Gajraj Rao was last seen in the wholesome comedy Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan alongside Neena Gupta, Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, and many others. Besides this film, Rao has given us some exemplary performances in movies like Badhaai Ho, Black Friday, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, and many more.
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Gajraj Rao spoke about the insider-outsider debate that has divided Bollywood, and if he ever lost an opportunity to an insider. Rao shared, "I believe you get work on the basis of your talent. If all of us will talk about being an insider or outsider, many big stars wouldn't have achieved stardom. Dev Anand launched his son Sunil Anand. Mukesh's grandson has also been working very hard but success doesn't come easy. Indian audience is very selective and knows whom to grade and not to grade."
When asked if at 50, playing a dad to 35-year-old Ayushmann Khurrana in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan was an issue, Rao said, "I am 27 years younger than Amitabh Bachchan and 40 years younger than Clint Eastwood. Acting is a very amazing profession."
He added, "I am not a politician but I play a corrupt politician in Lootcase. I am not a police inspector but I played Inspector Dhaniram in Talvar. I am not a detective but played one in Black Friday. I played a CBI inspector in Dil Se. Age of a character is not important for me. Ben Kingsley must have been around 40-50 when he played Gandhi. I have no objection to playing an older character."
Gajraj Rao can be seen in Lootcase, which released yesterday, July 31, on Disney+ Hotstar. It features Kunal Kemmu, Rasika Dugal, Vijay Raaz, Ranvir Shorey in pivotal roles.
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Sushant Singh Rajput's US-based sister Shweta Singh Kirti has taken to her Twitter handle and tagged PM Narendra Modi and requested him to look into the entire case.
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It's been a month but Bollywood is still reeling in from the devastating news of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The 34-year-old actor was found dead on June 14 at his sixth-floor apartment in Bandra (West). SSR's colleagues and friends from the film and television industry have been expressing their shock and sorrow over his death on social media.
Sushant's ex-girlfriend and his Pavitra Rishta co-star Ankita Lokhande recalled the unexpected shock when she was woken from sleep by a call from an unknown number who informed her of the actor's tragic demise. Speaking to Republic TV, Ankita said, "I picked up the call and there was this reporter and she said 'Ankita!! Sushant has committed suicide. And I was finished!.. It was something.. you don't expect something like this.. It is very difficult for me.. and for all of us.. I went out.. my mom was there.. and it was all over. All news channels had only this.. that Sushant is no more.. that he had committed suicide, that was the headline.. and I didn't know what to do.", said Ankita.
The Manikarnika actress also said that it took time for her to accept the 'depression' narrative around Sushant Singh Rajput's death, said, "He was not a man who could take such a step", she said. She also added that it was unbelievable for her to accept that the actor took away his own life.
"Let Sushant be remembered as a Hero and not a depressed guy. He was a talented guy and he has always loved his fans. With me, we shared 7 years of our life. It was a beautiful phase and I will only cherish that", she added.
A day before, Ankita in an interivew, had called Sushant a hero and an inspiration, Ankita Lokhande said, "He found happiness in small things. He wanted to do farming, I know this for sure... he told me agar kuch nai hua to main apni short film bana lunga (if nothing else, I will make my short film). He was not a depressed guy, not at all. I don't know what the situation was... but I will keep repeating this. I don't want people to remember him as a depressed guy, he was a hero. He was an inspiration."
Saying how terming Sushant as 'depressed' and 'bipolar' is a big thing, Ankita said, "He came from a small town. He established himself on his own. He has taught me so many things, he taught me acting. Kisi ko pata bhi hai Sushant kaun aur kya tha (Does anyone really know who or what Sushant was)? Everyone is writing their own portrayal of how 'depressed' he was, it hurts reading all of this."
On July 14, a month after Sushant's death, Ankita posted a picture of a diya surrounded by white flowers. Taking it to Instagram, Ankita wrote in the caption of the picture, "Child of God (sic)".
A post shared by Ankita Lokhande (@lokhandeankita) onJul 13, 2020 at 8:15pm PDT
The 34-year-old actor was found dead on June 14 at his sixth-floor apartment in Bandra (West). SSR's colleagues and friends from the film and television industry have been expressing their shock and sorrow over his death on social media.
Several celebrities like Dharmendra, Koena Mitra, Shamita Shetty, Ranvir Shorey, Kangana Ranaut, Rithvik Dhanjani, Raveena Tandon have revealed the dark side of the showbiz.
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Raat Akeli Hai On: Netflix Director: Honey Trehan Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte
Rating:
"Acharan sahi, dekhne mein theek thaak (good character, decent looks)," is all that the eligible bachelor Yadavji (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) wants from his prospective wife. Which is not a big demand after all, he tells his mother (the gorgeous Ila Arun). Sima Aunty (Indian Matchmaking) is who Yadavji should be introduced to is what I think in my head, since both these characters are neighbours on Netflix.
While Sima Aunty is for Jisshu real, of course Inspector Yadav is Jatil (being his first name, meaning complex, sounding a bit like Jatayu). He was born Jatin, the name got changed on the birth certificate. In the same way that HRF Keating's Inspector Ghote should've ideally been Ghose — a role that Naseeruddin Shah played in The Perfect Murder (1988), with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Stellan Skarsgård.
These stray references are important for you to know where this film is coming from, in order to ascertain where (audience-wise) it should be going. Basically it starts off with the 'feels' of a desi Knives Out (2019).
A dead body (of an old zamindar) lies waiting in the bedroom. People living inside the mansion move about rather normally. No ambulance or crowds in sight. A cop, call him Detective Yadav, in the western sense, enters the crime scene to calmly suss out situation, and all the characters surrounding him at one go. It's a shaadi ka ghar, as they say.
Earlier in the evening, Yadavji was himself at a wedding. Will classify this as fine detailing, given Indians usually wed en masse on a date chosen by stars in the sky. There was noise because of the whole town on wedding mode. And like with the cloud, if you know what I mean, somebody apparently took faayda (advantage) of this mauka (situation), and shot the man of the house dead.
From this point onwards (first minute or so), since the stage is set, you have the option to carry on, or move on — since you're watching the film online. Although a lot of the script (by Smita Singh) plays out indoors, there are some classic night/train shots that a proper theatre would have done better service to.
That said, we have seen a couple of the themes touched upon in this film in desi, dark TV thrillers lately — the fact of cop Yadavji going rogue at some point (Jaideep Ahlawat in Paatal Lok), or the decadence of an old zamindar/nawab type (Jayant Kripalani in Aarya). But make no mistake, this is a murder mystery, rather than a suspense thriller (say Andhadhun, Kahaani variety), strictly speaking.
Watch the trailer of Raat Akeli Hai here:
It's Honey Trehan's directorial debut. Doesn't look like a film by a first-timer at all. Trehan is a veteran casting director. Much like Mukesh Chhabra, who made his debut as director with Dil Bechara only last week (on Disney+Hotstar). Is there a trend of sorts here? Not any more than filmmakers Tigmanshu Dhulia (on Bandit Queen) and Anurag Kashyap (on Satya), having started out as casting directors. You'd presume they'd be decent at directing/instructing actors on set, since they do this for a living during auditions, much before a film rolls, anyway.
And, boy, are the performances to die for, from the casting itself — right from the newbie Nishant Dahiya, to Nawaz, of course. Dhulia steps out in the role he knows best — an unscrupulous ass plus badass of a desi guy from northern badlands (in this case, playing a UP senior cop).
The mahaul of this movie is actually what drew me to it — infinitely more than the twists and turns in the murder case itself, with needle of suspicion alternately pointing between a series of relatives inside a mansion, where you can barely tell one from the other. The house belongs to a local baahubali, as it were.
The neighbouring one calls himself Munna Raja (Aditya Shrivastav), an independent MLA. And that's the thing, if you've known these parts of India — there's a frickin' raja every few kilometres. What goes behind these landlocked, landlord-havelis, packed with entitled mards, muted women, and family secrets, is what this movie, about a night, authentically shines a light on.
Do you care so much for who's the killer/killed? I didn't. What's at stake here, and I'm sorry, what should be your skin in the game? Unsure. Must also have you know, I'm not the greatest connoisseur of crime-fiction (starting from Scandinavian to Scarlet Pimpernel). A masterpiece in any genre is up for crossover though. Would this? Ah, found it just about appreciable, and I guess that's all I was aiming for anyway.
Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here.Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news
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Shakuntala Devi On: Amazon Prime Video Director: Anu Menon Cast: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra, Jisshu Sengupta, Amit Sadh
Rating:
There's a scene in this film involving a nanny, and a young mom (Sanya Malhotra; such a sorted actor) chatting in the room, when the husband (Amit Sadh; on a roll, lately) pops in to check, "You guys were bitching about me, right?" "No, you're not that important," the women say. This, by the way, is the most direct nod I've seen to the Bechdel Test that establishes gender-neutrality in films/literature, by checking if there is a scene where two (or more) women talk to each other, about anything outside of a man!
So yeah, this is a feminist film. You won't find better, self-aware proof than the above! And while it's too early to form/sense a pattern, you could call Shakuntala Devi a very Vidya Balan kinda feminist film as well.
Wherein the supposed male leads are exceedingly considerate/giving/caring characters as well. Almost compensating for the fact that since the story is centred on the female lead, the only way they're gonna get any love from the audience is by showing extra love to the protagonist herself! And isn't that lovely.
Think Sanjay Kapoor in Mission Mangal (2019), Manav Kaul in Tumhari Sulu (2017), or Jisshu Sengupta here, who plays the eponymous character's husband. Shakuntala Devi, according to this script, falsely suggests in public that the man (her ex, by then) is homosexual. This, in order to sell her book on the same subject. He sits there like a gentleman, retaliating at no point.
Here's what that episode, although only cursorily touched upon, does to the film though. It occurs past what would have perhaps been the film's theatrical interval-point. Up until then, as an audience we know Shakuntala Devi as an arithmetic wizard, and I keep thinking in my head — so she can calculate square, cube, or square/cube roots of numbers faster than a machine. So frickin' what?
What is the actual application of such a talent in a world of scientific calculators, anyway? Nothing. I was gonna give up, really. As the novel conflicts in her personal life come to the fore is when you straighten your back up a bit, and take notice — making this a rare mainstream Hindi pic, with a better second half than the first!
Which is to take away nothing from the scintillating subject. Those who've walked through India in the '80s and '90s, from padhe-likhe middle-class homes (with extra emphasis on education, namely science and mathematics) have all had a bunch of Shakuntala Devi puzzle books in their shelves — chiefly bought over Wheeler's railway-station bookstore counters, to be solved over long train rides.
She was called the 'human computer' at the same time that Chacha Chaudhary's brain worked faster than a computer. Hers actually did. And we were basically obsessed with computers in the '80s/'90s, or what it could do to our lives — in hindsight, for a good reason.
Watch the trailer of Shakuntala Devi here:
That said, what does genius level IQ and a celebrity life derived from it do to those close? Don't know. Never thought of it. It appears neither did Shakuntala, who is self-driven alright, but could that not also border on being deeply selfish?
This film is almost entirely from the perspective of her daughter. It starts out as being from the POV of Shakuntala herself, and how her father took monetary advantage of her god-gifted skills, when she was a child. Which is actually true for so many talents pushed into the arts by parents, so they can live off the earnings!
But these portions are all too corny, even as the film commands your attention from the get go — at the mention of a daughter filing a criminal case of financial fraud against her own mother (that is Shakuntala), even before opening-credits roll. But that's in 2001. And then you move to 1934. And off to the '50s, then the '90s, and back to the '70s? You can tell this is a movie re-written/re-imagined, if not smartly rescued, at the editing stage. Although none of this is confusing, it's not always interesting.
So, yeah, while numbers/digits fly on the screen, much like in the John Nash biopic, A Beautiful Mind (2001), the film itself has little to do with math per se. Which is fine, since the last time I watched an Indian mathematician's biopic, with Dev Patel playing S Ramanujan (The Man Who Knew Infinity; 2015), it turned out to be the bummer of the century, from its casting alone.
This is a Vidya Balan film. And, yes, there is such a thing. You sense elements of a happy musical all through, a lightness of touch, and lots of smiles, from Balan herself, and hopefully from audiences too. It's a part she maxes by the end of it — almost growing into the role, before our eyes. Would I watch it for anyone else? Nope, as her characters swears quite a few times through the film, "Vidya kasam!"
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The primary shooting of Bhumi Pednekar’s Durgavati, which went on floors in Madhya Pradesh in January, was completed in March before the lockdown was announced. With filmmakers steadily resuming work on their projects in the past few weeks, word is that director G Ashok is contemplating finishing the patchwork shoot of the Akshay Kumar-backed horror-thriller in a city studio.
A source reveals, “The post-production work had been underway during the lockdown. Only four days’ shoot is remaining, which will be wrapped up before August-end.” Rumours are rife that the makers of the Pednekar-starrer, which is a remake of Ashok’s 2018 Telugu fare Bhaagamathie, have already initiated talks of a digital premiere. However, the source maintains, “At this point, nothing is certain because the film isn’t ready. A call will be taken only upon completion of the movie, depending on the situation of theatres at the time.”
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Raat Akeli Hai On: Netflix Director: Honey Trehan Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte
Rating:
"Acharan sahi, dekhne mein theek thaak (good character, decent looks)," is all that the eligible bachelor Yadavji (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) wants from his prospective wife. Which is not a big demand after all, he tells his mother (the gorgeous Ila Arun). Sima Aunty (Indian Matchmaking) is who Yadavji should be introduced to is what I think in my head, since both these characters are neighbours on Netflix.
While Sima Aunty is for Jisshu real, of course Inspector Yadav is Jatil (being his first name, meaning complex, sounding a bit like Jatayu). He was born Jatin, the name got changed on the birth certificate. In the same way that HRF Keating's Inspector Ghote should've ideally been Ghose — a role that Naseeruddin Shah played in The Perfect Murder (1988), with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Stellan Skarsgård.
These stray references are important for you to know where this film is coming from, in order to ascertain where (audience-wise) it should be going. Basically it starts off with the 'feels' of a desi Knives Out (2019).
A dead body (of an old zamindar) lies waiting in the bedroom. People living inside the mansion move about rather normally. No ambulance or crowds in sight. A cop, call him Detective Yadav, in the western sense, enters the crime scene to calmly suss out situation, and all the characters surrounding him at one go. It's a shaadi ka ghar, as they say.
Earlier in the evening, Yadavji was himself at a wedding. Will classify this as fine detailing, given Indians usually wed en masse on a date chosen by stars in the sky. There was noise because of the whole town on wedding mode. And like with the cloud, if you know what I mean, somebody apparently took faayda (advantage) of this mauka (situation), and shot the man of the house dead.
From this point onwards (first minute or so), since the stage is set, you have the option to carry on, or move on — since you're watching the film online. Although a lot of the script (by Smita Singh) plays out indoors, there are some classic night/train shots that a proper theatre would have done better service to.
That said, we have seen a couple of the themes touched upon in this film in desi, dark TV thrillers lately — the fact of cop Yadavji going rogue at some point (Jaideep Ahlawat in Paatal Lok), or the decadence of an old zamindar/nawab type (Jayant Kripalani in Aarya). But make no mistake, this is a murder mystery, rather than a suspense thriller (say Andhadhun, Kahaani variety), strictly speaking.
Watch the trailer of Raat Akeli Hai here:
It's Honey Trehan's directorial debut. Doesn't look like a film by a first-timer at all. Trehan is a veteran casting director. Much like Mukesh Chhabra, who made his debut as director with Dil Bechara only last week (on Disney+Hotstar). Is there a trend of sorts here? Not any more than filmmakers Tigmanshu Dhulia (on Bandit Queen) and Anurag Kashyap (on Satya), having started out as casting directors. You'd presume they'd be decent at directing/instructing actors on set, since they do this for a living during auditions, much before a film rolls, anyway.
And, boy, are the performances to die for, from the casting itself — right from the newbie Nishant Dahiya, to Nawaz, of course. Dhulia steps out in the role he knows best — an unscrupulous ass plus badass of a desi guy from northern badlands (in this case, playing a UP senior cop).
The mahaul of this movie is actually what drew me to it — infinitely more than the twists and turns in the murder case itself, with needle of suspicion alternately pointing between a series of relatives inside a mansion, where you can barely tell one from the other. The house belongs to a local baahubali, as it were.
The neighbouring one calls himself Munna Raja (Aditya Shrivastav), an independent MLA. And that's the thing, if you've known these parts of India — there's a frickin' raja every few kilometres. What goes behind these landlocked, landlord-havelis, packed with entitled mards, muted women, and family secrets, is what this movie, about a night, authentically shines a light on.
Do you care so much for who's the killer/killed? I didn't. What's at stake here, and I'm sorry, what should be your skin in the game? Unsure. Must also have you know, I'm not the greatest connoisseur of crime-fiction (starting from Scandinavian to Scarlet Pimpernel). A masterpiece in any genre is up for crossover though. Would this? Ah, found it just about appreciable, and I guess that's all I was aiming for anyway.
Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here.Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news
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With Shakuntala Devi, director Anu Menon introduced us to the woman who had a way with numbers. But where she has celebrated Devi's achievements in the field of math, the director has also deftly showcased the protagonist's difficult relationship with daughter Anupama Banerji. Sanya Malhotra, who plays Banerji in the Vidya Balan-led film, says she was fascinated by the unconventional mother-daughter relationship.
"I was excited to understand her psyche because she must have gone through various experiences as she grew up with a famous mother. As a child, she used to often travel with her mother to the shows. I was intrigued by those years and how she rationalised it all. Anu helped me in prepping for the character; we developed a backstory to her. I also met my friends who shared a similar relationship with their mother," says the actor. Malhotra, who traded her signature curls for fringes, believes the styling and make-up brought her closer to inhabiting her character.
In her first collaboration with Balan, the actor notes that they wonderfully fed off each other's creative energies, thus bringing a spontaneous quality to the mother-daughter equation. "Initially, I was nervous about sharing screen space with Vidya. But the nervousness disappeared on the first day of shoot; she is a brilliant co-actor who has the ability to ground you with her energy."
Shakuntala Devi On: Amazon Prime Video Director: Anu Menon Cast: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra, Jisshu Sengupta, Amit Sadh
Rating:
There's a scene in this film involving a nanny, and a young mom (Sanya Malhotra; such a sorted actor) chatting in the room, when the husband (Amit Sadh; on a roll, lately) pops in to check, "You guys were bitching about me, right?" "No, you're not that important," the women say. This, by the way, is the most direct nod I've seen to the Bechdel Test that establishes gender-neutrality in films/literature, by checking if there is a scene where two (or more) women talk to each other, about anything outside of a man!
So yeah, this is a feminist film. You won't find better, self-aware proof than the above! And while it's too early to form/sense a pattern, you could call Shakuntala Devi a very Vidya Balan kinda feminist film as well.
Wherein the supposed male leads are exceedingly considerate/giving/caring characters as well. Almost compensating for the fact that since the story is centred on the female lead, the only way they're gonna get any love from the audience is by showing extra love to the protagonist herself! And isn't that lovely.
Think Sanjay Kapoor in Mission Mangal (2019), Manav Kaul in Tumhari Sulu (2017), or Jisshu Sengupta here, who plays the eponymous character's husband. Shakuntala Devi, according to this script, falsely suggests in public that the man (her ex, by then) is homosexual. This, in order to sell her book on the same subject. He sits there like a gentleman, retaliating at no point.
Here's what that episode, although only cursorily touched upon, does to the film though. It occurs past what would have perhaps been the film's theatrical interval-point. Up until then, as an audience we know Shakuntala Devi as an arithmetic wizard, and I keep thinking in my head — so she can calculate square, cube, or square/cube roots of numbers faster than a machine. So frickin' what?
What is the actual application of such a talent in a world of scientific calculators, anyway? Nothing. I was gonna give up, really. As the novel conflicts in her personal life come to the fore is when you straighten your back up a bit, and take notice — making this a rare mainstream Hindi pic, with a better second half than the first!
Which is to take away nothing from the scintillating subject. Those who've walked through India in the '80s and '90s, from padhe-likhe middle-class homes (with extra emphasis on education, namely science and mathematics) have all had a bunch of Shakuntala Devi puzzle books in their shelves — chiefly bought over Wheeler's railway-station bookstore counters, to be solved over long train rides.
She was called the 'human computer' at the same time that Chacha Chaudhary's brain worked faster than a computer. Hers actually did. And we were basically obsessed with computers in the '80s/'90s, or what it could do to our lives — in hindsight, for a good reason.
Watch the trailer of Shakuntala Devi here:
That said, what does genius level IQ and a celebrity life derived from it do to those close? Don't know. Never thought of it. It appears neither did Shakuntala, who is self-driven alright, but could that not also border on being deeply selfish?
This film is almost entirely from the perspective of her daughter. It starts out as being from the POV of Shakuntala herself, and how her father took monetary advantage of her god-gifted skills, when she was a child. Which is actually true for so many talents pushed into the arts by parents, so they can live off the earnings!
But these portions are all too corny, even as the film commands your attention from the get go — at the mention of a daughter filing a criminal case of financial fraud against her own mother (that is Shakuntala), even before opening-credits roll. But that's in 2001. And then you move to 1934. And off to the '50s, then the '90s, and back to the '70s? You can tell this is a movie re-written/re-imagined, if not smartly rescued, at the editing stage. Although none of this is confusing, it's not always interesting.
So, yeah, while numbers/digits fly on the screen, much like in the John Nash biopic, A Beautiful Mind (2001), the film itself has little to do with math per se. Which is fine, since the last time I watched an Indian mathematician's biopic, with Dev Patel playing S Ramanujan (The Man Who Knew Infinity; 2015), it turned out to be the bummer of the century, from its casting alone.
This is a Vidya Balan film. And, yes, there is such a thing. You sense elements of a happy musical all through, a lightness of touch, and lots of smiles, from Balan herself, and hopefully from audiences too. It's a part she maxes by the end of it — almost growing into the role, before our eyes. Would I watch it for anyone else? Nope, as her characters swears quite a few times through the film, "Vidya kasam!"
Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here.Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news
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Sushant Singh Rajput's friend, Siddharth Pithani, has claimed that he is being pressured to give a statement against Rhea Chakraborty. In an email to the Bandra police on July 28, Pithani reportedly said Rajput's family asked him questions about Chakraborty.
He claimed they questioned him about her stay at the Bandra apartment, and a senior police official related to the Rajputs asked him to issue a statement against her to the Bihar Police. The mail, which was also marked to Chakraborty, has been cited by her in her petition to the Supreme Court, seeking a transfer of the probe from Patna to Mumbai.
When mid-day reached out to Vikas Singh, legal counsel to Rajput's father Krishna Kishore Singh, he refuted the allegations of the family pressuring Pithani. "From what I know, Siddharth Pithani has decided to change sides. The family was talking to him because he was living in the [Bandra] house when it happened. Earlier, he was saying something else. He marked the copy of the mail to Rhea. Why would he mark a complaint to the accused? As far as Siddharth's credibility is concerned, it's a catch-22 situation," said Vikas.
Neeraj Kumar Singh, Rajput's cousin
After Singh filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Chakraborty and five others at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna on Tuesday, the Bihar police booked them under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 306 (abetment of suicide), among others. A day later, the actor moved the Supreme Court seeking a transfer of the Patna FIR to Mumbai. "The Bihar police have discovered so much that the Mumbai police had not even touched upon. Earlier, Rhea had said that she wanted a CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] inquiry. Now, she wants the Mumbai police to handle the probe. If she is innocent, why isn't she asking that the case be transferred to CBI?" questioned the lawyer.
Even as the case is taking an emotional toll on the family, Rajput's cousin-BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Singh said they are in pursuit of justice. "If Rhea was emotionally attached to Sushant, why is she scared of giving her clarification to the Bihar police? Our family only wants the truth to come out, we don't want the innocent to suffer," said Neeraj.
In a recent interview, Rajput's former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande dismissed the idea of the actor battling depression. Echoing Lokhande's sentiment, Neeraj said that the past few weeks have given way to several unsubstantiated theories. "Earlier, people were saying he had a financial crisis, which turned out to be baseless.
Likewise, the depression story will be proved wrong. We should leave it to the cops to investigate who was the cause of his mental stress."
Chakraborty, in a video statement last evening, said, "I have immense faith in God and the judiciary. I believe I will get justice. Even though a lot of horrible things are being said about me, I refrain from commenting on the advice of my lawyers as the matter is subjudice." Satish Maneshinde, Chakraborty's legal counsel, remained unavailable despite repeated calls.
A source from the Bihar police informs that in the coming days, the team will interrogate the cast of Rajput's last release, Dil Bechara. "Sushant was believed to be under tremendous stress during the last few weeks. So, the team wants to question the cast and crew to understand his behaviour on the set," says the source. As part of the investigation, the Bihar police have met Rajput's counsellors. "It came to light that Rhea's family members used to be present during the counselling sessions," added the source. The team will now proceed to record the statements of the doctors who performed the post-mortem. At a meeting on Friday evening, the Bihar police sought additional manpower from the Mumbai police to continue the probe. "The Bihar police has submitted an application, which has been forwarded for legal opinion," said a senior officer from the Mumbai police.
Sara Ali Khan is spending quality time with mom Amrita Singh and brother Ibrahim Ali Khan at home due to lockdown. The actress has been sharing pictures and videos to keep fans updated about her life.
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Ranveer Singh is currently spending good time with wife Deepika Padukone at their home due to lockdown. The 'Simmba' actor has been sharing pictures and videos of what he is doing during the quarantine period.
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A new post by Shweta Singh Kirti, sister of Sushant Singh Rajput, once again puts a question mark on whether the actor actually committed suicide as his post-mortem has suggested, or was any other foul means involved.
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After Sushant Singh Rajput's unnatural death, producer Sandip Ssingh was the one of the first to arrive at the scene. He was seen consoling SSR's sister in the video footages and the pictures.
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Father Amitabh Bachchan and son Abhishek Bachchan are currently admitted to Nanavati Hospital after being tested COVID-positive have been updating their social media feed, either with their health updates or sometimes just thanking everyone for praying for their speedy recovery. But the duo are also forced to face trolls on social media who are not backing down from spreading negativity surrounding the entire crisis the family is currently facing.
Recently, a troll tried to throw nasty jibes at the actor. "Your father admitted in hospital... Ab kiske bharose baith ke khaoge? (who will feed you now)," the troll asked. The actor gave a befitting reply to the social media user. Abhishek, with his typically subtle wit, tweeted back, "Philhaal toh let let ke kha rahe hai dono ek saath hospital mein (For now, we are both lying down and eating together in hospital)."
Your father admitted in hospital... Ab kiske bharose baith ke khaoge?
Soon after, the user responded to the actor and said, "Get well soon sir... Har kisi ki kismat me let ke khana kaha..." The actor also replied to the tweet and wished for their healthy life. Abhishek wrote, "I pray that you are never in a situation like ours and that you remain safe and healthy. Thank you for your wishes, ma'am."
I pray that you are never in a situation like ours and that you remain safe and healthy. Thank you for your wishes, ma'am.
Social media hailed junior Bachchan for his calm and composed response to the social media user.
Before this, father Amitabh too had reacted sharply to trolls in an open letter he wrote from the COVID-19 ward in a Mumbai hospital. He penned the note to anonymous trolls who have been wishing his death due to the novel coronavirus. "they write to tell me... 'I hope you die with this Covid". "Hey Mr Anonymous... you do not even write your Father's name,... because you do not know who Fathered you... there are only two things that can happen... either I shall die or either I shall live. If I die you won't get to write your diatribe anymore, by weathering your remark on a celebrity name... pity."
He added: "The reason for your writing to be noticed was, because you took a swipe at Amitabh Bachchan... that shall no longer exist... !! If by God's grace I live and survive you shall have to be 'weathering' the 'swipe' storm, not just from me, but on a very conservative level, from 90+ million followers."
"I have yet to tell them to... but if I survive I shall... and let me tell you they are a force incensed... they traverse the entire World... from the West to the East from the North to the South ... and they are not just the Ef of this page... that extended family shall in the flash of an eye become 'extermination family'!! All I shall say to them is... 'thok do saalon ko'."
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya too had tested positive. The mother-daughter duo was under home quarantine for a while before being admitted to the same hospital. On Monday, both of them were discharged after testing negative.
Bachchan's well-wishers have organised prayers in various parts of the country including Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, and Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi and Lucknow for the fast recovery of the 'Shahenshah' of Bollywood. Fans even performed 'yagya' in Asansol for his recovery.
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Ira Khan has been clearly enjoying her time on Instagram ever since she has made her debut. Her posts and pictures give an insight to how she is in real and there are a lot of instances when her Instagram stories and posts are relatable. And the recent ones seems to be the best.
Taking to her Instagram account, she shared as many as nine pictures of herself that channeled her different moods and expressions. What was the reason? You may ask! It was basically a display of the different stages of work from home, which most of the people across the globe are busy with due to the lockdown.
Here are the nine stages according to Khan:
"You start to sprawl.
You get confused.
You get worried.
You start to give up.
You stretch.
You smile.
You pose.
Peace out." (sic)
A post shared by Ira Khan (@khan.ira) onJul 30, 2020 at 5:00am PDT
Seeing the picture, a fan-club of Aamir Khan commented- "4th photo: when thinking about something other than work... me :p" (sic) Another one wrote- "For me working while sitting on the ground is so impossible." (sic)
Ira Khan has just shifted to her new abode a s recently, she shared the favourite spot of her house, have a look at the post in case you missed it:
A post shared by Ira Khan (@khan.ira) onJul 14, 2020 at 1:21am PDT
Khan is collaborating with Vijay Varma and Gulshan Devaiah for a project as far as her work front is concerned. And in an interview with IANS, when she was quipped about her relationship with Mishaal Kirpalani, she said, "I wasn't trying to be open about it. I was just posting what I felt like posting. I try and keep my account pages as real as I can. And that is what I felt like posting and so I posted it."
She added, "It depends on the kind of person you are. If you feel like being open about it, you should be open about it, and if you don't, then don't. I was not trying to be open, but I was also not trying to hide anything."
It was a double cheers time as 29th July 2020 marked Sanjay Dutt adding another year to his experience in life and also preparing and delivering some unforgettable characters. Along with that, his first look as 'Adheera' in K. G. F. 2 was unveiled. Sanjay Dutt's wife and kids are in Dubai and celebrated this beautiful day virtually with his family.
Maanayata Dutt and the kids celebrated the actors birthday and shared, "It has been such a special day for all of us. Iqra also baked a cake herself for Sanju while we FaceTimed and wished him, she being the weakest spot, Sanju was almost teary eyed with the gesture."
Sanjay Dutt's wife also shared on her social media the entire process of how Iqra baked the cake for her father and looked extremely excited while doing so. These small gestures and moments by the family is what add value to our life and make it worth living.
Maanyata Dutt also recently celebrated her birthday on 22nd July with the family and Sanjay Dutt joined the party virtually. Sanjay Dutt misses his family alot and regularly keeps in touch with his family and ensures they are is safe.
It's really heartwarming to see the family stay connected for such special occasions and ensure to make the moments in the moment count. The actor does miss his family alot as they are not present physically with him. This shows how family and time are priceless as they truly make life worth living.
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Nawazuddin Siddiqui says he is a director's actor and keeps his slate "clean" when he is prepping for a role. The actor, 46, known for films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Badlapur, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Netflix's Sacred Games, said he doesn't create a character in his head beforehand as he fears he may "get on the wrong track".
"My acting process depends on directors. I trust them completely. I keep my slate clean. I consider myself foolish [about the role] till we start working on the film. When we begin, I try to [latch] onto what the director says. Also, when you work with great actors, your game is automatically elevated," he said.
The National School of Drama graduate will next be seen in the crime thriller Raat Akeli Hai, which marks the directorial debut of casting director Honey Trehan. In the film, the actor plays Inspector Jatil Yadav, who is summoned to investigate the death of a politician. "The character also comes into his own as he investigates the case. He transforms into a more evolved person at the end."
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Sharad Kelkar is one of those fit and handsome men of Bollywood who can make anyone swoon. Not only does he look good, but he's a talented actor as well. He was last seen as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Ajay Devgn's Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, and he portrayed his part really well.
Recently, Sharad shared a throwback photo of himself from his first-ever portfolio shoot, and well, he looked fabulous back then too! Sharing the picture, Sharad Kelkar wrote, "OH BOY! My first portfolio with @jitusavlani in 2002."
A post shared by Sharad Kelkar (@sharadkelkar) onJul 30, 2020 at 12:33am PDT
The Rocky Handsome actor's fans couldn't stop drooling over the photo. One of them wrote, "Wow! Unbelievably hot!" while another Instagram user said, "Hotness overloaded @sharadkelkar sir" and another fan commented, "U look soooo fit!"
Recently, talking to IANS about the coronavirus lockdown, Sharad Kelkar said, "The lockdown has taught me a lot of patience, first of all because I have never sat at home for so many days."
He added, "I am a very positive guy. If I get into the situation of 'hell', I know how to jump out of that. So, I am not a negative person. I think of positive things, good things. If something is not happening in my front, I think there is something bigger and better for me. But still this is a tough time and one thing we all should understand and learn is patience."
On the work front, Sharad will next be seen in the Akshay Kumar-starrer Laxmmi Bomb and the Ajay Devgn-starrer Bhuj: The Pride Of India.
*Keep scrolling to read more news*
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Ayushmann Khurrana's comedy-drama Bala is set to be screened at the Lavazza Drive-In Film Festival, which is scheduled to take place in Toronto. Amar Kaushik's directorial venture will be screened at the festival today.
Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the update about the film on social media. "Bala to be screened at Lavazza Drive In Film Festival in Toronto. A unique film festival meant to overcome the sense of isolation in the safe environment of a drive-in," he tweeted. Adarsh further shared that Bala is the only Indian film to be screened at the festival.
The film, which also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Yami Gautam in lead roles, is based on premature balding. Khurrana is seen playing the role of a guy who suffers from the condition. It revolves around his love life. It also shows Pednekar as a dark-skinned girl struggling with societal norms. Dinesh Vijan's production also features Jaaved Jaaferi and Saurabh Shukla in supporting roles.
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In an industry where star kids often hark back at their relationships with veterans to find an inroad into Bollywood, Major Mohommed Ali Shah has been slowly and quietly climbing the ranks. Naseeruddin Shah's nephew has been part of films like Agent Vinod (2012), Haider (2014), Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), Vodka Diaries (2017) and Raagdesh (2017), and features in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Yaara, which dropped digitally on Thursday.
Vidyut Jammwal and Shruti Haasan's offering sees him as a Sikh police officer, a role that he earned after the director saw his Army major act in Haider. "My character of Jasjit Singh ages over two decades. The film sees me play a young IPS officer, and then as the joint director of CBI who is on the verge of retirement," says Shah.
While actors who frontline films go to great lengths to do justice to their role, Shah, who plays a supporting role, also left no stone unturned to play this part. He grew his hair, learnt to tie a turban, stopped smoking, read the Guru Granth Sahib and spent time at the Golden Temple. "I come from a theatre background, and want to be a master craftsman of the trade," says Shah, who shared screen space with his legendary uncle in Vivek Agnihotri's The Tashkent Files (2019) in a role that was eventually edited.
Mohommed Ali plays a character that ages over two decades in Yaara
His training to be a commando during his stint at the Short Service Commission came to his aid. Apart from being posted at the Indo-Pak border for a while, the IIM Calcutta alumnus spent time at a corporate job before turning to acting.
Praising his acting chops, Naseeruddin once told Mohommed's father: "he is good". But the young actor never dropped his uncle's name during auditions or while meeting filmmakers. "My uncle will give me a kick and tell me make it on my own. One film has led to another and now, I hope, Yaara does the same."
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On the occasion of International Friendship Day on Thursday, actor Sharman Joshi went down memory lane and shared a throwback picture of his schoolmates. And guess what? The schoolmates are none other than actor Farhan Akhtar, producer Ritesh Sidhwani and late actress Divya Bharti!
"Class of '84, what a talented bunch we turned out to be! Actors, producers, directors and editors! Divya Bharati, Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Rishi Roy & Anand Subaya. Strange are the ways of God...how we all ended up in the same industry. Happy friendship day to all of us . Those were the days my friends," Sharman wrote on Instagram.
A post shared by Sharman Joshi (@sharmanjoshi) onJul 30, 2020 at 4:54am PDT
The rare old image is no less than a feast for the eyes. Reacting to the post, a user commented: "School days are the best". Another one commented: "Feels so great to see your childhood picture."
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Radhika Apte is only too happy to spend the lockdown with musician husband Benedict Taylor in London and has "no clue" when she will hop on a flight to Mumbai. However, she is not missing from action. The original poster girl of homegrown content on Netflix returns to the streaming giant with Raat Akeli Hai, which drops online today. "I am thrilled to be back on it," laughs the actor, who had three back-to-back releases — Sacred Games, Lust Stories and Ghoul — on the OTT platform in 2018.
Honey Trehan
The noir thriller marks the directorial debut of casting director Honey Trehan. "I have auditioned for him for various projects, and he has rejected me quite a few times. Honey will not select you till he is convinced that you are perfect for the role. When he turned to direction, he thought of me. I said yes instantly, without reading the entire script," says Radhika Apte. It was serendipitous that Trehan decided to explore a whodunit — her favourite genre — in his first feature film. "On the set, Honey surprised me with the homework he had done for every character. He knew the reaction he wanted from each actor."
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who plays the small-town cop investigating the murder of the family's patriarch, is the perfect foil to Apte's "mysterious" Radha in the suspense drama. Raving about her co-star, she says, "Acting with him is fulfilling. We keep improvising and changing our performances accordingly."
Whether it’s a photo-shoot, workout session, airport look or no-makeup selfie, the gorgeous gal aces the fashion game in every frame on her Instagram handle. Yellow might be the new black for Kiara Advani as she nails it in yellow coloured outfits. As the bold beauty is celebrating her 28th birthday on July 31, check out some of her jaw-dropping snaps in yellow.
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Priyanka Chopra is currently living in the US with husband Nick Jonas. The actress has been updating fans about how she is spending lockdown days through social media posts. And now, she took to Instagram to share a picture of herself enjoying the sunny day.
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Abhishek Bachchan is currently recovering from COVID-19 at Nanavati hospital in Mumbai. The actor has been sharing updates about his health on social media.
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Bollywood actor Sonu Sood turned a year older on July 30 and fans of the actor left no stones unturned to make his day special. The 'Simmba' actor who is quite active on social media took to Instagram to share a throwback picture from his modelling days. In the photo, he can be seen flaunting his lean yet chiselled physique wearing a denim shirt teamed with matching pants.
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After giving small surprises throughout the week, actor Sonam Kapoor on Thursday has posted a lovely birthday wish for husband Anand Ahuja, who turned 35 today.
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