The Rajput Karni Sena will appeal against the order before a double-bench of the apex court and seek a total ban on the movie after the Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for a nationwide release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film ‘Padmaavat’.

In a video message, Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi said: “We will also approach the President (to demand ban on screening of ‘Padmaavat’) … We shall never allow the movie to be screened.”

He asked why Bhansali’s plea was heard within a day of filing of the writ and raised questions on the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the order.

“How can you deliver the verdict by forcefully imposing the decision on state governments? This is more like killing democracy… What is the use of forming governments if they are not allowed to take decisions? Let the Supreme Court rule the country,” he said in the video.

Gogamedi declared that thousands of women would perform “jauhar” (self-immolation) in Chittorgarh on 24 January.

Meanwhile, reacting to the apex court verdict, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria said: “We have just come to know about this decision. We will study it, review it and then take a legal view on the same.”

“The state government has always placed its trust in the Supreme court and its verdict,” the Minister added.

SC’s order

A three-judge bench gave the ruling paving the way for the release of the film which has been in the centre of controversy for the past few months.

The governments in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh had banned the film following protests by fringe groups.

The apex court not only stayed all the “notifications and orders” issued by the states banning the release of the controversial film but also issued orders preventing any other state from banning the film.

“We direct that there shall be a stay of operation on the notification and orders issued and we also restrain other states from issuing such notifications or orders in this matter,” the bench said in its interim order.

“Creative freedom, freedom of speech and expression can’t be guillotined…artistic freedom has to be protected,” the SC said.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilklar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud ruled that instead of banning the film the states should ensure the maintenance of law and order.

A petition challenging the ban on the film was filed in the apex court by the producers of the film, Bhansali Productions and Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

(With agency inputs)

China’s economy grew by 6.9 per cent in 2017 with a better-than-expected growth rate and improved structure, official data showed on Thursday.

China’s economy expanded 6.9 per cent year-on-year in 2017, higher than the 6.7 per cent growth registered in 2016, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

The reading marked the first acceleration in the annual growth pace in seven years and was well above the official target of around 6.5 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Major macroeconomic indicators all beat market expectations, pointing to economic stabilization,” said Ning Jizhe, head of the NBS.

Growth in the fourth quarter came in at 6.8 per cent, unchanged from the rate seen in the third quarter.

Gross domestic product (GDP) totalled 82.71 trillion yuan (about $12.84 trillion) in 2017, with the service sector accounting for more than half of the total.

Consumption was the major growth driver, contributing 58.8 per cent to GDP growth last year.

The strong growth was also helped by robust trade, which reversed a downward trend seen in the previous two years and contributed about 9 per cent to GDP expansion in 2017.

A breakdown of the data showed improved economic structure with new growth drivers emerging and outdated capacity fading.

Retail sales in China grew by 10.2 per cent in 2017 while industrial production increased by 6.6 per cent, according to the NBS.

China’s fixed-asset investment rose 7.2 per cent and real estate investment grew 7 per cent during 2017.

French veteran actress Brigitte Bardot believes the #MeToo movement is “hypocritical and ridiculous”. She feels some women are making allegations to court publicity.

The #MeToo movement has taken Hollwyood by a storm. Celebrities — both women and men — have come out in support of women who have faced sexual misconduct at their workplace, including showbiz.

Bardot, 83, believes a “vast majority” of the actresses are being “hypocritical and ridiculous”, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

In an interview with Paris Match magazine, Bardot, 83, said: “Lots of actresses try to play the tease with producers to get a role. And then, so we will talk about them, they say they were harassed.”

Of her own experiences, Bardot said she “was never the victim of sexual harassment. And I found it charming when men told me that I was beautiful or I had a nice little backside”.

Bardot’s comments come after another French screen legend, Catherine Deneuve, was trolled for her criticisms of the #MeToo movement.

Deneuve, 74, along with other prominent French women, signed an open letter published in Le Monde newspaper that suggested that #MeToo had become “puritanical” and a “witch hunt” against men.

Child artiste Kashvi Kothari will portray the character of young Mrinalwati, the princess of Chalukya Dynasty of Manyakheta, in the forthcoming show “Prithvi Vallabh”.

“Yes, I am playing the role of young Mrinal in the show. It is a key role and I have already shot a few scenes. It has been fun working with so many senior artistes. The set and costumes are so beautiful,” Kashvi, best known for starring in the show Devanshi, said.

“I am extremely excited about being a part of such a big show,” she added.

Prithvi Vallabh, which also stars Ashish Sharma and Sonarika Bhadoria, will premiere on Sony Entertainment Television on Saturday.

Salman Khan’s Tiger Zinda Hai shook the Bollywood box office from slumber by registering record-breaking business last year, and Newton got global acclaim by becoming India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars 2018. But the two films failed to earn a nomination in the main categories for the 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018.

The nominations list was released on Thursday.

Tiger Zinda Hai, which released on December 22, minted Rs 206.04 crore in seven days. The film has been nominated in just one category — Best Action, leaving out Salman from the Best Actor in a Leading Role category.

As for Newton, starring Rajkummar Rao in a story set against the backdrop of elections in the world’s largest democracy, has nominations across six categories. But neither is Rajkummar’s widely lauded performance in the Best Actor category nor has the movie got a nod in the main categories.

Pankaj Tripathi has earned a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) for the Amit V. Masurkar-directed Newton, which also finds a mention in the Best Editing, Best Original Story, Best Dialogue, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography categories.

Varun Dhawan’s Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Rajkummar’s Bareilly Ki Barfi, Irrfan Khan’s Hindi Medium, Aamir Khan’s Secret Superstar and Akshay Kumar’s Toilet: Ek Prem Katha are in contention for the Best Film trophy.

When it comes to Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male), Akshay (Toilet: Ek Prem Katha), Ayushmann Khurrana (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan), Hrithik Roshan (Kaabil), Irrfan (Hindi Medium), Shah Rukh Khan (Raees) and Varun (Badrinath Ki Dulhania) are in the race.

As far as the female counterparts are concerned, Pakistani actress Saba Qamar has been nominted in the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) for her role in Hindi Medium. She will be fighting for the trophy with Alia Bhatt (Badrinath Ki Dulhania), Bhumi Pednekar (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan), Sridevi (Mom), Vidya Balan (Tumhari Sulu) and Zaira Wasim (Secret Superstar).

Advait Chandan, who made his directorial debut with Aamir’s home production Secret Superstar, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for Bareilly Ki Barfi, Saket Chaudhary for Hindi Medium, Shashank Khaitan for Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Shree Narayan Singh for Toilet: Ek Prem Katha are fighting for Best Director trophy.

The award gala will be held on January 20 here.

Film: Darkest Hour

Director: Joe Wright

Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James, Ronald Pickup, Stephen Dillane Jones, Samuel West, David Schofield, Richard Lumsden and Malcolm Storry

Rating: ***1/2

Director Joe Wright’s film Darkest Hour is a historical saga. A war film that showcases the back-room drama behind the battlefield — the evacuation of British soldiers from Dunkirk during World War II. The film gives a totally different perspective to Christopher Nolan’s recently released Dunkirk.

This is a character-driven film which is set during the early days of Winston Churchill’s appointment as the Prime Minister of the UK. This verbose yet stunningly cinematic history lesson balances the great orator’s public triumphs with more vulnerable private moments of self-doubt. It also elevates the inner workings of the British government into an enthralling piece of mainstream entertainment.

The narrative begins on May 9, 1940 and takes you through the days to Operation Dynamo. France and Belgium are on the brink of surrendering to Hitler. The UK Parliament has lost confidence in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who has terminal cancer and tenders his resignation directly to King George. Churchill wasn’t anyone’s first choice, but was selected only because he was the only conservative of whom the opposition approved, in part because he had switched parties over the previous decade.

The film focusses solely on the Prime Minister except for a couple of initial scenes, during which he is dramatically absent, but is represented only by his hat which is left behind on his empty seat in the House of Commons.

While Churchill was a man of conviction, the film paints him as the lone politician who was willing to defy Hitler and declare war, “at any cost” if necessary, when many wanted to seek peace. The film thus frequently shows us the finer nuances of his character from the viewpoints of his acerbic though supportive wife, Clementine and his newly appointed young secretary Elizabeth.

The brilliance of this film’s portrayal begins with the dramatic sharpness and historical intelligence of Anthony McCarten’s script, which gives us a Churchill who is drawn into dynamic action by the looming shadow of Hitler’s evil.

The director makes him memorable with an impactful introduction. Seated in the dark of his own bedroom, illuminated only by the match he strikes to light his signature cigar, you get a glimpse of the man – Winston Churchhill.

The face that appears belongs to Gary Oldman, which is totally unrecognizable beneath Kazuhiro Tsuji’s brilliant prosthetic make-up.

Oldman’s performance as Churchill is extraordinarily brilliant. Initially, he appears to be a crabby old politician who is constantly holding a drink but then his transformation to an alert, intense and aggressively intelligent and shrewd politician is striking. Though Oldman portrays Churchill in his own distinct style, it is the politician’s strong character that gives him the stimulus to shine.

Oldman is aptly supported by the rest of the cast, who are in one-dimensional but well-chiselled parts. The ones who shine are Ronald Pickup as the resigned Neivelle Chamberlain, Kritin Scott Thomas as his wife Clementine, Lily James as his secretary Elizabeth, Stephen Dillane as Viscount Halifax, Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI.

Apart from the performances, it is the production values that are the highlights of the film. The drama takes place in an entirely different sphere, its locations ranging from the bunker-like cabinet war rooms beneath Westminster Palace to Churchill’s own private residence, which is impressively recreated by Production Designer Sarah Greenwood.

The characters were appropriately dressed in costume designer Jacqueline Durran’s outfits. And the era was perfectly captured by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel’s lens. The few striking images in the film are the zoom-out shots that extend to the aerial view of the war-zone.

Dario Marianelli’s score is routine, yet effective in parts, It complements the visuals appropriately.

Overall, Darkest Hour is a talk-heavy film with an equally engaging performance by Gary Oldman.

Actress Rachel Brosnahan says she deeply regrets working with writer-director Woody Allen on the 2016 limited series “Crisis”.

Brosnahan said this amid allegations of molestation hurled against Allen by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow, reports hollywoodreporter.com. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star said: “Look, I had a great experience working on that project. But I do have to take this opportunity to say that, for me, I have really struggled with the decision to do that project for a long time.

“Honestly, it’s the decision that I have made in my life that is the most inconsistent with everything I stand for and believe in, both publicly and privately. And while I can’t take it back, it’s important to me, moving forward, to make decisions that better reflect the things that I value and my world view.

“I do think that we need to make sure that we don’t keep letting shitty men dominate the conversation about extraordinary women.”

Brosnahan, 27, joins a number of stars who have sought to distance themselves from Allen in the wake of the #MeToo movement, including two who are currently contending for Oscars for other film work — “Lady Bird” writer-director Greta Gerwig and “Call Me by Your Name” lead actor Timothee Chalamet.

Chalamet said he would be donating his full salary for his work in Allen’s upcoming film “A Rainy Day” in New York to three charities: Time’s Up, the LGBT Center in New York and RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organisation.

A college girl was allegedly beaten up and sexually abused by a member of Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad — TMC student wing — on the college campus in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, the victim said on Thursday.

The girl, a final-year student of Bidhan Chandra College in Hooghly’s industrial town Rishra, alleged that she was sexually abused by the college students union’s General Secretary Sahid Hasan Khan inside the union room a few days back, after she refused to get physically intimate with him.

The students union of the college is currently controlled by the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad.

“He took me to the union room and asked for my phone to see who I was talking to. He also asked me to get physically intimate with him. When I refused, I was severely beaten up and sexually abused,” the victim said.

“I am scared to go back to the college as he threatened to kill me and also harm my family. I have lodged a police complaint but no action has been taken against him,” she alleged.

The college authorities said they had formed an investigation committee after the CCTV footage of the incident surfaced.

Condemning the incident, the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad said they had sacked the accused from the post of General Secretary of the college students union and also dismissed him from the party.

“Our party does not tolerate such behaviour. We have sacked him from the post and also removed him from the party. We will ensure security of the girl,” Jaya Dutta, state chief of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad, said.

Candidates waiting to check their West Bengal Results 2017 for B Com (Part 1) don’t need to wait anymore. As per the latest updates, West Bengal results 2017 has been declared on the official website i.e. wbresults.nic.in.

West Bengal candidates trying to get their WB results 2017 have to visit the official website and fill the blank space with the required information including roll number, registration number and date of birth.

It has been informed that the Calcutta University had announced the exam results 2017 for the candidates applied for Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc) Part -II (Honours, General and Major). This examination took place across the examination halls on December 7, 2017.

Candidates are advised to stay calm and refresh the result website wbresults.nic.in to check the results online.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has mourned the death of veteran cinematographer W.B. Rao, who worked on his movies like “Hum” and “Khuda Gawah”.

“Ace cameraman and a gentle creative talent, W.B. Rao passed away. His memorable works shall ever be etched in the history of Indian Cinema. Prayers and condolences to near and dear,” Amitabh tweeted on Wednesday.

Rao died here on January 16 at the Bhartiya Arogya Nidhi Hospital.

Rao had been a part of the film industry for over four decades. He even worked for films like “Rangeela”, “Raja Hindustani”, “Judwaa”, “Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega” and “Dhadkan”.

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the ban against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat in some states, saying it is clearly the victory of freedom of expression in the country.

Benegal, who chaired a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting committee to propose ways to revamp the censor board, told IANS that once the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Supreme Court have given the movie a go-ahead, nothing can stop its release.

The Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana governments had banned the movie’s release in their states.

As for the organizations that are threatening to protest ahead of and when Padmaavat releases on January 25 over alleged distortion of historical facts, the state governments must intervene and ensure law and order are maintained, he said.

“The controversy is over. The film will be shown all over the country. The CBFC has anyway cleared the film and the Supreme Court has endorsed it. There is nothing to stop it except some people like (those from) Karni Sena and whoever they are… If they prevent it, then there will be a law and order situation, and the state government can take action against them,” Benegal told IANS over the phone.

“Quite clearly, it’s a win for freedom of expression,” he added.

The 83-year-old director, known for his socially relevant movies like “Ankur”, “Nishant”, “Manthan” and “Bhumika”, wonders why questions are being raised against the movie, which the makers have clearly stated is based on 16th-century poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s poem Padmaavat.

“After all, the simple thing is that ‘Padmavat’ is a classic. It was written in 1526 and not written yesterday or today. It is a classic work. We have accepted the literary classic which has been there since 1526 when Malik wrote it, and now the fact is that so many years later, some little organisation is saying that it is offending them and their sentiments. Does it make sense?

“It doesn’t make sense to anybody expcept for that little group of people who are creeating all the noise,” Benegal said, applauding the CBFC and Supreme Court’s “correct step” for the Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor starrer.

CBFC on December 30 last year decided to grant a U/A certificate to the movie, subject to five modifications, including title change from “Padmavati” to “Padmavat”. The makers — Bhansali Productions and Viacom18 Motion Pictures — finally went with “Padmaavat”, and agreed to the other four points, maintaining that the movie glorifies Rajput pride, valour and honour.

However, Rajput outfit Shree Rajput Karni Sena has been adamant in its demand that the movie must not be screened.

Benegal said: “There is nothing to stop the state governments to act against these groups who are causing this problem, unless they are hand in glove with the group… What is going to prevent them?”

Aamir Khan’s movie Secret Superstar will release in China on Friday and is expected to make waves in the country where his Dangal raked in $190 million, the highest earning by any Indian film abroad.

Aamir is hugely popular in China where craze for Indian movies is ever growing. Dangal, a story about a man who trains his daughters to become wrestlers, is a household name in China.

Such is the success of Dangal that it has arguably become synonymous with India in China. So much so that Chinese President Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he liked the movie.

It is to be seen if Secret Superstar will storm the box office in China the way Dangal did in 2017.

The latest movie stars Aamir and Zaira Wasim. In Dangal, Zaira enacts Aamir’s teenaged eldest daughter who stuns her male opponents by defeating them in wrestling.

In Secret Superstar, the Kashmiri actress again plays a teenage girl who dreams of becoming a singer. The film is about how she fulfils her dreams by keeping her identity hidden.

Aamir’s movies like PK and 3 Idiots have also done well in China.

“I am excited (about the movie). The first thing I will do when I reach Chengdu is to watch ‘Secret Superstar’,” Cairang Lamu, a college student in her 20s, said.

She studies in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

“Can’t wait to watch it. Indian movies also do well in China thanks to the poor quality of Chinese films,” said an official of a big conglomerate in China.

“That’s why China does not allow every foreign movie to release because good movies will destroy its film industry,” the official, who didn’t want to be named, said.

Wary of “outside influence,” China has a quota on the number of overseas movies that can be screened in the country each year.

Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh says his multilingual film “Saaho”, which also stars Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor, is shaping up really well.

“‘Saaho’ is shaping up really well. It is a bit difficult to shoot for that film because at one time, you have to shoot for Hindi, Tamil and Telugu as it’s a multilingual film. But I am learning a lot during the course of its shooting,” Neil said at the celebrity photographer Dabboo Ratnani’s calendar launch 2018 on Wednesday here.

Neil will also be seen playing a pivotal role in “Firrkie”. “About 75 per cent shoot of ‘Firrkie’ has been completed. It has been a very good shoot. We don’t realise how time flies when you are busy shooting,” he said.

“The entire team of ‘Firrkie’ bonded really well on the sets. I am working with (actor) Karan Singh Grover in that film so (actress) Bipasha (Basu) also came there at the shooting location. I have worked with Bipasha earlier. (Actress) Sandeepa Dhar is also there in our film so, I feel ‘Firrkie’ is shaping up really well,” he added.

Commenting on Ratnani’s calendar, Neil said: “My favourite will be (superstar) Shah Rukh (Khan) sir’s photograph because it’s very dark and I like dark stuff. It’s very different to see him like that.”

“I liked (actors) Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan’s shots. I also like (actress) Sonakshi’s (Sinha) picture in which she is looking very different.”

Actors like Rekha, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Singh Grover, Karan Kundra, Sonal Chauhan, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sunny Leone, Surveen Chawla and Anupam Kher also attended the event.

Actress Sunny Leone’s wax figure will be placed at the Madame Tussauds musuem here.

It will be displayed alongside statues of other leading celebrities in a yet to be announced theme, read a statement.

A team of expert artists flew in from London to meet Sunny for the sitting in Mumbai, where they took over 200 specific measurements and images were taken to create an authentic figure.

“I am thrilled and grateful to Madame Tussauds for creating my figure. Having my own wax figure is completely overwhelming. This is the first time I have undergone a sitting and I must thank the entire team for making it a unique and memorable experience. I am equally excited to see ‘me’ at the attraction and can’t wait for the fans reaction it will be finally displayed later this year,” said Sunny.

Pointing out that the actress has a “massive fan base”, Anshul Jain, General Manager and Director, Merlin Entertainments India Pvt Ltd, said: “Announcing her figure at the attraction is equally enthralling for us, and we are certain that this will give her fans millions of memories to carry home with lots of selfies.”

The other wax figures at the venue include those of Katrina Kaif, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Salman Khan, Will Smith, David Beckham, Kim Kardasian, Justin Bieber, Beyonce Knowles, Asha Bhosle, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Sharma, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Ranbir Kapoor.

Singer Ricky Martin says he didn’t come out as gay until he was 38 in an effort to preserve his career.

Martin visited “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” and opened up about his own personal struggles with coming out as gay, reports eonline.com.

He said: “My friend, you have no idea how it took me a while. The thing is that I was surrounded by friends that were telling me, ‘Don’t! Don’t come out that will be the end of your career.’

“It was people that love me, people that mean well and people that were just victims of homophobia. You know, I grew up in this culture that told me that my feelings were horrible, that my feelings were evil. And if you add to that, you know, that I was like a heartthrob, like a sex symbol”.

The “She bangs” hitmaker said everyone around him told him that it would end his career.

“It was extremely painful for me until I said, ‘I can’t take it anymore. It’s all about me now, it’s not about what’s happening outside, it’s about what I need in order to be happy.'”

Two influential people entered Martin’s life and gave him the strength he needed.

“Then I had my kids, and I said, ‘I have to come out.’ I mean, I’m not going to lie to these beautiful kids. To lie? No, that’s not the point. And you know, life works in cycles, it’s very interesting. Look at what I’m doing today, I’m talking on behalf of people that continue to hurt and through acting,” Martin said.

The star, 46, is extremely busy while raising his family, performing at his Las Vegas residency and raising funds through his organization for hurricane victims of Puerto Rico.

Critically acclaimed actor Adil Hussain says the word “underrated” in Bollywood translates to being less bankable.

A Twitter user wrote: “Actors are unique, actors are special. The term ‘underrated’ should not be a tool to measure the brilliance of an actor. It’s embarrassing. Are my words agreeable? Adil Hussain, Sayani Gupta, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal, Pankaj Tripathi.”

To this, Adil replied by saying: “Underrated means — in a market of so called Bollywood films, these actors are less bankable! Market is dictated by different set of rules, rarely have very little to do with art.”

The actor, who has featured in films like “Parched” and “Mukti Bhawan”, added: “Only an unprecedented, radical, cultural revolution can change the current taste for cinema in India.”

On the work front, Adil will next be seen in “Aiyaary”.