Latest news with #Sibi
New York Post
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Batman' actor Christian Bale and a nonprofit entrepreneur are giving foster kids homes and hope
'I've been so blessed in coming to America, what it has given me,' British 'Batman' actor Christian Bale tells Key News Network. He knows plenty of others are far less fortunate. When his now-adult daughter was 3 and his son was 9, Bale began to wonder what would happen if something terrible befell him and his wife, Sibi. Where would the kids go? Who would take care of them? 'I couldn't bear imagining if we weren't around and they would have to be split up.' Up to three-quarters of kids who enter the foster-care system are not placed with their siblings. 'So when I learned that, I said, 'All right, we've got to do something.'' Advertisement 4 Christian Bale and his wife, Sibi, break ground last year on their Palmdale, Calif., center — inspired by their concerns for their own kids. Getty Images Seventeen years later, that something is about to get off the ground. Together California, a community for Los Angeles County families caring for foster children, will open its doors next year in Palmdale. Each family will have one certified foster parent paid a stipend to look after the children full time. Each of its dozen homes will be licensed to take in up to six children, with the priority placed on sibling groups the county would otherwise have trouble keeping together. The houses are being built to accommodate large groups — with industrial-sized washing machines and refrigerators, for instance. A community center will offer resources like parenting classes to other area folks as well and provide counseling and tutoring services the foster kids might otherwise have to travel to receive. The center also affords a venue for visits with their biological families. Advertisement 'When siblings reside in different homes,' a Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services spokeswoman tells The Post, 'parents may experience challenges planning family time with their children.' Siblings aren't placed together for a variety of reasons, she says, such as 'half-siblings residing with non-offending parents; children from blended families residing with kin; and a need for specialized care for a single child in a sibling set.' But there are also cases where foster families simply cannot accommodate everyone. 4 Together California aims to keep siblings in the same foster family, which studies show makes children more likely to thrive. Together California Placing siblings together has clear benefits — including fewer behavioral problems and a higher chance they will both like and adapt to their foster homes and have better academic performance. Advertisement But many foster parents don't have the capacity either in space or time to care for large sibling groups. Can a person with a full- or even part-time job take in a sibling group of four? Where will everyone sleep? How are parents going to meet every individual's needs? How will they get kids to all the different medical or therapeutic appointments they have across the county? The department will license foster parents, but Together California will also give them a lot of additional training, including how to handle kids dealing with high levels of trauma. Across the country and in Los Angeles there has been a large reduction in the number of kids being removed from their homes and placed in foster care, with greater efforts being put toward family preservation and reunification. The kids who are coming in now are often the victims of a lifetime of abuse and neglect. Many are born with drugs or alcohol in their system. Scores have spent years with parents suffering from addiction or serious mental illness. Plenty have witnessed years of domestic violence. Some have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of their mother's boyfriends or other nonrelative males living in the home. Advertisement Tim McCormick, Together California's executive director, tells The Post kids in foster care today have 'behavioral issues that are more complex' — the ones who do not 'would go to kinship placements.' So Palmdale's children will need a more intensive level of care. He notes recruiting foster parents to work there is 'like getting people to work in an emergency room.' 4 Bale partnered with nonprofit veteran Tim McCormick (left) on the foster-care initiative. Getty Images McCormick, who'd successfully launched three similar communities in Illinois when Bale approached him about replicating the model in California, says newer foster parents will have to shadow veteran parents to learn more about what the position is really like. Foster parents must make a three-year commitment, which McCormick likens to the Peace Corps. He's looking for people who have a 'missionary spirit.' 'My criteria,' he says, 'is if I wouldn't put my own kids in that home I won't have them as foster parents.' Together California is a nonsectarian organization, but it would hardly be surprising if a number of foster families end up being religious themselves. Some of the field's hardest and most effective work is being done by religious folks who not only feel called to the mission of foster care but have a lot of support from their faith communities to do it. (About half of foster parents quit within their first year on the job.) Peppers Ranch opened outside Oklahoma City a few years ago. The community started as a group home for boys, but then its leadership started to notice the sisters of those boys had no place to go. Though it has no religious affiliation, the residents I spoke with on a visit all cited their faith as guiding them into this work. All had been foster parents before coming to the ranch, and many had seen the terrible effects of splitting up siblings. Advertisement As one mother told me, it's difficult for younger kids because they want to have at least one of the older people they look up to present in their lives. But people don't often realize the impact on older kids too. 'When it's an older child taking care of a younger child and then they are split,' she says, 'the older child was the caretaker and then they have no purpose.' The DCFS spokeswoman notes, 'When they are separated, each child may feel very isolated and alone. The shared experience of siblings living in a family home — where they play together, confide in one another and participate in family activities — creates lasting memories and tight bonds.' She adds that 'separation of siblings is not ideal because children may experience more trauma when they are without their sisters and brothers.' Having a dozen homes with people all caring for foster kids can seem a little artificial, but the parents say it can be an enormous help. 'You have [challenging] behaviors for a child, and you think that something is wrong with me as a parent,' one parent told me. 'You just feel judged, even in a church community.' But here, the other foster parents understand. They mentor each other. 4 McCormick helmed SOS Children's Villages Illinois for 18 years, setting up centers such as this one in Lockport. One Family Illinois Advertisement Together California will also have two apartments that youth transitioning out of foster care and trying to start their adult lives can occupy. None of this comes cheap. 'We have set our campaign with a $30 million goal, with just over $25 million committed,' says McCormick. The funds will be used for everything from construction to furniture for the families. But they could always use more support. McCormick says Bale has been very hands on in addition to financially backing the project, offering opinions on even the floor design. He's attended multiple county DCFS meetings — 'people didn't realize who it was,' says McCormick. Advertisement The two men — McCormick says they've become very good friends over the years they've been working together — both seem very invested in the day-to-day work. But they're also deeply idealistic. McCormick says that 'when kids first come into care, the light is kind of diminished in their eyes. Our job is to rekindle that light.' 'When I'm closing my eyes for the last time,' Bale tells CBS News, 'I want to think about 'Did I do some good? Did I make any changes in the world that were useful?' And this will be one of the things that I'll be most proud of when I draw my last breath.'
Pink Villa
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
5 best Malayalam romantic comedy movies to watch on OTT platform Prime Video: Kumbalangi Nights to Hey Jude
Malayalam romantic comedies are undoubtedly one of the best mood uplifters and put an instant smile on the faces of the viewers. Over the years, while several such films have made it to the big screen, there are only a handful that have remained significant in the hearts of many even today. Well then, here are the Best Malayalam rom-coms on OTT which you must not forget watching on Prime Video. Kumbalangi Nights Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Shane Nigam, Shoubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Mathew Thomas Release date: February 7, 2019 Director: Madhu. C. Narayanan Kumbalangi Nights revolves around the lives of four brothers who live in a dilapidated house in Kerala. Their relationships are conflicting and somewhat complex, unlike any other sibling. The movie progresses to showcase individual struggles met by each one of them, exploring themes of family strength and societal pressure for perfection. Little Hearts An unusual story of a father-son relationship. Sibi and his dad, Baby, lead a simple life as they look after their family friend Johnson's cardamom estate while fulfilling the needs of their family. Amid this hardworking scenario, both the father and son end up falling in love as romance enters their mundane lives. As both of them grapple with the newfound emotion, Sibi is left with no other option but to reveal a big secret about Johnson. However, he ponders the best way to do it without breaking the hearts of anyone in the process. Oru Jaathi Jathakam Cast: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Nikhila Vimal, Babu Antony, Kayadu Lohar, Shaun Romy Release date: January 31, 2025 Director: M Mohanan The plot of the film revolves around a man who is an expert in palmistry. He crosses paths with a woman who asks him to show his hand to her, and then she ends up prophesying that he will have the worst time of his life. That's not all. The woman continues to make predictions about the man's life, including how he would be ridiculed and mocked by many and would create a lot of trouble. The film reaches its climax, where the previously predicted hurdles actually occur in his real life. Oh My Darling Cast: Anikha Surendran, Melvin G Babu, Mukesh, Lena, Johny Antony, Manju Pillai Release date: February 24, 2023 Director: Alfred D' Samuel A careful man named Joel is in for a surprise when he learns that he has gotten his girlfriend Jenny pregnant. He is left with making many hard decisions before the world comes to know about any of it. However, things become more complicated as Jenny decides not to abort the child, leaving Joel to make some tougher choices and decisions at the end. Hey Jude Cast: Trisha Krishnan, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Neena Kurup, Vijay Menon, Aju Varghese Release date: February 2, 2018 Director: Shyamaprasad This movie narrates the story of a mathematical genius named Jude, who has poor communication and social skills. He visits Goa with his parents after the death of his aunt. However, Jude is surprised when he meets Crystal on the beach, a person who undergoes a significant transformation under the latter's influence in his life.
India.com
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actor who got 2 out of 100 rated in audition, was rejected multiple times, now a superstar, did over 400 films, gives hits every year, he is...
Popularly known as the superstar of South, the actor releases two to five films are every year and 3 of them are sure to be included in the list of hits. But there was a time when his charm did not reach the fans and a director gave him a rating of only 2 out of 100. This actor has huge fanbase in South India However, luck changed and the same director gave this superstar his first National Award. What happened was that this actor would not have entered films if a member of the audition panel had given him bad marks, he would probably never have got his first role in Manjil Virinja Pookkal. Who is the superstar we are talking about? Still couldn't guess which actor we are talking about? The actor in question is none other than Mohanlal. In one of the panelists at an audition during the beginning of Mohanlal's career – who was an aspiring filmmaker and was working as the associate director of Manjil Virinja Pookkal, gave Mohanlal only two marks out of 100. Surprisingly, it was through a film directed by the same person that Mohanlal later won his first National Film Award. That panelist was none other than Sibi Malayil, a veteran director who gave Malayalam cinema many memorable films, many of which had Mohanlal in the lead. Mohanlal recalls his first audition Recently, the superstar and director went down memory lane and recalled the first audition when Sibi gave Mohanlal the lowest marks. 'Sibi was part of the panel during my first audition. Later I found out that he gave me the lowest marks, just two out of 100. But later those two marks became a turning point for me. I won two National Awards through his films,' Mohanlal said during an event organised to mark the 40th anniversary of Sibi's first directorial venture Mutharammukunnu PO. When did Mohanlal make his debut? It is worth mentioning that Mohanlal made his debut in 1978 with Thiranottam. He played a comedy role in the film. However, he gained popularity in the role of a villain in the 1980 film Manjil Virinja Pookkal. Talking about films with Sibi Malayil, they have worked together in Mudra, Kirdam, His Highness Abdullah and Doore Doore Oru Kooda Kottam.
Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Director, who gave Mohanlal just 2 out of 100 in his first audition, went on to make many memorable films with him; actor won first National Award through his film
Although he has, over the years, come to be known as one of the finest actors in contemporary Indian cinema, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal's entry into films almost didn't happen. Had one more member of the audition panel given him poor marks, he might never have landed his debut role in Manjil Virinja Pookkal. In fact, one of the panellists — a filmmaking aspirant who served as the associate director of Manjil Virinja Pookkal — gave Mohanlal a shockingly low score of just two out of 100. Ironically, however, it was through a film directed by this very person that Mohanlal later won his first National Film Award. That panellist was none other than Sibi Malayil, who later became a legendary director and gifted Malayalam cinema several memorable movies, many of them with Mohanlal in the lead. Recently, the superstar and the director took a trip down memory lane, fondly recalling that first audition when Sibi gave Mohanlal the lowest marks. 'During my very first audition, Sibi was part of the panel. Later, I came to know that he was the one who gave me the lowest marks, just two out of 100. But that number two later became a turning point. I went on to win two National Awards through his films,' Mohanlal said during an event organised to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Sibi's debut directorial Mutharamkunnu PO. Fortunately, the other panellists — Manjil Virinja Pookkal's director Fazil and Jijo Punnoose, son of Navodaya Appachan of Navodaya Studios, which bankrolled the film — gave Mohanlal over 90 marks. As they were the most powerful persons on the panel, their approval helped Mohanlal land the opportunity, and he made his debut playing the antagonist in Manjil Virinja Pookkal, which starred Shankar and Poornima Jayaram in the lead roles. The film went on to become a blockbuster. Mohanlal continued, 'At a time when songs were slowly disappearing from Malayalam cinema, we did His Highness Abdullah. Films like Abdullah, Bharatham and Kamaladalam helped bring Malayalam film music back into prominence. In Kamaladalam, I played a dance teacher. I kept asking Sibi how I was supposed to pull off such a role. I told him I could only do what I was taught… how could I act as a dance master? But Sibi believed I could.' 'I even tried to get out of it by telling him I was already working on Rajashilpi at the time, and that character had a long beard. I told Sibi it would be difficult to constantly change my look. He replied, 'Then just grow a beard. A dance teacher with a beard is fine.' Apparently, that's how it is in his hometown. That's how he embraced the challenge, with full confidence,' the actor added. While Mohanlal's first national recognition came through Sibi's Kireedam (1989), which earned him a National Film Award – Special Mention, he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for Bharatham (1991), also directed by Sibi. 'Before Lal even started acting in films, I was the one who tried to push him out. I gave him two marks, thinking, 'he doesn't belong here'. I was trying to let him go politely. But in Mukesh's words, 'it didn't work.' It gives me immense joy that I could offer meaningful characters to such an extraordinary talent, someone who has stood tall for over 45 years, not just in Malayalam cinema, but across Indian and world cinema,' Sibi added.
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Kill me, Sibi Malayil': MB Padmakumar tears into legendary filmmaker over ‘unfair' comments on his movie amid Janaki vs State of Kerala controversy
While the controversy over the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) alleged demand to change the title of the upcoming Malayalam film Janaki vs State of Kerala continues to fume, with various film organisations launching public protests as well, another row has emerged alongside it, drawing legendary filmmaker Sibi Malayil into the spotlight. This 'sub-controversy' began after director MB Padmakumar took offence to certain remarks Sibi made about his upcoming film while speaking on the broader issue surrounding Janaki vs State of Kerala. Padmakumar also claimed that Sibi's comments have negatively impacted his film's release. Speaking to the media, Sibi recently recalled that Padmakumar's film Token Number had faced a similar situation with the CBFC, where certification was initially denied unless specific changes were made, particularly to the names of the lead characters. Since Padmakumar's was a 'small film', Sibi said, the director himself resolved the issue by changing the name. According to The Hindu, Padmakumar revealed that although there was no official communication from the CBFC regarding the alleged issues with Token Number, the board's Mumbai headquarters refused certification until he changed the name of one of the protagonists, Janaki or Abraham. This was despite the film receiving clearance from the CBFC's regional office. 'A film by a director named Padmakumar also had a similar issue concerning a name. That film also had Janaki in it. The Censor Board decided that it would not be approved or certified without changing the name 'Janaki'. It's a small film, one made to be sent to film festivals. The director handled it directly himself,' Sibi claimed. Taking offence to the veteran director's apparent dismissal of his movie as merely a 'small film' or 'award film', Padmakumar alleged that Sibi's remarks caused the distributor, who had agreed to release the film, to back out. Padmakumar added that when he initially faced difficulties with the CBFC, he had approached several members of film associations but received no help. 'Who told Sibi Malayil sir that my film is an 'award film' or a 'small film'? If there are no superstars or if it's not a big-budget film, it automatically becomes a small film or what, sir? And the audience shouldn't see it, is that it, sir? Did you even see the film, sir, or did you know anything about it? Isn't this exactly what the Censor Board also did? Didn't they approach it with prejudice without even watching the film? Do you know something, sir? This is a film I made by toiling for the last seven months, sacrificing my food and sleep.' 'After all was done, I finally got the film censored. I got it done feeling defeated and scared. After that, it had to reach theatres, but it had no superstars. Sir, this film's face is that of the many people who have dreamed of cinema for years; their livelihood is the very content of this film. Without superstars, it's incredibly difficult to get a theatre screen. No distributor will come forward. With great difficulty and by paying from my own pocket, I had arranged for a person to distribute it. Do you know what he told me after hearing your comment? He called me and said, 'You told me this was a big film that the audience would love. But now Sibi Malayil himself has said it's a small film. I am not investing money in an 'award film'.' Sir, you have thrown sand in my rice bowl,' Padmakumar said in a video, titled 'Just kill me, Mr Sibi Malayil', shared via his official YouTube channel.
