Los Angeles (PTI): "RRR" star Ram Charan says they will "host a big party" if SS Rajamouli ever gets an opportunity to direct a Marvel Studios film.

Charan is currently in the US to promote the period epic action "RRR'' ahead of the 95th Academy Awards where the film is nominated in the Original Song category for its Telugu track "Naatu Naatu".

The actor, who features in the global blockbuster alongside Jr NTR, took to Instagram on Friday to share snippets of his interview with website Entertainment Tonight.

When the interviewer quizzed him about the vision that can be "brought together" if Rajamouli directs a Marvel film, Charan said, "Wow. We are going to host you a big party if that happens. She is one of the first people to say this and fingers crossed, I really hope that happens. It is for my director."

Asked if he would like to feature in the Marvel or Star Wars franchise, the actor said he wanted to be in "every film, in every country where people appreciate cinema".

"I want to be in every franchise where people are watching it and buying the tickets. I want to be in every film, in every country where people appreciate art in the films and cinema basically. Cinema is becoming the global cinema. It's no more Holywood, Bollywood. It's burning all the woods and becoming a global cinema. And I am so fortunate to be a part of that."

"RRR" follows a pre-Independence fictional story woven around two real-life Indian revolutionaries - Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR) - in the 1920s.

The film also features Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, and Shriya Saran in key roles. It is the first Indian film in over two decades to be nominated for the Academy Awards.

"Naatu Naatu" has already scooped up a Golden Globe win -- the first Indian song to do so.

Charan is in the US along with Rajamouli, composer MM Keeravani and co-star Jr NTR.

In another interview, the actor opened up about his father, cinema icon Chiranjeevi's reaction to the Oscar nomination for the film.

"It is emotional for all of us. It is emotional for my dad who is waiting there. Before taking my flight, he was so sentimental that I was coming here. In 154 films he has done and 42 years he has been working, he has been to the Oscars in the 80s and that too for an appearance, and that also he felt was a huge achievement.

"But today we have been nominated and in the list and now waiting," he said during an appearance on podcast Talk Easy.

At the upcoming Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles on March 12, "Naatu Naatu" singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava are set to perform the song.

 

 
 
 
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Jerusalem, Apr 8 (AP): Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight and into Tuesday killed at least 25 people, including eight children and five women, according to Palestinian medics.

Meanwhile, Israel's Supreme Court is hearing a group of eight cases challenging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's move to dismiss the head of the internal security agency.

Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas in March and has cut off all food, fuel and humanitarian aid to Gaza -- a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime -- while issuing displacement orders that have forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee Israeli bombardments and ground operations.

Israel's war in Gaza, in its 18th month, has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns dozens of remaining hostages, disarms and leaves the territory.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, and taking 251 others hostage. The group still holds 59 captives -- 24 believed to be alive.