Hollywood
Brett Lee all set for his new innings
MUMBAI: After a legendary inning in cricket, Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee is all set to star in his first lead role as an actor in an Indo-Australian romantic comedy.
Titled UnIndian, the movie is the first feature to be produced by the recently established Australia India Film Fund (AIFF). Lee will share screen space with Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee.
The announcement about the upcoming film was done by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Indian cricket’s living legend Sachin Tendulkar during their meet at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.
Written by Thushy Saathi and to be directed by Anupam Sharma, the movie will be shot primarily in Sydney. Sharma and Lisa Duff are co-producing the film while Chandru Tolani is the executive producer.
After being part of a Bollywood film and music video, former Australia cricketer Brett Lee is all set to become a full-time actor in an Indo-Australian romantic comedy, aptly titled ‘UnIndian’.
“I’m honoured to have been cast as a lead in the first AIFF film, privileged to be working with Anupam Sharma and humbled to be working with an actress of the calibre of Tannishtha Chatterjee,” Lee said in a statement.
Lee plays the role of a happy-go-lucky man who falls in love with divorcee and single mother, Meera (Chatterjee). The movie is set to go into production in October and expected to hit the theatres in March 2015.
While this is not Lee’s first stint with movies, he has earlier done a cameo in Hindi film Victory starring Harman Baweja and has also featured in a music video with Asha Bhosle, Chatterjee is best known for her role in Brick Lane (2007), a British film.
AIFF was established in 2013 to invest in Australian films with Indian themes for a global audience.
The 37-year-old pacer, announced his retirement from international cricket in 2012, however, the cricketer still plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League.
Hollywood
Who won what at the Oscars 2026? Full winners list from the 98th Academy Awards
A night of history, high drama, and gingery wit at the 98th Academy Awards
LOS ANGELES: If the 98th Academy Awards taught us anything, it is that Hollywood still loves a tortured genius and a well-timed ginger joke. While the night was technically a coronation for Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling war drama One Battle After Another, the real battle was fought in the stalls of the Dolby Theatre as host Conan O’Brien unleashed a monologue that was part roast, part group therapy session.
The evening belonged to the cinematic heavyweights. One Battle After Another lived up to its title, clinching Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Anderson, the perennial bridesmaid of the Oscars, finally took home the big prizes, cementing his status as the industry’s favourite auteur.
In the acting categories, Michael B. Jordan made history. Winning Best Actor for his visceral performance in the supernatural thriller Sinners, he became only the fourth Black man to win the trophy. His speech was a masterclass in humility, though he spared a moment to thank his trainer for “making me look like I could actually fight a demon.”
The history books were rewritten several times over. Autumn Durald Arkapaw shattered a long-standing glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to win Best Cinematography for Sinners. Meanwhile, the newly minted Best Achievement in Casting category saw its inaugural trophy go to the ensemble of One Battle After Another.
Returning to the stage with his signature quiff and self-deprecating bite, Conan O’Brien did not hold back. He began by acknowledging the elephant in the room: his own presence.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he quipped. “Why is the ghost of a Victorian chimney sweep hosting the Oscars? It’s because AI is too expensive and I work for sandwiches.”
The controversy kicked off when he turned his sights on the Best Visual Effects nominees. Pointing at the Avatar: Fire and Ash table, he remarked:
“James Cameron has spent so much money on blue people that the actual ocean is now jealous of his budget. Jim, at some point, you have to admit this is just a very expensive aquarium hobby.”
He also took a cheeky swipe at the trend of method acting, specifically targeting Sean Penn.
“Sean stayed in character for so long that his own family had to serve him a subpoena just to get him to come to Sunday roast,” O’Brien joked, to a mix of nervous titters and Penn’s trademark stony glare.
The night was not without its “did he really say that?” moments. During a bit about the length of the telecast, O’Brien noted that the show was running so long that:
“By the time we get to Best Picture, the winner will have already been rebooted as a gritty limited series on Max.”
He also touched on the industry’s obsession with youth, pointing at a young starlet and saying:
“You’re so young that your first memory is actually a TikTok of this monologue.”
While most took it in stride, some critics on social media called the joke “typical boomer energy,” though O’Brien seemed entirely unfazed.
The full winners’ circle:
Best Picture: One Battle After Another
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Best Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Best Animated Feature: K-Pop: Demon Hunters
Best Original Song: “Golden” from K-Pop: Demon Hunters
As the curtains closed and the A-list headed for the after-parties, the mood was one of relief. Hollywood had managed to celebrate its past while poking fun at its increasingly digital future. Whether the night belonged to the war heroes of PTA or the witty barbs of a tall redhead remains a matter of debate.
