Pakistani actress Saba isn't making her Bollywood debut with Ajay Devgn's Shivaay

Amid the tension escalating between India and Pakistan over Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Uri and the threat by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to Pakistani artistes to leave India, a story started floating around that Ajay Devgn's Shivaay marks the Bollywood debut of popular Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.

However, the publicity team of Shivaay has strongly denied it. "There are media reports doing the rounds that Pakistani actress Saba Qamar is making her debut with Shivaay. However, as the official publicists of the film we would like to clarify that actress Saba Qamar or any other Pakistani actor/ actress is not a part of Shivaay," the statement read. Directed by Devgn, Shivaay slated for a Diwali release stars apart from the actor-director, Sayyeshaa Saigal and Polish actress Erika Kaar.

Urvashi Rautela clicked before taking a flight

Actress Urvashi Rautela at the Mumbai airport

Masaba joins hands with the reputed Maybelline New York

Maybelline New York has announced its partnership with designer Masaba Gupta for Amazon India Fashion Week Spring Summer’17 to be held on October 15 in New Delhi. The collaborative effort titled Maybelline New York presents Masaba Gupta, includes the similar fearless motto of Make It Happen and incorporated the latest make-up trend of #GirlsGoneVivid this season.

Talking about her quirky, cosmopolitan collection, Masaba says, “I am extremely excited to be partnering Maybelline New York. The collection delves into the world of vivid and beautifully bold colours that illustrate the concept of quirky yet strong, independent women. The collection stands for Maybelline women who are confident, love expressing themselves and are go-getters in real life.”

The collection will capture the essence of New York’s diverse culture highlighting a chic, vibrant, cutting-edge, fashion forward appeal of an alternate era. A monochrome palette with bursts of colours like berry, purple, tangerine, coral and yellow will dominate the collection in tune with the new Maybelline New York Vivid Matte lipstick range that will be launching this season.

Anurag and Ritesh grace the Jagran Film Fest in Mumbai

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap (top) and writer Ritesh Shah of Pink fame at the 7th Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai

Come September 29, women's squash hits it big in India

In its ongoing endeavour to promote squash in India, the JSW Indian Squash Circuit (ISC) presents the Otters International JSW ISC 2016 to be held at the Otters Club, Mumbai from September 29 to October 2. A prize money worth (US $35,000) the W35 Women’s Tournament, is supported by the JSW Group and will feature some of the best women squash players from the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour with confirmed participation from four players from the Top 20 in the World including India's Joshana Chinappa (World No. 11) and Dipika Pallikal (picture above) who is ranked 17th.

The tournament began in 2014 and has been promoted by Ritwik Bhattacharya, a five-time national squash champion and the first Indian to break into the top 50 of the PSA World Rankings in 2006 and Raj Arora of Ivy Sports. "I'm very happy to see the Indian Squash Circuit (ISC) continue to grow in its third year. A BIG thank you to all our sponsors, the PSA community and the entire organising team for making this possible," says Bhattacharya.

According to Arora, "In line with our vision to take squash to a more meaningful scale, this year the JSW Indian Squash Circuit has put together a USD 35,000 event, the highest prize money Women's PSA Tournament in India. We are extremely grateful to our sponsor, the JSW Group for their continued support and are delighted to have K. Raheja Corp on board as associate sponsor."

The ISC will follow up with another biggie - The CCI International JSW ISC 2016 which will be the biggest men's event in the Indian squash circuit to be held at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) from November 24 to 27.

Ranveer inaugurates his hair stylist's salon. Check out how

Actor Ranveer Singh is known to have a kind soul. His kindness has touched the lives of people in his staff often, helping them in multiple ways. One such person that Ranveer has encouraged is his hairstylist, Darshan Yewalekar. They worked together for the first time in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela and ever since, Darshan has become Ranveer’s preferred hair stylist. Over the course of this time, Darshan has been working towards setting up his salon. Ranveer has encouraged him and supported him in his endeavour to become independent.

Now, as Darshan’s salon opens its doors to customers, Ranveer made the inauguration  a special event with a popular live interaction on social media.  Set to open in Mumbai’s Bandra, Darshan is grateful for this superstar- friend’s support. "Because Ranveer is busy, I asked him if he could just tweet about the launch of my barbershop, D Shave. He replied 'Are you mad! I will do the opening.' Ranveer has been very supportive in my dream project. He always pushes me to outdo myself. I feel blessed to have him by my side,” said Darshan.

Says Ranveer, “Darshan has worked with me since Ram Leela and over time, I’ve begun to see a great evolution in his skills as a hair stylist. He is a natural talent. He is a thorough professional and a team player and has contributed immensely in my every endeavour . I think it’s fantastic that he is going independent, it's the right time and with Darshan's vision and attitude I think he will shine. His new enterprise has a unique and promising concept. I will always support him , he is like family to me . I wish him luck and success with his salon.”

The Devgns and USA

Ajay and Kajol Devgn's trips to US cities New York, Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco for the promotions of their upcoming production Shivaay have been a success. The actors interacted with the American media, met some affluent Indian families at gala events and also visited the Google and Facebook headquarters. While Kajol does visit the US for shootings, Ajay was in USA after ten long years and their fans were thrilled to see the couple together. So much so, that Google had to hold a lottery for its employees to attend the talk hosted at their headquarters with Ajay and Kajol.

Arjun flags off Jagran Film Fest in Mumbai

Actor Arjun Kapoor (right) inaugurates the 7th Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai on Monday, September 26

Vidya uses her resting period to prepare for the Kamala Das biopic

Actress Vidya Balan who is recuperating from dengue is using the period to prepare for the biopic on controversial Malayali author and poetess Kamala Das aka Kamala Surayya. The Malayalam film is titled Aami and is to be directed by Kamal. Not only is she learning Malayalam from actress Sree Dhanya, she is also researching on the author's life and reading her books to get into the skin of the character. Kamala Das faced severe criticism for her frank views on woman sexuality and her religious conversion. 

MNS and your disoriented passion for India

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has passed an order. Creative Pakistani people should leave India within 48 hours (perhaps the deadline is over by now). Now the question is: Who or what is MNS? Nobody has an answer. Well, it's led by Raj Thackeray who parted ways with his illustrious uncle and former Shiv Sena Chief, the late Bal Thackeray.

Fair enough! Ask an average Indian film buff and he/she will pour praises on Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan. Because they are fabulous actors and beyond that, they are icons. When Uri was attacked, they were probably busy shooting. When 26/11 happened, neither of them deep down approved of the killing of innocent souls. So, where does this ultimatum work? It falls flat because Bollywood or the Hindi film industry protests against it. When Shah Rukh Khan appoints Wasim Akram as a key force in his Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he gives a damn to Akram's nationality. Rahul Dholakia who directs Raees, with Shah Rukh and Mahira, closes in on the script and conceives a leading lady who is apt for the film. Atif Aslam sings Tere sang yaara from the film Rustom, and we are hooked on to it. Rest assured, even some or many from MNS have fallen in love with the number.

On one hand, activists display their love for the country by shunning creativity filtering from across the border, but on the other hand, a little bit of snooping will reveal that, it's the very same people who alleviate their boredom by watching a Khoobsurat (starring Fawad) or shedding their tiredness over a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or an Atif Aslam number in a Bollywood film.

It's a given that the Pakistani government surrenders before the Army. It's a given that Pakistan's Army is obsessed with India. But does Fawad or Mahira or Rahat have any hand in it? Now a message for the so-called-self-proclaimed patriots, look within and spare a moment for the rampant atrocities on Dalits, minorities, women and kids. Where is MNS when a 90-year-old woman, also a cancer patient is raped in Kerala? Where are you when a mentally-challenged woman is forced to eat on the floor of a hospital in Ranchi? Where are you when a woman is stabbed in the National Capital?

Please leave it to the authorities to deal with Pakistan. What our neighbours are indulging in, isn't sacrosanct. But instead of looking at a solution, stop making headlines by victimising actors and singers from Pakistan who have nothing to do with the troublesome period the two countries are going through.

MNS, you are not true patriots. The whole aim is to get some mileage, so that in the polls coming up in Maharashtra, you gain in terms of numbers. The Maratha Manoosh plank and attacks on North Indians have paid you almost no dividend, and now the desperation to woo voters emboldens you to resort to an exaggerated form of activism.

It's time to take the bull by its horns. The Narendra Modi-led government is busy mulling over options to retaliate post Uri. But, parties like MNS which thrive on fabricated patriotism should be ignored. Because their intentions are not noble enough.  

Here's why PC is an international name

Actress Priyanka Chopra is making news globally. Indeed the Quantico actress has come a long way to reaching where she is now. There are two reasons why PC as she is fondly called, is in the news. If she is all set to host the Global Citizen Festival in New York tonight (September 24), she will also be honoured by the InStyle magazine at the second InStyle Awards at Los Angeles on October 24.

The Global Citizen Festival was established to mark the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals that are broadly aimed at ending poverty. The festival’s star-studded lineup includes music icons like Rihanna, Ellie Goulding,Usher, Kendrick Lamar, Selena Gomez, Major Lazer and Metallica among others. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin ,who is the Creative Director of the festival will also be present. Priyanka will also talk about the Global Citizen Festival in India.

Says Priyanka, "There are going to be some amazing performances. I'm co-hosting with Hugh Jackman, Salma Hayek Pinault and Neil Patrick Harris among others. What's more exciting is that I'm going to talk about the Global Citizen Festival India on stage tonight.What's special about this campaign is that it gives people the ability to empower themselves. I think it's important to have a concert like this in the country . The idea is to end extreme poverty by 2030. The initiative will focus on quality education, gender equality and clean water and sanitation among other things. It's tough, but at least people have taken an initiative to advocate to the crowd who will attend the concert.The tickets aren't free; you will actually have to earn them by doing tasks. So, this isn't just a event where celebrities will come and sing. That is just the reward. It's the start of a movement."

The second InStyle Awards will witness Priyanka joining Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and Tom Ford who will also be honoured for their style statement. To be hosted by the newly-appointed Editor-in-Chief Laura Brown, the intimate dinner will take place at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Priyanka will be honoured with an award for being the Breakthrough Style Star, while Nicole Kidman will be presented with the Style Icon award. InStyle will profile the winners in its annual Hollywood’s 50 Best Dressed list (November issue), which spotlights the symbiotic relationship between the runway and the red carpet. The event will be brought to life with a custom digital short produced by renowned director Zoe Cassavetes.

When Ranveer and Sanjay bonded over Sindhi food

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati with Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone will see the trio coming together for the third time after Ram Leela and Bajrao Mastani. And guess what, soon after signing the film, Ranveer and Sanjay celebrated the occasion with some home-cooked Sindhi delicacies. Ranveer despite a busy schedule, was also part of all the major festivities including Ganpathi celebrations at Sanjay's house. Padmavati is based on Emperor Alauddin Khilji's love for Padmavati or Rani Padmini of Chittor. While Ranveer plays Alauddin, Deepika essays the character of Padmavati.

Alauddin, the second king of the Khilji dynasty, ruled between 1296 and 1316. History says that so besotted was he with Padmavati, that he attacked Chittor to win her. Says a source, "Ranveer will be seen in an avatar never seen before. Alauddin Khilji is a character that the director has wanted to work on for a long time. Ranveer is excited about the role, which promises to be his career's finest and is prepping for it in full swing." The film is set to hit the floors soon.

A legend croons for a film after two years

The Vir Das and Soha Ali Khan-starrer 31st October marks the comeback of none other than legendary classical singer Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan into playback singing after two years. His last track in a Bollywood film was You Fill My Life from Jal (2014). The Padma Bhushan awardee has crooned the number Maula in 31st October. The song is a tribute to God and humanity. It has been composed by Vijay Verma and written by Moazzam Azm. Says the veteran singer, "I was so touched by the film’s subject that I decided to sing the track. It’s my tribute to those who lost their lives in 1984.”

Here's the link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY6nOxCwkeM

Mira in an Indian attire at the LA premiere of her film

Once an Indian, always an Indian. Filmmaker Mira Nair gave glimpses of her love for India at the the Los Angeles premiere of  her directorial venture Queen of Katwe  on Tuesday evening at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. She was dazzled in a slawar kameez at the premiere. Also present was the cast that included David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o and Madina Nalwanga. The film got a very positive response from a packed house.

Queen of Katwe that releases in India on October 7 is based on the vibrant true story of a young girl from the streets of Uganda whose world changes after she develops an interest in chess.

The Sharifs and a mockery of democracy

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/full-text-of-nawaz-sharif-s-speech-at-un-general-assembly/story-bdlcijC6NbfJgnjYupBBhN.html

Courtesy Hindustan Times, a full text of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech at the the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is now at your doorstep. As a Pakistani, you would now look at him with reverance. The Orgasanisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would further eulogise him for 'exposing' India on Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

Well done Mr. Sharif. But not just in the capacity of an Indian, but as a human being, any individual with a sense of logic would only laugh at you. Your speech only vindicates the fact that the Government of Pakistan only dances to the whims and fancies of its Army currently led by Raheel Sharif. Well, he shares your surname. Not only does he share your surname, he also makes it sure that you are kept on your toes and you abide by the instructions coming from Rawalpindi.

For your armed men, India is an obsession despite the fact that every time, your Generals tried to foment trouble in India, you were given a befitting reply. Mr. PM, you pretend to be a custodian of peace in the sub-continent, but to be fair and honest, it's sad there was no mention of the killing of Indian soldiers at Uri. Yes, you endorsed terrorism by once again hailing a terrorist like Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani (who was killed by our forces on July 8) as a martyr. Now, you yourself know that your nation does give protection to the likes of Masood Azhar, Hafeez Saeed and others whose one-point agenda is to destabilise India.

But let me not implicate you. It's not your fault. Even if you intend to make a difference and offer a hand of friendship to India, your Army chief would react, even if his days on the job are numbered. But, being the Prime Minister of a country that boasts its democratic credentials, you would have done a better job by asserting your views based on democratic norms. But Sir, you are scared because your country has a history of being a witness to coups (you being a victim of two of them).

The Panama Paper leaks (some of your kins' names have been mentioned), a loss to the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) in the Karachi Mayoral elections, allegations of rigging in the elections in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), honour killings, atrocities on minorities and so on have only made you a lame-duck PM. Even your Supreme Court passes a ruling that the actually limits the say of the Prime Minister in financial matters. To add to it, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer Jamal alleges that some political parties in Pakistan pamper terrorists. Never before, if memory doesn't betray, any Chief Justice in any other country has been so candid. 

But we pity you. Even if you are a good person with noble intentions, you have no choice except surrendering to the might of the Armed forces. The reason is simple: Pakistan makes a mockery of democracy. The lawmakers only speak but do not mean what they say because the Generals are watching. 

Sorry Mr. Prime Minister, you are helpless. Despite being elected by the people, your hands are tied. Watching you speaking at the UNGA, one would not envy you because you don't have the most enviable job in the world. Being Pakistan's Prime Minister is the toughest responsibility one could imagine. 

God bless Pakistan! God bless Pakistanis! The road will only get tougher with time and even China and Turkey would turn their backs on Pakistan. After all, economy matters and in terms of trade and business, India marches way ahead of its neighbour.     

   

John adopts a pup, names it Bailey

Bollywood superstar John Abraham has been a staunch supporter of animal welfare and conformed to the ideologies of PETA and People For Animals. To take forward his bonding with animals, John adopted a stray three-month old female pup which was rescued from the streets by an animal adoption agency.

Says a source, "John has wanted to adopt a pet for the longest time, however, it was only last week that he met a female pup and immediately fell in love with. He has named the pup Bailey." Very few know that John's love for animals was instilled in him by his mother Firoza Irani, who even today feeds close to some hundred stray dogs everyday.

On the eve of India's 500th Test match, here's a look at the could-have-been greats

Team India will take the field for the 500th time in Test Matches on September 22 at the Green Park, Kanpur. Since India's first test match in 1932 against England at the Lord's, we have seen ups as well as downs in the extended version of the game.

The Likes of CK Nayadu, Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, BS Bedi, Dilip Sardesai, MAK Pataudi, BS Chandrasekhar, Salim Durani, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath, GR Viswanath, Syed Kirmani, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohd. Azaharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, MS Dhoni and others have done the country proud in the five-day format. Even the current Test captain Virat Kohli has given us moments to cheer for. But what about those talented players who were gifted, but failed to cement their places in the Test side? Have a look:

Jasu Patel: At the age of 35, he spun India to victory in Kanpur only against Australia in the 1959-60 series. Finally, he ended up playing only 7 Tests with only 29 wickets. A big loss.

Ramakant Desai: Ramakant Bhikaji Desai didn't have the height which got him the nickname Tiny, yet he was held in high esteem. At a time when pace bowling in India was a joke, this man took 21 wickets against Pakistan in the 1960-61 series. With just 74 wickets in 28 Tests matches at a time when you didn't have the luxury of playing at least ten Tests in a year, here was a talent wasted.

Now come to the '70s and Gopal Bose, Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajinder Goel failed to make the cut despite performing commendably at the First-class level. Shivalkar and Goel bagged 589 and 750 wickets at the First-class level, but neither played for India because they played in an era when the spinning foursome of BS Bedi, B. Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan were indispensable.

In the '80s and later

WV Raman: We dare not compare him with the legendary David Gower on the Lazy Elegance front, but this guy from Tamil Nadu had the talent. The southpaw however ended up playing only 11 Test matches.

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan: In only his second Test at Bombay (now Mumbai), this extremely gifted spinner from Tamil Nadu showed the world what he was capable of by single-handedly winning India the match with 12 scalps at a tender age (he was not even in his twenties) in the 1984-85 series. But the cricketer-turned-commentator would regret that he only played 9 Tests for his country. He was an icon for getting wickets off a full-toss which was a rarity, yet he never scaled greater heights. 

Narendra Hirwani: A dream debut against West Indies led by Vivian Richards at Madras (now Chennai) in 1998. He romped home with 16 wickets in a match that India won under Ravi Shastri. Post the Madras Test, Hirwani's career never took off and the bespectacled leggie called it a day after only 17 Test matches.

Vinod Kambli: He happened to be the best of friends with Tendulkar and at one point of time he even surpassed his friend aka The God of Cricket by scoring two double tons when Tendulkar didn't have a single 200+ score to his name. But the aftermath of excessive success took its toll on Kambli and he can only revel in the fact that he featured in the whites in only 17 Test matches vis-a-vis a Tendulkar who played 200 Test matches for India. Had Kambli been a bit more serious, even the elegance from Behala, Kolkata would not have been witnessed by world cricket.

Shiv Sundar Das: Once his batting style was compared with that of the original Little Master called Sunny Gavaskar. Yes, the opening batsman from Orissa (before it got the name Odisha) showed glimpses of his class. The shuffle and the bat lift reminded us of Gavaskar, but for whatever the reasons may be, he failed to prolong his stay in the team and has only 23 Test matches to boast.

Ajay Jadeja: Immensely talented and the skipper India would always miss. Astute enough, he knew the tricks of the trade, but never did he excel in Test matches. Jadeja skippered India in One-day internationals (ODIs), but in the five-day format, despite opportunities, his efforts came a cropper. Match-fixing allegations and so on, Jadeja made his way into oblivion as a cricketer. When he looks back he would ponder why he couldn't play more than 15 Test matches against 196 ODIs.

Yuvraj Singh: In ODIs and Twenty-twenties, he is unparalleled. But despite getting 40 Test matches to show his skills, an average of only 33.92 sounds dismal. His partnership with Tendulkar against England at Chennai in 2008 won India the match and he did excel in Test matches in patches, but once he hangs up his boots, he would lament that Yuvraj Singh would be remembered as a cricketer who made a difference in the truncated versions of the game.     

And there are Bharat Reddy, Arun Lal, Ashok Malhotra, Maninder Singh, Rajesh Chauhan, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan and others who could have made enormous contributions to Indian cricket in Test matches. But they didn't/couldn't. Watch out Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara. Perform or else, you know where you will be categorised under the could-have-been greats.

AIB's tweet on Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and the repurcussions

Did Karan Johar ensure that the tweet by members of the All India Bakchod (AIB) on the number Bulleya from the former's Diwali release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was removed? AIB had tweeted taking a dig at the music director Pritam who has a history of facing charges of plagiarism. In Bulleya's case, there's a similarity with Papa Roach's Last Resort which was lapped up by AIB. But sources say that Karan himself called them up and asked them to remove the tweet. However the screenshot of the tweet before its removal says it all. The fact whether Karan did step in or not isn't clear, but going by the troublesome period he is going through over Ae Dil... (Kamaal R Khan's claim that he was paid Rs 25 lakh by Karan to criticise Ajay Devgan's Shivaay that clashes with Ae Dil...this Diwali), one feels sorry for the charismatic filmmaker.
Watch this space for more.

When success brings tears to your eyes

Pink has been lapped up both by audiences and critics. At the box-office, the Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury-directed movie has garnered a favourable response. A lot of efforts have gone into making the movie starring Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Angad Bedi and others. To celebrate the success of the film, a media interaction was held in Mumbai where the cast & crew got emotional. Incidentally, the creative producer Shoojit Sircar was even in tears. Success does make you cry at times.

It's all about passion in Darkhaast from Shivaay

Darkhaast, the romantic track from Shivaay, featuring Ajay Devgn and Erika Kaar has passion and poignance in equal measure. Shot exquisitely against the Himalayan landscape, the song delves into some intimate moments between the film's lead couple. While the magic of the song will unfold when it breaks online on September 22 at 12 noon, sources say that lyricist Sayyeed Qaudri and music composer Mithoon had a tough task working on it. It is said that Ajay was clear that the lyrics had to be carefully chosen because it isn't just a song in the film. It is a track that captures the emotions and situation in which the couple are. It's a crucial part of the narrative because it takes the story forward in rhyme.

Quantico set to be back in India

Quantico, the TV show that gave international stardom to Priyanka Chopra will return to India this September. It will air on the same day as in USA. India's first truly global superstar, however, continues to remain rooted to the country she hails from and is going all out to announce the second season of her show in India. Sources reveal that apart from featuring in a fun countdown to the premiere of Quantico S2 on Star World, Priyanka Chopra will also record a special byte in Hindi for her Indian fans.

Quantico S2 will air on Star world and Star world HD, every Monday at 9 pm.

Salman to be the face of a snacks brand

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Yellow Diamond, one of India’s growing snack makers and the flagship brand of Prataap Snacks. Salman will be the face of the home-grown brand of potato chips, namkeen and extruded snacks.

Says the actor, "I met with the founders of Prataap Snacks and they shared their journey from small beginnings to becoming one of India's biggest snack food companies – a "Make in India" journey. Yellow Diamond snacks seeks to understand the Indian consumer and the Indian palate to help them take on the global giants. It is a pleasure and privilege to be associated with Prataap Snacks as the brand ambassador for Yellow Diamond.”

'Devender Singh was one of my toughest roles ever'

Actor Vir Das, known for his comic timings plays an intense and serious role for the very first time in his career in the upcoming film 31st October, a thriller about a Sikh family trapped in a riot-prone area of New Delhi during the anti-Sikh riots in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Vir, who will is the protagonist Devender Singh in the film, said, “I would say that Devender Singh was one of my toughest roles ever. The reason being that I am not a Sikh and I am not a father, so to portray the emotions of a Sikh father desperate to get his family to safety during riots and the decisions that he has to take as a father, was quite tough for me. However, I am thankful to the makers for believing that I could pull off such a role.”

Produced by writer-producer Harry Sachdeva and Magical Dreams Productions Pvt Ltd, co-produced by Anand Prakash, directed by National award winner Shivaji Lotan Patil, the film releases on October 7.

Nawaz shares his days of struggle with WWI students

The house-full auditorium of Whistling Woods International (WWI) was full of excitement at an interactive session with actor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actor spoke of his struggle with several anecdotes from his journey. The session kicked off with an interesting AV on acting as a talent, followed by a documentary on key mainstream actors who made their way to success through rough paths. The AVs were followed by an intellectual Q&A session moderated by Subhash Ghai, Founder and Chairman, WWI. During the session Nawazuddin recalled his college and early acting days, where he faced an unmatched struggle. He related himself to the present batch of WWI and shared all possible aspects, barriers and struggles he faced, before the ‘claim to fame’ he experiences today came by. He told the students that “being an educated actor helped me immensely. Yet it was important to know not to take myself too seriously.”

"Undying passion of practice for 10 years is the key to his success and stardom today," Nawazuddin said. He also explained to the students on how live theatre and mainstream cinema were both equally challenging in their own capacities and also performed some characters from his plays and movies to give the audience an experience of both platforms.

The highlight of the evening was the tribute paid to the actor by the students who showcased their acting skills and were appreciated for their efforts and talents by the renowned actor himself. During his interaction with the students he also mentioned how fortunate they were to be a part of an institute like Whistling Woods International, to nurture their skills under the expertise and guidance of the ultimate showman, Subhash Ghai and they must make the most of it.

The word party makes its way into the lyrics of a song from Riteish's Banjo

Here's the latest song from Banjo. Banjo Party from the film Banjo has been shot towards the fag end of the shooting of the film. Written by Ravi Jadhav and Vishal Dadlani and composed by the latter, the song features Riteish Deshmukh, Nargis Fakhri, Dharmesh Yelande, Luke Kenny and Aditya Kumar and has been choreographed by Bosco Martis. The film will release on September 23.

Bebo set to go online on pregnancy

Kareena Kapoor Khan and celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar join hands for a series of talk shows online that will deal with obesity and malnourishment. The three-part chat series will begin on September 19. The actress who is currently expecting will candidly talk about pregnancy.

Rujuta is the author of the best-selling novels Don't lose your mind, lose your weight and The weight loss Tamasha. The talks will be open for all. The three-part online chat show will cover topics like eating wholesome, eating right to improve fertility, developing a mental meal map , how to go through the third trimester of pregnancy, post pregnancy recovery and the importance of correct eating, exercise and sleep. The first episode airs live on September 19, while the second will be live streamed in mid October. The final episode will be aired post Kareena's delivery and recovery.

Says Rujuta, “Kareena has evolved incredibly over the years. Her approach to eating healthy has moved forward from weight loss to a lifestyle choice that impacts ecology and economy. Her view has expanded to promoting local fruits and sustaining India's traditional farming culture. She's also a UN ambassador and will be speaking up against gender biases that creep into healthy living."

Rishi Sir, here's an earnest request to you

Hello Chintuji or Chimpuji or...,
Please forgive me. I don't even remember your nickname. Haven't you gone about town cashing in on your surname? Yes, it's Kapoor and you cherish it. A friend just reminded me that you have starred in some of the most memorable films in the Hindi Film industry: Naseeb, Amar Akbar Anthony, Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin, Chandni, Deewana, Coolie, Duniya, Nagina, Kabhie Kabhie, Henna, Damini and ....  films where you played second fiddle to either Amitabh Bachchan or Sridevi or Dilip Kumar or even a Shah Rukh Khan, somebody who was a child when your debut film released.

Some of your solo-hero-films: Yaar, I can't even recall....well, well Bobby, Laila Majnu, Khel Khel Mein, Yeh Waada Raha, Dhan Daulat, Jhoota Kahin Ka, Karz, Prem Rog, Sargam, Rafoo Chakkar, Bade Dil Wala, Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai and so on (God please come up with more names), make us nostalgic.

But let's be fair enough SIR! Name one film where you stood your ground. The solo-hits are remembered as musical hits or the credit went to your music directors or your co-stars. In the case of Sargam, what we remember is the southern siren Jaya Prada who just stole the show and you were only a part of the film. Nagina was all about Sridevi. Arrey Sirji, there are the likes of Yarana and Daraar both inspired from the Hollywood hit Sleeping with the Enemy where Raj Babbar and Arbaaz Khan (making his debut) are remembered and not you.

And then you have been part of films like, you want to know? Here we go: Zinda Dil, Naya Daur, Kaatilon Ke Kaatil, Pyar Ke Kabil, Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, uff!! Ek Chadar Maili Si, Sindoor, Vijay, Gharana, Amiri Garibi, Anmol, Sahibaan, Shreemaan Aashique, Banjaran and too many others to mention.

Well, after researching and researching one may talk about the Agneepath remake where you played an evil called Rauf Lala. Yes, you took a route you never did before at an age when even the sweaters were not strong enough to hide your ever-gaining weight. What Amitabh Bachchan achieved as a character artist past his prime in Black, Nishabd, Paa, Piku and Pink, you could not. The likes of Aurangzeb, Bewakoofiyaan, Sanam Re, All Is Well and Kapoor & Sons won't be even given a second thought ten years down the line.

But with due respect, you have rediscovered yourself thanks to your tweets: on the Gandhis, Hillary Clinton,  Kim Kardashian and so many. At the same time, your elder brother (Randhir) and you create a ruckus during the immersion of Lord Ganesha and yes make news as well.

Sir, having so much of reverence for you, Rishi Kapoor was a star but never a superstar or a super actor. Even your nieces (Karisma and Kareena) and son (Ranbir) have films that would be part of history just because of them, but one struggles to fine one which has the name Rishi Kapoor written all over it.

Having a huge following on Twitter is commendable, but as a senior pro, isn't it time that instead of asking for a liquor hamper on a TV show and tweeting as the drop of a hat, you should look for one role that one would associate with you and only you?

Think, think and think Mr. Rishi Kapoor aka yes Chintuji (now I remember).            

Yaqeen hits the web and is lapped up

The first number from the film 31st October is out and it's already impressing music lovers. Yaqeen composed by Vijay Verma, written by Mehboob and sung by Mohammad Salamat, is picturised on Vir Das and Soha Ali Khan who play a Sikh couple in the film. Directed by Shivaji Lotan Patil the movie deals with the struggle of a Sikh family during the anti-Sikh riots after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Here's the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meIxKRPjpGs

Check out the teaser poster of Mughal-E-Azam, The Play

Here's the teaser poster of Mughal-E-Azam, The Play to be directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. The play will premiere on October 21 at the NCPA, Mumbai and will continue to be staged till the first week of November for a limited engagement of two weeks followed by the staging in end-November for another two weeks into December at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.

Kiara to dance to an item song in Abbas-Mustan's Machine

Director duo Abbas-Mustan's film Machine will have an item song featuring actress Kiara Advani who has been cast opposite Abbas' son Mustafa who starts his Bollywood journey with the film. According to sources, it was Kiara who insisted on a dance number in the film and the directors readily agreed to include it in her contract. It will be a promotional song the shooting for which will begin soon.

Item numbers in Abbas-Mustan films have always been successful, be it Zara zara touch me (Katrina in Race) or Lat lag gayi (Jacqueline in Race 2). Now, it's Kiara's turn to set the dance floor on fire. We are waiting!

Tum Bin 2's teaser launch held

From the time the announcement of Anubhav Sinha's Tum Bin 2 was made, there was a lot of curiosity among moviegoers considering the success of of the prequel. And finally two teasers of the film were  unveiled yesterday (September 14) in Mumbai. The film launches newcomers Aditya Seal and Ashim Gulati who will be romancing Neha Sharma in the film.

Ram Charan's tribute to daring cops: A special screening for Dhruva

Telugu superstar Ram Charan who plays an IPS officer in the film Dhruva will hold a special screening of the movie for cops and their families. Dhruva (Telugu) is directed by Surender Reddy and also stars Aravind Swamy and Rakul Preet Singh. The first look of Dhruva was launched on the Independence Day (August 15). The actor in fact, had interacted with some police officers to get a feel of the character in the film. Says a source, "Ram apart from inviting the police personnel who he interacted with to prepare for the role, has also reached out to several other cops from various districts across the south."

The film is slated to release on December 2.

'My religion is my business alone,' Soha Ali Khan lashes out at her critics

Actress Soha Ali Khan who plays a Sikh woman in her forthcoming 31st October, has silenced those who trolled her for visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar and a Ganpati Pandal. According to her critics, she was being a Muslim, her actions tantamounted to being disloyal to her religion. The trolls also passed sexist, insensitive and derogatory comments about her gender and her marital life (Soha is married to Kunal Khemu, a Hindu). 

However, Soha, lashed out at the trolls and said in a statement, “My religion is my business alone. Whether I choose to do namaz or go to a church, how does it affect anyone? People shouldn’t bother about what’s not their business. I am all for freedom of expression, but being told how going to a temple makes me a non-Muslim is plain callous. No one has the right to say that. I am not a commodity and so, a particular community cannot own me. Our social fabric is so rich because we are diverse. Respect each other’s choices. That’s the culture India signifies, not the one of hatred that people commenting on my timeline are trying to propagate. I try not to be affected by it and frankly, as long as no one is coming into my private space or harming me physically, I don’t care. But those who are desperate to have an opinion on my life, at least try to have an educated one."

Adds Harry Sachdeva, producer of 31st October, "Festive season teaches us love, brotherhood and celebration. When I talk about respecting religions and humanity, I act upon it, this should not invite extremely derogatory comments made upon Soha and her personal life. The real shame should be upon those who abuse the respect and who use derogatory language for women. If you don't agree with her, then don't but that gives you no right to abuse and vilify Soha for promoting humanity and respect for all religions.”

John to attend the Ziro Music Fest in Arunachal

Actor John Abraham who was recently roped in as the brand ambassador for Arunachal Pradesh, will be attending the Ziro Festival of Music at the end of this month. Ziro, one of India’s biggest outdoor music festivals is held in Arunachal every year and since John has heard so much about the festival and its mission to encourage tourism and uniting music lovers across the globe, the actor now plans to attend the popular festival this year.

When contacted confirmed the star, “I have heard a lot about the Ziro festival  which is one of Arunachal's biggest highlights and I'm planning to visit my team (NorthEast United Football Club) around the festival dates so that I can attend it this time." John owns the franchaise in the Indian Super League. 

John's love for the Northeast has often been highlighted through his immense support for the region. Besides owning a football team, John has supported and participated in Run for North East, a marathon hosted earlier in January.

The SRK-Salman show at Busan this year

Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan have something worth cherishing to look forward to. SRK's Fan and Salman's Sultan, both produced by Yash Raj Films will be screened at the 21st Busan International Film Festival in South Korea this year. The festival will also serve to kick start the campaign for the theatrical release for both films in South Korea. Fan will be shown in the A Window on Asian Cinema section and Sultan, will be screened at the popular Open Cinema section. Considered as Asia's biggest film festival, some 300 films will be screened from 29 countries this year.

The festival will be held between October 6 and 15. 

Indo-Pak collaboration takes a musical route

India-Pakistan relations may be at stake on Jammu & Kashmir, but on the cultural front, there's some good news. Actress Evelyn Sharma and Pakistani singer Zohaib Amzad have joined hands for a number that is already a hit on the web. Evelyn grooves on a peppy number, Ani Pa De from her forthcoming single. It is an entertaining party number. Evelyn puts on her dancing shoes and sets the dance floor on fire. The track was sung by Zohaib and the video was directed by Arsal Khan & Beyond Studios.

YRF to honour Indian gold medal winners at the Paralympics

Yash Raj Films (YRF) had earlier announced that it would honour Indian athletes winning gold at the Rio Olympics with a cash reward worth Rs 10 lakh each. None lived up to the expectations though, but now the production house will reward Paralympian gold medal winners with the same amount. So far India has bagged two gold medals thanks to high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu and javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia. Hopefully more are awaiting us.

Emraan and wife visit Cha Raja

Emraan Hashmi and his wife Parveen Shahani at the Mumbai Cha Raja pandal for Ganpati Darshan at Ganesh Galli, Parel, Mumbai

BhaiJAAN, Bollywood is all yours

The news of the year! Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif will star in the sequel to Ek Tha Tiger. Breaking news, when it comes to the Hindi film industry. A MEGASTAR who has faced the worst of humiliations and an actress still trying to cement her place in the film industry are back together.

Kudos to the film industry and the biggest production house in the country which has roped in the biggest box-office churner and the prettiest actress in town. For Yash Raj Films and any other production house, the BAD BOY of Bollywood still matters because it's his very presence on screen that shoots up the currencies all across the world. And an actress who has had two back-to-back disasters in Fitoor and the over-hyped Baar Baar Dekho, the very existence of a Salman Khan turns things around.

Rewind! There were rumours that it was Salman who was initially offered Chak De! India. He refused because he demanded the price he deserved. Yash Raj didn't budge but SK (Salman Khan) stayed put. Entered the King of Bollywood (Shah Rukh Khan) and the film was a success. But Shimit Amin who directed the film must be regretting that the deal between Salman and Yash Raj didn't materialise. A Salman Khan or his very presence irrespective of the negativity his actions exude still wields a clout. After all, Yash Raj Films' biggest hit Sultan had the guy from Galaxy Apartments, Bandra, Mumbai playing the male lead and not someone residing at a palace called Mannat across the same stretch.

He may have been in the news for allegedly beating his girl-friend, being involved in a hit and run case, killing black bucks and so on. But when it comes to the box-office, it's this BAD GUY who can never be IGNORED. Because, it's only BHAI who can make producers, directors, exhibitors and others associated with his project smile their way to the bank.

So, as we head towards the bed after celebrating Eid, thanks Yash Raj for finally vindicating the fact that the days of over-hyped megastars are over. It's revenues that matter.