A day after their alleged nightclub brawl took Twitter by storm, the filmmakers Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder patched up with Shah Rukh Khan by calling on him at his bungalow on Tuesday evening.
Farah Khan's director brother Sajid Khan was the architect of the peace move. The couple hugged SRK in an emotional reunion in the presence of the star's wife Gauri Khan.
"Shah Rukh and I just met, had a heart-to-heart chat and have resolved all misunderstandings. All animosity is now sorted for good," tweeted Kunder, minutes after the meeting.
Farah Khan, who was among SRK's best buddies when she directed him in the superhits Main Hoon Naa and Om Shanti Om, said, "SRK, Gauri, Shirish and I were all unhappy about it. Things had gone out of hand, now everything is sorted out."
Shah Rukh Khan, who had denied physically assaulting Kunder yesterday, tweeted only hours before the patch-up that he felt like "the source and author of a Shakespearean farce ... without the poetry or the prose of course!"
Paula Abdul exits X Factor, too
Paula Abdul joined the exodus from Fox's The X Factor USA on Tuesday night. She said she won't return to "dear friend" Simon Cowell's singing contest when it begins its second season later this year. Her announcement followed Monday's exits of her fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger and the host Steve Jones.
"I've learnt in this industry that business decisions oftentimes override personal considerations," Abdul said in a statement.
Cowell didn't address the reason for the changes but thanked the exiting trio "for everything they did last year".
There was no immediate word from producers on who might fill the open seats.
British Council launches UAE Dickens contest
As part of the global celebrations marking the bicentenary of Charles Dickens, the British Council is calling on aspiring writers and illustrators in the UAE to connect the legacy of the novelist's early sketch work with the rapidly changing country in which they live.
Texts and paintings for the Sketches by Boz: Sketching the City competition will be accepted today until March 4. The works will then be up for public voting on Facebook until March 24.
Established UK and Arab authors and illustrators are set to judge the finalists. The winners will be announced at the 22nd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, happening from March 28 to April 2. Visit www.britishcouncil.org for more information.
After surgery, Adele to perform at Grammys
Adele is nominated for six Grammys, and she'll be on deck to collect anything she wins: the 23-year-old singer is set to perform at the awards show on February 12.
Adele had surgery on her vocal cords last year, and the Grammys will be her first performance in five months. Her second album, 21, is nominated for the album of the year and the best pop vocal album.
Sean Penn named ambassador for Haiti
The actor Sean Penn has been named ambassador at large for Haiti, in recognition of his humanitarian work since the 2010 earthquake.
The Hollywood star received the honour from the Haitiian President Michel Martelly at a ceremony on Tuesday evening at the National Palace.
The president joked that the "only downside" to Penn's new position is that he can no longer call the actor by his first name - now Penn will be called "ambassador".
Filipino celebrities take on Dubai tonight
Popular actors from the Philippines are scheduled to perform tonight, at 7pm, at Wonderland Theme Park in Dubai.
The event, titled "Proud to be Filipino", features the leading men Derek Ramsay and Alex Castro, the soap star Maja Salvador, the comedian Melai Cantiveros and the recording artist Julie Anne San Jose.
"We're expecting 5,000 attendees, mostly Filipinos but also expats who recognise Filipino talent," says the event director Yhok Banares. "Students from three UAE schools will also be performing." For tickets, call 055 232 1325.
Endangered turtles rescued on Saadiyat
Over the past few weeks, a total of 20 turtles have been found and rescued on Saadiyat Beach. One of them, an endangered hawksbill turtle, was spotted at the Monte-Carlo Beach Club by a lifeguard.
With the help from the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) of Abu Dhabi, the turtles are now being cared for at a rehabilitation centre in the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and will be released back into the sea later this year.
The rescued hawksbill is believed to be one of 300 that hatched last summer in a protected nesting ground in the nine-kilometre stretch of beach outside the Monte-Carlo club. TDIC has a stringent conservation plan in place to ensure the turtles continue to thrive on Saadiyat - one of the creature's dwindling number of habitats.
