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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.

Articles Written By IANS News

Alia, Zoya Akhtar among celebs at premiere of Kiara's film
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Alia, Zoya Akhtar among celebs at premiere of Kiara's film

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Makers of the Netflix film 'Guilty' hosted a premiere of their film here. The guest list included Alia Bhatt, besides the film's cast members Kiara Advani, Gurfateh Singh Pirzada, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor and Taher Shabbir.## Alia, along with sister Shaheen Bhatt and mother Soni Razdan, was there to show support to her childhood friend Akanksha Ranjan Kapoor.## Celebrities like Zoya Akhtar, Rinku Rajguru, Makrand Deshpande, Athiya Shetty, Vaani Kapoor, Gauhar Khan, and Shashank Khaitan also attended premier of the film.## Alvira Khan-Agnihotri, Aditya Seal, Pragya Yadav-Kapoor, Nitya Mehra, Patralekhaa and Karan Tacker were also spotted at the launch of the film.## The film's director Ruchi Narain, and producer and CEO of Dharma Productions Apoorva Mehta, were also spotted at the event.## Also on the guest list were Akansha's sister Anushka Ranjan Kapoor and Gurfateh's sister Mehreen Pirzadaa.## "Guilty" is written by Narain, Kanika Dhillon, and Atika Chohan. The film follows the story of a songwriter whose boyfriend is accused of rape.## The film is the first production venture of Dharmatic, the digital arm of Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.## It is slated to release on March 6.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Coronavirus scare: Salman Khan prefers salaam, namaste over handshake or hug
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Coronavirus scare: Salman Khan prefers salaam, namaste over handshake or hug

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is the latest public figure to endorse the idea of greeting people the India style with a namaste or salaam, rather than shake hands or hug.## Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and India's Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar have been personalities who have lately supported the idea that people should greet each with folded hands under the present circumstances.## Salman wrote on IOnstagram: "Namashkaar... hamari sabhyata mein namaste aur salaam hai! Jab #coronavirus Khatam ho jaye tab Haath milao aur gale lago... @beingstrongindia".## The actor also shared a picture of himself where his hands are folded in a namaste. Meanwhile, with the threat of COVID-19 looming large, the government has tightened the entry into India for nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan with immediate effect. Indian citizens have also been advised to refrain from travelling to China, Iran, Republic of Korea, Italy and other affected countries.## In dia, 29 people have been quarantined owing to coronavirus scare so far.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Kriti Sanon wraps up 'Mimi'
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Kriti Sanon wraps up 'Mimi'

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Actress Kriti Sanon has finished shooting for 'Mimi', the upcoming heroine-centric film where she essays a surrogate mother.## Kriti on Thursday took to Instagram and posted a lengthy note, thanking the crew and cast for making a "beautiful film".## "#Mimi has been such an experience!! The most satisfying schedule ever with a super passionate and hardworking cast and crew!! It's such a lovely feeling when everyone just wants to put in their best effort to make a beautiful film! #Mimi-- this one's too close to my heart," she wrote.## "Mimi" marks the return of director Laxman Utekar, who made his Bollywood directorial debut last year with the Kartik Aaryan-Kriti Sanon hit "Luka Chuppi". Shot mainly in Jaipur, "Mimi" also features Pankaj Tripathi, Sai Tamhankar, Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak. The film is a remake of Samroudhhi Porey's National Award-winning Marathi film "Mala Aai Vhhaychy!" (2011).## After "Mimi", Utekar is scheduled to reunite with Kriti and Kartik for "Luka Chuppi 2".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Saiyami Kher on getting role of undercover agent right
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Saiyami Kher on getting role of undercover agent right

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Actress Saiyami Kher says she did in-depth research to get her role as an undercover agent in the espionage thriller 'Special Ops' right.## "To prepare for this role, I read a number of journals and tons of articles online about undercover agents and their lives. I also read a book called 'Inside RAW', which was absolutely great because it gave an incredible bird's-eye view into the way the operations function without risking national security," Saiyami said.## "It's so interesting to learn their stories since they lead normal lives while they're actually undercover agents. They are so well informed and have so much knowledge on various subjects, most of which we as regular individuals are completely unaware of," she added.## Directed by Neeraj Pandey and Shivam Nair, the eight-episode Hotstar Specials spy action-thriller series is based on the role of Indian intelligence in a series of real terror attacks that India faced over the last 19 years.## It also features Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Divya Dutta, Vinay Pathak, Muzammil Ibrahim, Vipul Gupta, Sajjad Delafrooz, Parmeet Sethi, Gautami Kapoor, Sana Khan, Sharad Kelkar, and KP Mukherjee. It is slated to go live on March 17 in seven languages on Hotstar VIP.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

When SRK, Virat Kohli influenced 'MC Sher' Siddhant Chaturvedi
2287 days ago
Bollywood

When SRK, Virat Kohli influenced 'MC Sher' Siddhant Chaturvedi

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Actor Siddhant Chaturvedi, who has been signed up as a brand ambassador of a men's grooming range, feels celebrity faces truly influence consumers to buy products. Being a fanboy of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, Siddhant says he also did the same in his years of growing up.## "Being a Shah Rukh Khan fan, as a kid, I would go for anything that SRK endorsed. If I saw an ad on TV, I would ask if I could get that (product)," Siddhant told IANS.## On Virat, he added: "Being a huge cricket fan, I felt anything that Virat does, I have to do!"## Now that the actor has become the face of a men's grooming brand, the subject of his signature style naturally came up. "I believe in finding my own comfort. Those days when everyone found growing beard cool, I wasn't doing it only because everyone was doing it. I grew a stubble. Holding on to my signature style that defines my personality is important to me rather than following a trend. I am an actor. So, most of the time I am portraying someone on-screen who I am not. If I have to be someone else off camera too, where will I show the real me?" he chuckled with a wink.## Is grooming as important for men as women? "It is important to be well-groomed, especially when you are going out for a date, a professional meeting or attending an occasion. Personally, I am lazy by nature to groom myself every day, but I am an actor and I am in showbiz. That is why I prepare myself to get used to the practice of being presentable at all times," he replied.## Being signed up to sell products, they say, is the first sign that you've arrived as a star. Siddhant is clearly excited selling the grooming range, Ustraa.## "Who would have thought that one day I would become the face of a brand!" he gushed.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Kartik Aaryan looks forward to performing on home turf at IIFA awards
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Kartik Aaryan looks forward to performing on home turf at IIFA awards

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Actor Kartik Aaryan is excited because he will get to perform live on home turf soon. The actor, who hails from Gwalior, says he looks forward to performing at the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), which will be held in an Indian city for the second time in a row when the 21st edition is hosted in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.## "This is the first time it's happening in Indore. Earlier, they (people of Indore) didn't have the access (to stars), but this year such a nice line-up is arriving to perform, so all of us are excited. I am excited because it is taking place in my home state. I look forward to it. Right now, I am injured but I am dying to perform there," said Kartik at a press conference of the event that he attended with Katrina Kaif.## Did Katrina, who is known for her cool moves, give tips to Kartik on dancing? "He already performed when IIFA was held in Bangkok, so it will not be his first performance. I think he is fantastic on stage," Katrina replied.## Apart from Kartik and Katrina, celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez will perform on the awards night, which will be hosted by Salman Khan and Ritiesh Deshmukh.## While a pre-event will be held in Bhopal on March 21, the actual three-day event will take place in Indore from March 27 to 29.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Sara Ali Khan: I don't look at myself as a star
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Sara Ali Khan: I don't look at myself as a star

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Actress Sara Ali Khan doesn't think she grew up in a family of stars and says she doesn't consider herself as a star.## "My parents are actors, but I don't think I have been grown up in the family of stars. Father, for instance, has always been very particular about education and my mother is the flagbearer of humility. She so believes putting your head down and letting your work speak for yourself," Sara said.## "I never had much exposure to Bollywood. I don't really think I come from a family of stars. I don't look at myself as a star," added the daughter of actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh.## Looking back at her growing up years, she said: "I was a mischievous student in school who played pranks on everyone. One of the pranks I remember was dropping glue on the fan blades which spilled all over the class when switched on. I almost got suspended for this because my principal kept asking why I did this, and I had no answer to it."## Asked about her equation with the wife of Saif and actress Kareena Kapoor, Sara replied: "I admire Kareena Kapoor and her work. She's a professional who always gives preference to work. Her style of working is something I would want to imbibe from her."## Sara opened up about her life in an episode of "Starry Nights Gen Y", which will premiere in India on Zee Cafe on March 8.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Coronavirus scare: Stars, filmmakers spread awareness and warn against rumours
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Coronavirus scare: Stars, filmmakers spread awareness and warn against rumours

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Coronavirus is now a reality in India, with 29 cases confirmed all over the nation by the first half of Thursday. Stars and filmmakers across Bollywood and the southern film industry have united to spread awareness about the disease and stop panic on social media.## Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu shared a list of dos and don'ts on Instagram story. The list includes observing good personal hygiene, frequently washing hands with soap, covering one's mouth while sneezing and coughing, refraining from the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, refraining from traveling to farms, live animal markets or where animals are slaughtered.## Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has suggested avoiding handshake or hugging. He has insisted on traditional Indian ways of greeting like salaam and namaste. Sharing Salman's post on Instagram, actress Bipasha Basu wrote: "With Awareness and good hygiene we can fight anything. Well said @beingsalmankhan."## Not mentioning coronavirus directly, director Rohit Shetty has reposted nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar's post pertaining to "Common sense to deal with uncommon threats" on Instagram. The post offers tips like having amla daily, consumption of turmeric milk at night, hot water bath with neem leaves, washing hands before eating and refraining from shaking hands.## Veteran actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha took to Twitter to spread awareness through a series of tweets. In one tweet, he has appealed to all to stop rumor-mongering.## "From #SafdarjungHospital & to all other hospitals. The fear that has gripped the city/nation should be cleared out by the media who can play an important role by preventing outright negative & fake news. Rumour mongering must stop. Media can be positive & responsible in these fearful & stressful times. They can also be very helpful in keeping the matter calm & fruitful. #CaronaVirus"## Advising all to drink hot water in another tweet, he wrote: "This time, the Wuhan virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed at a temperature of 26-27 degrees. Therefore, drink more hot water. You can tell your friends and relatives to drink more hot water to prevent it. Go under the Sun. It has been cold recently, and drinking hot water is also very comfortable. It is not a cure and is good for the body. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink ice, remember!"## Director Ram Gopal Varma took to Twitter to sarcastically express: "If there are much lesser number of cases in India, it either means we are just plain lucky or that coronavirus doesn't like Indians much."## Director Anubhav Sinha also shared the same point as Ram Gopal Varma that the number of cases in India is very low and requested everyone not to panic.## He tweeted: "Influenza kills more people every year. We are panicking because we think this shit is new and there is no cure for it. But the truth is that the mortality rate is very low. So... #DontPanic #Corona BUT #TakeCare."## Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri tweeted: "A doctor told me that people who stay too much in central AC environment have a higher chance of catching Corona Virus than those who stay in an open and natural environment. By that logic, urban areas are more susceptible than villages."## For more and latest news about Bollywood and Tollywood, stay tuned with us.

Esha Gupta makes her digital debut
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Esha Gupta makes her digital debut

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Esha Gupta is set to make her digital debut with 'REJCTX 2'. On the show, the 'Rustom' actress will play a police officer.## The second season of the series, directed and produced by Goldie Behl, promises to be high on action and drama.## "I wanted to do something on OTT, and 'REJCTX' felt like the perfect opportunity. The story of the series in the second season and the arc of my character is really interesting. I have played the role of a police officer earlier too, but this is going to be completely different," said Esha, who had earlier donned the uniform for the 2019 film "One Day: Justice Delivered".## "I am playing the role of Officer Rene who isn't a corrupt cop, but she understood early that she needs to be flexible with her ethics if she needs to announce her presence in her office. She also has a hidden secret which she never reveals," she added.## The show is currently being shot in Thailand and will premiere later this year on ZEE5.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

'Made In Heaven' star Arjun Mathur turns vegetarian
2287 days ago
Bollywood

'Made In Heaven' star Arjun Mathur turns vegetarian

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) 'Made In Heaven' star Arjun Mathur says he has turned vegetarian for the sake of the climate.## "There is nothing more important in this world at this point or any other point than to be conscious of the environment. Changing climate has been a very natural force but I think it is being accelerated to levels that have been unprecedented by humans and by the so called progress of the human race," Arjun told IANS.## "Personally, I try to implement small changes in my life whether it's like composting the garbage or separating it, walking where ever I can and turning vegetarian. I've been vegetarian for the last 5 months. Eating non-vegetarian food is the biggest contributor to the destruction of this planet. You can just vegetarian and do your bit," he added.## The actor expressed his views on the sidelines of screening of Sony BBC Earth's docu-series "Climate Change - The Facts".## Actor Gautam Rode also shared his views about climate change.## "Being conscious of the environment is the most important thing. It is really common that taps are left running uselessly, the electricity is on all the time, a lot of plastic is used and because of the availability of these things, now, we need to take special care of our environment. Also, the first thing that comes to my mind from eco-friendly fashion is -- eco-friendly bags. Lots of people, lots of shops have started keeping them and avoiding plastics. It's important for us to use them as well," he said.## To which, Raj Singh Arora added: "As an individual, I use public transport, pool cars and especially prefer cars that run of CNG. Recently I bought a new house, which is very minimalistic and my consumption is very little. As a human being, these are my personal choices which are environmental and which could be looked at as a simple choice. The less you consume, the happier you are as a person. We all need to make a conscious choice."## Debina Bonnerjee also shared: "Speaking of combating climate change at an individual level, I have my YouTube channel Debina Decodes, wherein I talk about the changes that we can just bring about in our home to help the environment, help ourselves for a better future for a better living. I think sometimes I am on the repeat mode, but I can't stop talking about stop using plastic and aluminum, start using metal and glass bottles. These are small daily habits we can adapt at an individual level."## Narrated by David Attenborough, "Climate Change - The Facts" premieres on March 7 on Sony BBC Earth. It highlights the truths behind climate change.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Kajol: Give me three scenes, I can create magic
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Kajol: Give me three scenes, I can create magic

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) She ruled hearts with her celebrated roles in 'Baazigar', 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...', 'My Name Is Khan' among several others. From being the Bollywood heroine who broke all stereotypes of an image to become a superstar, Kajol also marks a huge change in her digital debut with the short film 'Devi', where she shares screen space with nine other actresses. She says she is at a point in her career where the impact of the character matters more than the length of the role.## In a three-decade mainstream career in Bollywood, she has proved herself as an actor and a star time and again. What does she look for in a script now? "The magic," she replied. "Give me three scenes and I can create magic. I do not need a title role where all I have is the title, a poster and, in the whole film, I am furniture. If you look at my career and choice of roles, I have always done something where the character has an emotional graph, something substantial. I want to create a memory in the mind of the audience through the characters I portray. That is precisely the reason I keep saying that I have to like the script. If the character I am offered is not impacting me how will it impact the audience? So, if you think I am choosy, I would say, I am living the life of an artist that I have earned through years of hard work," Kajol added while speaking to IANS.## Starting her career in 1992 with "Bekhudi", Kajol has bagged numerous popular awards and also proved her versatility with a variety of roles. She was equally impressive as the murdered Isha Diwan in the whodunit "Gupt" and the tomboy-turned-glam girl in "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai". She excelled as the mother who lost her only child in religious hatred in "My Name Is Khan", and she exuded effortless ease playing twin siblings of diametrically opposite nature in "Dushman". Indeed, there is hardly any experimentation that she is scared to try out.## Does success give her the confidence to do so? "Success surely gives you confidence, and financial independence also gives you the courage to live life on your own terms. But I have to mention that my idea of success is not just about earning fame and money. I know people who are successful by the definition of society but they are turning out to become people who suffocate in their own image. For me, I have to become the person I like in the first place. After a point, fame and money become inconsequential," replied the actress.## She added: "I feel I am successful not because of the fame and money but because of the individual I have become. The family I have, my kids, my husband, my choice of films -– success is a combination of everything to me."## Asked about if her criteria for choosing a film have changed, Kajol replied: "My choices of films are the reflection of what I believe in. That is how I can be honest with my choices as a performing artist. I know there are some mitigating circumstances under which one has to do a film. Having said that, I am practicing my choice because I am not working just to earn money. I rather earned this luxury through my body of work in the nineties. I am fortunate to have that financial freedom that many artists do not have, so I might as well utilize it to be a part of narratives that are thought-provoking."## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Shivin Narang: Our film on 1983 World Cup win is different from '83'
2287 days ago
Bollywood

Shivin Narang: Our film on 1983 World Cup win is different from '83'

Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Actor Shivin Narang's digital film 'Dheet Patangey' is set against the backdrop of India's 1983 World Cup cricket win, but he says it is different from Ranveer Singh's upcoming movie '83'.## "We shot this film way before, but yes that ('83') is a film by a bigger brand. That film is about Kapil Dev and the cricket team winning the 1983 World Cup. This film is not about cricket win, but the lives affected by it. I am not playing a cricketer. This film is not about the match. Things are interlinked but we are not playing. So, that is a big difference," shared Shivin.## "When we started the film, we had not decided if it would be a feature film or digital but within two years you can see how the web has grown. All the biggest stars, great stories are coming on the web. Like in the last two years, a lot of stuff has changed. We decided that if the film comes on the web, it will have a bigger reach. It is a very special movie and not a regular masala film. It's different from a formula film," he added.## Despite getting busy with OTT content, Shivin still takes out time for TV shows. He is currently seen in "Beyhadh 2" and "Khatron Ke Khiladi".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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