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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

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Akshaye Khanna remembers father Vinod Khanna on death anniversary
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Akshaye Khanna remembers father Vinod Khanna on death anniversary

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) On the third death anniversary of Bollywood legend Vinod Khanna, his son, actor Akshaye Khanna, took to social media to pay homage to the former.## "There is no expiration date on the love between a father and his child. We will always remember you #VinodKhanna," Akshaye tweeted.## Along with it, he shared a picture from his childhood days in which he and his brother Rahul Khanna are seen holding their father's hands.## Many others in Bollywood joined Akshaye in remembering the iconic star who was known for his rugged image as a macho-man.## Actor Ali Fazal shared his experience of meeting the late Vinod Khanna. "Met Vinod ji once. I have never been able to take photos with people I look up to. Always thot kabhi kaam karoonga saath toh.. but this one I regret. Its just how it is. Managed very few in life. Thank you Vinod Khanna for being," Ali wrote along with a black and white picture of Vinod Khanna from his younger days," Ali recalled on social media, posting a black-and-white picture of Khanna from his younger days.## Vinod Khanna, who is known for his numerous performances of various shades in films like "Mere Apne", "Parvarish", "Mera Gaon Mera Desh", "Achanak", "Inkaar", "Khoon Pasina", "Insaaf", "Qurbani", and "Amar Akbar Anthony", died in 2017 after a prolonged illness.## The actor had married his college friend Geetanjali in 1971 and the couple was subsequently blessed with sons Rahul and Akshaye, both of whom would go on to become actors. But the marriage didn't survive for long as the two divorced in 1985, after which Vinod Khanna married Kavita Daftary, daughter of industrialist Sharayu Daftary.## One of the most enigmatic actors of Bollywood ever, Vinod Khanna left the film industry at the peak of his stardom in 1975 to become a disciple of Osho and in the early 1980s, shifting base to the godman's ashram in Oregon, United States, for about a decade.## When he returned to India in the late eighties and resumed work as an actor, he once again started scoring at the box office with hits such as "Insaaf" and "Satyamev Jayate".## In his later years, Khanna forayed politics. He was the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Lok Sabha from the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab.## Not only this, Vinod Khanna believed in spirituality a lot. In 1982, he had shifted to US to explore the spiritual sphere with Osho.## Marking Vinod Khanna's third death anniversary, his wife Kavita shared that she has donated a day's cooked food to the needy in Mumbai.## "My husband, my love @VinodKhanna LOVED his city and was committed to doing Seva till the very end. Today, on his 3rd Punya Tithi, we are donating a day's cooked food to 45,000 needy in Mumbai," she tweeted.## Incidentally, Vinod Khanna's death anniversary falls on the same date as actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan's. Khan was a close friend of Khanna, and the two had co-starred in the former's 1980 blockbuster "Qurbani". Khan passed away on April 27, 2009.## Stay tuned...

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Lara Dutta: As women we all have faced sexism
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Lara Dutta: As women we all have faced sexism

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Lara Dutta says that irrespective of their profession, all women have faced sexism at some point or the other.## The actress plays a police officer in the new comedy-action web series "Hundred".## The former Miss Universe had a question-answer session with fans on Twitter where one of them asked: "It was great to see the series portray the difficulties in the life of women. Was that something that attracted you toward the series?"## Lara replied saying: "As women, we all have faced sexism in our life at some point or the other, regardless of which field we belong to. So yes this thought was an imp part of the narrative but not the only thing that motivated me to do this series."## She also opened up about her quarantine time.## "Can't complain! It's been good. Family is healthy and we've been able to spend a lot of time with each other. I've been studying, cooking, and doing fun indoor activities with my daughter," she said.## She also revealed her fitness regime.## "My routine varies according to my schedules and lifestyle. I've always worked out. Pilates, strength training, and yoga have been constant favorites. I'm vegetarian mainly and eat a balanced diet and I meditate," said Lara.## Stay tuned...

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Vatsal Sheth: Debut short film as director is 'like a child to me'
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Vatsal Sheth: Debut short film as director is 'like a child to me'

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Actor Vatsal Sheth turned director with a short film during the ongoing lockdown period, and he thinks the effort is no less than his child.## Vatsal's short film "Kahaa Toh Tha", running over six minutes, stars the actor with his wife Ishita Dutta and explores love in the times of quarantine.## "I was having a chat with a friend of mine and I was telling him how much I miss shooting and the regular schedule. While talking to him, I realized, I am an actor, Ishita is an actor. We have phone cameras and basic stuff to shoot. I called a friend, he wrote this story for us, then we sat down on storyboarding, shot division and everything came together. That's how this film came to life," Vatsal told IANS.## Vatsal plays Abir, a restless but loving husband to Myraa, a thoughtful and caring wife. The middle-class working couple realise that their marriage is not that perfect, while they are stuck together in the lockdown.## "We settled for this story because it's a sweet, nice, and feel-good short film. We as a couple were able to relate to it and we thought a lot of couples might feel the same way," he said.## The film was completely made during the lockdown.## "We used our phone cameras to shoot the film. It was just Ishita and me, we were moving the furniture everywhere. We would shoot the scene, run back to the frame to check if everything was done right or if we had fumbled or if we needed to do a retake. Lots and lots of hard work have gone into it. But it was definitely a lot of fun," said the actor about its making.## Vatsal has also launched his production house Vatsal Sheth Films.## "After we made the film, I roped in a lot of good technicians who made the movie as it looks now. We got Mehul who has done music for 'Tanhaji' to do background score for us. We bought in an editor, we brought in someone to make creatives and do color correction. It was a lot of to and fro but in the end, I am really happy with how it has turned out! And none of us have stepped out of the house to do anything, we all have done the work from our homes and made sure that the film reaches you the best it can," he said.## He is very happy with the final product.## "It's like a child to me. It's my first film as a director. I am very excited, although it's a short film, I have worked as hard on it as I would on any other project. I am also thankful to the team at Times Music, they have taken over the project and they are releasing it. I am very excited about this journey," he said.## Stay tuned...

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COVID-19: Bhumi to share health tips to tackle emotional eating
2235 days ago
Bollywood

COVID-19: Bhumi to share health tips to tackle emotional eating

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Bhumi Pednekar will share health and nutrition tips to tackle emotional eating during the novel coronavirus lockdown.## "I have always strived to lead a balanced lifestyle and believed in the synergy of how nutrition, what we eat directly impacts our health and fitness. This lockdown, though extremely challenging for all of us because it has changed how we live life and exist, is also impacting our minds and that can throw off diet and nutrition in a big way," said Bhumi, who will initiate the effort with her nutritionist.## "What we eat has a lot to do with how we feel - it's connected and it's mostly emotional. This will create health and fitness issues and I want to share with everyone my nutrition journey through COVID-19 and I hope that people will find this useful."## The actress has maintained a routine and stuck to her nutritious way of life all through the coronavirus pandemic. She credits her nutritionist Dr. Siddhant for her fit body and will be doing a live chat with him to share health and nutrition tips with everyone.## "I have ensured that I'm mobile, I have been working out, I'm on a nutrition-rich diet and I have not resorted to binge and junk eating. My nutritionist Dr. Siddhant is a genius and has a wealth of knowledge which has helped me shape my life. I want him to share his knowledge with as many people as possible because he has kept me going despite the lockdown challenges," she said.## On the professional front, Bhumi will next be seen in the films "Durgavati" and "Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare".## Stay tuned...

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If Hrithik was Krrish, he'd decimate COVID and cigarettes
2235 days ago
Bollywood

If Hrithik was Krrish, he'd decimate COVID and cigarettes

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Known for his chiseled frame and fitness fetish, Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan wants to decimate the last cigarette on the planet.## The subject came up on Twitter after a user asked him he had a cigarette in his hand while he was standing with his sons in the balcony of his home, in a recently-posted picture shared by the actor's Fanclub.## "Does @iHrithik have a cigarette in his hand or am I seeing wrong? I hope you don't @iHrithik. It makes me very very very sorry," the user wrote.## The actor replied: "I am a non-smoker. :) and if I was Krrish, the first thing I'd do after eradicating this virus would be to decimate every last cigarette from this planet.## Recently, Hrithik shared some 'lockdown tips' with fans. He suggests a daily dose of vitamin D to take care of mental health even as we continue to be confined at home.## Hrithik Roshan has been spending the lockdown with his ex-wife Sussanne Khan, who has temporarily moved in with him, to take care of their two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan.## Talking about mental health, Hrithik has recently started learning piano, which he feels is "great for activating both sides of the brain".## Stay tuned...

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Rani Mukerji: Playing mother in 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' brought out my maternal instinct
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Rani Mukerji: Playing mother in 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' brought out my maternal instinct

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji may have been single when she played a mother of two in the 2007 film "Ta Ra Rum Pum", but the role brought her motherly instincts out.## Rani, who was paired opposite Saif Ali Khan in the film, said: " 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' was a very, very lovely shooting experience for me because we shot in America, in New York, for nearly three months. I was there for three months at a stretch and it was lovely living in New York around that time shooting the film. We had two little angels - Ali and Angelina (who played Saif and Rani's on-screen kids). I was single at that point of time but to actually play a mother of these two children really got my motherly instincts out."## The film, which was released 13 years ago on April 27, is a sports drama set in the backdrop of car racing in the USA, with Saif playing a racing prodigy. It was directed by Siddharth Anand.## "Today, when I look back and watch the film when I have Adira with me, it just feels so amazing. When 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' released, I had a lot of children and parents really watching the film with a lot of love. I still get a lot of people telling me that they watched 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' and it's one of their favorite films because it has car racing and it has the story about the children," she added.## Rani feels the film's universal theme of family coming together to overcome all odds is what connected with the audiences.## "It's a very nice warm lovely story and I think I connected with the film and the story a lot at that time. It was a very sweet story about this couple who has children and how they fight the odds. I think crisis like these brings families closer and I think that's a very special part of the story," she says.## Rani says she had a blast acting with actor Saif Ali Khan, with whom she also worked in films like "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic" and "Hum Tum".## "Of course, having Saif with me as a co actor was wonderful! Also, Victor Banerjee played my father in the film and it was wonderful having him on set and to be working with him. It was overall a great experience and I remember being really, really happy on the sets of 'Ta Ra Rum Pum'" she said.## Stay tuned...

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Swaroop Khan: Remix can't threaten folk music
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Swaroop Khan: Remix can't threaten folk music

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Folk Singer Swaroop Khan says folk music is like a vast ocean that has been in existence for thousands of years, and he does not think that it's threatened by remix or any other type of music.## Known for his hit songs in "PK" ("Tharki chhokro") and "Padmaavat" ("Ghoomar"), singer Swaroop believes that every kind of music deserves its due credit.## "Folk music is like an ocean. It is vast and huge. I don't think folk music is being threatened by the remix market or any other type of music. This whole thing about one type of music being threatened by other needs to stop. Folk music has been in existence for thousands of years and it is well appreciated and loved in India and overseas," said Swaroop.## He had been part of "Indian Idol" season 5 and thinks that folk music is a way of connecting with god. "Different kinds of music cater to different kinds of taste, there are rap, classic, rock, folk, fusion, filmy songs, all of which exist because people love them. I don't think folk music is threatened by anything. Folk music is a way of connecting with god. It has been here from long before and will remain till long after," he said.## Swaroop Khan says "Indian Idol 5" changed his perception about singing.## He also talked about his childhood dream of becoming a singer. He said: "Some people are forced into their respective professions, but as far as I can remember, I'd always wanted to be a singer. I come from a family of singers, so it's been part of my upbringing. Singing made sense to me, it appealed to me and I followed it".## Swaroop Khan's hits include "Mehandi", "Bahut hua samman", "Jai ho pehlwaan", and "Crazy lagdi".## Stay tuned...

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Lockdown diaries: Stars turn hosts of digital shows
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Lockdown diaries: Stars turn hosts of digital shows

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Fun chat shows to informative sessions, actors like Kartik Aaryan, Sunny Leone, Shruti Haasan, and Rashami Desai are flaunting their hosting skills in the digital space to while away their lockdown hours and fans are loving it.## Kartik's talk show on YouTube, "Koki Poochega", is surely among the most popular efforts. On the show, he interacts with frontline warriors in the COVID-19 battle, including doctors and health workers, and also with survivors of the novel coronavirus pandemic.## Kartik's trademark humorous style, at the same time engaging and informative, has already won the show a huge fan base, including Bollywood stars such as Alia Bhatt and Janhvi Kapoor, who have heaped praises on Kartik's effort on social media.## In his first episode of "Koki Poochega", Kartik interviewed India's first COVID-19 survivor Sumit Singh. The interaction gave an insight into what a person with symptoms of the virus should do and not do.## Shruti, who has been sharing recipes along with hair and skincare tips on social media, also goes live on Instagram for interactions with select guests.## Ways to stay strong, maintain mental balance, and keeping patience have been some of the topics of discussion.## "I have a close group of women who are my friends, but I also have a larger circle of women whom I have been interacting with that have been inspiring me. They are from different walks of life," said Shruti.## "I thought it would be lovely to interact with them on various topics and I like that they are from different places, different topics, and different professions," she added.## Sunny Leone has also started her chat show on Instagram.## Titled "Lockdown with Sunny", it sees Sunny in conversation with several celebrities, including Daboo Ratnani and Mandana Karimi.## "It was my idea to just have fun with our fans and people on Insta. It is all about light-hearted conversations with funny things and details about the guest," Sunny said.## "Bigg Boss 13" contestant Rashami Desai has also started her own digital show titled "The RDShhow".## "It's not your regular chat show. It's being made with an intent to educate people on different fields of career. I'll be inviting eminent personalities from various fields as guests on my show. We'll be discussing each field, with its possible career opportunities and the skills required to be successful in those particular fields," said Rashami.## Also making good use of the digital platform, actor Karanvir Bohra has started a fun-filled and informative live series titled "Lockdown with KV".## "The idea right now is to keep people engaged, talking, and importantly listening and watching good content to keep their minds diverted from the ongoing stressful situation," he said.## "So that's what my second live series 'Lockdown with KV' is aiming at. The first main idea which is to just talk to people from different walks of life and understand their lives and routines and importantly coping skills during these trying and testing times" added the actor, who had earlier brought in his celebrity friends for a 21-question series on Instagram.## Actress-producer Dia Mirza's digital session, "#DownToEarthWithDee", features celebrity guests who share a common love for nature. The session is held every Wednesday.## Dia's first conversation with filmmaker Zoya Akhtar dwelt on a number of things, from their shared love for nature to how they are both dealing with the lockdown.## "I hope these conversations on '#DownToEarthWithDee' every Wednesday will help all those seeking ways to live in better harmony with nature despite living in cities. I hope they find some magic, inspiration, and solutions in our conversations,'' Dia said.## Joining the list is actress Urvashi Dholakia, who has a digital chat show called "Trending Now".## Through the course of the show, Urvashi will be seen chatting up with personalities from diverse fields.## She has interviewed celebrities like Tony Kakkar, Sriti Jha, and Sumona Chakravarti.## Stay tuned...

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Pankaj Tripathi talks censorship in digital space
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Pankaj Tripathi talks censorship in digital space

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who has tasted success on the big screen as well as the digital space, says that when it comes to the debate on web censorship, a dialogue is very important.## "Everything should have a debate because the dialogue is important. The storytellers get to tell their stories the way they want to, without the censors on the platform. They have freedom," opined Tripathi, who gained a major fan base as Guruji in "Sacred Games" and Kaleen bhaiya in "Mirzapur".## However, not everything can be defended in the name of creative freedom, he feels.## "There are some people who just want to spread 'sansani' (sensationalism). They too have some freedom because there are no censors. So, there are pros and cons of having censorship, and if there is a debate only then will people arrive at some conclusion," the actor pointed out.## On the acting front, he will next be seen in Kabir Khan's "83".## Stay tuned...

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Urvashi Rautela flaunts effortless dance moves in new video
2236 days ago
Bollywood

Urvashi Rautela flaunts effortless dance moves in new video

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) After wooing her fans and followers with her sizzling bikini pictures from her vacations, actress and former beauty queen Urvashi Rautela treated them with a new sizzling video of her dancing effortlessly.## Urvashi took to Instagram, where she uploaded to dance videos of herself. In the clip, the actress is she is seen performing "heel choreography".## In one video, Urvashi is seen performing on the Bollywood number "Aashiq banana aapne" by Himesh Reshammiya.## ""So honoured, blessed & grateful to be the "First Indian Artist to perform #HeelsChoreography Aon screen ALove u Tushk," she captioned the videos.## In other news, Urvashi's Facebook account was hacked. She warned fans not to respond to posts originating from her Facebook account.## Urvashi realised that her Facebook has been hacked when a few posts, comprising pornographic content, started originating from the account.## Mumbai Police have informed Urvashi that they have acted on the issue, and a complaint has been registered with the cyber police cell.## On the work front, "Beat pe thumka", a peppy wedding number featuring Urvashi has just been released. The song is from her upcoming comedy flick "Virgin Bhanupriya".## Stay tuned...

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Tisca Chopra is making the most of staying indoors
2236 days ago
Bollywood

Tisca Chopra is making the most of staying indoors

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) Actress Tisca Chopra is missing going outdoors but she says she is making the most of staying indoors.## Tisca shared a stunning photograph on Instagram of herself in a monochrome monokini. In the image, the "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji" actress can be seen laying on sand.## "Lockdown diaries Day 29: 'Missing the outdoors but making the most of the indoors .. Made some #dimsums last evening and judging by the reaction they were good. Tara loves whatever little I cook and that is encouraging me be more adventurous (head to stories)," she wrote alongside the image.## She also mentioned she would be chatting with a psychiatrist on the photo-sharing website.## Tisca then took to her Instagram Stories, the actress is seen looking into her iPad and she captioned it: "#Backtoschool".## Recently, the actress dedicated her role of Dr. Mira Anand in the series "Hostages" to first responders and caregivers amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country.## "Hostages", a crime thriller, is directed by Sudhir Mishra. It is an official adaptation of an Israeli series of the same name. It also stars Ronit Roy, Parvin Dabas, Aashim Gulati, and Mohan Kapoor.## Amid lockdown, Tisca is using her time to hone her filmmaking skills. She has been taking online classes on how to direct feature films.## Stay tuned...

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Taapsee: Wanted a logo instead of a name plate to keep the ambition flying high
2236 days ago
Bollywood

Taapsee: Wanted a logo instead of a name plate to keep the ambition flying high

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu shared an anecdote about shifting to her new home. She said that to keep the ambition flying high, she always wanted a logo instead of a nameplate outside her house.## Taapsee took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself posing in front of her "blue door".## "This is the day I had my apartment in Mumbai ready, with all interior work done. It was strange that when I left for the shoot of 'Manmarziyaan' I left from the old apartment I had taken on rent when I first moved to Mumbai and by the time I finished shooting the film n came back I entered the new apartment."## She shared that it was a very seamless transition for her.## "Like a new chapter began just like that. It was a very seamless transition for me but it went through its share of teething issues which were all sorted by my sister n mom before I entered home.## "It made me realize no matter how much effort you put in, the house stays a house until it's lived in with your family who then makes it ‘Home'. That's the blue door that I wanted for my home and to keep the ambition flying high I always wanted a logo instead of a nameplate outside my house."## Taapsee said it was a defining moment for her to see everything coming together.## "Seeing it all come together for the first time was definitely a defining moment in a girl's life who wanted to create her own space which she can look at every time she sets an ambitious goal and feel it's possible," she said.## On the film front, after giving a stellar performance in "Thappad", Taapsee will next be seen in "Haseen Dillruba", "Rashmi Rocket" and "Shabaash Mithu".## Stay tuned...

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