India Star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Coronavirus-Positive, Joining Father in Law, Husband

Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)
Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)
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India Star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Coronavirus-Positive, Joining Father in Law, Husband

Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)
Indian film actor Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya in a 2019. (Reuters)

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter tested positive for the new coronavirus on Sunday, a day after her father-in-law and top Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan and her husband and actor Abhishek were hospitalized for COVID-19.

Maharastra state health minister Rajesh Tope said in a tweet that Aishwarya and her eight-year-old daughter had tested positive for the virus that causes the disease.

It was not clear whether had been admitted to hospital, as Amitabh and Abhishek were on Saturday, when they said they had mild symptoms.

Hospital officials and government health authorities said earlier on Sunday that Amitabh and his Abhishek were in stable condition.

Aishwarya, 46, a former Miss World who often features on “most beautiful” lists, has worked on several Bollywood and Hollywood films. She is a brand ambassador for several multinational companies.

India on Sunday registered a record increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases taking the total number of affected people in the country to nearly 850,000 forcing authorities to re-impose partial lockdown in some densely populated areas.

Federal health ministry data showed that more than 27,100 new cases reported in the last 24 hours while the death toll increased to 22,674, after 551 people succumbed in a day.

The 77-year-old legendary actor Amitabh said in a tweet on Saturday night that he had tested positive for the infectious virus.

Within minutes, his actor son Abhishek Bachchan, 44, tweeted that he had also tested positive.

Both were moved to the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai despite showing only mild symptoms and the father-son duo appealed to their millions of fans to stay calm.

Authorities launched a massive sanitizing drill at Bachchan’s upscale residence in Mumbai, spraying disinfectant in the large compound and on cars parked there.

Amitabh Bachchan has been a prominent figure in the fight against the coronavirus by appearing in public service advertisements in which he urges people to wear a mask, wash hands frequently and maintain social distance in his trademark baritone.

India’s film industry recently resumed film shoots after a months-long hiatus following the imposition of a nationwide lockdown in late March.

But actors over 65, such as Amitabh, are banned from the sets because of their vulnerability to the virus.



Kendrick Lamar Surprises with New Album 'GNX'

FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
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Kendrick Lamar Surprises with New Album 'GNX'

FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present Friday with the surprise drop of a new album.

The Grammy winner's 12-track “GNX” is his first release since 2022's “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” and his sixth studio album overall. It also comes just months after his rap battle with Drake.

Lamar first teased the album with a cover art and video snippet of “GNX,” which features multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff as a co-producer on every track except for “Peekaboo.” Other notable producers include Sounwave and DJ Mustard, who both contributed production on the hit “Not Like Us,” the ubiquitous diss track emanating from the Drake feud.

Lamar's former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA appears on a couple songs including “Gloria” and “Luther,” which also features sampled vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn through “If This World Were Mine."
On the opening track “Wacced Out Murals,” Lamar raps about cruising in his Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental) car with listening to Anita Baker. He brings up Snoop Dogg posting Drake's AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss track on social media and Nas congratulating Lamar for being selected to headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.
Lamar also shows admiration for Lil Wayne, who expressed his hurt feelings after being passed over as the headliner in his hometown.
Lamar, 37, has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.”
The surprise release caps a big year for Lamar, who was featured on the song “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin — a track that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year.
Lamar is up for seven Grammys, fueled by “Not Like Us,” which earned nods for record and song of the year, rap song, music video as well as best rap performance. He has two simultaneous entries in the latter category, a career first: “Like That” is up for best rap performance and best rap song, too.