Kangana Ranaut plays the role of a Kabaddi player in her upcoming film Panga. We all know that Kangana is an actress who likes to be perfect in her each and every character. So, to portray the role of a Kabaddi player the actress learned the sport and her coach is all praises for her.
Kangana trained under Gauri Wadekar who has represented India twice on international platforms. While talking about training Kangana, Gauri said, “She told me to teach her the basic moves in our first meeting itself. I was shocked as I teach young girls, and even they take almost six months to reach that level of training. Kangana picked up the dodging technique just by observing it a few times. I was awestruck.”
Gauri trained Kangana for 5 months. “Starting at 8 am every day, we would train for two hours. Kangana never missed a session and was punctual throughout. We shot in Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai in different weathers, but Kangana’s dedication never wavered,” Gauri added.
Kangana had to also go through a body transformation for the film. Talking about the actress’ workout, Gauri said, “Kabaddi requires swift legwork, so her workout routine included squats and lunges. We trained on attack strategies, defence, how to go for the bonus and which leg to put the weight on in each position. She had to weigh more than usual for the post-pregnancy shoot, so for that segment we focused on gaining muscle rather than losing weight.”
Kangana while talking about her diet revealed, “You need a lot of stamina in kabaddi, just like wrestling, so I stuck to a wholesome diet that included carbohydrates, fat, raw vegetables, and juices, I had to gain a lot of weight in my legs to look authentic as a raider (player who attacks from the opposing team), but I had to change it for the part where I am shown as a retired player.”
Panga is clearly one of the most awaited films of the year. The trailer of the movie has impressed one and all. The movie, which also stars Jassie Gill, Richa Chadha and Neena Gupta, is slated to release on 24th January 2020.
Harvard University has agreed to transfer a collection of historic daguerreotypes believed to be among the earliest photographs of enslaved people in the United States to the International African American Museum in South Carolina. The move follows a protracted legal dispute with Tamara Lanier, a Connecticut author who claims to be a descendant of two of the individuals pictured.
The images, taken in 1850, depict several enslaved individuals, including a man named Renty and his daughter Delia, who were forced to pose for the photographs by Swiss-born Harvard professor and zoologist Louis Agassiz. Agassiz commissioned the daguerreotypes as part of his now-discredited research to support polygenism — the belief that different races evolved separately and unequally.
The 15 photographs, stored for decades at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, include individuals identified as Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack, Jem, and Renty. The images were rediscovered in 1976 and have since become central to wider discussions about American universities’ historical ties to slavery.
Ms Lanier, who filed a lawsuit against Harvard in 2019, argued that the photos were taken without consent and accused the university of profiting from them through licensing fees. Although her legal claim to ownership was dismissed in 2022 by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, she was permitted to pursue damages for emotional distress. The court also found that Harvard bore “complicity” in the “horrific actions” linked to the creation of the images.
Harvard has not confirmed whether Ms Lanier is related to the individuals in the daguerreotypes. However, the university said it had “long been eager” to transfer the images to another public institution to place them in a more appropriate context. “Harvard has long been eager to place the Zealy Daguerreotypes with another museum or other public institution to put them in the appropriate context and increase access to them for all Americans,” a university spokesperson said. They acknowledged that Ms Lanier’s claim to ownership had created “a complex situation.”
The settlement now ensures that all of the images, not just those of Renty and Delia, will be transferred to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina — the region where the individuals depicted were once enslaved. Ms Lanier described the outcome as a “homecoming” and said she was “ecstatic” with the result.
“I have always known, first of all, that I could never care for the daguerreotypes at the level they would require,” she told the BBC. “There are so many ties that bind Renty and Delia and the other enslaved people to that particular part of South Carolina that to repatriate them there would be like a homecoming ceremony.”
Although the museum did not play a role in the legal proceedings, it has supported Ms Lanier’s genealogical research. Tonya Matthews, president of the museum, said the institution would display the images with “truth and empathy.”
“These are not gentle images and the story behind how they came to be is even more difficult to hear,” Ms Matthews said. “So to be in a space that has already created room for conversations about the inhumanity of slavery and enslavement and how far those implications echo even to today is what we do and it’s our mission.”
The transfer comes amid broader efforts across the United States to confront the legacy of slavery within academic institutions. In 2016, Harvard Law School retired a crest linked to an 18th-century slaveholder following student protests and a review of its historical ties.
While Harvard has not disclosed the full terms of the settlement, the decision to relinquish the images is seen as a significant development in the ongoing dialogue about historical accountability, reparative justice, and institutional responsibility.
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Taylor Swift celebrates full control over the music that launched her career
After years of fighting for control over her early music, Taylor Swift has bought back the master recordings of her first six albums. The deal marks the end of a bitter chapter in her career and gives her full ownership of every song she’s released since her teenage debut.
It all started in 2019 when Swift’s old label, Big Machine, sold her original recordings to music executive Scooter Braun. At the time, Swift called it her “worst-case scenario,” saying she wasn’t even given the chance to buy them herself. Instead, she was offered a deal where she’d “earn” back one old album for every new one she made. She declined. Braun later sold the masters to Shamrock Capital for around £222 million (₹1,848 crore), and Swift decided to take matters into her own hands.
Over the last few years, Swift has been rerecording her old albums and releasing them as Taylor’s Version, including Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and *1989*. These new versions allowed her to regain control and reduce the value of the originals owned by others.
Now, Swift has confirmed that she has officially bought her masters along with the rights to music videos, album artwork, concert films, and even unreleased songs from Shamrock. The price hasn’t been disclosed, but reports suggesting up to £800 million (₹6,656 crore) were exaggerated.
This move brings an end to a nearly two-decade-long struggle. She called it a dream she thought would never come true. In a note to fans, she thanked them for supporting her through it all and helping her get back what she lost.
Taylor’s Eras Tour spotlighted her catalogue as she reclaimed her legacyGetty Images
Of the original six albums, only Reputation and her self-titled debut are yet to be rereleased. Swift admitted she hasn’t finished rerecording Reputation, describing it as deeply tied to a difficult period in her life. Still, she hinted that both albums might see the light again, not out of necessity anymore, but as a celebration.
Swift’s Eras Tour, her biggest to date, presented her entire catalogue and has made over £1.6 billion (₹13,312 crore) globally. Along the way, she’s inspired newer artists to demand better deals, ones that let them own their own music from the start.
Now, at last, so does she.
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'It was getting very bad. It was getting very nasty. They are both nuclear powers,' Trump said. (Photo: Getty Images)
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has said that the “deal” he is most proud of is his effort to stop a “potentially a nuclear war” between India and Pakistan through trade instead of through “bullets.”
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly claimed that he told India and Pakistan that the US would stop trade with both countries if they did not stop the conflict.
India on Thursday said that trade was not discussed at all in talks between Indian and American leaders during the military clashes with Pakistan, rejecting Washington’s claims that trade stopped the confrontation.
Trump on Friday said, “I think the deal I’m most proud of is the fact that we’re dealing with India, we’re dealing with Pakistan and we were able to stop potentially a nuclear war through trade as opposed through bullets. Normally they do it through bullets. We do it through trade. So I’m very proud of that. Nobody talks about it but we had a very nasty potential war going on between Pakistan and India. And now, if you look, they’re doing fine,” Trump told reporters.
“It was getting very bad. It was getting very nasty. They are both nuclear powers,” he said.
Trump said Pakistani representatives are coming to Washington next week.
“India, as you know, we’re very close to making a deal with India,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after departing Air Force One. “I wouldn’t have any interest in making a deal with either if they were going to be at war with each other. I would not and I’ll let them know,” Trump said.
This was the second time in a day that Trump repeated his claim that his administration stopped India and Pakistan from fighting.
“We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned out into a nuclear disaster,” Trump said during remarks in the Oval Office Friday afternoon in a press conference with billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who left the Trump administration after helming the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump added that he wants to thank the “leaders of India, the leaders of Pakistan, and I want to thank my people also. We talked trade and we said ‘We can’t trade with people that are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons’.”
Trump said that leaders in India and Pakistan are “great leaders” and “they understood, and they agreed, and that all stopped.”
“We are stopping others from fighting also because ultimately, we can fight better than anybody. We have the greatest military in the world. We have the greatest leaders in the world,” Trump said.
India has been maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached after direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.
An all-party delegation of Indian parliamentarians, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, will arrive in Washington DC around June 3 after completing their visit to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil conveying India’s resolve against terrorism and emphasising Pakistan’s links to terrorism.
The multi-party delegations from India to different countries have been underlining that the recent conflict with Pakistan was triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack and not Operation Sindoor as alleged by Islamabad.
The retaliatory Operation Sindoor launched by India targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
About two weeks after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 civilians were killed, India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of cross-border drone and missile strikes.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The procedure can be conducted via a nasal or mouth swab, saliva sample, or blood test
World Boxing has announced the introduction of a mandatory sex test for all athletes competing in its events, with immediate effect. The move affects Paris 2024 women’s welterweight silver medallist Imane Khelif, who has been barred from participation until she completes the required procedure.
The governing body, recently granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee to oversee boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, said the testing aims to ensure fair competition across male and female categories.
“Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5–10 June 2025, and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures,” it said in a statement released on Friday.
Under the new policy, all boxers aged 18 and above must undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to determine biological sex. The test detects the SRY gene, which reveals the presence of a Y chromosome, considered a key indicator of male biological sex.
The procedure can be conducted via a nasal or mouth swab, saliva sample, or blood test.
World Boxing stated the policy was introduced to create “a competitive level playing field” and forms part of its broader efforts to solidify its role as the sport’s international regulator after a period of governance disputes.
Khelif’s eligibility will remain suspended until the test is completed.
Hollywood actor Kumail Nanjiani has returned to his stand-up comedy roots with a major tour of his show Doing This Again. He is set to perform at Union Chapel in London on September 20. Once the tour concludes, the stand-up special will stream on a major platform. The multi-talented star also has several upcoming projects, including roles in the high-profile films Ella McCay, The Wrong Girls and Driver’s Ed.
Kumail Nanjiani
DYNAMIC DRESS
Unlike most Indian celebrities who wear expensive designer gowns on the Cannes red carpet, Simran Balar Jain chose to do things differently. The social media influencer wore a striking outfit featuring a symbolic silhouette of one woman lifting another. Her hand-sculpted gold metal corset, made from recycled materials, conveyed a powerful message of collective empowerment and sisterhood. She also shared engaging behind-the-scenes vlogs from the film festival.
Simran Balar Jain
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOILER
The Sixth Sense (1999), directed by M. Night Shyamalan, was a spectacular success thanks to its unexpected twist ending. If the film were released today, it would not have had the same impact – social media users would have quickly given away the big surprise. Bollywood comedy Housefull 5, like many modern-day murder mystery films, is likely to face a similar problem when it is released next Friday (6).
Within hours, social media users, vloggers and influencers will reveal the identity of the murderer, which will undermine one of the film’s main selling points
Mumtaz
STREAMING SITE STINKER
It is utterly tragic to see how Netflix has become a dumping ground for substandard Indian content. Whether it is acquiring disastrous box office failures or greenlighting dreadful original productions, the clueless streaming platform seems to attract horrid Indian projects. A prime example is the recently premiered series The Royals, which is shockingly poor. The cringeworthy drama, headlined by Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter, is best avoided.
Five years from now
BAD BOLLYWOOD IDEA
Instead of using their platform to call for peace, most celebrities in India and Pakistan have either remained silent or acted as cheerleaders for bombings that have claimed lives on both sides of the border. Some C-listers in both countries have even used the ongoing conflict to generate cheap publicity. Perhaps the worst response has come from those already looking to cash in on what is ultimately a human tragedy. Bollywood producers and stars rushed to register the title Operation Sindoor and now plan to profit from a film named after India’s missile strike on Pakistan. If past films are any indication, the conflict will likely be exaggerated on screen, featuring caricatured villains and misinformation – further inflaming tensions rather than promoting understanding.
Janhvi Kapoor
PHALKE FILM BIOPIC
The dream team of actor Aamir Khan and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani will reunite – after record-breaking hits PK and 3 Idiots – for a biopic on the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke. The film will trace his journey towards making India’s first feature film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913. Meanwhile, acclaimed director SS Rajamouli is planning a separate film on the same subject, with superstar NTR Jr in the lead role. This follows the 2009 award-winning Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory, which was India’s official entry for the Academy Awards.
Dadasaheb Phalke
HOLLYWOOD BUBBLE BURST
For Indian celebrities, it often seems that anything made in America is labelled a Hollywood project – even when it has no connection to a major studio. That is why reports of Kangana Ranaut making her “Hollywood debut” with the forthcoming film Blessed Be the Evil are rather absurd. A closer look reveals that it is an independent production, co-written and directed by the relatively inexperienced Anurag Rudra. Ranaut will reportedly star alongside a couple of Z-listers in this psychological horror drama. The only genuinely entertaining aspect of this film might be watching the clueless individuals bankrolling it eventually discover just how notoriously difficult Kangana is to work with. That is why I predict this project will either be shelved or flop badly — if it ever gets completed at all.
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