). A bench comprising Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and M.A. Abdul Hakhim has directed the central government to address the issue promptly, according to a Bar and Bench report.

The court expressed serious concern over the airing of certain violent incidents in the Malayalam version of Bigg Boss and instructed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to take immediate action to address any violations of its advisories. The bench suggested that this could include halting the telecast of such shows on electronic media.

The court also issued notices to several key figures involved in the production and broadcasting of the show, including Malayalam actor Mohanlal, the production company Endemol Shine India, and the telecasters Asianet and Disney Star. A notice was also served to Haseeb S.K., known as ASI Rocky, for his involvement in a recent physical altercation with a fellow contestant during an episode.

The court’s directive came in response to a petition filed by a practising lawyer of the high court, Advocate Adarsh S, seeking immediate measures to cease the transmission of Bigg Boss (Malayalam Season 6. The petitioner argued that the show depicted incidents of physical assault, which violated directives and advisories issued by the central government.

Highlighting a recent altercation between contestants ASI Rocky and Sijo John, which led to Rocky’s eviction from the show, the petitioner emphasised that such incidents flouted broadcasting regulations outlined in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and associated programme and advertising codes. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding Mohanlal’s interactions with contestants, which were deemed to exacerbate the seriousness of the situation.

The petition underscored the potential violations of fundamental rights, breaches of broadcasting regulations, and the endangerment of public safety and morality.

“This matter raises a serious concern,” the court said.

The court also granted permission to the petitioner to submit evidence of the violent scenes to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for further review.

The case is scheduled to be heard again on May 20.

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Taylor Swift dropping Easter eggs about ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ on Apple Music

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift seems to be going back to her old ways, subtly hinting at her forthcoming album The Tortured Poets Department through a series of Easter eggs in the lyrics.

On April 13, Swift fans — or Swifites as they like to call themselves — using Apple Music noticed some randomly capitalised letters on her song Glitch from the album Midnights. The letters spelt “HEREBY” and had no context until Taylor Nation, Swift’s official PR management team’s social media handle, confirmed that it was a quest.

Taylor Nation’s Instagram handle posted a story the same day with the logo of the upcoming album, tagging Apple Music and a magnifying glass emoji. Soon the team shared a post on its X (formerly Twitter) handle, suggesting there will be more riddles. “Hm… we might have to do a little more searching,” the post said.

Hm… we might have to do a little more searching. 🕵️‍♀️@AppleMusic, same time tomorrow? https://t.co/YxxJ2dN7r3 https://t.co/pmjyEpqBRE pic.twitter.com/6vm5au5dKt

— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) April 13, 2024

Swifties did not have to wait long to find out another hidden word the next day. This time it was on a song called peace from Swift’s 2020 album folklore and the word was “CONDUCT”.

We hereby conduct… that we do this again tomorrow. See you then! 🔎 https://t.co/YxxJ2dN7r3 https://t.co/VwdK8PVbI3

— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) April 14, 2024

How can you find the Easter eggs?

As part of the promotions for The Tortured Poets Department, Swift has curated five playlists from all the albums she currently owns — Lover, folklore, evermore, Midnights, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The playlists, released on April 5 and exclusively on Apple Music, explore the five stages of heartbreak — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — and the next part of the riddle could be in any of the close to 100 songs.

With one word being uncovered daily, the full message will be out on April 18, a day before the album is slated to be released. The playlists can be found here and accessed if you are an Apple Music subscriber.

Could the hints be another hint?

Back in the day when CDs were still a thing, Swift used to play the same trick on her fans — probably the first Easter eggs fans ever saw. In her CD lyric booklets — more specifically from Fearless to Red — she hid messages in a similar fashion which often held clues to the subjects of the song.

For instance, in the lyric sheet for Fearless, Swift capitalised letters that spelt out, “I CRIED WHILE RECORDING THIS” for the song Fifteen; or the upper case letters in Dear John from Speak Now spelt out “LOVED YOU FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY”.

Does this mean that the re-recording of the debut album is closer than we think? Or is it just Swift torturing our minds before we can fully dedicate them to listening to The Tortured Poets Department on April 19? I guess we’ll never know.

It’s a win-win for Apple Music

With Swift being the highlight of 2023 — breaking records, becoming a billionaire, TIME magazine’s Person of the Year and all — it is no secret that everything she touches becomes gold.

Since dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, she has attended several National Football League (NFL) games in the US, including the mega Super Bowl LVIII Sunday (the finals for the NFL season) in Las Vegas.

According to an Al Jazeera report, her presence was enough to garner a 20% increase in sponsorships for the NFL. This is something that is now known as the ‘Taylor Swift effect.’

“The NFL’s surge in female viewership cuts across different age demographics. Among teenage girls, NFL viewership has increased by 53%. Among the 18-24 age demographic, there has been an increase of 24%,” the report added.

Needless to say, Swifties who currently use any other music streaming service, would not hesitate to buy an Apple Music subscription, even if it is just for a month, and going by the number of attendees of The Eras Tour worldwide, we know the number is not small. According to a December 2023 report by music industry trade publication Pollstar, the popstar sold 4.35 million tickets for the tour.

The Music App Report 2024 from Business of Apps, an app industry publication, suggests that Apple Music had 88 million subscribers as of June 2022. Could this mean more business for Apple? Absolutely. The report also showed that Apple Music made approximately $8.3 billion in revenue in 2022. Currently, the individual Apple Music plan costs $10.99 a month or ₹99 a month in India. Do the math.

For some more context on Swift’s presence on online platforms, she was Apple Music’s Artist of the Year, broke several single-day streams on Spotify, her Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) concert film broke another record with 4.6 million views on Disney+ in three days, making it the No. 1 music film ever on the platform, Disney said in March post the movie’s release.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow