When normalcy returns, Varun Dhawan may well host a glitzy bash that mentor Karan Johar would approve of. For now though, an intimate celebration is on the cards for the star who turns 33 today. The actor plans to spend the big day with dad David, mother Lali, brother Rohit and family, who stay a few floors above him in a Juhu highrise.

It was originally supposed to be a working birthday for the actor as Coolie No 1 was slated to release on May 1. "The family had considered formally announcing Varun's engagement to long-time girlfriend Natasha Dalal on the occasion. However, given the current scenario, they have decided to do it at an appropriate time," says a source.

David Dhawan

Though tight-lipped on the subject of Varun-Natasha's engagement, filmmaker David says he is glad the family is together on the star's big day. "It will be a quiet family affair. Over the past few weeks, Varun has been with us, and has been taking care of Lali and me. He is especially concerned about me as I am diabetic," he says. Ask him about the fate of Coolie No 1, and the filmmaker says, "It's my 45th film as a director. I think people will want to watch comedy [post the crisis]. Work on the film is underway."

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Amitabh Bachchan's social media feed is filled with moments and memories from his life. The superstar is known to dig out old photographs of himself and Bachchan family. His social media account is a treat for all the Bollywood buffs and especially people who are their fans and admirers. With the country undergoing lockdown due to coronavirus, the actor has taken up the task to fill smiles in this gloomy times through his adorable pictures.

Continuing the trend, Amitabh Bachchan posted another throwback picture of himself on his Instagram account. This picture is a collage of four images from his earlier years. The first picture is of the superstar in his youthful days, while the other three are just one picture, repeated thrice which shows off his "angry young man" look. Sharing the picture, the Piku actor wrote, "The age of innocence is over (sic)."

 

 

 

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The age of innocence is over ..

A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onApr 22, 2020 at 12:48pm PDT

Earlier, the superstar had shared a throwback picture of the premiere of his cult classic film Sholay. In the picture, he can be seen along with his co-star and wife Jaya Bachchan and Ramesh Sippy. "At the Premiere of SHOLAY .. 15th August 1975, at the Minerva .. Ma, Babuji, Jaya and a bow tied moi .. how pretty Jaya looks .. This was the 35 mm print at the Premiere .. the 70mm Stereo sound print , first time in India was stuck in Customs.. but after the Premiere got over by midnight, we got news that the 70mm print was out of Customs .. we told Ramesh ji to get it to the Minerva .. it came .. the first Indian film on 70mm Stereo .. and I sat on the floor of the Balcony with Vinod Khanna and finished seeing this amazing result till 3 in the morning (sic)", he captioned it.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onApr 17, 2020 at 3:26am PDT

This was followed by a never-seen-before picture of himself from his younger days. "My very first photoshoot for a film magazine after joining the Industry in 1969 .. it was for the ‘Star & Style’ the only other prominent film mag., along with Filmfare at the time .. I was pushed and goaded into - a most reticent reluctant and very self-conscious shy me - by the most famed and feared journalist of the times - Devayani Chaubal .. obviously there was no ‘star’ or ‘style’ in the project .. but Devyani thought so .. a strong-minded lady, ever dressed in a shining white sari .. always !!! (sic)", he captioned it.

 

 

 

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My very first photo shoot for a film magazine after joining the Industry in 1969 .. it was for the ‘Star & Style’ the only other prominent film mag., along with Filmfare at the time .. I was pushed and goaded into - a most reticent reluctant and very self conscious shy me - by the most famed and feared journalist of the times - Devayani Chaubal .. obviously there was no ‘star’ or ‘style’ in the project .. but Devyani thought so .. a strong minded lady , ever dressed in a shining white sari .. always !!!

A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onApr 14, 2020 at 11:14am PDT

On the work front, Amitabh Bachchan will next be seen in Chehre alongside Emraan Hashmi, and Ayan Mukerji's Brahmastra with Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. He recently wrapped up shooting for Gulabo Sitabo where he will be seen alongside Ayushmann Khurrana for the first time.

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Actress Raveena Tandon has appealed all to extend help to the family of deceased Palghar lynching victim Nilesh Telwade. Sharing a website where one can donate, Raveena Tandon tweeted: "A fundraiser for the 29 yr old driver who was lynched along with Hindu sadhus. He leaves behind two little girls, please do your bit and help this family."

Twenty-nine-year-old Nilesh, a driver by profession, was lynched along with two sadhus by a mob of over 200 people in Maharashtra's Palghar last week. The brutal incident occurred while they were travelling from Nashik to Surat with some relief materials.

Suspecting them to be thieves, the crowd started questioning them, abused and then assaulted them brutally with sticks, rods and stones. Nilesh Telwade's untimely death has left his family including his wife and two little daughters in a helpless condition.

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Veteran actors Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra gorge on "puris" in a throwback video during their shoot for the upcoming film "Gwalior".

In the clip, shared by Neena on Instagram, the two actors can be seen feasting on hot puris in a restaurant and singing their funny version of "Do deewane sheher mein". In between bites, they updated the song thus: "Do chatore sheher main". "Just to make you smile 'Gwalior' film with @imsanjaimishracoming soon!"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Neena Gupta (@neena_gupta) onApr 22, 2020 at 9:54pm PDT

"Gwalior", a thriller, is co-directed by Rajeev Barnwal and Jaspal Singh Sandhu. Neena also shared a new photograph of herself flaunting a new hairband. "My new hair band look," she wrote.

Recently, she shared a video of herself holding a lawn mower and cutting the grass. On the work front, Neena will be seen sharing screen space with her daughter Masaba in her Netflix's show "Masaba Masaba".

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Varun Dhawan turned 33 on April 24, 2020, and the actor has been spending a lot of time celebrating with his near and dear ones. As the clock struck 12, the actor cut a homemade chocolate cake. He shared the sweet pictures as his Instagram story and people couldn't stop but shower him with wishes and blessings. The actor decided to celebrate a low-key birthday at home due to the current lockdown situation in the country.

How can his BFF Arjun Kapoor stay away from cracking a joke on the birthday boy! Known for playing pranks on his co-stars and friends, this time too, Arjun left no stone unturned to leave the followers in splits. The actor wished the birthday boy on social media, and it looks hilarious! Check this out.

 

 

 

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Bad (haircuts in this case) Boys 4 Life. Happy birthday @varundvn the content maker par excellence, the new rapper in town & the natkhat balak forever !!! #vdin4d #hairytales #swamitypeka #brotherfromanothermother #facecreamernumber1

A post shared by Arjun Kapoor (@arjunkapoor) onApr 23, 2020 at 12:46pm PDT

It wasn't just only Kapoor who wished the 'Street Dancer,' Varun Sharma also posted, "Happpyyy Happyyy B'day Bhaii @varundvn [sic]"

 

 

 

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Happpyyy Happyyy B’day Bhaii @varundvn ❤️ ✨ तू जैसा है बस वैसा ही रहीयो हमेशा!! Biiggg Hug Bhaiii Love you!!🤗😘 Rab mehar kare!!

A post shared by Varun Sharma (@fukravarun) onApr 23, 2020 at 12:05pm PDT

Speaking of Street Dancer 3D, co-star Nora Fatehi also shared an Instagram story wishing Varun.

Happy birthday, Varun Dhawan!

On the professional front, Varun Dhawan will be next seen in Coolie No. 1, opposite Sara Ali Khan. Directed by father David Dhawan, this will be the first time Varun will share the screen space with Sara.

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Actress Anushka Sharma gave Instagram's viral 'Guess The Gibberish' filter a shot, but she failed to come up with the right word.

Guess The Gibberish filter works by showing you seemingly meaningless words until you can crack it and arrive at the correct phrase. A user gets 10 seconds to figure out the right words. The filer was created by a user named @gu_christopher, and has caught on.

Anushka posted a video on Instagram story, where she is seen participating in the guessing game.

Her Gibberish filter read: "Stir Range Earth Inks".

In the video, she is seen repeating the sentence and finally decides the correct answer to be "Strange Things", but the reply is actually "Stranger Things".

Seeing her guess is wrong, Anushka calls herself "Bewakoof ladki".

On the work front, Anushka is all set to come up with a new web series as a producer on Amazon Prime Video web series, bankrolled by her production house Clean Slate Company.

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Hum Aapke Hain Koun actor Mohnish Bahl celebrates his 28th wedding anniversary with wifey dearest Aarti Bahl. The actor posted the sweetest anniversary wish for Aarti, wherein he shared a photo of them from their wedding day.

Mohnish Bahl captioned the photo, "No words to express my gratitude for 'always being by my side' You made me understand the meaning of Ardhangini. Love you Janmon Janmon infinite."

 

 

 

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@aarti.bahl No words to express my gratitude for 'always being by my side' ... You made me understand the meaning of Ardhangini. Love you Janmon Janmon infinite ♥️♥️♥️

A post shared by Mohnish Bahl (@mohnish_bahl) onApr 23, 2020 at 12:22pm PDT

How lovely do Mohnish and Aarti look on their wedding day? All decked up in traditional finery, Aarti Bahl looks exquisite, while Mohnish Bahl looks quite dapper, don't you think?

Aarti Bahl, Ekta Sohini before marriage, also shared a memory from their wedding day. She wrote, "You are my superhero. You are my everything. I LOVE YOU. Thank you for being YOU. Happy anniversary."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Aarti Bahl (@aarti.bahl) onApr 23, 2020 at 12:38pm PDT

Mohnish and Aarti Bahl's daughter, Pranutan, too, took to social media to wish her parents happy anniversary. She shared a picture of them with their arms around each other.

 

 

 

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sticking by each other’s side. always. happy anniversary 💕

A post shared by Pranutan Bahl (@pranutan) onApr 23, 2020 at 9:41pm PDT

Here's wishing Mohnish and Aarti Bahl the very best on their wedding anniversary!

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Roshan Bhondekar's The Shoes in association with Envision Film Studio production wins big at the Global Film competition in San Diego (California), the USA for recognition for Liberation/ Social Justice/Protest and also got an official Selection in F5: FPP Financial Focus FilmFest, Florida - the United States for Audience Choice Award.

Roshan is a well-known author from a small village in Maharashtra, India who started off as a blogger has now gained global recognization for his huge body of work. His journey from a small town in India to Spain has been a total inspiration. Owing to his impeccable writing skills, The Shoes went ahead to win audiences' hearts and has bagged accolades internationally for its soul-touching storyline.

Shot completely in Spain, The Shoes is a story based on a child's right to have a dignified and secure life. The short film throws light on the global child education and poverty and going by the current coronavirus pandemic, it is essential to take the right measures to cope up with poverty and lack of child education, especially girl child education.

Roshan has also written books like The Frame: An Art of Optimism and Love - The Key to Optimism: Path Towards Happiness. He is best known as an International Author, Columnist, Speaker & Creative Director.

Back in 2017, Roshan was the Vice President of Hope India NGO. Also known for his prime responsibilities at the NGO were to drive the initiatives for skill development, women empowerment, human rights, and education at the national level.

Not only The Shoes but Roshan Bhondekar's Hausla Aur Raste, an Indian short film, too won prestigious awards during International film festivals, one during the Delhi Shorts International Film Festival as 'Special Festival Mention', in India and another one as 'Best 1st Time Filmmaker' Award during Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes.

It has always been a delight to witness Roshan's craft of work and the world is looking forward to seeing more such inspiring content in the coming years.

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Shah Rukh Khan recently announced several initiatives towards coronavirus relief to support the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the state and central governments in their fight against COVID-19. The actor has also gone a step ahead and offered his four-storey personal office to help the BMC expand their quarantine capacity, which is equipped with essentials for quarantined children, women and the elderly.

Recently, his wife Gauri Khan took to Instagram to share a glimpse of their office, which has now been converted into a quarantine facility. In the video, we can see how the private office space has been transformed into quarantine quarters. The work has been completed by Gauri's firm Gauri Khan Designs in collaboration with Meer Foundation. The video gives a glimpse into the office which is now equipped with beds placed at a safe distance from each other.

"#GauriKhanDesign‘s refurbished this office ...a quarantine zone providing essentials and services to those in need. We must stand together and stand strong in this fight against #Covid19. @meerfoundationofficial @iamsrk (sic)", wrote Gauri while sharing a video, originally shared by the Meer Foundation.

"Making space for each other. #MeerFoundation has effectively transformed the 4-storey private office building, offered by @gaurikhan and @iamsrk, into quarantine quarters under @my_bmc's guidance. In this fight, we stand together stronger than ever before," read a post on the Instagram handle of Meer Foundation.

 

 

 

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#GauriKhanDesign‘s refurbished this office ...a quarantine zone providing essentials and services to those in need. We must stand together and stand strong in this fight against #Covid19. @meerfoundationofficial @iamsrk #Repost @meerfoundationofficial ・・・ Making space for each other. #MeerFoundation has effectively transformed the 4-storey private office building, offered by @gaurikhan and @iamsrk, into quarantine quarters under @my_bmc's guidance. In this fight, we stand together stronger than ever before.

A post shared by Gauri Khan (@gaurikhan) onApr 22, 2020 at 4:10am PDT

Apart from converting his office into a quarantine facility, Shah Rukh Khan has extended a lot of support with his group of companies. From government funds to 50,000 PPE kits, food requirements of 5,500 Mumbai families, 2,000 cooked meals to hospitals, three lakh meal kits for 10,000 people, grocery for 2,500 daily wage workers in Delhi and 100 acid attack survivors, his range of initiatives aim to spread across many segments of the society.

Several other Bollywood celebrities, too, have supported the government in their own way. Many of them, including Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sara Ali Khan, Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and others, have pledged their contribution to the PM-CARES Fund.

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Farhan Akhtar is a multifaceted package of entertainment and his skills know no bounds. The actor has given the audience of the Indian film industry several memorable characters on-screen that. The audience saw one of the actor's most meaningful and poetic characters in Bollywood in the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. He donned the role of an advertising copywriter. His character in the film was given to all things art and delivered to us mesmerizing poetry which captured the essence of the film in it and gave a meaningful message out to the viewers.

In the sports biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Farhan Akhtar played the eminent role of the world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh. His character was inspirational to watch on screens and certainly gave the motivation they required to chase their goals. 'The Sky Is Pink' saw Farhan playing the intense role of a husband and a father in the biographical dram film, proving his versatility and his ability to play characters from one end of the spectrum to another.

The actor has won several accolades with his remarkable roles in his films and those films are known to gain commercial popularity as well. However, this time around Farhan is all set to step into the boxing ring with Toofaan where he won't be pulling any punches or leaving any stones unturned with his acting skills.

Farhan's previous noteworthy roles promise the audience an even more pre-eminent character on-screen.

The film is scheduled to release on the 18th of September 2020, presented by Excel Entertainment and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Toofaan is an Excel Entertainment Production in association with ROMP Pictures. So be ready to be blown away by a storm in Toofaan!

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Over a month under lockdown and life has changed for many. While several have adopted new hobbies, some have taken to imparting wisdom through digital tutorials. In the time of online concerts, Pankaj Tripathi has found the ideal way to engage with his fans. The actor has started a series of Facebook live sessions, where he shares bitter-sweet experiences that changed his perspective of life. He says that the lockdown has "taught me priorities".

A source informs that Tripathi has been narrating stories from his childhood. "In one of the stories he recounted, Pankaj revealed how the train and its sound functioned as a clock for him. When he left his hometown, it was an image that reminded him of everything that mattered. It also evoked a sense of responsibility, inspiring him to work harder towards his goals. Now in isolation, separated from his parents by miles, at home with his wife and daughter, he admits that he has learned the value of their company."

"I didn't start it with a script in mind," says Tripathi, who wants to make it a series of conversations. He adds, "It's the simple things in life that we end up caring for the most. Locked down at home, waiting for these tough times to pass, it should remind people where their priorities lie."

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Sara Ali Khan is clearly having a gala time at home while being quarantined. We all saw her throwback video where she could be seen dancing her heart out. She also spreading some laughter through her Instagram video in which she was seen playing the classic Knock Knock joke with her brother Ibrahim Ali Khan. Now, the actress is back with the funny game and we can't stop our laughter.

Sharing the video, she wrote, "For now, we all live under a rock. All of us- the nerd, the jock. In the meantime Ibrahim and sister you can mock. While we do our favourite Knock Knock. #knockout (sic)."

 

 

 

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For now, we all live under a rock 🏡 All of us- the nerd ðŸ¤Â“the jock âš½ï¸Â In the meantime Ibrahim and sister you can mock 👫🙊🙈 While we do our favourite Knock Knock🐣🤷‍♀ï¸ÂðŸšªðŸ‘ŠðŸ»ðŸ‘ŠðŸ» #knockout

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onApr 24, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

She had shared a throwback video of herself playing the game with Ibrahim and had shared it on Instagram. She wrote- "Throwback to when you could... this was followed by a string of emojis. And continuing, she wrote- "But for now stay home stay safe and don't go knocking (sic)."

 

 

 

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Throwback to when you could... 👊🏻👊🏻🚪😹👏🏻🐣🐥 But for now #stayhome #staysafe and don’t go knocking🚫❌‼ï¸Â

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onApr 8, 2020 at 6:28am PDT

Speaking of Sara, she had been on a photo-sharing spree during her lockdown period. Recently, she shared a fantastic and funny throwback picture with Ibrahim and mother Amrita Singh. In the picture, we can see two versions of the family, the old and the new, and rightly captioning the picture, the actress wrote- "The evolution of the meaning of #SundayFunday (sic)."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onApr 19, 2020 at 2:41am PDT

The actress also shared another video with her family where they all could be seen playing 'Who's More Likely To'.

 

 

 

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The only thing that we can always agree on is Singh is King 👑 💪🏻👳🏽‍♂ï¸ÂðŸ‘©‍👧‍👦🙉🙈🐵

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onApr 16, 2020 at 11:53am PDT

On the work front, Sara was last seen romancing with Kartik Aaryan in Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal. She will be next seen opposite Varun Dhawan in Coolie No 1. The film is a remake of the 1995-hit of the same name. The film is directed by David Dhawan, who directed the original movie. Sara will be seen playing a double role in Aanand L Rai's next Atrangi Re and will be seen romancing both Akshay and Dhanush.

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Amid the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, Bollywood celebrities have taken up the responsibility to appeal to everyone to stay safe, take precautions, stop panicking and refrain from spreading rumours. The quarantine time has also given celebrities a chance to spend maximum time with their families. Some of them are busy pursuing their hobbies. Speaking about Kareena Kapoor Khan, the actress is spending her time with her husband Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur Ali Khan and keeping us updated about their quarantine time through her Instagram pictures.

Continuing the trend, Kareena posted a picture with her family on her Instagram. In the first picture, the husband-wife duo is seen resting next to each other with their eyes closed while the second one features Kareena sitting next to Saif.

The actress gave a very witty caption to the picture. Sharing the photos, Kareena wrote, "Fall in love asleep... #Mess (sic)."

 

 

 

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Fall i̶n̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ asleep... #Mess 😝

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 24, 2020 at 1:37am PDT

Kareena has been on a photo-sharing spree on Instagram. Recently, she shared a picture of the father-son duo painting their balconies with lovely flowers while in lockdown. Saif had painted some yellow flowers while Tim did his own art.

 

 

 

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If there is a wall that's blocking your creativity... Try painting on it 🎨 #QuaranTimDiaries #InhousePicasso

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 18, 2020 at 6:27am PDT

A few days ago, she shared a photo of herself showing a pimple on her face. She wrote, "Meanwhile... I just sat there staring in wonder of what was being created. PS: The zit on my face didn't get the memo of no personal visits and social distancing... #HugeMess (sic)."

 

 

 

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Meanwhile... I just sat there staring in wonder of what was being created. PS: The zit on my face didn’t get the memo of no personal visits and social distancing... 🤣 #HugeMess

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 18, 2020 at 7:05am PDT

On Easter, she shared an adorable picture were the toddler could be seen with his nose and cheeks painted and hubby Saif Ali Khan right behind. The actress wrote- "My Easter bunnies for life. Happy Easter everyone." (sic)

 

 

 

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My Easter bunnies for life ❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â Happy Easter everyone... #StayHome #StaySafe

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 11, 2020 at 11:31pm PDT

On the professional front, Kareena Kapoor Khan was recently seen in Irrfan Khan and Radhika Madan's Angrezi Medium. The film will be re-released amid the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting shutting down of cinema halls.

She will be next Laal Singh Chadha opposite Aamir Khan. The chemistry between the stars was loved by the audience in their film 3 Idiots, and now years later they are set to take over the screen with their crackling chemistry once again. The film is a remake of Tom Hanks-starrer Forrest Gump (1994) and is helmed by Secret Superstar (2017) director Advait Chandan. The movie is slated to hit the theatres on Christmas 2020.

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If you find yourself feeling bored and at a loss for what to do next while you're quarantined at home, you only have to head on to Karan Johar's Instagram page and check out videos of his twin babies. His kids, Roohi and Yash Johar are super adorable, and they keep entertaining themselves and everyone else with their shenanigans. From calling papa KJo's clothes 'girl clothes' to annoying mama Hiroo Johar, Yash and Roohi will surely bring a smile to your face.

Recently, Karan Johar shared another sweet video of his babies trying to play a game and it ended up on a hilarious note. In the video, he is seen asking his daughter, "Roohi, if you were an animal, what would you be?" "Peppa Pig," answers Roohi. When he asked the same question to Yash, he said, "Peppa Pa". When he came back to Roohi and asked which animal would he be? she answered "Elephant", with a broad smile.

Sharing the video, the director-producer wrote, "Well guess which animal I remind them of #lockdownwiththejohars #toodles #season 2 @officialpeppa (sic)". Watch the playful banter of Karan Johar and his kids Yash and Roohi:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 24, 2020 at 5:53am PDT

Earlier the filmmaker had shared a video in which his kids were seen sitting on a sofa with a guitar in their hand and trying really hard to sing in their adorable voices.

 

 

 

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Clearly singing is not in our genes! Apologies in advance ! #lockdownwiththejohars #toodles

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 22, 2020 at 12:19am PDT

Before this, Yash and Roohi had hilariously mocked their filmmaker dad's designer kurta in a video shot in KJO's walk-in closet.

 

 

 

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Now they think I am wearing my mothers clothes!!!! #lockdownwiththejohars #season2 #toodles #weareback

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 20, 2020 at 3:57am PDT

If this video doesn't pull at your heartstrings, we don't know what will! Several of Karan Johar's fraternity friends and social media followers couldn't help but laugh out loud at his predicament.

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One of the most stunning actresses of the 90s, Divya Bharti married filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala in 1992. The couple got secretly married at Nadiadwala's Versova apartment. Divya Bharti converted to Islam and reportedly also changed her name to Sanah Nadiadwala. Unfortunately, on April 5, 1993, Divya fell off the balcony of the fifth storey apartment.

Sajid Nadiadwala then tied the knot with Warda Khan in 2000 and the couple has two kids together, Sufyan and Subhan. And even after 20 years of marriage, Warda Khan Nadiadwala still gets trolled and compared with Divya Bharti.

In a candid chat with Bollywood Hungama, Warda opened up about the same saying, "I know people keep throwing these questions sometimes. Sometimes they think I am being trolled. Divya is still very much a part of our lives. Her family, her dad, her brother Kunal, they are like our family, they are a part of each celebration."

She added, "So when you guys try to troll me, please know that I am not getting trolled. On her anniversaries and birthdays, we speak to each other. When my children watch her movies, they call her 'Badi Mummy'. So, guys, she is still a very, very beautiful part of our lives."

Wards also spoke about how husband Sajid is still extremely close to Divya Bharti's father and brother. "Sajid is so close, Sajid is like a son to dad, after mumma (Divya's mother) passed. You can't even imagine how close dad and Sajid are. And Kunal and Sajid too. They talk just like brothers would. And I have not tried to replace her ever. I have made my own place. She is a part of my life. Sometimes people say, 'Divya Bharti bahot acchi thi'. Of course, bahot acchi thi yaar. We love her."

Divya Bharti kickstarted her career down south in 1990 with the Telugu film Bobbili Raja. She soon took the Hindi film industry by storm with her performances in Shola Aur Shabnam, Deewana and Balwan.

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The reticent Sunny Deol could not resist sharing a picture from the family album like most of his colleagues, who are keeping fans entertained by uploading throwback photographs. He posted a snapshot from his younger days with father Dharmendra.

The actor wrote, "Flashback... dad, my sister and me (sic)." He is seen indulging in a pillow fight and trying to beat the two 'into pulp'.

 

 

 

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Flashback Dad my sister and me #life

A post shared by Sunny Deol (@iamsunnydeol) onApr 22, 2020 at 11:53pm PDT

Netizens found the picture amusing. They wondered if his trademark 'dhai kilo ka haath' was in action even during his childhood days. But looking at his scrawny frame, one user quipped, "Uss time haath 50 gm ka tha aur aab dhai kilo ka (sic)." Sunny paaji could only laugh out loud.

On the work front, Sunny Deol has given his nod to a thriller, which will be helmed by South director Hanu Raghavapudi. "It's not a remake of any South film. It's an interesting subject, loaded with action and suspense. The character is different from what I have done till date. Though it's too early to say anything about my role, it requires me to put in some extra efforts," Deol told mid-day.

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Taimur Ali Khan keeps giving us reasons to find his utterly cute. The toddler is the apple of his parents' eyes, and now that the lockdown has put the three together indoors for a long time, the kiddo seems to be making the most of it!

Recently, Tim made a cameo appearance in papa Saif Ali Khan's interview once again. The little one came in asking about some photo, confusing Saif as well!

Saif Ali Khan was in conversation with Rajeev Masand when this incident occurred. Speaking about the lockdown and how he and Kareena have been keeping Taimur occupied, Saif said, "Kareena tries to have an arts and crafts class with him in the afternoon, there's some online education going on in the morning, we play some sport like cricket or football in the corridor, we read to him at night... so we've managed to form a kind of a routine."

The Tanhaji actor also spoke about how he doesn't feel inclined towards joining social media, but his mum, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, wants to join Instagram! He shared, "I told her that she would have to share pictures (on Instagram). She said she needs to get to Pataudi and her roses and she could share that. So I said if she gets on Instagram, I might get on it as well."

Well, we sure would love to have both Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan on the 'gram!

On the work front, Saif was last seen in the historical drama Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, in which he played the character of Uday Bhan Singh opposite Ajay Devgn's Tanhaji Malusare.

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Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan's mother Saeda Begum passed away on Saturday morning. She was 95. Saeda Begum, who belongs to the Nawab family of Tonk, was unwell for a long time. She died due to natural causes. Begum resided in the Beniwal Kanta Krishna Colony in Jaipur.

Further details are awaited.

On the work front, the actor was last seen in Angrezi Medium. The film, which released on March 13, will be re-released after the country announced a shut down of movie theatres due to the coronavirus outbreak. Directed by Homi Adajania, Angrezi Medium revolves around a father-daughter relationship, played by Irrfan Khan and Radhika Madan. It also features Deepak Dobriyal, Ranvir Shorey, Dimple Kapadia and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Angrezi Medium is a sequel to the 2017 hit film Hindi Medium, which starred Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar in the lead roles. The movie also features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Madaan and Deepak Dobriyal in pivotal roles. The film has been produced by Dinesh Vijan.

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A day shy of the announcement of the lockdown, Toofan filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra had taken off to the village of Kale, after wrapping up the film's shoot. And even as he continues to help out-of-work labourers near Lonavla, his team of editors is hard at work in Mumbai, working from home.

"Our editors keep sending me files, while the sound designers have also been forwarding their edits. We are doing our bit from home," Mehra tells mid-day of the boxing drama starring Farhan Akhtar, which was set to release in September before the pandemic played havoc with the film industry's 2020 line-up. "We will revisit [the release date] since we don't think life will be back to normal before September. It's better to focus our energy on [restoring normalcy]."

Meanwhile, in Kale, where Mehra has a getaway home, he has been helping those who have been rendered out of work owing to the pandemic. "[They were employed for] construction work, which has been stopped. So, they have no source of income. Every morning, we make packets of rice, dal, aata, and oil with the help of [locals], and aid the tribes who live in hills. With permission from the gram panchayat, we will also help the daily wagers by providing them ration."

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Unconfirmed reports suggesting the upcoming Ranveer Singh-starrer "83" will be sold for release on an OTT platform before it opens in the theatres, have been denied by Reliance Entertainment, co-producers of the much-awaited film. The rumours started after the film's release was pushed from its scheduled date of April 10 owing to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

Lately, the trade circuit was abuzz with speculations that a global OTT giant with substantial reach in India has offered a whopping Rs 143 crore to the producers of "83" for the purchase of the film's release rights. However, Reliance Entertainment has denied all such reports, claiming they will "evaluate" if the situation did not become normal even after six months, reports bollywoodhungama.com.

"There is no truth to these reports. '83' has been made for the big-screen experience. Right now, there's no intention or interest on the part of the directors or us as producers, to take these films to the small screen. If the situation deteriorates rapidly or there is no visibility of normalcy even after six months, we will evaluate then. But right now, we are all quite positive and I foresee that between the next four to six months, cinema halls will start operating. So that's the hope and mindset which we currently have," Shibashish Sarkar, Reliance Entertainment Group CEO, told bollywoodhungama.com.

Directed by Kabir Khan, "83" narrates the story of India's first-ever cricket World Cup victory in 1983. In the movie, Ranveer Singh stars as the then skipper Kapil Dev while Deepika Padukone plays Kapil's wife Romi Dev. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jiiva, Sahil Khattar, Chirag Patil and Adinath Kothare in key roles.

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Actress Sobhita Dhulipala, who has been accused of making false claims of 'self-timing' a magazine photoshoot, has issued a statement in self-defence.

A few days ago, Sobhita had posted a few of her pictures claiming she had clicked the images with a self-timer. However, the authenticity of her claim came under scrutiny after snapshots, showing Sobhita being clicked on her terrace by a man, went viral on social media. Seeing the viral images, many followers started questioning her and accused her of lying.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sobhita Dhulipala (@sobhitad) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:42am PDT

Sobhita then penned a lengthy note, explaining that the man had just offered to help. "Quite a few people have written to me about the image I last posted. It is upsetting and I am little taken aback by how urgently many have jumped to unkind conclusions, this is also a moment for me to learn something deeper," she wrote.

She added: "I stand by the flow of events I'm sharing with complete transparency:

1. I style myself, go to the terrace with a coffee mug and a couple of tools to prop up my phone to take pictures.

2. There are people on the terrace and one kind gentleman upon learning that I'm trying to shoot my pictures, offers help.

3. After he graciously shoots a few pictures in the frame I wanted, I thank him and we depart.

Neither was the picture shot by him used by Cosmopolitan (It doesn't belong with the magazine's mandate) nor am I anything but proud of this wonderful collaboration with the magazine.

I only posted it along with the official ones because I like it. I recognise that I should have altered the caption text to mention that the second image was not part of the magazine shoot. I wish I had a more exciting, dramatic story but alas, truth often wears plain robes! Stay home and stay safe," concluded the model-turned-actress, best known for her roles in the web shows "Made In Heaven" and "Bard Of Blood".

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Hrithik Roshan is one doting dad and equally, doting is mother Sussanne Khan to their children Hrehaan and Hridhaan. Roshan and Khan have now come together to make sure their kids are safe, sound, and absolutely fine during this time of the Coronavirus crisis.

Hrithik and Sussanne regularly give us insights into their quarantine life through their pictures and videos that they share on their respective Instagram profiles. Continuing to do so, Sussanne took to her Instagram account to share a beautiful live picture of Hrithik and sons, Hrehaan and Hridhaan enjoying the scenic beauty standing in the balcony. The boys looked adorable in their casual wears. Khan also shared lines from a poem by Welsh poet William Henry Davies while sharing the pictures.

Sharing the picture, she wrote, "What is this life, so full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs, And ask with love, about the ‘why’s’ and ‘ how’s’, So stop awhile and do enjoy that stare, Take it in.. absorb as we all are moving.. even though we don’t know where. There is, this amazing thing called ‘Life’.... as the ultimate dare. Stay Home, Stay strong and full of care. Inserts taken from the poem.Leisure by William Henry Davies. #SHHH #stopandstare #the-philosophers #RyeRayRidz #designyourthoughts #summeroflockdown2020 #quarantivities #notestoself p.s the app used for the moving clouds is called Pixaloop (sic)."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sussanne Khan (@suzkr) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:34pm PDT

Recently, the couple celebrated Hrehaan's birthday. It was an adorable birthday celebration and Roshan thanked flexibility and technology for the same. He shared a video where the young kid could be seen celebrating the special occasion with his dad, mom Sussanne, grandfather Rakesh Roshan, grandmother Pinkie Roshan, and aunt Sunaina Roshan. Taking to his Instagram account, he shared a video where the young kid could be seen celebrating the special occasion with his dad, mom Sussanne

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan) onMar 29, 2020 at 3:02am PDT

Before this, the actor had shared a special video showcasing his piano skills by playing a tune on the musical instrument. The video featured a special appearance by his ex-wife. 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan) onMar 31, 2020 at 7:05am PDT

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Actor Randeep Hooda on Saturday shared a glimpse from his Hollywood debut in the upcoming Netflix film 'Extraction' with a safety slogan 'Don't step out' amid lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The 43-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a glimpse from the film where Hooda is seen in commando mode to save a boy while holding a gun in his hand. The 'Highway' actor is seen dressed in black commando dress while he runs for safeguarding a boy.

 

 

 

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Only if this boy hadn’t stepped out! Don’t step out or.... . #Extraction #Lockdown @Netflix_in @netflix @netflixfilm @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @rudhrakshjaiswal1

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 25, 2020 at 2:27am PDT

The 'Sarabjit' star captioned the post as, "Only if this boy hadn't stepped out! Don't step out or... #Extraction #Lockdown."

Earlier this week, Hooda shared a video from the movie's shooting in India and announced its streaming date as April 24.'Extraction also stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and some of the parts have also been filmed in India. In the video, the production staff of 'Extraction,' along with Randeep and Hemsworth are seen talking about India and how different the feeling was to shoot in the country.

 

 

 

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India isn't just about heat, but a lot of warmth too.. here's a glimpse into shooting #Extraction in India Streaming on Netflix from 24th April @Netflix_in @netflix @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @tsigel @ptnewall @leecleary1 @outthayr @danielstevens1 @artoflegitsu @rostacosta @rudhrakshjaiswal1 @dkharbour @golfarahani @priyanshupainyuli @battlecat_stunts_inc @dargan_fire @danlawsonjohnston @matteo__silvi @luca_vannella @tessjosephcasting @indochinaproductions @luca_vannella @tessjoseph19 #joewhelan #tomharrison

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

The Netflix film also marks the 'Kick' actor's Hollywood debut.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Actor Taapsee Pannu who is on a photo-sharing spree these days on Saturday shared an exquisite throwback picture from her trip to Rome. Just like many others who are dreaming of vacations during the lockdown, the 'Pink' actor is also seen reminiscing about her vacation in her latest throwback post on social media.

 

 

 

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One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time. I love seeing places which should either have beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants. Basically good restaurants is the basic common key here. I loved using all the local apps to find me local transport n restaurants to dine in. Quaint cafes which make u pause. I think it will be some till I experience the thrill of travelling again. But until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it’s quite possible that things won’t be the same tomorrow 🤷🏻‍♀ï¸Â #Throwback #Archives #QuarantinePost

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:57pm PDT

Alongside a picturesque picture shared on Instagram, the actor wrote: "One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time... "

Taking it to the captions, the 'Mulk' actor also pinpointed the key factors she seeks while travelling. "I love seeing places which should either have a beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants," the caption read.

"Basically good restaurants are the basic common key here," the 32-year-old wrote. She also mentioned her interest in using the "local apps" to find her "local transports and restaurants to dine in." "Quaint cafes which make u pause," she added.

Referring to the current lockdown and unpredictable situation the life has been thrown into in the wake of coronavirus crisis, Taapsee also added that one can "experience the thrill of traveling again.. until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it's quite possible that things won't be the same tomorrow."

Lately, the 'Manmarziyaan' actor has been sharing many throwback pictures as she earlier announced on Instagram that she will be posting a series to refresh some memories amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Taapsee is currently at home like many other celebrities as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

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Yesterday, on April 25, Vicky Kaushal took to social media to cheer a youngster who overcame the odds to battle the virus. He shared a video in which the girl (above) is seen being welcomed back home by residents and security personnel of a housing complex in Andheri. He wrote, "Like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day, our little warrior comes back home. Welcome back champ (sic)." Kaushal stays in the same complex, which had been partially sealed by the BMC after the girl tested positive. Residents have been asked to take precautionary measures.

The video will surely make you applaud the girl and salute her spirts. Have a look at the video right here:

 

 

 

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Like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day, our little warrior comes back Home! #WelcomeBackChamp 🌟💛

A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:38am PDT

The whole world has been suffering from the Coronavirus pandemic for more than a month now and we all are collectively waiting for it to get over as soon as it can. The lockdown has now been extended till May 3 and reports suggest that in Maharashtra, it is likely to be extended further. This is a tough time for all of us and we need to take safe and strict measures.

Thanks to actors like Kaushal that we are getting to know the spirits of all the survivors and how they have combated Coronavirus. There are a lot more stories like this that are waiting to be told. As far as the actor himself is concerned, he has been doing what pretty much everyone else is- Experimenting with haircuts, cooking food, cleaning the house, and uploading candid pictures and videos.

Once the lockdown is over, the actor will gear up for a lot of massive and mega-ambitious films like Takht, Ashwatthama, Sardar Udham Singh, and a film on the life of Sam Manekshaw.

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan shared a "breaking news" that a bat entered his home Jalsa in Mumbai. Bachchan took to Twitter to share the "news of the hour" with his fans and followers." "Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury .. news of the hour .. BREAKING NEWS .. would you believe it .. A Bat, a (chamgadar) has come into my room .. in Jalsa .. on the 3rd floor .. in my Den..."

The thespian said that it was a tough job to take the bat out from the room. "Badi mushkil se use bahar nikala (It as tough to take it out)... Corona peecha chodh hi nahin raha (Corona is not leaving)."

T 3510 - Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury .. news of the hour .. BREAKING NEWS .. would you believe it ..
A Bat , a चमगादर has come into my room .. in Jalsa .. on the 3rd floor .. in my Den .. 😯😯
badi mushkil se use bahar nikala ..
Corona peecha chodh hi nahin raha !!!

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 25, 2020

However, the tweet did not go down well with many social media users.

A user wrote: "Sorry to hear this from a reputed personality. Bats are not harmful and there is no need to fear. Kindly understand that they did not spread the virus to human. The reason is still debated. By nature, most animals have got virus in their body. Pls read this."

Another commented: "Not in good taste sir. You have millions of followers. Still we don't have exact process of human virus spillover. Demonising bat is last thing we want. Things we know for sure; They are pollinators. They help in pest control. Please revisit it."

Not in good taste sir. You have millions of followers. Still we don’t have exact process of human virus spillover. Demonising bat is last thing we want. Things we know for sure; They are pollinators. They help in pest control. Please revisit it.

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 25, 2020

"This is story of every uncle now days after limits on WhatsApp forwards," said a user.

Sir, over 60 scientists have released a press statement that bats don't spread COVID-19. I've had bats visit, switch off lights and fans, they find their way out. Bats are amazing and important ecologically, and a lot of researchers are working on dispelling myths about them. pic.twitter.com/kwVT4KC33Q

— Bijal Vachharajani (@bijal_v) April 26, 2020

On the work front, Big B will next be seen in films like "Chehre", Gulabo Sitabo", Brahmastra" and "Jhund".

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Every time there's a crisis in the country or in the world, it is bound to attract mixed responses and debatable opinions on social media. The Coronavirus pandemic or pandemonium, if we say so, is nothing different. The world began to get plagued to an extent that a worldwide lockdown had to be declared that's now likely to continue longer.

And during this lockdown, a majority of the Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities began sharing their videos and pictures on Instagram. Some shared their workout videos, some shared their new haircuts, and many of them showed us their culinary skills and candid shots of their gorgeousness. This was bound to be met with scathing criticism and subtle and sly digs. And now, a video has surfaced on social media where some people are taking that very dig on these influential people's privileges.

Seeing this video, filmmaker Karan Johar has realised how insensitive his videos may have been and how he feels the need to apologise profusely. Taking to his Twitter account, he wrote- "This hit me hard and I have realised many of my posts may have been insensitive to many...I apologise profusely and wish to add none of it was intentional and came from a place of sharing but clearly may have lacked emotional foresight ....am sorry!" (sic)

Have a look right here:

This hit me hard and I have realised many of my posts may have been insensitive to many...I apologise profusely and wish to add none of it was intentional and came from a place of sharing but clearly may have lacked emotional foresight ....am sorry!🙏❤ï¸Â https://t.co/MO3kHkDQdo

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) April 25, 2020

Johar, for the last few weeks, has been sharing some funny videos of his children, Roohi and Yash, and their shenanigans. It seems he has sensed the fact that sharing these videos amid this crisis may not be the right thing right now since a lot of other people, the underprivileged, continue to suffer for livelihood amid this catastrophic crisis. Can we expect someone else to come forward and say sorry? Let's see!

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The makers of Kangana Ranaut's Thalaivi are resigned to the fact that the film, like many other Bollywood offerings, will be delayed. However, they have a more pressing problem on their hands — two elaborate sets that were built in Hyderabad and Chennai have been standing unused over the past six weeks, leading to losses. If the lockdown extends to June, the makers fear the sets may be destroyed in the rains.

"We need to wrap up the film before the rains hit. Since they are outdoor set-up, they will be ruined in the monsoon. Reconstructing the set will be an expensive affair," laments producer Shailesh R Singh.

J Jayalalithaa

The shoot of the biopic on J Jayalalithaa, the late chief minister of Tamil Nadu, was running like clockwork until March. With a 45-day shooting stint slated to kick off on March 10, the AL Vijay-led team had constructed a set of the Parliament House at the Ramakrishna Cine Studios in Hyderabad. After the shoot would be wrapped up by the third week of April, their next pit-stop was Chennai.

"We have recreated Mount Road at the AVM Studio in Chennai, and had planned a patchwork shoot there. Almost 40 per cent of the movie is left to be filmed," says producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri, adding that they pre-emptively cancelled the Hyderabad shoot in the wake of the pandemic.

Sources say that the makers, who are bearing the maintenance cost of the sets and the studio rent, have incurred losses of R5 crore so far due to the lockdown. While Singh is unwilling to put a number to the damages, he adds, "Our team's safety is our priority. We had paid [the studio] for March, but were unable to shoot for a single day in Hyderabad. It's uncertain when the lockdown will be lifted. Even if we get a 10-day window, we will finish shooting the outdoor portions."

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Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is elated as she's raised over 2,500 PPE kits for doctors and Rs 16 lakhs for those who are battling at the frontline to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 pandemic.

Vidya had also collaborated with celebrity shout-out platform Tring, along with Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films and photographer cum film producer Atul Kasbekar. She took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon where she shared the good news.

"I've woken up to good news this morning. We've reached 2500+ PPE kits and raised over 16 lakh in just a few hours. A big thank you to each of you who has donated and made this possible. A load of gratitude and bless you. This is truly the unity and spirit of India..." she said in the video.

Here it is:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Thank you very much for your generous donations from all over the world. I’m elated to share that we have raised 2500+ kits accounting over Rs.16 lakhs within few hours. A load of gratitude for helping in donating over double our initial target. The campaign will run for some more time, so if you haven’t been able to donate yet but want to help out, go to www.tring.co.in and donate whatever you can. Every single kit is helping protect a life. The #WarAgainstCovid19 continues, let’s #UniteForHumanity #StayHome #StaySafe

A post shared by Vidya Balan (@balanvidya) onApr 25, 2020 at 9:21pm PDT

Alongside the video, Vidya wrote: "Thank you very much for your generous donations from all over the world. I'm elated to share that we have raised 2500+ kits accounting over Rs 16 lakh within a few hours. A load of gratitude for helping in donating over double our initial target.” (sic)

"The campaign will run for some more time, so if you haven't been able to donate yet but want to help out, go to www.tring.co.in and donate whatever you can. Every single kit is helping protect a life. The #WarAgainstCovid19 continues, let's #UniteForHumanity #StayHome#StaySafe".

In an earlier post, the Mission Mangal star had informed that each PPE kit worth Rs 650 consists of one coverall laminated and waterproof nitrile gloves, goggles, face shields, 3-ply surgical mask, and shoe covers.

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Dubbing her as 'wanderlust', actor Kangana Ranaut's team on Sunday posted throwback pictures of her from her trip to Europe in 2008. The picture featured a younger Kangana in her early 20s travelling to various parts of Europe including famous Italy based amphitheatre - the Colosseum.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Major #Throwback check: Wanderlust Kangana travelling all around Europe (in 2008!!) learning about art-history and wines. Sundays are for reminiscing about those carefree days, till we can travel again ...

A post shared by Kangana Ranaut (@team_kangana_ranaut) onApr 26, 2020 at 4:08am PDT

The 'Queen' actor is seen dressed in simple yet elegant outfits in the pictures from her two-month-long trip to Europe. "#Throwback to the good old travel days! Major throwback to 2008 when the 21-year-old art, history, and travel enthusiast #KanganaRanaut travelled to Italy for a 2 months long trip!" the team tweeted along with the pictures.

They also shared trivia on the 'Tanu Weds Manu' actor's travel diaries and said that Kangana used to take her camera to each of her trips. "Interesting Trivia: before the iPhone days, she used to take her camera along everywhere," the team tweeted.

Kangana began her acting career at a very young age with her debut film 'Gangster' for which she garnered a lot of appreciation.

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We have pretty much seen all major Bollywood celebrities sharing their unseen and throwback pictures and videos on their social media accounts. And sometimes, their fan-clubs do the honours. Talking of fans, Shah Rukh Khan has one of the highest fan-followings in the world, let alone India. So how could his throwback and unseen pictures stay away? His fan-club has also taken care of it!

Taking to its Instagram account, it posted a major throwback picture that will not only put a smile on your face but also drive away your Monday blues. It was all the way from Kajol's Mehendi ceremony and we could spot SRK, Gauri Khan, and a very young Aryan Khan. SRK, Gauri, and the bride-to-be Kajol could be seen smiling for the camera whereas the toddler was busy in his own world.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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#ThrowbackThursday Have you seen this vintage picture of #SRK, Aryan and #gaurikhan at #Kajol's mahendi? #shahrukhkhan #shahrukh #srk #shah_rukh_khan #shahrukh_khan #iamsrk #kingkhan #gaurikhan #kajol

A post shared by Monika Lang (@kiransrkfan) onApr 23, 2020 at 8:35am PDT

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have redefined history on the celluloid with one massive blockbuster after another in the form of Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Coming to the actress and her hubby Ajay Devgn, they tied the knot on February 24, 1999, and did films like Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Raju Chacha, U Me Aur Hum, and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior together.

This picture is truly a delight for all their fans and captures the time when there was no social media phenomenon, only a camera and some, as they used to say, Kodak Moments!

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Kiara Advani is bored of sitting in her south Mumbai home. It appears that she is missing the studios and the shoots. More importantly, she can't catch up with her pals. We assume this includes a certain Bandra-based Mr Malhotra as well. In an attempt to describe her mental state, the Kabir Singh (2019) actor shared a childhood video.

She also posted a video in which she is seen riding on her bicycle. She tells mother Genevieve that she is fed up of waiting and playing indoors as she wants to go out to play. Advani captioned the video, "The wonder years... but my mental state right now... nobody's going out. Home sweet home (sic)." Take a look!

 

 

 

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“Mummy, I’m fed up of waiting because I feel like going” My mental state right now🙃 but...nobody’s goin out! Home sweet home! 😇 #thewonderyears 🌈

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 23, 2020 at 2:51am PDT

It's not just this one, but before she rode the bicycle, Kiara Advani confessed how her mom thought she would take up ballet as her career, but chose to be an actress instead.

 

 

 

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When mom thought I would join the Bolshoi ballet but I chose Bollywood instead💁🏻‍♀ï¸Â #thewonderyears 🌈👯‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ‘§ðŸ¼ðŸ¥°

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 21, 2020 at 11:25pm PDT

In another video, Kiara Advani was seen sipping milk from her favourite Cinderella cup. Not kidding! Well, who hates princesses? And Cinderella? So nostalgic! Check this one out.

 

 

 

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#thewonderyears 🍼🌈🍭🧸 doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani.. and my obsession with Cinderella 👧🏼

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:42pm PDT

Speaking about Kiara Advani's childhood days, the actress also shared a sweet picture with brother Mishaal, where she is seen planting a peck on his cheek. So adorable! So, this is what siblings look like.

 

 

 

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Happy Sibling Day @mishaaladvani squishy for mishy forever❤ï¸ÂðŸ˜˜

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onApr 11, 2020 at 6:50am PDT

Well, many aren't aware that Kiara Advani is really good friends with Isha Ambani. The actress and her childhood friend share a warm bond, and these images are proof enough!

 

 

 

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There are some special people who are a part of your life and you grow up with. My oldest friend, still as caring, as humble and as amazing as you were when we first met! My to be bridey, Ishu never ever let the child in you grow up❤ï¸Â forever your Aliu 👯‍♂ï¸Â Congratulations @_iiishmagish @anandpiramal 💍🎉Comofomo🙃

A post shared by KIARA (@kiaraaliaadvani) onSep 22, 2018 at 9:49pm PDT

Kiara, there there! We completely understand what you are going through right now.

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A day after Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor explained the controversies regarding her having tested corona positive last month; the Lucknow Police pasted a notice at her house, asking her to record her statement.

Kanika Kapoor has been charged under IPC Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and Section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC.

Deepak Kumar Singh, ACP, Krishna Nagar said that the singer will have to come to the police station and give her a written statement. Further action will be taken after this.

On Sunday, Kanika took to Instagram to express her gratitude to the health workers who treated her. She also wrote that several stories were doing the rounds and she was fully aware and knew that some information has been misrepresented.

According to Kanika, she arrived in Mumbai on March 10 from the UK. During this time, she was scanned at the international airport. Until that time no advisory had been issued that required her to quarantine herself.

She had come to Lucknow to meet her family on March 11, when there was no scanning system for domestic flights. On March 14 and 15, Kanika went to lunch and dinner with her friends.

She pointed out that all the people she had interacted with in the UK, Mumbai, and Lucknow are healthy and their reports have also come up negative.

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Known for his chiselled frame and fitness fetish, Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan wants to decimate the last cigarette on the planet. The subject came up on Twitter after a user asked him he had a cigarette in his hand while he was standing with his sons in the balcony of his home, in a recently-posted picture shared by the actor's fanclub.

"Does @iHrithik have a cigarette in his hand or am I seeing wrong? I hope you don't @iHrithik. It makes me very very very sorry," the user wrote.

The actor replied: "I am a non-smoker. :) and if I was Krrish, first thing I'd do after eradicating this virus would be to decimate every last cigarette from this planet.

Recently, Hrithik shared some 'lockdown tips' with fans. He suggests a daily dose of vitamin D to take care of mental health even as we continue to be confined at home. Hrithik Roshan has been spending the lockdown with his ex-wife Sussanne Khan, who has temporarily moved in with him, to take care of their two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan.

Talking about mental health, Hrithik has recently started learning piano, which he feels is "great for activating both sides of the brain".

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Ever since 83 was announced, the movie has been everything anyone can talk about. Tracing India’s historic win at the 1983 cricket World Cup, the movie was one of the most awaited films of this year. Due to current situations with the global pandemic, the movie, which was supposed to hit the screens on 10th April 2020 had to be pushed for a later date.

Trade is abuzz with high expectations from the film and estimated that ‘83’ would have collected upwards of 300 crores during its theatrical run. Hence, OTT platforms are offering a calculated price to the makers basis the estimated box office earnings for a direct digital release of the film.

However, when we texted Kabir to check on the veracity of this news, he confirmed that yes they have been offered a whopping sum and added that, "83 is a film that has been envisioned and made to be experienced on the big screen and we are ready to wait for things to get normal and then release it in cinemas."

Ranveer Singh will see playing the character of former world cup winning captain Kapil Dev and Deepika Padukone portraying the character of Kapil Dev’s wife Romi Dev.

Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films present 83, a Kabir Khan Films Production. The movie is produced by Deepika Padukone, Kabir Khan, Vishnu Induri, Sajid Nadiadwala, Phantom Films, Reliance Entertainment and 83 Film Ltd. 83 is directed by Kabir Khan. A Reliance Entertainment and PVR Pictures release is slated to release in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

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"In all these years, we had not remained shut for even a day," says Nitin Desai, who closed the doors of ND Studio last month in the wake of the pandemic. At the time, a lavish set had been constructed for The Battle of Bhima Koregaon, a period drama featuring Arjun Rampal, and the Raigad fort recreated for a Marathi film. Desai tells mid-day that he has decided to forgo the rent of the sets standing unused at the Karjat studio.

"I am not the only one suffering losses at this point, the entire world is. So how can I expect them to pay the rent when everything has come to a standstill? I will also appeal to other studios to follow the same practice," he says, adding that despite the adverse conditions, he is continuing to pay his staff.

File photo of Panipat set created at ND Studio

The studio was handling several projects when the shutdown was announced. "We had created a huge battlefield and three villages for Arjun Rampal's film, and a haveli [palace] for a yet-untitled web show. Construction of huge sets was underway for two shows of Zee and Star," he adds."

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In a bid to amuse his fans with a "joke," actor Riteish Deshmukh on Sunday shared a humourous video of himself on Instagram. The video begins with Deshmukh sitting and looking at the camera while the background features voices of people asking the actor to crack one joke in Marathi.

 

 

 

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Ek Joke Saanga Na

A post shared by Riteish Deshmukh (@riteishd) onApr 27, 2020 at 5:36am PDT

"Ek Joke saanga na (please tell one joke)," the voice in the background said.

To which the 41-year-old actor politely refuses and tells people that he is a "celebrity" which makes people chuckle and leaves Deshmukh shocked. "Mi celebrity aaye (I am a celebrity)," responded Deshmukh.

The 'Housefull' actor has been quite active on social media ever since the lockdown was imposed in the country. He keeps posting TikTok videos featuring himself and his wife Genelia Deshmukh.

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Sharing a doodle that said 'not all heroes wear capes,' actor Arjun Kapoor on Monday applauded the healthcare workers of the country who are fighting to combat COVID-19.

The 'Panipat' actor took to Twitter to share the doodle that featured a doctor, a nurse, and a medical staff taking care of an elderly person.

Bowing down to health workers today for their tremendous efforts to #FightCovid19! They work 24/7, through the year to deliver critical services like immunization across the country. Let’s stand #Together4Health and applaud their unwavering grit and determination! pic.twitter.com/9VkuE4kFYm

— arjunk26 (@arjunk26) April 27, 2020

The doodle was titled 'not all heroes wear capes' and an additional text on it read, 'Front-line health workers are working round the clock to keep us safe & healthy. True Heroes.'

Kapoor also urged others to stand up and applaud the healthcare workers for their unwavering determination.

"Bowing down to health workers today for their tremendous efforts to #FightCovid19! They work 24/7, through the year to deliver critical services like immunization across the country," he tweeted.

"Let's stand #Together4Health and applaud their unwavering grit and determination!" his tweet further read.

The '2 States' actor has been posting on social media to raise awareness about different issues related to the coronavirus ever since the crisis began in the country.

Kapoor has several times posted on social media asking people to not abandon their pets due to coronavirus and has also urged people to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.

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Acupuncture may not boost chances of IVF success

Undergoing acupuncture treatment during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) might not increase a woman's chances of conceiving, finds a study. The study, however, showed that acupuncture is no better than placebo for improving IVF success.

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body, has become a widely used treatment prior to and during IVF.

It showed no significant benefit from IVF when compared with a short course of acupuncture using dummy needles placed away from "true" acupuncture points.

"Our findings do not support acupuncture as an efficacious treatment compared to sham," lead investigator Caroline Smith, Professor at the Western Sydney University in Australia.

For the study, published in the journal JAMA, the team included over 800 Australian and New Zealand women to examine the effects of acupuncture administered prior to and following an embryo transfer (ET).

The participants were given either acupuncture or a sham acupuncture control (a non-insertive needle placed away from the true acupuncture points).

The results showed the rate of live birth was 18.3 per cent among participants who received acupuncture versus 17.8 per cent who received the sham acupuncture control, a non-significant difference.

While a short course of acupuncture may statistically be no better than sham at improving live birth and pregnancy outcomes, a psycho-social benefit from acupuncture was reported by women undergoing IVF, the researchers said.

"Some studies suggest reproductive outcomes maybe improved when acupuncture is compared with no treatment," Smith said.

"Feeling relaxed and reporting relief from stress and women feeling good about themselves is to be welcomed for women as they undergo an IVF cycle," explained co-author Michael Chapman, Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

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Researchers have found that long term chronic isolation cause the build-up of a chemical in the brain, that increases stress, aggression and fear.

The mice isolated for two weeks showed behavioural changes like, increased aggressiveness towards unfamiliar mice, persistent fear, and hypersensitivity to threatening stimuli.

When encountering a threatening stimulus, mice that have been socially isolated remain frozen in place long after the threat has passed, whereas normal mice stop freezing soon after the threat is removed, the research said.

Although the study was done in mice, it has potential implications for understanding how chronic stress affects humans and has potential applications for treating mental health disorders, said lead author Moriel Zelikowsky, postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology in the US.

Previous studies have determined that social isolation for two weeks in mice resulted in the upregulation of the signalling molecule neuropeptide, tachykinin 2 (Tac2)/neurokinin B (NkB) -- a short protein molecule.

In the new study, published in the journal Cell, the team found that chronic isolation leads to an increase in Tac2 gene expression and the production of a neuropeptide called neurokinin B (NkB) throughout the brain.

But, administration of a drug that chemically blocks NkB-specific receptors enabled the stressed mice to behave normally, eliminating the negative effects of social isolation.

On the other hand, artificially increasing Tac2 levels and activating the corresponding neurons in normal, animals led them to behave like isolated and stressed, the research showed.

Suppressing the Tac2 gene in certain different brain parts, increased fear behaviours, or aggression accordingly, implying that it must increase in different brain regions to produce the various effects of social isolation, the researchers said.

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Chef Cham Hun Chakap plates a portion of chilli chicken. Chilli chicken is one of the spicier dishes that can be traced back to Tangra. But the food of the Kolkata locality is often a lot sweeter than other Indo-Chinese dishes because that’s how the Bengalis prefered it. This can be evidenced in something like honey chilli potato.

Chef Cham Hun Chakap moves around the kitchen with the assurance of a well-set batsman completing a comfortable single down to deep midwicket. He is running the show behind the scenes at a restaurant in an upscale Powai hotel, which is hosting an event called Tangra Festival. The dish that the chef is whipping up for us is chilli chicken, possibly the most ubiquitous item in the culinary spectrum of Indo-Chinese dishes. And he tells us that it was invented in Tangra, the new Chinatown in Kolkata, considered by many to be the Mecca of this particular cuisine.

Tangra does indeed occupy a unique spot in the country’s food-scape. It all goes back to about 100 years ago, when the British — along with Kolkata’s older Chinese community in Tirreti Bazaar — established the area, setting up leather factories there to manufacture boots and other goods for soldiers at the battlefront during World War I. Business picked up further during World War II. But then, the British packed their bags in 1947. So, the Chinese community took over the tanning operations. Their life ambled comfortably along, only to be turned upside down by the Indo-China war of 1962, when many indigenous Chinese people immigrated to safer havens like Canada, Australia and Taiwan. And suddenly, the community in Kolkata found its numbers to have considerably dwindled.

Food to the rescue
What’s worse is that the ones who were left behind, and who had picked up the mantle of the leather business from their predecessors, found themselves on the wrong side of the law after the state government deemed the tanning industry to be an environmental hazard in the mid-’90s. A large number of factories thus faced closure, with some being shifted to the nearby neighbourhood of Bantala. Many of the owners faced overnight financial ruin. So, to get out of the soup they found themselves in, they turned their attention to another business that had been gaining momentum in the area over the ’70s and ’80s — restaurants serving “Chinese” dishes.

“Initially, these restaurants were serving the authentic cuisine of the Chinese mainland. But that did not suit the palate of Kolkata’s Bengalis, who found it to be too bland. So the restaurants were running in losses in the beginning, till their owners decided to alter the recipes, adding Indian herbs and flavours,” chef Cham says, adding that this formed the genesis of what we call Chindian cuisine.

Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

These dishes, of course, bore as much resemblance to true-blue Chinese food as idli-sambar does to tandoori chicken. Instead of being stir-fried, for instance, most of the preparations were gravy-based. The spice quotient was also so much higher than a Shanghai local would put his chopsticks down to fan his mouth after one bite. Plus, while something like a Peking duck is roasted over a length of time, Tangra food was geared to suit the purposes of the quick-service restaurants there. This automatically also meant that the meat — including the fish items — was almost invariably diced into pieces, instead of being served whole, like some of the dishes in mainland China.

Pan-Indian acceptance
Be that as it may, the cuisine gradually started spreading to other parts of the country. Nelson Wang, a Tangra local who opened SoBo’s China Garden in 1984, is widely credited with having invented chicken Manchurian, a dish which if you say is Chinese, you might also say that the giant panda is India’s national animal. Punjabis also caught on to the trend, developing a brand of Sino-Ludhianvi dishes. And with time, Indo-Chinese food became a mainstay of restaurants in various cities, including Mumbai, where lunch home menus reserve equal space for “Chinese” dishes as they do for stuff like chana masala and aloo matar.

The credit for this goes to the original restaurateurs of Tangra who Indianised their indigenous dishes. But things are no longer hunky-dory in the Kolkata neighbourhood, says Dominic Lee, a fourth-generation Tangra local. “Many of the smaller restaurants are finding it difficult to sustain themselves, with only the bigger eateries, which have space for parking, constantly managing to upgrade themselves because they have the requisite capital,” he tells us, adding that the recent controversy around dubious meat being supposedly sold in the city’s restaurants has led to a further dip in fortunes.

Nonetheless, he continues, the legacy of the cuisine has left a permanent imprint on the history of India’s food. Take chilli chicken, something so popular that it’s travelled all the way from the humble Kolkata locality to the swish Powai hotel where chef Cham is making us his version of it. But when he is done in a matter of mere minutes, he recognises the look of doubt on our face after we have had a taste. “I have to make a blander variety because most of our customers are from the West, and they wouldn’t be able to handle something too spicy,” he explains, revealing how Indo-Chinese cuisine of the Tangra variety is a preserve of only our own countrymen.

Looking for it anywhere else in the world would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, for all practical purposes.

Awesome sauce
A huge contribution that Tangra has had is popularising the concept of chilli sauce. “You will find it in all the kathi roll shops dotted around Kolkata. But before we added it to our food to suit Indian taste buds, people had no clue about it,” says Lee.
Till May 27, 7 pm
To 11.30 pm
AT Emperor's Court, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, near Chinmayanand Ashram, Powai.
Call 8291165421

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Sagar Thakkar, the mastermind of the Mira Road call centre scam, always knew how to make money, but never learnt how to hold on to it. "The real masterminds are free. I got caught because I showed off my wealth," said the 26-year-old who appeared on the police's radar after he bought a Rs 2.5-crore Audi owned by Virat Kohli.

"Buying a second-hand Audi R8 was not a big deal for me. I didn't even know it was Virat's car," said Shaggy."I had planned to return the car within a few days, but by then I had been arrested."

Started young
"I was only 15 when I started working, due to a financial crisis at home. I used to sell Chinese hard disks and flash drives at cheap rates. I had a dealer in China from whom I would buy my stock. Initially, no one would buy from me because I was so young, so I started selling the gadgets really cheap. Within a couple of years, I was sending shipments as far as Canada."

It was this business acumen that impressed the original ringleaders of the IRS racket, who eventually hired Shaggy to work at one of their bogus call centres when he was about 18. He would eventually go on to operate such call centres in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, raking in several crores from the scam. But that was not always the plan. "I was a bright child. I wanted to complete my education and become a pilot. I wanted to earn some quick money, so I could save up for the course. But as money poured in, I began to enjoy the comforts it brought," he recalled.

His parents did not approve either. "I would study in the afternoon and then work at the call centre at night. My parents didn't like me working at night. My father would say, 'What is the need for you to work; we can survive with less money.' Initially, he didn't even know about the fraud; all he knew was that I was working at a call centre. But I did so well that I became the head of the team immediately, and started earning lots of money. It was at that point that my attitude changed," said Shaggy.

Jail time
"Obviously, I regret it now. My love for money took me down the wrong path. I have lost the prime of my life in being chased by the law," said the conman, adding, "Jail was a nightmare. The food, sleeping area and overall atmosphere was horrible. I thought I would get bail soon, but got frustrated when that did not happen."
Cut off from crime, he turned to education once again. "I wanted to learn coding, but the jail didn't have the resources for it. I read books on economics and finance, and also learnt Marathi. I can speak the language quite well now," he said.

If only...
He remains bitter about getting caught, but didn't seem to show any remorse for the crimes he had committed. "I am not the mastermind of the scam. The real masterminds are free and happy. I don't want to disclose their names, but they have been operating since 2001. I got trapped because I showed off," he said, adding, "If I had not been arrested, I would have spread this business, or started a new one that would have spread beyond India by now."

Now, he is left with a fraction of the crores he once had. "I spent so much money, I didn't even save anything," said Shaggy. Shaggy has now set his sight on the future. "I will work hard again to repair mine and my family's reputation. A driven person like me will never sit and spill tears, but will always work hard to make the future better than my past."

Rs 25000
Amount found in Shaggy's accounts after arrest

Rs 2.5cr
Value of the Audi sports car he bought

Also Read: The big Mira Road call centre scam: What we know so far

A 24-year-old man's parents hatched a plan to kill him after they were physically abused by him on more than one occasion. On Saturday, Waliv Police arrested the parents, sister and her husband of the deceased person. Upon enquiry, the accused told the police that the deceased person would physically and verbally harass them often.

As per the police investigations, the deceased, Rohit Chaudhary, who was a driver, was found lying dead in a pit in Bhoiwada, Bhyander. Initially, the identity of the man was unknown. His mother later filed a missing complaint. After probing the matter, the police found injury marks on the face and neck of the individual and later managed to identify him. The police then registered a murder case.

After checking mobile records, it was revealed to the cops that the last call to the deceased was made by his sister. Upon suspicion, cops then questioned the family and found out that Rohit would beat and abuse them.

During questioning, the family confessed to the crime. They stated that they recently visited their native place in Uttar Pradesh and hired two men to kill Rohit for an amount of Rs 2 and a half lakh. An advance amount of Rs 1 lakh was transferred in the bank of the contract killers.

The police have arrested the father Lalchand, mother Sunita, sister Shruti and her husband Anup. Police are currently on the hunt for the contract killers in Uttar Pradesh.

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A board director of the Bassein Catholic Cooperative Bank, Dilip Mathak, 45, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on Tuesday afternoon. His body was recovered by his family from his home in Pachubandar, Vasai West. No suicide note has been discovered yet.

Mathak used to reside with his mother, wife —whom he married in January this year — and younger brother. His body was found in a small room behind his bungalow around 5 pm. One of his family members informed the Vasai village police, who rushed to the spot, conducted a panchnama and sent the body for an autopsy at the local government hospital.

According to police sources, Mathak was a prominent name in Vasai, and was also the president of its Koli Yuwa Sanstha. He was a very friendly person. One of his friends said they're in deep shock as Mathak suddenly took this step, even though everything seemed to be going well for him. Speaking to mid-day, a police official from Vasai village police station said, "The reason behind the suicide has not been revealed yet and neither have we found a suicide note. We have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and are investigating the matter."

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Palghar: It was a catch worth lakhs of rupees! Two fishermen brothers in Maharashtra's Palghar district netted a 'ghol' fish -- known for its medicinal value and in high demand in various countries -- and sold it for a whopping Rs 5.5 lakh in a mega-auction.

Mahesh Meher and Bharat Meher, natives of Morbe village in Palghar, set out for fishing in the Arabian Sea last week and returned on Sunday late night with a huge 30 kg ghol fish. While the siblings were startled to have netted a giant-size fish, they did not realise then that they were going to make a fortune out of their prized catch. The brothers, elated over their precious possession, said after they brought the fish ashore, it got auctioned in just 20 minutes yesterday.

An export house bought it for Rs 5.5 lakh, they claimed.

The duo said they had set out for fishing last week after a long break due to the 45-day ban on venturing in the waters during the monsoon season. "This was really a good catch. We were delighted as it was like striking 'gold' in our fishing net along with other fish varieties," the siblings told reporters at the seashore in Morbe yesterday.

"We are into fishing since the last two decades and had only heard about such a huge ghol fish. But, with this fish catch, we actually had a wonderful experience and it also got sold for a good price," they said. Usually, a good quality fish sells for a few thousands of rupees in the market, but the Meher brothers are happy to have earned Rs 5.5 lakh with a single catch.

The two fishermen, who were reeling under financial crisis, said now they would be able to get their boat and net repaired. The ghol fish, a type of croaker, has a good market in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It is considered among the most expensive variety of the marine fish.

Its heart is known as the 'sea gold', which is said to have medicinal properties and is an important ingredient in making a variety of medicines.

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Major Kaustubh Rane, who was killed in the Gurez sector of Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir on August 4 during an operation to foil an infiltration bid, was bid a tearful adieu by mourners today. Major Rane was laid to rest with full military honours at a crematorium in Mira Road township in the district around 12.30 pm.

Scores of mourners thronged Rane's house in Shital Nagar area in Mira Road in the morning to catch the last glimpse of the martyred army man. The funeral procession started from his residence around 9.30 am. His body, kept in a casket draped in tricolour, was carried in a flower-bedecked truck to the crematorium. At a few junctions on the way, flowers were showered on the vehicle carrying the mortal remains.

When the procession reached the crematorium two hours later, chaos prevailed for some time due to a huge rush of mourners. People even climbed trees and stood on terraces of neighbouring buildings as well as on the compound wall of the crematorium to witness the funeral.

Rane's family members had to appeal to the people to maintain peace. When the family members placed floral wreaths on his body, mourners shouted slogans like 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'Major Kaustubh Rane Amar Rahe'. His wife Kanika, who carried their two-and-a-half-year-old son Agastya in her arms, was inconsolable. Before the martyr's father lit the funeral pyre, a 21-gun salute was given. Apart from local politicians, Army officers, including Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) of South Western Command, were present on the occasion.

Major Rane and three soldiers were killed while foiling an infiltration bid in north Kashmir's Gurez sector. At least two militants were gunned down in the operation.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Nalasopara has heaved a big sigh of relief after the arrest of suspected Sanatan Sanstha member Vaibhav Raut, who had allegedly terrorised his neighbourhood with his activities.

According to the police, Raut, who called himself a gau rakshak, has been involved in a series of attacks on butchers in the area every Bakri-eid. Raut allegedly tried to create communal tension, particularly in the neighbouring Sopara village, by harassing locals and carrying out illegal raids on mutton and beef shops.

Every year, the police would extern him from the area for short periods, by serving him notices under section 144 of the Mumbai Police Act; he, however, would stay put by bringing in political influence in the name of cow protection, said an officer, adding that even the police will breathe easy after his arrest.

Living in terror
Sopara village's Muslim community, especially the butchers, lived in fear and insecurity due to Raut's activities — even when beef hadn't been banned by the government, he would go around conducting 'raids' on meat shops and harassing the owners, said a local, Anis Qureshi. Speaking to mid-day, he added, "In 2014, Raut forcibly stopped my tempo in his area and assaulted the driver.

The driver called me and I went to the spot, but Raut and his colleague abused and assaulted me too, saying I was smuggling cow meat. They forcibly took me and my tempo to Nalasopara police station. I have never carried or supplied cow meat; after I showed all the relevant documents to the cops, they let me go and registered a case against Raut and his colleague.

"Large numbers of Muslims as well as gau rakshaks had gathered outside the police station that day... he had succeeded in creating communal tension; clashes could have erupted anytime. Huge police bandobast was then deployed in the area, for the first time in the history of Nalasopara."

Policespeak
"There are two cases of rioting and one of not following the district collector's order registered against Raut at Nalasopara police station. Since 2015, we have been serving him notices to leave the area during Bakri-eid to maintain law and order there," said Datta Totewar, SDPO, Nalasopara Division of Palghar district.

Also Read: Crime: Trio planning 'terror attack' held from Nalasopara, Pune

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On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the Palghar police on Sunday were fining traffic violators with kindness in the Vasai division. As part of the 'Rakhi with Khakhi' initiative, women police constables deployed at five spots were stopping those found breaking traffic rules, tying a rakhi on their wrist, and instead of slapping a fine on them, were asking them to donate whatever they could for flood-ravaged Kerala.

The constables were deployed at Babhola, Ambadi, Panchvati, T-Point and Evershine City in Vasai for over two hours in the morning. They caught several motorists for not wearing helmets and speeding. Women traffic violators were also stopped; however, instead of a rakhi, they got chocolates and roses and were asked to pay back in kind if they wished to.

Motorist Aslam Shaikh said, "Police caught me at Vasai naka for not wearing a helmet. The cops tied a rakhi, and I was asked to pay in the donation box. The money will be used for relief in Kerala. It is a really impressive initiative."

There were some motorists who, despite not violating rules, stopped near the cops to donate for the cause, like Vasai resident Nitesh Bhalerao. "I was passing by and saw women police officers tying a rakhi on the wrists of motorists. Out of curiosity, I stopped my motorcycle and put forward my hand for the rakhi. As a gift, I donated some amount for Kerala. It was a really good gesture by the Palghar police," he said.

Speaking to mid-day about the funds they managed to collect through this exercise, Additional Superintendent of Police Vijaykant Sagar said, "The initiative 'Rakhi with Khaki', which was carried out from 10 am to 1 pm, helped us collect Rs 70,000, which will be transferred to the Kerala Chief Minister's Relief Fund."

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The Kandivli police have arrested the father of an 18-year-old girl after she allegedly accused him of constantly molesting and sexually harassing her for two years. In her written complaint,  the girl has alleged that her father has been molesting her since 2016. She also said that she mustered courage and filed a complaint against him after he tried to 'touch her inappropriately' on the eve of September 11.

"On Monday, she came to the police station accompanied by an older woman from her neighbourhood. She said that over the last two years, her father has made several inappropriate comments and actions. And that he would also often make lewd gestures in front of her and try to make her uncomfortable in various ways,” said an official from the Kandivali police as reported in Mumbai Mirror.

Since the girl was facing and dealing with the abuse for a long time, the Kandivli police have booked the father under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with the relevant
sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Post the arrest of her father on Monday evening, the girl’s mother lashed out at her, accusing her own daughter of falsely implicating her father, the police sources said.

"The mother believes that the daughter is doing this under the influence of someone. She thinks that with the father in prison, it will give her the necessary freedom to do what she wants and scare her parents from taking any disciplinary action against her” said an official elaborating on the mother’s statement. 

In another incident, the parents of a four-year-old girl lodged a police complaint against a woman teacher from a Kandivli school on Monday for molesting their child during the school hours. The Kandivli police have booked the teacher under the stringent POSCO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) act. The police are probing the case and till now no arrests have been made.

The minor child, who is in junior KG, complained to her parents after returning from school on Monday that the teacher had touched her inappropriately. When the parents of the minor girl approached the school, the management informed the parents that the school premises are entirely covered by cameras, except inside the washrooms. The police were summoned and the CCTV footage was shown to the parents as well as cops. "Nothing concrete has been found in the CCTV footage." the police officer said. 

Also Read: Watch Video: Woman Steals Mobile-Phone From Mulund Shop

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The semi-decomposed body of BJP's women's cell district president Rupali Chavan, 38, allegedly murdered, was found inside her Nalasopara flat last morning. According to sources, she had been unreachable for the last two days to her friends and party workers. A close friend visited her flat on Tuesday and found the door locked from outside. The window, however, was ajar, so she asked a person from the building to enter and look inside. That's how the body, having several injury marks and wrapped in a woollen blanket, was discovered.

Rupali Chavan

Flatmate missing
A police officer said the house was in disarray, suggesting a scuffle between Chavan and the accused, who allegedly attacked her with sharp weapons, going by the state of her injuries, or the accused himself/herself turned everything upside down searching for cash and valuables. A divorcee, she lived with a 25-year-old man in the rented flat, which was close to her maternal home. Her 12-year-old son lives with her parents. While investigation indicates that the person she was living with was her boyfriend, some say he was her servant. The police suspect his involvement in the murder as he is missing.

While her family members grieve. Pics/Hanif Patel

Policespeak
Chavan was very active politically and had ventured into business too, with her shoe shop in Nalasopara East all set for inauguration. SDPO (Nalasopara division) Datta Totewar said, "We have registered a case of murder against an unknown accused. Going by the state of the body, we suspect the murder was committed a day or two back. Her mobile phone is missing, as is the person living with her. We are searching for him."

Also Read: Woman's decomposed body found in almirah

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