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Nikhil hopes for hat-trick with 'Surya Vs Surya'

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After two back-to-back hits, actor Nikhil Siddhartha, who is experimenting with different scripts, hopes to score a hat-trick with his upcoming Telugu psychological thriller "Surya Vs Surya".

"People doubted my decision to back different scripts, but it has worked in my favour. The success of 'Swamy Ra Ra' and 'Karthikeya' has proved that there's scope for experimental scripts. I hope the success streak continues with my next film as well," Nikhil told IANS.

"The best compliment I got for 'Karthikeya', soon after the release, was from director V.V. Vinayak. He called and appreciated my work. He also gave me some tips which I've kept in mind," he said.

Directed by Karthik Ghattamneni, the film is about a man who suffers from a rare disease that won't allow him go out in the daylight.

Also starring debutant Tridha Chowdhary, "Surya Vs Surya" also stars Madhoo and Tanikella Bharani in important roles.

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Capital to host The Luxury Festival 2015

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The capital will soon witness a three-day lifestyle extravaganza titled The Lifestyle Festival, which will see some of the world's leading luxury brands targeting affluent shoppers with their offerings.

Organised by Quintessentially Lifestyle Services India, GroupM and Confederation of Indian Industry(CII), the festival will start April 10 at Pragati Maidan, said a statement.

The event will witness the participation of the leading iconic global brands across key categories including timepieces, space crafts, jets and yachts, jewellery, gadgets, apparel, accessories, automobiles, luxury residences, and art and design.

One highlight of the event will be the presence of a panel of experts from the luxury industry as the Advisory Board from within and outside India who will share their insights of the luxury business.

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'Human-sized' trailer of 'Ant-Man' launched

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After teasing audiences with an "ant-sized" miniature version of the trailer of "Ant-Man", Marvel has released its "human-sized" avatar.

Marvel's "Ant-Man" is the newest addition to the much loved list of Marvels Superheroes. The first look of the film was unveiled Wednesday as its teaser poster and trailer were launched globally.

It was to build curiosity that Marvel had unveiled the 'ant-sized' trailer a day earlier than the 'human-sized' version, read a statement.

The film stars Paul Rudd as master thief Scott Lang, who must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), in protecting the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats.

Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige, the film is slated for worldwide release July 2015.

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Tamil 'Ra' to have Bollywood remake

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A Hindi remake of the 2014 Tamil fantasy horror hit "Ra" is underway. Its rights have been acquired by Wild Elephants Motion Pictures, which produced Hindi comedy "Tamanchey".

"The movie will be remade in Hindi with a known actor and is likely to be jointly directed by Prabhu Yuvaraj and Ashraf. The cast and technical team will be finalised by the end of the month and the shoot will commence soon," read a statement.

Prabhu Yuvaraj directed the original, while Ashraf played the lead in it.

Yuvaraj and Ashraf were co-pilots before venturing into the world of cinema.

Made on a shoestring budget, "Ra", which released towards the end of 2014, turned out to be a sleeper hit.

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British rock band to make maiden India tour

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British rock band These Reigning Days is set for its first tour of India. The members will perform in three cities -- Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

The band, which comprises vocalist Dan Steer, drummer Joe Sansome and bassist Jonny Finnis, will begin its three city tour in Mumbai Jan 22 and then travel to Bangalore Jan 23 before finally performing here at the Summer House Cafe Jan 24, read a statement.

In the last few months, the live band has supported Bon Jovi in the San Siro Stadium in Milan, played on the main stage at The Polish Woodstock amid an audience of several hundred thousand, and attracted global interest from fans and the music industry.

Conceptualised by Live Viacom18, Emerge is a distinct music property that cuts across barriers of conventional music. The property gets bigger and better this time, with an eclectic mix of talented international and local artists, photography and modern art.

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Steve Aoki to perform in India

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Japanese-American electro-house musician Steve Aoki is all set to sweep electronic dance music fans off their feet with his performances in India Jan 16-18.

Fans will get the chance to watch Aoki perform live in Mumbai Jan 16, in Delhi Jan 17 and in Bangalore Jan 18, at Vh1 Supersonic Arcades, read a statement.

Famous for his onstage antics, which include 'cake-ing' fans, showering them with champagne, acrobatic crowd surfing and rafting on the dance floor, Aoki has many dance music fans across the globe.

He has been recognised for his creation of leading chartbusters with some of the titans of the music industry like Will.i.am, Afrojack, Linkin Park, LMFAO, Iggy Azalea, Lil Jon and Laidback Luke.

The three-city tour will see Aoki create ripples with hits like "A light that never comes", "Get me outta here", "Free the madness", "Flight" and "Back to earth".

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'Lingaa' distributors seek Rajinikanth's intervention

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A group of distributors, who have decided to go on fast demanding compensation for the loss incurred in Rajinikanth-starrer "Lingaa", clarified Thursday they're doing so to get the attention of the superstar.

"We plan to go on fast as planned. We've suffered huge losses due to 'Lingaa', roughly about 70 percent of our investments. Through our fast, we seek the intervention of Rajinikanth. This is not against him. We feel cheated and he should know this," distributors of the film told reporters here.

Distributor R. Singaravadivelan, who bought the distribution rights of the film in Trichy and Thanjavur areas, said he feels "cheated".

"We were told by the producers that 'Lingaa' will be more successful than 'Enthiran' and 'Padayappa', but the film has turned out to be a flop," Singaravadivelan, who filed a petition with the high court seeking permission to go on a fast Tuesday, said.

Singaravadivelan had bought the film's distribution rights for a whopping Rs.8 crore, but he only managed to earn just about half of it in three weeks.

"Out of what I earned, my share is only about Rs.2.5 crore, which is just the 30 percent of the investment," he added.

Singaravadivelan will lead a group of distributors to go on a fast here soon.

"We haven't finalised the date yet, but we intend to fast at all cost. There'll be no changes in it," he said.

Directed by K.S. Ravikumar, "Lingaa" released on Rajinikanth's birthday last year Dec 12. It also features Sonakshi Sinha and Anushka Shetty in lead roles.

Most distributors claimed to have suffered heavy losses since they had paid high prices for the film.

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Amit GT to open 15 stores in UAE, Saudi Arabia

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Designer Amit GT is set to open 15 stores of his luxury fashion line, Amit GT Couture in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

The designer has signed up with a Saudi-based company to open 15 exclusive Amit GT Couture boutiques in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, said a statement.

The company is currently scouting for spaces in luxury malls in Dubai where the brand intends to open its first exclusive boutique, followed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

The designer is soliciting similar tie-ups for other Gulf countries, Europe and the US as well.

Amit, known for his elaborate gowns and cocktail dresses, has not only showcased his collection at fashion events in Paris, Milan and Vienna, but has also dressed known foreign celebrities, including Eva Longoria, Whitney Cummings, Alicia Minshew, Kate Mansi, Kate Flannery, Holland Roden and Rosario Dawson.

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Dia on first visit to Hyderabad post-wedding

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Actress-producer Dia Mirza is currently in her childhood home in Hyderabad with her husband Sahil Sangha. This is her first visit to the city since her wedding.

The actress tied the knot with Sangha in October last year.

"I am in Hyderabad for a few days visiting family and friends. It's always lovely to come back here and what better time than the beginning of the year," she said in a statement.

“Incidentally, I started the beginning of the year in Hyderabad last year as well shooting for ‘Bobby Jasoos’, which brings back some great memories,” she added.

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Now, get songs, singers' information under one roof

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People can now enjoy songs of their favourite singers along with latest information about artists, including updates on live shows, special interviews and more on one platform.

Biscoot Bajao, music networking and streaming initiative by Shotformats Digital, have collaborated with artists to launch dedicated microsites for their fans.

The microsite has debuted with popular singer Sonu Nigam, which will be followed by Kumar Sanu, Ankit Tiwari and other leading musicians in the industry.

“Biscoot Bajao is an interesting and innovative one-stop music destination, something that I'm sure audiences will love. It is a great platform for all music lovers as well as for the music industry. The portal looks classy and has youth appeal to it. I am looking forward to it”, Sonu said in a statement.

Each microsite will have a dedicated live internet radio station for an artist, customised for the fans. The microsite offers several other unique features, including a dedicated section for artists to create joint playlist with their fans. It permits upto 500 users creating one playlist together.

“India is a country which loves music but follows Bollywood stars, as they are the face of all the popular music. We have launched the dedicated microsites keeping in mind that our music creators are under played as compared to the western country,” said Niyati Shah, CEO and managing director, Shotformats Digital.

“We have realised the vacuum and launched an ultimate music destination where fans can follow their favourite singer or music director and get all the updates on them,” she added.

The fans can dedicate music via the site through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

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Tina Desai to act in US TV show

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Actress Tina Desai, who has a role in forthcoming Hollywood film "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", will soon also be seen playing a lead character in the "Sense8" American fiction drama series.

The show revolves around eight strangers from different parts of the world who suddenly become mentally and emotionally linked.

The show is directed and produced by The Wachowskis brothers, who have worked on several Hollywood projects including the “Matrix” trilogy and the upcoming Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis-starrer “Jupiter Ascending”.

"It’s great to have such amazing offers come my way. Working with the Wachowskis brothers is a dream for any actor and I am glad I got to be a part of the show. It’s been extremely exciting and a great experience so far," Tina said in a statement.

The show, which also stars Naveen Andrews, will be aired May onwards in US.

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Court orders interim stay on release of 'I'

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The Madras High Court Thursday issued a three-week interim stay on the release of Vikram-starring Tamil film "I" worldwide, following an application filed by Picturehouse Media Ltd over unpaid dues by the film's producer Aascar Ravichandran.

The court has given the makers of "I", which is originally slated for release Jan 14, time till Jan 30 to settle dues.

"Everybody associated with the film are hereby restrained by an order of interim injunction till Jan 30 from releasing the movie ('I') in theatres anywhere in and outside India. The applicant is directed to initiate arbitration proceedings," said Justice R. Mahadevan.

The film's producer Ravichandran however expressed confidence that there will be no change in the film's release date.

"Everything will be sorted out very soon and the film will release as planned earlier," he said in a statement.

Directed by Shankar, "I" also features Amy Jackson, Upen Patel and Suresh Gopi in the lead.

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Harris Jayaraj joins hands with environmental group

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On his 40th birthday Thursday, popular southern composer Harris Jayaraj collaborated with Green Icon Foundation, an NGO focusing on environment, public health, medical relief, education and welfare of the community.

"Harris Jayaraj planted a tree sapling on his birthday and has taken an initiative in conveying the much needed Green Revolution message to his fans and public. He has urged people to take up tree plantation as their priority to make the world a better place to live in," read a statement.

Jayaraj, who has composed songs in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, has over 25 albums to his credit.

Some of his best albums include "Kaakha Kaakha", aceGhajini", "Anniyan" and "Vettaiyaadu Vilayadu".

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Vishal Krishna's next film to roll from Republic Day

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Actor Vishal Krishna Reddy, who is currently awaiting the release of Tamil actioner "Aambala", will start shooting for his next yet-untitled outing with filmmaker Suseenthiran here Jan 26.

"The first schedule, which will last for nearly a month, will be shot in Hyderabad. Kajal Aggarwal has been roped in as the female lead," Suseenthiran told IANS.

This is the second time Vishal and Suseenthiran are teaming up after "Pandiya Naadu", which turned out to be a box office winner.

Meanwhile, Vishal is expected to take a short break soon after the release of "Aambala" Jan 15.

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Jiiva replaces Vishal as Chennai Rhinos skipper

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Actor Jiiva has replaced Vishal Krishna Reddy to lead Chennai Rhinos in the fifth edition of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), to begin here Sunday.

Vishal, who captained the side in the last four editions of the tournament, couldn't participate due to his film commitments.

On becoming the new skipper, Jiiva told IANS: "Since Vishal was busy with his film's promotions, I've been asked to take over."

"Even though I've never been part of CCL, I've been playing cricket all these years in some format or the other. Sometimes I end up playing in my 'gully' (lane) or with friends on a ground. I'm passionate about the sport, and that's why I agreed to be part of the team," he said.

Jiiva admits the team will miss Vishal's leadership.

"It was under Vishal that the team won the tournament twice. He's still the right person to lead. The team will definitely miss him," he added.

According to Jiiva, the sport will help actors "strengthen their bond".

His team includes Vishnu Vishal (vice captain), Arya, Bharath, Vikranth, Ramanaa, Shaam, Bose, Charan, Sanjay Bharathy, Prithvi, Udhay kumar, Ashok Selvan and Balaji.

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'Tevar' - masala at its best (IANS Movie Review, Rating - ****)

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Film: "Tevar"; Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee; Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma; Rating: ****

Funny, how more things change, the more they remain the same. "Tevar", which is one of the most engaging Bollywood masala dossiers in recent months, takes us through the crowded 'gallis', 'mohallas' and 'akhadas' of Agra and Mathura in search of that elusive thing called love.

This is a love story where most of the playing-time is devoted to the protagonists locked in a scuffle of the most physical and violent kind. And yet, there's a core of tenderness in the film, manifested in Sonakshi Sinha's melting pleading eyes as she makes a run away from the city's arch-goon Gajender Singh (Manoj Bajpayee, bang-on), who has taken a shine to her.

Mind you, it's not a lecher's lascivious love. It's true love.

Bajpayee interprets the besotted goon's character with such intuitive warmth that you almost feel sorry for this vicious uncouth 'katta'-carrying ruffian turning into jelly when love strikes at a dance performance, which incidentally could've been better choreographed.

Never mind. There is no telling about tastes, specially when a man loses his heart while the local lass swirls twirls and unfurls a wave of endless violence that ends at Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport.

Bajpayee's character's love for the spirited Radhika would have made for a more interesting case-study on the wayward ways of the heart than the other liaison between the hero and the heroine. As the love-smitten sociopath, Bajpayee instills inner reserves of wicked unexpectedness in scenes that seem to be written to accentuate the demoniacal duffer's embarrassing attempts to be romantic. Bajpayee takes the character beyond the precincts ofA parodic evil.

At the end of the day, "Tevar" is a showcase for Arjun Kapoor's heroics, so much so that the hero's friends -- so much an integral part of the mofussil drama with Salman Khan in "Tere Naam" or Tusshar Kapoor in "Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai" -- are reduced to a babbling blur. Make no mistake, this is Arjun Kapoor's one-way ticket to some 'hero-giri'. And would Mahesh Babu please move over?

Indeed, the film offers Arjun the chance to take his substantial stardom to the next level. He grabs the opportunity with both hands. From his stunning introductory sequence where he makes his way into a kabaddi match by indulging in some earthy parkour to the climactic fist fight with Bajpayee, Arjun doesn't let go of even a moment of the opportunity to juice his character for all the adrenaline that it is worth.

A film about characters on the run, stands the risk of running out of breath. "Tevar" averts the wheezy and adopts the breezy momentum of a narrative hurling towards a pre-empted bloody finale. Oh yes, the film is violent. Extremely so. But it is not the sickening life-sucking violence of "Ghajini" or the recent "Lakshmi".

The action scenes, though stretched out, are shot skilfully in the comicbook mode. You could almost see debutant director Amit Sharma thinking of the original fights in the Telugu hit "Okkudi" being reproduced here in tactile terms.

The narrative is pickled with crackerjack action sequences. And if Arjun is the self-confessed 'Salman ka fan' hero of "Tevar", then action director Sham Kaushal's kicks and grunts are the hero's hefty heroic ammunition.

The supporting cast is sketchy at the most with Deepti Naval trying bravely to paint shades into her shadowy character. But it's the redoubtable Raj Babbar who springs a surprise. Playing the wastrel hero's upright policeman-dad Babbar succeeds in swerving his stereotypical character into unexpected areas of empathy.

In fact, Babbar's character epitomises the film's mood. We've seen the same plot a million times. "Tevar" makes the familiar look fresh and engaging.

If 2014 ended with a bang called "PK", 2015 if off to a flying start with this bumpy joyride of a film, a cat-and-mouse chase film with smartly written scenes that leave us hankering for more.

In the film, Sonakshi's character is shown to remove all the 'matar from the paneer' whenever she is served the dish. But we don't mind taking the corny dialogues which come with the captivating scenes.

Director Amit Sharma takes a very basic plot of a small-town boy on the run with a hapless girl whom the city's biggest goon wants to forcibly marry. This isn't the first time that Sonakshi has played the damsel in distress. She knows the character by heart.

In a couple of sequences, such as the one where Arjun smears holi colours on her face, and/or the pre-climactic interlude where he attacks Bajpayee with the arsenic of sarcasma, Sonakshi nails the character. This is her best performance after "Lootera".

Luckily for the script, Arjun and Sonakshi look like the kind of people who can bump into one another due to a bizarre chain of events, and then fall in love. The build-up to the couple's growing mutual fondness doesn't have a convincing graph. But what the film has in huge amounts, is inner faith in the filmy formula, and a virile fluency in the narrative pattern.

This week, just forget about gods and aliens. Just go have a good time watching an unpretentious unapologetic masala film.

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BAFTA nomination an incredible honour: 'The Lunchbox' director

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It's a great way to start the New Year, says Indian director Ritesh Batra, whose debut feature movie "The Lunchbox" has been nominated in the Film Not in the English Language category of the British Academy Film Awards 2015.

"It's an incredible honour for me and my team. I am in London right now, and I just heard about it, and we are honoured to be nominated alongside the finest films of the year. It's a great way to start the New Year," Batra told IANS over phone.

The nominations for the awards, organised annually by British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), were announced in London Friday.

"The Lunchbox", starring Nimrat Kaur and Irrfan Khan, is competing with Polish-Danish drama film "Ida", Russian drama "Leviathan", Brazilian-British adventure drama thriller film "Trash", and Belgian drama "Two Days, One Night", according to the official BAFTA website.

The movie is a unique love story between a lovelorn wife and a lonely man. While it released in India in 2013, it hit the British screens only in 2014.

Jointly produced by multiple studios like DAR Motion Pictures, UTV Motion Pictures, Dharma Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, National Film Development Corporation (India), ROH Films (Germany), ASAP Films (France), and the Cine Mosaic (US), the film has done its round of international film festivals, including those in Cannes, Zurich, London and Toronto.

With names like Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Guneet Monga and Danis Tanovic backing it, it went on to become one of the highest grossing foreign films at the US box office.

The story revolves around Ila, a young middle class Mumbai housewife, essayed by Nimrat, trying to win back her husband's affections through his stomach and how a rare misplaced delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient 'dabbawala' system of lunchboxes, from homes to offices, connects her to an old widower, played by Irrfan, through notes in the lunch box.

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'The Grand Budapest Hotel' secures 11 BAFTA nominations

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"The Grand Budapest Hotel" has received 11 nominations, followed by "Birdman" and "The Theory of Everything", which got nominated in 10 categories each in the 68th edition of British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. India stands just one chance at winning with "The Lunchbox" in the foreign film category.

"The Lunchbox", starring Nimrat Kaur and Irrfan Khan, is competing with Polish-Danish drama film "Ida", Russian drama "Leviathan", Brazilian-British adventure drama thriller film "Trash", and Belgian drama "Two Days, One Night" in the Film Not in the English Language category, according to the official BAFTA website Friday.

Overall, "The Imitation Game" has nine nominations, while "Boyhood" and "Whiplash" are each nominated five times. "Mr. Turner", "Nightcrawler" and "Interstellar" have received four nominations each, while "Pride" has three nominations.

The movie with the maximum nominations, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" finds a spot in nominations for Best Film, Director and Original Screenplay (Wes Anderson), Original Music, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hair and Sound. Ralph Fiennes is nominated for Leading Actor.

For the Best Film category, the contenders are "Birdman", "Boyhood", "The Imitation Game" and "The Theory Of Everything", apart from "The Grand Budapest Hotel".

Those vying for the Best Director award include "Birdman" (Alejandro G. Iñárritu), "Boyhood" (Richard Linklater), "The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson), "The Theory Of Everything" (James Marsh and "Whiplash" (Damien Chazelle).

The competitors in the Leading Actor category are Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Imitation Game"), Eddie Redmayne ("The Theory Of Everything"), Jake Gyllenhaal ("Nightcrawler"),
Michael Keaton ("Birdman") and Ralph Fiennes ("The Grand Budapest Hotel").

Amy Adams ("Big Eyes"), Felicity Jones ("The Theory Of Everything"), Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), Reese Witherspoon ("Wild") and Rosamund Pike ("Gone Girl") are competing for the Leading Actress title.

In the Supporting Actor line-up, anyone from Edward Norton ("Birdman"), Ethan Hawke ("Boyhood"), J.K. Simmons ("Whiplash"), Mark Ruffalo ("Foxcatcher") and Steve Carell ("Foxcatcher") could walk away with the trophy.

The competition for the Supporting Actress accolades is also tough with Emma Stone ("Birdman"), Imelda Staunton ("Pride"), Keira Knightley ("The Imitation Game"), Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood") and Rene Russo ("Nightcrawler")

The complete nomination list is available on bafta.org.

The awards ceremony will take place Feb 8 at London's Royal Opera House, and it will be hosted by Stephen Fry.

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Kailash Kher endorses cough syrup

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Singer Kailash Kher has been roped in to front ads of a leading cough syrup brand

Kher has taken charge of spreading awareness about Torex Cough Syrup with the tagline “Gaao Miya Malhaar, Ya Bheem Palasi, Torex Cough Syrup hai to Alvida khasi”.

“Yes, before me, everyone's favourite ghazal singer Jagjit Singh was a part of this ad. When I got the offer to work in this ad, the first thought that came to my mind was that of Jagjit-ji and I gave the nod instantly,” Kher said in a statement.

“Even though I can never replace him, I'm glad that after him I got the chance to be a part of this ad,” added the singer who has crooned hit songs like “Teri deewani”, “Saiyyan” and “Allah ke bande”.

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Delighted to bring 'Madam Secretary' to India: Morgan Freeman

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Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is bringing politics of the US to India with TV series "Madam Secretary". The actor lauds the reception of American shows in India.

"US television shows have huge viewership in India and we are delighted to bring 'Madam Secretary' to the Indian audience," Freeman, who is executive producer of the show, said in a statement.

Talking about its plot, he said: "The show is a political drama starring Tea Leoni as Secretary of State who is a former CIA analyst and was working as a college professor before she joins the White House. The show has come at a great time and Tea Leoni has done a fantastic job. She owns it."

Leoni, who portrays character named Elizabeth McCord, credits Freeman for etching out a woman's character with power and ambition.

"Morgan has no problem recognising the power, glory and potential of women, women in politics, women in business, women in entertainment, women, well, pretty much anywhere in the world."

"He is very vocal about it and I think he was very much a part of designing what would be this job, what would be this woman's lot, what would she be balancing," Leoni said.

The show will premier on Indian television on AXN Saturday.

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