All posts tagged: Obamas

Vikas Khanna: It was a very big deal to light up the Empire State Building

He’s cooked for the Obamas and other top politicos, written over 40 culinary books and now, Vikas Khanna has another accolade to add to his list — the Indian Michelin-star chef became the first Indian chef to light up the Empire State Building on May 7. In an exclusive chat, Vikas, who’s thrilled at this, says, “When I got the news of the honour, it felt like a very big deal, like being part of history. In that one moment, you feel that your whole journey, your beliefs and trust, comes to life. I’m still fumbling as it is a highly emotional time for me and I’m so glad that so many of my friends and families came to witness the lighting. As somebody who grew up in Amritsar and as an immigrant, the reference of the Empire State always used to be the symbol of America, it’s iconic and this means a lot.” Chef Vikas Khanna lit up the iconic Empire State Building in green on May 7, to highlight the cause of fighting …

‘Nepo baby’: Malia Obama’s directorial debut invites dismissive critique | Hollywood

Foraying into the self-driven professional chapter of her life by launching her directorial debut, The Heart, at the Sundance Film Festival, Malia Obama sought to be seen as her own person. However, the reviews of her short film weren’t as heartwarming as one could’ve foreseen. PARK CITY, UTAH – JANUARY 18: Malia Ann Obama attends the “The Heart” Premiere at the Short Film Program 1 during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival at Prospector Square Theatre on January 18, 2024 in Park City, Utah. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Dia Dipasupil / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA)(Getty Images via AFP) Earlier this year, Sundance released the “Meet the Artist’ snippet, addressing ex-president Barack Obama‘s eldest daughter as Malia Ann instead. She swore by her professional sobriquet to comply with her full-fledged solo advent. Yet the unsavoury tongue followed her. Hindustan Times – your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Ann described her 18-minute project in the Sundance video as “about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret”. Although it settled in sync with the …

Barack Obama’s daughter Malia changes her famous surname amid Hollywood career | Hollywood

Barack and Michelle Obama‘s elder daughter, Malia, has recently ditched her famous family surname. This significant change comes as the 25-year-old embraces her debut in Hollywood as a filmmaker. The budding director adopted the new stage name ahead of the Sundance Film Festival premiere of her short film, The Heart in Utah. Malia Ann Obama attends the “The Heart” Premiere at the Short Film Program 1 during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival at Prospector Square Theatre on January 18, 2024 in Park City, Utah.(Getty Images via AFP) What is Malia’s new name? The Harvard graduate had forgone her last name, Obama, back in January. In the Sundance Institute’s Meet the Artist spotlight video, the former US President’s daughter was referred to as Malia Ann. Discover the thrill of cricket like never before, exclusively on HT. Explore now! Malia’s short film, The Heart, revolves around the intense and complex relationship between a mother and her son. The lead cast for the film includes Tunde Adebimpe, LaTonya Borsay, and John Weigand. In her spotlight video, Malia described …

The Heart review: Barack Obama’s daughter makes a promising directorial debut | Hollywood

Malia Obama’s short film The Heart is a strange little creation. The Sundance Film Festival, now in its 40th edition, is rather an apt platform for first time filmmakers, providing space for many actors-turned-directors. Jesse Eisenberg and Lucy Lawless this year are a few names to begin that conversation. In that league, Obama is a non-starter. Obama is the 25-year-old daughter of the former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. She previously worked with the writing team of Swarm, and also gathered internship experiences on the HBO series Girls and at the Weinstein Company. Her short film The Heart still finds that meditative place in the festival here. (Also read: Girls Will Be Girls review: Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal’s maiden production portraits a complex mother-daughter relationship) A still from The Heart, that premiered at 2024 Sundance Film Festival. In the short films section, The Heart stands out immediately, extracting in its approach but quite understated in its thematic concern. Credited here by her middle name Malia Ann, her film revolves around a …

Barack Obama’s favourite movies of 2023 include Oppenheimer, no Barbie | Hollywood

Barack Obama has chosen sides. He’s leaning more towards Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in the Barbenheimer debate. As is the custom every year, the former US president unveiled his list of favourite movies as 2023 comes to a close. The list included Hollywood tentpoles, world cinema, and films from his own production house. (Also Read: Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer should have shown ‘what happened to the Japanese people’, says director Spike Lee) Barack Obama’s favourite movies of 2023 include Oppenheimer Oppenheimer, no Barbie The list curiously included the period drama that revolves around J. Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb that destroyed two cities of Japan at the end of World War II. However, there was no sign of Greta Gerwig’s satirical comedy Barbie, which released on the same day as Oppenheimer and led to the coinage of their clash, Barbenheimer. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here After Barack shared the list on X (formerly Twitter), a user commented, “’Barbie’ missed the cut :(” Another wrote, …

Obama’s ‘Leave The World Behind’ sparks backlash over scene ‘demonizing whites’ | Hollywood

Former President Barack Obama is facing criticism over a film he consulted on, Leave the World Behind, produced by his company, Higher Ground. Released on Netflix, the film portrays two families navigating a crisis during a nationwide blackout. Obama’s involvement included providing feedback on the script to enhance its realism. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 03: Former President Barack Obama speaks to attendees at the Obama Foundation Democracy Forum on November 03, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP) However, a specific scene in the movie has stirred controversy. The scene features a Black couple in bed with the lines, “I’m sorry asking you to remember that if the world falls apart, trust should not be doled out easily to anyone, especially white people.” Some X users criticized this scene, with one claiming the film “demonizes” white people and another calling it “racist.” Stay tuned with breaking news on HT Channel on Facebook. Join Now Libs of TikTok expressed …

Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ sells 1.43 mn copies on Day 1, beats Obama’s record

Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ sells 1.43 mn copies on Day 1, beats Obama’s record ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia ) Prince Harry’s jaw-dropping memoir ‘Spare’ — which does not spare any member of Britain’s royal family in its tell-all revelations — has broken the first-day sales record set by Barack Obama’s ‘A Promised Land’. It sold 1.43 million copies in the US, UK and Canada on its opening day, Tuesday, January 10. The figure includes all formats and editions, including e-books and print copies. According to publisher Penguin Random House, the book has smashed all records for any first-day nonfiction book sale it had ever put out, The Bookseller, the publishing industry trade journal reported. Prince Harry’s book was released on January 10 simultaneously across the world in 16 languages. The sales figures are all the more impressive given that most of the revelations within the book — including a physical fight with elder brother Prince William, Prince Harry‘s loss of virginity and details of his cocaine and magic mushroom-taking — made headlines across the world. …