Holly to Bolly: Sonakshi Sinha not performing at Justin Bieber concert, Faye Dunaway speaks about Oscars debacle, and more

Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP File

AFP photo

Courtesy Lakme Fashion Week

Florian Schuh / EPA

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images / AFP

Sonakshi Sinha not performing at Justin Bieber concert

After singer-composer Kailash Kher voiced his disapproval of Sonakshi Sinha performing at Justin Bieber’s maiden concert in India next month, the actress has reconfirmed that she is not taking part.

“I am not performing at the Bieber concert,” she said in a statement. “It was speculated because I was approached and carried forward by publications and portals even after I stated in various interviews that it’s not happening.”

Sonakshi was reportedly one of the opening acts at the concert, which will be held at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on May 10.

Kher had previously voiced his disdain for Sinha, over other acclaimed Indian artists, performing at the event. — IANS

Faye Dunaway speaks about Oscars debacle

Actress Faye Dunaway says she thought co-presenter Warren Beatty was joking when he paused before showing her the envelope that should have contained the Oscar's Best Picture winner. Dunaway told Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News she thought Beatty was stalling for effect.

Dunaway read La La Land as best picture winner rather than Moonlight after PwC partner Brian Cullinan mistakenly handed them the backup envelope for Actress in a Leading Role instead of the envelope for Best Picture.

She says she read the movie’s title on the card but didn’t notice Emma Stone’s name.

Dunaway says she felt “completely stunned” and later felt guilty because she thought she could have done something to prevent the debacle. — AP

Akshay Kumar says stunt men deserve more respect

Stunt artists and choreographers should be held in higher regard in the industry, says actor Akshay Kumar.

On the sidelines of introducing a special insurance scheme for all stunt professionals working in Hindi film industry, Kumar added: “I am a stuntman first before an actor. For 10 years, I worked as a stuntman in Hindi film industry before getting the opportunity of acting. So I know how stuntmen risks their lives to earn their bread. I know what it takes to risk their lives to entertain us. So I think they should get equal respect even at the award shows for their work.” - IANS

Indian Fashion Week opens next week in Delhi

Mumbai-based designers will open and close the eighth edition of India Runway Week Summer in Delhi this month. Opening proceedings on April 28 is designer Ken Ferns and closing the event on April 30 will be Kristy De Cunha.

“We are excited about both the designers.” says Avinash Pathania, founder of the Indian Federation for Fashion Development, “They are young and their style of presentation on the runway is perfect for the current summer season. It’s quirky and colourful.”

Ferns’s collection, titled Soda, is inspired by paper craft in all its geometric forms. Meanwhile Cunha’s collection is an ode to the late singer Freddie Mercury. — IANS

Elton John recovering from bacterial infection

Elton John spent two nights in intensive care with a potentially deadly bacterial infection and has cancelled all his concerts for the rest of April and May, his publicist said.

The British musician, 70, became “violently ill” on a flight home from his recent South American tour, spokeswoman Fran Curtis said in a statement.

The infection was not identified, but the statement said John contracted the “harmful and unusual bacterial infection” during his South American tour, which ended in Chile on April 10.

John is expected to make a full recovery but has cancelled all his concerts in Las Vegas for April and May, as well as a gig in Bakersfield, California, on May 6. — Reuters

Kendrick Lamar scores biggest annual debut album

Rapper Kendrick Lamar has scored the biggest debut album of the year as his latest album called Damn sold more than 600,000 copies, eclipsing Drake's More Life.

As the third album from Grammy-winning Lamar to top the Billboard 200 chart, Damn sold a total of 603,000 album units that comprised 340 million streams, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

The album outpaced Canadian rapper Drake’s which debuted on the Billboard 200 chart in March with 505,000 album units sold in its first week.

At No 2 this week is singer-songwriter John Mayer's latest album, titled The Search For Everything, which sold 132,000 album units. — Reuters

Apple delays release of Carpool Karaoke again

Apple Inc’s Apple Music has delayed the release of its first original video series, an adaptation of comedian James Corden’s popular Carpool Karaoke segment, the company said. In February, Apple said the show would debut in April and be available only to Apple Music subscribers. Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, Eddy Cue, showed a trailer for the series featuring celebrities such as Will Smith, John Legend, Ariana Grande and Alicia Keys.

A premiere party for Carpool Karaoke scheduled for March in Los Angeles was postponed without explanation days before it was to take place. This week, the company again postponed its launch party.

Apple declined to explain the delays but said in a statement that the series will premiere on Apple Music “later this year.” - Reuters