Have you heard? PeeCee joins Oscar committee

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

PeeCee joins Oscar committee

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is currently serving on the Executive Committee of the Actors Branch. Membership of the Academy is by invitation only from the Board of Governors, and achieved by earning a competitive Oscar nomination. Jonas has previously starred in the Oscar-nominated feature, The White Tiger, which she also executive produced. Academy membership is divided into 17 branches, representing different disciplines in the field of motion pictures. The Executive Committee is suggested to have certain powers relating to the short-listing of films for the Oscars. Meanwhile, she will be seen in Russo Brothers' Citadel, which releases on the web on April 28.

Visual treat

An RRR fan account on Instagram recently shared a video featuring a comic book made by a Japanese mother for her young son. The woman in question made an illustrated story book for her kid, seven, who might have trouble watching the movie with subtitles. As the woman flips through the pages in the viral video, it gives a glimpse of Ram Charan and Jr NTR's beautifully illustrated characters. SS Rajamouli's film has acquired attention from cinema-watchers across the globe ever since the song, Naatu naatu, won the Academy Award.

Casting couch

Actor-politician Ravi Kishan has shared that he faced sexual harassment by a woman who is now a "big shot". He revealed he was offered a ‘coffee at night' by the woman, who he chose not to name. Kishan was asked about his experience during a recent appearance on the chat show, Aap ki Adalat, according to a media report. "I somehow managed to escape. I can't name her, because she has become a big shot now. She had said, ‘Coffee peene raat me aayie.' I thought that is something people prefer to have during the day, so I got the hint and refused," he reportedly stated.

Seal of approval

Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston says she had a gala time gorging on Indian food and donning a "beautiful" lehenga by Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra
in her upcoming film, Murder Mystery 2. Aniston, who enjoys a huge fan following in India, courtesy her hit 1990s sitcom, Friends, wore an ivory-coloured chikankari lehenga that was designed by Malhotra for an Indian wedding sequence in the Netflix movie. "It was a beautiful dress. It was extremely heavy and I wasn't expecting that," she said in a recent interaction, adding, "So much respect for all the beautiful women of India who have to not only wear it, but dance their b'''' off. We had a really good time," she added. The action-drama is a sequel to a 2019 project starring Aniston and Adam Sandler. It has been directed by Jeremy Garelick, and will release on the streamer on March 31.

A fan

Scottish Masterchef winner Gary Maclean has a laundry list of favourites when it comes to Indian cuisine. Maclean, who recently held an exclusive dinner pop-up at Roseate House New Delhi, said he grew up with Indian families living next door and his love affair with Indian food began in childhood. "Scotland has a thousand Indian restaurants. I love dal, paneer, mutton, and anything tandoor - breads, meats, or vegetables. That said, the cuisine is so vast that every time I see someone doing it, I realise I know nothing about it." The chef counts Sanjeev Kapoor as his favourite Indian chef. "He is probably the most famous chef in the world. He is a great example of how hard work can help you reach places," said the winner of BBC's 2016 reality cooking series, MasterChef: The Professionals.

Marking wins

Salman Khan, who is often seen supporting his friends and colleagues on social media, has congratulated the ‘Golden Girls' Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Nitu Ghanghas and Saweety Boora, for winning at the World Boxing Championship. He took to Instagram and shared a picture of them, and wrote: "When you met me the last time, you had promised me that you would win again. You have done that! So proud of you, Nikhat. Many congratulations to you all on winning the women's world boxing championships."

Jabra fan

Shah Rukh Khan is known for his love for cars, and owns an impressive fleet that includes an Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. The latest addition is a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge SUV that costs over R10 crore, with personalised customisations. A video of his new car has been doing the round on social media after he was spotted driving it on the streets of Mumbai at night.

Valid point, though

A political analyst has sent a legal notice to Netflix over an episode of The Big Bang Theory that uses a "derogatory term" against actor, Madhuri Dixit-Nene. Mithun Vijay Kumar has asked the streamer to remove the episode in which the character of Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, and Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, compare Aishwarya Rai and Dixit. Citing the promotion of discrimination against women, the statement read: "It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural sentiments of the communities. A term was used in reference to Madhuri Dixit. It was offensive and showed a lack of regard for her dignity." The concerned scene sees two protagonists in disagreement when comparing the two actors. In the ensuing argument, the concerned defamatory term is used to describe Nene. A valid point raised, we think!