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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
The Beatles and their disruptive trip to India: The ‘Transcendental Meditation' that changed the Abbey Road musicians forever
By any standard, The Beatles will remain one of the biggest, most prolific, controversial, and iconic bands of all time. Remember the pretentious guy from 10th grade who always carried around a small leather diary with him, the old widower uncle on your block growing up, or the inspiring English professor from your American Literature class in college who made you feel like opening up a dead poet's society of your own. They all listened to the Beatles because the band, like a few other phenomena in the world, wasn't just famous or sought after because of their product; it was because of what they represented and how they made you feel when you associated with their identity, for better or for worse. For example, the Cali Cartel exported and controlled just as much cocaine in their heyday, if not more, as the Medellin Cartel did. But you ask a layman who Rodriguez Orejuela was. It's likely they won't be able to give you the right answer. But ask them about Pablo Escobar, and they will recite for you their favourite dialogues from the Narcos series on Netflix (by the way, they made a season about the Cali guys too; no one cared). Yes, a drug lord who killed thousands of people during his reign is somewhat of an unsuitable person to be compared with the Abbey Road quartet, but Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon, together, had a drug-like hold on their listeners. A drug that would make them keep coming back, a drug that made you cool just by association, and let's be honest, The Beatles weren't pumping out album after album, surviving on Earl Grey tea and English muffins. The boys got together in 1962, after the trio of McCartney, Harrison and Lennon finally found the right drummer in Starr. Soon after their first hit, 'Love Me Do', manager Brian Epstein played all the right moves, and through his grooming and moulding process, out came the biggest rock group in the world. They would go on to make 12 studio albums in the short span of 8 years, due to the power of Earl Grey tea and Scouse, of course. ALSO READ: 'P Diddy would rather die than let go of rights to Biggie Smalls' music': How Diddy was at the epicentre of both Tupac and Biggie's death The amount of music they were putting out was almost too much, and say what you will, the guys knew their stuff. Apart from being amazing musicians, Lennon and McCartney were incredible writers, artists who were more susceptible to inspiration and ideas for a bridge than Joseph B. Strauss (he wasn't a musician, just the guy who built the Golden Gate Bridge). Harrison and Starr were expert executioners of their writers' vision, and together they worked hard day and night to earn their place in the Mount Rushmore of music, if not at the peak of Everest. But that kind of schedule, along with the 'calm and sober' lifestyle of a rock star, can be taxing on the body, and soon the street outside Abbey Road Studios became too long a course to chart, and they were exhausted. It was getting difficult keeping up appearances while trying to manage your career, wives, extramarital affairs and dentists serving you coffee laced with LSD, which, considering the 60s, was probably part of the dental plan for musicians. The Beatles needed a break, and Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the woman who was described as the modern-day Helen of Troy by LA magazine, suggested 'Transcendental Meditation' to the group. This was a revelation, and without any delay, the Beatles travelled to Rishikesh to meet the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Liverpool to Rishikesh The Beatles had previously met the Maharishi during a lecture in London and a 10-day workshop in Wales (with Mick Jagger by the way), a trip they had to cut short because Epstein suddenly passed away. They were then invited to join him at his main ashram, where the Beatles would end up writing close to 50 songs, with many of them ending up on their next project, 'The White Album'. Even though the Beatles had sold millions of records all over the world and had probably witnessed every comfort known to man, they were taken aback when they reached the Ashram. 14 acres of land consisting of six long bungalows, each containing five or six double rooms, and the rooms were equipped with four-poster beds and an electric fire system. Along with all that, there was a post office, a lecture theatre and a swimming pool. All four of them were now determined to make the most of this trip, and Harrison and Lennon were the most affected by the teachings. After the band met the Maharishi in Wales, they had decided to give up drugs, just like Jimi Hendrix switched to the tambourine after playing the 'Star-Spangled Banner'. Even after this supposed break from drugs, Lennon admitted that he was hallucinating during his time at the Ashram, and his claims were backed by his wife, Cynthia Lennon, who said in Bob Spitz's book The Beatles that Harrison and Lennon had completely accepted the teachings of the Maharishi. However, Starr and McCartney weren't having that much of a jolly time and left soon after a couple of weeks. The band tripped for days, just on meditation apparently, and wrote an entire album while denying a Lord of The Rings movie (story for another time). But as half of the group departed, the other two maybe went too deep. ALSO READ: Frank Sinatra 'facilitated' John F Kennedy's other life, but couldn't outrun his mafia connections: The rise and ruin of their unlikely friendship Boyd, who introduced Harrison to the entire scheme, admitted later on that the teachings had gotten a hold of him, and so had alcohol and drugs. Lennon who was apparently already thinking about bringing his then muse Yoko Ono on the trip along with his wife, asked for separate rooms for him and his wife after just a few days in Rishikesh. Their relationship would never get back to normal, ultimately leading to a divorce. Through the Ashram and his muse, Lennon had shed the skin of the young and innocent Scouser, and the man that emerged wanted to change the world, and his own life with it. He had already been drifting towards politics and activism before Rishikesh, many fans and members of the band accused his relationship with Ono to be one of the reason, they broke up. Lennon admitted later on that the moment he saw Ono was the moment he knew his days with the old gang were over. Soon Lennon and Harrison also left upon discovering the Maharishi's involvement in sexual assault cases, even though it was never proved. But even though the boys were all back in good old England, the distance had already been created. During this very week in 1968, the Beatles started recording 'The White Album' at the Abbey Road Studios, and to the average Joe, it was just another great project. Songs filled to the brim with mystique of the East, songs that brought out a different side of the Beatles, a broken side of the Beatles. The strum of the guitar still blended perfectly with the thrum of the drums, the tempo still intact, and the different voices and harmonies still so seamlessly brought together that they sounded one. But the trip, like perceived by many, wasn't a breather; it was a moment of realisation for all four men that they didn't need to be the greatest band in the world anymore. It was enough, all that they had done, and if the sun had set on the Beatles on the day they released the White Album, it would be alright. They did end up working on another album, but personal turmoils, failing relationships and four broken minds were enough to stop this madness. Seeds of discontent had been sown long before the trip and maybe whatever they experienced in India, just exacerbated the whole situation. All four of the Beatles left their wives following that trip, with McCartney's marriage lasting the longest. The group went their separate ways, and the band was legally disbanded in 1974. Even though they were gone in such a short time, everyone listened to the Beatles. They were probably the first band to be famous enough to be recognised by all, even if many never listened to a single thing they put out. It wasn't about what they sang; it was always about who they were and what they represented, and maybe the pretentious guy from your school whom we talked about earlier isn't all too bad, because no matter who they were and what they did, the Beatles were cool; it's that simple.
Cosmopolitan
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Pedro Pascal's mind-blowing net worth has legit landed him on the list of Highest-Paid TV Actors
Pedro Pascal has been out here working for literal decades both in theater and practically any kind of screen imaginable. Case in point? One of his earliest roles was a 1999 guest spot on the iconic television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Ahem: Despite the minor role, good karma clearly caught up with Pedro, who, 24 years later, sweetly recalled his time on the series during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. The celeb reminisced on working with lead actor Sarah Michelle Gellar, and remembered, "Absolutely everything. I remember she had ice cream in her trailer, and she gave me some. She went back to her trailer, she got me some ice cream and she shared - 'cause it was a night shoot, it was in the middle of the night, and we were on the UCLA campus. They hadn't built their college sets yet." Fast-forward over a decade, and it was Pedro's multi-episode appearance as Oberyn Martell (aka The Red Viper) on Game of Thrones - a gig he landed with the help of his lifelong friend Sarah Paulson, who helped him audition for the show - that put him on the map (and made viewers everywhere high-key thirst over him 👀). Since then, he's been cast in tons of projects, from The Last of Us and Narcos to Gladiator II and the newest iteration of the Fantastic Four means he's been making some serious moolah as of late. Just how much, you ask? Let's get into it. Chances are, one of the first times you saw Pedro in a large-scale project (which likely coincided with one of the first times you stared at your screen like this 👁👄👁) was in the 2015 Netflix crime drama series Narcos, which the actor went on to star in for a whopping three seasons. The hit show was based on the real-life events of DEA agent Javier Peña, who helped lead the international investigation and manhunt for Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug lord. The show has since gone off to explore tons of spinoffs, including Narcos: Mexico, which is also referred to as "the one Bad Bunny is in," lol. To put it lightly: the American space Western television series was a big freakin' deal. Like, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the season 3 trailer for the show was viewed over 83.5 million times, which totally blows the previous record for a Disney+ Star Wars series of 58 million views for Obi Wan Kenobi out of the water. Despite being the titular protagonist on The Mandalorian as Din Djarin aka *the* Mandalorian, the actor's salary has not yet been disclosed. However, according to industry insider Daniel Richtman (via StyleCaster), Pedro asked for a raise in anticipation of season 3 of the series. Additionally, the outlet reports that, once she was fired from the show, actor Gina Carano revealed she'd earned between $25,000 and $50,000 (£18,500 - £37,000) per episode during her time on it (oh, and that the leading stars, who Pedro most certainly was, made much more). Slotted during Max's coveted 9 pm EST Sunday slot, The Last of Us totally catapulted Pedro to new levels of stardom. Given the limited cast (I mean, other than the zombies, obvi), the actor's star power was bright as he took on the lead role of Joel, a smuggler who is hired to escort a girl named Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States. According to Variety, Pedro made a whopping $600,000 per episode (aka $5.4 million total) for season 1, which made him one of the highest-paid actors in 2021. Oh, and according to Celebrity Net Worth, that per-episode salary more specifically made the celeb the 12th highest-paid actor on television that year. Btw, in a 2nd February, 2023, appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Pedro recalled the hilarious experience of having forgotten he'd gotten the role after taking an Ambien. "I get a call that I got the job after I took the Ambien, and so I was excited I guess, but I didn't remember," the actor relayed to Jimmy. "I woke up in the morning and the first thing that occurred to me was like, 'Oh man, I really want that job.'" He then continued, "I'm in London, they're in L.A., I'm gonna wait by the phone all day long, this hasn't happened in a while, I'm gonna be longing and I'm gonna think about it all day long. And then it was like, 'Congratulations, I'm so happy for you!' when I looked at my phone. And I was like, 'Oh yeah, I got the job!'" Truly could not feel more #blessed that Pedro wound up being our Joel. 🥺❤️ Oh, and for everything you need to know about the cast on the latest season of the hit show, head right on over this way: Throughout his career, Pedro - a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts - has routinely gone back to the theatre world. In fact, just some of his most notable stage roles were in productions like King Lear, Maple and Vine, Beauty of the Father, Sand, Based on a Totally True Story, Old Comedy After Aristophane's Frogs, Some Men, Much Ado About Nothing, and Macbeth. Didn't think we could be more obsessed with this man, but here we are! Yep, including Gladiator II with Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, and Denzel Washington, who reportedly picked up a whopping $20 million (£14.8 milliom) for the film. We can only assume Pedro raked in the big bucks, as well. Not to mention, Pedro is also entering his rom-com era in A24's The Materialists alongside Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans, where he plays a non-evil Mr. Big type with a $12 million ($8.9 million) mansion. The actor probs picked up millions, too. Yep, in November 2023, it was announced that Pedro was cast as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic) in the latest Fantastic Four film, which was no doubt a pinch-me moment for the actor, who, after taking on the role of Max Lord in Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984, was so incredibly gracious and had this to say when Variety asked whether he'd get another opportunity like it: "It will never happen felt so special...I don't know! I'm protecting myself psychologically! It's just all too good to be true! How dare I!" What 😭 a 😭 humble 😭 king 😭😭😭. Oh, nothing much! Just a totally not-at-all-casual $10 million (£7.4 million) buckaroonies. Honestly, we can't even be mad since there's truly nothing we enjoy more than watching Pedro on our screens. That being said, I'll leave you with this healthy reminder, courtesy of Pedro's tee:
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Oscar winner signs up to star in new series about infamous Irish-American gang
The show is set to begin filming this summer Oscar winner J.K. Simmons has signed up to star in a brand new TV series about infamous Irish-American gang The Westies. From the co-creator of Godfather of Harlem, Narcos, and Narcos: Mexico, Chris Brancato, The Westies is an eight-part series set in 1980s New York City. The show takes place when 'the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Centre on the Westies' home turf in Hell's Kitchen promises a financial windfall.' 'Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente,' the show synopsis continues. JK Simmons (Getty Images) News in 90 Seconds - May 30th 'But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia.' The show was created by Brancato and Michael Panes, who will both serve as executive producers. The series is set to begin filming in Toronto, Canada this July. J.K Simmons (70) is a multi-award-winning actor. His credits include Whiplash, Juno, Justice League, La La Land, and Red One. He is set to play the role of Eamon Sweeney – 'the charismatic but ruthless leader of The Westies whose old-school charm and neighborhood loyalty mask fierce criminal ambition and calculated brutality.' The Westies were a Manhattan-based Irish-American organised crime outfit. Their activities included racketeering, drug trafficking, burglary, illegal gambling, fraud, and carrying out contract killings. According to the NYPD, they're responsible for between 60 to 100 murders spanning 18 years from 1968 to 1986. The gang was founded in the 1960s and was led by James Coonan until he was jailed for 75 years in 1988.
France 24
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Brazil's truth-teller Mendonca Filho's double Cannes win
The former journalist won the best director and Wagner Moura best actor for playing an academic being hunted down by a corrupt politician. It was Mendonca Filho's third triumph at the world's biggest film festival, after taking the second prize in 2019 for his dystopian drama "Bacurau" set in a near future where foreigners descend on an isolated rural settlement to hunt down the locals to earn points in a game. But the release of that genre-bending "weird western" -- which critics adored -- was hobbled by the pandemic. "The Secret Agent" is even more overtly political, a dark thriller set in the steamy heat of Mendonca Filho's home town of Recife in 1977, during what the film calls "a period of great mischief". That mischief is a euphemism for the murderous military dictatorship, with the northern city's carnival providing the cover for the disappearance of 100 people, with many of the bodies dumped in the sea. The film follows an academic played by "Narcos" star Moura with a couple of hitmen on his tail hired by a corrupt minister, who wants to shut down a university research lab so he can transfer its lucrative research to a private company. 'Self-imposed amnesia' "Brazil has a problem of self-imposed amnesia that was normalised with the amnesty in 1979" when the country returned to civilian rule, Mendonca Filho told reporters in Cannes after the film's premiere. "The amnesty was proposed by the military government itself, which since 1964 had committed countless acts of violence against the Brazilian population. "This amnesia I think caused a trauma in the psychology of the country. It became normalised to commit all kinds of violence and then simply cover it up," he said. Then "everything starts over again because it is very unpleasant to talk about certain things", the director added. Yet the killings keep coming back to haunt people, he added, with a supernatural "hairy leg" hopping around the city at night in the film terrifying people. With "Jaws" scaring the inhabitants witless in the local cinemas, a severed leg also turns up in the belly of a shark. The movie drips with sweat and corruption, critics said, with Variety calling it a "terrific... meaty period piece" and The Guardian newspaper lauding his "thrilling, bravura film-making" in its five-star review. Prophetic Despite the darkness of its themes, Mendonca Filho praised Brazil as "a country full of beauty and poetry" as he accepted the best director award. Mendonca Filho said that the film is oddly prophetic, with its story of corrupt politicians trying to close down universities for their own ends. "This script was written four years ago and now in the United States there is an entire situation where universities are being attacked basically for teaching science and presenting factual and scientific interpretations of the world," he said. US President Donald Trump has clashed with many of the country's top universities, cutting their funding and barring foreign students from Harvard. Mendonca Filho said attacks on education were typical of the far right, and "I thought that this would naturally be part of the script and the idea of the movie." "While writing the script, I remembered a very well-known saying in the Soviet Union, which was 'No good deed goes unpunished.'" Mendonca Filho has long tackled corruption in his homeland, taking on property developers in his film "Aquarius", which was shown at Cannes in 2016, as they try to drive a retired writer played by Sonia Braga from her seafront home. The director inspires such devotion in Brazil that "The Secret Agent" star Moura said that "if Kleber were to make 'Little Red Riding Hood', I would like it."
Buzz Feed
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Hollywood's Most Stunning Actors According To Fans
Recently, we shared a list of 51 actors who looked the most jaw-droppingly beautiful they've ever looked in a particular movie or TV show. Of course that list wasn't long enough, and we got TONS of comments suggesting more actors who belong on the list. So, without further ado, here are 54 more actors who looked absolutely gorgeous in a specific role: Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet "I could watch that fish tank scene forever!"—Anonymous Pedro Pascal in Narcos —Anonymous Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde —Anonymous Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain —Anonymous Harry Belafonte in Island in the Sun —Anonymous Alexandra Shipp in Tick, Tick... Boom! —Anonymous Jamie Chung in The Man with the Iron Fists —Anonymous Robert Redford in The Sting —Anonymous[Note: This commenter also included Paul Newman, but he was featured on the previous list already!] Thandiwe Newton in Mission: Impossible II —Anonymous Oscar Isaac in Sucker Punch —Anonymous Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina "She was at her absolute most bewitching."—Anonymous Christian Bale in American Psycho —Anonymous Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time —Anonymous Russell Crowe in Gladiator —Anonymous Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor in Bridgerton —Anonymous Adam Driver in the Star Wars sequel trilogy —Anonymous Lucy Liu in Charlie's Angels —Anonymous Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2: Judgment Day —Anonymous Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest —Anonymous Connie Britton in Friday Night Lights —Anonymous Henry Cavill in The Witcher —Anonymous Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing —Anonymous Liv Tyler in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring "I thought she was absolutely the most beautiful woman in the world."—Anonymous Omar Sharif in Funny Girl —Anonymous Theo James in Divergent —Anonymous Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride —Anonymous Diane Kruger in National Treasure —Anonymous Phoebe Cates in Fast Times at Ridgemont High —Anonymous Sebastian Stan in Political Animals "That hair with the slight curl, the lean baby."—Anonymous Jennifer Connelly in Blood Diamond —Anonymous The entire cast of Ocean's Eight —Anonymous Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok —Anonymous Taylor Zakhar Perez in Red, White & Royal Blue —Anonymous Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises —Anonymous Val Kilmer in Tombstone —Anonymous Kate Bosworth in Blue Crush —Anonymous Michelle Yeoh in Memoirs of a Geisha —Anonymous Natalie Portman in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones —Anonymous Sidney Poitier in The Slender Thread —Anonymous Antonio Banderas in Desperado —Anonymous Idris Elba in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw —Anonymous Jason Momoa in Aquaman —Anonymous Taika Waititi in Our Flag Means Death "(Especially post-beard.)"—Anonymous Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians —Anonymous Raquel Welch in Bedazzled —Anonymous Jonathan Bailey in Bridgerton "Jonathan Bailey — IN EVERYTHING AHAHAAHAHAAA."—Anonymous Naveen Andrews in Lost —Anonymous Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale —Anonymous Gabrielle Union in Deliver Us from Eva —Anonymous Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show —babycapricorn129 Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner —SmartTortoise Gene Tierney in Laura —Redcherokee Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later "After he shaves and I'm thinking sure, I'll repopulate this island with you. 🥵"—In Black Ink And finally, people couldn't agree on a single Brad Pitt role, so here are all the ones that were nominated: TroyMeet Joe BlackA River Runs Through ItLegends of the Fall—Anonymous
