Entertainment: Depp apologises for comment on Trump 

Hollywood star Johnny Depp found himself in hot water over violent commentary aimed at US President Donald Trump. During an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, the actor joked about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln saying, “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to qualify, I am not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it has been a while and maybe it is time.”

After the news of Depp’s comments broke, the White House issued a statement strongly condemning the joke and calling on others in Hollywood to speak out.

The 54-year-old actor promptly apologised for joking about assassinating US President Donald Trump and said, “I apologise for the bad joke I attempted last night in poor taste about President Trump. It did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice. I was only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone,” Depp said in a statement.

Depp is famous for essaying the role of Jack Sparrow in the film series Pirates of the Caribbean.

Sultan wins Best Action Movie at Shanghai

The Salman Khan starrer Sultan becomes the first Indian film to win Best Action Movie Award at the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival. After sports drama Dangal, Sultan also gained popularity in China.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar took to Twitter to share the news about the film’s win.

Currently, Ali is busy with his next directorial Tiger Zinda Hai starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. The 20th Shanghai International Film Festival started on 17 June and will conclude on 26 June.

Alia,Vicky Raazi for Meghna’s thriller

After receiving applause for essaying the role of a Bihari migrant in Udta Punjab, Alia Bhatt will now play a Kashmiri girl in Meghna Gulzar’s next Raazi.

Alia will be seen as the wife of a Pakistani army officer played by Masaan actor Vicky Kaushal. The plot revolves around a spy who sacrifices herself and her family for the service of the nation, so that all may live in peace. Alia shared her excitement about doing the film on Twitter.

Her co-star in the film, Vicky Kaushal also expressed his happiness on teaming up with Meghna Gulzar.

Based on Harinder Sikka's novel Calling Sehmat, the movie is produced by Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions.

Azmi, Kher in Australian academy award jury

Bollywood biggies Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher are all set to serve as the jury members on Australian Academy’s inaugural Best Asian Film Award. Headed by Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, the veteran actors will be joined by six other jurors on the panel. The six other jurors will be Chinese director Lu Chuan, South Korean writer Kim Ki-Duk, Chinese actor Ye Liu, producer Gary Kurtz, British producer Adam Torel and Australian film critic Margaret Pomeranz.

Unveiled at the Shanghai International Film on June 21, the award ceremony will see the jury giving away awards under the aegis of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) at its annual awards ceremony in Sydney in December.

Talking about the event, AACTA CEO, Damian Trewhella says, “As the Asian screen industry continues to grow and the traditional borders to content distribution are breaking down, audiences across the world are discovering what other regions have to offer. There is a strong audience demand for Asian cinema in Australia and an increase in co-productions between Western and Asian filmmakers. We want to continue to make more cultural and film industry connections between filmmakers and audiences...”

Films from 19 countries across the region, including China, India, South Korea and Japan, will be eligible to compete. The inaugural award will serve as the centre of attraction of the Academy's new Asia International Engagement Programme.

Gowariker to give Masterclass at BFI

British Film Institute (BFI) has invited filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar to London for a masterclass on cinema. The 53-year-old will be delivering the lecture on June 23 which is a part of the London Indian Film Festival. The Festival opens on June 22.

Gowarikar’s Jodhaa Akbar will be screened on June 25. The elated filmmaker said, “Honoured to be there at the oldest and most prestigious institute in the world - the BFI. It has always been a great source of movies and a very resourceful library. Cinema discussions as an art form are in abundance here.”

With a reach of over 150 million worldwide, London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) is Europe's largest South Asian film festival and takes place in London and Birmingham over 11 screens.

With inputs from PTI