Democracy is under attack across the world, Bollywood star Shabana Azmi tells Sky News

Published

1 year ago

May 13, 2024

admin

Democracy is under attack across the world and must be “protected under all circumstances”, legendary Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi has told Sky News.

In an interview with Yalda Hakim, she said religion was also used for “political gain” – but how she also remained an “optimist by nature”.

India is currently in the fourth phase of a seven-week long general election which has been dominated by campaign rhetoric over economic disparities and religious divisions.

Azmi said: “The ordinary citizen who feels that ‘I have absolutely no voice’, has a right to express that voice every five years.

“And that has to be protected under all circumstances.

“Democracy has to be preserved because when you attack democratic rights, then you are attacking a citizen’s rights”.

Azmi was asked how the 200 million Muslims felt in India during this time – and if they felt they were under attack.

“Of course, religion is used as an instrument for political gain and especially for electoral gain,” she said.

When asked about her identity and how millions of Muslims have felt in India, she said being Muslim is only one aspect of her identity.

‘I hope there is a degree of sensitivity in you’

She said: “I never thought of myself as a Muslim, because if you ask me who I am – I’m a woman, I’m an Indian, I’m an actor, I’m an activist, I’m a mother, I’m a daughter. I’m all of that – and being Muslim is only one part of my identity.

“But I have always been brought out to speak my mind.

“And so when I’ve come across issues which are provocative, it comes just naturally to me that if I feel really strongly about it, then I’ll get involved with it.

“Why is there injustice? Why is there gender inequality?

“Given that you are an artist – I hope there is a degree of sensitivity in you.

“And that’s how I got involved, both in my work with slum dwellers in Mumbai and then later with women.”

She was asked if she was hopeful for India’s future amid the elections in the largest democracy in the world.

Azmi said: “I’m an optimist by nature. I always think of the best to come – and that it will.

“I’m very proud of my country. I love the fact that I am an Indian and I’m very proud of my country.”

However, when discussing her career, she added: “I didn’t have a grand plan that I was going to become an actress“.

Baroness Shaista Gohir, CEO of Muslim Women’s Network UK, hosted the actress at the House Of Lords to celebrate her film career alongside her work championing women’s rights and her London Freedom Of The City award.

Azmi is the only actor to win the national award for best actor five times.

She won it for her first release, Ankur, in 1974.

She then won the award for three consecutive years, from 1983 to 1985, for her notable work in the films Arth, Khandhar, and Paa.

:: You can watch the full interview with Shabana Azmi on Sky News’ The World With Yalda Hakim from 9pm tonight.

Entertainment

Henry Cavill suffers injury while training for Highlander film

Published

6 hours ago

September 12, 2025

admin

Henry Cavill suffers injury while training for Highlander film

Actor Henry Cavill has suffered an injury during training ahead of filming for the remake of the Highlander film.

The British actor, best known for TV series The Witcher, playing Superman in Man Of Steel, and more recently Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes film series, was hurt just days before the film was due to start production.

Filming for the reboot of the 1980s classic will now begin in 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The cast includes Gladiator actor Russell Crowe, who worked with Cavill on Man Of Steel, as well as former Doctor Who star Karen Gillan, and Dave Bautista – known for roles in Dune and as Drax in the Guardians Of The Galaxy trilogy.

Cavill, 42, was injured during pre-production of the Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists (UA) film.

Highlander, which is being directed by Chad Stahelski, is based on the original 1986 film of the same name.

The film starred Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery and is about an ancient battle between immortal warriors.

The fantasy-action film was followed up with several sequels, including Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), Highlander III: The Sorcerer (1994), and Highlander: Endgame (2000).

An alternate sequel to the original film was also produced as a TV spin-off series in 1992.

Speaking at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April, Cavill told The Hollywood Reporter he was a “lover of the original movies, for better or worse” and was currently in training to play the immortal Scottish hero.

He added: “If you think you’ve seen me do sword work before, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

There has been no word on what type of injury Cavill suffered or how it occurred.

Entertainment

Ireland will not participate in Eurovision if Israel is allowed to take part

Published

2 days ago

September 11, 2025

admin

Ireland will not participate in Eurovision if Israel is allowed to take part

Ireland will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest next year if Israel is allowed to take part, RTE has announced.

The Irish broadcaster said in a statement that a number of European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members raised concerns over the participation of Israel in the competition at the union’s general assembly in July.

RTE added that its “position” is that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if the participation of Israel goes ahead.

The broadcaster will make its “final decision regarding Ireland’s participation” once the EBU decides whether Israel will take part, the statement continues.

It adds: “RTE wishes to thank the EBU for the extensive consultation process that was initiated on foot of that meeting, and the extension of the option to withdraw from participation without penalty to December.”

The statement added: “RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.

“RTE is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.”

Ireland has won Eurovision seven times, the joint most of any country along with Sweden. Its last win was in 1996.

Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU Members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest.

“Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna. It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

The 70th anniversary edition of the contest is due to take place in Vienna, Austria, in May after Austrian entry JJ won with his song Wasted Love in Basel, Switzerland, earlier this year.

Ireland was represented by Emmy in Basel, with the song Laika Party, while Israel was represented by Yuval Raphael, with her song New Day Will Rise.

There has been growing controversy about Israel’s participation in Eurovision with protests in host cities in the last two years.

Entertainment

Gary Lineker ends Ant and Dec winning streak at National Television Awards months after antisemitism row

Published

2 days ago

September 11, 2025

admin

Gary Lineker ends Ant and Dec winning streak at National Television Awards months after antisemitism row

Former Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has won the best TV presenter prize at the National Television Awards – months after he left the BBC following an antisemitism row.

Lineker, 64, apologised “unreservedly” in May after he shared a post on Instagram about Zionism which featured an image of a rat – a symbol used to represent Jewish people in antisemitic propaganda, including in Nazi Germany.

The former England footballer said in a statement that he would “never knowingly share anything antisemitic” and that he removed the post when he “became aware of the issue”.

He announced he was leaving the BBC days later, saying that “stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action”.

Lineker had presented Match Of The Day since 1999 and was the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent when he stepped down.

Prior to the antisemitism row in May, Lineker already had a reputation for sharing political views on social media – something which went against the BBC’s impartiality rules.

This included posts about Tory migrant policy, Brexit, Qatar’s human rights record and a documentary about Gaza.

Collecting his “TV Presenter Of The Year” award last night, Lineker said: “I think it demonstrates that perhaps it’s OK sometimes for us to use our platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice.”

Lineker’s win at the National Television Awards also ended Ant and Dec’s 23-year streak in scooping the best presenter prize.

Speaking at the winners’ press conference after the ceremony, the former Match Of The Day host said the presenting duo, whose real names are Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, are “brilliant” and that “it’s an honour to follow in their footsteps”.

Reflecting on life after presenting Match Of The Day, Lineker added: “I’m doing great. I’m enjoying having weekends off for the first time in my adult life, which has been great fun.

“I’m still watching loads of football, still doing the same sort of things, and I’ve got a new show coming up for ITV, which I start filming next week – The Box, which goes out, I think, probably next year.”

Asked if the award proves he has not been cancelled, he said: “I don’t think anyone seriously thought that I was cancelled at any point.

“It was obviously just a mistake and oversight. And I think everyone saw it for that.

“So I was never in the slightest bit concerned for that.”

Former England footballer Alan Shearer, a Match Of The Day pundit who worked alongside Lineker on the show, posted on X: “Yesssss @GaryLineker congratulations.”

The former footballer also beat competition from The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman, This Morning’s Alison Hammond and TV presenter and reality star Stacey Solomon to win the best presenter prize.