title: Day of the Dead

text: One key element of the re-developed festivity which appears during this time is La Calavera Catrina by Mexican lithographer José Guadalupe Posada. According to Gonzalez, whereas Posada is portrayed in current times as the "restorer" of Mexico's pre-Hispanic tradition he was never interested in Native American culture or history. Posada was predominantly interested in drawing scary images which are far closer to those of the European renaissance or the horrors painted by Francisco de Goya in the Spanish war of Independence against Napoleon than the Mexica tzompantli. The recent trans-atlantic connection can also be observed in the pervasive use of couplet in allegories of death and the play Don Juan Tenorio by 19th Spanish writer José Zorrilla which is represented on this date both in Spain and in Mexico since the early 19th century due to its ghostly apparitions and cemetery scenes.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Opposing views assert that despite the obvious European influence, there exists proof of pre-Columbian festivities that were very similar in spirit, with the Aztec people having at least six celebrations during the year that were very similar to Day of the Dead, the closest one being Quecholli, a celebration that honored Mixcóatl (the god of war) and was celebrated between October 20 and November 8. This celebration included elements such as the placement of altars with food (tamales) near the burying grounds of warriors to help them in their journey to the afterlife. Influential Mexican poet and Nobel prize laureate Octavio Paz strongly supported the syncretic view of the Día de Muertos tradition being a continuity of ancient Aztec festivals celebrating death, as is most evident in the chapter "All Saints, Day of the Dead" of his 1950 book-length essay The Labyrinth of Solitude.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Regardless of its origin, the festivity has become a national symbol in Mexico and as such is taught in the nation's school system, typically asserting a native origin. It is also a school holiday nationwide.


title: Day of the Dead

text: During Día de Muertos, the tradition is to build private altars ("ofrendas") containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the words of the living directed to them. These altars are often placed at home or in public spaces such as schools and libraries, but it is also common for people to go to cemeteries to place these altars next to the tombs of the departed.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Plans for the day are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. During the three-day period families usually clean and decorate graves; most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with (altars), which often include orange Mexican marigolds ("Tagetes erecta") called (originally named , Nāhuatl for 'twenty flowers'). In modern Mexico the marigold is sometimes called ('Flower of Dead'). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings. It is also believed the bright petals with a strong scent can guide the souls from cemeteries to their family homes.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Toys are brought for dead children (, or 'the little angels'), and bottles of tequila, mezcal or pulque or jars of for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Some families have in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, ('bread of dead'), and sugar skulls; and beverages such as . The are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased. Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ' food, so though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. In many places, people have picnics at the grave site, as well.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Some families build altars or small shrines in their homes; these sometimes feature a Christian cross, statues or pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pictures of deceased relatives and other people, scores of candles, and an . Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar, praying and telling anecdotes about the deceased. In some locations, celebrants wear shells on their clothing, so when they dance, the noise will wake up the dead; some will also dress up as the deceased.


title: Day of the Dead

text: During Day of the Dead festivities, food is both eaten by living people and given to the spirits of their departed ancestors as ('offerings'). are one of the most common dishes prepared for this day for both purposes.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In addition to food, drinks are also important to the tradition of Day of the Dead. Historically, the main alcoholic drink was pulque while today families will commonly drink the favorite beverage of their deceased ancestors. Other drinks associated with the holiday are and , warm, thick, non-alcoholic masa drinks.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In the Yucatán Peninsula, mukbil pollo (píib chicken) is traditionally prepared on October 31 or November 1, and eaten by the family throughout the following days. It is similar to a big tamale, composed of masa and pork lard, and stuffed with pork, chicken, tomato, garlic, peppers, onions, epazote, achiote, and spices. Once stuffed, the mukbil pollo is bathed in kool sauce, made with meat broth, habanero chili, and corn masa. It is then covered in banana leaves and steamed in an underground oven over the course of several hours. Once cooked, it is dug up and opened to eat.


title: Day of the Dead

text: A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (in Spanish ), which celebrants represent in masks, called (colloquial term for skeleton), and foods such as chocolate or sugar skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls can be given as gifts to both the living and the dead. Other holiday foods include , a sweet egg bread made in various shapes from plain rounds to skulls, often decorated with white frosting to look like twisted bones.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In some parts of the country, especially the larger cities, children in costumes roam the streets, knocking on people's doors for a , a small gift of candies or money; they also ask passersby for it. This custom is similar to that of Halloween's trick-or-treating in the United States, but without the component of mischief to homeowners if no treat is given.


title: Day of the Dead

text: A distinctive literary form exists within this holiday where people write short poems in traditional rhyming verse, called (lit. "literary skulls"), which are mocking, light-hearted epitaphs mostly dedicated to friends, classmates, co-workers, or family members (living or dead) but also to public or historical figures, describing interesting habits and attitudes, as well as comedic or absurd anecdotes that use death-related imagery which includes but is not limited to cemeteries, skulls, or the grim reaper, all of this in situations where the dedicatee has an encounter with death itself. This custom originated in the 18th or 19th century after a newspaper published a poem narrating a dream of a cemetery in the future which included the words "and all of us were dead", and then proceeding to read the tombstones. Current newspapers dedicate to public figures, with cartoons of skeletons in the style of the famous of José Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican illustrator. In modern Mexico, are a staple of the holiday in many institutions and organizations, for example, in public schools, students are encouraged or required to write them as part of the language class.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Posada created what might be his most famous print, he called the print ("The Elegant Skull") as a parody of a Mexican upper-class female. Posada's intent with the image was to ridicule the others that would claim the culture of the Europeans over the culture of the indigenous people. The image was a skeleton with a big floppy hat decorated with two big feathers and multiple flowers on the top of the hat. Posada's striking image of a costumed female with a skeleton face has become associated with the Day of the Dead, and Catrina figures often are a prominent part of modern Day of the Dead observances.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Theatrical presentations of "Don Juan Tenorio" by José Zorrilla (1817–1893) are also traditional on this day.


title: Day of the Dead

text: The traditions and activities that take place in celebration of the Day of the Dead are not universal, often varying from town to town. For example, in the town of Pátzcuaro on the Lago de Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, the tradition is very different if the deceased is a child rather than an adult. On November 1 of the year after a child's death, the godparents set a table in the parents' home with sweets, fruits, , a cross, a rosary (used to ask the Virgin Mary to pray for them), and candles. This is meant to celebrate the child's life, in respect and appreciation for the parents. There is also dancing with colorful costumes, often with skull-shaped masks and devil masks in the plaza or garden of the town. At midnight on November 2, the people light candles and ride winged boats called (butterflies) to Janitzio, an island in the middle of the lake where there is a cemetery, to honor and celebrate the lives of the dead there.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In contrast, the town of Ocotepec, north of Cuernavaca in the State of Morelos, opens its doors to visitors in exchange for (small wax candles) to show respect for the recently deceased. In return the visitors receive tamales and . This is done only by the owners of the house where someone in the household has died in the previous year. Many people of the surrounding areas arrive early to eat for free and enjoy the elaborate altars set up to receive the visitors.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Another peculiar tradition involving children is (the Dance of the Old Men) where boys and young men dressed like grandfathers crouch and jump in an energetic dance.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In the 2015 James Bond film "Spectre", the opening sequence features a Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City. At the time, no such parade took place in Mexico City; one year later, due to the interest in the film and the government desire to promote the Mexican culture, the federal and local authorities decided to organize an actual parade through Paseo de la Reforma and Centro Historico on October 29, 2016, which was attended by 250,000 people. This could be seen as an example of the pizza effect. The idea of a massive celebration was also popularized in the Disney Pixar movie "Coco".


title: Day of the Dead

text: In many U.S. communities with Mexican residents, Day of the Dead celebrations are very similar to those held in Mexico. In some of these communities, in states such as Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, the celebrations tend to be mostly traditional. The All Souls Procession has been an annual Tucson, Arizona, event since 1990. The event combines elements of traditional Day of the Dead celebrations with those of pagan harvest festivals. People wearing masks carry signs honoring the dead and an urn in which people can place slips of paper with prayers on them to be burned. Likewise, Old Town San Diego, California, annually hosts a traditional two-day celebration culminating in a candlelight procession to the historic El Campo Santo Cemetery.


title: Day of the Dead

text: The festival also was held annually at historic Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Sponsored by Forest Hills Educational Trust and the folkloric performance group La Piñata, the Day of the Dead festivities celebrated the cycle of life and death. People brought offerings of flowers, photos, mementos, and food for their departed loved ones, which they placed at an elaborately and colorfully decorated altar. A program of traditional music and dance also accompanied the community event. The Jamaica Plain celebration was discontinued in 2011.


title: Day of the Dead

text: The Smithsonian Institution, in collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso and Second Life, have created a Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum and accompanying multimedia e-book: "Día de los Muertos: Day of the Dead". The project's website contains some of the text and images which explain the origins of some of the customary core practices related to the Day of the Dead, such as the background beliefs and the "offrenda" (the special altar commemorating one's deceased loved one). The Made For iTunes multimedia e-book version provides additional content, such as further details; additional photo galleries; pop-up profiles of influential Latino artists and cultural figures over the decades; and video clips of interviews with artists who make "Día de Muertos"-themed artwork, explanations and performances of Aztec and other traditional dances, an animation short that explains the customs to children, virtual poetry readings in English and Spanish.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Santa Ana, California, is said to hold the "largest event in Southern California" honoring "Día de Muertos", called the annual , which began in 2002. The celebration of the Day of the Dead in Santa Ana has grown to two large events with the creation of an event held at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center for the first time on November 1, 2015.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In other communities, interactions between Mexican traditions and American culture are resulting in celebrations in which Mexican traditions are being extended to make artistic or sometimes political statements. For example, in Los Angeles, California, the Self Help Graphics & Art Mexican-American cultural center presents an annual Day of the Dead celebration that includes both traditional and political elements, such as altars to honor the victims of the Iraq War, highlighting the high casualty rate among Latino soldiers. An updated, intercultural version of the Day of the Dead is also evolving at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. There, in a mixture of Native Californian art, Mexican traditions and Hollywood hip, conventional altars are set up side by side with altars to Jayne Mansfield and Johnny Ramone. Colorful native dancers and music intermix with performance artists, while sly pranksters play on traditional themes.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Similar traditional and intercultural updating of Mexican celebrations are held in San Francisco. For example, the Galería de la Raza, SomArts Cultural Center, Mission Cultural Center, de Young Museum and altars at Garfield Square by the Marigold Project. Oakland is home to "Corazon Del Pueblo" in the Fruitvale district. "Corazon Del Pueblo" has a shop offering handcrafted Mexican gifts and a museum devoted to Day of the Dead artifacts. Also, the Fruitvale district in Oakland serves as the hub of the "Día de Muertos" annual festival which occurs the last weekend of October. Here, a mix of several Mexican traditions come together with traditional Aztec dancers, regional Mexican music, and other Mexican artisans to celebrate the day.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In San Diego, California, the city that borders Mexico, the celebrations range across the entire county. All the way up at the most northern part of the county, Oceanside celebrates their annual event which includes community and family altars built around the Oceanside Civic Center and Pier View Way, as well as events at the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. In the more central area of San Diego, City Heights celebrates through a public festival in Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park that includes at least 35 altars, lowriders, and entertainment, all for free. Down in Chula Vista, they celebrate the tradition through a movie night at Third and Davidson streets where they will be screening “Coco.” This movie night also consists of a community altar, an Altar contest, a catrin/catrina contest, as well as lots of music, food, and vendors. Overall, San Diego is booming with colorful celebrations honoring ancestors across the county.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In Italy, November 2nd is All Souls' Day and is colloquially known as Day of the Dead or "Giorno dei Morti". While many regional nuances exist, celebrations generally consist of placing flowers at cemeteries and family burial sites and speaking to deceased relatives. Some traditions also include lighting a red candle or "lumino" on the window sills at sunset and laying out a table of food for deceased relatives who will come to visit. Like other Day of the Dead traditions around the world, Giorno dei Morti is a day dedicated to honoring the lives of those who have died. Additionally, it is a tradition that teaches children not to be afraid of death.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In Sicily, families celebrate a long-held Day of the Dead tradition called The Festival of the Dead or "Festa dei Morti". On the eve of November 1st, La Festa di Ognissanti, or All Saints' Day, older family members act as the "defunti", or spirits of deceased family members, who sneak into the home and hide sweets and gifts for their young descendants to awake to. On the morning of November 2nd, children begin the day by hunting to find the gifts in shoes or a special wicker basket of the dead called "cannistru dei morti" or "u cannistru", which typically consist of various sweets, small toys, boned-shaped almond flavored cookies called "ossa dei morti", sugar dolls called "pupi di zucchero", and fruit, vegetable, and ghoul shaped marzipan treats called "Frutta martorana". The pupi di zucchero, thought to be an Arabic cultural import, are often found in the shapes of folkloric characters who represent humanized versions of the souls of the dead. Eating the sugar dolls reflects the idea of the individual absorbing the dead and, in doing so, bringing the dead back to life within themselves on November 2nd. After gifts are shared and breakfast is enjoyed, the whole family will often visit the cemetery or burial site bearing flowers. They will light candles and play amongst the graves to thank the deceased for the gifts, before enjoying a hearty feast. The tradition holds that the spirits of the deceased will remain with the family to enjoy a day of feasting and merriment.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Acclaimed Sicilian author Andrea Camilleri recounts his Giorno dei Morti experience as boy, as well as the negative cultural impact that WWII era American influence had on the long-held tradition.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Food plays an important part of Italy's day of the dead tradition, with various regional treats being used as offerings to the dead on their journey to the afterlife. In Toscana and Milan the “pane dei morti” or "bread of the dead" is said to be the characteristic offering. In northern Puglia, a wheat growing region, a sweet dish for the Day of the Dead is Colva or “Grains of the Dead”. Fave dei morti or “fava beans of the dead” are another dish for the day found widespread through Italy. Ossa dei morti, suitably elongated and frosted “bones of the dead” are sweets found in Puglia and Sicily. In Sicily, families enjoy special day of the dead cakes and cookies that are made into symbolic shapes such as skulls and finger bones. The "sweets of the dead" are a marzipan treats called frutta martorana. On the night of November 1st, Sicilian parents and grandparents traditionally buy Frutta di Martorana to gift to children on November 2nd.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In addition to visiting their own family members, some people pay respects to those without a family. Some Italians take it upon themselves to adopt centuries-old unclaimed bodies and give them offerings like money or jewelry as a way to ease their pain and ask for favors.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Mexican-style Day of the Dead celebrations occur in major cities in Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia. Additionally, prominent celebrations are held in Wellington, New Zealand, complete with altars celebrating the deceased with flowers and gifts.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Due to the close cultural connections of the Philippines and Mexico, the Day of the Dead is celebrated in this Hispanic-Asian country as well. In the Philippines "Undás", "Araw ng mga Yumao" (Tagalog: "Day of those who have died"), coincides with the Roman Catholic's celebration of All Saints' Day and continues on to the following day: All Souls' Day. Filipinos traditionally observe this day by visiting the family dead to clean and repair their tombs, just like in Mexico. Offerings of prayers, flowers, candles, and even food, while Chinese Filipinos additionally burn joss sticks and joss paper ("kim"). Many also spend the day and ensuing night holding reunions at the cemetery, having feasts and merriment.


title: Day of the Dead

text: As part of a promotion by the Mexican embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, since the late 20th century, some local citizens join in a Mexican-style Day of the Dead. A theater group conducts events involving candles, masks, and make-up using luminous paint in the form of sugar skulls.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In Belize, Day of the Dead is practiced by people of the Yucatec Maya ethnicity. The celebration is known as which means 'food for the souls' in their language. Altars are constructed and decorated with food, drinks, candies, and candles put on them.


title: Day of the Dead

text: "Día de las Ñatitas" ("Day of the Skulls") is a festival celebrated in La Paz, Bolivia, on May 5. In pre-Columbian times indigenous Andeans had a tradition of sharing a day with the bones of their ancestors on the third year after burial. Today families keep only the skulls for such rituals. Traditionally, the skulls of family members are kept at home to watch over the family and protect them during the year. On November 9, the family crowns the skulls with fresh flowers, sometimes also dressing them in various garments, and making offerings of cigarettes, coca leaves, alcohol, and various other items in thanks for the year's protection. The skulls are also sometimes taken to the central cemetery in La Paz for a special Mass and blessing.


title: Day of the Dead

text: The Brazilian public holiday of "Dia de Finados", "Dia dos Mortos" or "Dia dos Fiéis Defuntos" (Portuguese: "Day of the Dead" or "Day of the Faithful Deceased") is celebrated on November 2. Similar to other Day of the Dead celebrations, people go to cemeteries and churches with flowers and candles and offer prayers. The celebration is intended as a positive honoring of the dead. Memorializing the dead draws from indigenous and European Catholic origins.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Costa Rica celebrates Día De Los Muertos on November 2. The day is also called "Día de Todos Santos" (All Saints Day) and "Día de Todos Almas" (All Souls Day). Catholic masses are celebrated and people visit their loved ones' graves to decorate them with flowers and candles.


title: Day of the Dead

text: In Ecuador the Day of the Dead is observed to some extent by all parts of society, though it is especially important to the indigenous Kichwa peoples, who make up an estimated quarter of the population. "Indigena" families gather together in the community cemetery with offerings of food for a day-long remembrance of their ancestors and lost loved ones. Ceremonial foods include "colada morada", a spiced fruit porridge that derives its deep purple color from the Andean blackberry and purple maize. This is typically consumed with "wawa de pan", a bread shaped like a swaddled infant, though variations include many pigs—the latter being traditional to the city of Loja. The bread, which is wheat flour-based today, but was made with masa in the pre-Columbian era, can be made savory with cheese inside or sweet with a filling of guava paste. These traditions have permeated mainstream society, as well, where food establishments add both "colada morada" and "gaugua de pan" to their menus for the season. Many non-indigenous Ecuadorians visit the graves of the deceased, cleaning and bringing flowers, or preparing the traditional foods, too.


title: Day of the Dead

text: Guatemalan celebrations of the Day of the Dead, on November 1, are highlighted by the construction and flying of giant kites. It is customary to fly kites to help the spirits find their way back to Earth. A few kites have notes for the dead attached to the strings of the kites. The kites are used as a kind of telecommunication to heaven. A big event also is the consumption of "fiambre", which is made only for this day during the year. In addition to the traditional visits to grave sites of ancestors, the tombs and graves are decorated with flowers, candles, and food for the dead. In a few towns, Guatemalans repair and repaint the cemetery with vibrant colors to bring the cemetery to life. They fix things that have gotten damaged over the years or just simply need a touch-up, such as wooden grave cross markers. They also lay flower wreaths on the graves. Some families have picnics in the cemetery.


title: Day of the Dead

text: It is common for Peruvians to visit the cemetery, play music and bring flowers to decorate the graves of dead relatives.


title: Day of the Dead

text: A traditional biscotti-type cookie, "ossa di morto" or "bones of the dead" are made and placed in shoes once worn by dead relatives.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Kriti Sanon (born 27 July 1990) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi and Telugu-language films. After pursuing a degree in engineering from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, she briefly worked as a fashion model. Sanon began her acting career by playing the leading lady in the 2014 action films "" and "Heropanti". The latter earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon's career progressed with starring roles in the commercially successful romantic comedies "Bareilly Ki Barfi" (2017) and "Luka Chuppi" (2019), and her highest-grossing releases came with the ensemble comedies "Dilwale" (2015) and "Housefull 4" (2019). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for playing the titular role of a surrogate mother in "Mimi" (2021).


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon appeared in "Forbes India" Celebrity 100 list of 2019. She has launched her own line of clothing and a fitness company, and has also served as the ambassador of several brands and products.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon was born on 27 July 1990 in New Delhi to Rahul Sanon, a chartered accountant and Geeta Sanon, a physics professor at the University of Delhi. Her family is Punjabi. She attended Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram and later secured a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. She briefly worked as a model before becoming an actress. Her sister, Nupur, is also an actress.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon made her acting debut in 2014 with the Telugu psychological action thriller "", playing the love interest of Mahesh Babu's character. The part required her to participate in action sequences filmed at sea; she has said that that the experience made her nervous as she did not know how to swim. Reviewers for "The Times of India" and Sify took note of her beauty and were encouraging of her acting prowess. After completing the first schedule of "1: Nenokkadine", Sanon was signed on for "Heropanti", a Hindi action film opposite newcomer Tiger Shroff; she divided her time between both films. Trade journalist Taran Adarsh opined that Sanon "has the trappings of a star", but critic Srijana Das of "The Times of India" criticised her emoting, calling it "more cheesy than sharp". "Heropanti" emerged as a commercial success. Sanon was nominated for the SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Telugu for "1: Nenokkadine", and she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female for "Heropanti".


title: Kriti Sanon

text: The following year, Sanon had her second Telugu film release in the crime drama "Dohchay", co-starring Naga Chaitanya. She was next cast in Rohit Shetty's action comedy "Dilwale" with Varun Dhawan, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, which emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films at that time, grossing more than worldwide. Anupama Chopra disliked the film and wrote that Sanon and Dhawan "work as bait, meant to bring in the critical youth segment".


title: Kriti Sanon

text: After a yearlong absence from the screen, Sanon teamed with Maddock Films producer Dinesh Vijan, in their first of many collaborations, in his directorial debut "Raabta" (2017), which featured her and Sushant Singh Rajput as star-crossed lovers. In a scathing review, Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com labelled the film "embarrassingly daft" but took note of Sanon's "statuesque, spirited presence". The film failed commercially. Sanon's starring role as a headstrong small-town woman aspiring to a better life in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's romantic comedy "Bareilly Ki Barfi" was better received. Co-starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao as her love interests, the film was an adaptation of French writer Nicholas Barreau's novel "The Ingredients of Love". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV noted that "the burden of making "Bareilly Ki Barfi" work rests upon Kriti Sanon and she doesn't put a foot wrong", but Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" thought that despite Sanon's effort, her performance lacked naturalism.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon worked in two of Vijan's productions in 2019. She starred in cinematographer Laxman Utekar's Hindi directorial debut, "Luka Chuppi", a satire on live-in relationships, which paired her opposite Kartik Aaryan. Devesh Sharma of "Filmfare" was appreciative of her comic timing. A commercial success, "Luka Chuppi" grossed worldwide. Following an appearance in the unremarkable comedy "Arjun Patiala", Sanon played one of the leading ladies in the reincarnation comedy "Housefull 4", the fourth installment of the "Housefull" franchise, which paired her opposite Akshay Kumar. Despite poor reviews, "Housefull 4" was one of the biggest grossers of the year, earning over . In her final appearance of 2019, Sanon portrayed Parvatibai opposite Arjun Kapoor's Sadashivrao Bhau in Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama "Panipat", based on the Third Battle of Panipat, which emerged as a box-office bomb.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon collaborated once again with Vijan and Utekar in the comedy-drama "Mimi" (2021), which proved to be a turning point in her career. A remake of the 2011 Marathi drama "Mala Aai Vhhaychy!", it starred her in the title role of an aspiring actress who becomes a surrogate mother. Sanon gained 15kgs of weight for scenes involving her character's pregnancy. The film was released digitally on Netflix and JioCinema. Critics were generally unimpressed with the film, but Sanon's performance was picked up for praise, with Mashable India deeming it a career-best. Pallabi Dey Purkayastha of WION wrote that Sanon had succeeded in her "attempt to establish herself as a standalone actor, not just a pretty heroine" and took particular note of the subtlety in her performance. Sanon was awarded the IIFA Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon's next release, the comedy "Hum Do Hamare Do" (2021) opposite Rajkummar Rao, premiered on Disney+ Hotstar. Saibal Chatterjee found hers to be "the most noteworthy performance in [the] unfunny caper". Her first release in 2022 came with the action comedy "Bachchhan Paandey", which marked her second collaboration with Akshay Kumar. Adapted from the 2014 Tamil film "Jigarthanda", Sanon played a part originally portrayed by a male actor. The film was unable to recoup its investment. Sanon starred with Varun Dhawan in "Bhediya", the third installment in Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe. It was shot over a span of two months in various locations of Arunachal Pradesh. Sonal Dedhia of News18 noted how much she stood out in the film despite her limited screen time.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon will next reunite with Tiger Shroff in Vikas Bahl's action film "Ganapath". She will play Janaki in Om Raut's mythological film "Adipurush" (2023), co-starring Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan. She will also reteam with Kartik Aaryan in "Shehzada", a remake of the Telugu film "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo". Sanon will also star in Anurag Kashyap's as-yet untitled thriller film, and in the female-led film "The Crew", co-starring Tabu and Kareena Kapoor.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon is an endorser for several brands and products. These include Coca-Cola, Titan's Raga, Parachute, Tissot and others. In 2017, Sanon performed at the opening ceremony of the 2017 Indian Premier League. In 2021, she modelled for designer Manish Malhotra's bridal collection.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: In 2019, Sanon appeared in "Forbes India" Celebrity 100 list, ranking 38th with an estimated annual income of . She was ranked 17th in GQ India's 2022 listing of the 30 most influential young Indians. She has a large social media footprint, with over 50 million followers on Instagram.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: Sanon was listed 33rd in "The Times of India"s listing of the Most Desirable Women in 2014 and 15th in 2015. She was further listed 26th in 2016, 14th in 2017, 13th in 2018 and 15th in 2019. Sanon was listed 19th in 2021.


title: Kriti Sanon

text: In 2016, Sanon launched her own clothing line, named Ms. Taken. In 2022, she cofounded a fitness startup named The Tribe".


title: Zack Snyder

text: Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with "Dawn of the Dead", a remake of the 1978 horror film of the same name. Since then, he has directed or produced a number of comic book and superhero films, including "300" (2007) and "Watchmen" (2009), as well as the Superman film that started the DC Extended Universe, "Man of Steel" (2013), and its follow-ups, "" (2016) and "Justice League" (2017). A director's cut for "Justice League" was released in 2021. He also directed the computer-animated film "" (2010), the psychological action film "Sucker Punch" (2011), and the zombie heist film "Army of the Dead" (2021).


title: Zack Snyder

text: In 2004, he founded the production company The Stone Quarry (formerly known as Cruel and Unusual Films) alongside his wife Deborah Snyder and producing partner Wesley Coller.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and raised in Riverside, Connecticut. His mother, Marsha Manley ("née" Reeves; d. 2010), was a painter and a photography teacher at Daycroft School, which Snyder later attended. His father, Charles Edward "Ed" Snyder, worked as an executive recruiter. He has an older sister, Audrey, and was raised as a Christian Scientist. He also had a brother, Sam, who died when Snyder was a teenager.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder attended Camp Owatonna in Harrison, Maine, during the summer months as a child. Snyder studied painting a year after high school at Heatherley School of Fine Art in England, although he had already begun filmmaking. Afterward, Snyder attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He graduated with a BFA in film in 1989.


title: Zack Snyder

text: The production notes for Snyder's first film "Dawn of the Dead" describes Snyder as "a comic book and horror film enthusiast in his youth".


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder made his feature film debut with the remake of the horror film "Dawn of the Dead" (2004), and scored a box office hit with the fantasy war film "300" (2006), adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics miniseries of the same name. His Warner Bros. film "Watchmen" was released on March 6, 2009, and grossed $185 million worldwide. His follow-up project/animation debut, "", was released on September 24, 2010. Snyder produced, co-wrote, and directed "Sucker Punch", which was released on March 25, 2011. The film, based on a script written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya, was about a young woman in a mental hospital who fantasizes of escape with her fellow inmates.


title: Zack Snyder

text: He directed 2013's "Man of Steel" for Warner Bros., a reboot of the Superman franchise and the jumpstart to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and produced the prequel/sequel to "300", "" (2014).


title: Zack Snyder

text: During Comic Con 2013, Snyder announced that Batman and Superman would share the screen in "", released in 2016. Snyder directed, Cavill reprised his role as Superman, and Ben Affleck played Batman. Snyder directed Warner Bros.' 2017 "Justice League", but he exited during post-production to deal with the death of his daughter, Autumn Snyder. His replacement was Joss Whedon.


title: Zack Snyder

text: On January 29, 2019, Snyder announced that he had signed on to helm "Army of the Dead", a zombie heist thriller, for Netflix. Snyder directed and produced the film with his partner and wife, Deborah Snyder, via their newly rebranded production company, The Stone Quarry. His agreement with Netflix has since expanded into several "Army of the Dead" projects; "Army of Thieves", a prequel released in 2021, and "Planet of the Dead", a sequel to be created.


title: Zack Snyder

text: On May 20, 2020, Snyder announced that "Zack Snyder's Justice League" would be released on the streaming service HBO Max in 2021. The film was released on March 18, 2021.


title: Zack Snyder

text: In July 2021, Snyder was officially announced to be developing the film "Rebel Moon" for Netflix. It will be inspired by "Star Wars" and the films of Akira Kurosawa. Filming began in April 2022 and will last until November that year, with the project being developed as a two-part film.


title: Zack Snyder

text: As of May 2021, Snyder was working on "Horse Latitudes", formerly known as "The Last Photograph", a drama about a war photographer in South America. He was also working on an adaptation of the 1943 novel "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand, but confirmed he had abandoned it in 2021 due to political reasons. He has also expressed an interest in making a film, in the style of "300", about George Washington.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder will produce "Twilight of the Gods", an anime-style web series inspired by Norse mythology for Netflix. Snyder is also developing a King Arthur film, which he said will be a "faithful retelling". It will be set during the American Gold rush era.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Following "Rebel Moon", Snyder will return to direct "Planet of the Dead", a sequel to "Army of the Dead". He also signed a first-look deal with Netflix.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder often uses slow motion, particularly the technique of speed ramping, in and out of the fight scenes in his films, differing from other directors who make multiple cuts and close-ups during a fight. A minute-long shot from "300" shows King Leonidas slaughtering his enemies, the camera zooming in and out to emphasize each kill and move Leonidas makes.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder said "There are other superhero movies where they joke about how basically no one's getting hurt. That's not us. What is that message? That it's okay that there's this massive destruction with zero consequence for anyone? That's what "Watchmen" was about in a lot of ways too. There was a scene, that scene where Dan and Laurie get mugged. They beat up the criminals. I was like the first guy, I want to show his arm get broken. I want a compound fracture. I don't want it to be clean. I want you to go, 'Oh my God, I guess you're right. If you just beat up a guy in an alley he's not going to just be lying on the ground. It's going to be messy'."


title: Zack Snyder

text: The Netflix production "Army of the Dead" was a special project for Snyder as he served as his own cinematographer, as well as this being his first film shot digitally.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder has been described as one of the most polarizing directors of modern cinema. David Ehrlich of "IndieWire" wrote that Snyder's "name alone is enough to launch a thousand angry tweets, and the most passionate writing about his work is exclusively found in the comment sections of websites like this one. Snyder's critics really seem to hate him, and Snyder's fans really seem to hate his critics ... Is Snyder a master or a hack? A misunderstood myth-maker, or a meathead with a movie camera?" Film critic Armond White has listed Snyder as one of the four best filmmakers of the 2010's.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder lives in Pasadena, California with his second wife, producer Deborah Johnson. The couple first met in 1996, began dating in 2002, and married on September 25, 2004, at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, New York. He was previously married to Denise Weber.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder has eight children: two biological children and two adopted daughters with Weber, two biological sons from a relationship with Kirsten Elin, and two adopted children with Deborah. On March 12, 2017, the suicide of his daughter Autumn prompted Snyder to withdraw from post-production work on "Justice League" in May 2017 to be with his family, which resulted in Joss Whedon completing the film in his place.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Following his daughter's suicide, Snyder became involved in philanthropic activities directed towards suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Snyder promoted this effort on social media by selling clothing and merchandise related to the Snyder Cut; in May 2021, it was revealed that this effort had raised more than $750,000 in charitable donations to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.


title: Zack Snyder

text: In another effort to help with suicide prevention, Snyder included a billboard for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention with the message "You are not alone" in a scene in "Zack Snyder's Justice League". The film features other tributes to his late daughter.


title: Zack Snyder

text: In 2021, Snyder partnered with Save the Children, a global child rights organization, to build a 100-bed temporary hospital facility in Delhi to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic in India.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Although his films have been accused of having right-wing messages, politically, Snyder is a Democrat. He endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. In a 2021 interview with "The Guardian", he stated:I vote Democrat! I’m a true lover of individual rights. I’ve always been a super-strong advocate of women’s rights and a woman’s right to choose, and I’ve always been surrounded by powerful women. And, of course, I’m a huge advocate for the rights of all ethnicities and every walk of life. I would say I’m a pretty liberal guy. I want to make sure everyone’s heard and everyone feels included. I don’t have a rightwing political agenda. People see what they want to see. For me, that was not certainly the point.


title: Zack Snyder

text: Snyder's body of work has earned him a number of awards, including two Clio Awards and a Gold Lion Award for his Jeep "Frisbee" commercial. He also won the Society of British Advertisers Award for Humor for his controversial EB Beer commercial "General's Party".


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Mario Balotelli Barwuah (; "né" Barwuah; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss Super League club Sion.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli started his professional football career in 2005 at Lumezzane, before joining Inter Milan in 2007. He won the treble (Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League) in 2010. Balotelli reunited with Inter manager Roberto Mancini at Manchester City in 2010, helping them win a Premier League title and FA Cup. He moved back to Italy in January 2013, signing for AC Milan, before returning to the Premier League with Liverpool 18 months later. Following a return to Milan on loan, Balotelli departed to France, playing for Nice and Marseille in Ligue 1. He returned to Italy a third time, joining Serie A club Brescia in summer 2019, and Serie B club Monza in late 2020. The following summer, Balotelli signed for Turkish club Adana Demirspor.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli earned his first cap for Italy in a friendly match against the Ivory Coast in 2010. He amassed over 30 caps and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2012, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He helped the national side reach the final of Euro 2012, scoring twice against Germany in the semi-final, and won bronze at the Confederations Cup. Balotelli is Italy's joint-top-scorer in the UEFA European Championship, and joint-top-scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Regarded as a highly promising player in his youth, Balotelli is a versatile forward with strength, pace and an eye for goal. He is regarded as one of the best penalty kick takers in world football. Despite his talent, Balotelli has been criticised for his poor attitude on and off the pitch.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli was born Mario Barwuah in Palermo, Sicily to Ghanaian immigrants. The family moved to Bagnolo Mella in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, when he was two. In 1993, when he was three, he was placed in foster care to the Balotelli family when his own family was unable to pay for his health care needs. His foster parents are Silvia, the Jewish daughter of Holocaust survivors, and Francesco Balotelli. They lived in the town of Concesio, Brescia, in northern Italy.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: At first, he stayed with the Balotelli family during the weekdays and returned to his biological parents on weekends. He later was permanently fostered by the Balotellis full-time and adopted their surname. In June 2012, he dedicated his goals that put Italy in the final of the Euro 2012 football championships to his foster mother Silvia. Balotelli had to wait until his 18th birthday to request Italian citizenship, as his foster family had not adopted him. He officially gained citizenship in Concesio on 13 August 2008. After the ceremony he released the following statement:


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Mario has three biological siblings: Abigail, Enock and Angel Barwuah. Enock Barwuah, two years younger than Balotelli, is also a professional footballer.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli began his career at local side Lumezzane, twenty minutes from the Balotelli residence in Concesio. At age 15, he was promoted to the first team, making his first team debut in a Serie C1 league match against Padova on 2 April 2006.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Having had an unsuccessful trial with Barcelona at age 15, Balotelli was signed by Inter Milan in 2006 on loan with a pre-set price of €150,000 to co-own the player. In June 2007, Inter exercised the option and purchased the other half for an additional €190,000. On 8 November 2007, as part of Sheffield F.C.'s 150th anniversary celebrations, Balotelli featured in a friendly between the two sides at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane. The game finished 5–2 to Inter, with Balotelli scoring twice. He made his first team and Serie A debut on 16 December 2007, replacing David Suazo in a 2–0 win against Cagliari. Three days later, he was featured in the starting lineup in a Coppa Italia match against Reggina, scoring two goals in a 4–1 win. Balotelli gained national attention after he scored two goals against Juventus in the return leg of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, being instrumental in a 3–2 away win for Inter. His first Serie A goal then came in April 2008 in a 2–0 away win against Atalanta. Inter went on to win the 2007–08 Serie A. Balotelli was a substitute in the 2008 Supercoppa Italiana final against Roma, coming on as a replacement for Luís Figo and scoring in the 83rd minute. Inter went on to win the final 6–5 on penalties after the match ended 2–2.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: In November 2008, Balotelli became the youngest Inter player (at 18 years and 85 days) to score in the UEFA Champions League when he scored a goal in a 3–3 draw against Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta, beating the previous record set by Obafemi Martins (at 18 years and 145 days). In an April 2009 match with Juventus where he scored Inter's only goal in a 1–1 draw, Balotelli was racially abused by Juventus fans throughout the match. This led Inter owner Massimo Moratti to say he would have pulled the team off the pitch had he been present. The racist chants were also condemned by Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, and Juventus were issued a one-match home-fan ban because of the incident. Inter won Serie A for the fourth time in a row.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: In his second season with Inter, Balotelli had several disciplinary problems, most notably involving head coach José Mourinho, who excluded him from the first team in the second half of January 2009. Earlier that season, Mourinho had accused Balotelli of showing a lack of effort in training, saying, "[A]s far as I'm concerned, a young boy like him cannot allow himself to train less than people like Figo, Córdoba, and Zanetti." Balotelli continued to be the subject of racist chants throughout the season, becoming the focus of Juventus fans even during matches not involving Inter, leading to Juventus being fined twice and the club ultimately punished with a partial stadium closure.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli's disciplinary problems and his difficult relationship with Mourinho continued in the 2009–10 season. In November 2009, Inter drew 1–1 against Roma, after which Mourinho criticized his players, going as far as saying Balotelli "came close to a zero rating". Balotelli had another negative encounter with Juventus fans in the heated "Derby d'Italia" encounter in an away match against Juventus on 5 December 2009, which Inter lost 2–1. When he was elbowed by Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo in the shoulder, Balotelli fell theatrically onto the pitch, for which he was booked, while Melo was sent off for a second yellow card. The incident sparked an altercation between Balotelli's teammate Thiago Motta and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The tension between Balotelli and Mourinho reached its peak on the eve of the UEFA Champions League second leg against Chelsea after the young striker was not called-up, following an altercation with his manager. Despite Inter's 1–0 win at Stamford Bridge, Balotelli was criticized by several senior players, including captain Javier Zanetti and veteran defender Marco Materazzi, as well as by his own agent. In March 2010, he came under heavy criticism from fans after he publicly sported an AC Milan shirt on the Italian show "Striscia la Notizia".


title: Mario Balotelli

text: After a falling-out with Mourinho, Balotelli was recalled for Inter's April 2010 match against Bologna, and he marked his return with a goal in their 3–0 win. He again caused controversy in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on 20 April 2010 when he threw his shirt on the ground after the final whistle in response to Inter fans who had booed him for his poor performance. He admitted three years later the incident was the only regret in his life. Disgruntled fans confronted and tried to attack Balotelli after the match. His behavior on the pitch brought disapproval from his teammates, with Javier Zanetti publicly saying, "Mario needs to focus on doing what he can do on the pitch, he can't allow himself to behave like this." Amid these controversies with his club and manager, many English Premier League teams, including Manchester United and Manchester City, indicated they were interested in signing Balotelli in July 2010.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: After weeks of speculation, Inter reached an agreement for Balotelli's transfer to Manchester City on 12 August 2010 for a €21.8 million fee. At Manchester City, Balotelli reunited with his former head coach at Inter, Roberto Mancini, who said, "His style of play will suit the Premier League, and because he is still so young there is a big chance for him to improve. He is a strong and exciting player, and City fans will enjoy watching him." Balotelli exchanged squad numbers with teammate Greg Cunningham so he could continue to wear the number 45 shirt.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 19 August 2010, Balotelli came on as a substitute to score in his debut against Romanian side Politehnica Timișoara in a 1–0 away win in the UEFA Europa League, but during the match, injured the lateral meniscus in his right knee and on 8 September, underwent surgery that sidelined him until October. Balotelli eventually made his Premier League debut on 24 October as a substitute in a 3–0 home defeat to Arsenal, then made his first Premier League start on 30 October in a 2–1 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Balotelli scored his first and second Premier League goals on 7 November in a 2–0 away win to West Bromwich Albion. In the same game Balotelli received a red card for violent conduct as the result of a clash with Youssuf Mulumbu, which his manager Roberto Mancini described as unfair. Balotelli scored the first two of City's three goals in the 3–0 win over Red Bull Salzburg in Manchester City's Europa League group stage match.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 21 December 2010, Balotelli won the Golden Boy Award, saying only one of the past winners was slightly better than he was: Lionel Messi. He also claimed not to know of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, the player he narrowly beat to the award. On 28 December, Balotelli scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa. Despite this success, Balotelli still had disciplinary problems, and in March 2011, he was sent off in the second leg of Manchester City's Europa League draw with Dynamo Kyiv. On 14 May, Balotelli was named man of the match in the 2011 FA Cup Final as Manchester City defeated Stoke City 1–0 to win their first trophy in 35 years.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli scored his first goal of the 2011–12 campaign in a 2–0 League Cup win against Birmingham City. He followed this up with the opening goal against Everton three days later. On 1 October 2011, he scored his third goal in as many matches in a 4–0 win away to Blackburn Rovers. Balotelli scored the opening two goals and forced the dismissal of Jonny Evans as City defeated Manchester United 6–1 at Old Trafford on 23 October in what would prove to be a decisive game in helping win Manchester City the Premier League title. Balotelli made his UEFA Champions League debut for City on 2 November in the second leg against Villarreal. He scored on a penalty shot near the end of the first half, his first Champions League goal for City and his seventh goal overall in the season. On 27 November, Balotelli came on as a 65th-minute substitute against Liverpool and was sent off after receiving two yellow cards. Balotelli scored using his right shoulder in City's 5–1 win over Norwich City on 3 December. He put City 1–0 up against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after just two minutes on 12 December, although Chelsea rallied to win 2–1.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 22 January 2012, Balotelli came on as a substitute during a match against Tottenham Hotspur. He appeared to stamp on Scott Parker during the match against Tottenham, but, already booked, did not receive a second yellow from referee Howard Webb, who did not see the incident. Balotelli subsequently scored his first goal of 2012, an injury-time penalty which secured a 3–2 win for City. He was charged for violent conduct for the kick against Scott Parker and was suspended for four matches, three for violent conduct and one for his second sending off. On 25 February, Balotelli scored his tenth league goal of the season in a 3–0 home win against Blackburn. He scored again the following game in a 2–0 win against Bolton Wanderers. On 31 March, Balotelli scored twice as City drew 3–3 at home against Sunderland. However, Balotelli was criticized for his actions in the match after squabbling with Aleksandar Kolarov over a free kick. Roberto Mancini claimed after the match he had considered substituting Balotelli just five minutes into the match. On 8 April 2012, Balotelli received his fourth red card of the season after receiving his second yellow card during the match for a tackle against Bacary Sagna during City's 1–0 loss to Arsenal in April 2012. Balotelli was banned for three matches (one for the two yellow cards and two for the previous two red cards in the same season). After the Arsenal match, Mancini appeared to have finally lost his patience with Balotelli, suggesting Balotelli would not play any part in the remainder of City's season and be sold by the club. Despite this, Balotelli did make an appearance as a late substitute in the last match of the season, a title-deciding match against Queens Park Rangers. Balotelli provided the assist to striker Sergio Agüero, who scored in the 94th minute to give City their first league title since 1968.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: In December 2012, Balotelli decided to fight against Manchester City's decision to fine him two weeks' wages for his poor disciplinary record the previous season by taking his club to a Premier League tribunal. Balotelli missed 11 matches domestically and in Europe last season because of suspensions. With less than a day remaining to the start of the hearing, Balotelli dropped his tribunal action and accepted the fine.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 29 January 2013, AC Milan's organising director Umberto Gandini announced the club had agreed to sign Balotelli from Manchester City on a four-and-a-half-year deal rumoured to be worth €20 million plus bonuses and add-ons. Manchester City's then manager Roberto Mancini suggested he had sanctioned Balotelli's sale to Milan for the good of the player, describing the forward as "like another one of my children" and saying Balotelli could become one of the best players in the world when restored to Serie A. On 31 January 2013, the Serie A giants completed the signing, and Balotelli was awarded the number 45 shirt, the same number he wore for Inter Milan and Manchester City. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said, "Balotelli in "Rossoneri" is a dream that has been realized. It is a transfer that everyone wanted: club, president and fans." Balotelli received a warm reception when he returned to Milan. His arrival saw some fans scuffling with police and one policeman was taken to hospital with head injuries. It was said Silvio Berlusconi's signing of Balotelli would help him gain extra votes in the 2013 Italian general election.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 3 February 2013, Balotelli made his debut for Milan and scored two goals, including a last minute penalty, to earn a 2–1 victory over Udinese. The win lifted Milan to fourth in the table, ahead of Inter Milan on goal difference. In the next two matches, Balotelli scored two goals, including free-kick against Parma. With that goal, he equaled Oliver Bierhoff's record of four goals in first three matches for Milan. In his fifth appearance, Balotelli appeared as a substitute against Genoa and scored his fifth goal for his new club. In the match against Palermo, Balotelli continued his impressive scoring streak with two more goals, one from a penalty and another from an M'Baye Niang cross. Balotelli then scored four goals in three consecutive matches: one against Catania, one against Torino and two against Pescara. On 12 May 2013, Balotelli was subjected to racist chants by some of the Roma fans, which prompted the match to be suspended for several minutes by referee Gianluca Rocchi, in an eventual 0–0 away draw.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On the final day of the season, Balotelli scored his 12th goal in 13 matches for Milan as the team defeated Siena to qualify for the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League. He ended his first season with Milan with 12 goals in 13 appearances as Milan finished third in Serie A.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 22 September 2013, Balotelli missed a penalty in a competitive match for the first time in 22 attempts as a professional. Pepe Reina stopped the attempt as Milan lost 2–1 to Napoli. During a match against Catania on 1 December, Balotelli accused opponent Nicolás Spolli of racially abusing him, but there was insufficient evidence for any action to be taken. The following week, Balotelli scored two goals in a 2–2 draw with Livorno, including a sensational 30-yard direct free kick that was clocked at a speed of 109 km/h.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: In August 2014, Balotelli joined Liverpool for a £16 million transfer fee to replace the outgoing Luis Suárez. He made his Liverpool debut in a league game away to Tottenham Hotspur on 31 August, a game Liverpool won 3–0. Balotelli scored his first Liverpool goal on 16 September, opening a 2–1 Anfield victory against Ludogorets Razgrad in the group stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League. In a match in the same competition on 22 October against Real Madrid, Balotelli was criticised by manager Brendan Rodgers for swapping shirts with opponent Pepe at half time, saying, "It's something that doesn't happen here and shouldn't happen here."


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 18 December 2014, Balotelli was suspended for one match and fined £25,000 for posting an image on social media which appeared to contain anti-Semitic and racist references.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli's first Premier League goal for Liverpool came on his 13th appearance, on 10 February 2015, an 83rd-minute winner in a 3–2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, nine minutes after replacing Daniel Sturridge. He scored just 4 goals in 28 appearances and at season's end and was adjudged by many to be among the worst signings of the season.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 27 August 2015, Balotelli returned to Milan on season-long loan deal. On 22 September, he scored his first goal after returning to Milan on his third appearance to open the scoring in the fifth minute from a free kick at 25 yards out against Udinese in a 3–2 away win. However, a week later, he suffered a groin injury in a 1–0 defeat to Genoa on 27 September, requiring surgery and ruling him out for three months. He returned to action, coming on as a substitute on 17 January 2016 in a 2–0 home win over Fiorentina, before scoring the lone goal from the penalty spot nine days later during the first semi final leg of the Coppa Italia against Alessandria as he helped Milan reach the final of the tournament. On 1 May, he had his penalty saved in a 3–3 home draw against Frosinone, for which he was mocked by opponent Mirko Gori. Balotelli finished the season with only 1 goal in 20 league appearances as Milan finished the season in seventh place, once again failing to qualify for Europe following their 1–0 defeat to Juventus in the 2016 Coppa Italia Final.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli returned to Liverpool in the middle of 2016, but with no future under new manager Jürgen Klopp, who chose not to include him on Liverpool's pre-season tour to the United States or any of the club's other friendlies.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 31 August 2016, the deadline day for the summer transfer window, it was announced Balotelli had joined Nice of the French Ligue 1 on a free transfer, signing a one-year deal. In an interview leading up to his Nice debut on 11 September, Balotelli told Canal Plus that joining Liverpool in the summer of 2014 was the "worst mistake of his life" and that Brendan Rodgers and Jürgen Klopp (the two Liverpool managers during Balotelli's time at the club) did not make a good impression on him and he did not get along with them. He made his debut for Nice, starting in a home Ligue 1 match against Marseille, converting a penalty in the 7th minute and scoring a header from Ricardo's cross in the 78th minute as Nice won the match 3–2. On 21 September, Balotelli, in only his second Ligue 1 appearance, struck another double in the 30th and 68th minutes as Nice thrashed Monaco 4–0 in the Azurean derby at the Allianz Riviera to go to the top of Ligue 1. No other player had scored four goals in their first two Ligue 1 matches in the last 25 years. On 29 September, Balotelli scored his fifth goal in just four competitive matches for Nice when he fired home a right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area in the 43rd minute after an assist from Malang Sarr in a 2016–17 UEFA Europa League Group I match against Krasnodar in an eventual 5–2 away defeat. That was his first goal in a UEFA club competition since February 2015, when he scored for Liverpool against Beşiktaş in the round of 32 of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League knockout phase. On 2 October, Balotelli scored the winning goal in the 86th minute by sending a powerful kick from the edge of the box into the top right corner as Nice defeated Lorient 2–1 in a home Ligue 1 match, during which he received a yellow card for taking off his shirt in celebration of his goal and was subsequently sent off minutes later in stoppage time after receiving a second, controversial yellow card following an altercation with Lorient's Steven Moreira, where neither player appeared to do anything wrong. Balotelli's red card was rescinded four days later after referee Olivier Thual's admission he had made a mistake in showing Balotelli the second yellow card and the French Football League's Disciplinary Commission decided to annul his second yellow card, thus allowing him to be available for the following league match. On 21 December, he received his first official red card in a Nice shirt in a 0–0 Ligue 1 away draw with Bordeaux for kicking Igor Lewczuk.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 20 January 2017, after the 1–1 Ligue 1 away draw against Bastia, Balotelli claimed on Instagram he was a victim of racist abuse when fans of the Corsican club allegedly made monkey noises directed at him during the match and just prior to the start of the match. On the following day, Alassane Pléa (Balotelli's Nice teammate) confirmed he had heard the monkey noises directed at Balotelli. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced an investigation into Balotelli's allegations. On 18 February 2017, Balotelli was sent off once again, this time in his 14th Ligue 1 appearance, a 1–0 win at Lorient. He received the straight red card in the second half for insulting referee Tony Chapron in English. He was given a two-match ban (the second match was a suspended ban that would be triggered in the event of any further misconduct by Balotelli) by the Ligue 1's disciplinary committee on 23 February.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 25 June 2017, Balotelli signed a one-year contract extension with Nice. On 26 July, he played his first match of the season in Nice's UEFA Champions League qualifying round first leg, in which he scored in their 1–1 draw against Ajax.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli finished the season with a career-high 18 league goals and a further 8 goals across all other competitions. His strong form earned him a recall to the Italy national team for the first time since the 2014 FIFA World Cup four years prior.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 20 August 2018, Balotelli re-signed with Nice on a third consecutive one-year contract after a move to rivals Marseille fell through earlier in the summer.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: In spite of penning a new deal with the Cote d'Azur club, Balotelli appeared late and out-of-shape for pre-season training, and did not play the first three league matches due to a court suspension. His struggling form at the start of the season, as well as his growing conflict with the new coach Patrick Vieira, saw Balotelli left out of the first-team squad after making only 10 league appearances. Vieira later announced that Balotelli would not be renewing his contract with Nice and that he would likely leave during the January transfer window.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 23 January 2019, Balotelli terminated his contract with Nice and signed a contract until the end of the season with Marseille. On 25 January, he made his debut for the club coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute at home to Lille, later also scoring his first goal in the last minute of stoppage time of an ultimate 2–1 loss. He scored his fourth league goal on 3 March, an acrobatic volley in a 2–0 home win against Saint-Étienne. He celebrated the goal by creating an Instagram story on the pitch from his cell phone. On 30 March, he became the first player since Josip Skoblar in the late 1960s to score in each of his first five home games for Marseille in Ligue 1.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 18 August 2019, Balotelli signed a "multi-year contract" with his hometown club Brescia on a free transfer. He signed for a base salary of €1.5 million before bonuses for one year, with an automatic renewal if the club avoids relegation.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 24 September 2019, Balotelli made his debut for the club in a 2–1 home league defeat against Juventus. He was unable to play prior to this due to a four-match suspension he received while at Marseille for a rash challenge against Montpellier. On 29 September, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 away loss to Napoli. On 3 November 2019, Balotelli was subjected to racist chants by some of the Hellas Verona fans, prompting him to pick up the ball in the 54th minute and kick it into the crowd. He started to walk off as the match was suspended for several minutes, but he was persuaded by players of both sides to stay on the pitch. He went on to score in the 85th minute of the 2–1 away loss.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli scored Brescia's lone goal in a 1–2 defeat against Lazio on 5 January 2020. During the match, he was once again the subject of racist taunts from the opponent's fan base and afterwards Balotelli took to social media to condemn the attacks. The Serie A found Lazio supporters guilty of racial abuse but only fined the club €20,000 and they avoided more serious punishment by not having a stadium ban imposed on them.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Brescia was relegated to Serie B at the end of the 2019–20 Serie A season, thus the automatic renewal option of his contract was not activated, and the contract was ultimately terminated after Balotelli repeatedly missed training in June and July 2020.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 7 December 2020, Balotelli moved to Serie B side Monza on a seven-month contract, reuniting with former Milan teammate Kevin-Prince Boateng, head coach Cristian Brocchi, club owner Silvio Berlusconi, and chairman Adriano Galliani. Balotelli made his debut on 30 December, starting in a 3–0 win over league leaders Salernitana and scoring on his first touch in the 4th minute. On 1 May 2021, after being on the sidelines for almost a month, Balotelli scored a brace against Salernitana. He came on in the 80th minute and scored on his first touch of the game after less than one minute, and doubled his tally in the first minute of added time.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 7 July 2021, Balotelli joined newly-promoted Turkish Süper Lig club Adana Demirspor. He scored 18 goals in the 2021–22 Süper Lig season, five of which were on the final matchday, in a 7–0 win over Göztepe.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli was unable to answer call-ups to the Italian national under-15 and under-17 teams as he was still considered to be a Ghanaian immigrant.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 7 August 2007, five days before his 17th birthday, Balotelli received his first senior international call-up for Ghana from their coach Claude Le Roy for a friendly against Senegal at the New Den stadium in London, England, on 21 August 2007. He declined the offer, citing once again his willingness to play for Italy when he became eligible. He also expressed his willingness to represent Italy at international level once he acquired an Italian passport.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Italy under-21 head coach Pierluigi Casiraghi announced his intention to call-up Balotelli once he obtained Italian citizenship. On 13 August 2008, Balotelli was finally issued Italian citizenship.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Casiraghi called him to join the Italy national under-21 football team "Azzurrini" on 29 August for the matches against Greece and Croatia. In his debut on 5 September 2008, he scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw with Greece.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli was named in the final 23-man squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championships and scored the opening goal against the hosts Sweden in the 23rd minute. Barely 15 minutes later, he was shown a red card for retaliating against Swedish midfielder Pontus Wernbloom. Italy were eliminated by eventual champions Germany in the semi-finals following a 1–0 defeat.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 10 August 2010, Balotelli made his first appearance for the Italy senior team, as part of the squad announced by new head coach Cesare Prandelli, in a friendly match against the Ivory Coast, Italy's first match after the 2010 World Cup. In that match he started alongside debutant Amauri and striker Antonio Cassano in a 1–0 loss. On 11 November 2011, Balotelli scored his first senior international goal in a 2–0 win against Poland at Stadion Miejski in Wrocław, Poland, also setting up Italy's second goal of the match.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Before the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, Balotelli was interviewed by a newspaper about racism amongst fans in the host countries. During the interview, Balotelli reiterated his threat to walk off the pitch if any of the opposition fans racially abused him in any way, and said that he would "kill" anyone that threw a banana at him. He spoke about his increasing fears that black players would be targeted by racists and that he refused to accept racism in any form, talking of his past experience of racism in football, notably during his time playing in Serie A for Inter Milan. During the build-up to the competition, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini had repeatedly defended Balotelli, but he and footballer Daniele De Rossi believed Balotelli would need to grow up and mature if he was going to become the centrepiece of future Italian success.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 10 June 2012, Balotelli also became the first black player to appear for Italy in a major tournament (UEFA European Championship or FIFA World Cup) in a 1–1 draw against Spain, Italy's first match of UEFA Euro 2012. Italy and Spain later played each other for the second time in the tournament in Kyiv. During the 1–1 draw, Balotelli failed to make an impact and he was substituted off during the 56th minute after missing multiple chances, including a one-on-one with Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas just minutes before being substituted off. His replacement was Antonio Di Natale, who managed to secure his 11th international goal and put Italy ahead within his time on the pitch. With Balotelli continuing his run of poor form for Italy, fans and critics began calling for Di Natale to replace the "immature and unpredictable striker".


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Later in the tournament, on 18 June 2012, Mario Balotelli scored his first goal in a major international tournament in a 2–0 victory against the Republic of Ireland. When he attempted to celebrate this goal, he was immediately halted by teammate Leonardo Bonucci, who covered Balotelli's mouth with his hand for fear that the striker would say something to "get in trouble". Balotelli had been dropped to the bench by Cesare Prandelli prior to the match due to his lack of ability shown in his previous group matches, so when he was substituted on against Ireland, fans did not expect him to have much of an impact and his celebration of his goal may have originally been directed towards the naysayers who believe he is bad for the team. Balotelli went on to start against England in the quarter-finals. His performance was described as "wasteful", but his effort was rated highly in a match where he missed multiple chances. He scored the first penalty taken in the shootout against his Manchester City teammate Joe Hart. On 28 June, Balotelli scored twice within the first 40 minutes in Italy's semi-final clash with Germany, as the "Azzurri" won 2–1 and progressed to the Euro 2012 final against European and world champions Spain. After scoring the second goal in that semi-final, he ripped off his shirt and stood motionless as he flexed his muscles, developing a famous celebration. Going into the final, Balotelli said Manchester City's title success meant failure in the Euro would not signal a personal failure this season. He also said he was unfazed by the pressure he supposedly had on his shoulders entering the final, with new high expectations of him from his home supporters after his amazing performance against Germany.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: During the tournament, Balotelli was subject to a case of racial abuse during the game against Croatia, which led UEFA to fine the Croatian Football Federation €80,000. Italy were defeated 4–0 in the final by Spain. Despite the heavy defeat, Balotelli was named as part of the Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament due to his performances. With three goals, Balotelli finished the tournament as the joint top scorer along with five other players, although the Golden Boot ultimately went to Fernando Torres because of his assist in the Euro 2012 final.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: After establishing himself in the side at Euro 2012, Balotelli remained the first choice striker for Italy's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 21 March 2013, Balotelli scored a long-range equaliser in a friendly match against Brazil at the Stade de Genève. Five days later, he scored both goals as Italy defeated Malta in a World Cup qualifier, continuing his prolific scoring streak for both club and country since signing for Milan.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 7 June 2013, Balotelli was sent-off in a 0–0 draw with the Czech Republic in Prague. On 10 September 2013, Balotelli scored the winning goal in a World Cup qualifying match against the Czech Republic in Turin which allowed Italy to clinch the first place spot in their qualifying group and ultimately achieve their objective of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Balotelli finished the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign as Italy's top scorer with five goals. He was also the top scorer of his qualifying group, helping Italy to win their group undefeated.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 3 June 2013, Balotelli was named in Italy's squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. In Italy's opening match on 16 June, Balotelli scored a late-winner, helping Italy to beat Mexico 2–1. In Italy's next group match with Japan, Balotelli scored a penalty to make it 3–2 after being 2–0 down in the first half. This was also his tenth goal for Italy, making him the second-youngest player after Giuseppe Meazza to achieve this tally. Italy went on to win the match 4–3, which allowed them to participate in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup for the first time in their history. In Italy's final group match against hosts and eventual champions Brazil, Balotelli set up Emanuele Giaccherini's equaliser with a back-heel, although Italy eventually lost 4–2. Prior to the semi-final, Balotelli suffered a thigh injury that prevented him from playing in the remainder of the tournament. Italy finished the tournament in third place after defeating Uruguay in a play-off.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 1 June 2014, Balotelli was selected in Italy's squad for the 2014 World Cup. In Italy's opening match of the tournament, he scored the team's winning goal in a 2–1 victory over England on 14 June. After the match, Balotelli said playing in the World Cup for the first time was "a wonderful sensation to experience" and dedicated the goal to his "future wife" Fanny Neguesha, whom he ultimately did not marry. Italy lost their next two matches and were eliminated in the first round, finishing third in their group. Cesare Prandelli subsequently resigned as Italy manager.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Under Italy's new manager Antonio Conte, Balotelli only received one call-up in November 2014 but was unable to make a single appearance for Italy due to injury. After a lacklustre season with Milan, he was omitted from Conte's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: After Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Balotelli was expected to be called up by caretaker manager Luigi Di Biagio for Italy's March 2018 friendlies, after the replacement of Gian Piero Ventura. However, Balotelli was officially omitted from the squad on 17 March 2018.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 19 May 2018, Balotelli was called up for the first time since November 2014 by newly appointed manager Roberto Mancini for Italy's May and June 2018 friendlies. On 28 May, Balotelli made his first appearance for the national team since the 2014 World Cup, starting in the match against Saudi Arabia and scoring the opener in the 20th minute. He was later substituted in the 58th minute for Andrea Belotti, who scored the second goal of the match in an eventual 2–1 victory. Balotelli dedicated his goal to former Italy teammate Davide Astori, who died earlier in the year.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 24 January 2022, after a four-year international absence, Balotelli was called up by Italy manager Roberto Mancini to join the "Azzurri" for a three-day training camp in Coverciano.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Agile, quick, creative and powerful, Balotelli is credited with pace, flair, physical strength, technical ability and an eye for goal. His height, elevation and physique allow him to excel in the air, and he is capable of scoring with his head or with either foot, from both inside or outside the penalty area, despite being naturally right-footed. Although he normally plays in a central role as a main striker, he is a versatile forward capable of playing anywhere along the front line and has also been deployed as a winger or as a second striker.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Despite his talent, he has been criticized by managers, teammates and the media for a perceived poor and immature attitude at times, as well as for his poor movement and work-rate, inconsistency, mentality, and volatile temperament and arrogant behaviour on the pitch, which has often led him to pick up unnecessary bookings throughout his career. Balotelli has also been accused of diving, and is thus regarded by teammates and the media as a promising but undisciplined player.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Due to his powerful shot, Balotelli is also a set-piece specialist, and is regarded as one of the best penalty kick takers in world football, a view backed by his former Manchester City goalkeeping teammate Joe Hart. Balotelli missed his first competitive penalty against Napoli on 22 September 2013 when it was saved by Pepe Reina, the first time in 22 attempts as a professional. In total, he has scored 38 of 43 penalties taken.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli is nicknamed "Super Mario" after the Italian video game character Mario from the iconic Nintendo series.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli has been given a reputation by the media for being a difficult character and taking part in questionable and often amusing activities. He was once described by José Mourinho as "unmanageable". In June 2010, Balotelli and a group of friends fired air pistols in the open in Milan's Piazza della Repubblica. Although denying he is "crazy" as his mentor Roberto Mancini frequently claims, Balotelli has admitted he "sometimes does strange things". In 2010, he was photographed in the company of two noted Mafia mobsters. Balotelli gained a cult following after joining Manchester City. Manchester City supporters regularly sang a song with lyrics which made reference to his activities. Musician Tinchy Stryder recorded a song in Balotelli's honour, "Mario Balotelli".


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli was the subject of numerous newspaper stories after joining Manchester City, some based in fact, others the subject of rumour and speculation. Within days of joining Manchester City, Balotelli was involved in a car crash. It was reported Balotelli was carrying £5,000 cash at the time, and that when a police officer asked why he had such a large sum of cash, Balotelli replied, "Because I am rich." Off-field activities involving Balotelli have included driving into a women's prison in Italy to "have a look round", and throwing darts at a youth team player during a training ground "prank" – all of which have been confirmed to be true. Balotelli was also subjected to tabloid rumours about him confronting a bully in a school after querying why a young Manchester City fan was not attending classes, and giving £1,000 to a homeless man on the streets of Manchester. Both of these reports turned out to be false.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Video footage before Manchester City's UEFA Europa League match with Dynamo Kyiv in March 2011 showed Balotelli requiring assistance to put on a training ground bib, an incident which teammate Edin Džeko was seen mimicking the following week in the warm up before City's match at Chelsea. In September 2011, Balotelli was reportedly seen using his iPad while on the substitutes' bench for Italy during their match with the Faroe Islands, although he denied this on a visit to a prison later that week.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli celebrated his goal against Manchester United in October 2011 by unveiling a shirt with the words, "Why always me?" on it, a celebration which seemingly disputes the accuracy of newspaper reports. The day before the match, Balotelli and his friends set part of Balotelli's house on fire when a firework was set off in it. Later that week, Balotelli was unveiled as Greater Manchester's ambassador for firework safety. On 5 November 2011, at the annual fireworks display at Edenbridge, Kent, a 12-metre tall bonfire effigy of Balotelli was unveiled, complete with a Super Mario hat, a house in the right hand and a "Giant TNT" firework in his left, which were reference to his recent incident. In December 2011, Balotelli broke a 48-hour curfew before Manchester City's match against Chelsea to go to a curry house, although he "was not drinking alcohol, signed autographs, posed for pictures with fellow diners and was involved in a mock sword-fight using rolling pins". The club launched an internal investigation. In March 2012, when Inter Milan (Balotelli's former club) held a press conference for their new manager Andrea Stramaccioni, Balotelli gatecrashed the event. On 27 June 2012, Balotelli explained why he doesn't celebrate when he scores: "When I score, I don't celebrate because it's my job. When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?" 1 day later he scored a brace against Germany in the Euro semi finals and celebrated by taking off his shirt and flexing his muscles which popularized his quote due to the irony. In December 2012, Balotelli was due to take Manchester City to a Premier League tribunal to protest against a fine of two weeks' wages over his poor disciplinary record, but eventually dropped his application a day before the hearing. On 1 December 2014, Balotelli was accused of racism and antisemitism for posting an image on Instagram of the video game character Mario. The image promoted anti-racism by telling others to be like the character, attributing him qualities stereotypically associated with different ethnicities, ending the idea that he "jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a jew". In response to criticisms, he wrote, "My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please."


title: Mario Balotelli

text: In 2012, Balotelli featured in "GQ", where he was named the second-best dressed man in the world behind British musician Tinie Tempah. Balotelli also appeared on the cover of the November 2012 edition of "Time" magazine.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli is a fan of mixed martial arts and has said in the past he would love to compete in the sport professionally if he were not a footballer.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: In July 2012, Balotelli's former girlfriend Raffaella Fico revealed she was pregnant with his child, while Balotelli responded by claiming he would only assume paternal responsibilities upon a positive paternity test. Fico's daughter Pia was born on 5 December 2012. Later in December 2012, Fico accused Balotelli of being "irresponsible" and "not interested" in her newborn daughter. In response, Balotelli threatened to take legal action against Fico to defend his reputation against what he considered false accusations. In February 2014, Balotelli finally acknowledged paternity of his daughter Pia following a positive DNA test.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: Balotelli was romantically involved with Fanny Neguesha in 2013 and 2014, becoming engaged at some point.


title: Mario Balotelli

text: On 28 September 2017, Balotelli fathered a second child, a son named Lion, born to an unidentified woman.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: Malcolm in the Middle is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: The series follows a dysfunctional lower-middle-class family and stars Frankie Muniz in the lead role as Malcolm, an adolescent who tests at a genius level. While he enjoys his intelligence, he hates having to take classes for gifted children, which are called "Krelboynes" by the rest of the kids at school, referring to the clumsy and nerdy lead character Seymour Krelboyne from "Little Shop of Horrors". Jane Kaczmarek plays Malcolm's overbearing, hotheaded, beautiful and stubborn mother, Lois, and Bryan Cranston plays his immature, manic and hairy, but loving father, Hal. Christopher Kennedy Masterson plays the eldest brother, Francis, the trouble-making son who, in earlier episodes, is in military school, but eventually marries and settles into a good, steady job. Justin Berfield is Malcolm's dimwitted older brother, Reese, a cruel junior-high bully who tortures Malcolm at home yet defends him at school. Erik Per Sullivan plays younger brother Dewey, who develops to be people-smart, musically talented, and concerned about his well-being. Originally, the show's focus was solely on Malcolm, but as the series progressed, it started to explore all six members of the family more often. Another character, Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez), was introduced as the fifth son of Hal and Lois at the end of season four.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: "Malcolm in the Middle" was produced by Satin City and Regency Television in association with Fox Television Studios (now known as Touchstone Television). The show has been syndicated worldwide.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: The show received widespread acclaim from critics and proved a popular draw for Fox. It is placed on several lists of the greatest TV and sitcom series of all time. It has won a Peabody Award, seven Emmy Awards, one Grammy Award and seven Golden Globe nominations.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: The series revolves around a 12-year-old boy named Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), who is revealed in the first episode to be a genius with an IQ of 165, which places him in a class for gifted students (also known as "Krelboynes"), originally taught by Caroline Miller (Catherine Lloyd Burns). He is the third-born child in a comically dysfunctional family of four (later five) boys,


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: of Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). As of the first season, their delinquent oldest child, 16-year-old Francis (Christopher Kennedy Masterson), has been sent away to military school, while his brothers 13-year-old Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm and 7-year-old Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) remain at home with their parents. With Francis away, Malcolm becomes the middle child of the family. In season four, the character Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez) was added to the show as the fifth son of Hal and Lois. The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm dealing with the rigors of being an intellectual and enduring the eccentricities of family life.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: Later seasons expanded the show's scope by exploring the family's interactions with their extended family, friends and colleagues in more depth, including Lois' tyrannical mother (Cloris Leachman); Craig Feldspar (David Anthony Higgins), Lois' hapless coworker at the Lucky Aide drugstore; Malcolm's best friend Stevie Kenarban (Craig Lamar Traylor) (who is both a wheelchair user and highly asthmatic), and Stevie's dad Abe (Gary Anthony Williams); as well as a series of continuing subplots detailing Francis' misadventures at the military academy, from which he subsequently disenrols to work in an Alaskan logging camp, before finally landing a job on a dude ranch run by an eccentric German couple.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: The series differed significantly from the standard TV sitcom presentation commonplace at the time. Malcolm routinely broke the fourth wall by both narrating in voice-over and talking directly to the viewer on camera. The distinctive look and sound of the series relied heavily on elaborate post-production, including fast-cut editing, sound effects, musical inserts, the extensive use of locations, and the unusual camera styles, compositions and effects (e.g. overhead, tracking, hand-held and crane shots, and the frequent use of a wide-angle lens for both close-ups and ensemble scenes) that would be generally impractical or impossible to achieve in a standard studio-based video multi-camera sitcom production. The show employed neither a laugh track (which was standard in other TV sitcoms) nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of on video.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: Another distinctive aspect of the show is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story. Exceptions were episodes which were the conclusions of "two-parters"; each part two episode opened with a recap of its part one episode.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: The family's surname is never mentioned directly in the series. Linwood Boomer's script for the pilot episode originally included the surname Wilkerson, but it was later removed because he did not want to put "any specific ethnic label on the characters". The surname appeared in early drafts of promotional material and also on Francis' Marlin Academy uniform in the pilot. In the last episode of the series, "Graduation", Francis drops his ID badge from his new office job, which lists his name as "Francis Nolastname". Also, in that same episode, the principal announces Malcolm as the speaker, mouthing "Nolastname" as his voice is drowned out by microphone feedback. A publicist for Fox said that "officially the family's last name should be considered a mystery". The last name "Wilkerson" was occasionally referenced in foreign marketing for the show, in particular British TV advertisements and the DVD insert from the Region 2 release of season five in the description of the episode "Block Party".


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: It is also never made explicit where the show takes place. Several episodes hint that the family resides somewhere in the American Southwest, such as showing the family living within driving distance of Las Vegas. Other times facts about where the family lives are intentionally contradictory given the climate and what is described to be nearby.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: The pilot was initially developed for UPN with Regency Television for the 1998–99 television season but when UPN's enthusiasm for the project waned, Gail Berman managed to rescue the pilot by bringing the project to Fox. The show was then moved to the 1999–2000 cycle where it was picked up by Fox.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: The show's opening title features short clips from cult films or television shows, edited together with clips from the pilot and early episodes of the show, set to the song "Boss of Me" by They Might Be Giants.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: Much of the filming for "Malcolm in the Middle" was done on location in various parts of the thirty-mile zone around Los Angeles. A privately owned home, located in Studio City, California, was rented for upwards of $3,000 a day to film as the exterior of Malcolm's house. Rebuilt in 2011, the property is no longer recognizable due to its modern two-floor design. However, the house directly to the left of it is nearly identical to what it looked like during filming, still making it a frequent stop for fans of the show. Some high school scenes were filmed at Walter Reed Middle School, and the Lucky Aide was represented by a Drug Emporium at 6020 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. In "Stock Car Races", when Hal and the boys are entering a race track, the billboard behind the entrance displays the place as Irwindale Speedway, a real race track in Southern California. The last episode in the first season ("Water Park") was filmed at a water park called Wild Rivers located in Irvine, California. Though palm trees and desert scenery are seen in shots of the local region and town throughout the show, indicating a location in the Western United States, it is never revealed which state the show is set in (except for Francis' whereabouts in early seasons, such as his military school in Alabama and his job in Alaska).


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: Studio filming for "Malcolm in the Middle" took place on Stage 21 at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, which included the interior of the home and the back yard. The middle school play yard was at the northern point of the CBS studio property at the end of Radford Avenue. It was redressed as the high school courtyard starting in season 4 and was demolished in 2006-2007.


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: Hallmarks of the series' filming and structure, many of which heavily influenced later programs, included the following:


title: Malcolm in the Middle

text: During the final two seasons, Christopher Masterson reduced his on-screen time in favor of writing and directing some episodes.