CAST: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Kurt Russell, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Djimon Hounsou, Nathalie Emmanuel
DIRECTION: James Wan
GENRE: Action
DURATION: 2 hours 17 minutes

STORY: Dominic (Diesel), Brian (Walker), Letty (Rodriguez) Roman (Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) are approached by Frank (Russell) to acquire a device called ‘God’s Eye’ designed by a hacker, Ramsey (Emmanuel). This is a backdrop for the real confrontation – Deckard Shaw (Statham) who seeks revenge from Dominic for the death of his younger brother. From the US to Azerbaijan, then Dubai and back to LA, the fight is, indeed, both fast and furious.

REVIEW: Amazing stunts aside, James Wan (Insidious 2, The Conjuring) probably faced two big challenges when making this film. The first, crafting a movie that glorifies insanely reckless driving while also being sensitive to the fact that one of the leads (in a sad irony) died in a reckless sports car crash. Secondly, making a seamless film given the fact that Paul Walker – a name synonymous with this series – is no more. In both cases, he hits the sweet spot.

Going by the pictures one thing is pretty clear – these two are madly, crazy and hopelessly in LOVE. Well, that’s exactly how it should be, no?

Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande surely make a picture perfect couple. If you thought otherwise then glance through these photographs and it won’t before you change your mind.

If reports are to be believed Anushka Sharma will be performing at the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League 8 on April 7 in Kolkata.

An official announcement from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is yet to be made.

It is said that the ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ star will be seen performing on her popular Bollywood tracks at the ceremony.

The organisation has not given out any details about her performance, but it is said that they are planning to make it a special moment for Anushka and her boyfrined Virat Kohli, who is also the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore team.

Don’t let the gorgeous face and sexy physique fool you — Megan Fox is no ditz. In fact, the 28-year-old actress gets a kick out of folks who think she is.

“I would say most people assume that I’m not very smart or educated or earnest because I have this image that I’m sort of narcissistic, chasing attention, and wanting people to like me,” Fox said for the April cover story in Harper’s Bazaar Arabia.

It makes me laugh because I’ve done plenty of interviews and when you read the article from beginning to end you can see that I’m not your typical music video model,” she added.

Fox did appear in Eminem and Rihanna’s 2010 music video for “Love the Way You Lie,” but she still considers herself a serious thespian although her acting skills have come into question in the past.

Besides her most recent starring role in 2014’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” her acting creds include two “Transformers” flicks, romantic comedies like “This is 40,” and the horror film “Jennifer’s Body.”

The people whose opinions matter liked it, so I’m OK with that,” Fox said about director Quentin Tarantino, who praised her performance in the Karyn Kusama-directed thriller also starring Amanda Seyfried saying, “‘I really liked ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ you were really good in that.'”

Just as she treats the feedback received from her work, Fox has never been one to really give people’s opinions of her much weight.

“I never liked school as I don’t do well with authority figures putting boundaries on me, so it’s always something I’ve acted against,” she told the mag out April 1.

Fox’s upbringing in general was filled with what she felt were constraints on the ability to be her true self.

There has been romantic speculation surrounding Leonardo DiCaprio and Rihanna for absolutely yonks, and with neither party coming forward to deny the rumours AND sources claiming that Leo was so besotted with RiRi that he even gave her her own ‘smoking room’ in his house, we thought that this was one love that was well and truly blossoming.

However, the Bajan beauty has finally broken her silence on the gossip and although she didn’t explicitly mention the gorge Leo by name, she did seem to massively hint that she was still very much single and looking for love.

Speaking as she promo’ed her new film ‘Home’, the 27-year-old said when asked about the hunky actor: “Stay off the blogs, they will screw you every time.”

She then went on to add: “I’m looking for a man who could tolerate my schedule. Someone man enough to do that and not get scared, because I don’t have a lot of time to offer.”

Style favourites
1. Denim: “Right now, I’m going through a boyfriend jeans phase.”
2. Jewellery: “I like statement earrings.”
3. New designers: Arpita Mehta and Pankaj & Nidhi
4. Sunglasses: Wayfarers
5. Heels: Peep-toe and sky-high. “I hate kitten heels; they’re useless. Either wear heels that are dangerous or don’t wear them at all.”
6. Day bag: A tan leather bag
7. Lipstick hue: Oxblood
8. Perfume: For Her
by Narciso Rodriguez
9. Beauty discovery: BB creams
10. Trend of the season: Normcore
Style staples
11. Workwear basics: Sexy and comfortable
12. Daily shoes: White sneakers
13. Workout wear: “I do Pilates, so I prefer tight-fitted clothes.”
14. Nail paint: Wine
15. Hairstyle: “Depends on my mood. There are days when I love a fresh blow-dry, but sometimes I just go with bedhead.”
16. Make-up kit favourite: “A lipstick can change everything.”
17. Red carpet fail safes: Nudes, whites and golds

Style mantras
18. Red carpet formula: “Push outside your comfort zone a bit.”
19. Bad-hair-day rescue: Hairspray and a ponytail
20. Battling break-out: “I’ve never had that problem, but if you do, the best thing would be to stop picking at your skin and just let it breathe.”
21. Beach holiday wardrobe: Kaftans
22. First-impression essentials: Basic make-up. Don’t overdress, and style your hair.

Style haunts
23. Travel discovery: “I’m going through a phase where I love buying rosaries from the places I visit.”
24. Vintage store: Portobello Market in London and Chor Bazaar in Mumbai
25. Street market: “When I was a kid, my mother would buy me clothes from Fashion Street in Mumbai.”

Excerpted from the June 2014 issue of Vogue India.

According to a report on IANS, actress Swastika Mukherjee, who has been a part of certain bold scenes in Dibakar Banerjee’s crime-thriller, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, says actors don’t think much about kissing or intimate scenes. When asked if she was skeptical about doing bold scenes on screen, she said, “There was nothing to get ready for or being skeptical about. In Bengal, there is so much of serious work being done that actors don’t think much about kissing or intimate scenes. The kind of subjects they (filmmakers) are doing these days, intimacy will be there. There are so many scenes in Goliyon Ki Raasleela…Ram-Leela as well. It’s not a big thing anymore. People don’t even think about it. It’s just like any other scene,” she added.

According to a report on Mid-day.com, Pakistani girl and former Bollywood actress Somi Ali spoke about being sexually assaulted by a house-help at the tender age of five. The former girlfriend of Salman Khan spoke about being molested as a child and growing up against a backdrop of domestic violence in her home country, Pakistan, the report added.Somi further elaborated by saying that whenever she is invited to universities in the US, she shares her personal experience with the students to encourage them and stop them from feeling ashamed, Mid-day stated.

While Somi Ali has opened up about this childhood experience, here’s another shocking confession from Lady Gaga. Read on to find out…

As expected, the Rolling Stones announced dates for their North American summer trek — dubbed the Zip Code tour — this morning (March 31). The 15-show jaunt, which launches May 24 in San Diego, passes over major markets the band hit on its 2012 50th anniversary and 2013 50 and Counting tours, focusing on second-tier cities like Dallas, Kansas City, Buffalo and Orlando. The tour wraps on July 15 in Quebec; AEG Live’s Concerts West is the promoter.

Tickets for the dates will go on sale April 13, although they will be available to American Express card members before the general public, beginning April 8.

“We are excited to be back in North America playing stadiums this summer!” Mick Jagger said in an almost comically effusive statement. “We are looking forward to being back on stage and playing your favorite songs.”

“We love being out on the road and it is great to come back to North America!” Keith Richards added. “I can’t wait to get back on the stage!”

While the band played 22 arena dates across the U.S. and Canada in 2012 and 2013, this summer’s trek marks the first time the group has played North American stadiums since 2005-2007’s Bigger Bang Tour. While details on production have not been announced, the release does say that “the stage design for the stadium shows includes a thrust that extends deep into the audience allowing the Stones to interact directly with their fans.” A similar concept was employed for the 2012-13 dates, in the form of a circular walkway that extended halfway across arena floors.

Two days after the tour’s launch, the group will unveil a reissue of one of its all-time classic albums, 1971’s Sticky Fingers. Deluxe editions will include a “generous selection” of previously unreleased studio outtakes from the album’s sprawling sessions (which spanned from 1968 through 1970) as well as live material from the era. Judging by the 2010 deluxe reissue of 1972’s Exile on Main Street, the studio tracks will be (generally subpar) songs that have long circulated on bootlegs, embellished with overdubs recorded 30-odd years after the original sessions. The live material may be more promising, based on the evidence of a long-bootlegged Leeds concert from the band’s 1971 British tour.

Rolling Stones Zip Code Tour Dates:
May 24 San Diego, CA Petco Park
May 30 Columbus, OH Ohio Stadium
June 3 Minneapolis, MN TCF Bank Stadium
June 6 Dallas, TX AT&T Stadium
June 9 Atlanta, GA Bobby Dodd Stadium
June 12 Orlando, FL Orlando Citrus Bowl
June 17 Nashville, TN LP Field
June 20 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Field
June 23 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest / Marcus Amphitheater
June 27 Kansas City, MO Arrowhead Stadium
July 1 Raleigh, NC Carter-Finley Stadium
July 4 Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Motor Speedway
July 8 Detroit, MI Comerica Park
July 11 Buffalo, NY Ralph Wilson Stadium
July 15 Quebec, QC Le Festival D’Été de Québec

Russell Crowe’s publicist has two pieces of information she wishes to impart before I’m ushered into the actor’s hotel suite. The first is a warning that Crowe “may be smoking” during the interview, about which I couldn’t care less, beyond wondering how much it is costing him to have a ciggie. Clearly whatever eye-watering charges Claridge’s levies against those who break the hotel’s smoking ban are but a mere bagatelle to the highest-paid actor in the world – one who has reportedly earned $82m (£55m) at the box office in the past year. The second is that Crowe is “on good form, very talkative”. It’s said brightly, but is clearly intended as reassurance. The one thing everybody knows about Crowe, other than the fact that he was nominated for the best actor Oscar three years in a row, winning it in 2000 for Gladiator, is that he has a fractious relationship with the press. For the prospective interviewer, Googling his name is quite the nerve-jangling experience: testimonies from other hacks that he offered “the worst interview experience ever”, tales of bitter Twitter spats and surly stormings out.

As it turns out, the publicist is right on both counts. Seated on a sofa, wearing a tracksuit, Crowe, 50, is making his way though a packet of Benson & Hedges with the kind of determination you seldom see these days, especially among Hollywood stars. And he does appear to be on good form. In fact, he is the very model of gruff antipodean charm: so antipodean in fact that at one point he uses the phrase “fair dinkum” entirely unironically. He talks cheerfully about everything from the difference between his brand of intensive, immersive preparation for a role and the kind of method acting that requires staying in character between takes (the former is about “giving over time to the contemplation of what you’re going to do and respecting cinema as an art from”, the latter is apparently “a load of old shit”), to his apparent refusal to do commercials or endorse products, a stance that led to a well-publicised spat with George Clooney over Nespresso coffee-makers. “Look, there will possibly come a time when I start doing commercials and you’ll know then that I’ve just given up. Other people can do whatever they want. It’s just my thing. But it’s just reaping, you know? We’re supposed to play different characters. We’re not supposed to lock ourselves and become an icon. I have a …” His voice trails off. “A certain opinion about that level of vanity,” he says, picking his words carefully. In fact, the only time he shuts a question down – he doesn’t want to talk about his audience with the pope that came about as a result of his performance in the biblical epic Noah – he’s virtually apologetic: “Is it OK with you if we leave that one? I’d rather, if that’s OK.”

I would love to tell you that my winning personality and expertly researched questions have somehow broken through Crowe’s fearsome public image to reveal the fair dinkum bloke underneath. But, this week at least, he seems to be behaving like that towards everybody. His latest visit to London has been one long charm offensive. He does a star turn on the Jonathan Ross Show. He appears on Lauren Laverne’s radio show and subsequently tweets that she’s “the hottest thing on radio” and should have her own TV series. A few hours later, he’s back tweeting about how much he enjoyed appearing in the Sun. Perhaps Crowe’s public image is unwarranted.

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Without wishing to excuse his errant behavior where members of the public have been concerned – it really doesn’t look good when a multimillionaire actor throws a phone at a hotel concierge, or gets in a brawl with a businessman in a London restaurant, the latter punch-up apparently necessitating the intervention of Ross Kemp – it’s hard not to notice that most of his sudden, piqued departures from interviews have been precipitated by the interviewer telling him that he couldn’t act properly, or sing, or do accents. A cynic might suggest that it’s almost as if they’re deliberately trying to wind him up in order to generate juicy copy. “They want to spark you up, so you go: ‘OK, I’ll spark up, mate. Is that good for you? Did you enjoy that?’” he says. “Same thing happens with photographers. How many times has it been printed that I hit a photographer or slapped a photographer? I’ve never, ever in my life touched a photographer. Some of the cruellest things I’ve ever said have been to photographers who are chasing me down the street, some of the sharpest, most efficient emotional barbs. And they know that in that moment, in that one-to-one wit competition, they just got smashed. But will they admit that? Will they go back to their editor and say: ‘Actually, I got fucking killed by him, he ripped me apart?’” No, they don’t. They turn it into a physical thing. They pretend, you know?”

His problems with the press really began in the wake of Gladiator. He says he rather enjoyed his first flush of American fame, after his performance as the thuggish cop Bud White in LA Confidential, which turned out to be an archetypical Crowe role: a tormented tough guy, whose handiness with his fists masks deeper sensitivities. The fame that came after his Oscar win, however, was “a pain in the arse”.

“Even walking down the street was a pain in the arse. People want a piece of you. And something else happens, man. You build all these friendships and then you hit a certain level within the business and those people need you now, if you’re connected to their thing, their thing gets done, their life is enriched, and friendships get damaged because you say no. Suddenly I was destroying people’s hopes and dreams if I said no to something. It was rather intense.”

The zenith of Crowe’s fame does sound a bit disturbing in other ways. For one thing, he found himself on the receiving end of repeated nuisance calls from, of all people, Michael Jackson. “For two or three fucking years,” he says. “I never met him, never shook his hand, but he found out the name I stayed in hotels under, so it didn’t matter where I was, he’d ring up do this kind of thing, like you did when you were 10, you know. ‘Is Mr Wall there? Is Mrs Wall there? Are there any Walls there? Then what’s holding the roof up? Ha ha.’ You’re supposed to grow out of doing that, right?”

There was also the then little-known terrorist organisation al-Qaida threatening to kidnap him in 2001. “I still really don’t know to this day what the fuck that was all about. All I know is, I arrived in LA, got to my hotel, as I’d done umpteen times before, started unpacking, and there was a knock at the door and a team of FBI guys wanted to sit down and discuss something with me. And then, for nearly two years, they were always around. I remember going to the Golden Globes and having, like, 16 security guys with me. I don’t even know why. They wouldn’t give me any details. And of course, people were like: ‘Look at him, he thinks he’s fucking Elvis.’ And then one day they just weren’t there any more.”

Things are substantially calmer now, he says – he just walked from the hotel to get a coffee and that wasn’t a pain in the arse at all. Crowe is in London being charm itself because he has something to sell: his directorial debut, The Water Diviner, in which he also plays the titular lead, an Australian farmer who travels to Turkey after the first world war to retrieve the bodies of his three sons from the battlefields of Gallipoli. If nothing else, he’s admirably blunt about it: “I need it to be commercially successful. I’ve got to return a commercial result on The Water Diviner because that will give me the freedom to do what I want. It’s already been hugely successful in Australia, but I’ve still got a way to go around the world, to get to the point where it’s actually making a commercial return.”