News Analysis India

Tag: Oscars

  • Joke was poor but Will Smith first laughed, then went crazy: Somy Ali on Oscars slap

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Actress Somy Ali talks about the recent incident at the Oscars where Hollywood actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock since the latter made fun of Smith’s wife’s health condition.

    Somy says that she stands divided on the matter.

    “I have two opinions on this: The joke was in extremely poor taste given Smith’s wife’s struggle with alopecia. My second opinion is that violence begets violence and hate begets hate. Therefore, I do not condone violence in any situation as I am a pacifist myself. There could have been many ways to handle this on Smith’s end and it shows Rock’s class by not filing charges. Again, I am not in any shape or form saying that his joke was not hurtful to Jada, but if you notice Smith first laughed at it and then took action.

    “This depicts that he found it funny and then realised his wife’s condition and suddenly decided to do something about it with, no rationality whatsoever,” says Somy, who runs an NGO No More Tears in the US which help victims of domestic violence and abuse.

    She says that as celebrities, it’s important to accept that you will be trolled or joked about. “Once you are a celebrity and you choose to be one, you will forever be trolled, made fun of, bullied and, yes, be the joke of the party or award shows. There is simply no escaping that if you choose the fame game. It’s part of the territory and we see it daily on celebrities globally on their social media. I have been away from the industry for 20 years and now when I decide to speak my truth because I am now ready and it’s my choice to speak up when I wish to do so. I have been getting the most disgusting messages and sadly the majority of them are from women,” she says.

    She adds: “Well, here’s one of my favourite quotes: “Laugh loudly, laugh often, and most importantly laugh at yourself.” Chelsea Handler. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you are devoid of humility in my opinion.”

    Ask her where does she think people should draw the line with jokes, she says, “I think celebrities’ children should never bear the brunt of the jokes, children should always be left out of it. Jokes about rape, sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence cross the line for me. That’s absolutely unacceptable for me.”

  • Will Smith would face little more than a slap if charged

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: Will Smith’s slap seen around the world at the Oscars was clearly a crime, legal experts say, but the chances of prosecution are slim and even if convicted he’d likely face little more than a slap of his own — on the wrist.

    Smith left millions of witnesses stunned Sunday when he marched onto the stage of the Dolby Theatre and smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who was sitting with the actor in the front row.

    The Los Angeles Police Department has said it was aware of the incident but was not investigating because Rock declined to file a police report.

    While police could technically open an investigation based on the Academy Awards broadcast, they wouldn’t do so without Rock’s participation, said defence lawyer Alan Jackson, a former Los Angeles County prosecutor who oversaw high-profile cases.

    “Would they ever in a practical world do that when Chris Rock is saying, ’I won’t cooperate with a criminal investigation?’ Not in a million years,” Jackson said. “LAPD is probably breathing a relative sigh of relief that they don’t have to get involved with two high-profile actors duking it out on a world stage.”

    The Los Angeles city attorney’s office, which prosecutes misdemeanour crimes, declined to comment but said it couldn’t bring charges without a police referral.

    “If he’s going to be charged, I can’t speak to what the charge would be,” spokesman Rob Wilcox said.

    News of celebrities in trouble has been a fixture in LA since Hollywood’s early days, and questions frequently arise about whether the rich and powerful receive a different brand of justice.

    “The celebrity thing is coming into play, unfortunately,” said former LA District Attorney Steve Cooley. “If some Joe Blow committed this act in front a police officer, would he be able to walk away from it? Probably not.”

    If Smith is not charged, it could imperil the justice system’s credibility, said Jody Armour, a law professor at the University of Southern California.

    “How can what appears to be an obvious criminal act committed in the open publicly not result in any criminal consequences?” Armour asked. “Do different standards apply to celebrities and noncelebrities? Apparently, we seem to all recognize that is the case. But what does that recognition say to us about the legitimacy and credibility of our criminal justice system?”

    While the famous can use their status to influence decision-makers, their fame can work against them if the prosecutor decides to make an example of a crime by someone well-known.

    “I would be surprised if the city attorney does not seriously consider it because it was so public,” said Alison Triessl, a criminal defence lawyer who has handled many misdemeanour battery cases. “Are they sending the wrong message if they don’t prosecute him?”

    Triessl said there’s no question a crime was committed, and there’s no need for the victim to file a report. Charges are routinely brought in domestic violence cases without cooperation from the victim because the crime is against the state for violating its penal code.

    “It sends a message that you can commit a crime and you won’t be punished,” she said. “This was a very wrong message.”

    Defence attorney Adam Braun said it’s unrealistic Smith would face charges in the absence of serious injuries and without support from Rock.

    “Although a prosecution is not likely, the wild card here is that the evidence is overwhelming and the incident was witnessed live by millions,” Braun said. “Prosecutors could feel compelled to prosecute Will Smith, regardless of Chris Rock’s preference, to avoid creating the impression that a wealthy actor is above the law.”

    If Smith were charged, he would face a misdemeanour battery count, which carries a penalty of up to six months in jail. Even if prosecuted and convicted, it is unlikely he would face incarceration and there are alternatives to going to court that could lead to a penalty as light as having to attend anger management classes.

    Cooley said if he were advising Smith, he’d have him voluntarily enroll in anger classes and then try to convince prosecutors not to bring charges in the interest of justice because he had recognized his problem and was dealing with it.

    Cooley said he’d want more information on the case as a prosecutor before making any decisions. He said LAPD was premature in announcing they weren’t getting involved.

    Stephen Downing, a retired LAPD deputy chief, said a case could be brought. But he said it was reasonable not to waste resources when Rock apparently wasn’t injured or ruffled enough to file a complaint.

    “Rock carried on as if nothing happened to him,” Downing said. “He didn’t even put a hand to his cheek. There didn’t appear to be an injury. If he had knocked him to the floor and rendered him unconscious, I think action would have been taken.”

  • India’s ‘Writing with Fire’ loses to ‘Summer of Soul’ in documentary feature Oscar category

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: “Writing With Fire”, the Indian documentary that chronicled the rise of a newspaper run by Dalit women, lost to “Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” in the best documentary feature category at the 94th edition of the Oscars, Hollywood’s biggest awards ceremony.

    The film, India’s sole representation at the Academy Awards, was considered a dark horse in the Oscars race with its feel-good story of Khabar Lahariya, India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women.

    It is directed by up-and-coming filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh.

    “Summer of Soul”, the winner in the category, is directed by the Roots frontman Ahmir Thompson, best known by his stage name Questlove.

    The documentary is backed by David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, and Joseph Patel, an American producer of Indian origin.

    For the film, Thompson arranged the never-seen-before archival footage of the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity, attended by 300,000 people in the summer of 1969.

    The “stunning” win of the movie was about “the marginalised people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain”, he said in his acceptance speech.

    “It’s not lost on me that the story of the Harlem Cultural Festival should have been something that my beautiful mother and my dad should have taken me to when I was five years old,” Thompson added.

    Overcome by emotion, the musician said Black cultural institutions and expressions are still ignored in contemporary pop culture.

    “Just know in 2022, this is not just a 1969 story about marginalised people in Harlem. This is a story of. I’m sorry, I’m just overwhelmed right now,” added Thompson.

    Like the best picture Oscar winner “CODA”, “Summer of Soul” was a festival favourite, winning both the grand jury and audience awards in the US Documentary Competition category upon its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2021.

    “Writing With Fire”, which also had its world premiere at Sundance last year, courted controversy a week ago when the Khabar Lahariya organisation, the subject of the documentary, issued a lengthy statement saying the documentary did not accurately present their story.

    It is not immediately clear whether the controversy affected the chances of the film, the winner of the audience award in the World Cinema Documentary category at Sundance, at the Oscars.

    Last week, Khabar Lahariya editor Kavita Bundelkhandi said the film portrayed the media collective “inaccurately” by insinuating that it only focuses on reporting on issues surrounding “one political party”.

    “The documentary portrays our work inaccurately because it shows only a part of what we do, and shows that ours is only about one political party,” Bundelkhandi told PTI without naming the political party.

    She said they were proud that a documentary was made on their achievements but wished it was a more rounded portrayal.

    Win or loss, the nomination in the final five at the Oscars is a huge achievement for the documentary community in India, which has been steadily making a mark for itself in the international festival circles.

    And Ghosh had said as much when the nominations were announced in February.

    “This is a massive moment for us and for Indian cinema. This film is about fearless Dalit women journalists who are redefining what being powerful means, quintessentially the story of the modern Indian woman,” Ghosh had told PTI.

    Other nominees in the best documentary feature category were “Ascension”, “Attica” and “Flee”.

  • Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Oscars brings focus on alopecia disorder

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Hollywood star Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars is making global headlines but the incident has also brought the focus on alopecia — a medical disorder that leads to varying degree of hair loss.

    During the Academy Awards ceremony, Smith slapped Rock on stage after the latter cracked a joke about the Hollywood star’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.

    The joke was in reference to Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head because of autoimmune disorder alopecia but it apparently didn’t go down well with Smith, who went up to the stage and slapped Rock.

    Dermatologists and hair care experts from Delhi to Mumbai concurred that as the disorder entails loss of hair, it often “affects the self-image and self-esteem” of people suffering from it.

    Doctors at leading hospitals in Delhi said alopecia could be “scarring” or “non-scarring” or alopecia areata, triggered by autoimmune conditions.

    Mumbai-based dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon Dr Sonali Kohli said there are multiple kinds of alopecia, largely depending on the degree of autoimmune disorder.

    The most common type is “alopecia areata”, which occurs in about one out of 1,000 people.

    “In this type, there could be a single or multiple patches of hair loss and both adult and children can get it.

    Alopecia is a genetic disorder, so children have the susceptibility of getting it even if one of their parents have it, but the degree of susceptibility could be different,” she told PTI.

    Other types of alopecia are — alopecia totalis (when entire scalp turns bald); alopecia ophiasis (when even the hair loss is also on occipital, temporal, and parietal regions of the scalp); and alopecia universalis (when the hair loss happens across the entire body), doctors said.

    Kohli said in this disorder, essentially the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss.

    Kohli said she was aware of the incident that took place during the Academy Awards ceremony when actor Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after he cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith.

    Kohli said unlike a disease like cancer which wrecks the body of a patient, this condition is such that it affects the “beauty” and “self-image” of a person due to loss of hair, and while in case of alopecia areata, some people wear a cap or something, and in case of alopecia totalis, many wear a wig or a hairpiece, it makes people conscious of their image.

    Smith, who later won the Best Actor award, tendered a tearful apology on stage, and said, “Love will make you do crazy things”, as his wife looked on sitting in the audience.

    As the incident has brought alopecia back under spotlight, many doctors said some of the Indian celebrities also have it, but they generally do no acknowledge it in public, as “actors in India ar considered God-like”.

    Dr D M Mahajan, senior consultant, dermatology, Apollo hospitals in Delhi said, both male and female are equally susceptible to this condition.

    In one type, there could be male-pattern alopecia or baldness or female-pattern alopecia or baldness.

    Also, non-scarring alopecia is “reversible” but scarring alopecia is “not reversible”, he said.

    “Also, people who have certain allergies are more susceptible to it,” the doctor said.

    Dr Rashmi Sharma, consultant, dermatology at Fortis Hospital at Vasant Kunj said while alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder largely, depression, anxiety and stress can also trigger it.

    “Every person has two per cent risk of developing this disorder or one in 1,000. And, both male and female are are equally susceptible, as are adults and children,” she said.

    Doctors said its treatment, depending on varying degree of disorder, could be use of topical ointment or intra-lesional steroid injection, among other interventions.

  • Oscars 2022: Will Smith punches Chris Rock over joke about wife Jada Pinkett

    By ANI

    LOS ANGELES: American actor Will Smith punched comedian Chris Rock after he got miffed at the latter’s joke directed at his wife Jada Pinkett Smith during the 94th Academy Awards.

    After slapping Rock, Smith walked back and used expletives, saying: “Keep my wife’s name out of your *** mouth”. As per Variety, Rock appeared on stage to present the Oscar for documentary feature and he then made a joke about Jada-Pinkett Smith (Will Smith’s wife) being in ‘G.I. Jane’ because of her shaved bald head.

    Initially, Smith was laughing but Jada clearly looked affected by the joke. Smith then took to the stage to punch Rock.

    Many in the ceremony looked stunned by the altercation. Diddy, who was the next presenter addressed the situation by saying: “Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family. Right now we’re moving on with love. Everybody make some nose.”

    Last year, Jada Pinkett Smith had announced that she shaved her head after struggling with alopecia. Talking about Will Smith, the actor is nominated in the Best Actor Category for ‘King Richard’.

    The 94th Academy Awards are being held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and the ceremony is being hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes. The nominations for the Oscars were announced on February 8 this year by actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan.

  • Oscars 2022: Deaf drama ‘CODA’ wins Oscar for best picture

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: “CODA,” the heartwarming indie drama about a deaf family defying the odds, on Sunday won the top prize on Oscars night for best picture.

    Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli presented the award to the film, which follows teenage Ruby — who can hear — as she juggles pursuing her musical ambitions with her family’s dependence on her to communicate. Deaf actors feature in several lead roles.

    It beat a crowded field that included “Belfast,” “The Power of the Dog” and “Dune” to take home the coveted prize from the 94th Academy Awards.

  • Oscars 2022: Oscars hold moment of silence for Ukraine

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: At the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night, attendees expressed support for Ukraine by going silent for 30 seconds.

    A tribute that started with words from the Ukrainian-born Mila Kunis ended with the Academy Awards fading to black about midway through the show, with a plea for anyone watching to do whatever possible to send help to those in the war-torn nation.

    “We’d like to have a moment of silence to show our support for the people of Ukraine currently facing invasion, conflict and prejudice within their own borders,” read the screen. “While film is an important avenue for us to express our humanity in times of conflict, the reality is millions of families in Ukraine need food, medical care, clean water and emergency services. Resources are scarce and we — collectively as a global community — can do more.”

    The tribute ended with a display of the following: “We ask you to support Ukraine in any way you are able. #StandWithUkraine.”

    Some arrived to the event wearing blue-and-gold ribbons, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Sean Penn had also campaigned for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — a former actor — to speak at the ceremony.

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda to skip Oscars ceremony following wife’s COVID-19 positive diagnosis

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker-playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda says he will give the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony a miss after his wife tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

    The award-winning singer-songwriter took to Twitter on Saturday to share the news, adding his wife and former lawyer Vanessa Nadal was doing well.

    “Made it to Hollywood” This weekend, my wife tested + (positive) for COVID. She’s doing fine. Kids & I have tested – (negative), but out of caution, I won’t be going to the Oscars tomorrow night,” Miranda wrote.

    Made it to Hollywood…This weekend, my wife tested for COVID.She’s doing fine. Kids & I have tested , but out of caution, I won’t be going to the Oscars tomorrow night. Cheering for my TickTickBoom & Encanto families w my own family, alongside all of you, ALL of you. -LMM
    — Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 26, 2022
    His directorial debut, “Tick, Tick BOOM!” is nominated for two Oscars, including the best actor nod for Andrew Garfield.

    Animated film “Encanto” is up for three golden statues in the categories of the best-animated feature, original score, and original song for Miranda.

    “Cheering for my TickTickBoom & Encanto families w my own family, alongside all of you, ALL of you (sic)” he added in the tweet.

    The record-breaking song from “Encanto” — “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” — will have its first live performance at the 94th edition of the Oscars at the Los Angeles Dolby Theatre.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy released updated COVID-19 protocols and guidelines on Friday following a spike in positive cases among attendees at this year’s BAFTAs.

    In line with the new protocols, “those who tested positive for COVID-19 and are within a zero to five-day window from the date of their first positive test are not permitted to attend under any circumstances,” among other requirements.

  • Beyonce confirmed to perform at Oscars 2022

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: After several reports suggested that Beyonce might perform at this year’s Oscars, the singer has now been officially confirmed to take the stage at the ceremony.

    As per Variety, apart from Beyonce, the other celebrities slated to take the stage include her Best Original Song nominees.

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Tuesday that Beyonce, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Reba McEntire, and Sebastian Yatra have been tapped to perform four of the five original songs nominated for Oscars this year.

    Beyonce will perform ‘Be Alive’ from ‘King Richard’, a song for which she is nominated alongside her co-writer Dixson. This would be her first live performance in almost two years.

    Beyonce hasn’t taken the stage for live performance since February 2020 when she performed ‘XO’ and ‘Halo’ at Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s A Celebration of Life. Two months later, amid the pandemic, she remotely joined other singing stars on Zoom for The Disney Family Singalong in April 2020 where she sang ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’.

    Her last performance on an award show stage was at the 2017 Grammy Awards where she sang ‘Love Drought’ and ‘Sandcastles’ off her sixth studio album ‘Lemonade’.

    Eilish and her brother Finneas will perform ‘No Time To Die’ from the Bond film of the same name. The pair are also nominees, having written the music and lyrics to the titular track.

    ‘Dos Oruguitas’ from the Disney movie ‘Encanto’ will be performed by Yatra. Music and lyrics for the song are by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is nominated this year for a second time following his 2017 nod for the song ‘How Far I’ll Go’ from ‘Moana’.

    McEntire will sing ‘Somehow You Do’ from the drama ‘Four Good Days’, starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis. The song was written and composed by Diane Warren, who is enjoying a whopping 13th nomination in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars this year.

    The fifth song nominated in the category is ‘Down To Joy’ from Belfast, with music and lyric by Van Morrison. However, due to his tour schedule, Morrison will not be able to attend the telecast, and his song will not be performed.

    This year’s ceremony, produced by Will Packer and Shayla Cowan, will be held on March 27 at the Dolby Theatre and will air live on ABC at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT. The award show will be hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. 

  • ‘West Side Story’ star Rachel Zegler reveals she wasn’t invited to the Oscars 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Rachel Zegler has revealed that she will not be at the Oscars to support “West Side Story” as she was not invited to the ceremony on Sunday.

    The Steven Spielberg directed musical is nominated for seven Oscars, including the best picture at the movie gala.

    Zegler plays the role of Maria in Spielberg’s ambitious new adaptation of the 1957 musical of the same name, which was later turned into a successful Hollywood movie in 1961.

    Zegler spoke about the missing invite when a fan asked her what she planned to wear for the Oscars.

    “I’m not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel,” the actor said in her reply.

    The comments left many of the actor’s fans angry as it is normal for stars to attend the ceremony to support the film even if they did not receive a nomination.

    The actor later wrote, “IDK y’all I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening. I will root for ‘West Side Story’ from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago. I hope some last-minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. thanks for all the shock and outrage, I’m disappointed, too. but that’s OK. So proud of our movie.”

    The 94th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 27