Ajay Devgn has produced and directed a music video, Thahar Ja, which speaks about weathering the storm. The star, who also features in the video, shot it himself at his Juhu home. It also marks the debut of son Yug as assistant director. The song has been rendered by Mehul Vyas.

It's a four-minute-long video and it not only captures the actor and his montages but also all the medical practitioners and unsung warriors that are fighting day and night to conquer the Coronavirus crisis. This is indeed a soothing way to spread hope and positivity.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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We will weather this storm together. Stay safe, Stay Happy. Apno ke liye #ThaharJa #IndiaFightsCorona @narendramodi @uddhavthackeray @cmomaharashtra @praveensinghpardeshi @my_bmc @meenaiyerofficial

A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) onApr 25, 2020 at 12:31am PDT

During this lockdown, all the Bollywood celebrities have asked all of us to stay safe and inside our homes. They have also been saluting and applauding the efforts being put by the doctors and nurses to eradicate the virus. Some uploaded a video, many of them tweeted to thank them, and Devgn goes a step ahead and dedicates a song that's all about keeping patience and positivity.

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Nobody knows when the lockdown will end and when life will come back to normal. But for those who have access, they are spending their quarantine by watching web-series, films, and reruns of classic television shows. So on one hand, we have Ramayan and Mahabharat, on the other spectrum lies something called Four More Shots Please, Season 2!

This show is what we call the ultimate triumph of a woman's liberation. Their tendency to do all the possible shenanigans and be unabashed and unapologetic about it is what has made this web-series so catchy and contagious. And one of the leads, Sayani Gupta, a fine actor to the hoot, recently in an interview with Radio City's RJ Harshil, she talked about the show's popularly, how she has been spending time at home, and a lot of other entertaining stuff.

As expected, the first question was about the number of interviews she has given about the show amid this lockdown. She sounds perplexed and says, "I have really lost track, so many, it's insane you know. I give at least 1 or 2 interviews every day. But I have now started my own live videos that is a series of my interactions with some of my friends from the industry, it's called Shy-Me-Not. I've had four sessions so far."

The next question is about her journey from FTII (The Film and Television Institute of India) to films and she takes a deep breath since the answer is going to be really long. She says, "I am from Kolkata and went to Delhi for college and did theatre. I wanted to go to the National School of Drama but decided against it because my seniors, M.K Raina and Habib Tanvir, told me how it was going through a turmoil in terms of syllabus and management. But going to FTII was one of the best decisions of my life, I spent three-and-a-half years over there. It's because of the institute that I'm sitting for this interview today."

She added, "I knew nobody would spot me at a cafe and cast me for a film, and I knew this process would take time but I actually got my first film in the first month of being in Bombay, Second Marriage Dot Com. The director had seen my short film that was made during my education at the FTII. I don't like the world struggle, I feel the journey has been very interesting. I also did a travel show that was once in a lifetime experience, I also assisted Manav Kaul on a film that's going to come out soon."

She also spoke about her character Khanum from Shonali Bose's Margarita With A Straw and said, "To get such a character is a once in a lifetime opportunity, for both Kalki and me. Such films aren't made too often. It was a very performance-heavy part, she was blind and an activist. There was so much to do, and of course, she was homosexual. There was so much scope for performance. I'm happy people took me seriously."

We have seen Gupta in a lot of films over the last few years like Fan, Jolly LLB 2, Jagga Jasoos, and Article 15, so how has she been balancing between this medium and the OTT platform! This is what she has to say, "In these last three years, I have been shooting every day and I've actually done two shifts, three shifts. I have done Inside Edge 1 & 2, Four More Shots 1 & 2, a British series called The Good Karma Hospital that's out now, but I've also done nine films," and she flashes her smile! Talking about her character Rohini from Inside Edge, she says, "I don't know anything about cricket, I have seen the sport with my parents. My father was working for All India Radio and his office was right next to the Eden Garden. But I was never aware of the technicalities of cricket and neither was I interested."

She continued, "Karan Anshuman told me about this even before Excel was producing it. After a few months, the creative producer of Excel called me and said they have a fabulous role, come and meet us. When I read the part, I asked them if they were sure they wanted me to play this, but I guess all of them were confident about me as an actor for some reason and I'm really grateful to them." And then it was time to talk about her character Damini Rizvi Roy from Four More Shots Please, and her initial reaction on reading it.

"I hate the word bold and the context in which you are using it is wrong because even according to the dictionary, it's the boldness of mind. People really misinterpret things by using the term bold. Four More Shots was a very important show when I read it for the first time, and I felt it was amazing that a group of women was trying to make a show which actually was about women. It was trying to normalise everything about the life of a woman. I think it's one of those very important shows, and it's crucial to have such a show in the mainstream narrative, and even the criticism that comes and mostly from men about our sex and smoking, you can understand how regressive, repressed and patriarchal our society is even now."

She added, "When men do all these things and we all have seen it, nobody bats an eyelid, and everyone is like,'Oh my god! Friendship'! The moment it's about women that have chosen to live a particular life and are normal with it, like I am, people tend to have issues. There are lots of topics that are being handled with a lot of sensitivity and depth in the second season. You have workplace gender bias, you have body shaming, you have LGBT rights, you have a homosexual wedding, freedom of expression, freedom of speech. It has everything a woman faces in the urban space or rural space. We are getting long letters and messages, it's crazy."

She continued, "It's moving people because it is making a difference to them." In between, she answers a fan who asks if a woman having sex with multiple men is empowerment for her. She says, "No, it's not, and nobody is saying drinking and smoking is empowerment. But people do go out and drink and smoking is not even shown in the entire season two. Women who go out and drink and choose to have sex with whom they want to, and have control over their sexuality, should be not looked at as a taboo. It's normal, we all do it!"

"Also, you have to realise it's about celebrating yourself and women for their rights, it's about subverting these constant pressures of women. The problem is that women are always shown as these crazy stereotypes, either she's virginal and the hero is trying to woo her and have sex with her, the hero is marrying her, or a vamp who's breaking the hero and heroine's home. Nowhere are women, in most of the mainstream narratives, shown as themselves. What is the problem with having sex with multiple partners? So many people do."

She seems to be raising the right points and makes a very important observation. "Sex was always shown as something done to women and never a choice that women are making. If I want to be intimate with someone or be in a romantic liaison with someone, it's my choice. That needs to be respected and celebrated. Having said that, our intention is never to encourage smoking and drinking or go out and partying, that's not the point. But if there are people who do it, there shouldn't be a taboo about it, even in India. You see Sex in the City, you see Girls, you see Friends, any Hollywood series or show or film and it's fine, but the moment you see Indian girls doing it, you're like, 'OMG'!

"Everyone does it so what's the problem in showing it or representing it authentically! It's a show made by women, it was the need of the hour to represent women authentically," she added. Well, this was truly straight from the heart, and in case you are yet to discover Four More Shots Please, watch it and decide whether you agree with Sayani Gupta or not! But one thing people will agree with is that she's truly a fine actor!

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Telugu actress Samantha Akkineni turned a year older on April 28, 2020, and she was seen celebrating her special day with near and dear ones. Samantha's husband Naga Chaitanya hosted a sweet little party for the birthday girl at their home.

Chaitanya also baked a cake for his wife, and the actress shared a time-lapse video on social media. She wrote, "baking my birthday cake." Take a look at the series of photos and video shared by the birthday girl on Instagram.

 

 

 

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Family ❤ï¸Â .... (no points for guessing what I am praying for )

A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) onApr 27, 2020 at 12:29pm PDT

For the uninitiated, the 33-year-old actress has a solid fan-following not only in India but globally too and has given us two very memorable films- 24 and Eega, both brimming with imaginative ideas and smashing entertainment. Samantha has come a long way and carved her own niche in Indian Cinema. Her work in the Telugu and Tamil industry continues to resonate with audiences and critics alike.

Speaking of her professional journey, some of her most remembered works as an artist are 24, Oh Baby, U-Turn, Super Deluxe, and Rangasthalam.

On the other hand, talking about her personal life, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya tied the knot in both grand South Indian and Christian ceremony in October 2017.

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Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor have been sharing some great throwback pictures amid quarantine. The duo has been missing the family and the functions due to this virus outbreak and lockdown session. Now, Sonam has shared a pretty picture with sister Rhea Kapoor which screams sisterly love.

The duo looked all decked up in the posts, seems like of their photoshoots together. Sonam Kapoor captioned, "sister sister." Let's take a look at the picture right away!

 

 

 

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Sister sister ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) onApr 27, 2020 at 7:01am PDT

Adorable, isn't it?

On the professional front, Sonam Kapoor's last outing The Zoya Factor failed at the box-office. This Abhishek Sharma directorial, also starring Dulquer Salmaan, could only manage lifetime collections of around Rs. 4.90 crores. Before this, she was seen playing a homosexual character in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. Now, the actress is gearing up for Sujoy Ghosh's next production, which is the remake of the Korean film, Blind.

Speaking about Rhea Kapoor, the star kid turned producer with Aisha. She has produced Veere Di Wedding and Khoobsurat too, both starring sister Sonam. The Kapoor sisters own a fashion label called Rheason and the former has also turned producer and made the very successful Veere Di Wedding in 2018.

On the personal front, Rhea is said to be dating Karan Boolani, and their social media PDA will surely melt your heart.

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When author turned filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee decided to make the big switch he knew that it wouldn't be a cakewalk.Now with his second Hindi film Season's Greetings he emerges as a confident story teller, who can intrigue audience with simple and thought provoking narrative. In an exclusive chat with Midday he talks about his films and beyond...

Probably you are amongst few film journalist from Bollywood who have successfully switched from print to movie making. Was is a pre planned transition?

It might sound like a 'cakewalk' but unfortunately it was not. I had to go through the grind. After my tenure as Editor in chief of a film magazine. I co-produced a finite series Bin Kuch Kahe for Zee TV with director Rajshree Ojha. It was a learning experience for me. During that time, I realized that I would like to make films. But never in my dream I had imagined that I will become a director. In fact it was Esha Deol who literally forced me to become a director with Cakewalk. She said, "It's your vision, and you are doing everything that a director does. I think you will be a good filmmaker!" Esha stood by me and my production house like the Rock of Gibraltar.

You have been a senior journalist, with almost 20 years experience. Did any of your industry friends help you? Or did you approach them?

No. I didn't approach anyone. I wanted to make a film on my own terms and condition. I knew that once I achieve in making a decent movie, industry will support and stand by me. Cakewalk broke all possible records. It became India's first short film to be premiered in a satellite television Cineplex with Colors, the first look was launched in London by Hema Malini, the music rights was acquired by Zee Music, the film was acquired by Viacom18, I was invited at the BBC studios in London for live chat show, it got selected at 21 film festivals and won at 17 film festivals. It also become India's first short film to be premiered at Inox Insignia one of the biggest theatre chains in India. The film was promoted in 6 major metro cities in India and Dubai. We treated it like a feature film, and I give credit to my team and my friends from media and film industry.

Your second film Season's Greetings seems to have created a much bigger news. With United Nation Free and Equal and legends like Amitabh Bachchan endorsing the film it seems to be one of the much awaited movie of this year on OTT?

I am thankful to Mr Bachchan for being so gracious, he spoke so beautifully about the film in his video message. My film is a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Riruparno Ghosh, and I am grateful that Lillette Dubey maam and Celina Jaitly Haag who agreed to be a part of this venture. It was Celina who connected me with the United Nations Free and Equal, and I had to organize special screening for them in Geneva. It took almost two months to bring them on board as our social cause partner. This wouldn't have been possible without our friend and well wisher Charles Radcliffe. Zee5 had initially decided to release it on March but now due to Corona pandemic we had to reschedule everything. But I am glad that we released on April 15, and the film has become the most watched short film on Zee5. The film got selected at seven prestigious international festivals including Cardiff International Film Festival. It won Best Director Jury award at Rajasthan International Film Festival this year. I am eagerly waiting to show the film to all. This film also marks the debut of young and talented actor Azhar Khan. The film deals with LGBTQIA issue in a very subtle manner. The film has been selected at the prestigious Kashish Film Festival 2020 in Mumbai, Asia's largest LGBTQIA Film Festival. I am glad the film is getting appreciated by all, my film celebrates love beyond gender.

Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee with lead cast Celina Jaitley and Lillette Dubey in Season's Greetings

How does it feel when your film gets thunderous applause from media and film fraternity?

I feel blessed. When veterans like Khalid Mohamad, Shoma Chatterji, Nandita Puri, Ananth Mahadevan, Taran Adarsh, Rajeev Masand and Suman Ghosh writes about your film, its a reassurance. But I would like to thank my team for making this possible. My producers Aritra Das and Shailendra Kumar, my associate producers Mohammad Jameel and my wife Sarbani Mukherjee. You might dream big, but you need a producer who will stand by your vision. And of course Celina Jaitly who worked like a team member all the way from Austria in the middle of lockdown crisis. She would manage her household responsibilities and maintain all her work commitment. She interacted with all leading media over Instagram and Skype, she gave telephonic and email interviews. She actively pushed the film on social media. Lillette Dubey maam though she is not on any social media platform, she would record her bytes for channels and send. Her daughter Ira Dubey would record her interview on phone and we would give those bytes to electronic and web media. Azhar Khan supported us from Pune, while Shree Ghatak in Kolkata went all out to spread the word. My singers Sayani Palit and Jaan Kumar Sanu did radio chats and facebook live performance of the song. It was very tough to promote a 47 minute film in the middle of lockdown. But we all need to keep reinventing ourselves.

In a span of two years you have managed to direct almost five films. That's a decent number...

After Season's Greetings, I wanted to make a short length Bengali film. That's when the idea of Rickshwala came to my mind. I am launching Avinash Dwivedi in as the protagonist in the film. It was a tough project for me. We had to do workshops and shoot in the bylanes of North Kolkata in summers. Avinash gave his blood and sweat for this film. Rickshawla already won Best Actor and Best Director at 13th Ayodhya International Film Festival this year. Then we made Broken Frame, which is based on my fiction Long Island Iced Tea. Yet again I was fortunate enough to work with extremely professional and talented actors like Rohit Bose Roy and Ritabhari Chakraborty. The film deals with martial issue and infidelity. After that, I made Shubho Bijoya with Gurmeet Choudhury and Debina Bonnerjee, which is a romantic film loosely based on O Henry's classic A Gift of Magi. Now I am working on my first full length feature film Binodini Dasi, a biopic on Bengal's famous theatre actress. My first attempt to make a period drama.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee and Esha Deol receiving Society Iconic Award for Cakewalk from Ramesh Sippy, Kiran Sippy and Krishika Lulla

Do you feel that any of your skills as a journalist comes handy when you are donning the hat of a director?

Yes it does! My writing skill helps me in fine tuning my screenplay and dialogues, my editing experience helps me in keeping the scenes precise and save the cost of extra shifts and shoots. My photoshoot experiences helps me in visualizing a character, their costume, hair and makeup. And my nose for news, helps me in creating content that people would like to see on screen. I guess we all use our past experience to enhance our future endeavors.

You have penned five books and directed five movies in a span of three years. You are extremely active on social media, you also conduct special classes for film students and talk shows with celebrities. How do you balance every act?

Huh! Now that you have spelled it, I am feeling breathless. But frankly speaking, I have learnt multitasking from Hemaji (Malini) She inspires me a lot. I think if we can focus on our work then we can distribute our time evenly. Now that we are locked down for almost 40 days, I will be finishing the draft of my Bengali film, work on the story board and first look. I am also working on two non fiction with leading publishers, so my research and drafting is on. I am also working on my Hindi feature film, which will hit the floor by 2021. I don't like to waste time. Even when I am not doing something, I am watching a film or a series. The hunger should never die. And now with lockdown and quarantine, we all have learnt how to multitask, because when you are pushed to the edge then you either learn to fly or you die.

Why do you call Season's Greetings a homage to director Rituparno Ghosh? And how is it different from any other tribute?

Well, this is a different kind of homage to any director. Mostly when we pay tribute, we tend to either make a biopic or remake classics. But I thought of giving him a tribute through multiple ways. Suchitra Bhattacharya was Ritu da's favorite author, veteran Tagore vocalist Suchitra Mitra acted in his film Dahan, so I decided to name Lillette ji's character Suchitra. Celina's character Romita was Rituparna Sengupta's name in Dahan, which was a popular novel written by Suchitra Bhattacharya. The house where they stay is called Utsab, which was yet another film by Ritu. The househelp is Chapala inspired from his film Aarekti Premer Galpo (he acted), where he played a transgender filmmaker and enacted life of theatre actor Chapal Bhadhuri. Transgender actor Shree Ghatak plays the role of Chapala in my film.

There is a sequence between Lillette and Celina where they talk about fragrance of a particular perfume, which is inspired from Aparna Sen and Debasree Roy's kitchen scene from Unishe April. Lavish display of food and characters talking over dinner table has been Rituparno's favourite narrative style, which is a part of preclimax sequence.

Tagore music and Maithili language is yet another aspect which Rituparno had often used in his films. Infact there is a portrait of Tagore used in the film from Balmiki Pratibha, which was prominently used as a metaphor in his film Ashukh. Then references like Banalata pishi is from Bariwali, Abhirupa is again Rituparno's character name from Chitrangada.

Rabindranath Tagore's song Gahana Kusum Kunj Majhe, was used in his film Abhohoman, which has been recreated in the film by singers Jaan Kumar Sanu and Sarbani Mukherjee.

In a scene we see Suchitra is reading Devdutt Patnaik's novel Shikhandi. That's again referring to Rituparno's film Chitrangada, a character from Mahabharata. In fact we have also shown the exterior of Rituparno's house Tasher Ghar in Kolkata which only very few people will relate. There are shots of Ardhanarishwar, that depicts the presence of bisexuality since vedic age.

The entire character graph of boy child Chapal undergoing sex change and becoming Chapala also talks about his films like Memories of March and Chitrangada. But none of it is underlined, everything is subtle. You need to be a Rituparno fan to appreciate or understand. The scene where Romita talks about unexpected rains and letters from her mother is a fleeting reference to his film Tithli.

And of course the climax that would jolt you as an audience, and will remind you of Rituparno in a much prominent way.

In fact the first day and first shot of the movie between Celina and Azhar was shot in Grand Hyatt Presidential suite. After the shot the manager came to meet me. He said, "It's irony that Rituparno had shot Sob Charitro Kalpanik scene with Bipasha Basu and Prosenjit in the same room!" We knew that Rituda is blessing us from the word 'action'!

This film marks return of Celina Jaitly after motherhood, why did you opt for her since she was away and settled in Dubai?

I wouldn't have taken effort if she would habe settled in Mars or Moon, but to not consider an artist for geographical reason in an archaic thought. I knew that she would be my perfect Romita, for three reasons, she never got an opportunity to play a role like this. She shared a very close bonding with her parents whom she lost recently, and she has been associated with LGBTQIA movement for last two decades. I remember Celina broke down before shoot. She went to severe depression and I guess this film was her fulcrum to spring out of the situation. Ritu da once mentioned, every artist comes with their own qualities, as a director you need to utilize that aspect and mould them into your narrative.

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Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor has now approached the King George's Medical University (KGMU), offering to donate her plasma for treatment of other Covid-19 patients. The singer called up the head of transfusion medicine department, Prof Tulika Chandra, and volunteered to help.

"She called me up and said she really wanted to help other Covid-19 patients. Vice Chancellor Prof M.L.B. Bhatt has given a go ahead on it and we will now be carrying out the tests on her to see if she is fit to donate her plasma," said Prof Chandra.

As per experts, Kanika's sample will be tested for a number of things before she can donate her plasma. These include her haemoglobin level that should be above 12.5, weight should be more than 50 kg and the patient should not have diabetes, cardiovascular issues, malaria, syphilis and other such ailments.

Kanika's sample will probably be taken on Tuesday and if found to be eligible, she will be donating her plasma on Wednesday. Kanika Kapoor had grabbed headlines last month when she became the first Bollywood celebrity to test positive for Coronavirus.

Kanika had attended two parties in Lucknow in the presence of top politicians and bureaucrats and all of them were later tested for Corona. Kanika was hospitalized for over a fortnight at the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS).

She had, on April 26, come out with a statement clarifying her travel and Covid-19 history declaring that she was aware of misconceptions and wrong information floating around her but she chose to remain silent until ready to speak. Kanika in her social media post had said that all persons she came in contact with in the UK, Mumbai and Lucknow had been tested negative and that she had duly followed the process.

Meanwhile, the KGMU on Sunday night, made the first plasma transfusion in a 58-year-old patient from Orai who is a government doctor whose condition was critical. The doctors now say that the patient is responding well to the transfusion.

The university has received three plasma donations from fully recovered Covid-19 patients, two from doctors and one from a Lakhimpur man.

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Sunny Leone may have her hands full with household chores, but she has also been pursuing painting. She recently completed her 'piece of art', which the actor has titled Broken Glass. She flaunted her artistic streak on social media and wrote, "Finally, done with my lockdown art. It's called Broken Glass as it is sort of... like our lives at the moment. Everything might feel shattered but every piece is meant to be next to each other... to be made whole again. So, if we can work together, we will also feel whole again and come back together (sic)."

 

 

 

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Finally done my lockdown piece of art. Has taken 40days to complete. It’s called “broken glass” sort of like our lives at the moment. Everything might feel shattered, but every piece is meant to be next to each other to be made whole again. So if we can work together we also will feel whole again and come back together. Love you all.

A post shared by Sunny Leone (@sunnyleone) onApr 26, 2020 at 5:01am PDT

Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber have self-quarantined themselves along with the kids Asher, Daniel and Nisha. The entire Weber-Leone family have been updating their fans with sweet family posts on social media.

Sunny and her husband Daniel Weber have always been extremely protective about their children and are often spotted with them. And now, during the lockdown, are spending quality time with them at home.

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In a bid to get a feel of the normal life, Sonakshi Sinha went to the parking lot of her Juhu home and sat in her favourite set of wheels for a while. The actor took to Insta, shared a selfie and wrote, "Sat in my parked car just to remember what it feels like (sic)." Sona did not forget her glares and designer bag to complete the going-out look.

 

 

 

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Quarantine day 34: sat in my (parked) car today just to remember what it feels like 🤪 #sundayselfie

A post shared by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona) onApr 26, 2020 at 2:51am PDT

The actress has been active on social media since the lockdown period, and she has shared a lot of messages with her fans through an important medium. Shotgun Junior never shies away from speaking her mind. She is hoping for the coronavirus crisis to end soon and says she would like to dive into the sea once all this is over.

On the professional front, Sonakshi Sinha was last seen in Dabangg 3, opposite Salman Khan. Saiee Manjrekar was also a part of this comedy film. Now, the actress will be next seen in Bhuj: The Pride of India.

"Bhuj: The Pride of India" stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk and Pranitha Subhash. The film is directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya.

In the film, Ajay will be seen playing Indian Air Force pilot Vijay Karnik, while Sonakshi will essay the character of Sunderben Jetha Madharparya, who is a social worker and a farmer women, who convinced 299 other women from Madhapur to help build a runway during the India-Pakistan war of 1971.

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Adhyayan Suman and Kangana Ranaut were in a relationship back in 2008 when they were working together in Raaz: The Mystery Continues but parted ways soon. And in 2016, the Jashn actor made some shocking revelations about the actress and how vociferous the relationship was. It has been four years since that interview and more than a decade since the relation.

Strangely, questions about her are still asked whenever he gives an interview and his recent one with BollywoodLife was no exception. To give a brief background, Kavita Kaushik of FIR fame also tweeted in support of the actor and how Kangana owned an apology to him. In case you missed it, this is what she tweeted.

Have a look right here:

Also, a huge apology is owed to @shekharsuman7 and @AdhyayanSsuman , they are a sweet family and the hate they got from an eager to judge, feeding on lies smeared popcorn audiences is so damn heartbreaking🙏 everyone was so cruel to them at that time cos of the 'woman card' https://t.co/kRZ8kycwJ2

— Kavita (@Iamkavitak) April 19, 2020

And now, talking about it, the actor said, "I have left that topic miles...miles behind in my life. I am right now way ahead in my life. And it doesn't really matter who wants to apologise or not. I wanted to share my side of story, and I did that three years ago. I am very glad and fortunate that some people came out in support."

To give credit where it was due, he thanked Kaushik for her support and said, "Kavita put out a tweet, and I am very thankful to her. But the amount of fake trollers who came and trolled her, said some really mean stuff to her, I thought that was such a disgrace. It is so sad."

Over the years, the actor has been a part of films like Raaz: The Mystery Continues, Jashn, Himmatwala, and Ishq Click.

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Marriages may be made in heaven but have to go through trying and testing times on Earth. One such marriage is of Kannada star Kiccha Sudeepa and Priya Sudeepa. The two tied the knot on October 18, 2001, and the actor's fans couldn't keep calm at that point of time. But as stated, all marriages see their ups and downs and theirs was no different.

14 years later, in the year 2015, the couple mutually filed for divorce but none of the parties turned up for the proceedings. Was a possible reconciliation on the cards? Was it time for them to give their marriage another opportunity? Yes! But the actor admitted how he erred and couldn't be a good father or a good husband in an interview with Bangalore Mirror. And in an interview with Silverscreen India, he said, "My daughter is my whole life. She's like a ray of sunshine in my life. Pure, dazzling and so very important to my being."

It seems they won't part ways and that seems to be a piece of great news for his fans. In fact, they both celebrated their wedding anniversary in the Bigg Boss (Kannada) House and it met with a fantastic response. We hope they continue staying together and be the happy and happening couple they always were!

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Singer Sona Mohapatra, who is known to speak her mind, has come up with a new song, her own badass version of Raees' Zaalima. The singer's soulful voice is a perfect fit for love ballads, case in point Ambarsariya, Naina, Bolo Na and many of her hits. While, it wouldn't be wrong to say that, very few female solo songs are released nowadays in film soundtracks, it came as a pleasant surprise to see this reprise and refreshing version of the the Shah Rukh Khan's film, Raees' popular love song.

Sona has an unique ability to infuse newness in songs and her version of Zaalima is quite different from the original version, sung by Arijit Singh. As per her post, she had created this in-house video with some interesting 'gender-political' messaging about the state of the music industry some time ago and is all set to release it to spread cheer and even some laughs to drive away the lockdown blues, now!

Sona says, "Musicians have been hit the hardest in recent times. There are no residuals or royalties for creators here unlike the west and unless we step out to play concerts on stage we don't make money. It's only sweat labour in India. The lockdown and post COVID era will hit the musicians even harder with no stages to play in and the economy focusing on essentials. In these grim times, most artists in my community have been setting aside their own emotional state and performing online to spread joy and love and I am so proud of all of them! In these times you realise that it's mostly musicians who have the craft and talent to deliver without too many resources or people helping them. My DIY video should be taken with a pinch of salt although any good comedy does come from a truthful place; our film-music has completely sidelined the strong solo female voice in the last decade and it's time for all of us to notice."

"Few know that I had been called to sing the last few lines of the film version but couldn’t fathom why only the last few lines were reserved for the female voice considering it was a romantic duet!" - she wrote on her YouTube channel, while sharing the song. 

A user commented - "I didn't know who's voice was this? Also, I was a huge fan of Sona Ma'am. But now I'm flat. And now after this rendition, I'm completely dead."

Another user commented: Thank goodness she didn't end up singing the actual song.

Tell us your views about the new version of Zaalima!

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Singer Sachet Tandon, voice behind the recreated versions of the 2009 AR Rahman hit "Masakali", has reacted to all the criticism coming the new version's way saying he respects audience opinion.

"It's Tanishk Bagchi's song and I was approached by the creators to sing it. I was glad to be part of the song and I am still happy that makers thought of me. But ultimate decision always lies in the hands of public. It's totally upto them whether to like a particular song or not, and I truely respect their opinion," said Sachet, about his version, titled "Masakali 2.0".

"Also, I don't think that any creator would intentionally try to distort an original song. Speaking of 'Masakali 2.0', I was not its creator. I just sang it and tried to give my best," Sachet told IANS.

The original "Masakali" was composed by Rahman, written by Prasoon Joshi, and sung by Mohit Chauhan for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 2009 film "Delhi-6". It was picturised on the film's lead pair, Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor. Although the film fared below expectation, the song has gone on to attain cult status.

Shortly after the release of "Masakali 2.0", both Rahman asnd Joshi expressed disappointment on social media, and were joined by a huge number of fans who agreed with them.

When asked Sachet about his views on the ongoing trend of recreations, he said: "In today's time, everything is being liked by audience. Some remakes have done amazingly well, some originals have become hits. Proper balance should be maintained."

Sachet, who gave Indian cinema a blockbuster love anthem, "Bekhayali" in collaboration with Parampara Thakur last year for the film "Kabir Singh", , has now come up with the melodious track "Bewafai", which has garnered over 20 million views on YouTube.

"It's a beautiful song (and I )loved giving voice to 'Bewafai'," Sachet said, sharing that he never gives heed to "likes" and "number of views".

"For me likes and number of views do no matter. What matters the most is the love of the audience. The best feeling is to hear compliments about your song. Jab log baat karte hain song ke baare me tab zyada acha lagta hai," Sachet signed off.

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Actress Lara Dutta says that irrespective of their profession, all women have faced sexism at some point or the other. The actress plays a police officer in the new comedy-action web series "Hundred".

The former Miss Universe had a question-answer session with fans on Twitter where one of them asked: "It was great to see the series portray the difficulties in the life of women. Was that something that attracted you toward the series?"

Lara replied saying: "As women we all have faced sexism in our life at some point or the other, regardless of which field we belong to. So yes this thought was an imp part of the narrative but not the only thing that motivated me to do this series". She also opened up about her quarantine time.

"Can't complain! It's been good. Family is healthy and we've been able to spend a lot of time with each other. I've been studying, cooking and doing fun indoor activities with my daughter," she said.

She also revealed her fitness regime. "My routine varies according to my schedules and lifestyle. I've always worked out. Pilates, strength training and yoga have been constant favourites. I'm vegetarian mainly and eat a balanced diet and I meditate," said Lara.

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REJCTX is a teen-drama thriller and a coming of age story that revolves around the lives of seven Indian students studying in The Jefferson World School. These privileged kids are thrust into the exclusive world of the rich, right where they belong. But eventually, they find themselves at the disposal of their own insecurities. REJCTX is an expression of that restlessness by a bunch of misfits and rebels.

Goldie Behl, Producer and Director, REJCTX 1 & 2 said, "It was certainly a challenge as it was exciting to cast all new faces, but the kids performed extremely well in the first season and then they have outdone themselves in the second season of the show as well. Everyone has built a great bond while working on the sets and it almost feels like family to be working with them. The second season of REJCTX is really good and we are hoping everyone loves it as much and more than the first season."

Have a look at the recap of Season 1 right here:

MISFIT NO.1: Aarav Sharma

The lead, Masi Wali who played the character of Aarav Sharma, a rich brat, was seen obsessing over one of his teachers and things take a turn for the worst when he goes missing.

MISFIT NO.2: Kiara Tiwary

Anisha Victor plays the role of 'Kiara Tiwary' whose biggest fight is with her inner saboteur telling her she is either not pretty enough or lacks the confidence to be on the top. But in season 2, we will see a new avatar of Kiara pushing that inner voice and taking the new year at school by storm.

MISFIT NO.3: Maddy

Ayush Khurana essays the role of 'Maddy', who is hiding his identity and living with a humiliating secret. The question is, will he be able to accept himself?

MISFIT NO.4: Sehmat Ali

Saadhika Syal plays the character of 'Sehmat Ali', who wants to be known as more than just a girl in a hijab. She is the most rebellious amongst the lot and was also seen exploring her sexuality with Misha. But will she unfold that scarf to reveal her true identity?

MISFIT NO.5: Parnomitra Rai

Ridhi Khakhar who plays 'Parnomitra Rai' comes across as a typical teenager who has built a wall around her and if anyone tries to cross that, Ridhi can be their biggest nightmare. But in Season 2, we could get to see her softer side. She also falls in love with one of her classmates. Can you guess who?

MISFIT NO.6: Misha Patel

She is bubbly, chirpy and extremely innocent. But her innocence is her biggest weakness when she faces the kids of Jefferson World School. Pooja Shetty playing 'Misha Patel' could just be the highlight of Season 2. Wait for it!

MISFIT NO.7: Harry Sandhu

Prabhneet Singh plays a flamboyant character of 'Harry Sandhu' who is witty and humorous but is always called a 'failure' because of his low confidence and is often mocked by his classmates. Will that change in Season 2? There's only one way to find out!

Season 2 will see a whole new side to these characters with the addition of Tanvi Shinde ('Yesha') who will be the new entry to this group of talented kids.

While the first had Sumeet Vyas and Kubbra Sait, season two will have Esha Gupta who is making her digital debut, where she plays the character of Police Officer Rene.

Sumeet Vyas (Farhan Hussain) will play the role of the Vice President of the school just like season one. The makers of the show released the teaser of season 2 recently, which gives us a glimpse of the 'privileged rich kids of the Jefferson World School' from Esha's viewpoint.

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A few days ago, Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan lost his mother and was unable to attend the funeral due to the lockdown that has been imposed. And now, in another unfortunate news, he has been admitted to the Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai due to colon infection. He's being currently treated for the same and his wife and children are with him.

Speaking about the same, the actor's official spokesperson said, "Yes it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to the ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under the doctor’s observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of all his well-wishers, he will recover soon."

In 2018, Khan was diagnosed with the Neuroendocrine Tumour and for the last two years, has been travelling back and forth for his treatment. Some of his films like Blackmail and Karwaan released in cinemas but he couldn't promote them due to his illness. He was last seen in Angrezi Medium and most of the Bollywood fraternity wished the actor for this moving and emotional film.

Khan is a fighter and will surely come out stronger and sooner, his fans and everyone from the fraternity are praying for his health and we cannot wait to see him back on the celluloid! 

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Fitness plays a significant role in the life of Bollywood actresses. To slay in Bollywood, the actresses are maintaining on to a well-toned body. Their toned curves make them look glamorous in the industry. It’s no surprise that for any given role our favorite Bollywood celebs have to set a strict fitness regime and follow a certain diet. Giorgia Andriani, who took the world by storm with her 'size zero' figure, recently through her social media posts, is today considered to be one of the fittest actress in the industry.

“I’m walking, practising yoga and following various workouts on YouTube, sometimes functional, sometimes weight lifting. And I am eating as early as possible at night.” Said Giorgia while talking about her fitness and diet routine. The actress has maintained a routine and stuck to her nutritious way of life all through the coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

 

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You are just one yoga session away from a good mood!🧘🏼‍♀️ #YogaLife #YogaEveryday #MeTime

A post shared by Giorgia Andriani (@giorgia.andriani22) onJan 28, 2020 at 1:32am PST

The Italian beauty Giorgia will soon debut in Bollywood with 'Welcome to Bajrangpur' starring Shreyas Talpade, Sanjay Mishra, and Tigmanshu Dhulia. Apart from that, she is set to raise the temperature with an Item Number in much-awaited 'Sridevi Bungalow' starring Arbaaz Khan and Priya Prakash Varrier.

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Disha totally began the year 2020 with a bang and played a free spirited avatar in her latest Malang, looking drop dead gorgeous and the hotness quotient was just on another level. The actress even stole all the limelight and this fresh new avatar was something everyone was rooting for. The character was so relatable that one could connect to it. Disha built an incredible connection with her viewers, setting the bar high with her hotness and oomph.

The duo of Aditya Roy Kapur and Disha Patani was the hot talk of the town and Malang emerged as a widely successful film. Malang truly was a treat to the eyes and we saw Disha in the hottest avatar ever. With her recent throwback picture on her social media, Disha has already raised the temperature of the season with her hotness and one can never have enough. Disha captioned her picture as, "#malang".

 

 

 

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#malang❤ï¸Â

A post shared by disha patani (paatni) (@dishapatani) onApr 27, 2020 at 10:38pm PDT

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Jacqueline is one of the most successful actresses who has given commercially hits as well as some great performances. With every project, the actress has entertained the audiences and will be soon making her digital debut with Mrs. Serial Killer up next.

Stirring things up a bit this time, Jacqueline has opted for a role which is completely opposite of her Miss sunshine avatar, in reel-life with her OTT debut Mrs. Serial Killer which is just a couple of days away from the release. The film is all set to premiere on 1st May.

The actress will be seen alongside celebrated actor Manoj Bajpayee and sharing her experience on working with the actor for the first time, Jacqueline says, "I met him at the shoots in the high altitudes; he is so full of energy and has so may stories to tell you. He is a bit funny as well and that made the shoot worth the while."

Earlier as well the actress had shared how she is a big fan of Manoj Bajpayee's body of work and for her OTT debut grabbed the opportunity to work with him. The actress also loved Manoj's work in 'The Family Man.'

Jacqueline loves to always experiment with her projects and never shies away from trying out something new. Her OTT debut performance is something we are all looking forward to. From the trailer itself, Jacqueline looks extremely promising and we're excited!

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Nitin Kumar is a known name in Pollywood Music, but he is more known as Nitin Vilecha hails from Punjab, he was born on 23rd July 1999 is young enough to gain a good name in the music and fashion world. Although the world of modeling is often dominated by females, Nitin was successful enough in breaking this stereotype and emerged a big name in the fashion world. With his handsome looks, he was able to make his entry into the fashion world. He worked with top models including Jon, Opry, and Lucky Blue to name a few. After reaching the zenith, he tried his luck in acting.

Soon entered in Pollywood music seen with some songs. His intention is clear, he wants to make his entry in Bollywood. He is waiting for the right opportunity to make a move inside B Town. However, in modeling he has proved his worth and soon it won't be surprising to see him becoming the part of several global events as well.He has worked with different brands and companies and with his handsome and stunning avatar, he is willing to go a long way doing big ventures in modeling. Besides, he has remained the part of many fashion shows as well working as a showstopper for several top brands.

In a short time, he was able carve his niche in this field and is now counted among the top models in the glamour world. People have started recognising him as he has become a regular face in the Pollywood music and fashion world. He is leaving no stone unturned to give his best and find time for every assignment doing justice to the ventures he keeps on getting in his way. He may be a stable model with good earning but he wants to make his mark in the Bollywood industry as well. Hope to see him soon on the big screen with B Town stars.

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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 Rahul Bose will reveal his secret lockdown wellness hacks on Being Yoga, India's first Virtual Wellness Festival.

At a time when the world is amidst a lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, personalities from different walks of life are coming together to conduct a virtual yoga wellness festival.

"I am really looking forward to sharing my secret lockdown wellness hacks with you. Do join Being Yoga on May 3 to raise funds for COVID-1919," said Rahul. The wellness festival will be held on May 2 and 3.

From doctors to spiritual gurus, yoga practitioners, the festival will see the participation of names who will talk about the importance of wellness, philosophy and relevance in our lives during these challenging times.

Actor Ashish Vidyarthi, tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi and more will be joining in and speaking about the importance of yoga.

"I'm used to a rigorous fitness and work routine and staying motivated during lockdown hasn't been easy. Find out how I've been keeping fit and how I've made the lockdown into a very productive time," said Mahesh.

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Amid the nationwide lockdown due to the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, Bollywood celebrities have been flaunting their culinary skills on social media. Actor Pulkit Samrat treated his actress-girlfriend Kriti Kharbanda to some prawns.

Kriti took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of the prawn curry made by Pulkit and she captioned it: "And then, death by amaze food happened! @pulkitamrat showing off his cooking skills."

 

 

 

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@pulkitsamrat ❤️

A post shared by Kriti Kharbanda (@kriti.kharbanda) onApr 24, 2020 at 3:03am PDT

Recently, Kriti shared a post where she could be seen enjoying a champi (oil massage on the head) by her boyfriend Pulkit Samrat. She also jokingly claimed that her new motto in life is to make Pulkit give her a champi!

 

 

 

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First I made him look like Champak, then made him give me a champi! 😋😋😋 @pulkitsamrat heya! Thanks ya! 😛😘 #quarantinememories #yelocozyolo (this is officially my new motto in life)

A post shared by Kriti Kharbanda (@kriti.kharbanda) onApr 14, 2020 at 10:28pm PDT

Meanwhile Pulkit took to Instagram and posted a black and white picture of himself along with his dog -- a husky.

"Ek Dooje Ke Liye (for each other)" he captioned the image.

On the work front, Kriti and Pulkit were together seen in Anees Bazmee's comedy caper "Pagalpanti. Kriti will next be seen in "Taish". Pulkit will next be seen in "Haathi Mere Saathi and "Taish".

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Last week, mid-day reported that Akshay Kumar is considering releasing Laxmmi Bomb directly on Disney+Hotstar. Now, many medium-budget movies seem to be following suit. Sources indicate that T-Series is in the final stages of sealing a multi-release deal with Netflix. A source reveals, "The studio has eight to 10 films that are close to the finish line. While the head honchos were in talks with Netflix, Amazon Prime and other OTT platforms for a direct-to-web release, their conversation with Netflix has advanced considerably. Nagraj Manjule's Jhund and Anurag Basu's Ludo, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao and Fatima Sana Shaikh, are among the movies in discussion."

Since the studio is a joint producer on some of the projects, it will require consent of the other parties too. "For instance, they have co-produced Kiara Advani-starrer Indoo Ki Jawani with Nikkhil Advani. So, both parties must be willing to do away with a theatrical release, and must agree on the money. Currently, the team is choosing films that it thinks have a better prospect digitally and seeking approvals from co-producers," adds the source.

Bhushan Kumar

mid-day reached out to the production house, which did not respond till press time.

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Soon after reports of Irrfan Khans hospitalisation became public on Tuesday, rumours started doing the rounds in a section of the media claiming that the actor had passed away. An official statement had to be issued on behalf of the actor at around 1am on Wednesday to quash all such extreme rumours.

"It's really disappointing to know that there are extreme assumptions being made about Irrfan's health. While we are truly appreciative that people are concerned, it's disheartening to see some sources spread extreme rumours and creating panic. Irrfan is a strong person and is still fighting the battle. We really request you to not fall for rumours and not partake in these conversations which are fictional. We have always actively clarified and shared updates on his health and we will continue doing so," said the statement, issued on behalf of Irrfan by his spokesperson.

The 53-year-old actor had been admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection and was in the intensive care unit (ICU), as reported by IANS in an earlier report on Tuesday.

"Yes it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of all his well wishers, he will recover soon," said the earlier report issued on behalf of Irrfan by his spokesperson.

The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour a while back, and has been under medical attention for the same.

Irrfan is currently mourning the loss of his mother. The actor's mother Saeeda Begum breathed her last on Saturday in Jaipur where she used to stay. However, owing to the ongoing lockdown, the actor could not physically attend his mother's last rites and reportedly paid his last respect through video conferencing.

On the work front, Irrfan Khan was last seen in "Angrezi Medium", last-released Bollywood film before COVID-19 forced complete shutdown of cinema halls. "Angrezi Medium" ran in theatres for just a day before halls all over India were shut down.

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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

Bollywood's Dhak Dhak girl Madhuri Dixit Nene on Tuesday announced a two-day-long online live dance festival starting from April 29 to mark the World Dance Day.

The dancing diva took to Instagram to announce the virtual dance festival by her dance academy - 'Dance With Madhuri' - and also urged her fans and dance fanatics to register to take part in the festival.

 

 

 

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2 days of fun & learning with LIVE interactions, dance classes & more only at the first edition of #DWMDanceFestival. Get ready to #GrooveInYourRoom with @dancewithmadhuri! (Link in bio)

A post shared by Madhuri Dixit (@madhuridixitnene) onApr 28, 2020 at 7:56am PDT

"With the World Dance Day right around the corner, I am coming to groove in your room on the 29th and 30th of April with the first edition of the DWM dance festival," the 52-year-old actor said.

"We will be offering two days fun and learning with some of the best dancers, choreographers, and industry experts on our website and Instagram page. All this from the comfort of your home," she added.

The virtual dance festival will have some of the greatest dance maestros of India including senior choreographer Saroj Khan, film director Farah Khan and legendary Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj. The dance festival will stream live on all social media handles of the actor and her website 'Dance With Madhuri.'

World Dance Day is celebrated every year on April 29. As coronavirus induced lockdown remains in place, Dixit has organised the virtual dance festival to help people de-stress and develop dancing skills during the lockdown.

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Katrina Kaif's inner chef simply won't give up. A while back, she whipped up something in the kitchen that she was not sure what excatly it was she made. On Tuesday, she has done it again! In a new video she shared on Instagram, Katrina chops away what could either be cheese or cabbage. Later, when she is asked what is it that she is cooking, she admits not being too sure.

 

 

 

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Tuesday = ðŸ¥Â˜+👩🏽‍💻@🏠

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) onApr 28, 2020 at 3:42am PDT

Commenting on the post, fashion designer Anaita Shroff Adajania asked: "What's cookin?". Katrina replied: "That I'm not too sure of."

This sent fans on a wild guessing spree. "Gobhi," guessed one user, while another imagined mashed potatoes. Still another suggested the actress should finish first and then think of a name for her dish.

Earlier this month, Katrina had shared a video where she is seen cooking something along with sister Isabelle. Although, the item on the frying pan looked like a pancake, Katrina claimed she was "not sure" what was being prepared!

 

 

 

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We’re not sure what it is either .... we ll let u know when we do ðŸ¤Â”🍴🥣 #happyworldsiblingday @isakaif

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) onApr 10, 2020 at 5:55am PDT

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Actor Taapsee Pannu on Tuesday reminisced the role portrayed by her of a successful businesswoman in her 2019 thriller flick 'Badla,' by sharing an intriguing picture. She also counted on the perks of being an actor and shared that, 'the fact we can live so many lives in one life is the charm of being an actor.'

 

 

 

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Another one from the location of Badla. Actually from Naina Sethi’s cabin. Trust only her to have such a poster in her professional cabin. But let me admit it was a fun change to play the not so nice character on screen. As an actor if one doesn’t get to experiment much it actually feels like a regular desk job which many of us actually gave up to have this edge of the seat career. Every job has its own charm n the fact we can live so many lives inone life is the charm of being an actor. 📷: @the_dahiya_boy #Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee) onApr 28, 2020 at 4:40am PDT

The 'Thappad' star took to Instagram and shared yet another picture from her archives, where she is seen getting into the skin of her character 'Naina Sethi.' The intriguing picture showcased the 32-year-old actor posing just like the poster behind her, as she closes her eyes to imitate it. The poster features a blonde girl with closed eyes, saying "No, Thank You."

Taking to the captions, the 'Naam Shabana' actor wrote, "Another one from the location of Badla. Actually from Naina Sethi's cabin. Trust only her to have such a poster in her professional cabin. But let me admit it was a fun change to play the not so nice character on screen."

The 'Naam Shabana actor added, "As an actor if one doesn't get to experiment much it actually feels like a regular desk job which many of us actually gave up to have this edge of the seat career. Every job has its own charm n the fact we can live so many lives in one life is the charm of being an actor.# Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost"

Taapsee has been sharing many throwback pictures as she earlier announced on Instagram that she will be posting a series to refresh some memories during the coronavirus lockdown.

On Monday, the 'Manmaziyaan' star shared another throwback picture from her archives on Monday and reminisced the pre-shoot conversation in Glasgow with Sujoy Ghosh, the director of her 2019 thriller flick 'Badla.'

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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Joining Punjab Police's 'Main Bhi Harjeet Singh' campaign named after the police personnel whose hand was chopped off on duty, actor Anil Kapoor on Tuesday paid tribute to the frontline warriors who are fighting against COVID-19. The superstar took to Twitter to express solidarity and laud the frontline workers.

Here’s a salute to our front line warriors! You have our full support and we stand in solidarity with you in this war!#MainBhiHarjeetSingh #MainBhiPunjabPolice

— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) April 28, 2020

"Here's a salute to our front-line warriors! You have our full support and we stand in solidarity with you in this war!" Kapoor tweeted and adding hashtags #MainBhiHarjeetSingh and #MainBhiPunjabPolice to his tweet.

"Main Bhi Harjeet Singh" - Personnel of Punjab Police on Monday sported name badges of their colleague, whose hand was chopped off while he was trying to impose COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in the state.

The initiative was part of a day-long campaign launched on Monday by Dinkar Gupta, DGP Punjab to display solidarity towards Sub-Inspector Harjeet Singh, who was part of the police team that came under attack allegedly by a group of Nihangs who were asked to show their curfew passes at a vegetable market in Patiala on April 12.

Doctors had reattached the hand of the 50-year-old in a surgery post the attack.

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Should we? Should we not? That's the question on the minds of several filmmakers who are contemplating releasing their offerings directly online as a cloud of uncertainty looms large over the re-opening of cinemas. However, Reliance Entertainment has decided to wait out the lockdown period instead of pursuing a direct-to-web release for their two big-ticket movies, Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi and Ranveer Singh's 83.

While he understands that OTT platforms enjoy a wide reach, Shibasish Sarkar, group CEO, Reliance Entertainment, says, "Sooryavanshi and 83 have been made for the big-screen experience. We are hoping theatres will open [in the near future], and we will be able to release our films. For now, we are willing to wait for four to six months [before considering an alternate course of action]." He doesn't deny that holding off a film's release for so long poses a financial risk. "We are taking a risk in terms of our equity and return. But we believe in our films and want to see them on the big screen. Also, theatres are an important part of the entertainment eco-system."

A still from Sooryavanshi

Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi opines that while smaller films can be web-bound, big-budget projects should not bypass a theatrical run as they are integral to the survival of cinemas. "Even 10 films [of the calibre of] Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan can't boost the exhibition sector the way a Sooryavanshi can. We depend on such films to keep our balance sheet in the green. Watching an Akshay Kumar or a Rajinikanth film on a mobile phone hardly gives viewers the larger-than-life theatre experience," he reasons.

Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment

Grateful that the key players are not biting the OTT bait, Manoj Desai, executive director, Gaiety-Galaxy, says, "Almost 50 per cent of my losses will be recovered if Sooryavanshi is the first release after the lockdown is lifted. If such films consider [a direct-to-web release], I will have to down the shutters of my theatres."

South theatres angry

Down south, multiplex owners are already resisting direct-to-home releases. The Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association has threatened to ban films produced by or featuring Suriya when his home production announced it will release wife Jyothika's Pon Magal Vandhal directly online. Following this, the association released a video warning that they will not allot screens to Suriya’s films if the couple goes ahead with the decision.

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Megastar Salman Khan on Tuesday urged people to take up the 'Anna Daan' challenge and donate to the underprivileged ones who are worst affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Khan took to Twitter and posted a picture of his two close friends preparing to distribute ration packets to the needy ones.

Baba and baba's baba zeeshan ne aan baan aur shaan se 1,25,000 families ko ration bataa hai.

Now this is a challenge that one should be a part of.. Challenge 'Anna Daan'

Karo to khud ya kissi bharosemand ke through...@BabaSiddique @zeeshan_iyc pic.twitter.com/317KPrxWyp

— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) April 28, 2020

The 54-year-old actor also informed that his two friends Baba Siddiqui and Zeeshan Siddiqui have distributed ration to a total of 1,25,000 families to date.

"Baba and baba's baba zeeshan ne aan baan aur shaan se 1,25,000 families ko ration bataa hai. Now this is a challenge that one should be a part of.. Challenge 'Anna Daan,'" he tweeted along with the picture.

He also asked people to distribute the essential items either on their own or get it done by somebody reliable.

"Karo to khud ya kissi bharosemand ke through," his tweet further read.

Khan has also been donating to the needy ones who have lost their livelihood due to the nationwide lockdown. He has also supported some of the daily wage workers economically.

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Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Tuesday shared an inspirational video message by Jackie Shroff talking about his life's philosophy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The 65-year-old actor took to Twitter and shared the video in which he talks about the balance of life and said that he has his son and daughter with him, and lost his parents and brother, and "this is how life balances itself." He said, "If we have a look on people around us and the sorrow, the pain they are going through, we are very blessed."

The 'Saaho' star went on to add, "We shouldn't cry over little things, as things stay at their place," and gave an example of flowers in a pot and a bouquet saying, " these flowers were meant to be cut and formed as bouquet while the one in flower pot stays the same."

à¤Âœिस सादà¤Â—à¥Â€ à¤Â”र बिà¤Â‚दासपन सà¥Â‡ मà¥Â‡रà¥Â‡ दà¥Â‹सà¥Âत à¤Âœà¥Âˆà¤Â•à¥Â€ शà¥Âरà¥Â‰फ़ नà¥Â‡ à¤Âœà¥Â€वन à¤Â•à¥Â‡ फ़लसफ़à¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‹ यहा बताया हà¥Âˆ à¤Â•ि à¤Â‰सà¤Â•à¥Â€ मà¥Âˆ à¤Âœितनà¥Â€ तारà¥Â€फ़ à¤Â•रà¥Â‚à¤Â à¤Â‰तनà¥Â€ हà¥Â€ à¤Â•म हà¥Âˆ। à¤Âà¤Â• à¤Â‡à¤Â‚सान à¤Âœà¥Â‹ à¤Âœ़िà¤Â‚दà¤Â—à¥Â€ à¤Â•à¥Â€ भावनाà¤Â“à¤Â‚ à¤Â•à¥Â‹ महसà¥Â‚स à¤Â•रता हà¥Âˆ, à¤Â‰सà¤Â•à¥Â‡ हà¥Â€ à¤Â…à¤Â‚दर सà¥Â‡, à¤Â‰सà¤Â•à¥Â€ à¤Â…à¤Â‚तरà¤Â†तà¥Âमा सà¥Â‡ हà¥Â€ à¤Âसà¥Â€ फिलà¥Â‰सफà¥Â€ निà¤Â•ल सà¤Â•तà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆ। धनà¥Âय हà¥Â‹। à¤Âœ़रा सà¥Âनियà¥Â‡ @bindasbhidu à¤Â•à¥Â‹।🙏 pic.twitter.com/v2jHwVvLuW

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) April 28, 2020

Jackie added, "Everyone has sorrows in life, but we shouldn't be sad and crying." Shroff advised, " We should create positive energy around us so that people get inspired. Always keep a smile on your face and maintain your smile and health even in the toughest situations, and keep the spine straight."

The 'Devdas' actor asked people to stay tension free and to stay away from depressing and psychologically upsetting things.

Taking to the captions, Kher appreciated the 'Border' star's philosophy towards life and wrote, "Jis Saadgi aur Bindaspan se mere dost Jackie Shroff ne jeewan ke falsafe ko yaha bataya hai, uski main jitni tareef karu utni hi kam hai. Ek insaan jo zindagi ki bhawnao ko mehsus karta hai, uske hi andar se, uski antar atma se hi aisi philosophy nikal sakti hai. Dhanya ho. Zara Suniye, @bindasbhidu ko."

The post on the micro-blogging site garnered more than 8.2k likes within an hour of being posted.

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As Bollywood's 'Queen,' Kangana Ranaut completed 14 years in the Indian film industry on Tuesday, her team shared a throwback picture from one of her early portfolios. The 33-year-old actor was shortlisted for an audition for her debut film 'Gangster' on the basis of the picture that her team shared on Twitter.

The priceless picture from the past featured a younger version of the actor with her signature curly locks and bold expressions.

#Trivia: On 14th anniversary of #KanganaRanaut ’s Bollywood debut #Gangster, here’s the image from her portfolio on basis of which @anuragbasuofficial selected her for an audition#Throwback #14YearsofKanganaRanaut #14YearsofGangster pic.twitter.com/CkDWat9TJv

— Team Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) April 28, 2020

Ranaut is seen wearing a white and brown coloured muffler in the picture.

"#Trivia: On 14th anniversary of #KanganaRanaut 's Bollywood debut #Gangster, here's the image from her portfolio on basis of which @anuragbasuofficial selected her for an audition #Throwback #14YearsofKanganaRanaut #14YearsofGangster," Kangana's team tweeted along with the picture.

Kangana Ranaut stepped into Bollywood at a very young age and began her career with her debut film 'Gangster' 14 years ago. Helmed by Anurag Basu, the romantic thriller featured Emraan Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja besides Kangana in the lead roles.

'Gangster' received great appreciation from critics as well as the audiences and also won Kangana the best debut award at Filmfare. Earlier in the day, the team of the 'Fashion' actor marked her 14th anniversary in Bollywood by preparing a video reel of her 14-year-long journey.

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Adah Sharma's stuffed toy cat, Radha, has a life of its own. After hanging out with the Commando 3 actor and getting papped, it has now bagged a role in the short film, Tindey, starring Sharma. Seemaa Desai's film is about love in the time of online dating apps. Radha's name features in the credits as well. The feline has a short, sweet role in the film, also starring Ashwini Kalsekar and Rajesh Sharma.

Infact, the 1920 actress has created a Instagram page of her stuffed cat which already has over 35,000 followers. She announced the debut of her toy with a picture along with Tindey director Seemaa Desai. Have you watched my debut film yet ? It's called TINDEY ! on youtube ! Go watch it now if you haven't yet. Thank you my amazing director Seema for launching me (sic)", she captioned the picture.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Radha Sharma (@adah_ki_radha) onApr 23, 2020 at 9:04am PDT

Here's another video posted by "Radha" in which we can see the two engaging in a fun banter.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Give your love to star kid Radha Sharma in the comments ♥ï¸Â♥ï¸Â♥ï¸Â And anyone who is good with special effects and would like to help also please leave a message in the comments . #adahsharma #bollywoodactress #bollywood #starkidsbollywood #nepotismrocks

A post shared by Radha Sharma (@adah_ki_radha) onApr 18, 2020 at 3:37am PDT

Adah Sharma also leaves no bounds to share pictures and videos of her toy. Recently, she hosted a "singing" session with Radha and posted a video about it on Instagram.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Tag someone who should see a singing cat 😁 Poll : Radha Sharma or Radha Sharma Who sang better ?(only Radha is singing here I just gave her some support 🙃) . . Soooo much love u guys have been sending Radha and me for my TED talk and for my short film TINDEY so I've decided to do.... *drum roll* . #RavivaarWithStarkidRadhaSharma . Every Sunday Radha will be singing one song ! You guys will name your favourite song and she will pick from the comments ♥ï¸Â #RavivaarWithRadha #adahsharma #100yearsofAdahsharma #1920to2020

A post shared by Adah Sharma (@adah_ki_adah) onApr 25, 2020 at 9:00am PDT

Adah made her Bollywood debut in 2009 with the horror film 1920. She was then seen in films like "Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke", the "Commando" franchise, and "Bypass Road", and will next be seen in "Man To Man". The film revolves around actor Naveen Kasturia's character falling in love with and marrying Sharma's character, only to realise she was biologically a man who became a woman after surgery.

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Not only Madhuri Dixit, but Anil Kapoor also created celluloid history with another legendary actress and that was none other than Sridevi. They did films that were not only made for commercial gains but posterity too. Their collaborations include Mr. India, Karma, Lamhe, Laadla, and Judaai. They also were a part of films like Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Mr. Bechara.

And now, taking to his Twitter Account, Kapoor shared a throwback photo with the legendary actress and it shall be a treat for all her fans. But the picture not only had the actress but veteran American photographer, Steve Mccurry too. He wrote- "Had no clue at the time that I was being shot by such a talented man! #SteveMccurry Thank you for capturing us and for bringing back memories with Sri ji...always a perfectionist." (sic)

Have a look right here:

Had no clue at the time that I was being shot by such a talented man! #SteveMccurry Thank you for capturing us and for bringing back memories with Sri ji...always a perfectionist pic.twitter.com/FepUkZ7RhB

— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) April 28, 2020

The late Sridevi was hailed as the first female Superstar of Indian Cinema and became a rage at a mere age of 18 with the blockbuster success of Himmatwala. There was no looking back then and she continued starring in one massive success after another. Her most memorable films, apart from the ones mentioned above, include Chaalbaaz, Chandni, Khuda Gawah, English Vinglish, and Mom, for which she won the National Award for the Best Actress.

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We don't expect the usual Kangana Ranaut candour in an interview largely about how many squats she packs into her regimen. But the actor isn't one to offer the ordinary. Unbowed by the heft of her battle against the bulge, Ranaut is playfully self-deprecating when chronicling her 20-kilo weight-loss attempt. "I didn't expect to gain 20 kilos," she says of her endeavour to emulate J Jayalalithaa in the actor-politician's upcoming biopic, Thalaivi. "When Kareena [Kapoor Khan] was pregnant, she gained 16 kilos. I told myself, I am like [a] post-pregnant Kareena Kapoor!" she exclaims at one point, before breaking into a laugh. "I never remember feeling so unfit. At one point, I needed to support myself with my palms to stand up off the floor," she says at another, before the ever-so-slight quiver in her voice reveals the moments that triggered her badly. "I was unable to carry my weight in heels, and that almost left me in tears. One thinks they'll eventually adjust, but, I couldn't walk in my own shoes! Usually, I can run in them, but now my feet would swell. I didn't know how to handle it."

Train, but gain

The diligence with which she had kept tabs on the weighing scale as it climbed by 10, 12 and 15 kilos was rendered redundant after a few weeks of lull. "[The makers] told me to start losing weight so that we could shoot [Jayalalitha's] younger portions, and that's when I noticed that I had gained 20 kilos. I wondered if I had gone too far, and questioned if the decision to take the hormone injections was appropriate." It was towards the close of 2019 that Ranaut had first admitted to leaning on hormone supplements to add bulk to her hips and thighs, to emulate her muse. Unlike the misshapen built acquired by Bollywood's top brass of actors gaining weight for cinema, Ranaut's avatar, though voluptuous, had to resemble the shapely and nimble-footed bharatnatyam dancer that Jayalalitha was. "I had to do bharatnatyam for two hours, yoga for one, and still gain weight in a desirable manner. The mild hormone dosage helped [me] gain weight around the hips. Bharatnatyam involves a lot of leg work, so the dancers tend to [gain weight in this region]. Also, I needed to put on so much weight because I am tall. At 5'8, I had to ensure that the [bulk] was visible on my frame."

Winning the race, slowly, steadily

Currently nestled in picturesque Manali, Ranaut decided to make the most of the lockdown by taking along her trainer of several years. Under the guidance of Siddhartha Singh, founder of iSweat, she has shaved off seven kilos, and continues to crawl, jump and jog off the rest. "We are focusing on workouts that encourage movement for a long duration of time, instead of those involving shorter intervals. The idea is to keep movements sustainable by not rendering her breathless, so that more calories can be burnt. The evening functional training sessions last 45 to 75 minutes, and are coupled with a 20-minute morning walk in her 100-metre driveway," says Singh, attributing her body's positive response to the regimen to her consistent yoga practice.

Her high metabolic rate may afford her many luxuries, but Ranaut won't abuse what she has been blessed with. For as long as Singh can recall, she isn't swayed by food that has little nutritional value, and prefers "home-cooked meals". "Kangana is attuned to her body's [nutritional] needs. If she craves something, she'll have it in limited portion, or cook a [healthier] version of it at home." That her body had become complacent with the additional weight also began to work against her, making the weight-loss process more demanding than both she and Singh had anticipated. "It was difficult. I had to undergo detox. I was affected by the sugar withdrawal, and felt like I was in rehab. For over six months, I was perpetually hungry, and had mood [swings]. The weight wouldn't budge. Also, at 33, things are not as easy [as they were when I was younger]."

Asked if she will do it all over again if a film demands it, her response is prompt, but not very assertive: "No, yaar!" she says. "It's not worth it. My cholesterol level was quite high this time. In my 30s, I don't enjoy doing this."

Singh on principles he uses to train Ranaut

• We're targeting the anterior and posterior muscles at once. We use the driveway to do short jogging sets, shuttle lunges, back crawls, and jumping jacks.
• Usually, I avoided exhausting her because actors have to work for the rest of the day, and can't be dealing with aches and pains. I had to be mindful of not targeting the muscles that she would be using for her action films, like Manikarnika. For instance, horse-riding employs a lot of leg work, and hence, when she was learning it, I'd only do weight-less leg workouts with her. Similarly, when she was training in sword-fighting, and using her upper-body muscles, I'd have to shift focus away from her shoulders and arms [in the gym]. 
• With physical activity currently limited, she is consuming only two to three meals a day. The morning jogs that she takes help in activating her metabolism.

1,800
Ranaut's approximate calorie intake, usually

v/s 

1,000
Calories being consumed by the actor currently

Female actors who've gained weight for cinema

Bhumi Pednekar, Dum Laga Ke Haisha

The actor made a note-worthy entry into Bollywood by adding 30 kilos for the film. She reportedly took to conditioning exercises before jumping into a high-intensity routine, when she began shedding the weight.

Vidya Balan, The Dirty Picture

To play the role of an adult film actor, Balan gained 12 kilos, and was uninhibited as she flaunted her figure to do justice to the part of Silk Smitha.

Anushka Shetty, Size Zero

Unwilling to wear a fat-suit for the part, the actor reportedly put on 20 kilos for the film. Under the guidance of Luke Coutinho, she took a generous amount of time to gradually shed it off.

Kriti Sanon, Mimi

Sanon had been on a weight-gaining spree for several months to gain 15 kilos for her forthcoming movie, Mimi, which sees her as a surrogate mother.

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Kiara Advani began her Bollywood journey with the 2014 film Fugly that was Akshay Kumar's home production. She also appeared in M.S Dhoni- The Untold Story in 2016, a commercial and critical success. She then starred in Abbas-Mustan's thriller, Machine, in 2017 that failed to do well at the box-office. It was Karan Johar's anthology, Lust Stories, which made the audiences sit up to the actor that was yet to be tapped by the industry people.

And with the gigantic success of Kabir Singh, there was no looking back. She became Preeti for everyone and began attracting a lot of memes on social media on her silent and submissive character. The rest, as they say, is history! Her last film, Good Newwz, was a smash-hit too and now she has films like Indoo Ki Jawaani, Shershaah, Laxmmi Bomb, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 coming up. And she has often thanked one man for guiding her through her thick and thin and that's Salman Khan.

And in a chat with Mumbai Mirror, she spoke about meeting the Superstar for the first time and what her initial reaction was. She said, "I was smitten by Salman Khan sir the first time I saw him, which was on a film set at Mehboob Studio. He was sitting outside his vanity van, waiting to be called for a shot." She added, "I was struck dumb, literally! I already knew him but the aura around him was so strong. He made me comfortable and while my mother and he were sharing stories from my childhood, I just stood there, gawking."

Given Salman has acted with almost all the actresses he has guided and mentored, can we expect him and Advani in a film together in the future?

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Anup Jalota is the man who's known as the Bhajan Samrat. He has sung the maximum number of religious songs in Hindi Cinema if one can jog off his memory. And he also participated in Bigg Boss 12 in 2018. And now, he's back with some candid and interesting revelations.

In an interview with Navbharat Times, he was asked about the possibility of his biopic in the future and whom would he like to see in the film. He said, "I think Ranbir Kapoor, one of the finest actors of Bollywood, will fit perfectly in my biopic. I have seen his work in Sanjay Dutt's biopic Sanju, and he has brought Sanjay's character alive on screen effortlessly and very convincingly." Since he spoke about Sanju, the film had multiple heroines that Dutt met in the course of his personal and professional journey.

Jalota stated how his biopic would also need a lot of actresses. "If my biopic is made then it will have four heroines because I had three weddings and later the chapter with Jasleen Matharu in Bigg Boss. By the way, Jasleen can do her own role and if the director wants, then I can also be a part of my biopic." And coming to which heroine he would like to see in his biopic, he had a very interesting answer.

He stated, "My relationship with my first wife Sonali Seth lasted for eight years. I think Kareena Kapoor Khan can be cast for her role. Then, I lived with my third wife Medha Gujral for 20 years before she passed away due to a cardiac arrest in 2014. She was 40 when I met her and whenever I think about an actress portraying Medha, Neena Gupta's face comes in my mind. Medha's face was very similar to Neena's and hence, she fits the role perfectly."

Well, that's a rather unique ensemble he has thought of! What are your thoughts?

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Rishi Kapoor became a heartthrob and a sensation after the blockbuster success of Bobby, his launchpad in Hindi Cinema that was made by his father and the legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor. It was the year 1973 and the songs of this film are as fresh in 2020! One of the romantic saga's most memorable melodies was Main Shayar Toh Nahin, which he paid homage to in 2004 in the film HumTum.

But just imagine for once that the song features Karan Johar instead of Kapoor and he is the one who's coyly singing. The filmmaker, judiciously, and hilariously using the face-swapping feature, uploaded a video on Instagram where we could see his face plastered on Rishi Kapoor's body.

See what happened then:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

... Raj Kapoor was one of my all time favourite film makers!!!! and Rishi Kapoor is my all time favourite actor!! This is a present to me by Sandeep @2ouringsandy I’d like to thank him for this gift, one that I will always treasure!!!! I also want to tell all of you to please go ahead and laugh!!! You are totally allowed to!!!! artist @sanjaytrimbakkar

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onApr 27, 2020 at 3:01am PDT

Not being able to control and contain their laughter and excitement, a lot of his friends from Bollywood came out with their comments on his post. First in line was Abhishek Bachchan, who commented with a face-palm emoji, Aditi Rao Hydari had her heart for him, Maheep Kapoor called the video fab and also had some laughing emojis, Tahira Kashyap wrote- "See your father always knew about your talent and looks! You should have listened to him." (sic)

That's not all, there were some more comments! Karan Wahi wrote- "What a debut KJO." (sic) Pooja Hegde had this to say- "Woahhhh...that's amaze." (sic) Ranbir Kapoor's sister Riddhima Kapoor shared the laughing and the clapping emoji. Good friend Kajol left as many as seven laughing emojis and three clapping emojis in the comments section. Shilpa Shetty wrote- "Faaaaaaabbbbbb!" (sic) Manish Malhotra commented- "This is so good and Raj Kapoor was my favourite film maker to." (sic) Also commenting with laughing emojis was Preity Zinta but she couldn't help but amalgamate it with the clapping emojis too.

This has to be his best and the most commented video to date and let's see which Bollywood classic and Hindi film hero he puts his face on next! And given Rishi Kapoor himself has a great and sometimes a wicked sense of humour, how would he respond and react to this?

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Veteran actress Shabana Azmi recently met with an unfortunate accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and was rushed to MGM Hospital, Panvel. She was later shifted to the Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai for further treatment.  Her husband, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, was also there in the vehicle but escaped unhurt.

In an interview with Film Companion Akhtar revealed what were his first thoughts when he saw his wife at the car crash scene. He said, "Who could think we would have such a calamity. The accident that Shabana went through was really deadly. We were in the other car, she was sleeping in the car behind us and when this accident occurred and we went back, the first thought was "Is she alive?' Because the whole car was crushed, had become a heap of junk. Somehow we took her out, she was unconscious with blood all over her face and it was only from the nose. There were no wounds but the whole body has taken such a whiplash, that it will take a little time to be totally normal."

The 69-year-old actor suffered head injuries when her car met with an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on January 18. She was later shifted to the Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai for further treatment. Shabana Azmi was heading towards Pune from Mumbai. The accident took place near Kharagpur on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The car in which Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar were present was hit by a truck on the expressway. While she was in the hospital, Bollywood celebrities like Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Shibani Dandekar, Anil Kapoor, Tabu, Satish Kaushik paid a visit to the actress at the hospital.

She was discharged from the hospital after a few days. "Thank you all for your prayers and wishes for my recovery. I'm back home now," Azmi wrote on Twitter alongside a post-recovery photo of herself.

Thank you all for your prayers and wishes for my https://t.co/A21IxD7Usd back home now Thank you #Tina Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani hospital for the sterling care provided by the doctors team and the nursing staff. Im indebted and grateful🙏 pic.twitter.com/6a1PWsGKnn

— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 1, 2020

"Thank you #Tina Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani hospital for the sterling care provided by the doctors team and the nursing staff. Im indebted and grateful," she added.

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A video about Aamir Khan's unique donation to those hit hard by the lockdown has surfaced online. It claims that on April 23, a truck arrived in an underprivileged area in Delhi. The vehicle was loaded with one-kilo packets of wheat flour. Many felt the quantity was too meagre and would hardly serve any purpose, so some refused to take it. But the slum-dwellers who took it were in for a huge surprise.

There was Rs 15,000 in every pack. It is unconfirmed but fans believe that it was Khan's idea to ensure that the money reaches those who need it. The authenticity of the video is yet to be ascertained. But the star is one of those who believe that when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets.

Many Bollywood celebrities have been doing their bit in their way by making contributions. Speaking about the same, a source close to the actor tells us that the actor has already made his contributions to PM Cares fund, Chief minister's relief fund- COVID 19, film workers' association and a few NGOs along with extending support to the daily wage workers of his next film, Laal Singh Chaddha during this lockdown.

There are very few people who mark their donations without any posts on social media, and one such actor is Aamir Khan. Time and again, when the nation has needed help, Aamir has been at the forefront to extend his support by all means.

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Twinkle Khanna, Hema Malini, Bhumi Pednekar, Kim Sharma, Surbhi Jyoti and many other Bollywood celebrities took it upon themselves to grow their own vegetables. Many have taken to home gardening and decided to grow some veggies and other plants during the lockdown.

The coronavirus outbreak has put many lives and businesses on halt, but people have decided not to give up and find a different way to help each other. Twinkle Khanna grew green veggies in her garden, and sharing the picture, she wrote, "What you sow, you shall reap and I planted a love for gardening in the hearts of my children. This is my harvest-their help in digging, watering and this large bowl of Ceylon Palak. It grows like a weed and is easily propagated by planting the stem back after taking out the leaves. Thank you @merliynjoseph for helping me with this a few years ago. It is a gift that keeps giving in so many ways. #greenthumb [sic]"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Twinkle Khanna (@twinklerkhanna) onMar 26, 2020 at 12:13am PDT

Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan and their tiny tot Taimur Ali Khan have been waiting for the tomatoes they planted to sprout. Kareena, who made her Instagram debut on March 1, 2020, shared, "My boys doing their bit! Together, let's make the world a better place for us all.
Play your part... #StayHome #StaySafe #JantaCurfew [sic]"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onMar 22, 2020 at 12:34am PDT

Bhumi Pednekar too shared the new members of her family, "After months of tender love & care, we present to you #PednekarKePed #homegrown #GharKiKheti #sustainableliving [sic]"

 

 

 

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A post shared by BhumiâÂœ¨ (@bhumipednekar) onApr 25, 2020 at 2:56am PDT

Kim Sharma, who also enjoys gardening, wrote on Instagram, "Weekend chores #day4 [sic]"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Kim Sharma (@kimsharmaofficial) onMar 28, 2020 at 3:38am PDT

Madhuri Dixit-Nene also posted an Instagram story, which showed figs and pomegranates from her home garden. Isn't this truly inspiring? Take a look!

"Ye dekho... Mera naya kaam... preparing beds for methi, kothmir and planted tomatoes! abhi dekhte hain kya hota hai [sic]" wrote Juhi Chawla on her Instagram.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Juhi Chawla (@iamjuhichawla) onApr 11, 2020 at 10:56pm PDT

It's good to see public figures taking up the initiative to grow their own food and showing people how it's done! Home gardening can never get better, or more fun, than this!

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Amitabh Bachchan, celebrating 37 years of his film 'Mahaan,' shared his version of a bikini picture- from the sets of the 1983 film. In an Instagram post put out late on Tuesday, the legendary actor revealed he was advised to post bikini photos to clock the "big numbers" on the photo-sharing app.

And the 77-year-old thought of an alternative option- posting a throwback photo in which he is wearing a striped vest and shorts, or in his own words, "Bhara hua kini".

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Somebody was explaining to me why I was not getting the big numbers on Insta , unlike all the other youngGEN .. he said “ because you can’t put up a pic in a bikini “ !!! And suddenly this one popped up .. not quite a bikini , it’s more ‘bhara hua kini’ .. from my film MAHAAN .. triple role .. and today 37 th year of its release !! 🎥😳😜

A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) onApr 28, 2020 at 10:51am PDT

"Somebody was explaining to me why I was not getting the big numbers on Insta , unlike all the other youngGEN .. he said " because you can't put up a pic in a bikini " !!! And suddenly this one popped up .. not quite a bikini , it's more 'bhara hua kini' .. from my film MAHAAN .. triple role .. and today 37 th year of its release !!," the actor wrote in the post, with the photo from the making of the film.

Within hours of being shared, the post has received more than six lakh likes and a flood of comments. "Nice legs !!! Just kidding !! Stay blessed sir !!!," wrote a fan.

Amitabh Bachchan played a triple role in star-studded 'Mahaan' along with Waheeda Rehman, Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman, Ashok Kumar, Amjad Khan, Kader Khan, Aruna Irani and Shakti Kapoor. One of the film's songs - 'Pyaar Mein Dil Pe Maar De Goli' - was among the chartbusters and remains foot-tapping even today.

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Tuesday marked three years of Baahubali: The Conclusion. Lead star Prabhas took to Instagram to thank fans for the 'enormous outpouring of love that still flows'. The South sensation wrote, "Baahubali 2 was not just a film that the nation loved but also the biggest film of my life. I'm grateful to fans, team and director SS Rajamouli who made it one of the most memorable projects. I'm delighted for all the love the film and I have received (sic)."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Prabhas (@actorprabhas) onApr 27, 2020 at 11:30pm PDT

For the uninitiated, Prabhas started his career in 2002 and has never halted ever since! The actor has with every passing year given one of the most promising performances and characters we can all relate to.

Fans demanded another edition of the epic. Baahibali did tremendously well even at the box office and Prabhas was phenomenal. The speech delivery, physique, body language was so perfect that no one except Prabhas could have aced the role. Baahubali chose Prabhas and it's indeed amazing. Baahubali was one of the biggest films of all time and more so, for its grandeur and Prabhas' stardom.

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For the uninitiated, one of the most catastrophic countries during this Coronavirus crisis has been Italy. And quarantined there is one couple that has also recently embraced parenthood. We are talking about Bollywood singer Shweta Pandit and her hubby Ivano Fucci. Although they welcomed parenthood on February 8, the couple felt it may not have been the right time to announce the news.

Speaking to Times of India about it, Pandit revealed about her daughter and what name she has given her. "We've named her Izana, a name given as a title to the kind and compassionate monarchs in Ethiopia, and it means 'most powerful'", said the singer. She added, "It didn't feel right to share our happiest news when everything around us was so difficult. The COVID-19 crisis in Italy was worse than it is in India currently. But now that the lockdown here is almost getting lifted, Ivano and I decided to share our happiness."

And as expected, she also happens to stay away from her family and is majorly missing them. Talking about them, she says, "The most challenging part is staying away from my own family through pregnancy and delivery. I never thought that I'd be able to take care of a newborn, but I've surprised myself. I'm learning a lot from my mother through video calls. My dadu (Pandit Jasraj), too, calls me every day to check on us and see Izana."

In case you didn't know, Shweta has been a part of the Bollywood industry for the last 20 years and sung for some major films like Mohabbatein and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. She keeps sharing romantic and stunning pictures with her hubby on Instagram and that's actually a great opportunity for you to have a round of Italy. Having said that, we also hope the crisis is over soon and especially in this country.

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Breaking millions of hearts across the world, Irrfan Khan breathed his last at age 53. Irrfan Khan, who had been undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine cancer passed away on Wednesday (April 29). The actor is survived by his wife, writer Sutapa Sikdar and two sons Babil and Ayan.

Irrfan had revealed on Twitter in 2018 that he was suffering from "a rare disease" and would share details when there was a conclusive diagnosis. He then took to his social media account to reveal that he had been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour.

On Tuesday, the Angrezi Medium actor had been admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection and was in the intensive care unit (ICU), as reported by IANS. A statement by his spokesperson said, "Yes it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of all his well-wishers, he will recover soon."

Director Shoojit Sircar took to Twitter to share the sad new. He wrote:

My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om shanti. Irfaan Khan salute.

— Shoojit Sircar (@ShoojitSircar) April 29, 2020

An official statement regarding Irrfan's demise read, "'I trust, I have surrendered', these were the words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It's saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away..."

The statement further read, "Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heavenly abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it (sic).'"

Irrfan Khan's last film Angrezi Medium released in March this year. The actor's most memorable works include Salaam Bombay!, Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Haider, Gunday, Piku, Talvar, and Hindi Medium, amongst others.

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Irrfan Khan, who was undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine tumour for the last two months, passed away at the age of 53 on April 29, 2020. The talented actor was admitted to Kokilaben Hospital for a colon infection, and on Wednesday he breathed his last. Bollywood celebrities shared condolences on social media, mourning the untimely death of the actor.

Producer Dinesh Vijan also wrote, "We are thankful for experiencing Irrfan’s resilience and spirit. We're thankful for being allowed to witness his love and passion for everything around him. So yes, all I can say is thank you to him for letting us be a part of his journey. There is no one like Irrfan and I’m going to miss him very much. Rest in peace my friend. I know that he could spread his wings and soar only because he had his wife Sutupa as his rock. My heartfelt condolences to her and his sons. We are always there for them and I know that they know this."

Here's a series of tweets by the celebrities.

T 3516 - .. just getting news of the passing of Irfaan Khan .. this is a most disturbing and sad news .. 🙏
An incredible talent .. a gracious colleague .. a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema .. left us too soon .. creating a huge vacuum ..
Prayers and duas 🙏

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 29, 2020

My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om shanti. Irfaan Khan salute.

— Shoojit Sircar (@ShoojitSircar) April 29, 2020

Gone too soon..Still cant believe this news..Our most favourite actor passed away.. May your soul Rest In Peace 🙏 #IrrfanKhan pic.twitter.com/nu8AIDeHX5

— Sambhavna Seth (@sambhavnaseth) April 29, 2020

A fantastic costar, an actor par excellence ,and a beautiful human being , you are irreplaceable #irrfankhan. ⁦@irrfank⁩ We lost you too soon! Unbelievable. Om Shanti 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/QdEBiSUegw

— Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) April 29, 2020

Very sad to hear about @irrfank
Was going to meet him after the lockdown.
A great artist like him will surely be missed.
My condolences and prayers for his family. May he rest in peace. #IrrfanKhan

— Johny Lever (@iamjohnylever) April 29, 2020

Really heart broken....😔😔😔. Still can’t believe this sad news...may Allah give you the best place in heaven..you will be an inspiration, always. 🙏🙏🙏
RIP #IrrfanKhan

— Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub (@Mdzeeshanayyub) April 29, 2020

Deepshikha Deshmukh who produced Irrfan Khan's Madaari shared," The industry has lost not just one of its finest actors but an incredible human being. Irrfan Sir was truly an intellectual and his love for cinema and storytelling was infectious. His sense of humour was unique and it was magical to watch him in front of the cameras. Rest in peace Irrfan Sir. We will miss you terribly."

Soha Ali Khan also shared an emotional post. Take a look.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Finding it hard to express my feelings. I was so fortunate to have shared screen space with him and it was such a privilege to see his talent from such close quarters and to learn from him. It is a huge loss for our industry and he will be missed. My deepest condolences to the family. May he rest in peace ❤️

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onApr 29, 2020 at 12:27am PDT

It's not just Bollywood, but Irrfan Khan also took over the West with his talent and impeccable acting. In his almost three-decade career, the actor established himself as one of the most dependable performers in the Indian film industry as well as in Hollywood.

He made his big-screen debut with the Academy Award-nominated 1988 film Salaam Bombay and went on to give stellar performances in films such as Haasil, Maqbool, Paan Singh Tomar, The Lunchbox, Piku and Hindi Medium. His international projects include Slumdog Millionaire, The Namesake, The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World and Life of Pi.

You'll be truly missed, Irrfan!

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April 29 is going to be one of the saddest days for all the Irrfan Khan fans and even Hindi Cinema. His untimely and unfortunate demise has shaken and shocked one and all, especially the people from the fraternity who worked with him and knew him as a human and not just an actor. One of them is Akshay Kumar, who did two films with him, Aan - Men At Work and Thank You.

He took to his Twitter account and expressed sorrow on this devastating news. He wrote- "Such terrible news...saddened to hear about the demise of #IrrfanKhan, one of the finest actors of our time. May God give strength to his family in this difficult time.[sic]"

Have a look right here:

Such terrible news...saddened to hear about the demise of #IrrfanKhan, one of the finest actors of our time. May God give strength to his family in this difficult time 🙏🏻

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 29, 2020

For all those who don't know about this, Kumar once shared in an interview he gave along with Irrfan Khan to Rajeev Masand, how he was Vishal Bhardwaj's first choice for his role in Maqbool, which is regarded as a classic and a nearly perfect film. Both men had a laugh about it. In the same interview, Kumar recalled the day when he was all set to work with the actor for the first time. It was on the sets of Aan, and there was a confrontation scene between them. Kumar had to come in full fury and lash out at Khan, who was playing the antagonist.

Khan, on the other hand, barely reacted to his monologue, as his character, although a villain, was driven by calmness. Kumar said, "I wanted to know what kind of acting is this, here I am saying all my lines with force and here he comes, says his lines and goes away." Seven years later, they united for Anees Bazmee's Thank You, an out-and-out comedy, and a film that showed how versatile this actor is.

May his soul Rest In Peace!

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday condoled the demise of ace actor Irrfan Khan with a heavy heart. The star called the passing of Khan the 'most disturbing and sad news' and said that he 'left us too soon, creating a huge vacuum.

The 77-year-old actor took to Twitter and conveyed his deepest condolences. He tweeted, "just getting news of the passing of Irfaan Khan .. this is a most disturbing and sad news... An incredible talent .. a gracious colleague .. a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema .. left us too soon .. creating a huge vacuum .. Prayers and duas."

T 3516 - .. just getting news of the passing of Irfaan Khan .. this is a most disturbing and sad news .. 🙏
An incredible talent .. a gracious colleague .. a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema .. left us too soon .. creating a huge vacuum ..
Prayers and duas 🙏

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 29, 2020

Irrfan passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53. Khan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health. He was regarded as a fine actor by fans and critics alike with critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit.

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It's not every day that you find an actor and a human being as fine and brilliant as Irrfan Khan. The Angrezi Medium actor, who had been battling neuroendocrine tumour for the past two years, breathed his last on April 29, 2020. His death has left countless fans reeling and taking to social media to express their sorrow.

One Twitter user shared:

RIP #IrrfanKhan 😢

We love and will miss you so much.
Have a peaceful journey sir. 🤲 pic.twitter.com/W7CGfdXMZE

— Jays Roshan ♦ (@iamjaysroshan) April 29, 2020

Another fan tweeted, "He had no filmy background. He had no bollywood godfather. He didn't get overnight success. It was never an easy journey for him. You will be missed #IrrfanKhan."

He had no filmy background. He had no bollywood godfather. He didn't get overnight success.

It was never an easy journey for him. You will be missed #IrrfanKhan . pic.twitter.com/wazuP67xnc

— IRONY MAN (@karanku100) April 29, 2020

A fan wrote as how Irrfan Khan will always be remembered for his performances. He wrote, "Irfan Khan - an actor beyond compare! May he always be remembered for his beautiful performances and live in our hearts forever!"

Another fan shared a moment from Irrfan's movie, Life Of Pi, that had a poignant quote.

But what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.
💔💔💔#IrrfanKhan pic.twitter.com/ptviQqYCX4

— MAN IN BLUE (@sambit_45) April 29, 2020

Several other Twitter users remembered Irrfan Khan for the stellar actor he was. Here are some tweets in remembrance of the actor:

"He was the absolute highlight of Jurassic World for me... love you sir #IrrfanKhan"

"Gone too soon, bt love for you will nvr fade away from our hearts. One of the finest actor, India had even produced. Inspirational for everyone around the world. You made people believe Talent >>> Looks."

"The legend #IrrfanKhan was suffering and now he is resting peacefully. You'll be missed."

Irrfan Khan, whose last film was Angrezi Medium, was seen in memorable films like Salaam Bombay!, Maqbool, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Paan Singh Tomar, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Haider, Gunday, Piku, Talvar, and Hindi Medium, amongst others.

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Irrfan Khan found success even in the harshest of times. The greatest stories are born out of sheer and scarring rejections and that's what Khan had to go through during his early years in the Hindi film industry. I'm reminded of an interview when he spoke about crying profusely on Raghubir Yadav's shoulders after Nana Patekar was given the role he was playing in Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay. But he knew he wanted a life and career in front of the camera.

Another great thing about success is that it never discriminates. Khan's was an unconventional aura yet very charming. He hailed from Jaipur, stayed at Tonk Road and had dreams of making it in Bollywood. The nation saw him for the first time in the immensely successful serial, Chanakya, and his eyes were so gripping and powerful, the viewers couldn't help but be hooked by his persona. He was here to stay.

His early years in Hindi films may have been unsensational but never once anyone doubted his tenacity as an artist. Even in smaller roles like Kasoor and Footpath, you could see the sincerity and earnestness with which he approached these characters. There was something special about his emotions and gravitas that with the same amount of expressions, he could be both chilling and comical. On one hand, we had a film like Gunaah, where he played an inebriated and innocuous police officer, and on the other hand was a film like Hindi Medium, where he made the audiences laugh and even cry.

He won the National Award for Paan Singh Tomar, a film that was driven by rust and robustness, and so was his performance as the eponymous character. It was only after this that he began to get roles that were not only exciting but also very exhilarating, for him and us, both. In The Lunchbox, he played Saajan, an ageing and ordinary man who falls in love with a woman he has never met, thanks to her delicious food that accidentally lands at his office desk. It was a restrained, real, and rousing performance that will always stay as delicious and fresh as the food he consumed.

Another crackling performance was in Shoojit Sircar's Piku, where he was pretty much stuck between a clumsy father and his cantankerous daughter. His deadpan demeanour always works in favour of the films he's a part of, and Piku was one of them. Call it the magic of the narrative or his own Midas touch that even if a single muscle doesn't move on his face, we know exactly how and what he's feeling. And that's precisely what he aspired for, to be a great artist. He never craved fame.

He once said, "Wanting fame is a disease and one day, I want to be free from this disease." Today, by God's will, he has been set free from all his pain and suffering as he departs, leaving behind tons of memories and superlative films and performances. Rest in peace, Irrfan Khan, until we meet again!

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As Irrfan Khan leaves us with memories and also a lot of pain, Bollywood celebrities are taking to their Twitter accounts to express their thoughts on this irreparable loss. Priyanka Chopra, who worked with the actor in 7 Khoon Maaf and Gunday, has also tweeted about him.

She wrote - "The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues... You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family." (sic)

Have a look right here:

The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues.. You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/vjhd5aoFhc

— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 29, 2020

Both 7 Khoon Maaf and Gunday were poles apart in their storytelling and performances, and displayed Irrfan Khan's talent and tenacity. If 7 Khoon Maaf was a thriller about a woman and her seven husbands, where Khan played the trickiest part, Gunday was an action potboiler that was bathed in the kind of masala people enjoyed watching in the 70s, with Irrfan playing one of his most delicious and heroic roles.

The actor will truly be missed by one and all!

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