Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

TOP TRAVEL BOOK

With summer holidays approaching, the ideal book to pick up is Why We Travel, now available in paperback. British travel writer, adventurer, and podcast host Ash Bhardwaj offers an inspiring exploration of why we take long journeys away from home, and shares practical advice on how to make the experience more meaningful. Pick up his absorbing book, and look out next week as the expert reveals 10 unusual motivations for travel.

British travel writer Ash Bhardwaj's latest paperback, 'Why We Travel,' offers insights and practical tips for meaningful journeys

SCI-FI DRAMA

British actor Himesh Patel has added to his diverse body of work with the newly released film The Assessment, now available on streaming platform Amazon Prime. He stars opposite Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Olsen, Minnie Driver, and Indira Varma in this science fiction drama set in the near future, where parenthood is strictly controlled. The film has received largely positive reviews since premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.

Himesh Patel stars in the futuristic drama 'The Assessment,' now streaming on Amazon Prime

MALAYALAM MAGIC

Fans of Malayalam music can catch multi-talented Indian playback singer and actor Vineeth Sreenivasan in concert this September at Fairfield Hall, London (27) and Forum, Birmingham (28). The son of veteran actor and screenwriter Sreenivasan, he has made his mark as a vocalist, actor, writer, and director. Audiences who enjoy Malayalam cinema are likely to find plenty to savour in these multi-layered shows.

Tickets are on sale now. www.ukeventlife.co.uk

Vineeth Sreenivasan, the versatile Malayalam star, set to perform live in London and Birmingham this September

SILLY LOOKING MOVIE

Priyanka Chopra Jonas may be starring alongside Idris Elba and John Cena in Heads of State, but there are plenty of signs this Hollywood film will be an absolute stinker. First, it is being dumped straight onto streaming platform Amazon Prime on 2 July, instead of getting a global cinema release. Although the platform may claim this is part of a strategy, most big-budget entertainers that go straight to streaming have been terrible.

Another major red flag is the film’s ludicrous plot, which paints the British prime minister and American president as action heroes somehow teaming up to save the world. Although the movie will likely receive terrible reviews, Priyanka looks like she has a fierce role in it.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Idris Elba, and John Cena team up in the action-comedy 'Heads of State' on Amazon Prime

BRIDGE HAS BEEN BURNED

After years of deep division, India had slowly begun to rebuild artistic ties with Pakistan, starting with this week’s major cinema release Abir Gulaal, starring Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor in the lead roles.

But the recent deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir has once again inflamed tensions – and burned the bridges that had been carefully rebuilt in recent years. There have been calls in India to ban Abir Gulaal, and similar sentiments have been expressed towards forthcoming films featuring Pakistani talent.

This means that, barring existing projects, it may be many more years before any meaningful artistic collaborations take place between the two countries.

The Bollywood-Pakistani artistic bridge faces a setback following recent tensions

ASHNOOR IS IN DEMAND

Her drama serial Suman Indori may have abruptly ended on Colors TV after more than 230 episodes, but that will not stop lead star Ashnoor Kaur. Her brilliant performance in the title role has won her many admirers, from fans to major names in the television industry. Kaur admitted it was heart-wrenching to let go of a character she had played since last year – and to part ways with the creative team. Although she intends to take a break, interesting offers have already started coming in, so audiences will be seeing more of her soon.

Ashnoor Kaur, celebrated for her role in 'Suman Indori,' is already attracting new offers after the show's end

VERY PREDICTABLE CANCELLATION

When the May Bollywood shows headlined by Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Varun Dhawan, Tiger Shroff, Sara Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, and Disha Patani were announced, I predicted back in March that they would be cancelled. That is exactly what happened, with organisers claiming they were postponing the shows in Manchester and London due to the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir. In my opinion, it was a lack of ticket sales that prompted them to cut their losses.

A similar story played out in 2023 when I had predicted shows headlined by Hrithik Roshan, Sanya Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and others would also be cancelled. On that occasion, organisers used Hrithik’s injury as an excuse for a postponement – but the shows were never rescheduled.

This adds to the growing list of UK concerts headlined by Bollywood stars that have been cancelled over the past 15 years due to lack of interest. When audiences no longer want to see these actors in cinemas, they are not going to pay inflated ticket prices to watch them dance on stage. Whilst there remains strong demand for live music, the era of actors on stage generating excitement is long gone.

Promoters silly enough to hand over large deposits to stars and venues deserve to lose their money – because it is painfully obvious this area of entertainment died a death a very long time ago.

Salman Khan: Another Bollywood concert series in the UK falls through amid poor ticket sales

ACTION HERO DEV

One of last year’s greatest cinematic triumphs was the turbo-charged action entertainer Monkey Man, which actor Dev Patel incredibly wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. The multi-talented British Asian star is now set to similarly mastermind The Peasant – a medieval India-set revenge thriller. The 14th-century adventure will see him play a shepherd who squares off against fearsome warriors after they plunder his community.

Being given the green light to write, direct, and headline another film shows just how much of a power player Patel has become in Hollywood. What makes it even more inspiring is that it will be another distinct, India-set story.

Dev Patel continues his cinematic journey with 'The Peasant,' a medieval revenge thriller