Those waiting to see Sydney Sweeney in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ might not see her after reports confirmed that her cameo role has been chopped from the final cut.Ahead of the release of the sequel, reports state that the actress was ultimately removed during post-production. The 28-year-old star, according to Entertainment Weekly, had shot a brief scene planned for the beginning of the highly anticipated sequel, but the sequence was later cut due to what the report described as a “creative decision.,”According to the report, Sweeney was set to appear as herself, playing a celebrity client interacting with Emily Charlton, the character played by Emily Blunt.People, on the other hand, has confirmed that Sweeney does not appear in the final cut of the film which is slated to release on May 1.Speculation about Sweeney starring in the film began doing the rounds online after photos and videos from the set saw her exiting a trailer alongside Blunt.However, the film’s writer, Aline Brosh McKenna later dismissed the rumours in an interview with ScreenRant, stating, “There were a lot of photos from the set of various people. And then there were those memes, where it was like, ‘So-and-so is in the movie. So- and-so is in the movie.’ It became a running joke about who people had seen on set and were in the movie.”When asked about Sweeney’s involvement, McKenna declined to elaborate, simply stating, “Well, you saw the movie. She’s not in the movie.”It is unclear if the decision came following Sweeney’s jeans commercial that kicked up a controversy last year.‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is scheduled to arrive in theatres nearly two decades after the original, with Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci reprising their iconic roles.Directed by David Frankel, the sequel also features new cast members including Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak, and Conrad Ricamora.

She also performs the song’s hook step on stage. While the audience at the venue appeared to enjoy the act, many online expressed displeasure over the alleged lip-syncing and her on-stage antics. One of the internet users wrote, “What is this nonsense?” Another commented, “Why lip sync??????” Another comment read, “Live concert me bhi live nahi gaate ye log (These people don’t sing live in live performance as well).” Another wrote, “What is this? Where is the real performance? The song is being played behind, and is lip-syncing now called a performance? Fake performance.” Another wrote, “She is clearly lip syncing…what kind of performance is this?”

However, some fans also defended her, praising her performance at the concert. One of them wrote, “That’s me vibing with my camera on the stage. tbh what a show it was, thank you @jasminesandlas for creating this kind of show.”

Her recent songs in Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar have also become chartbusters. In the first part of the film, the actor sang the title track and the item song, Shararat. Both of which received immense love. In the second part of the film, Dhurandhar The Revenge, she won hearts with her voice in the song Jaiye Sanjana. The two-part film has become a huge box office success, collecting over ₹3000 crore worldwide as a franchise.

To Saiyami Kher, Haiwaan stands as a symbol of unexpected coincidences. In 2014, before foraying into Bollywood, the actor had featured in an eyewear brand campaign with Saif Ali Khan. Today, she has reunited with the actor for Priyadarshan’s action thriller. “Reuniting with him after 12 years feels like life has come around in the most beautiful way,” marvelled Kher.    
 
The campaign is still fresh in her memory. Asserting that one’s early collaborations are important in shaping their career, she said, “I cherish that memory. I had shot for one of my very first campaigns for an eyewear brand, and Saif sir was its ambassador. Even back then, he was so funny. I have greatly admired his work, and it felt surreal to share the screen with him in Priyan sir’s film all these years later. It’s incredible how he looks exactly the same. Saif has been warm and gracious. Working with him now, as an equal collaborator, has been comforting.”

The brand campaign featuring the duo. Pic/By Special Arrangement

Last week, Reese Witherspoon faced backlash after her comments on artificial intelligence, in which she suggested that women should educate themselves about the technology. The actor has now responded to the criticism, clarifying her stance.

The post attracted a fair amount of backlash, with people pointing out the problems associated with data centers and intellectual property, and accusing Reese of being paid by AI companies to promote generative tools.

On Monday, Reese, 50, took to Instagram Stories to address the backlash. The actor directly addressed whether or not she was being paid to promote AI, a claim that surfaced after her comments went viral and gained even more traction after Sandra Bullock said at CNBC’s Changemakers event that it’s time to lean into AI.

“Well, I guess my Al post got people talking,” Reese began, writing, “To be clear, no one is paying me to talk about this. I’m just a curious human. My kids are learning about AI tools, I know a lot of founders who are vibe coding, and I hear about people using AI in EVERY sector of business.”

The actor continued, “But I want to acknowledge people’s concerns, they are valid. I’m aware of the impact this could have on jobs across so many industries. I understand environmental concerns. I care deeply about local communities. And I have concerns about impending AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).”

Reese concluded the Instagram story by sharing, “I don’t believe computers should replace humanity. I’m planning on learning as much as possible so that I’m educated about this technological revolution. If you want to learn with me, great, let’s do this! If you don’t, that’s okay too.”

On April 15, the actor took to social media to speak out about leaning in to artificial intelligence. “Well…I’ve decided it’s TIME,” she wrote in the caption of an Instagram reel. The actor added, “The AI revolution has begun, and I need to learn as much as I possibly can about AI and share it with all of you. Also, FYI: the jobs women hold are 3x more likely to be automated by AI, yet women are using AI at a rate 25% lower than men on average. We don’t want to be left behind. So…do you want to learn with me?”

Reese’s recent comments follow her emphasis on the importance of women learning AI. “It’s so, so important that women are involved in AI because it will be the future of filmmaking,” she said in a September interview with Glamour, sharing she uses Perplexity, Vetted AI and Simple AI.

Apart from Reese, Sandra Bullock also said at the CNBC Changemakers Summit that AI is “here” and “we have to understand it.”

Veteran Hindi cinema actress Zeenat Aman has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late legendary singer Asha Bhosle, sharing an untold behind-the-scenes story about the iconic 1971 song ‘Dum Maro Dum’ and revealing it was never originally meant for the late music icon at all.

Zeenat Aman shares a nostalgic Instagram post for Asha Bhosle

Taking to Instagram, Zeenat Aman posted an emotional note honoring Asha Bhosle following the singer’s passing on April 12 at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. Reflecting on the cult song from the film ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ (1971), the actress wrote, “Oh to be 19 and ambitious and experimental and on the brink of your big break! My goodness! Is it the years or the marijuana that cast my memory of shooting Dum Maro Dum in a sublime haze? I’ve told the story of the shoot before, so this throwback is in memory of Asha ji.“

Zeenat Aman reveals ‘Dum Maro Dum’ was originally a duet for Lata Mangeshkar and Usha Uthup

In a revelation that is sure to surprise Bollywood fans, Zeenat Aman disclosed that the song was initially conceived as a duet for two powerhouse vocalists. “Dum Maro Dum was originally meant to be a duet sung by Asha ji’s phenomenal older sister Lata ji and the powerhouse talent that is Usha Uthup. But RD Burman had other plans and felt that the song required that sultry voice that Asha ji possessed,” the actress wrote.

Zeenat Aman says Asha Bhosle’s song was a gift to her success

Zeenat Aman credited the song and Bhosle’s voice as the cornerstone of her film career. “She gifted me the soundtrack to my success, and it started with this song!” she wrote, calling on fans to share their own memories of the track in her comments.

More about Asha Bhosle

Asha Bhosle, who was admitted to hospital on April 11 after complaining of a chest infection and exhaustion according to her granddaughter Zanai, passed away the following day. Her last rites were performed with full state honors at Shivaji Park in Dadar on April 13. In accordance with her wishes, her ashes were later immersed in the Ganga in Varanasi by her family, who conducted traditional prayers and rites in her memory.