Hollywood
“There is not a single nude scene in Love & Passion,” clarifies David Wolfe
MUMBAI: Veteran Hollywood director David S Wolfe is livid. And very rightly so. He sacked his PR agent in Mumbai for running a story titled ‘Bengali bombshell actress Anjana B almost nude for a Hollywood film’, which was very widely reported in the online media. Wolfe who has done almost 100 short films and documentaries in a career spanning over 30 years in Hollywood is directing his first Bollywood film with a well-known male actor in the main lead, says content agency IndyaNewz.com. Bollywood actress and dancer Anjana B has been signed on as the female lead.
Anjana has acted in films like Zilla Gaziabad, Right Ya Wrong, Chashme Baddoor and others and is a renowned theatre artiste and Indian classical dancer. She has been trained for over 10 years in Bharat Natayam and Kathak and has given about 250 Indian classical performances till date. Wolfe in a statement to the content agency said, “I signed on Anjana as she is a very good actor after auditioning for three days in Mumbai and meeting almost 50 prospective actors who were shortlisted by the casting agents in Mumbai. She has done theatre in Mumbai and Kolkata for several years and is an established classical dancer. She has a great figure, but that does not mean there is any nudity in my film. The PR agent goofed up in her enthusiasm to get the news published causing great harm to my project. She even spelt the lead actresses name incorrectly.”
“We are making this film at a budget of over Rs 100 crore. It is a big budget film and will be screened both in India as well as all over the world. It is in two versions – one for the Hollywood market in English and another version or edition for the Indian market,” Wolfe explained.
Love & Passion will be aesthetically shot in locales like Scotland, Thailand and in southern parts of India including Goa and Pondicherry, Wolfe revealed.
Wolfe is the producer and owner of Weeping Shadow Films from Sussex, Great Britain and has tied up with a Hollywood studio for international distribution of Love & Passion. The film is expected to be released in November 2014 and will go on floor in late June this year.
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
