Entertainment: Drab comedy punctures ‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’

Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi is a romantic comedy film, starring Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Vir Das, Payal Ghosh and Prem Chopra has released on Friday. This film is directed by Sanjay Chhel and produced by Bharat Patel of Bholenath Movies.

The story is about a Punjabi, played by Rishi Kapoor and a Gujarati, played by Paresh Rawal, whose children are getting married to each other. Payal Ghosh will debut as Paresh Rawal's daughter, who plays the love interest of Rishi Kapoor's son, to be played by Vir Das.

There is situational comedy and some cliched dialogues about Punjabis and Gujaratis in the film. However, the film fails miserably to make the audience laugh wholeheartedly. On top of that, songs like ‘Maaro line toh tabiyat fine’ and ‘Seeti maar’ make the film even more distasteful.

On the performance front, Rishi Kapoor as Guggi Tandon is every inch the loud Punjabi man, who loves his whiskey and women, but has a heart of gold. Vir Das tries hard as Monty Tandon, the brash Punjabi puttar turned devoted lover to impress you with his histrionics and perhaps his comic streak, but nose-dives as the script short-changes him. Paresh Rawal, who is playing Hasmukh Patel delivers nothing that we have not seen him do before.

Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal will be seen together for the first time in 20 years.

Salman Khan receives Global Diversity Award

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been honoured with the Global Diversity Award 2017 in the British Parliament House. He was honoured for his contribution to the Indian film industry in various fields.

Keith Vaz, the longest serving Indian-origin MP in Parliament, has presented the award.

“Salman Khan is a role model and a hero to millions of people worldwide. Besides his Indian cinema success, Salman is a well- known philanthropist and his NGO Being Human has done life changing work supporting the underprivileged in India. It is a tremendous honour to present him with the award. I am proud that young Asians worldwide have role models like Salman Khan,” said Keith.

Elated Salman said that the award is a tremendous honour for him. “My father would never have believed that I would make it here. I would like to thank the fans for the respect that they have shown me. Although I have received many film awards, this is the first I have received personally so I am incredibly humbled,”said Salman.

Earlier, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, actor Aishwarya Rai, action icon Jackie Chan, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, American Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton have received the award.

I only pray my son is not like me: Sanjay Dutt

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, is coming back to films with Bhoomi, a father-daughter story directed by Omung Kumar. The actor, whose life was caught in a web of drugs and legal hassles, says as a father, he does not want his son to be like him.

Sanjay fought a battle with drugs and went to rehab and even served a jail term. He was arrested for illegal possession of arms in a case related to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, in which over 250 people were killed and several hundred were wounded.

At the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit on Saturday, Sanjay spoke uninhibitedly about his journey and struggles, reported IANS.

“I try to teach them the values of life, give them ‘sanskaar’, and teach them (that) respect for elders is very important even if they are your servants... And that you’ve got to value life. I only pray my son is not like me. Because what my dad went through, I don't want to go through that.”

“Always listen to your parents and never keep any company that's bad for you. Be safe. You go with the law of the land, and (I) promise, nothing will happen,” said Sanjay, who spoke about how his conviction in the Arms Act was based on a piece of paper in which he purportedly confessed possessing a weapon.

Drugs are an easy escape, he admitted, but said the fact that “it's related with being really cool, is bad” because it can lead to addiction and draws people in a vicious cycle.

Actor Harry Dean Stanton dead at 91

Actor Harry Dean Stanton, who spent six decades of his life in showbiz and is best known for his roles in Pretty in Pink, Twin Peaks and Repo Man, is dead. He was 91.

He breathed his last at the Cedars-Sinai hospital on Friday, John Kelly of Bresler Kelly & Associates said in a statement.

Born in Kentucky, Stanton served in the US Navy during World War II, fighting in the Battle of Okinawa. He moved to Los Angeles, and forayed into filmdom with the 1957 movie Tomahawk Trail.

He also featured in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part II and David Lynch's Wild at Heart.

Lynch, who cast him in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, The Straight Story , mourned the actor's death.

He said in a statement: “There's nobody like Harry Dean. Everyone loved him. And with good reason. He was a great actor (actually beyond) -- and a great human being -- so great to be around him!”

Author Stephen King paid condolences, and tweeted: “Harry Dean Stanton had the best line in Christine': 'I'm selling' this shithole and buyin a condo'. Rest in peace, HD. You were great.”

With inputs from IANS