The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt ‘shattered’ as sent back to jail Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:32 AM PDT
Dutt, 53, popular for his role as a do-good gangster in the "Munnabhai" films, spent 18 months in prison and was sentenced to six years prison for acquiring illegal weapons from the men convicted for the Mumbai attacks that killed 257 people. But he appealed against the sentence and was released on bail in 2007, pending a further hearing. The court today rejected Dutt's final appeal and ordered him to return to custody in four weeks time. Dutt, one of Bollywood's biggest stars, said he was "shattered and in emotional distress" as he had already suffered for 20 years. "I am heartbroken because today along with me, my 3 children and my wife and my family will undergo the punishment," Dutt said in a statement. "I know in my heart that I have always been a good human being, respected the system and always been loyal to my country." His lawyer Satish Maneshinde told reporters that the length of sentence had come as a shock to Dutt who has continued to make films despite the legal action against him. "We will wait for a copy of the Supreme Court judgment and then decide the further course of action. He is a strong man and will fight back," he said. In 2007, the actor was cleared of conspiracy charges in the Mumbai serial blasts but was found guilty of illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle and a pistol and sentenced to six years imprisonment. During his trial he claimed the weapons were to protect him and his family during a period of rioting in Mumbai. Dutt was the most high profile of 100 people involved in the Mumbai bombings trial which ended with 12 people receiving the death penalty and 20 others given life sentences. The entertainment industry reacted with shock to news of Dutt's sentencing with the actor seen by some fans as a victim of his star lineage and own fame. "Heart Broken: Just heard that Sanjay Dutt has to go to jail for 5 years. I expected mercy! Alas it did not happen," tweeted filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who helped resurrect Dutt's career after he was freed on bail in the 1990s. Dutt, the son of actor and former Congress minister Sunil Dutt and actress Nargis, also has political ambitions. But in 2009, the Supreme Court refused to suspend his conviction so that he could contest the national elections on a ticket for the Samajwadi Party, a democratic socialist party. Dutt said in his statement that he would going to complete all his films and not let anyone down. The actor is currently shooting for a new film "Policegiri" and was due to reprise his role in a third "Munnabhai" film later this year. — Reuters |
| DreamWorks looks to Stone Age for new hit with ‘The Croods’ Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:15 AM PDT
"The Croods," out in US movie theaters tomorrow, is being watched closely by analysts after the weak performance of "Rise of the Guardians" last year, which led DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc to write down about US$87 million (RM271 million) in costs. "The Croods" follows a family of cavemen as they fight for survival in a mysterious and visually stunning new world that is constantly changing under their feet. Croods patriarch Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage) has to come to terms with daughter Eep (Emma Stone) growing older and falling in love with the more evolved Guy (Ryan Reynolds), who poses the threat of change for stubborn Grug. "It's not the meteors or lava or mammoths falling through cracks in the ground. It's his daughter changing in front of his eyes and leaving with a man that she sees eye-to-eye with, and that we saw as really resonating with people," said Kirk De Micco, who co-directed "The Croods" with Chris Sanders. DreamWorks has enjoyed huge success with its "Shrek," "Madagascar," and "Kung Fu Panda" franchises. However, financial losses from last year's "Guardians," a movie that united Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and other childhood icons, didn't draw in big crowds and contributed to a decision to lay off 350 employees, DreamWorks said last month. Sanders joked that they felt "no pressure at all" ahead of the release of "The Croods," saying that DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg had been supportive. "One of the nice things that Jeffrey brings to the party is he never loses sight that we're making a feature film ... he'll never try to change the course of the film," Sanders told Reuters. Box office forecasters project a bright weekend debut for "Croods" of US$38 million and US$45 million in the US and Canada. "I think if they are doing US$40 million, people are pretty comfortable," said analyst Barton Crockett, who follows DreamWorks at Lazard Capital Markets. A WHOLE NEW WORLD De Micco and Sanders set about creating a vivid 3-D backdrop of the changing prehistoric landscape, with exotic mythical creatures, drawing inspiration from the Cretaceous era in Earth's evolutionary history. "We wanted the audience to go on the very same journey that the characters are going on. At every turn, no one, including in the audience, knows what's going to be around that next corner, so it kept everyone on their toes," Sanders said. A furry sloth named Belt, voiced by Sanders, is a scene-stealer with his prophetic "duh-duh-dun" phrase at tense moments. Sanders said his character provides "terrific comedy relief." Sanders and De Micco worked with animators to create 39 original animals for the film. Twenty-one will be featured in the move and all 39 appear in a "Croods" video game released by Angry Birds creators Rovio last week. If it hits projections, the film's opening will fall between "Guardians" limp US$24 million first weekend and June blockbuster "Madagascar 3" that debuted with US$60 million. Film distributor 20th Century Fox, a division of News Corp. , expects weekend sales to hit US$40 million, with solid business in the following weeks as schools take a break around the Easter holiday. "We are the first animated film (this year) in quite some time, and then we will be the only animated film for quite some time. We are going to play and play and play," said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution for Fox. — Reuters |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan