Veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has made a statement after his name came up in the Panama Papers leak, which revealed public figures who have used offshore accounts to avoid tax. Bachchan, 73, had previously said that his name had been misused and he that had no connections with offshore companies. It was also reported that his appointment as a brand ambassador for Atulya Bharat, or Incredible India, had been delayed by the government until he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Bachchan has now released a statement in which he says: “There have been queries from the media regarding my being brand ambassador for Atulya Bharat. I wish to state that I have not been formally approached for this position. The speculation of the media regarding its discontinuance is, therefore, not relevant as far as I am concerned. On the Panama disclosures, I wish to state that queries continue to be sent to me by the media. I would humbly request them to kindly direct these to the Government of India where I, as a law-abiding citizen, have already sent, and shall continue to send my responses. I stand by my earlier statement on the ‘misuse of my name’ in the matter, and in any event, the press reports do not disclose any illegal act committed by me.” – Sonali Kokra
Rob Kardashian won’t televise his wedding
Reality-TV star Rob Kardashian says his wedding to model Blac Chyna will not be televised. He proposed this month and though his family has chronicled their lives on TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, he will be keeping his upcoming nuptials public. "I'm not televising anything, I'm really just trying to be happy, that's all. Everybody's happy," Rob told TMZ.com. Rob, who drove more than 1,000 miles to pick up his fiancee when she was arrested in Austin, Texas, for public intoxication in January, also shared that he is currently unable to drive as his licence has been suspended. "I take Ubers daily. My licence is suspended. It's expired and suspended." he said. – IANS
SRK inspired by gymnast Dipa Karmakar
Shah Rukh Khan has congratulated Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who this week won a gold medal in the women's vaults finals during an Olympic qualifying event in Brazil this week. She is the first Indian woman to win gold in a world gymnastics event, and her victory means she will also be the first Indian female gymnast to compete at the Olympic Games, which will be held in Rio this summer. SRK, 50, whose latest film, Fan, is in cinemas now, called Karmakar the "pride of the nation", and said her acheivements inspire him. "Finally, our own Nadia Comaneci [a reference to the former Romanian Olympic champion gymnast]. Dipa Karmakar you are the pride of our nation. Your achievements inspire us. Thanks little one," SRK wrote on Twitter. Karmakar, 22, previously made history when she won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. –
Bill Cosby’s wife questioned for second time
Bill Cosby’s wife underwent a second day of questioning by lawyers for seven women who have sued the comedian for defamation over his denials that he sexually assaulted them. Camille Cosby, 72, was questioned under oath for more than five hours, attorneys for her and her husband said. The deposition showed that “Mrs. Cosby has no relevant non-privileged information to offer in this case”. Her lawyers had asked a federal magistrate judge last week to spare her a second day of questioning at a Boston hotel. They contended an earlier deposition was mainly aimed at embarrassing her by delving into her sexual past and matters she was not obligated to testify about due to her marriage with the accused actor. US magistrate judge David Hennessy rejected that request but admonished lawyers for both sides to be better behaved during the second round of questioning. – Reuters
Director Anurag Kashyap back at Cannes
Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap, who is becoming a regular of sorts at Cannes, will return to the French festival this year with his latest film, the psychological thriller, Raman Raghav 2.0. The movie, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a serial killer, will premiere in the prestigious Director's Fortnight segment. Kashyap made the announcement on Twitter, writing: "Raman Raghav 2.0 to premiere at Cannes Directors Fortnight. Congratulations team." The festival runs from May 11 to 22. – Sonali Kokra
Teen Wolf director dies at age 73
Movie director Rod Daniel, known for films including Michael J Fox's Teen Wolf, has died at his home in Chicago. He died on Saturday, at the age of 73, the family announced yesterday. The cause of death was not given. Daniel began his Hollywood career in television, producing and directing episodes of CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati in the 1970s. He went on to direct episodes of several television series, including Newhart, Caroline in the City, Everybody Loves Raymond and Magnum, P.I. In addition to Teen Wolf, Daniel directed The Super starring Joe Pesci, the Kirk Cameron-Dudley Moore body-swap comedy Like Father Like Son and the made-for-TV Home Alone 4. He retired from filmmaking in 2003. He is survived by his wife and two sons. – AP