Category: Entertainment

Meena Ganesh, a beloved actress in the Malayalam film industry, passed away on Thursday morning in Shoranur, Palakkad. She was 81 years old and had been in a private hospital for five days after suffering a stroke.

Meena had a brilliant career, acting in over 400 Malayalam movies and many TV shows and theater productions. Some of her famous films include Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum, Meesha Madhavan, and Karumadikuttan. She was also active in Kerala’s theater community, performing with well-known groups and winning several awards.

She began her acting career at 19, starting in theater and later moving to film with P.A. Backer’s Manimuzhakkam. Her big break came in 1991 when she played Pathumma in the movie Mukhamudra. Born in 1942 in Kallekulangara, Palakkad, Meena was the daughter of the Tamil film actor K.P. Keshavan. She started acting in her school days with the Koppam Brothers Arts Club and later performed in Tamil Nadu, impressing audiences in Coimbatore, Erode, and Salem.

In 1971, she married A.N. Ganesh, a well-known playwright and director. They started the Pournami Kalamandir theater group in Shoranur, but it closed after three years due to money problems. Meena then worked with other theater groups, showcasing her talents in plays like Panchajanyam and Fasah. Her performance as Kulsumbi in Fasah was widely praised. The play Panchajanyam, written and directed by her husband, was very successful and ran for three years. Together, Meena and Ganesh acted in over 20 of his plays.

Meena is survived by her son, director Manoj Ganesh, and her daughter, Sangeetha. The funeral will take place on Thursday evening at Shanthitheeram in Shoranur, Palakkad.

Keerthy Suresh, a famous actress from India, just married her longtime partner, Anthony Tattil, in a beautiful wedding in Goa! The celebration was filled with love and joy. Many people came to support the couple, including Keerthy’s co-star, superstar Thalapathy Vijay.

On Wednesday evening, Keerthy shared lovely photos from her wedding on Instagram. In her pictures, Keerthy and Anthony looked stunning in traditional wedding outfits. Vijay, looking sharp in a white kurta, joined them in their celebrations. One photo showed the happy couple greeting Vijay warmly, and another captured them striking a pose together. Keerthy wrote sweet words in her post, saying, “When our dream icon blessed us at our dream weddinggg! @actorvijay sir … With love, Your Nanbi and Nanban.”

Fans Celebrate!
Fans showered the couple with love in the comments. One wrote, “You’re such a fan girl!” while another said how precious the moment was. Another fan commented, “Find us an image that has got more emotions than this, We’ll wait.” One fan added, “Oh my goodness, bless you both and your family!”

A Joyful Wedding
Keerthy and Anthony’s wedding took place on December 12. One special picture showed them exchanging garlands, symbolizing their commitment to each other. They even took a cute picture with their dog during the wedding rituals, showing just how happy they were on this special day.

What’s Next for Keerthy and Vijay?
Keerthy is excited about her next movie, “Baby John,” which she will star in alongside Varun Dhawan. Directed by Kalees, the film will hit theaters on December 25 and also features Wamiqa Gabbi.

On the other hand, Vijay is busy working on his 69th film, which will be directed by H. Vinoth. After this project, he plans to step into Tamil Nadu politics with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam!

Famous actress Mamta Kulkarni recently came back to Mumbai after being away for 25 years. In an interview with ANI, she shared that she didn’t return for Bollywood and has no plans to act again.

She talked about her relationship with Vicky Goswami, saying, “I don’t know anyone in the drug world because I never met those people. I started my spiritual journey in 1996 when a guru entered my life.” Mamta recalled that Vicky contacted her while he was in jail in Dubai, and they spent time together for 12 years.

During that time, she focused on meditation and worship, saying, “I got busy with meditation, penance, and worship.” She felt her desires for love and marriage disappeared. Vicky came out of jail in 2012, but by then, she had decided not to return to India until he was released. After a visit to the Kumbh Mela in 2012-2013, she came back to Dubai.

In 2017, there was a non-bailable warrant for Mamta and Vicky due to a drug case, which was linked to a 2014 sting operation. Vicky went back to Kenya while Mamta continued her penance, saying, “I did penance for myself.” The last time she spoke to him was in 2016, and now, they are no longer in touch.

Recently, Mamta shared a video on Instagram expressing her feelings of nostalgia as she re-entered Mumbai, feeling emotional about returning to her homeland after 23 years. “I got emotional when I saw my country from the plane for the first time in so long,” she said. In her post, she wrote, “BACK TO MY MOTHERLAND AFTER 25 YEARS.”

Mamta Kulkarni was popular in the 90s and starred in hit movies like Karan Arjun and Baazi, working alongside big stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. However, in the early 2000s, she stepped away from Bollywood and chose to live outside of the spotlight.

Sean “Diddy” Combs surprised everyone during his court appearance on Wednesday. He looked much thinner and had more gray hair than usual. Diddy has been spending time in a detention center as he gets ready for his trial next year. He is facing serious charges related to racketeering and sex crimes.

A judge named Arun Subramanian decided not to believe Diddy’s claims that the government leaked a 2016 video. This video allegedly showed him hurting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. The judge said there wasn’t enough proof to support Diddy’s accusation.

Journalist Elizabeth Millner, who saw Diddy in court, described his change in appearance as “astonishing.” She noted that he looked much different from his previous lavish lifestyle. Before being locked up, he was seen enjoying time in Central Park, but now he seems to be affected by his time in detention. Millner pointed out that he looked “thinner” and “grayer.”

Diddy has given up trying to get out on bail before his trial, which is set for May. His lawyers have made several requests, but all have been denied. Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which could mean many years in prison if he is found guilty.

On Monday, a federal judge also declined Diddy’s request to look into claims that the government shared the video of him and Cassie Ventura. She was the first to sue him last November, but they quickly settled the case. Diddy argued that sharing the video was intended to hurt his reputation, but the judge ruled there was not enough proof to back up this claim.

On December 18, Warner Bros Discovery announced new leaders for its U.S. Networks business. Channing Dungey will be the head of the group. Dungey has a strong background, having worked as president of ABC Entertainment and with Netflix. She was chosen for this role in August after the previous leader, Kathleen Finch, retired.

Brett Paul has been named the chief operating officer. He will help Dungey put her plans into action while managing business and online strategies. Howard Lee has been promoted to chief creative officer, overseeing the content for Warner Bros Discovery’s TV networks and their streaming service, Max. He will also keep his role as president of TLC and Discovery.

Susan Kolar has been appointed as the chief financial and strategy officer for U.S. Networks. She will also keep her job as head of the television unit and will report to the company’s CFO, Gunnar Wiedenfels.

These important changes come as Warner Bros Discovery seeks to separate its cable TV businesses, like CNN, from its streaming services. This shift reflects a broader trend, as many cable subscribers are choosing to cancel their subscriptions

HBO is getting ready to bring the Harry Potter story back to life with a new TV series! They plan to turn the seven famous books into a show with seven seasons. The series will follow Harry from when he discovers he is a wizard to his battles against the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort. Francesca Gardiner will be the showrunner and Mark Mylod, who worked on the hit show “Succession,” will be the director.

Storyline and Team
Each of the seven books will become its own season. The team wants to stay true to the original films and books while giving us more details about characters that didn’t get much attention in the movies. We’ll learn more about some of the lesser-known teachers and students at Hogwarts.

J.K. Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, will help produce the show. Even though her public comments about transgender and non-binary topics have caused some controversy, HBO says it hasn’t affected their decision to work with her.

Casting
HBO is currently looking for the actors to play Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They have received auditions from around 32,000 young actors in Ireland and the U.K. Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod are watching the audition tapes and hope to pick their favorites by January.

Filming
Filming will start in the summer of 2025 at Leavesden Studios, where the original movies were made. The series is set to be released on Max in 2026.

FAQs
– When will the HBO ‘Harry Potter’ series be released? The series is expected to premiere on Max in 2026 after filming begins in 2025.
– Will the series include new content? Yes, it will explore deeper character stories and focus on minor characters and side plots.

Rihanna made a fun and bold request during Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert in Brooklyn on Tuesday. While performing, Rihanna jokingly asked Mariah to “sign [her] tit,” creating a funny moment for everyone at the show. This playful request quickly went viral on social media.

In a fan video, you can hear Rihanna shout, “I need a signature. Who has a Sharpie?” She then grabbed Mariah’s microphone and cheerfully announced, “Mariah Carey is signing my tit, y’all! This is epic!” After the signing, the two singers hugged, which made fans even more excited.

Mariah’s Christmas tour started in November, but she had to cancel some shows in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York last week due to illness. On December 11, she posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she had the flu and was sad to cancel her concert in Pittsburgh. Sadly, she was still unwell a few days later, so she also canceled shows in Newark and Belmont Park.

Earlier this year, Rihanna expressed her joy about meeting actress Natalie Portman at Paris Fashion Week, similar to her fangirl moment with Mariah. Mariah later shared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that Rihanna called her “one of the hottest women in Hollywood.” Natalie joked that every woman going through a divorce should have someone like Rihanna calling them a “bad bitch.”

Fans loved the playful moment between Rihanna and Mariah. One user wrote, “The duo we all need in our life!” Another said, “Real women who respect each other’s hard work.” A third user added, “Lmao this is so ICONIC!” It’s clear everyone enjoyed this fun moment between two superstar singers.

Karan Aujla is currently exciting fans with his “It Was All a Dream” tour. He recently performed in Gurugram, near Delhi, on December 17. One of the best moments of the concert was when famous actress and dancer Nora Fatehi joined him on stage for an amazing performance.

On Wednesday, Nora posted a video of her performance on Instagram and thanked Karan for sharing the stage with her, saying, “Mahol Pura Wavy Hai. Delhi was insane, see you again!” In the video, Nora danced to the song “Aaye Haaye,” which also features her.

Karan shared his excitement too, saying it was fantastic to perform live with Nora for the first time. He added, “I can’t wait for my next show in Gurugram!”

Fans loved Nora’s performance and cheered loudly. One fan wrote on Instagram, “Nora, you absolutely killed it!” Another said, “You lit up the stage!”

Besides her concert success, Nora Fatehi is also getting ready for a new movie. She will star alongside Abhishek Bachchan in “Be Happy,” a film about a single dad and his talented daughter who dream of appearing on a big dance show. The movie will be available on Prime Video, but the release date isn’t set yet. Nora is also making her Kannada film debut in “KD-The Devil” with Dhruva Sarja.

Bengaluru is buzzing with excitement as legendary musician Sanjay Subrahmanyan, often called the “rockstar of Carnatic music,” spoke about changing the classical music scene. At the launch of his memoir, ‘On That Note,’ Subrahmanyan shared his views on how to make Carnatic music more popular and accessible.

He believes that if musicians step out of the traditional boundaries, they can bring new life to the art form. “If you want people to enjoy your music, you need to invite them in,” he said, highlighting the importance of attracting audiences. To make a living as a musician, it’s crucial to bring in a crowd of 3,000 people to support concerts, he noted.

Sanjay, known for sticking to traditional styles, began exploring new changes during the pandemic. He embraced social media, sharing bite-sized pieces of Carnatic music to reach more people. Not only that, but he announced that his live shows would now be available for free on YouTube!

This year, Sanjay joined forces with other musicians to create new styles of music, blending Carnatic with rock, jazz, and blues. He also surprised everyone by singing for a film. Reflecting on his journey, he says boredom pushed him to explore more.

Learning Tamil songs also changed his approach. By focusing on the lyrics, he found that it improved his singing. Sanjay looks back on his career without regrets, believing that art and music should be free to evolve. “Carnatic music is still finding its way,” he stated, reminding us that it’s a young art form despite its long history.

In Pushpa 2: The Rule, there’s a super cool scene where Allu Arjun’s character, Pushpa Raj, fights many bad guys with his hands tied behind his back! This epic fight is similar to what legendary stars like Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Salman Khan, and Vijay have done for years. Even Shah Rukh Khan got in on the action last year!

Pushpa 2 has taken this style to the next level, and the money it’s making shows just how popular it is. Even though some parts of the film don’t always make sense, it perfectly fits the classic action movie formula designed to entertain everyone.

How Pushpa 2 Became So Successful
Just like earlier hits like Baahubali and KGF, the first film sets things up for the big success in the second part. While the first Pushpa was a hit in some places but not great in its home, the Hindi version turned out to be a big success. So, the second film’s success relied a lot on how well the Hindi version did.

As I write this, Pushpa 2: The Rule has already made ₹953 crores in India, with ₹591 crores coming just from the Hindi version! It has even beaten big films like Baahubali 2 and Pathaan at the box office. Truly impressive!

Sukumar’s Smart Direction
Allu Arjun is a huge reason why the film is doing well, but director Sukumar also deserves a lot of credit. Many filmmakers try to create a hit, but many fail, like the movies Adipurush and Kanguva. What makes Pushpa 2 different is its story, fun characters, and a hero that people can relate to. While other characters like Rocky Bhai or Baahubali are more of an icon, Pushpa is just like everyone else—and that worked!

The movie was advertised cleverly, including a trailer launch in Bihar, focusing on making it popular in Hindi-speaking regions. So far, it has earned more money in places like UP and Bihar than in its home state, Andhra Pradesh. This shows how smart the marketing strategy has been.

A Calculated Choice
The only downside for Pushpa 2 is its lower earnings in Kerala, where it made just ₹14 crores, while the Tamil version made about ₹50 crores. The presence of big star Fahadh Faasil as a weak villain may have affected its performance there. But featuring him that way might have been a strategic choice. The film is called Pushpa 2, not Pushpa vs Shekhawat, and the focus has to be on Pushpa being strong.

This smart decision seems to pay off as ticket sales keep ringing up! It’s one thing to plan for a big hit but quite another to succeed, and Sukumar has pulled it off in style. As the movie enters its second week, it could reach ₹1500 crores soon. People are even wondering if it can beat Baahubali 2 and Dangal. Whether it can or not, just the thought shows how big of an impact Pushpa 2 has made!