Ace filmmaker SS Rajamouli believes that there is a high demand for animated features and series in India. The director is all set to expand the Baahubali franchise with the upcoming animated series Baahubali: Crown of Blood.

At a press conference attended by Filmfare, the RRR director expressed his wish to direct an animated film. He shared, “For a long time, I have nurtured the thought of making an animation film and whether it’s Eega or when I’m associating with Sharad (for Baahubali: Crown of Blood). It’s all for figuring out how these things are working. It helps me develop the skills to make an animated film one day.”

He further opened up about the craze for anime, “Cinema is still huge in India but that’s only 10 crore of 100 crore people. Many others get entertainment from books, novels, comics and games. There are people who only watch anime. In Hyderabad, I can tell you there are people who don’t watch regular films but they watch Japanese anime.” 

“There are people getting their stories in so many different ways. The idea of Baahubali is to touch upon all those people not just film-going people,” he added. 

Baahubali: Crown of Blood is a prequel series directed by SS Rajamouli and Sharad Devarajan. The show features a stellar voice cast led by Sharad Kelkar who returns to voice Baahubali. It will release on May 17.

The Bridgerton stars had a small reunion as Jonathan Bailey and Phoebe Dynevor left onlookers awestruck by their Met Gala 2024 after party looks. The former co-stars were spotted leaving the Mark hotel after donning new outfits for the Met Gala 2024 after party. The actors worked in the renowned Netflix series Bridgerton. 

The British actor is seen leading the way while heading to the party on May 6 in New York City. Jonathan Bailey, known for his role of Anthony Bridgerton, aces the all white look with ease. The actor dons a white tank paired with similar hued jeans. 

The Wicked star who plays Dynevor’s elder brother in the series, completes his casual yet chic attire with a stylish pair of sunglasses as he holds the actress’s hand while walking past the crowd. Phoebe, who plays the role of Lady Daphne Bridgerton, on the other hand, kept it simple yet super stylish in a black mini-dress featuring a dramatic sweetheart neckline, looking all set for a night of dancing. For the Met Gala 2024 she donned a custom pink lace gown by Victoria Beckham. 

With no resolution in sight for the “mass leave” crisis being faced by the airline, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh has written to employees and said that the number of flights being operated will be reduced over the next few days. 

Since Tuesday night, the airline has had to cancel over 90 flights after 300 senior cabin crew members reported sick at the last minute and then switched off their cellphones. Hundreds of passengers were left stranded. 

The Air India Express Employees Union also wrote to the management and “highlighted a stark departure from commitments”

In his letter, Mr Singh said over 100 cabin crew members had reported sick, severely disrupting operations, and that the impact was “disproportionate” because the action was taken by senior employees. 

“The disruptions have cascaded across the network, forcing us to curtail the schedules over the next few days. We had to do this to cope with the non-availability of crew and to recover schedules. This act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. I am thankful to all who are standing by the airline in this hour of crisis,” the CEO wrote. 

Expressing his gratitude to employees from other departments that have pitched in to assist in the operations sphere, Mr Singh said the management is available to address concerns at both group and individual levels. 

“We are on a journey towards growth and transformation, which will make us one the largest airlines in the region. Enough professional growth opportunities are there for all… Hope to see things get resolved soon,” he wrote.