Category: Celebrity Style


According to the Chinese Calendar, I was born in the YEAR of the RABBIT! And today is the start of the Chinese New Year 2023, and this year happens to be the YEAR of the RABBIT!

Of course, I didn’t know the year of my birth (Year1975) was the Year of the Rabbit till I was like in my late teens or early 20’s! AND even then, I didn’t know which following years were the RABBIT year! But this time I got to know! So here is a quick post wishing everyone celebrating the Rabbit, a very Happy New Year!!!!!!

Also see my Blog Posts related to the The YEAR of DOG from February & August 2018!

All the Best, to all my fellow Bloggers and Twitterians!

Nuwan Sen (Nu Wan SEN)

The 75th International CANNES Film Festival ended last night (rather today morning here, half past 1am). Could not check out as much about the Festival this year, as I’d love to, but did check the fashionable updates on Twitter regularly. Last night, way past midnight, I switched on the telly (cable TV) to France24 just before 1am and caught the final announcements. Congratulations to Ruben Östlund on winning the Palme d’Or for a second time, this year it was for Triangle of Sadness (2022). A big congrats to all the winners at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Since am too ill and tired to write a good post, let the pictures do the talking. Two nights in a row I couldn’t sleep a wink, stifling weather, dengue mosquitoes, non-stop migraine headache and a load of stress. Tweeting is easier, but glad I managed to make the above collage for this post, as crude as it may seem. So exhausted.

Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense

Back in October 2013, I did a blog post to celebrate Joan Fontaine‘s 96th Birthday. Sadly she passed away today, in December, that same year. Star of my favourite Hitchcock Film (Alfred Hitchcock being my all time favourite film director) which was Hitchcock’s very 1st venture into Hollywood, REBECCA (1940); based on novelist, Daphne Du Maurier‘s much celebrated novel.

Do Check out my old Blog-Post; HAPPY 96TH BIRTHDAY: Joan Fontaine, from October 22nd, written just a couple of months before she left this world.

Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense (#nsfs)

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Congratulations India!!!!!

Harnaaz Sandhu, from the state of Punjab, in India, has won the coveted crown at the 70th Miss Universe pageant, which was held on 12th December 2021. She is the third Indian beauty to win the Miss Universe title, after Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta; but the first Indian in this Century.

Don’t recall the last time I actually watched a Beauty pageant, must be over two decades ago, back in the 1990’s. By the noughties these pageants started to get redundant, and there were way too many of those, it lost it’s appeal for me. Growing up as kids in the 80’s, Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific were the three leading beauty contests we had heard of, along with the Mrs World pageant for married women, which really wasn’t up to the high standards and sophistication of the above mentioned pageants (of course it was relatively new at the time, as it only started in 1984 and the 1st married woman to win it was from Sri Lanka, Rosy Senanayake, thus we loved it for that reason alone). Back in the early 90’s there was some Miss Tourism held in Sri Lanka, which so was cheap, handled so crudely, that it was the first beauty contest that I found so appalling. To my memory, it was the first time an International Beauty contest was held in this country; and until then I had never heard of a Miss Tourism pageant. The most disappointing Miss World I saw was Miss World 1996 (held during my Freshman year at Delhi University), which was held in Bangalore, in the South Indian State of Karnataka. Was so looking forward to it, as it was being hosted in India, even though this prestigious pageant was nowhere near where I was residing. Yet, there was a reason why this International beauty pageant, organised that year by the Big B’s (Amitabh Bachchan’s) ABCL (entertainment company) could not be up to it’s International standards, with bathing suits round being hilariously way over dressed (looked quite ridiculous). The contest was plagued with controversies from the start and many a backwards, narrow minded, societies protested against holding this events; yet amidst all these issues at least the pageant was held and the show went on without any issues. Yet it was quite poorly organised. Although I didn’t watch beauty shows that regularly back then either, I did, whenever I got a chance to do so. But by the noughties I started to lose interest and found quite a few, really cheap. Added to which there was a lot of talk in Sri Lanka about the reason why Indian beauty queens were winning pageants was not because they deserved to but because the west was trying to sell their beauty products in India. What nonsense???? I never bought that, but I found a lot of these contests coming off looking cheap. Not the main three mentioned above, but in general. Good example is all the unnecessary hullabaloo over the Mrs Sri Lanka contest earlier this year (in April 2021) with that horrible woman, Caroline Jurie (back then the reigning Mrs World 2020) snatching the crown off Pushpika De Silva (the newly crowned Mrs Sri Lanka), just because apparently she was a divorced woman. She also had help to dethrone the new Mrs Sri Lanka. Disgusting behaviour for grown adults. Says a lot about the immaturity and the level of education, in participants at modern beauty pageants. Yet it’s thanks to the foolishness of Jurie & co. that made me check out clips from that show. Otherwise wasn’t even aware of that show. But Miss Universe 2021 was different. Grace, elegance and a class apart, from whatever clips I saw. Beauty and brains won.

When I heard that an Indian Beauty Queen had won, it interested me enough to check out clips online, and when I saw Harnaaz Sandhu’s final answer, she pauses a bit before answering and gave such beautiful sharp reply that took me back to Year1994! Sushmita Sen‘s big win! Although not as eloquent in pronunciation as Sen & Dutta; Sandhu gave a brilliant speech with confidence that showcased her intellect. When asked what advise she’d give young women of today on how to deal with modern day pressures, after thinking for a few seconds she replied,”…… know that you are unique and that’s what makes you beautiful…. let’s talk about more important things that’s happening worldwide. This is what you need to understand. Come out, speak for yourselves because you are the leader of your life, you are the voice of your own. I believed in myself and that’s why I am standing here today”. I was bewitched by her, taking me back to 94’, with an 18 year old me watching an 18 year old Sushmita Sen being crowned Miss Universe 1994.

Chandigarh (capital of the State of Punjab) based, Harnaaz Sandhu is the third Indian, the second Punjaban (as Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000, is a Punjabi as well; though Sen is Bengali, and was based in the Indian Capital of New Delhi at the time) and the very first Sikh/Jat Sikh (though all Sikhs are from Punjab, not all Punjabis are Sikh; Dutta is Hindu) to be crowned Miss Universe.

Wishing Miss Universe 2021, all the best in her tenure. Do feel sorry for Andrea Meza (Miss Universe 2020) though. Due to COVID19, last year’s pageant got delayed and thus was held in May this year. Therefor making Meza’s rein, the shortest in the history of this beauty pageant. None the less, a great win for Harnaaz Sandhu, especially with that quick thinking smart answer of hers. Wishing the reigning Miss Universe the best to continue her journey of beauty with a purpose.

Nuwan Sen & Current Events!

Happy New Year & Happy New Decade

So the Roaring 20’s are here again, now in a Newer Century!!!!! Happy New 2020 & an even Happier New Decade ahead!!!

When it comes to movies to be released this year (Year2020), I’ll take into consideration that a movie isn’t made in a day & into account that no Zero Year exists (21st Century started from Year 2001)!! Thus, any movie released this Year, Year 2020, still belongs to the 2010’s (as far as I am concerned, at least). When it comes to movies, books, fashion trends, pretty much the arts related activities, whatever comes out this year, in a sense shall end the 2010’s, at the same time inspiring the next decade (which in every other sense has already started, it’s Year2020). Past Examples; 60’s didn’t feel like the 60’s till Hollywood’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) came out; it’s Year 1966 (and not 65′) that’s considered the half way mark that turned the late60’s over a brand new leaf never ever witnessed before, globally speaking (we live in, or are suppose to be, in a better freer world today, thanks to modern open-minded thinking that relinquished blind stoic rules and regulations of the past); and Love Story (1970) still feels very 1960’s, yet forming a catalyst to the 70’s styles yet to come!! In Bollywood, the 70’s didn’t feel like the 70’s till Haré Rama Haré Krishna (1971) came out, laying a stronger foundation to India’s already existing Hippie culture, and Qurbani‘s (1980) Bollywood Disco tunes (Pakistani Pop Singer, Nazia Hassan’s “Aap Jaisa Koi”, composed by India’s famed Music Producer Biddu, will always be my favourite Indian Disco number) happen to be a celebration of Club Music of the times (70’s & early 80’s); whilst globally (though more specifically among American youth) Fame (1980) perfectly ends the 70’s decade meanwhile serving as an inspiration for the 1980’s decade!! Mera Naam Joker (1970) took six years to make (between 1963 & 1969), and covers the Essential 60’s decade (although the story line spans a couple of more decades). Boyhood (2014) took twelve years to make, capturing the whole of the noughties (the 1st decade of this century, i.e. 2001 – 2010) and enters into the early 2010’s (2011 – 2013)! Manzil (1979), was filmed in the begining of the 70’s, when Amitabh Bachchan was a virtual unknown (the Big B rose to prominance with Zanjeer, 1973), but due to various reasons the release got delayed, ultimately being released at the very end of the decade, in 1979! Thus, without going into drastic extremes, I feel movies released in an Year eding with a nought (0), ought to be regarded as a movie belonging to the previous decade! So basically, Year 2020, specifically movie wise, is a transition from the 10’s & into the Nouveau Roaring 20’s. Some 2020 releases (especially if set today itself, although, unlike the previous century, there is no definite unique look that differentiates one decade from another, other than technological advances of this digital age) shall feel very 2010’s, whilst others could end up defining the whole decade of the 20TWENTY TWENTIES20’s!!!!

Of course, one unique look that came out in recent times (though only seen on celebrities) would be one that helped change gender norms, blurring lines between masculinity and femininity!! Young Straight male actors (like Timothée Chalamet of Call Me By Your Name; ; fame, for instant) have dared to experiment with the androgynous look, thus not stereotyping the effeminate look on a male attributed only to transgender people. Cisgender men and women (gay or straight), immaterial of their sexual orientation, can now try out blending styles that in the past were catered to just one specific gender, or attributed as a reflection of their sexuality!!!

Why not? We are all Equal!! We are all human!! Who made these rules in the past, anyway?? Go Crazy, Go Gaga, if you wanna!! Nobody has the right to judge!!!

New Look for the 20TWENTY TWENTIES20’s

I’ll be honest, the 2010’s haven’t been good to me, health wise and other wise! As it is, all my life, I’ve suffered on my own, survived on my own, and still surviving!! My stress and depression has worsened over the years. As we speak, my head is pounding, my eyes tried; yet I persevere, I go on!! Despite going through a lot, I decided I shall somehow work on a Blogpost today, no matter what! Despite everything, I shan’t give up that easily!!!

So here’s to a better future, than the past (especially better than my recent past) !!!! Looking forward to a better year & even better deacde ahead, and wishing everyone the same. Here’s to the 20TWENTY TWENTIES20’s!!!!

Wonder if Flapper Dames will make a come back, or with a 21st century twist (as gender lines blur further), even Flapper Dudes!!!!  Maybe have a modern take on famed The Charleston, jazz music and have swell time this coming decade, all round!!!

Today, also happens to be ‘s Official Birthday🐾!! FOUR Years Old!!! It’s (Atta’s) my Maternal Grandfather’s 100 Birth Anniversary, as well!! Haven’t witness a real Birthday Party/New Year Celebration in a while. The last time I actually did something to usher in the New Year was; when on 31st December 2006, my friends & I, Down Under, went to see the fireworks over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and welcomed Year 2007 (one of the rare better years of my Adult life, comparatively).

Wishing all my fellow Bloggers, , et al, a very Happy New Year & Great Decade ahead, once more!! Keep on Blogging (a note to self, as well).

Nuwan Sen



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Since Audrey Hepburn’s 90th Birth Anniversay (on 4th May 2019), twitter has been abuzz avec Hepburn tweets! I, of course, happen to be among the main culprits flooding Twitter, along with my fellow Twitterians/Audrey Hepburn fans, with Hepburn related tweets! Happily Guilty! So, thought I’d share my tweets, along with some other Twitterians’ tweets, posted on the 4th of May 2019, as well as post the 4th, within this last week, culminating today!

May the 4th Be with You (Tweets Posted on 4th May 2019)

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Tweets Post the 4th (5th to 11th May 2019)

Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense (#NSFS)

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If Audrey Hepburn were alive today, she’d be 90 years old! Just imagine! It’s hard to even fathom; a post WWII, modern, youthful, energetic, fun-loving and fashionable, foxy 50’s generation; that gave us stars like Audrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Grace Kelly, Marlon Brando, et al; would ever grow old! And sadly most of them didn’t; and some died way way way too young. The era of cool! I remember it like it were yesterday, when we heard of Hepburn’s demise in January 1993, at the age of 63. I was 17 years old. Where did the 1990’s go?? Am already in my 40’s, and it’s Audrey Hepburn’s heavenly 90th Birthday, today!

To mark her 90th Birth Anniversary, Audrey Hepburn’s Birth place, Brussels, Belgium; is holding a special exhibition, titled Intimate Audrey, which began earlier this week; which includes contribution from Hepburn’s older son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer (who put together this exhibition).

I wish I was in Europe, right now. If any of my fellow bloggers/Hepburn fans are in Europe these days, and happen to be in Belgium, do check it out! From whatever media I’ve come across about the exhibition, it looks amazing. The exhibition includes the green “Vespa Farobasso” scooter she rode, in Roman Holiday (1953), my all time favourite movie; Hepburn’s own fashion drawings & humanitarian writings, and the Oscar statuette awarded posthumously for her humanitarian work.

A screen legend, a style icon, a kind human with a Big Heart!!!!!! My all time favourite actress!! Great personalities never really die! They live on, through us, their greatest fans, forever!!💓

❤ Hepburn ❤

Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense

 

Quoting Maya Angelou

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be”

– Maya Angelou
American Poet, Singer, Actress, Feminist & Civil Rights Activist.
   (1928 – 2014)

Bookish Nuwan
Nuwan Sen n’ Literature
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Green Book (2018) wins BEST PICTURE, at the 91st Annual Academy Awards

The 91st Annual Academy Awards came and went, without a host, and without hitch (so I heard); BUT unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to watch it. This year’s Oscars were not telecast (LIVE or otherwise) on this side of the globe. Neither on Local Channels (which I normally don’t watch) nor on any of the foreign cable channels we get from India and the South East. I wouldn’t be surprised if the local cable operators sabotaged it’s telecast. So many instances where foreign channel’s schedule programs are blocked off and replaced with what these cable operators fancy!! BUT, I did check out highlights online, especially on Youtube, on Monday night!!

I was extra keen of watching this year’s show, as it was a Hostless show, for the first time in 30 years. My very 1st Oscars, was that particular Hostless Academy Award ceremony, from 1989. It introduced me to Rain Man (1988) and Jodie Foster. Of course, that wasn’t telecast LIVE (nothing non-Lankan back then was), but about a month later, on a local channel (most probably on Rupavahini, SL’s National television channel). If I recall correctly, it was after Lucille Ball passed away. AND Ball passed away on 26th April 1989 (The 61st Annual Academy Awards were apparently held on 29th March 1989, according to online sources). We use to watch The Lucy Show (1962 -1968) back then, I believe on ITN (Back in 80’s there were only two channels available here). I remember well, how Ball’s death was not announced, before airing an episode of the show, after her death, as is the custom. The network most probably had no idea who the star comedienne of the Lucy series of shows even was.

What’s more interesting, is 30 years after sitting through my Oscars, I learn the Oscars 1989, was supposedly the worst Oscars ever!!!! I wasn’t a fan of the corny Snow White, but I did enjoy the show. I remember Lucille Ball looking graceful, yet with her nutty laugh intact, in her final public appearance. Remember Walter Matthau, Roger Moore, Melanie Griffith with Don Johnson, Tom Cruise & Dustin Hoffman, and Jodie Foster walking up the stage, in her now famously known, off-the-rack, dress (of course, back then I didn’t know it was off-the-rack). It’s good though, Foster represented herself, today some people lose their identity representing a famous designer (especially if the fashion designer is more popular than star adorning their clothes).

Worst Oscars or not, it’s thanks to the 1989 Oscars, I’ve been following the Hollywood Stars, looking forward to catching the Oscar ceremony, every year, if possible!! Preferably LIVE!!

For more on Oscars 1989 & this Year’s Hostless Oscars……

Let the Pictures below do the talking!!!!!

Julia Roberts @ the Oscars (Year 2019)

Melissa McCarthy & Brian Tyree Henry present the Oscar Award for BEST COSTUME DESIGN to Ruth E. Carter (Oscars 2019)

Becky Neiman-Cobb & Domee Shi, bag the Award for BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM, for Bao (2018)

Chalamet & Mom
Timothée Chalamet’s absence (and the Oscar snub) was pretty conspicuous, at the 91st Academy Awards

Comedienne, Lucille Ball (1911 – 1989) made her final public appearance, at the 61st Annual Academy Awards (Oscars 1989)

Jodie Foster wins the BEST ACTRESS Oscar in 1989

From this year’s Oscar win’s, I have only seen a shabbily edited version of Bao (2018). From the rest of the nominations, I’ve only watched, the Feature Film, A Quiet Place (2018) and the Live Action, Canadian Short Film, Fauve (2018). BEST PICTURE winner, Green Book (2018) is the movie, am really keen on checking out the most!!

Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense

Quoting Oprah!

“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher”

– Oprah Winfrey
Talk Show host, Television Producer & Philanthropist
   (Born in 1954)

Today also happens to be Oprah Winfrey’s 65th Birthday! Wishing her all the best, in every way. A true leader,and a great human being!

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