Cannes line-up features Hollywood giants like Scarlett Johansson, Spike Lee, Ari Aster, Richard Linklater

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Los Angeles, April 10 (IANS) The upcoming edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival has unveiled its line-up, and it has the cinematic giants competing against each other for several coveted titles from the festival.

The 78th edition of the film festival will take place in the seaside French city from May 13 to 24, reports ‘Variety’.

This year’s Cannes, which some have described as the first true post-strike festival, is expected to have a large contingent of established U.S. filmmakers, including Spike Lee with ‘Highest 2 Lowest’, Richard Linklater with ‘Nouvelle Vague’, Kelly Reichardt with ‘The Mastermind’, Ari Aster with ‘Eddington’ and Wes Anderson with ‘The Phoenician Scheme’.

As per ‘Variety’, the roster could also showcase several actors making their directorial debuts, including Scarlett Johansson with ‘Eleanor the Great’ and Harris Dickinson with ‘Urchin’.

Last year’s fest proved to be a banner one, with Palme d’Or winner ‘Anora’ going on to score the Oscar for best picture and ‘Emilia Perez’, ‘The Substance’ and ‘Flow’ also becoming awards heavyweights.

The 2025 event is already shaping up to be a glamorous one with a large Hollywood presence, and of course, lots of stars. Earlier this week, it was officially announced that Tom Cruise will be back on the Croisette with ‘Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’, three years after the splashy premiere for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

Artistic director and general delegate Thierry Fremaux, who is co-hosting the lineup press conference in Paris alongside president Iris Knobloch, revealed that the festival received a record number of 2,909 submissions. A few movies are always added after the presser across different sections, including in competition, and it seems that could be more so the case this year.

As previously announced, Juliette Binoche will preside over the jury, while Robert De Niro will receive this year’s honorary Palme d’Or.

–IANS

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Asha Bhosle stuns at 91, performs virat hit ‘Tauba Tauba’ with absolute finesse

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Veteran singer Asha Bhosle set the house on fire when she sang the viral hit ‘Tauba Tauba’ at a concert in Dubai. A video from the show surfaced on social media showing the legendary singer killing it on stage with her vocal prowess.

In the video, she was seen dressed elegantly in a white saree with a black border. She also set her microphone aside and also performed a part of the step from the song, which caught the nation’s fancy over Vicky Kaushal’s viral hook step, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

‘Tauba Tauba’, composed and performed by Karan Aujla is from the Vicky Kaushal, Tripti Dimri and Ammy Virk-starrer ‘Bad Newz’.

Karan Aujla also reacted to the video as he called it an iconic moment. The singer took to the Stories section of his Instagram, and wrote, “@asha.bhosle ji The living Goddess of music, Just performed tauba tauba… a song written by a kid that grew up in a small village, with no music background and no knowledge of musical instruments. A melody made by someone who doesn’t play any instrument (sic)”.

He further mentioned, “This song has received a lot of love and recognition amongst not only fans but also music artists, but this moment is truly iconic and one I will never forget. I am truly blessed and thankful. This has really inspired me to keep giving you all such melodies and create more memories together”.

He shared in another story, “I wrote it at 27. She sang it at 91 better than me”.

Asha Bhosle and Sonu Nigam teamed up for a special live performance in Dubai on Sunday. The two performed at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

The event was organized by PME Entertainment and presented by BNW Developments & Burj Mayfair Real Estate.

–IANS

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Kalki Koechlin talks about her personal style preference

Mumbai, March 31 (IANS) Actress Kalki Koechlin turned showstopper for Max Urban’s Amaifi Escape collection at the Lakme Fashion Week.

While speaking exclusively to IANS, the ‘Shaitan’ actress talked about her personal style preference.

“I enjoy something that’s easy but also fashionable. I don’t like something which is too heavy, that’s too complicated to wear,” Kalki said.

Sharing her views on the collection, Kalki told IANS, “So the collection is basically very Italian — very much about getting out there and having a beautiful holiday. The clothes are also very light, breathable materials — cotton, linens — so very nice for the heat that’s coming on. One of the things about this collection that is exciting is that Max is going to have a new look every week which means that every week you go into a Max store, you are going to have something that you did not see the week before, and that’s very exciting for consumers.”

Calling her experience of walking the ramp ‘fun’, the actress shared, “I really enjoyed this creative walk where we had to walk on some stairs and we could interact with the audience. Yeah! It was a fun walk, not the usual.”

Kalki wore a white printed attire, accessorised with some bold makeup, curly hair, golden earrings, and bracelets.

On the professional front, Kalki’s last outing was the Tamil romantic action thriller ‘Nesippaya’. Directed by Vishnuvardhan, XB Film Creators produced the film under their banner. The drama marked the acting debut of Akash Murali, alongside Aditi Shankar, R.Sarathkumar, Prabhu, and Khushbu.

‘Nesippaya’ reached the cinema halls on January 14, 2025.

Coming to Bollywood, she was last seen in the coming-of-age drama ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’. The Arjun Varain Singh’s directorial premiered on Netflix in December 2023.

The core cast of the movie included Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Adarsh Gourav in prominent roles.

‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ talks about three friends who navigate their goals and relationships against the pressures of social media.

–IANS

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Arjun Rampal as poet breaks the stereotype, says ‘Bandish Bandits’ director

Mumbai, Dec 17 (IANS) “Bandish Bandits” director Anand Tiwari has spoken about the surprise character Imroz, essayed by Arjun Rampal, in the show. He said that the actor as a poet breaks the stereotype.

Arjun Rampal’s surprise cameo as Imroz Dehelvi, a charming writer, won hearts. Tiwari has now shared insights about his character and revealed why he was the perfect choice to bring the character to life in the show.

Challenging cliches and redefining how poets are perceived on screen, Tiwari said, “We often picture writers and poets in kurta-pajamas, barefoot, carrying a bag. But they can be anything, come from anywhere—even a music school.”

“I wanted Imroz Dehelvi to surprise the audience, to challenge expectations and seeing Arjun Rampal as that poet definitely breaks the stereotype.”

He said that Arjun is a dear friend who graciously said yes without knowing much about the role.

“His depth, security, and gravitas are qualities I have seen him portray in so many films and discovered even more so while working with him on Nail Polish—made him the ideal Imroz,” the director said.

Talking about the chemistry between Arjun and Divya Dutta as Imroz and Nandini, respectively in the show, Tiwari said: “What struck me was the chemistry they shared in Dhaakad—it was understated yet magnetic. That dynamic felt tailor-made for this series. Their connection is defined by what’s unsaid.”

He added: “A simple exchange like ‘I’ve come,’ or ‘All the best’ carries layers of meaning. That’s the beauty of a mature relationship—the unspoken emotions create the most profound bond. We’ve worked to translate that subtlety into their story, making it authentic and deeply moving.”

The new season features Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhry, Sheeba Chaddha, Atul Kulkarni, Rajesh Tailang, and Kunaal Roy Kapur, alongside new additions such as Divya Dutta, Rohan Gurbaxani, Yashaswini Dayama, Aaliyah Qureshi, and Saurabh Nayyar in pivotal roles.

“Bandish Bandits” Season two, which is created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari, is streaming on Prime Videos.

–IANS

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