ISL 2020-21: Bengaluru's blues to Spanish imprint, key takeaways from league stage

It was a final matchday that promised to deliver so much and in the end it did, with Mumbai City FC wresting back top spot from ATK Mohun Bagan after doing the double over them and clinching that much desired AFC Champions League place in the process.

Elsewhere, FC Goa booked their place in the semi-finals after holding on for a goalless draw against Hyderabad FC despite a nerve-wracking last few minutes. And with that, the league stage of the Indian Super League 2020-21 came to end.

It has been a strange season in many ways, not least because of the COVID bio-bubble the players, staff, and officials were forced into. Here are some of the talking points that shaped the season.

East Bengal join big boys’ table

Less than two months before the start of the season, East Bengal officially became the 11th franchise of the ISL after the Kolkata-based Shree Cement Limited acquired a majority stake in the club. This development reunited them with arch-rivals Mohun Bagan who merged with ATK earlier on. With a short pre-season and a squad equipped for the I-League, as head coach Robbie Fowler pointed out earlier on in the season, the Red and Golds endured a difficult start to the season, failing to even find the back of the net in their first four games, and winning only in their eighth.

Following some press conference rants and touchline bans, Fowler got them back on track, playing some good football along the way and introducing the ISL to the irresistible Bright Enobakhare, whose solo goal against FC Goa will live long in the memory. Finishing ninth will be a disappointment to one of the country’s legacy clubs but they will be hopeful of kicking on from their debut season.

Lobera perfect for using City Group blueprint

During his time as FC Goa coach, Sergio Lobera made it clear that he was not a man who would change his philosophy even if things weren’t going his way. It was these principles that made Mumbai City FC sit up, take notice and eventually offer him a job, and boy has he delivered. The Islanders play an attractive, possession-based style of football that would make their big bosses in Abu Dhabi and Manchester proud. City Football Group have made it clear that they would like to see a similar style of play implemented throughout their teams across the world thereby making it easier for players to internally swap teams and make the transition easier. Will a Mumbai City player be playing at the Etihad Stadium soon then? Probably not.

Habas forced into releasing handbrake, with delightful results

Throughout his various stints at clubs in the Indian Super League, Antonio Habas has always favoured a pragmatic approach with his teams sitting compact, hard to beat, and a threat on the counter-attack. This season started no differently as they ground out 1-0 wins which had neutral viewers snoozing. But after the 0-1 defeat against title rivals Mumbai City, the Spaniard surprised us by naming as many as four attacking players in the matches to come. January loan signing Marcelinho, Manvir Singh, Roy Krishna, and David Williams clicked spectacularly after a few games and the goals started to flow for ATKMB like never before. More of the same please, Señor Habas.

Bengaluru’s first real rough spell

Bengaluru FC have been country’s model club since their formation in 2013 with their smart recruitment domestically and internationally, but for the first time, they are facing real questions.

There is talk of players leaving and a freshening up of the squad is certainly a step in the right direction after a sustained period of success. Despite having promoted Carles Cuadrat to the top post, there seemed to be a lack of planning on the field, with the Spaniard correctly pointing out a lack of backing in the transfer market to replace outgoing stalwarts in key positions. The appointment of former Germany youth team coach Marco Pezzaiouli is an intriguing one and it will be interesting to see how he gets on in the AFC Cup this summer before domestic duties resume next season.

Aussies join the party

To fulfill their Asian player quota, all ISL clubs bar Chennaiyin FC set their sights Down Under to tap Australian players of varied talent. With seemingly better finances on offer than in the A-League, we were given a glimpse of what these Socceroos had to offer and they were success stories in most cases. The bar was already set by Erik Paartalu and David Williams but Kerala Blasters’ Jordan Murray and Hyderabad FC’s Joel Chianese found themselves among the goals while Scott Neville and Dylan Fox acquitted themselves well for East Bengal and NorthEast United respectively. Former Premier League striker Adam Le Fondre however, takes the cake with his goals powering Mumbai City to the top spot.

Usual suspects bring up the rear

It was yet another disappointing season for the Kerala Blasters, considering their finances and inimitable fanbase would really be hoping to be competing at the top of the table. With a less than convincing Albino Gomes between the sticks, a shaky backline, and a midfield that never clicked, Kibu Vicuna got the axe before the end of an underwhelming campaign.

Rahul KP was one of the bright sparks, along with Murray and the revitalised Jessel Carneiro but the same cannot be said of Sahal Abdul Samad who continues to be inconsistent. Odisha FC have had it even worse, not even registering double figures on the points tally until an absolutely bonkers last game of the season against East Bengal. Stuart Baxter’s appalling comments and immediate dismissal makes it a season to well and truly forget for a franchise struggling to make their mark in this league. Top scorer Diego Mauricio brought a few smiles and he will have no shortage of suitors for next season.

Goa, NEUFC, and Hyderabad thrill neutrals

Mumbai City and ATK Mohun lived up to their pre-season billing of favourites but the chasing pack of FC Goa, NorthEast United, and Hyderabad FC certainly caught the eye with some positive football and especially the performances of their Indian players. Juan Ferrando had the unenviable task of replacing Sergio Lobera but he has met, if not surpassed expectations with a top-four finish.

Gerard Nus had NEUFC going at a steady pace but Khalid Jamil has turned it up a notch with a great deal of help from Federico Gallego, Luis Machado, Deshorn Brown, and “Apuia” Lalengmawia. The Highlanders are dark horses for the title, having already beaten the top two during the league stage. Hyderabad fell short of the semi-finals on the last day of the season but Manolo Marquez has worked wonders with a squad that finished bottom last time round. Well-drilled, easy on the eye, and lethal on the counter, Hyderabad FC used their domestic contingent to the fullest and as a result, we have on our hands some real prospects like Asish Rai, Liston Colaco, Akash Mishra, and Mohammed Yasir.

Route-one football no longer the norm

The days of hoofing the ball up the field seem to be a thing of the past as the Indian Super League has caught up with the global tactical trend of a possession-based style of play. This is evident from the fact that seven out of 11 franchises started the season with Spanish coaches and Spain being the most represented country amongst the foreign player contingent in the league. Indian players have definitely benefitted from playing this kind of technical game and this has attributed to the development of the likes of Brandon Fernandes, Rowllin Borges, and Suresh Singh Wangjam who could become mainstays in the national team for years to come.

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IMPPA writes letter to Maharashtra government highlighting lack of subsidy for Marathi film industry

Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) has asked the Maharashtra government to address the lack of adequate subsidy to the Marathi film industry.

In a letter to Cabinet Minister for Medical Education and Cultural Affairs Amit Deshmukh, the film body asked the government to form a Subsidy Approval Committee that would address the issue.

"Marathi film industry has revived in a big way because of the subsidy for Marathi films provided by the Government of Maharashtra which subsidy is what has enabled Marathi film producers to survive despite very poor market conditions and due to subsidy being available more and more producers are planning and starting new Marathi films in the hope of receiving substantial amount as subsidy from the Maharashtra Government (sic)," says the letter, according to Free Press Journal.

The film body states that producers from the Marathi film industry are facing financial problems due to the non-payment of the subsidy amount by the Maharashtra government.

IMPPA says that the dismal state of the Marathi film industry is due to a three-year delay in formation of the committee meant to view, evaluate and decide the amount films should receive. More than 300 films are eligible for payment, have even applied for the same, but are yet to receive a response.

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Nani announces HIT sequel as cop thriller clocks one year: 'Time to go on a nail biting journey'

Telugu actor Nani on Sunday had a big announcement. On the first anniversary of his last year blockbuster, HIT The First Case, Nani took to Twitter and announced the sequel to the mystery-thriller, adding there couldn't have been a better occasion for the news.

Check out the announcement here

1 year of HIT today

What better day to announce Part 2

You've seen how Vikram Rudraraju of Telangana HIT has taken you on an edge of the seat ride.

Now it’s time for KD of AP HIT to take us on a nail biting journey

KD ? 😈 @KolanuSailesh @walpostercinema

— Nani (@NameisNani) February 28, 2021

The first franchise of HIT -- ‘Homicide Intervention Team’ -- was directed by debutant Sailesh Kolanu. According to The New Minute, it was a story of a top cop suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder and tasked to uncover the mystery behind a case. The first film starred Vishwak Sen and Ruhani Sharma and received a good response at the box office following which Nani had expressed the desire to convert the film into a franchise.

Director Sailesh, too, announced the new development on Twitter

And we're back!! As we complete one year of HIT, I would like to thank everyone who's been a part of this journey and for supporting HIT. What better day to announce HIT 2 than today..Stay tuned for more updates ! #HIT2 #1yearofHIT @NameisNani pic.twitter.com/YHGzh7Q4HW — Sailesh Kolanu (@KolanuSailesh) February 28, 2021

Meanwhile, Nani will next be seen in Tuck Jagadish, a directorial venture of Shiva Nirmana. The film, which was initially scheduled for 16 April release, will now hit the theatres on 23 April.

Interestingly, a Hindi remake of HIT is also on the cards with Rajkumar Rao in the lead. While Dil Raju is attached to produce, Kolanu will helm the Hindi version as well.

The director said he has been following Rao's work since 2011's critically-acclaimed film Shaitaan, in which the actor played the role of a police officer.

"He is a terrific actor and has managed to surprise us every time with his performances. I am really excited to be working with Rajkummar Rao and Dil Raju sir on this project," Kolanu said.

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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle open up on 'unbelievably tough’ split from royal life, on Oprah Winfrey special

Prince Harry says the process of separating from royal life has been very difficult for him and his wife, Meghan.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry invoked the memory of his late mother, Princess Diana, who had to find her way alone after she and Prince Charles divorced.

“I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her going through this process by herself all those years ago,” Harry said, adding, “because it’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us.”

“But at least we have each other,” Harry said, in a clip from the interview special, which is scheduled to air 7 March on CBS and the following day in Britain. Diana was shown in a photo holding toddler Harry as he made the comments. His mother died in 1997 of injuries suffered in a car crash.

Harry and Meghan sat opposite Winfrey and side-by-side, holding hands during the interview that was conducted in a lush garden setting. The couple lives in Montecito, California, where they are neighbours of Winfrey. Meghan, who recently announced she is pregnant with the couple’s second child, wore an empire-style black dress with embroidery. Harry wore a light gray suit and white dress shirt, minus a tie.

As for Meghan Markle, the actor starred in the TV legal drama Suits. She married Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson at Windsor Castle in May 2018, and their son, Archie, was born a year later.

The brief promotional clip was one of two that aired Sunday during CBS’ news magazine 60 Minutes. Winfrey’s questions and comment were predominant in the other clip, including her statement that “You said some pretty shocking things here,” without an indication of what she was referring to. Meghan was not heard from in the clips.

See the promo clip below

CBS Presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A Primetime Special in one week. #OprahMeghanHarry pic.twitter.com/WCyoHDMCaP

— CBS (@CBS) March 1, 2021

Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in March 2020, unhappy at media scrutiny and the strictures of their roles. They cited what they described as the intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media toward the duchess, who is African American.

It was agreed the situation would be reviewed after a year. On Friday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the couple will not be returning to royal duties and Harry will give up his honorary military titles — a decision that makes formal, and final, the couple’s split from the royal family.

The pair, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, verified “they will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family. “

A spokesperson for the couple hit back at suggestions that Meghan and Harry were not devoted to duty.

“As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the U.K. and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Watch the promo clip here

(With inputs from The Associated Press)

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IPL 2021: RCB's new recruit Glenn Maxwell is excited to play alongside Virat Kohli, eager to learn leadership lessons from him

Wellington: Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is chuffed about playing alongside and learning from Virat Kohli in the upcoming IPL, calling the Indian captain "the pinnacle of the game" for his dominance across formats.

The Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore bought Maxwell, who was released by Punjab Kings after an ordinary IPL in 2020, for a whopping Rs 14.25 crore at the auctions last month.

"It's (RCB stint) going to be next level," Maxwell told Australian Associated Press (AAP).

"He's (Kohli) been the pinnacle of the game for a while as a multi-format player from Tests all the way to T20s.

"He's been able to adapt his game, dominate for a long period of time and deal with the Indian pressure of being their captain and their best player," Maxwell added.

The Indian Premier League is scheduled to start in the second week of April and the swashbuckling all-rounder hopes to pick up some leadership qualities from the Indian skipper, who will also be Maxwell's captain at RCB.

"I'm looking forward to watching him go about his work, not just in games but in training, and hopefully tapping into some of the leadership stuff and try and learn off him."

The 32-year-old said that he has developed a "good friendship" with Kohli over the years, adding that the Indian maestro backed him when he took a mental health break in 2019.

"He's been a solid backer of my stance," Maxwell said.

"In a way he probably understood a lot of the things that I was going through ... a lot of expectation and pressure, which I'm sure he can relate to."

Kohli, who recently opened up about his own battle with depression during a harrowing tour of England in 2014, had lauded Maxwell's decision to take a break.

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Warner Bros′ live-action-animation hybrid Tom & Jerry opens to $13.7 mn at US box office

A not-so-distant recovery for movie theaters could be glimpsed Sunday, as Warner Bros′ live-action-animation hybrid Tom & Jerry debuted with $13.7 million in ticket sales, the best domestic opening of the year.

The better-than-expected opening came despite just 42 percent of US theaters being open, according to data firm Comscore. Tom & Jerry also played in 2,475 North American cinemas simultaneously as it did in the home, where it’s streaming on HBO Max for a month.

Yet Tom & Jerry still managed the second-best opening of the pandemic following Warner Bros′ Wonder Woman 1984, which launched with $16.7 million in December while also landing on HBO Max. The next-closest debuts — Tenet, The Croods: A New Age — eked out about $10 million on opening weekend.

“With half of theaters still closed, the pandemic still a threat, and Tom & Jerry available at home, this is a very good opening,” said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Under normal circumstances, this weekend would comfortably be above $35 million -- a positive sign for the business and for theatrical’s pull over home entertainment.”

Tom & Jerry has also made $25.1 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total to $38.8 million, according to studio estimates. The film, directed by Tim Story and based on the characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, stars Chloë Grace Moretz.

Theaters in some crucial markets are also about to come on line. On Friday, New York City theaters will be allowed to open at 25 percent capacity for the first time since they closed last March. Next week, Disney launches the animated Raya and the Last Dragon in theaters and on Disney+ for $30, not counting the subscription cost.

Though Warner Bros. was criticised by some for abandoning movie theaters when it announced plans to send all 2021 films to both HBO Max and cinemas, the studio is presently a lifeline to theaters. The studio’s films — including The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah and Wonder Woman 1984 — accounted for roughly 80 percent of domestic ticket sales over the weekend.

Private rental bookings are helping the modest return of moviegoing. Family, friends and “pods” have booked an entire theater. Warner Bros. said Tom & Jerry has already seen more than 10,000 such bookings.

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Swara Bhaskar, Shikha Talsania, Meher Vij, Pooja Chopra cast in upcoming film Jahaan Chaar Yaar

Swara Bhaskar, Shikha Talsania, Meher Vij and Pooja Chopra are roped in to star in Jahaan Chaar Yaar.

The movie also marks the directorial debut of writer Kamal Pandey. Having penned films like Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns, Shagird and Shakthi: The Power (dialogue), Mr Pandey now helms the director’s hat with Jahaan Chaar Yaar.

Check out the announcement here

SWARA - SHIKHA - MEHER - POOJA: FILM ANNOUNCEMENT... #SwaraBhasker, #ShikhaTalsania, #MeherVij and #PoojaChopra star in #JahaanChaarYaar... Directorial debut of writer Kamal Pandey... Produced by Vinod Bachchan... Filming starts 5 March 2021... Will be shot in #UP and #Goa. pic.twitter.com/fujrcMts0u

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 1, 2021

The film follows the story of four friends, trapped in a rut of hapless monotony. With grown children and distant husbands, their middle-class lives have nothing to look forward to, until a getaway to Goa turns into a thrilling roller coaster they never bargained for. Their journey from demure housewives to daring dames forms the crux of the movie.

Bachchan says in a press release, “As cinemas open their doors again, it is a matter of time till audiences open their hearts again; we just need to welcome them back with a rocking film! Jahaan Chaar Yaar is an empowering tale of friendship filled with engaging twists and turns. I am sure it will reignite the glory of big-screen entertainment.”

Jahaan Chaar Yaar, a Soundrya Productions film, is produced by Vinod Bachchan.

Scheduled to be shot in locales of Uttar Pradesh and Goa, Jahaan Chaar Yaar will go on floors from the 5 March.

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Premier League: 'Written off' Liverpool still ready to fight, says Jurgen Klopp after 2-0 win at Sheffield United

Sheffield: Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool can prove the doubters that have written their season off wrong after snapping a four-game Premier League losing streak to win 2-0 at Sheffield United on Sunday.

The English champions' title defence has been decimated by injuries and they face a battle just to qualify for next season's Champions League via a top-four finish.

Klopp's men remain in sixth, but are now just two points behind fourth-placed West Ham and can leapfrog Chelsea in fifth when the Blues visit Anfield on Thursday.

"Plenty of people have written us off. That's fine," said Klopp. "With all the problems we have had we're still around the exciting places."

Captain Jordan Henderson has been added to Liverpool's long-term injury list, while goalkeeper Alisson Becker was absent after he lost his father to a swimming accident in Brazil this week.

But the Championship-bound Blades proved the perfect opponents for Klopp's men to restore some confidence as Curtis Jones's second-half strike and Kean Bryan's own goal got the Reds back to winning ways.

"This was about us showing we're still there," added Klopp.

"We play Chelsea on Thursday, we have to show it again. We have to win football games, we know that. There's no way into the Champions League without results."

With Alisson's understudy Caoimhin Kelleher also absent due to injury, Liverpool's third-choice goalkeeper Adrian started in the Premier League for the first time since conceding nine goals in two games in October to Aston Villa and Everton.

However, the much-maligned Spaniard made an important early save to prevent David McGoldrick from giving Sheffield United a shock lead.

Most of the action was taking place down the other end as Aaron Ramsdale brilliantly denied Roberto Firmino, who should have teed up Jones for a tap-in.

The former Bournemouth stopper also did well to block from Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Georginio Wijnaldum, while Firmino's lack of confidence showed as he tried to tee up Sadio Mane rather than go for an open goal from a narrow angle.

Liverpool's breakthrough finally came three minutes into the second period when Alexander-Arnold was deemed not to have run the ball out of play before his cross was turned by Firmino into the path of Jones to slot home the opening goal.

The same two players were involved again for the second as this time the Brazilian's shot took a huge deflection off Bryan.

Firmino was denied his first goal in seven games with the goal credited to the defender.

"He had a goal," said Klopp. "For him, it counts, if it's not in the stats, I don't care."

Andy Robertson and Salah were guilty of passing up more clear-cut chances that could have given the scoreline the reflection Liverpool's dominance deserved.

Sheffield United are still 15 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table and manager Chris Wilder admitted his side lacked the quality to challenge even a depleted Liverpool.

"You have to have your best players available and be at the top of your form and unfortunately we are not," said Wilder.

"We had a right go but lacked quality and strength in depth. You need a bit more in this division because it's brutal and it exposes you."

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NZC shifts remaining Australia men's and England women's T20Is to Wellington due to logistical reasons

Wellington: New Zealand's upcoming T20 International against Australian men and their women's national team fixture against England, slated to be held in Tauranga, were on Monday moved to Wellington due to logistical reasons.

The double header -- the Black Caps' final T20I against Australia and the New Zealand women's team's T20 fixture against England on Sunday -- will be held behind closed doors, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said.

"The change has been forced on NZC because of logistical complications arising from the transfer of this Friday's second double-header from Auckland to Wellington," NZC said in a statement.

Last week, the NZC had shifted Friday's double headers from the Eden Park to Wellington, after COVID-19 alert Level 3 restrictions were imposed in Auckland, which doesn't allow any sports event to take place.

The rest of the country has been placed in Level 2 of the alert system which means that matches will have to take place behind closed doors.

"The current Alert Level 2 protocols in Wellington mean all three double-headers on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, will be played behind closed doors."

"Tickets purchased for matches affected by Alert Level restrictions will automatically receive full refunds to the card or bank account number from which they were paid," NZC added.

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Collin Morikawa cruises to WGC victory, pays tribute to Tiger Woods

Miami: Collin Morikawa fired a three-under-par 69 to clinch a three-shot victory at the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship in Florida on Sunday.

The 24-year-old PGA Championship winner, who led by two after Saturday's third round, relied on the accurate iron play and nerveless putting to close out victory at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton.

Morikawa's final round saw him finish on 18 under with a 72-hole aggregate 270, three shots clear of Viktor Hovland, Brooks Koepka, and Billy Horschel on 15 under.

After an early stumble when he bogeyed the par-four second, Morikawa recovered his composure to play flawlessly thereafter.

A 195-yard second shot on the fifth hole left him with a seven-foot birdie putt which he duly rolled in to return to even for the round.

A deft bunker shot on the seventh set up another birdie chance which he converted and he made the turn at two under after making an 11-foot birdie putt on the ninth.

Another birdie putt on the 12th saw him move to 18 under overall and he then rattled off six straight pars down the stretch to bag the fourth PGA Tour win of a professional career that is still less than two years old.

"It shows that I can come out here and compete," Morikawa said after prevailing against a strong field that included nearly every player in the world's top 50. 

"What a week. I was working on so much these past couple of weeks. My game felt so good, I'm just so excited right now."

Morikawa is now only the second player after Tiger Woods to win both a major and a WGC title before turning 25.

Woods is currently recovering in hospital in Los Angeles after a serious car crash on Tuesday left him with serious leg injuries.

The Los Angeles-raised Morikawa, who grew up idolising Woods, paid tribute to the stricken former world number one.

"Tiger means everything to me," Morikawa said. "Yes, he had the crash and thankfully he's okay and will make a quick recovery. But I don't think we say thank you enough, so I want to say thank you to Tiger."

Earlier, Norway's Hovland had looked poised to challenge Morikawa at the top of the leaderboard after a wild round that included five birdies and a bogey on the front nine. 

Two more birdies on the 12th and 13th holes put him at six under for the day but his charge stalled with bogeys on the 14th and 16th.

Koepka meanwhile was unable to put pressure on Morikawa over the closing holes when he missed an easy birdie putt on the 17th which could have put him within two of the lead with one to play.

Koepka, who had been battling neck pain and stiffness since Saturday's third round, closed with a two-under-par 70.

Scottie Scheffler finished alone in fifth on 14 under after a rollercoaster four-under-par 68 which included eight birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey six.

Scheffler was one of several players who took to the course on Sunday wearing Woods' signature Sunday colours of red and black, in a show of support for the 15-time major winner.

Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Phil Mickelson, and Tony Finau were just some of the players who turned out wearing Woods' iconic colour combo.

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Watch: On Day 6 of Delhi Literature Festival 2021, Yasser Usman talks about Guru Dutt and his enduring enigma

The sixth and the final day of the Delhi Literature Festival 2021 concluded with a session on actor Guru Dutt, with journalist-writer Yasser Usman talking about his new book Guru Dutt: An Unfinished Story.

The conversation took a closer look at why, even after 57 years since his passing, Guru Dutt continues to dominate conversations on Hindi cinema and captures the imaginations of cinephiles world over.

Usman answered questions on why, after having profiled Rekha, Rajesh Khanna and Sanjay Dutt, he chose to travel all the way back to the 1940s and 50s to document the life and times of Guru Dutt — a man on whom a significant body of literature already exists.

The writer spoke extensively on his interactions with the actor's sister, artist Lalitha Lajmi, whose memories and recollections form the basis of the book. He spoke on Guru Dutt's pursuit for artistic perfection and his temperamental ways that often left people disappointed and upset with him; his hypocrisy of showing independent women in his films while disallowing his wife Geeta Dutt from pursuing a career after marriage, and his struggles with his mind at a time when mental health awareness did not exist.

Watch the session here —

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Golden Globes 2021: Chloé Zhao becomes second woman to win best director honour

Chloé Zhao became the second woman to win the best director at the Golden Globes in a year in which three women were nominated for the first time in the category.

Zhao was honoured for her work on Nomadland, about people who take to the road and move from place to place seeking work for usually low wages. It stars two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand and includes nonprofessional actors.

It also won as best motion picture drama.

“I especially want to thank the nomads who shared their stories with us,” Zhao said, accepting the directing honour virtually on Sunday night.

She singled out real-life nomad Bob Wells, who appears in the movie, for help with her remarks.

“This is what he said about compassion,” Zhao said. “Compassion is the breakdown of all the barriers between us. A heart to heart pounding. Your pain is my pain. It’s mingled and shared between us.”

The 38-year-old director who lives in Los Angeles is a leading Oscar contender for Nomadland, which is in select theatres and streaming on Hulu.

“Now this is why I fell in love with making movies and telling stories because it gives us a chance to laugh and cry together and it gives us a chance to learn from each other and to have more compassion for each other,” Zhao said in her acceptance remarks. “So thank you to everyone who made it possible to do what I love.”

She joins Barbra Streisand, who won in 1984 for Yentl, as the only women to win directing honours at the Globes. Until this year, just five women had been nominated in the category.

Regina King (One Night in Miami..) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) joined Zhao among this year’s nominees.

Zhao also was nominated for best motion picture screenplay and lost to Aaron Sorkin. McDormand received a nod for actress in a motion picture drama but lost.

Born in China, Zhao made her feature directing debut in 2015 with Songs My Brother Taught Me. She broke out in 2017 with The Rider. Next up for her is the big-budget Marvel film Eternals, set for release this fall.

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Golden Globes 2021: Daniel Kaluuya's Best Actor speech suffers Zoom glitch, actor asks 'can you hear me now?'

Actor Daniel Kaluuya has bagged his maiden Golden Globe award for his impassioned performance as the Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.

The British actor earned the trophy in the best performance by an actor in a supporting role in any motion picture category for the film, helmed by Shaka King in his studio feature directorial debut.

Kaluuya, who won the first honour of the scaled-down virtual ceremony which is being held bi-coastally from New York and California in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, faced a technical problem as he started his acceptance speech.

"You're doing me dirty, you're doing me dirty," the 32-year-old actor quipped as his video feed went silent.

Kaluuya's audio feed didn't connect, leaving viewers with only his muted video feed.

Big Little Lies star Laura Dern, who was presenting the award to Kaluuya, apologised for the "bad connection" on stage as the feed cut away.

"We apologise for that technical problem and send all of our congratulations to Daniel and his Golden Globe win," she said.

As it has happened over many Zoom calls this past year, it turns out Kaluuya's feed was muted, but quickly rectified, a source told Variety.

When Kaluuya came back into view, he asked "Is this on? Can you hear me now?"

Once the audio issue was resolved, the actor thanked his family and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the body that conducts the Golden Globes currently facing fire over its lack of Black representation among its ranks.

Kaluuya further said he gave "everything" to play Hampton in the 1960s-set period who was murdered at the hands of the FBI.

"The great Nipsey Hussle says, ''We are here to give until we are empty,'' and I gave everything. I couldn't give it to a more noble man -- that's chairman Fred Hampton -- and I hope generations after this can see how brilliantly he fought, how brilliantly he spoke and how brilliantly he loved.

"He taught me about myself, made me grow as a man and I appreciate it with all my heart. And I hope people -- there's a lot of information about how he died, but I hope you people out there will grow and learn about how incredibly he lived. Thank you so much for this honour," he said.

Judas and the Black Messiah is a Chicago-set film that follows petty criminal William O'Neal (played by LaKeith Stanfield) who agrees to work as an informant for the FBI in order to infiltrate the Black Panther Party and take down the chairman of its Illinois chapter Fred Hampton (Kaluuya).

Kaluuya bested Sacha Baron Cohen, who was one of the frontrunners in the category for his turn as social activist Abbie Hoffman in the legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Later, director-writer Aaron Sorkin won the best screenplay for a motion picture for the Chicago 7.

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Golden Globes 2021: Nomadland announced Best Drama; Chadwick Boseman wins posthumous Best Actor award

With homebound nominees appearing by remote video and hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on different sides of the country, a very socially distanced 78th Golden Globe Awards trudged on in the midst of the pandemic and a storm of criticism.

Fey took the stage at New York’s Rainbow Room while Poehler remained at the Globes’ usual home at the Beverly Hilton. In their opening remarks, they managed their typically well-timed back-and-forth despite being almost 3,000 miles from each other.

“I always knew my career would end with me wandering around the Rainbow Room pretending to talk to Amy,” said Fey. “I just thought it would be later.”

They appeared before masked attendees but no stars. Instead, the sparse tables — where Hollywood royalty are usually crammed together and plied with alcohol during the show — were occupied by “smoking-hot first responders and essential workers,” as Fey said.

Schitt’s Creek, which had gone unnominated in the top category every previous season at the Globes, won best comedy series for its final season. The show’s Catherine O’Hara also took best actress in a comedy series. They were among many of the evening’s awards to go to streaming services, which — facing scant traditional studio competition — dominated the Globes like never before.

Here is the winner's list:

Best TV Series – Musical/Comedy

Schitt's Creek

Best Actress in a Limited Series

Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit)

Best Actor in a Drama

Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

Best Actress in a TV Drama

Emma Corrin (The Crown)

Best Actor in a TV Drama

Josh O’Connor (The Crown)

Best Director

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Best Drama

Nomadland

Best Limited Series or TV Film

The Queen’s Gambit

Best Musical or Comedy

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Actress in a Drama

Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday)

Actress in a Musical or Comedy

Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot)

Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

Actor in a Limited Series or TV Film

Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True)

Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy

Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek)

Supporting Film Actor

Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Supporting Film Actress

Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian)

Supporting TV Actor

John Boyega (Small Axe)

Best TV Drama

The Crown

Best Foreign Language Film

Minari

Actor in TV Musical or Comedy

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Original Score

Soul

Original Song

Io Si' from The Life Ahead

Supporting TV Actress

Gillian Anderson (The Crown)

Best Animated Film

Soul

Best Screenplay

The Trial of the Chicago 7

(With inputs from The Associated Press)

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Recovering Tiger Woods 'touched' by show of support from fellow golfers

Los Angeles: Tiger Woods, recovering in hospital after surgery for serious leg injuries received in a solo car smash, tweeted thanks on Sunday for a show of support from fellow pro golfers.

"It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts," the 15-time major champion said in a tweet.

"To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time."

It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts. To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 1, 2021

A host of golfers at the World Golf Championships Workday Championship in Bradenton, Florida - and quite a few at the LPGA Tour event in Orlando, as well - took the course for their final rounds wearing Woods's signature Sunday colors of red and black.

The PGA Tour tweeted a picture of the maintenance staff at its Puerto Rico Open on Sunday all turned out in red and black.

It’s a ⁦@TigerWoods⁩ Sunday for the maintenance staff at the ⁦@PuertoRicoOpen⁩. ⁦@PGATOUR⁩ pic.twitter.com/OheyF4o1N8

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) February 28, 2021

Former world number one Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and Tony Finau at the WGC and Phil Mickelson at a PGA Tour Champions event were some of the players who turned out wearing Woods's iconic color combo.

"I guess for us it's just a gesture to let him know that we're thinking about him and we're rooting for him," McIlroy said. "Obviously things are looking a little better today than they were on Tuesday, but he's still got aways to go.

"He's got a huge recovery ahead of him. But I think (it's) just for everyone to show their appreciation for what he means to us out here.

"If there was no Tiger Woods, I just think the tour and the game of golf, in general, would be in a worse place.

"He's meant a lot to us, he still does mean a lot to us and I think that was just a little way to show that."

Sunday red.
Black pants. ⚫
Backwards hat. @TonyFinauGolf is showing his support for Tiger. https://t.co/2PjHduPxdn pic.twitter.com/i3YWbR5Yew

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 28, 2021

Collin Morikawa lifted the trophy at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, becoming joining Woods as the only players to win both a major title and a WGC crown before turning 25.

Thank you, Tiger

"Tiger means everything to me," Morikawa said. "Yes, he had the crash and thankfully he's okay and will make a quick recovery.

"But I don't think we say thank you enough, so I want to say thank you to Tiger."

Woods, 45, underwent hours of emergency surgery to repair what doctors called "significant orthopaedic injuries" to his lower right leg and ankle on Tuesday after his early morning crash on a steep, winding road in suburban Los Angeles.

He was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for further treatment and recovery on Wednesday night and on Friday was reported in a statement posted on Twitter to be in good spirits after follow-up treatment for his injuries.

Woods faces a lengthy recovery from his injuries, which include open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of his lower right leg, along with injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle.

Woods was already recovering from his fifth back surgery - and hoping he would be able to prepare for a run at the Masters in April - when the crash occurred.

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Tokyo Olympics 2020: Swimmer Katie Ledecky aims at making history in 1,500m free event despite COVID uncertainties

Los Angeles, United States: Five-time Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky is powering through the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic, her sights still firmly set on making history at the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

The US freestyle great, whose 15 world titles are the most of any woman swimmer, adapted and adjusted along with the rest of the world in 2020, but she isn't giving any ground when it comes to her goals in the pool.

"I feel very good about those goals and feel like they still are in place for this year," Ledecky said in a video conference as she prepared to tavel to a swim meet this week in San Antonio, Texas, her first such trip in a year.

It's another step on the road to Tokyo, where Ledecky is eying an ambitious programme that she hopes will see her claim the first women's 1,500m gold medal ever awarded at the Games.

"I'm really excited that the 1,500m free is in the Olympics for the first time for women and that there's parity in the schedule between the men's and women's schedules," she said. "It's been a long time coming.

"I know the history of US women's freestyle swimmers and I know there's a lot of women's freestylers that haven't had those opportunities that I've had and didn't have the opportunity to swim the 1,500 or even other events in the Olympics," said Ledecky, who will also be targeting the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle and the 4x200m free relay.

"So I'm going to take up the opportunity and hopefully get Team USA started on the right note for that event moving forward."

The odds are certainly in the world record-holder's favor, and Ledecky said she feels well-prepared despite the upheaval of the early coronavirus lockdown in California last March and the continuing changes to health protocols.

For three months she made do swimming in a backyard pool and lifting weights in her apartment as facilities at Stanford University were shut down.

"Since the middle of last June is when Stanford opened back up. We have a lot of different protocols, one per lane or one per household so I live by myself so I've been one per lane for the past year," she said.

She and her training partners are tested three times a week, and Ledecky thinks she's well prepared for whatever health and safety protocols she'll have to follow both at the US trials now scheduled for June and at the Olympics now scheduled to start on July 23.

"It'll be a different Olympics," said Ledecky a veteran of the 2012 London Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics. "It'll look and feel different.

"I'm trying to learn as much as I can bout the protocols that will be in place so that nothing will catch me by surprise and I can have the best performances that I can have."

Preparing amid uncertainty

Ledecky is hoping she and other US team members will have been vaccinated against Covid by then, but she won't jump the queue to be vaccinated.

"I feel pretty strongly that we all have to get it when it's our turn," she said. "I really hope that's soon for all of us."

And vaccine status notwithstanding, "we're going to have to do the exact same things, the mask-wearing, the distancing, the testing."

Ledecky is also trying hard not to get caught up in any speculation that the Games might not come off.

Coronavirus cases surged in Japan in January, when polls showed some 80 percent of people in the country thought the event should be cancelled or postponed again.

"I'm preparing as though the Games are on and I'm trying not to think about all the speculation," Ledecky said. "It's difficult to block everything out, but I'm very focused.

"I don't want to get to Tokyo and have any regrets about my training or preparation."

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Ligue 1: Jose Fonte's late header helps Lille draw against Strasbourg; Monaco extend unbeaten run to 12 games

Paris: Portugal centre-back Jose Fonte's late header rescued Ligue 1 leaders Lille a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg on Sunday, while Monaco moved closer to the top of the table by cruising past Brest.

Lille are now two points ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, although Lyon could move within a point of the pace-setters when they visit Marseille later on Sunday.

Monaco sit in fourth place, only four points off the summit.

Christophe Galtier's Lille, bidding for a first major trophy since winning the league and French Cup double in 2011, are unbeaten in nine league games since a defeat by Angers in early January, but lost both legs of their Europa League last-32 tie.

"We're disappointed," Fonte told Canal+. "We did everything in the second half, but we have to create more chances.

"But we didn't lose... There was perhaps a bit of fatigue from the game (on Thursday) against Ajax, but there are no excuses, we have to do better.

"It's a disappointment, but we continue the fight. It's not over."

Home team Lille started on the front foot and had a penalty appeal waved away in the 17th minute after Jonathan David went down in the area, despite a VAR review.

But they fell behind nine minutes before half-time as Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque volleyed home.

Ajorque almost doubled his tally two minutes later, but his header was well saved by Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Sven Botman saw a header kept out by Strasbourg's Eiji Kawashima and David also fired over before the break.

Two good second-half chances both fell to Jonathan Ikone, but the young Lille forward, who snapped a 10-game goal drought in the win over Lorient last weekend, saw his low effort saved by Kawashima and a header fly over.

But Lille were not to be denied the point which ensured they would end the weekend top, as Fonte rose highest to head home Benjamin Andre's cross with four minutes remaining.

Monaco march on 

Earlier on Sunday, Monaco extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a 2-0 win over Brest.

Goals deep into the second half from Stevan Jovetic and Kevin Volland sealed the Principality club's ninth win from their last 10 outings.

At Monaco's Stade Louis II, Brest goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur had kept the visitors in the hunt, especially when denying Wissam Ben Yedder from the penalty spot after half an hour.

But he was finally beaten by Jovetic in the 75th minute, with German forward Volland cementing the three points in the final minute.

Monaco are now 14 points clear of fifth-placed Metz, but coach Niko Kovac is still focused on securing fourth, which provides a Europa League spot.

"The top three? Yes, it's taboo," he said. "When we have enough points to ensure the fourth place, we'll talk about it (top three)."

Elsewhere, Lorient beat Saint-Etienne 2-1 to climb out of the bottom three, pushing Nantes into 19th place after their 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Nimes.

PSG bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Monaco at the Parc des Princes with a Kylian Mbappe-inspired 4-0 victory over last-placed Dijon on Saturday.

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Golden Globes 2021: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler host virtual ceremony from different venues; nominees Zoom in from around the world

Glam was back for the Golden Globes virtual, bicoastal awards night Sunday as nominees Zoomed in from around the world and, for Leslie Odom Jr, from his front porch in Los Angeles not far from the action in Beverly Hills.

And they were ready, style wise, as the Globes split hosts, with Amy Poehler at the Beverly Hilton and Tina Fey at the Rainbow Room in New York.

There was nary a pair of sweats in sight. Jason Sudeikis was the glam outlier in a tie-dye hoodie as he picked up an award remotely, saying : “Wow, do I talk now?” Jodie Foster picked up her virtual trophy wearing a black-and-white jammies set, her dog Ziggy in a bandana to match and her wife by her side.

Regina King’s dog snoozed in the background as she showed off her Louis Vuitton gown in silver and black. Amanda Seyfried, in Savannah, Georgia, wore a sunny, springy coral Oscar de la Renta with floral adornment, echoing many stars who said they wanted to bring a little joy.

“I’ve got my son, who is 5 months old, laying against a pillow in a tux,” Seyfried said during a round of pre-show interviews.

Cynthia Erivo went for neon green Valentino to present in person, and Kaley Cuoco munched pizza in a de la Renta design. Gillian Anderson, alone in Prague, wore a green gown and Julia Garner a two-tone Prada black and white look. She didn’t forget the lipstick, a deep red.

Laverne Cox, in a red, embellished cape-sleeve gown, did something even more unusual: She stood up to chat with reporters on E! and NBC via Zoom before the show.

“I wanted to feel festive and go for it,” she told NBC. “It’s really amazing about this whole Zoom world. People can do whatever they want.”

That meant Chanel for Shira Haas in Los Angeles, and custom Gucci for Elle Fanning in London.

“It’s nice to have something to celebrate and get dressed up for, and actually put on a dress to walk from my living room to my kitchen,” Fanning told E!. “I thought, why not?”

Fey and Poehler, both dressed in black to open the show, joked about the unusual set up and the distance between them, with Fey pretending to stroke Poehler’s hair through their screens. The two, with numerous fashion changes, were joined by an array of presenters as winners accepted via Zoom, with an early glitch when winner Daniel Kaluuya’s audio went silent at first, then perked up so he could speak.

King’s dog wasn’t the only surprise star. Sarah Paulson held her little black pooch on screen.

And there were kids, too. Mark Ruffalo’s two wandered behind him as he accepted an award. Aaron Sorkin was joined by a bevy of women on hand for his win. Lee Isaac Chung, director of Minari, hugged his small daughter tight as he accepted an award, his dressed-up offspring squeezing back with: “I prayed, I prayed, I prayed.”

Peter Morgan, creator of The Crown, was a winner from his “tragic little office,” calling the pre-pandemic Globes “always the most fun awards show.”

Nominees bantered from screen to screen, shouting out their hellos to each other.

On stage and for their small, in-person — and masked — audiences, production designer Brian Stonestreet pivoted like never before when the Globes decided to go bicoastal earlier in February, just days before show time.

The awards veteran, who has designed for the Grammys, the Billboards, the Academy of Country Music and others, told The Associated Press ahead of the Globes’ big night that he gained massive horizontal real estate for the screen-centric show with the shrinking of tables in size and number.

“Funnily enough, it gave me a little more freedom in terms of scenery,” he said of the Beverly Hilton, while incorporating the Rainbow Room’s massive center chandelier adorned with stars and orbs in New York.

He used the extra space (about 36 guests in New York and 42 in Beverly Hills) to expand screen presence and curvier, more dramatic, staircases. On the floor, he placed trophies on pedestals among his two- and three-person cocktail tables, rather than the usual 6-foot round tables seating 10 to 12 people for a total of more than 1,000.

Instead of star-studded crowds crammed into the Hilton’s ballroom, the Globes hosted frontline and essential workers, along with food bank workers from the show’s philanthropic partnership with Feeding America.

Lydia Marks, a New York set decorator, told The Associated Press the evening’s technical challenges were many. With so many remote locations and two live sets, the few glitches should be forgiven, she said.

“While it looks easy, the direction needs to remain responsive in a way that is more like a live sporting event than an awards show,” Marks said. “I think it looks pretty seamless and controlled for the amount of feeds they are working with.”

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PSL 2021: Shaheen Afridi, David Wiese power Lahore Qalandars to six-wicket win over Karachi Kings

Karachi: Shaheen Afridi's ferocious pace and David Wiese’s late charge spurred Lahore Qalandars to a six-wicket win over defending champion Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League on Sunday.

Afridi returned figures of 3-27, with his bowling reaching speeds of 94 mph (around 150 kph). That helped to restrict Karachi to 186-9 despite half-centuries by Sharjeel Khan (64) and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi (57).

Wiese’s blistering 31 not out off nine balls carried Lahore to 189-4 in 19.2 overs in reply as the tall South African clubbed two successive sixes against Australian fast bowler Daniel Christian to finish off the game.

Karachi had a sniff of victory when Lahore required 30 off the last two overs. But Mohammad Amir’s 19th over went for 20 with Wiese getting two fortunate edges to the boundary and then lofting the fast bowler over long-off for a six.

“To be honest, I always felt we were in with a shout in that situation,” Wiese said.

“Sometimes you smash it straight to the fielder, so those little nicks count. We’ve seen towards the back end it’s difficult to defend here with one short boundary.”

Fakhar Zaman scored a brilliant 83 off 54 balls and Ben Dunk remained unbeaten on 57 after Lahore had slipped to 0-2 in the first over and then also lost key batsman Mohammad Hafeez for 15 inside the batting powerplay.

Both left-handers shared a 119-run stand before Zaman holed out in the deep in the 18th over. But Wiese’s late onslaught carried the team home.

Afridi could have picked up five wickets but Lahore skipper Sohail Akhtar, who won the toss and didn’t hesitate to field, dropped a sitter from Khan in the first over.

Babar Azam (5) was clean bowled by Afridi in his second over but only after Zaman failed to hold onto a sharp chance offered by Pakistan’s premier batsman, who went to cut Afridi's short-of-length delivery.

Afridi pegged back Karachi’s hopes of going closer to 200 runs when he clean bowled Waqas Maqsood and Amir off vicious yorkers in the last over.

“They shouldn’t have chased it down, but credit goes to Fakhar and David Wiese how they played,” said Karachi captain Imad Wasim, who surprisingly did not bowl. “At the end, we should have scored 40 or 50 off the last four overs but we couldn’t because of some bad shots and run outs.”

It was the 11th straight successful chase in this season’s PSL with no team yet to defend the total after being put into bat by the opposition.

The win pushed Lahore to the top of the points table alongside Peshawar Zalmi with both teams on six points after four games. Karachi have four points.

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Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen continue poor form with loss against Freiburg: Union Berlin held to 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim

Berlin: Bayer Leverkusen's miserable run of form continued Sunday as they fell to a shock 2-1 home defeat to Freiburg thanks to a brilliant second-half performance from Lucas Hoeler.

Having topped the Bundesliga in December, Leverkusen are now five points adrift of the Champions League places in sixth after winning just one of their last six games.

For Peter Bosz's team, who crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday, a promising season is now beginning to fall apart.

"There are always setbacks in life -- the question is how you turn things around," a dejected Bosz told Sky.

After a dominant first-half performance from Leverkusen, Freiburg launched a smash-and-grab attack to take the lead just after half-time.

With a darting run into the box, Hoeler cut the ball back to an unmarked Ermedin Demirovic, who swept it past debutant goalkeeper Lennart Grill.

Hoeler doubled the lead 10 minutes later, tapping the ball in after a sharp cross from Vincenzo Grifo.

"We had a bit of luck in the first half, but we said in the break that we wanted to take the game to them," Hoeler told Sky.

Jamaica winger Leon Bailey pulled a goal back 20 minutes from time, but Freiburg held on to condemn Leverkusen to their eighth defeat in all competitions in 2021.

Zentner howler

Union Berlin striker Max Kruse celebrated his long-awaited return from injury with a goal as the capital club were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Hoffenheim.

Making his first appearance since his injury in the Berlin derby back in December, the former Germany international netted his seventh goal of the season in a hard-fought draw in Berlin.

Kruse gave Union the lead from the penalty spot on nine minutes, smashing the ball into the top corner after Florian Grillitsch brought down Christopher Trimmel.

Hoffenheim equalised through an own-goal shortly before the half-hour mark, Nico Schlotterbeck knocking the ball into his own net as he tried to challenge Togolese striker Ihlas Bebou.

Liverpool loanee Loris Karius, who was making only his second start for Union with first-choice keeper Andreas Luthe out of action, was powerless to stop the own goal.

Pavel Kaderabek appeared to have scored a winner for Hoffenheim ten minutes from time, but the goal was ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

The draw sees Union hold onto seventh place while Hoffenheim remain in 11th.

Further down the table, a howler from goalkeeper Robin Zentner condemned Mainz to a 1-0 defeat at home to Augsburg and kept the relegation-threatened side in the bottom two.

With 25 minutes gone, Zentner mistakenly passed the ball straight to Augsburg's Florian Niederlechner, despite being under no pressure.

Niederlechner gratefully squared the ball to Andre Hahn, who slotted it into the empty net to take Augsburg eight points clear of the drop zone.

"Robin is old enough to put it behind him. He's helped us out enough times in the past," said Mainz coach Bo Svensson, defending his goalkeeper.

Schalke clear out

Crisis club Schalke sacked almost their entire sporting leadership, including coach Christian Gross, after an alleged player revolt and a 16th league defeat plunged their nightmare season deeper into crisis.

Schalke were thumped 5-1 at Stuttgart on Saturday to leave them bottom and nine points clear of safety, the final straw for the club hierarchy after being humiliated by fierce rivals Borussia Dortmunud last week.

"The decision had become unavoidable after results against Dortmund and Stuttgart," said Schalke chairman Jens Buchta.

"The team now owe it to the club and the fans to be as successful as possible in the last third of the season."

Coach Gross, sporting director Jochen Schneider and team coordinator Sascha Riether were all relieved of their duties in Sunday's mass clear out.

Gross' assistant Rainer Widmayer and fitness coach Werner Leuthard were also fired.

Having been in the Champions League two seasons ago, Schalke are now hurtling towards their first relegation since 1988.

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LaLiga: Atletico Madrid bounce back with 2-0 win over Villarreal: Real Valladolid draw 1-1 at Celta Vigo

Madrid: Atletico Madrid bounced back from recent poor form with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Villarreal on Sunday that allowed the La Liga pace-setters to extend their lead to five points.

An own goal from Alfonso Pedraza and Joao Felix's powerful strike gave Atletico a precious win after a wobble which had allowed Barcelona and Real Madrid to gain ground in the title race.

Diego Simeone's side had come into the match off the back of a Champions League last 16 defeat to Chelsea and a league run in which they picked up just five points from their previous four matches.

However despite Villarreal coming close on a number of occasions Atletico held on for a win that ensures they keep second-placed Barca at bay and crucially increase the gap between them and rivals Real Madrid to six points ahead of next weekend's local derby.

Madrid can go back to within three points of Atletico when they host Europe-chasing Real Sociedad on Monday night.

"We suffered, and even after the second goal they had good chances. But we come home with a very important victory at this point in the season," said Simeone.

Atletico opened the scoring thanks to Pedraza's odd own goal mid-way through the first half, which came after long VAR check to see if Stefan Savic, who was initially credited with the goal, had strayed offside for Thomas Lemar's cross.

Savic's header was saved by Sergio Asenjo only for the ball to ricochet off Pedraza and into the net as the 24-year-old defender fell over.

Gerard Moreno should have pulled the hosts level when he met a Daniel Parejo cross but couldn't muster a decisive finish and Savic recovered easily to clear the ball off the line.

'I love rebel players'

Suarez could have doubled Atleti's lead eight minutes after the break when he pounced on a defensive lapse to let off a powerful shot, only for Asenjo to pull of a superb reaction save to deny the Uruguayan.

However Joao Felix gave the away side the two-goal cushion they needed in the 69th minute, quickly latching onto a poor clearance by Pau Torres to lash home the second from just outside the penalty area.

Felix appeared to direct an angry look at Simeone after scoring, reportedly prompted by a lack of game time.

"I love rebel players, those that have pride. The goal brought something out in him," Simeone said.

"He needed it, and the team needed that goal."

The hosts responded, with Carlos Bacca somehow shooting wide when Moreno laid on a simple finish for the Colombian with 12 minutes remaining.

And teenage substitute Alex Baena was unlucky to finish the match without his first La Liga goal, first clipping the post in the 82nd minute and then forcing a brilliant save form Jan Oblak with a stinging volley.

However they couldn't recover and sit seventh thanks to a run of seven matches without a win.

Earlier Real Betis moved above Villarreal as they maintained their bid for European football next season thanks to Juanmi's late strike which earned them a 1-0 victory at struggling Cadiz.

Spaniard Juanmi rammed home a close range header with six minutes remaining to squeeze Betis past the home side and put them sixth.

Betis are just two points behind Sociedad in the automatic Europa League qualification spot.

Real Valladolid climbed out of the relegation zone despite extending their winless league run to eight in a 1-1 draw at Celta Vigo.

Valladolid were denied a first league win since 2 January by Jeison Murillo's stoppage time header.

In an intense relegation scrap Valladolid are level on 22 points with Alaves and Eibar, Elche are 19th on 21 points and rock-bottom Huesca have 20.

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Premier League: VAR penalty controversy leaves Manchester United frustrated after draw against Chelsea: Liverpool end losing streak

London: Manchester United were left frustrated by a VAR penalty controversy in their 0-0 draw at Chelsea, while the revitalised Gareth Bale struck twice in Tottenham's 4-0 rout of Burnley on Sunday.

Liverpool took advantage of dropped points for Chelsea to move within two points of the top four by ending a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 win at Sheffield United.

Second-placed United had hoped to close the gap on Manchester City with a victory at Stamford Bridge.

But instead they now sit 12 points behind the Premier League leaders as their title hopes fade following a run of one win from four games.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard, but the stalemate also did little for the Blues top four challenge.

The biggest talking point of a dour clash came in the first-half when United's appeal for a penalty was rejected by referee Stuart Attwell after he consulted the pitchside monitor when Callum Hudson-Odoi appeared to handle in a challenge with Mason Greenwood.

"It was a penalty, 100 percent nailed on. If that's a natural position for a hand to be in when the ball comes in then I must be blind," United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.

Tuchel disagreed, saying: "How can this be a VAR intervention? I don't understand why the referee has to check it but I'm glad it was no penalty."

Bale shines for Spurs

After five defeats in their previous six league games, Tottenham eased the pressure on Jose Mourinho with a significant contribution from Bale, who made just his third league start of the season.

The Wales forward's most impressive display since his season-long loan move from Real Madrid gave him four goals in his last four appearances.

Bale took just 68 seconds to score with a clinical close-range finish from Son Heung-min's cross.

The four-time Champions League winner then picked out Harry Kane's run and the England captain's shot deflected off James Tarkowski for his 22nd goal of the season.

Lucas Moura netted with a predatory finish before Bale, who had scored just once in the league all season before Sunday, grabbed his second with a cool strike from Son's 55th-minute pass.

Tottenham are up to eighth, six points behind the top four with a game in hand.

"There is not one single manager in the world that doesn't play Gareth Bale if Gareth Bale is in very good condition," Mourinho said.

"There is not one, but now he is better than ever. It's not just about the two goals he scored, it's fundamentally about his physical performance."

Arsenal down Leicester

Arsenal delivered a hammer blow to Leicester's faint hopes of winning the title with an impressive 3-1 win.

Mikel Arteta's side fell behind to Youri Tielemans' early goal at the King Power Stadium, but David Luiz equalised and Alexandre Lacazette's penalty gave Arsenal the lead.

Nicolas Pepe's second-half goal sealed the Gunners' second win in their last six league games and their first success at a team in the Premier League's top three since 2015.

Leicester remain in third place and trail City by 13 points with 12 games remaining.

Liverpool cut their gap to Leicester to six points thanks to a much-needed win against the league's bottom side.

The visitors had to wait until the second-half to make the breakthrough as Aaron Ramsdale's inspired performance kept the Blades in the game.

But there was little doubt over the outcome once Curtis Jones opened the scoring before Roberto Fimino's shot deflected in off Kean Bryan for Liverpool's second.

"It was very important (to win) because you can imagine plenty of people have written us off. It is about us to show we are still there," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

"With all the problems we had, we are still around the exciting places and that's where we want to be."

Third-bottom Fulham are three points from safety after a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.

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Rakul Preet talks about recovering from Covid-19 and why playing unconventional roles matter

Rakul Preet rarely stops working, be it as an actress in multiple languages cutting across borders or pushing herself in terms of her fitness to lead a healthy lifestyle. For that matter, she hardly pauses for a breath, just like a marathoner who wouldn’t stop running. But she has a different take on it.

“It really isn’t that stressful, at least in my case. Athletes run a lot and a lot of people find joy and peace in it. One thing which has remained constant for me is my desire to excel in everything I do. And of late, I’ve become calmer as a person. Earlier, when there’s a clash of dates between different shoots, I would get a little stressed out about it. But now, I leave it to my team to figure it out because there’s no point breaking your head over adjusting time for just one day. The whole world stopped for months altogether last year, but we managed to cope up with it, didn’t we?” she says, referring to the lockdown in 2020 and pandemic.

Despite the strict Covid-19 protocols and other guidelines that each of her film units were adhering to, Rakul tested positive for Covid-19 in late December, but she says that she felt the real impact only a couple of weeks later. “That’s when fatigue hit me and my body gave up. I can’t stop exercising, but during that phase, I just couldn’t do anything. Slowly, as I regained my strength, I had to be careful and not push myself too much. I used to lift 50 pounds of weights quite easily, but I had to drop it to 15 pounds. I had to make do with resistance bands to keep myself going. I’m in a much better state now, and at the moment, I’m juggling between three different films,” she says.

2021 is already turning out to be a hectic year for her with two films each in Telugu and Tamil, and four more in Hindi, which are either complete or at various stages of principal shooting. In Hindi alone, she has films like May Day, Thank God, Attack, and Sardar and Grandson to her credit. The first among them to have hit the screens was Chandrasekhar Yeleti’s Check in which she played a lawyer, a first in her career. The actress is all praise for the Telugu filmmaker, who had made films like Manamantha, Sahasam, Anaganaga O Roju, and Aithe in the past. “I’ve always been a fan of his writing and I love the way he writes the characters. So, when I was offered this role in Check, I was more than happy to be part of the project. The thing about working with wonderful directors like him is that you understand a bit more about yourself and what you are capable of doing in front of the camera. I don’t think you can pinpoint what’s so unique or if there’s a particular lesson that you learn, but when you observe how the director is treating the characters and how he wants to emote, you soak it all in,” Rakul confesses.

She has already finished shooting for Krish’s untitled film in Telugu in which she’ll be seen as a village belle, and post Check, she says she’ll be sporting a de-glamorous look once again. Does she find herself gravitate towards roles which portray her in a different light? “In our industry, we tend to bracket people based on their looks, and the common perception that people have of you is that your real-life persona matches with that of your reel-life image. So, the roles you keep getting are also a particular type. I want to break that notion. I want to play all sorts of roles, give it my best shot. We actors are more than our looks. But it’s a matter of whether you get that opportunity or not,” she avers. So, what does it take to break these stereotypes? “It all boils down to a director’s vision and if they can see me play a certain role, which I have never done before. That’s why I really liked what I did in films directed by Krish and Chandrasekhar Yeleti. I know I have done something completely different from what I have done in the past,” Rakul signs off.

 

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Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez outclasses Avni Yildirim to retain WBC, WBA super middleweight titles by knockout

Miami: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez demolished Turkey's Avni Yildirim in three rounds to retain his WBC and WBA super middleweight titles by knockout on Saturday.

Mexico's Alvarez dominated underdog Yildirim from the opening bell and sent the Turk crashing to the canvas with a crisp left-right combination in the third round at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.

The outclassed Yildirim then failed to emerge from his corner for the fourth round as Alvarez once again demonstrated why he is regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing.

"I wanted to have a great fight here and I did what I had to do," Alvarez said.

"I needed a knockout and that's what I did. It doesn't matter if they're taller, if they've got more reach, or they've got a good trainer. I came to do my job, I came here to win."

Alvarez, who improved to 55-1-2 with 37 knockouts, had got back into the ring on Saturday a little over two months after beating Britain's Callum Smith in December.

After the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn said the 30-year-old Mexican star will next seek to add the World Boxing Organisation belt to his collection with a 8 May fight against Britain's Billy Joe Saunders.

The Saunders fight will be the next step in Alvarez's quest to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history.

"No one has done it," Alvarez said. "I want to make history. No-one has done it at 168."

 

Alvarez meanwhile brushed off suggestions that he wants to be remembered as the greatest boxer Mexico has ever produced.

"I respect everyone but I want to make my own history," Alvarez said.

Saturday's bout will give Saunders plenty of food for thought after Alvarez produced his trademark blend of technical skill and punching power to overwhelm mandatory challenger Yildirim.

The 29-year-old Turk, fighting for the first time in two years, looked hesitant from the outset as Alvarez landed an array of hooks to the body and uppercuts to easily win the first round.

The second round followed an identical pattern, with Yildirim barely offering any kind of resistance as Alvarez worked his opponent's ribcage mercilessly.

The end came after a third round where Alvarez once again went on the attack against a passive Yildirim.

A straight left from Alvarez smashed through Yildirim's guard and landed on his chin and the following right sent the Turk rocking backward to the canvas.

Although Yildirim hung on for the remainder of the round, the end was nigh. As Yildirim slumped on his stool, trainer Joel Diaz could be heard telling his fighter he would give him only one more round before throwing in the towel.

In the event, it never got that far as Yildirim failed to come out for the fourth to hand Alvarez victory by technical knockout.

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India vs England: Nathan Lyon slams Motera pitch critics, says 'everyone seems to start crying' when the ball starts spinning

Melbourne: Australia spinner Nathan Lyon is baffled by all the hullabaloo over the Motera pitch, saying "everyone seems to start crying" when the ball starts spinning but no one speaks out when teams are bundled out for low scores on seaming tracks.

The Motera track received a lot of flak from some quarters, including former skippers Michael Vaughan, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, after England were bowled out for 112 and 81 during their 10-wicket loss in the third Test against India on Thursday.

However, Lyon gave a thumbs up to the curator.

"We play on seaming wickets around the world and get bowled out for 47, 60. Nobody ever says a thing (about the pitch). But as soon as it starts spinning, everyone in the world seems to start crying about it," Lyon was quoted as saying by The West Australian.

"I don't get it. I'm all for it, it was entertaining."

Lyon, who had scripted an incredible journey from being a pitch curator to one of the greatest off-spinners, said he would like to get the Ahmedabad curator to Sydney Cricket Ground.

"I was up all night watching it. It was absolutely brilliant. I'm thinking about bringing that curator out to the SCG," he said.

While India went with three spinners for the Pink Ball Test, England included only Jack Leach in the playing XI.

Lyon said: "The best thing about this Test match that just passed is that England went in with four seamers. That will do me. I don't need to say any more."

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NBA: Mavs snap Nets’ winning streak; Joel Embiid’s 42 points in vain as 76ers lose to Cavaliers

Los Angeles: Luka Doncic scored 27 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 115-98 NBA victory in Brooklyn Saturday, snapping the short-handed Nets' eight-game winning streak.

James Harden scored 29 points for the Nets but ran out of steam late as he carried the load in the absence of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Durant missed his seventh game with a strained left hamstring while Irving sat out to rest his surgicially repaired right shoulder.

Harden had just four points in the second half, sitting out most of the fourth quarter in which Dallas led by as many as 22.

The Mavs were buoyed by the return of Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 18 points in his first contest since missing three games with back trouble.

"We played like a team today," said Doncic, who was able to celebrate the victory on the eve of his 22nd birthday.

"They have an amazing team," added Doncic, who added that even with two stars out the Mavs knew the Nets remained a dangerous adversary.

"We just kept going as a team," he said.

Brooklyn remained half a game behind Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia, who fell 112-109 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime in a rare home defeat.

Guard Collin Sexton scored 28 points and Darius Garland added 25 with nine assists for the Cavaliers, who came into the contest missing half a dozen players due to injury or personal reasons.

Despite having just nine players in uniform, Cleveland led 28-23 after the first quarter and 56-47 at halftime.

An 18-9 third-quarter run saw the Sixers pull level at 65-65 and the lead changed hands eight times in the fourth.

Joel Embiid's dunk with 1:38 left in regulation knotted the score at 92-92, but he missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer.

The Cavs scored the first five points of overtime and never trailed, claiming the win despite a 42-point, 16-rebound performance from Embiid.

"I thought we had one quarter with energy, the third quarter," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. "Other than that, they basically got the shots they wanted all game. If they didn't they got the offensive rebounds. They got the back cuts when they needed them."

Jazz back in tune

The league-leading Utah Jazz wasted no time in bouncing back from a disorganised defeat to the Miami Heat, cruising past the Magic 124-109 in Orlando.

Donovan Mitchell scored 25 of his 31 points in the second half as the Jazz improved to 27-7.

Joe Ingles, starting at point guard in place of Mike Conley, scored 17 points and handed out seven assists and Rudy Gobert chipped in 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, who had 18 points off the bench from Jordan Clarkson.

25 points in the second half#PerformanceLeader | @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/Cl2uvfxwAF

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 28, 2021

Center Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 34 points, but Utah out-scored the hosts 70-59 in the second half to roll to victory.

In Washington, Bradley Beal scored 34 points and Russell Westbrook added 19 in his 10th triple-double of the season to propel the Wizards to a 128-112 victory over the hapless Minnesota Timberwolves, who lost their seventh straight.

Westbrook added 14 rebounds and 12 assists to help the Wizards to their seventh win in eight starts.

Westbrook's 10 triple-doubles lead the NBA and with just 24 games under his belt since arriving in Washington he has a club record for most triple-doubles in a season.

The Denver Nuggets routed the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-96 on the back of 26 points from Jamal Murray and a triple-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists from Nikola Jokic — his eighth triple-double of the season.

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Malavika Mohanan says it is 'unfortunate' Bollywood is put on 'higher pedestal' than other film industries

Malavika Mohanan, who was last seen in Master alongside Vijay, will soon make her way into the Hindi film industry with Yudhra alongside Siddhant Chaturvedi. The romantic-action-thriller is slated for a summer 2022 release.

Yudhra marks Mohanan's second Hindi project, after the 2017 drama Beyond the Clouds helmed by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi. The actor tells Hindustan Times that like most of the films she works in, Yudhra is also an intuitive pick.

She adds that having worked in big-budget South Indian productions like Master and Rajinikanth's Petta, she realises how Bollywood is given more importance over other industries.

"Bollywood is an amazing industry. I have grown up watching Hindi films, I am a Mumbai girl, and seen Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit Nene, and all these people. For most of us Indians, Bollywood is more than just cinema, it’s an emotion, nostalgia. There’s a different kind of pride we have for it. Having said that, I do see people unfortunately put Bollywood at a higher pedestal than other industries," she says.

Mohanan explains that she does not discriminate with cinema on the basis of language. Though Bollywood has a wider reach, she has never believed it to be more superior.

Besides Yudhra, Mohanan will also be seen in an untitled Karthick Naren feature, tentatively titled D43, with Dhanush.

 

 

 

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Taapsee Pannu reunites with Thappad co-star Pavail Gulati for Anurag Kashyap's Dobaaraa

Actors Taapsee Pannu and Pavail Gulati have reunited after last year's hit Thappad for filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's upcoming thriller Dobaaraa.

On the first anniversary of Thappad, Pannu took to Instagram and made the announcement.

The 33-year-old actor posted a candid picture of the duo from the film's set.

Check out the announcement here

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee)

Gulati also shared the picture on his Instagram page and wrote that the film will be "super special".

"To my solid rock Taapsee I'll try and be nicer this time. Anurag Kashyap, you know what you mean to me," the Made in Heaven actor wrote.

Dobaaraa marks Pannu's third collaboration with Kashyap after 2018 hit Manmarziyaan and biographical drama Saand Ki Aankh, which had the filmmaker on board as producer.

Dobaaraa is backed by Ekta Kapoor's Cult Movies, a new division under her Balaji Telefilms banner.

The film is penned by Nihit Bhave, who previously wrote Kashyap's 2020 Netflix movie Choked.

Sunir Kheterpal's ATHENA and Gaurav Bose's The Vermillion World Production are also producing.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)

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Kevin Hart, John Hamburg to collaborate for Netflix's upcoming comedy Me Time

Actor Kevin Hart's next is a Netflix comedy, titled Me Time and to be directed by filmmaker John Hamburg.

Hamburg, known for penning the Meet the Parents series and directing Along Came Polly, will helm the project from his own script, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The story if about a stay-at-home dad who finds himself with some "me time" for the first time in years while his wife and kids are away. He reconnects with his former best friend for a wild weekend that nearly upends his life.

Hart and Hamburg will also produce the movie alongside Bryan Smiley with Lauren Hennessey and Joe Gatta serving as the executive producers.

The actor will next star in Lionsgate’s adaptation of the video game Borderlands. He recently wrapped Sony’s action-comedy Man from Toronto opposite Woody Harrelson.

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