Entertainment
Shah Rukh Khan, the star whose stardom transcended hits and flops years ago
In October last year, Shah Rukh Khan made his way through screaming crowds, people jostling each other to get one look at him, hungry cameras demanding that all-important shot. The actor perhaps was at his most vulnerable, going to see his son Aryan in jail. There were videos of him taken from every angle, people trying to get close to him, some just trying to assess his expression, and a few jeering. Shah Rukh didn’t falter in his steps; neither did he quicken his pace. He nodded politely at the crowds, joining his hand in greeting when he spotted some elderly people. He never uttered a word of complaint even though there were many trying to break through physical boundaries. It would have been the most difficult time for him and his family, his son had been arrested, the chance of release seemed slight at the time and there were nationwide debates and discussions. Other celebrities had fired off their opinions and judgement, some decidedly mocking him, others expressing concern. But none of that showed on SRK’s face — he appeared calm and dignified. If you didn’t know any better, you would think he was going for a shoot.
Adored through upheavals
When SRK remained below the radar on his birthday after Aryan’s arrest and didn’t come to the balcony and wave at fans like he normally does, there was a strong outpouring of love on social media. After a harrowing month of anxiety, it was soothing to see the support that he had. That’s where it sunk in—SRK has always had this overwhelming love and support. And it had gone far beyond his films, a long time ago.
Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan in Dear Zindagi.
Every second person had some memorable meeting and encounter with him that they cherished—-where he had either joked with them, or helped someone, and never let the public know about it. Celebrities poured in emotional tributes—ranging from his close friends to those who had been acquainted with him, but still mesmerised by his charm. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta recalled how SRK had once transferred funds at a hospital, ‘without creating a fuss’ for a child suffering from a tumour. Newer actors like Swara Bhaskar and Alia Bhatt recalled that had always looked up at him as an idol and how he had guided them through the profession. For once perhaps, Twitter was a wholesome place to be on November 2, 2021. There were only words of love and fondness for the star, cherishing his wit, deadpan humour and clips from his old interviews made the rounds for weeks.
More than box office successes
It has been 30 years since SRK joined the Bollywood industry, but his stardom has transcended his films success at the box office. He hasn’t had the best couple of years in terms of films, as Jab Harry Met Sejal, Zero, among others, couldn’t perform as expected but fans, after a momentary nod of disappointment, don’t dwell much on it. Somehow, box office numbers aren’t a way to describe SRK. It’s his personality that shines through all the flops — you can’t be angry at him for too long. You’ll forgive him for a Jab Harry Met Sejal because he, himself, would laugh about it and make you laugh along with him. He cheered when his wife, designer and producer Gauri Khan took home a trophy and tweeted, “Chalo ghar mein kisi ko toh award mil rahein hain!!! (At least someone is winning awards in home).”
Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan at Mannat in 2018 (Photo: Instagram/gaurikhan)
Memorably, one fan asked him during an AMA session on Twitter, “When will we get the sequel to Jab Harry Met Sejal?” He answered promptly, “Yahaan Twitter pe sab box office failures ka hi sequel kyon maang rahe hain??? (Why is everyone asking for sequels of all the box office failures?).”
Nevertheless in serious interviews, he would take the blame on himself, yet without blaming the story or the director. “I let people down with Jab Harry Met Sejal, which was an utter flop. But I didn’t want to let anyone down; I just liked the fact that koi story nahin thi, sirf ek ring ke chakkar mein the two people (SRK’s Harry and Anushka Sharma’s Sejal) kheechey chale jaate hain… it was very organic, slice-of-life thi.” He had said, instantly making a joke on how he doesn’t want a slice-of-life films now, ‘Poora pumpkin chahiye’. Of course, he can field offensive questions when it comes to it. He was asked by a reporter when he would ‘start making better movies’. SRK hit back, “When will you start asking better questions?”
There’s always a tone of affection and congeniality that SRK exhibits on social media. He asks the real dad questions to daughter Suhana when she posted a photo with Aryan and AbRam, asking why he doesn’t possess the same photo. His message of advice for her as she prepared for Archies debut went viral. He uses gentle terms of endearment for Alia Bhatt, wishing her luck for production debut Darlings and calls her ‘little one’. He would tease Gauri on her photos with little inside jokes and fun jibes. These little moments continue to contribute to the image of SRK today—and during his rough times, it’s this love that he falls back on.
Boycotts and outrage
Like his contemporary Aamir Khan, SRK has also faced more than his fair share of boycott trends and controversies. His film Dilwale in 2015, though it minted money, it still took a strong hit owing to his comment on intolerance. Yet, SRK remained confident about his fans.
Yet, as boycott trends began to engulf the industry in 2022 and certain groups started aiming for his upcoming film Pathaan, an old clip of SRK began to do the rounds. While he had a typically sardonic reply saying that the boycott trends work well as an excuse, he also said, “With due respect, kisiko hoga issue, kuch ek comment tha, kuch kisine bana diya, woh log bade khush honge…aur agar khush hai toh woh bhi khush ho…humari wajah se hi khush ho…but ess desh mein, Bharat mein, jitna pyaar mujhe kiya jaata hai, main yeh danke ki chot par bol sakta hoon, bahut kam logon ko kiya gaya hai. Aur woh pyaar ek baat se yah do cheezo se…sahi galat log samjhte hai…I don’t think that has affected me or my film or will ever affect me or my film (Someone will have an issue, someone would make a comment….but in this country, I do know that I have received so much love so I can say with certainty that many haven’t received that kind of love).”
In an interview to AIB a long time ago, SRK, who has often been criticised for not taking a political stance, explained why he prefers to not say anything publicly. He also knows that somehow there will be groups willing to drag him down, and each word that he says on sensitive subjects, could lead to him paying a heavy price. Yet as many celebrities testified, SRK shows his support without declaring it publicly. During the Padmaavat outrage, he extended his solidarity to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and advised them to keep silent on the matter. At the time he said that silence should never be mistaken for cowardice. “No, we are not hiding. As a matter of fact, the simple truth is this — there is a section of people who go on an ‘uprising’ so to say. If more prominent actors, actresses and directors came and talked about this film… as a matter of fact, many times I suggested to their team not to talk about this, just keep quiet because you are giving wind to fire. Nobody is scared, fearful or hiding their own skin as is said about Bollywood stars, ‘oh these people just want to earn money and not do anything for society’. No. We love our society. We make entertaining films and we want our society to be happy,” he had said at the time.
There’s an aura of magnanimity, genuine awe and love that surrounds SRK today. We only get to see the side of him that he wishes to show to his public, but somehow, that’s enough.
Entertainment
Queer photographer Evergon, witchy artists Fastwurms among Governor General winners | Globalnews.ca
Evergon, 77, said he was hopeful he’d receive one of the Artistic Achievement Awards eventually, but he’s “gobsmacked” that it’s actually happened.
Over the course of his career, which is now in its fifth decade, the artist born Albert Jay Lunt said he’s seen attitudes towards his work shift alongside the perception of the LGBTQ community.
“There’s pieces that were scandal 40 and 50 years ago, and there seems to be no scandal with those pieces at the moment,” he said in a phone interview ahead of Tuesday’s announcement.
“Matter of fact, there has been no scandal.”
A retrospective of the Montreal artist’s work is on display at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec in Quebec City. The museum describes his art as audacious and carnal, exploring issues of sexuality and the body as they intersect with identity.
His portfolio features photos of men that can veer towards the pornographic, including nude self-portraits.
He also created a series of nude photographs of his octogenarian mother, which the Musée national des beaux-arts says “renews the representation of the aging body as few artists have done.”
“She was the one challenging me: ‘I want the photos made of me now. I’m 80, I want them now,’” he recalled. “It was so fun to have them commissioned by her, as opposed to me whining: ‘Can we do this?’”
His mother died several years ago, he said, and he regrets that she’s not here to witness this recognition of his work.
Read more:
‘Being a brown woman, being queer’: B.C. illustrator uses art to express all of her identity
This year’s list of eight winners also includes David Garneau, who won the Outstanding Contribution Award.
His paintings and drawings speak to the experience of Indigenous men in North America and explores his own Metis identity and family history.
Meanwhile, Grace Nickel has won the Saidye Bronfman Award, which recognizes the best in fine crafts.
Nickel is a sculptor who renders natural forms in ceramics and porcelain as a way of exploring whether we can return to a natural life.
Also among the six winners of the Artistic Achievement Award is Fastwurms, a poly-disciplinary collective composed of Kim Kozzi and Dai Skuse. The duo, who are based out of Mulmur, Ont., invoke images of witches in their performance art and immersive installations.
Germaine Koh, who was Vancouver’s first engineering artist in residence and who describes herself as an artist-organizer, was also recognized with an award.
Tim Whiten, whose work explores the experience of BIPOC people, was honoured with an award for a career that spans back to the 1960s.
Filmmakers Shannon Walsh and Nettie Wild also received awards.
Walsh’s portfolio includes five feature-length documentary films on topics that include labour rights and climate change.
Wild’s documentaries, meanwhile, take viewers behind the scenes of revolutions and social change.
Each winner will receive a $25,000 prize.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2023.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
Entertainment
Jonathan Majors, Marvel and ‘Creed III’ actor, arrested on assault charge in New York – National | Globalnews.ca
New York City police said that Majors, star of the recently released Creed III and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. Police responded around 11 a.m. Saturday to a 911 call inside an apartment in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea.
“The victim informed police she was assaulted,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement. “Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident. The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition.”
A representative for Majors denied any wrongdoing by the actor.
“He has done nothing wrong,” the representative said in an email to the AP on Saturday. “We look forward to clearing his name and clearing this up.”
On Sunday, a lawyer for Majors, Priya Chaudhry, came out more forcefully, saying Majors “is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows” and blamed the incident on the woman having “an emotional crisis.”
Chaudhry said there was evidence clearing Majors, including “video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.”
An email seeking additional comment from the NYPD based on Chaudhry’s assertions was not immediately returned Sunday.
Majors was arraigned Sunday on a complaint involving misdemeanour charges for assault and aggravated harassment, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said. A judge ordered Majors released on his own recognizance on Saturday night with a limited order of protection. He was scheduled to appear in court on May 8.
In the meantime, the U.S. Army suspended its TV ad campaign featuring Majors that was intended to target younger audiences. The Army Enterprise Marketing Office said in a statement Sunday that the U.S. Army is “deeply concerned by the allegations surrounding his arrest.”
“While Mr. Majors is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete,” the office said in a statement.
Majors is one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood. After breaking through in 2019′s The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Majors has starred in Da 5 Bloods, The Harder They Fall and last year’s Devotion. He also stars in the recent Sundance Film Festival entry Magazine Dreams, which Searchlight Pictures is to release in December.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
Entertainment
Jeremy Renner posts video update on treadmill after snowplow injury – National | Globalnews.ca
The update, shared to Renner’s social media accounts, comes nearly three months after the actor was severely injured in a snowplow accident on Jan. 1, 2023.
“I now have to find OTHER things to occupy my time so my body can recover from my will,” Renner, 52, wrote on Twitter. He added the hashtags “#mindful #intended #recovery.”
In the 15-second clip, Renner is seen walking on a high-tech treadmill. He explains to another man next to him that the machine allows him to walk on “only 40 per cent of my weight.” He said the treadmill is similar to walking with a cane.
On his Instagram story, Renner shared the same video with the same caption.
Renner’s snowplow accident left the actor with more than 30 broken bones after he was crushed by a seven-ton PistenBully snowcat. He sustained “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries” and underwent multiple surgeries.
At the time of the accident, Renner was trying to prevent a family member from being hit by the snowplow. Though the family member was saved from injury, Renner was pulled under the vehicle and crushed.
Last week, Renner shared a photo of the PistenBully snowcat, which had previously been in police custody, returning to his Reno, Nev., home.
“She’s finally making her way home!” Renner wrote next to a prayer hand emoji.
Renner, who plays the sharpshooting Marvel superhero Hawkeye, currently stars in the Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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