Renowned Bollywood actor Anupam Kher has been invited by the Hindu University of America to be conferred upon the prestigious Honorary Doctorate in Hindu Studies at a simple Hindu Vedic ceremony in Manhattan, New York, on 18th September 2021.
The Hindu University of America is a Non-Profit Public Charitable Education Institution recognised as an online university with the mission to provide education in knowledge systems based on Hindu thought involving critical inquiry, ethics, and self-reflection.
Accepting the same, Kher said, “It is an honour to be the first recipient of the Honorary Doctorate award from the Hindu University of America. I believe, through Hinduism, we can learn and understand the importance of harmony and acceptance. I wish to promote the same message of peace even further with the Doctorate."
While speaking about Kher, Ved Nanda, Chair Board of Trustees, said, "The Hindu University of America is privileged to confer its inaugural Honorary Doctoral degree on Padma Bhushan Sri Anupam Kher. Anupam Kher Ji, we indeed are honoured that you have graciously consented to accept the historic award of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Hindu Studies from HUA. You are a constant source of inspiration to us all, and we express our deep appreciation for your monumental contributions.”
Dr Jashvant Patel, Chair Finance Committee, said, "Shri Anupamji, The Hindu University is proud and privileged to honour you with the Doctorate degree in Hindu Studies. In your life’s journey, you have demonstrated and harmonized the wisdom, courage and commitment in your growth with complete spiritual devotion. You would be a Sage-like role model of inspiration for our students, faculties, and trustees alike to learn and impart Vedic knowledge from the University. The Trustees of HUA are looking forward to having a closer association with you and your work on Hindu Sanskriti.”
All eyes are on Las Vegas as the American Music Awards returns this Monday, bringing an evening of music, star-studded performances, and tight competition. This year, Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with 10 nominations.
The AMAs, driven entirely by fan votes, will go live on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern, with Jennifer Lopez hosting the red carpet and main event. Lamar is one of the top contenders for 'Artist of the Year', a category that also includes Taylor Swift, who currently holds a record-breaking 40 AMA wins. Swift, riding the high of the most successful concert tour in history, will go up against names like Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Morgan Wallen, SZA, and Zach Bryan.
Lamar’s fiery track “Not Like Us,” born out of his public feud with Drake, is in the running for Song of the Year. The track, which became a cultural moment after Lamar performed it at the Super Bowl, swept five Grammys earlier this year. It’s also currently caught in legal controversy, with Drake filing a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over its release.
Post Malone, another major player this year, has secured eight nominations. He’s competing in categories such as ‘Favourite Male Country Artist’ and ‘Favourite Country Album’ for his project “F-1 Trillion.” Known for shifting between rap, rock, and country, Malone continues to challenge expectations.
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, which already snagged top honours at the Grammys, is in contention for ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Favourite Country Album’. She’s also among the nominees for ‘Favourite Female Country Artist’, proving her continued push into new musical territories.
Beyond the awards, the evening will also recognise icons in the industry. Janet Jackson is set to receive the Icon Award for her global influence, while Rod Stewart will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his enduring career.
The night will be a mix of nostalgia and new energy, with performances lined up from Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Lainey Wilson, and Benson Boone. With such a mix of talent and tension, this year’s AMAs could be one for the books.
Brooklyn Beckham’s latest Instagram post has sparked fresh concern about his relationship with his family, especially with parents David and Victoria Beckham.
The 26-year-old, now based in Los Angeles with wife Nicola Peltz, posted a video of the couple on a motorbike, soundtracked by Lana Del Rey. But it was the caption that turned heads: “My whole world x I will love you forever x I always choose you baby.” Nicola shared the post with a reply: “I’ve always got you baby.”
The message, simple as it may seem, came at a time when public signs of strain between Brooklyn and his family have been mounting. His absence from both of David Beckham’s 50th birthday celebrations, one in Miami and one in London, didn’t go unnoticed. Nor did his silence on Mother’s Day, when his siblings and father publicly celebrated Victoria.
Insiders say that tension between Brooklyn and his younger brother Romeo, reportedly over Romeo’s girlfriend Kim Turnbull, who briefly dated Brooklyn years ago, may have added to the growing distance. But others suggest the cracks go further back, starting around Brooklyn and Nicola’s lavish Florida wedding in 2022. Nicola is said to have ignored Romeo’s then-girlfriend Mia Regan at the time, something that reportedly baffled guests.
Tension grows between Beckham brothers amid ongoing family dramaGetty Images
Despite Victoria’s recent post tagging all her children, including Brooklyn, and David’s Mother’s Day message that included him, the silence from Brooklyn’s end has been consistent. His recent trip to London, during which he reportedly didn’t inform his family, has only fuelled the narrative of estrangement.
Meanwhile, Cruz Beckham posted a family photo including Brooklyn, alongside a heartfelt message for their parents. “I love you guys more than anything,” he wrote, perhaps attempting to mend the image of a family unravelling.
While some fans online defended Brooklyn’s message as a romantic gesture, others criticised it for being insensitive, hinting it may have been a deliberate move to underline his current distance from his family.
Brooklyn skips David Beckham’s birthday celebrations in London and MiamiGetty Images
Sources close to the Beckhams described the situation as heart-breaking, saying Brooklyn’s latest post “felt like a dagger.” Despite everything, the source added, “David and Victoria will always be there for him.”
Whether reconciliation is possible remains to be seen, but the silence between them is starting to speak louder than any post.
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Rosamund Pike punched in the face during terrifying London phone robbery
Rosamund Pike has opened up about a frightening incident that happened years ago on the streets of London. While speaking in a recent interview, the Gone Girl and The Wheel of Time actress shared how she was attacked during a phone theft, a crime that has become alarmingly common in the city.
Pike was walking down a London street in 2006, speaking to her mother on the phone, when a young man on a bicycle rode past and punched her in the face, snatching her phone mid-conversation. Her mother heard a scream, then silence before the line went dead. “She thought something terrible had happened,” Pike said. “It was 15 minutes of panic before I could reach her again.”
Actress Rosamund Pike punched in the face as mugger steals her phone in LondonGetty Images
The attacker left her with a bruised cheek. Although the physical injury healed, Pike admitted that the experience left her shaken and angry. “He just came out of nowhere and hit me before I even saw his face,” she said.
Pike later made her way to a pub, where she borrowed a phone to call her mum back. “That short silence was probably more traumatic for her than the whole thing was for me,” she added.
The actress was speaking during a radio appearance to promote her thriller Hallow Road, a film about a distressed phone call from a daughter to her parents, a plot that reminded her of her own moment of fear.
Rosamund Pike recalls being punched in the face and robbed on London street Getty Images
Phone snatching in London has surged in recent years. According to police data, over 70,000 mobile phones were stolen in the capital last year, many by attackers on bikes. The City of Westminster recorded the highest number of thefts, followed by Camden and Southwark.
In another incident, former tennis player Annabel Croft was targeted outside King’s Cross station by a masked man on a bike. Although he rode off with her phone, he dropped it during the escape.
London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, acknowledged that more must be done to curb such thefts. She called on tech companies to help make stolen phones harder to sell or reuse illegally.
Rosamund Pike left bruised after being punched in the face during London muggingGetty Images
Pike, who grew up in London, didn’t say if she ever filed a report. But nearly two decades later, the memory of that moment still lingers: a sudden attack, a bruised cheek, and a mother left waiting in fear on the other end of a dead phone line.
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Ram Gopal Varma praises Triptii Dimri’s casting in Spirit
Triptii Dimri has bagged the lead role in Spirit, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s much-awaited project starring Prabhas. The official announcement was made recently, and it didn’t take long for veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma to take to social media and call the casting a game-changer.
Varma, never one to mince words, praised both Vanga and Triptii, crediting her screen presence in Animal as the reason she’s poised to become “the next big thing” in the industry. “High time for your Spirit to fly,” he wrote, calling Vanga’s choice a smart move that could shake up the current pecking order in Bollywood.
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Dimri responded with a short but heartfelt thank you, saying it meant a lot coming from someone like Varma. The actor also posted about her new role on Instagram, writing that she’s still processing the opportunity and is grateful to be part of Vanga’s vision.
Spirit will be the first time Triptii and Prabhas share the screen. It also continues Dimri’s collaboration with Vanga after their successful work on Animal. The film is being backed by Bhushan Kumar and Pranay Reddy Vanga and is expected to be released in multiple languages.
The casting news comes shortly after reports emerged that Deepika Padukone, who was initially in talks for the lead role, exited the project. While there has been no official confirmation from her side, speculation points to scheduling conflicts and differences over pay and working hours as the reasons for the fallout.
With Deepika stepping away, Triptii’s entry seems to have brought fresh energy to the project. Interestingly, she is also expected to star in Animal Park, the sequel to Animal, although filming for that will begin only after Spirit wraps up.
All eyes are now on Triptii, who seems to be entering a new phase in her career. Whether she becomes the star many now expect her to be remains to be seen, but for now, she’s clearly got the industry buzzing.
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Lilo and Stitch beats Tom Cruise as Disney remake sets Memorial Day box office record
Over the Memorial Day weekend, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch outpaced Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, topping both domestic and global box office charts.
The family-friendly sci-fi comedy pulled in a massive $183 million (₹1,525 crore) in North America and a total of $341 million (£252m/₹2,840 crore) worldwide, making it not only Disney’s biggest opening this year but also the highest-grossing Memorial Day debut ever, surpassing Top Gun: Maverick’s $160.5 million (₹1,335 crore) record from 2022.
Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, promoted as the final chapter in Cruise’s 28-year run as Ethan Hunt, opened with $77 million (₹640 crore) domestically and $190 million (£150m/₹1,580 crore) globally. Despite it being the franchise’s best-ever opening, it faces a steep climb to cover its reported $400 million (₹3,330 crore) production costs. It’s estimated the film will need to earn at least $1 billion (₹8,320 crore) to break even.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, Lilo & Stitch reintroduces the story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and her chaotic but loveable alien friend. Eight-year-old Maia Kealoha plays Lilo, while original creator Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch. The cast also includes Sydney Agudong, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis.
The film joins a long list of Disney’s live-action remakes, ranking just behind The Lion King (2019) and Beauty and the Beast (2017) in opening weekend earnings. Though reviews have been mixed, ranging from “delightfully quirky” to “a mess”, audiences clearly showed up in droves.
Cruise’s Mission: Impossible film ties together several past storylines from earlier entries and brings back a wide cast of returning characters, including Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, and Ving Rhames. Though Cruise has insisted this is the final outing, there’s still speculation about whether it truly marks the end of the road.
The battle between a beloved Disney alien and an ageing action hero drew large crowds, but it is clear which film captured the spotlight. While Mission: Impossible may yet prove its legs in the coming weeks, Lilo & Stitch has already surfed into record books, reminding everyone that sometimes, heart and nostalgia can outshine even the biggest high-stakes spy games.
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