Gaurav Gupta has been announced as the grand finale designer of Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2015 to be held from August 26 here.

The five-day event will take place at Hotel Palladium.

Renowned for his edgy designs and futuristic concepts, Gupta will be lending his avant garde vision to the finale collection in his signature style.

He pinned modern Indian couture on the global map by reinventing the traditional sari with gothic art and three-dimensional metal and leather embroideries.

With the designer infusing his energy into design, this season’s grand finale at the fashion week promises to be an exciting affair with imaginative sculpting as the dominant theme.

"It is an honour to be chosen as the grand finale designer for India’s premier fashion event. I am excited to be celebrating my 10 years' journey in fashion by presenting the new collection as part of Lakmé Fashion Week’s 15 year milestone.

"The new collection is going to be a progressive dialogue between Lakmé’s Sculpt beauty statement and my drapes. While fantasy will remain at the heart of my collection, you will definitely see a playful juxtaposition of structure with fluidity and red carpet glamour," Gupta said in a statement.

Anant Mahadevan's directorial “Gour Hari Dastaan - The Freedom File” will have a British premiere at the London Indian Film Festival before releasing in India.

The London Indian Film Festival will be held July 16-23.

After receiving an overwhelming response at New York Indian Film Festival, Mahadevan will be taking the biopic to London as requested by Cary Sawhney, the award winning filmmaker and a member British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Attending the film festival with Mahadevan, actress Konkana Sen Sharma will be watching the film for the first time with the audience there.

“I'm so excited about the international premiere of 'Gour Hari Dastaan - The Freedom File' in the UK, I'm hoping to be there with the director myself to present the film at the London Indian Film Festival. I'll be watching the film for the first time with the audience there. The timing is great as we are releasing the film in August in India,” said Konkona Sen in a statement.

Scheduled to release on August 14 in India, the biopic on freedom fighter Gour Hari Das features Vinay Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Ranvir Shorey, Asrani, Rajit Kapur, Vipin Sharma, Saurabh Shukla, Vikram Gokhale, Mohan Kapur, Bharat Dabholkar and Siddharth Jadhav among others.

Superstar Mahesh Babu on Thursday said every film lover should be proud of S.S. Rajamouli's epic war drama "Baahubali", adding that its success is crucial for Telugu filmdom.

"All of us should be proud of 'Baahubali'. We should pray that the film turns out to be a blockbuster as its success is very important for our industry," Mahesh told reporters here.

He was speaking after being named the goodwill ambassador of Rainbow Children Hospital.

Mahesh's "Srimanthudu", which was earlier set to release on July 17, exactly a week after 'Baahubali' hits the screen, has now been pushed to August 7.

"We didn't postpone our film because we were scared to compete with 'Baahubali'. I think it deserves to a solo release and we should respect it. It's healthy to have two or three weeks' gap between big releases," he said.

Talking about his association with the hospital, he said he was happy to be part of any initiative for children.

"They have set benchmarks in childcare and are well known for their efforts to provide high standards of health care for children. I would like to commend their commitment in providing world-class medical services," Mahesh said.

Asked if Mahesh would collaborate with his son to endorse the facility, he said: "Why not? It's a children's hospital and if we get an opportunity to endorse together, I really don't mind."

Rainbow Groups is spread across Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Bangalore with bed strength of 700 beds. It has ongoing projects in Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Jaipur.

Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar on Thursday expressed gratitude to late music composer Madan Mohan on his 91st birth anniversary.

The 85-year-old singer took to micro-blogging website Twitter to remember the music director, who was known for composing ghazals, mainly using the voice of Mangeshkar, Talat Mahmood and Mohammed Rafi.

"Namaskar. Aaj mere Bhaiya Madan Mohan ji ki 91vi jayanti hai. Unki yaad ko main pushpanjali arpan karti hun, aur unko naman karti hun," Mangeshkar posted alongside a video of her song "Rasm-e-ulfat ko", which was composed by Madan Mohan.

The music composer died in July 1975.

Filmmaker Kabir Sadanand got a chance to meet Canadian filmmaker J.P. Finn during a family vacation in the US. The “Fugly” director says Finn is a wonderful person with immense knowledge and innovative techniques.

“Mr. Finn is a wonderful person with immense knowledge and innovative techniques. He has his own way of making things work which really amazed me. There's lots I could grasp and learn to adapt and share,” Sadanand said in a statement.

Sadanand, who also made films like “Tum Milo Toh Sahi”, also posted pictures with J.P. Finn on social media and, if sources are to be believed, the two had a brief conversation about cinema and their respective audiences with regard to TV as well as films.

Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali waited for six months to sign Lahore-based actor Imran Abbas for "Jaanissar".

The film, which is set in year 1877, deals with a love story in which the boy is westernised and the girl is deeply rooted in the ethos of Indian culture.

"When Muzaffar saab approached me for the role, I immediately said yes. I was instantly drawn towards the script and wanted to be a part of it. I am also thankful to Muzaffar saab to wait for six months as I had other commitments to finish," Imran, who made his Bollywood debut with 2014 film "Creature 3D", told IANS.

It also marks the acting debut of stylist and costume designer Pernia Qureshi.

The Pakistani actor will be seen as a prince, who belongs to India but has been brought up in Britain.

"He is sent back to Lucknow again after becoming a proper British man. Then he falls in love with this girl (Noor played by Pernia), who is a courtesan," Imran said earlier of his role.

Several stars may be popular on social media, but actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, who is making his Bollywood debut with "Udta Punjab", went a step further when he visited the headquarters of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Google in the US.

The star, who was in North America earlier this year, went on a special social media tour and visited the hub of some of the most popular social media outlets as well as saw their day-to-day operations.

He toured the facilities, heard the stories behind the brands and connected with the culture that has redefined communication altogether, according to a source close to him.

Diljit began his tour with social media giant Facebook. After an interactive session with the team members behind this innovative social network, he headed to explore the workspace of his favourite networking site Instagram.

Next on the cards was the Twitter headquarters in downtown San Francisco. He enjoyed an interactive question and answer session with the employees of Twitter.

Post Twitter, Diljit's next destination was YouTube headquarters in San Bruno.

The actor's social media tour concluded at the Google headquarters in Mountain View.

Radhika Apte, who was in the Himalayas, cut short her trip to attend a special screening of "Chokher Bali", an episode of the TV series "Stories By Rabindranath Tagore", helmed by Anurag Basu.

Radhika is seen in a very different light in the show as she plays a Bengali character, and it was important to her to get feedback from people. So, she made time for the screening on Thursday and just returned from her trip.

"'Barfi' is one of my favourite films and I would have played any character for Anurag Basu. He is one of my favourite directors," Radhika said.

An ardent traveller, Radhika had gone backpacking in the Himalayas.

After attending the show's screening here on Thursday, the "Badlapur" and "Hunterrr" actress was glad she cut short her trip.

Actress Taapsee Pannu says she enjoys dancing so much that the happiness to perform on stage even makes injuries memorable.

Taapsee suffered a minor injury while rehearsing for the 62nd Filmfare Awards - South, slated to take place on Sunday here.

"I always tend to go overboard while dancing. I enjoy it so much that I don't realise when I get injured in the process. I suffered a minor injury with slight internal bleeding, but I'm sure the happiness to perform will overpower the pain," Taapsee said in a statement.

Most of the times, she says, the pain of an injury while dancing seeps in only after performance.

Taapsee went on to add that stage is her best companion.

Singer-actor Baba Sehgal will be essaying a pivotal role in filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon's Tamil-Telugu bilingual "Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada".

"Now playing the main bad cop in my friend Gautham Menon's new bilingual film with Simbu & Naga Chaitanya. Cheers (sic)," Sehgal posted on his Twitter page.

The film features Silambarasan aka Simbu, Naga Chaitanya and newbie Manjima Mohan in the lead.

Tipped to be a romantic drama, the film marks the second time collaboration of Gautham Menon with Simbu and Naga Chaitanya.

The trio last worked in "Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya" and its Telugu version "Ye Maaya Chesave".

"Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada" has music by A.R. Rahman, who has already completed composing two songs for the album.

Ace filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has been floored by the dedication of debutant Sandeep Bharadwaj, who plays the dreaded sandalwood smuggler Veerappan in his upcoming multilingual film "Killing Veerappan".

"Never in my career have I seen a more dedicated and a more methodical actor than Sandeep. It's not an exaggeration to say that he actually started thinking like Veerappan," Varma said in a statement.

"The biggest compliment a unit member gave Sandeep was by warning him that he could be killed because people might mistake him for real Veerappan," he said.

Sandeep, who looks incredibly close to real Veerappan in the posters of the movie, is a student of the National School of Drama.

Kannada superstar Shivrajkumar plays the lead role, while actresses Parul Yadav and Yanga Shetty will be seen essaying important roles.

Actress Richa Chadha finds shopping during monsoon more fun, and believes that rainshowers don't ruin one's style.

Here are some of the rules of fashion that she likes to follow during monsoon:

* My gadgets are my life. Silicon covers are my favourite saviours during monsoon, and the cool look they give you is incredible. My phones and iPod are secured in the cute coloured silicon cases.

* The damp atmosphere is also likely to make your hair frizzy so, tie them up in a neat bun or a ponytail. Hairstyles that involve hot blow drying or curling are a strict no as they tend to mess up the minute your hair comes in contact with moisture.

* Accessorising your ensemble may seem like a must to fulfill your fashion demands, but wearing a metal necklace around your neck seems terribly distressing to the skin. Instead, invest in printed or bright monotone scarves.

* Monsoon footwear needs to be comfortable, stylish and should last throughout the season without tearing off. Go for bright colours like orange and fluorescent green to get the chic look. Gumboots are this season's special. Don’t miss a chance to flaunt some colourful pairs since they look the best when worn this time of the year.

* We know how it feels when the make-up refuses to stay on the skin and gets washed out. But yes, you can look your best with a few simple make-up tricks, even during the messy season. Restrict your make-up to the minimum and use waterproof products. Mousse foundation is the trick to all.

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's body building continues to inspire millions across the globe and the India distributors of his latest release "Terminator Genisys" used this to promote the movie here.

The activity was launched in an exclusive tie up with Gold's Gym, wherein fitness experts from the health club invited cinema patrons to perform a bicep challenge with the experts guiding them to maintain safety standards. The person who achieved the maximum repetitions and posted it on social media stood to win a couple of movie tickets and official merchandise of the film.

The three-day activity was spread over 25 multiplexes in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Heavy footfalls in the multiplexes with the release of "Jurassic World" and "ABCD 2" ensured that the challenge witnessed an enthusiastic and widespread response.

Over a 100 people each day from each multiplex put up images on their social media assets with the #LiftLikeTerminator.

"Engagement with viewers is one of the key pillars of crafting a successful marketing campaign. Arnold Schwarzenegger enjoys a massive fan base across our country and building on the same, we launched this activity that would establish that he is back. We hope that this action packed entertainer will appeal not only to the die-hard fan boys but across varied target groups," Rudrarup Datta, vice president, marketing, Viacom18 Motion Pictures said in a statement.

"Terminator Genisys" will release in India on July 3.

Actress Sandeepa Dhar, who has appeared in films like "Isi Life Mein", "Dabangg 2" and "Heropanti", is an ardent animal lover and is even planning to start an NGO for street dogs.

"My plan is to start an NGO for street dogs. There are lots of dogs on streets who are limping just because when they are sleeping, someone ran their car over their legs. I would want to help them but unfortunately there are not many NGOs. Hence I want to start something that can help those poor and needy animals," Sandeepa said in a statement.

Her love for pets was witnessed earlier when she provided shelter to five street dogs from the Mumbai monsoon.

Sandeepa found these dogs sheltering in the basement of her building, drenched in rain and shivering from cold. She took them to her place, fed them and took care of them.

"I m a pet lover, and when I saw those puppies shivering in my building basement I was heartbroken so I took them home. I think it is everyone's responsibility to take care of animals, especially in monsoon as you never know if those animals are being fed or not, if they are sick or hungry or just scared," she added.

On the career front, Sandeepa will next be seen in "7 Hours to Go" and "Global Baba".

Gavie Chahal has replaced "Buddha" fame actor Himanshu Soni in film "Ye Hai India".

Gavie told IANS that he was "specially fascinated by films that contain some message as you get a feeling that you're contributing to the society in a way".

"India has such a rich heritage since decades but we don't give it much importance and even foreigners consider us a third world country. I think anybody who listens to this virgin script with such an amazing patriotic character will instantly do the film."

About his character, he said: "My character is of a guy staying abroad but his feet are very much rooted in his own country (India). He has a conflict with his father because his father thinks India can't progress much. My character has read about the rich tradition of India and lands in India to discover this brilliance of India."

Apart from Punjabi films, Gavie was also seen in Salman Khan's blockbuster "Ek Tha Tiger" as Captain Abrar.

"Ye Hai India" is jointly directed by G.K Yogesh and Lom Harsh and jointly produced by Lom and Sandeep Choudhary under the banner of DLB Film Pvt Ltd.

From Punjabi music, noise of honking cars, a mention of Bollywood, spirituality and Hindi gods -- globally popular British funny man Russell Brand ensured his debut India performance, which began with the capital, was a laughter riot topped with 'desi' Indian elements. For fans, it was truly a delight.

His entry on the stage at the Talkatora Stadium here as part of the second edition of the LIVE Viacom18 Comedy Central Chuckle Festival on Friday night, began with the Punjabi number "Mundian tu bachke", and the fun didn't cease until Brand bowed down with a "Namaste" and went off stage.

Wearing a sleeveless t-shirt adorned by images of lord Krishna and strings of rudraksh to go with it, the spiritually inclined 40-year-old addressed the crowd -- a mix of young, middle-aged and old -- with "Hare Krishna".

"Thank you so much everyone. I'm happy about being in Delhi. This is my first performance here (in India), unless you count my wedding as a performance," Brand, who married his now ex-wife and pop star Katy Perry in the country in 2010, quipped, and added how sometimes, "Bollywood films can last longer than a marriage".

"I like your country, the people... spirituality, (lord) Krishna, Ganesha...," he said.

Brand also poked fun over the security at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, saying it was "seriously funny" how it was strange to be asked if he was brining along any fruits with him.

"Well, I have had an impressive criminal record for having hard drugs... why would I do fruit smuggling," he joked.

Known for his stand-up acts, which he performs across the world, and work in movies like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", "Get Him to the Greek" and "Despicable Me 2", Brand also wondered how well does the Indian crowd knows him.

"I don't know how well you guys know me... maybe because of my movies, my wedding, controversies and celebrity stuff," he said, before trying to fathom what could essentially land him in a prison in Delhi or could cause a censorship scandal.

At one point, he got off the stage for "communication" with the crowd and commented how the crowd was "more silent than you're in the car", before imitating how people in Delhi go bonkers honking.

A highpoint of his show here was when he picked on a front-seat audience member by taking his cellphone and calling his mother. "Your son, he's never been so safe, never been happier... we're in love," he said to the mother on the phone. All she responded was: "Helllooooo!" The crowd was in splits.

Brand also brought the house down when he tried to speak out some swear words in Hindi, but all in good spirit.

Bollywood found more than one reference in his performance, and he even mentioned that he likes Shah Rukh Khan because he's a "self-made man" and that he'd like to seduce Deepika Padukone.

"Does anyone have Deepika Padukone's number here, maybe we could try," the yoga lover asked the crowd.

The comedian, who had the headlining act at the show, also shared the most bizarre death threats he had received for making a jibe against former US President George W. Bush in the US itself; apart from talking about a past meeting with the British Queen.

He even spoke of his meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, recounting how when he had asked the spiritual leader, "Do you think I should become a monk?", but changed plans after he was told to maintain celibacy.

Overall, there was laughter galore through his show, and the crowd couldn't get enough of him. Brand got off the stage after bowing down with a "Namaste" and happily clicked selfies with his fans.

For Unnika Manhas, a graphic designer, "Russell was a little crazy, let's admit it, we were quite expecting that! Needless to say, he exceeded it with his witty sense of humour."

Another attendee, Nakul Anand shared: "With his Brit charm and funny bone, Russell managed to connect with the audience immediately -- of course, not to forget his Indian connections."

Rightly so!

After Delhi, Brand is geared up to spread chuckles and more in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Actor Rajpal Yadav, who was last seen sharing screen space with Hollywood actors like Martin Sheen and Mischa Barton in "Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain", says that he is going to play lead roles in two of his international projects.

"I'll be featuring in two Hollywood projects in lead role," Rajpal told reporters at a promotional event.

"Bhopal - A Prayer For Rain" is based on true events of 1984 when a toxic gas leak from the Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide plant in the Madhya Pradesh capital killed and maimed thousands of people

Back home, Rajpal is known for his roles in films like "Darna Mana Hai", "Darna Zaroori Hai" and "Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon" and he is gearing up for more Bollywood releases.

"And I'm also doing 10-12 films in Bollywood also in lead roles. So in all, there are about 17-18 films that I'll doing in the next two-three years with utmost sincerity," he said and added that his film "'Kick 2' in Telugu is also on."

"I also did a film 'Amma' in Hindi and Kannada and I'm also planning to do another Tamil film," he said.

After composing music for "Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty” and "Shaadi Ke Side Effects", Pritam Chakraborty is back from his sabbatical with “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”. The music composer says that the break turned depressing after a point, prompting him to return to work.

Pritam was on an year-long gap from mid 2014 when he refused to work in films.

"When I decided to take a break, I had to refuse all films whether big budget and low-budget films as some would have felt I was being unfair by composing for some and refusing others," he told IANS.

"I didn't fix a particular deadline to return back to work and just took off to several places all over the world in this period. I got bored and felt depressed and that's when I returned to work," he added.

Pritam enjoyed a one month holiday in London during this break where he went for musicals and cycled in Hyde Park.

He had reportedly rejected about 50 films.

Indian film maestro Satyajit Ray is among the 16 global thinkers whose portraits have been displayed here at the UN art exhibition titled “The Transformative Power of Art”. They have been recognised for contributing to the common good of humanity.

“Today, the urgency of placing people at the centre of everything we do is both a challenge and a miracle of human creativity that can be translated into a common language of artistic inspiration as our fragile Mother Earth faces the devastating consequences of climate change, a defining challenge of our time," Ugandan Sam Kutesa, who currently holds the rotational presidency of the UN General Assembly, said in a statement published on the official website.

The exhibition, which takes place under the United Nations "2015: Time for Global Action" campaign, is primarily destined to raise awareness about climate change and our fragile ecosystems.

The portraits are meant to project the power of generosity that touches the human heart and conscience. The men and women who are represented never lost sight of the most vulnerable. Apart from Ray, the list includes Pierre-Claver Akendengué (Gabon), Maya Angelou (US), Joan Baez (US), Audrey Hepburn (Britain), Vassily Kandinsky (Russia), Umm Kulthum (Egypt), Gong Li (China), Miriam Makeba (South Africa), Edgar Morin (France), Fatemeh Motamed-Arya (Iran), Okot p'Bitek (Uganda), Sebastião Salgado (Brazil), Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Ngugi Wa Thiong'o (Kenya), and Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan).

“The Transformative Power of Art” is open to all in the Visitor’s concourse at United Nations Headquarters here.

The sculptures that are exhibited are made of natural elements provided by nature’s bounty from all parts of the world. They bear testimony to nature’s resilience in the face of man-made challenges. The sculptures are like totems, silent performers, and reminders of the perils facing Mother Earth and humankind.

The 16 accompanying portraits represent people from all continents who, during their lifetime, contributed to the common good of humanity in one way or another and have transformed the way we think.

The objective of the exhibition is to demonstrate that art creates bridges where politics divide. It was designed with the conviction that artistic impulse always carries seeds of redemption.

Versatile singer Rekha Bhardwaj says that songs help her in unwinding and getting rid of stress.

"My coping toll has always been Sangeet. So I take out all my frustration in Song and Riyaz. It helps me unwind," said Rekha at the book launch of "Everyone Can Heal" here in Mumbai on Thursday.

The singer is known for her distinctive tone of singing style. She was first noted for her song "Namak Ishq ka" from "Omkara" and later received Filmfare for song "Sasural genda phool" from the film "Delhi 6". She also received National award for singing "Badi dheere jali" from the movie "Ishqiya".

Talking about her recent works, she said: "I have sung a beautiful duet love song for a Pakistani Film. Music is composed by Shani Arshad."

"I will be singing some songs for Pritam and will get to know more about them in few days. Then I have sung a beautiful song for Meghna Gulzar's upcoming movie, 'Talwaar'," added the singer.

She will also be singing one or two songs in her husband Vishal Bhardwaj's venture "Rangoon."