Entertainment: Honoured to be a new Academy member says Deepika

The XXX actress Deepika Padukone has become the newest member in the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts & Sciences (AMPAS). The actress says she feels honoured to be included in the Class of 2017. The 31-year-old actress took to Twitter to share her excitement.

Following two years of sharp criticism and back-to-back ceremonies with an all-white slate of acting nominees, AMPAS last month invited a record 774 new members from 57 countries around the world to join the organisation’s ranks.

Apart from Deepika, Priyanka Chopra has also joined the Academy Class of 2017. Other Indian stars who have been invited to join the Academy and vote in the Oscars include the likes of, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, filmmakers Goutam Ghose, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Salman Khan and Irrfan Khan.

Amitabh’s Khoon Pasina with Tiger

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan shared a picture from his 40-year-old hit film Khoon Pasina, where he is seen fighting a tiger. He took a trip down memory lane as he wrote:

Big B played the role of a local criminal in the 1977 flick. In the black and white picture, Bachchan can be seen lying on the ground with the tiger.

The photo was taken while the actor rehearsed for a scene.

Raazi to recreate Kashmir in Mumbai

Alia Bhatt is gearing for her upcoming movie Raazi. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film is based on Harinder Sikka's bestselling novel, Calling Sehmat. The movie revolves around a Kashmiri spy (Alia Bhatt) who gets married to a Pakistani Army Officer (Vicky Kaushal).

Earlier, the team had decided to start the shoot in Kashmir but because of ongoing violence, the makers have now decided to recreate Kashmir in the studios of Mumbai. A large set will be erected in Film City where most of the indoor sequences will be shot.

“A few local Kashmiri workers are building the set. Since the decor of the homes has to be authentic, local Kashmiri artworks and curios will be flown down by the producers. The set will take a few weeks to be complete,” a unit member said.