BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Oscar and Grammy-winning Indian composer AR Rahman has collaborated with "We are the world" creator Ken Kragen and global artistes like Natasha Bedingfield and Cody Simpson for "Hands Around The World". The project is aimed at raising awareness about the irreversible perils of climate change.## The fundraising and technology initiative has been officially launched on April 22, which marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.## The year-long project includes a new anthemic song featuring Bedingfield, Simpson, MAJOR, Jonathan Cilia Faro, Erica Atkins-Campbell of Mary Mary, and many more.## Alan Parsons and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra along with NASA and astronauts from the International Space Station have also lent their support with their One Note Symphony composition. An album of powerful songs representing music from different genres is also in the making.## "I am hopeful that our combination of using music and technology on this project will have this message resonate with the masses. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with so many incredible musicians from around the world," said Rahman.## As part of this Earth Day 2020 initiative, Rahman officially introduced the project via Instagram on April 22.## Rahman's music team for "Hands Around the World" includes producer Kevin Doucette, Polish composer Julia Zuzanna Sokolowska, and K-pop songwriter Daniel Caesar.## The song lyrics have been written by Stephen Schwartz and the Hands team and had its first recording session at film and television composer Nathan Barr's Bandrika Studios in Los Angeles in February.## The campaign is championed by Kragen who created the historic 1985 global collaboration "We Are the World" and "Hands Across America".## He has joined hands with Neil Morgan, an entertainment entrepreneur who is the brains behind an app that will use hologram and augmented reality technology to link one billion people holding hands around the world in a virtual reality selfie-chain for the benefit of climate change.## Kragen said: "Just as ‘We are the World' and ‘Hands Across America' called attention and raised funds to fight hunger and homelessness, this new project will be a game-changer for the environmental issues that threaten every living thing on this planet."## "Hands Around the World" is officially endorsed by the legendary record producer Quincy Jones and the primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, with support from climate change scientists, NASA's Thorsten Markus and climate specialist Professor Todd Crowley.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Taapsee Pannu has been regaling fans with interesting anecdotes from her shoots lately, to beat the lockdown blues. She has now recalled of the time she was shooting for the 2018 sports biopic "Soorma", which narrates the remarkable real-life story of Indian hockey star Sandeep Singh.## While Diljit Dosanjh essayed Sandeep in the film, the hockey star himself used to be on the set too, to guide the actors of the finer aspects of the sport since both Taapsee and Diljit were cast as hockey players.## Taapsee took to Instagram, to share a behind-the-scenes video where she can be seen doing somersaults. Sharing an anecdote with the video, she revealed it was punishment meted out to her by 'coach' Sandeep Singh is she missed her preparatory classes!## "This one is from #Soorma. the hockey world they call it ‘baajiyaan' but when I was a kid we used to call this gulaatiyaan back home in Delhi. This is usually a punishment in the hockey world but back home it used to be a fun activity. N me being the hyperactive kid, had a lot of this ‘fun' while growing up," she wrote.## She shared that her childhood activity helped her on the film's set.## "It sure helped me to do this easily on set. Also, my coach @sandeep_rebirth was always ready with this punishment for me if I missed the class! Talk about method prep! #Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost."## Directed by Shaad Ali, the film also stars Angad Bedi. Earlier, Taapsee shared some anecdotes from the sets of the film "Manmarziyaan".## Taapsee's latest role in Anubhav Sinha's "Thappad" has been widely acclaimed. The actress will be seen in "Haseen Dillruba", "Rashmi Rocket" and "Shabaash Mithu" in the coming months.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) First Sara Alia Khan, and now Alia Bhatt. It seems like Earth Day has brought alive the inner poets in our actresses!## To mark Earth Day on Wednesday, Alia took to social media and posted a poem titled "Today And Everyday", expressing gratitude to Mother Nature, as well as the corona warriors. She also pledges to perform her duty towards the planet in her verse.## The actress took to Instagram to recite her poem that goes: "Today and everyday I am grateful to the sunrise and the sunset, for the forest full of trees, the animals and birds, rivers, lakes and seas; I'm grateful for all we have built, our bridges and our streets, I am grateful for the love that binds us and the wind that sometimes knocks us off our feet; in these uncertain times I feel grateful for those who put themselves in danger for us, our saviours, the world's warriors; today and everyday I promise to care for our planet and all it has to offer, I promise to value our home by doing a little better; I choose to celebrate earth day today and every single day."## "Today and Everyday. My attempt at writing a little something to celebrate earth day. #Earthdayeveryday," captioned the actress.## Earlier, Sare Ali Khan posted beautiful pictures of holiday spots she has been to the world over, with a short self-composed poem as a tribute to Earth Day. Incidentally, Sara posted her poem and pictures on Monday -- a day before Earth Day -- and actor Ishaan Khatter wittily resorted to some poetry of his own to point out the mistake.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Over two decades ago, Suniel Shetty mouthed this dialogue in "Border", and the line has become synonymous with on-screen patriotism: "Yeh dharti meri maa hai, aur koi meri maa ke samne nazar uthake deke aisa main hone nahi dunga." On Wednesday, the actor used the ine to commemmorate the 50th Earth Day.## Sharing a still from the movie, Suniel wrote: "ye dharti meri maa hai. #earthday."## Reacting to the post, a user commented: "This dialogue gives us goosebumps."## Directed by JP Dutta, the 1997 patriotic blockbuster is set during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. The multistarrer is toplined by Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, and Jackie Shroff among others.## Suniel will be next seen in the crime drama "Mumbai Saga", which is directed by Sanja Gupta.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty's father breathed his last in Mumbai on Tuesday, but the veteran actor is currently stranded in Bengaluru owing to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.## Basanta Kumar Chakraborty, 95, reportedly died of renal failure after battling health problems for a while now.## Right now, the actor is trying to reach Mumbai to perform the last rites. He was in Bengaluru for a shoot, a timesofindia.com report stated. His eldest son Mahakshay, also known as Mimoh, is in Mumbai along with the rest of the family.## Mithun, whose real name is Gouranga Chakraborty, is the eldest among the four children of Basanta Kumar Chakraborty, who is survived by his wife Santimoyee Chakraborty.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Punjabi celebrities including Neeru Bajwa, Sargun Mehta, Afsana Khan and Rubina Bajwa have come together for a music video of the song "Jitange hosle naal", which is an attempt to give hope to Indians amid the testing times of COVID-19.## It is a tribute from the Punjabi film industry to health workers and policemen fighting against coronavirus.## The track has been sung by Afsana Khan, Rza Heer. It has lyrics by Veet Baljit and music by MP Athwal.## "The song is about love, hope, and spreading happiness. It says 'jitange hosle naal' which means if we have the courage, we will definitely win. I am thankful that the people of the Punjab industry have come forward for this effort of unity and togetherness," said Neeru.## The video features singers and actors singing from their respective homes, along with visuals of people cheering for their heroes like police, doctors, and cleaners, dancing, and spreading happiness, love, and hope.## The song is presented by Neeru Bajwa, and Speed Records.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Actress Tamannaah Bhatia says "today we are like caged animals", and says that the universe has given us a time to reflect on the fact.## "Lockdown is a need of the hour at this point of time and cases will multiply if we don't adhere to social distancing rules and limit outdoor activities until an effective medical solution is derived," Tamannaah said.## "This unprecedented crisis has taken so many innocent lives and the economy is majorly hit especially the small businesses. Maybe the universe is teaching us a lesson for all the harm we have caused nature and animals," she added.## Tamannaah along with Letsallhelp.Org has extended help to migrant workers in Mumbai. They have been successful in mobilising over 50 tonnes of food products and have catered to the needs of over 10,000 people across the slums, shelters and old age homes across Mumbai.## The actress feels "today we are like caged animals and the universe has given us a time to reflect on this".## "The team at Letsallhelp.org and I have taken a pledge that no one goes to sleep without food during the lockdown and we are utilising this time to help the migrant workers with basic utilities. Please start the practice of donation in any form as you deem fit until the situation gets under control. Don't just watch out for yourself, watch out for everyone else's well-being too," she added.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan wished her fans on the occasion of Earth Day 2020 and shared a stunning collage of her several breathtaking vacations.## From the beach to snow-capped mountains and camel rides in the desert, Sara's vacation collage on Instagram has impressed fans.## She explored her poetic side in the caption: "Happy Earth Day. About Mother Nature what to say... Snowflakes in December, Jungles in May On the beach, where the hair can sway... In the mountains, on my sleigh... In the desert, the camel leads the way... But for now, at home, we must stay... And with gratitude and appreciation thank Mother Earth every day.## However, there was a glitch in her Earth Day post, caught by actor Ishaan Khatter who reminded her that the Earth Day is on Tuesday while she posted the beautiful collage on Monday.## "Maine bhi yeh hi ghalti ki ..in one small detail the problem lay; Earth day is tomorrow, errbody thinkin we cray," replied Ishaan, matching Sara's poetic relish.## On the work front, Sara was last seen in Imtiaz Ali's "Love Aaj Kal", which also starred Kartik Aaryan.## Sara will be next seen opposite Varun Dhawan in the remake of "Coolie No.1". She will also be seen sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar and Dhanush in "Atrangi Re".## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Los Angeles, April 22 (IANS) Tom Hardys much-anticipated "Venom" sequel has been delayed by eight months amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.## The second installment in the action-fantasy series, directed by Andy Serkis, was slated to release on October 2, 2020.## The sequel, officially titled "Venom: Let There Be Carnage", will instead launch eight months later on June 25, 2021, reports variety.com.## In 2018, "Venom" introduced Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom. It follows the popular Marvel anti-hero as he transforms from a go-getter journalist to the powerful alien symbiote. The film put the conflict of good versus bad in the center stage.## Serkis is directing Sony's follow-up to "Venom", which sees Hardy again assume the alien symbiote. The first film became a surprise box office hit, earning $855 million globally. Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Reid Scott and Naomie Harris will also appear in the sequel.## By postponing "Venom" until next year, Sony has reshuffled nearly every movie scheduled to release in 2020. The studio already pushed back many of its major films, including "Morbius" (from July 31, 2020, to March 19, 2021), "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (from July 10, 2020, to March 5, 2021) and Tom Holland's "Uncharted" (from March 5, 2021, to Oct. 8, 2021).## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Alia Bhatt features in Mumbai Police force's latest effort in their ongoing campaign exhorting people to stay indoors, in these times of COVID-19 pandemic.## On their official page, Mumbai Police have shared a meme featuring a smiling Alia in her "Gully Boy" look. "That face when he says he is going out for a walk during the lockdown," reads the meme.## Mumbai Police tweeted the meme with this caption: "Abort mission. We repeat - Abort Mission! #StayHome #StaySafe."## Lately, Mumbai Police have been posting quirky tweets featuring Bollywood stars, their films, and popular on-screen characters, while advising people to stay at home during the lockdown.## This is not the first time Alia features in a tweet by Mumbai Police. Recently, they had created a message using the names of her popular films while urging people to stay at home. "Mumbaikars, we hope you all are 'Raazi' with this advice of Ms @aliaa08 to not venture out in any ‘Gully' unnecessarily and take care of ‘Dear Zindagi' for all!" they had tweeted.## Other stars who have featured in Mumbai Police's quirky tweets include Ajay Devgn, Shahid Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and Arjun Kapoor.## Recently, Mumbai Police tweeted mentioning Abhishek Bachchan's character in the "Dhoom" franchise, ACP Jai Dixit, as an inspiration. Their official handle shared: "Just taking the 'ACP Jai Dixit' route to ensure that the city gets back to normalcy soon -- that too, with a 'Dhoom'! All Mumbaikars need to do is not make 'Dus Bahaane' about going out unnecessarily!"## They even tweeted using Ajay Devgn's popular movies: "Dear Singham, Just doing what khakee is supposed to do to ensure that things return to how they were - Once upon a time in Mumbai! #TakingOnCorona."## Their tweet featuring Shahid Kapoor's films read: "The most ‘Shaandaar' support Mumbaikars can provide right now is to stay at home. And make plans for what all we would do together ‘Jab We Meet' post #lockdown #TakingOnCorona."## Tweeting with the names of Arjun Kapoor's movies, Mumbai Police had shared: "Taking no ‘half' measures to ensure safety from #corona in Mumbai - a city with millions of ‘Ishaqzaades' in love with it!"## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Los Angeles, April 22 (IANS) The cast of the iconic sitcom "Friends" launched a contest for fans to attend their reunion special, through which they will raise funds to help people dealing with food scarcity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.## They have joined the "All In Challenge". Stars Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry announced the contest on their social mia platforms.## The stars are offering six tickets to the taping of their forthcoming HBO Max reunion special as well as a cup of coffee at "Central Perk" as part of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, reports hollywoodreporter.com.## "Hey, it's us…your FRIENDS. And We Are All In! Some of you may have heard about a reunion special that we are doing for HBO Max? Well… We want YOU and five of YOUR Friends to join the 6 of us on Stage 24," the stars posted on their respective social accounts.## "Be our personal guests in the audience for the taping where you'll get to see us all together again for the first time in ages, as we reminisce about the show and celebrate all of the fun we had. PLUS, sip a cup of coffee with us in Central Perk, and get the Friends VIP experience on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour," read the post further.## The reunion tickets and studio tour auction are part of the "All In Challenge", which is uniting celebrities, athletes and sports leagues to raise funds.## In addition to the cast of "Friends", others participating in the challenge include Madonna, Russell Wilson and Ciara, Justin Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ryan Reynolds. The funds raised from the various auctions will go to several organizations working towards relief work.## The "Friends" reunion was among the productions that were forced to suspend work amid the near shut down due to the virus crisis. The special, featuring all six "Friends" stars, was scheduled to be recorded in March. A new date for the special has not yet been announced as it remains unclear when it will be safe for the productions to resume.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Wednesday is Earth Day, and at a time when the world battles the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, Bollywood took to social media to remind us of our responsibility to keep the planet clean and green.## Sonakshi Sinha tweeted: "When you realize "Heart" and Earth are spelled with the same letters, it all starts to make sense! Happy 50th #EarthDay!## Bhumi Pednekar shared a beautiful poem on how to make the earth cleaner and more beautiful. The actress wrote: "You can save water & plant a tree. Say no to single-use plastic & make her free. Recycle your things, Don't make more trash, We have really abused her, let's not be rash. I love you Earth is all I can say, every day should be Earth Day #HappyEarthDay #EarthDay #ClimateWarrior"## Kajol tweeted: "The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth. If that has not been proved categorically to us at this time I don't think it ever will be. Happy #EarthDay2020 to all the remaining species."## Madhuri Dixit Nene suggested: "This lockdown has shown us how little nature needs for it to revive and thrive. On the 50th #EarthDay let us all pledge to #DoOurBit by switching off appliances when not in use, plant trees, use fuel & water conservatively. Together we can build a better world, one we all are proud of."## Rakul Preet Singh shared on Instagram: "Get lost in the beauty of nature to find yourself! We haven't really been responsible enough to nurture the planet that feeds us all. It's time we realize the same and strive to be better citizens of earth. They say nature has its ways to teach a lesson, maybe this is a warning to preserve our habitat. If we truly surrendered in Earth's intelligence we could rise up rooted like trees! Happy Earth Day."## Sidharth Malhotra expressed on Twitter: "Today, while we are locked in our houses, nature continues to thrive. We all need to remember this when we get out that we are just guests on this beautiful planet, not the owners. This #EarthDay2020 let's do our bit to heal our planet and build a better future."## Richa Chadha shared a video where she offers suggestions regarding how we can make a difference to the planet. The actress suggested growing some of our own food like she has grown aloe vera and Curry leaves, segregating dry and wet waste, saving electricity, saying no to plastic, saving water, and using recycled products. She concluded with a message: "Give love to mother earth. This is the only home we have. Nature doesn't need us, we need it."## "It's EARTH DAY! I woke up and made a video, (simple enough for a 6-year-old, but we all tend to forget the basics)! While everyone is busy sharing pictures of peacocks on roads, dolphins in the sea, birds, and clear blue skies… Let's not forget that nature is healing and we must not get back to our old ways once the lockdown is relaxed! Every day is Earth Day!" Richa captioned.## Tamannaah Bhatia shared a message on climate change and wrote: "The Earth Does Not Belong to Us: We Belong to the Earth. -Marlee Matlin. Climate change is real and currently, we are experiencing it first hand. Let pledge to protect our planet and make it green and clean, once again! #earthday2020".## Dia Mirza tweeted: "The world needs a 'Satyagraha' a movement of non-violence against nature. Respect nature's DEMOCRACY for the sake of ALL people. The planet provides and nurtures life. #ForPeopleForPlanet"## Neha Dhupia shared a beautiful collage of photographs with husband Angad Bedi and daughter Mehr with the message: "Stay home save our home".## Malaika Arora shared on Instagram: "Mother earth is a living organism too. Love, honor, and respect her."## Saurabh Shukla expressed: "Happy Mother Earth Day. Maa bless us all! #EarthDay2020 #EarthDay #environment #PLEDGE #socialresponsibility."## Esha Deol shared a message which reads: "Make everyday earth day".## Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar shared: "Go green and let's make our Earth a beautiful place to live. #HappyEarthDay #EarthDay2020."## Film producer Bhushan Kumar tweeted: "Nature is our biggest blessing, let us do our bit to preserve it & build a better future for all. #EarthDay2020".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.