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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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Samir Soni Feels Privileged To Have Worked With Veterans Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur
1624 days ago
Bollywood

Samir Soni Feels Privileged To Have Worked With Veterans Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur

Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) For actor Samir Soni, it was surreal to work with veteran actors Dimple Kapadia and Pankaj Kapur in 'Jab Khuli Kitaab'. The film, written and directed by Saurabh Shukla, is a slice-of-life drama and has been shot in Ranikhet.## Talking about the film, Samir, whose book, 'My Experiments with Silence' has garnered a positive response, said: "I am super excited for a film that I have just finished shooting. It is a lovely script, one of the most beautiful scripts I have ever read. I have been waiting for such scripts to come my way, where I am not portrayed as a rich millionaire kind of dynamic guy".## He added: "It is a privilege to be a part of this film and it has been a pleasure working with people I have been a fan of. It is great to work with someone as great as Pankaj ji, Dimple ji, who is as stunning and as warm as ever. We got to talk and discuss things every evening, and I never once had dreamt that I would work with or be seen opposite the beautiful 'Bobby' (sic)".## The film has been produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Saurabh Shukla and producer Naren Kumar's Shoe Strap Films.## Commenting further, the actor said: "The movie boasts of an extremely talented cast and is absolutely excellent. Last, but not least, it is also great associating with Sameer Nair (CEO, Applause Entertainment) for him and his team have been doing some of the finest work in the entertainment space".## Stay tuned...

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'83' Gets Thumbs Up From Rajinikanth, Calls It 'Magnificent'
1624 days ago
Bollywood

'83' Gets Thumbs Up From Rajinikanth, Calls It 'Magnificent'

Chennai, Dec 28 (IANS) Megastar Rajinikanth is the latest to join the list of people who have lavished praise on the recently released cricket epic '83', which showcases the journey of India's triumph at the 1983 World Cup.## Rajinikanth, who took to Twitter to share his opinion about the film, said, "#83TheMovie wow what a movie… magnificent!!! Many congratulations to the producers".## The actor also tagged director Kabir Khan, cricket icon Kapil Dev, actor Ranveer Singh, and Tamil actor Jiiva, who plays cricketer Srikkanth in the film.## This apart, Rajinikanth also congratulated the entire cast and crew of the film. The movie is receiving positive feedback from both fans and critics.## Kamal Haasan's Raajkamal Films International and Akkineni Nagarjuna's Annapurna Studios have joined hands with Reliance Entertainment to present the film's Tamil and Telugu versions, respectively.## Prithviraj's production firm and Kichcha Sudeepa's Shalini Arts have presented the film's Malayalam and Kannada versions.## Stay tuned...

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Nikhil Dwivedi to produce Rajesh Khanna biopic directed by Farah Khan
1625 days ago
Bollywood

Nikhil Dwivedi to produce Rajesh Khanna biopic directed by Farah Khan

Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) Producer-actor Nikhil Dwivedi is all set to bankroll a film based on the life of superstar Rajesh Khanna. ## The producer has acquired the rights to Gautam Chintamani's book 'Dark Star: The Loneliness Of Being Rajesh Khanna'. The screen adaptation will be directed by Farah Khan, who will also script the film along with Gautam Chintamani. However, the casting of the film is underway. ## Shedding light on the development, Nikhil Dwivedi said: "Yes, I've acquired the rights to Gautam Chintamani's book, 'Dark Star', and I'm in talks with Farah Khan to make the film. That's all I can say for now. As and when any major development happens, I'll be happy to share because I'm really very excited about bringing Rajesh Khanna's story to the big screen." ## Born Jatin Khanna, and affectionately called 'Kaka' by his industry friends, he was quite a complex personality, and unfortunately, misunderstood by many. The actor is known for delivering 17 mammoth blockbusters in succession, which resulted in mass hysteria, especially among his female followers, back in the 1970s. ## Talking about the project, Farah Khan said: "Yes I have read Gautam's book and it's very fascinating. It's definitely an exciting story." ## However, she declined to enlist the details of the project, saying, "We are in a conversation over this but I cannot comment more." ##

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Karan Johar lavishes praise on Telugu cinema
1625 days ago
Bollywood

Karan Johar lavishes praise on Telugu cinema

Hyderabad, Dec 28 (IANS) Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has opened up with his views on south Indian cinema, especially Telugu movies, in a discussion on what a pan-Indian film is all about. ## Karan admits that even Hindi movies are not doing as much business as Telugu films in recent times. He even cites an example, taking Allu Arjun's recently released movie 'Pushpa' to explain the commercial stamina of Telugu movies. ## "With no promotions at all, Allu Arjun's 'Pushpa' was released with just a few posters and the trailer. Even though Allu Arjun is not known in the north, the movie made a lot of money at the box-office. Can you imagine the scenario? Now, this is called the 'pan-India craze'," the Bollywood director said. ## Karan opined that the whole terminology of a 'pan-Indian film' started with S.S. Rajamouli's 'Baahubali'. He said 'Baahubali 1' had done business of Rs 112 crore, whereas Rajamouli's previous film 'Makki' made just Rs 1 crore in the Hindi belt. ## Karan also predicted that Rajamouli's upcoming magnum opus 'RRR' is going to be one of the biggest openers and might collect Rs 30 crore on the first day of its Hindi version alone in India. ##

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Asim Riaz takes a dig at Shehnaaz Gill's dance videos with cryptic message
1625 days ago
Bollywood

Asim Riaz takes a dig at Shehnaaz Gill's dance videos with cryptic message

Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) A video of Punjabi actress Shehnaaz Gill happily dancing at an engagement party went viral on social media. However, it seems it did not go down with her 'Bigg Boss 13' co-housemate Asim Riaz, who seemed to have taken a dig at her with a cryptic post on social media saying that "people get over loved ones so soon". ## Without naming anyone, Asim wrote: "Just saw few dancing clips ... seriously people get over loved ones so soon. Kya baat kya baat... #Newworld." ## What led next was fans slamming Asim for his tweet. ## A fan wrote: "Genuinely, not expected this from you Asim. I was your die hard fan from last 2 years. Seriously giving taunt to someone who's try to move on from bad days... I'm very happy to see her like this because I also going through from this pain of losing someone. Shame on Asim Riaz. ## Another said: "You are the least deserving guy to judge someone's love/care for him. Just saying. "Oh so @imrealasim saw the few seconds of dancing but he forgot the unimaginable pain for months she went thru after losing a loved one? And rather than helping a colleague move on, speaking such words to get some attention? Waah! #AsimRiaz #ShehnaazGill #ShameOnAsimRiaz," one simply wrote. ## Shehnaaz was reportedly in a relationship with late actor Sidharth Shukla, whose sudden demise in September left everyone in shock. ## Shehnaaz had isolated herself after his death and only commenced work after a month to promote her Punjabi film 'Honsla Rakh' starring Diljit Dosanjh and Sonam Bajwa. ## Sidharth, a popular face on the Indian small-screen, passed away in Mumbai after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. ##

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1st edition of Kashi Film Festival begins in Varanasi
1625 days ago
Bollywood

1st edition of Kashi Film Festival begins in Varanasi

Varanasi, Dec 28 (IANS) The first edition of the Kashi Film Festival, a joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Uttar Pradesh government, began here on Monday night. ## Speaking on the occasion, BJP MP Ravi Kishan said: The three-day film festival, along with the proposed Film City project in Noida, will serve as an effective tool to prevent local talent from venturing outside of Uttar Pradesh in search of opportunities in the creative fields." ## Kishan also defended the timing of the festival's launch and said: "Opposition says this was done with elections in mind. I say it reflects their own thinking. As far as we are concerned, we inaugurate 20 projects a day because that is the amount of work we have done." ## The BJP MP also announced a 'Natya Kumbh', a gathering of 1,800 theatre artists in Gorakhpur early next year, where they will celebrate lesser-known heroes of Indian history under the theme of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. ## State Tourism, Culture and Charitable Affairs Ainister and local legislator Neelkanth Tiwari also used the festival stage to assert that Prime Minister Modi has set India on the path to achieving 'Ram Rajya' as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi, whether it is through the revamped Kashi Vishwanath corridor, the repeal of Article 370, or setting Muslim women "free" from the shackles of triple talaq. ## "Kashi is offering solutions to the problems of the world. When the Prime Minister launched the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, the world was watching. One problem festering for over 500 years was the Ayodhya one, the Prime Minister resolved that too," Tiwari said. ## Lauding the Uttar Pradesh government and Film Bandhu for its effective promotion of the state as a go-to destination for film shooting, Union I and B secretary Apurva Chandra said the idea of hosting the Kashi Film Festival was conceived at the International Film Festival of India in Goa in November, keeping in mind rich contribution to the world of cinema. ## Veteran film actor Anupam Kher said the cinema was for the world and that creative talent should not limit themselves to geographies. He said the Kashi film festival will provide a platform to local talent from which to travel the world. ## Additional Chief Secretary Navneet Sehgal also said an investor's summit hosted by the Uttar Pradesh government in Mumbai had suggested that nearly 60 per cent people working in the Bollywood film industry in various capacities were from the state. ## "This festival is an opportunity to promote local traditions and cultures in continuation of the Prime Minister's efforts to improve Varanasi," he said. ## The inaugural festival also saw performances by actor Manoj Joshi, singer Kailash Kher and stand-up comedian Raju Srivastava. ## The National Film Archives of India has showcased posters of 60 iconic Indian films - ranging from Satyajit Ray's 'Joi Baba Felunath' to 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili' - shot in Varanasi. ##

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Salman Khan on his b'day: I just love it when the country calls me 'bhai' (IANS Exclusive)
1625 days ago
Bollywood

Salman Khan on his b'day: I just love it when the country calls me 'bhai' (IANS Exclusive)

New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) As he celebrates his 56th birthday on Monday and is showered with love from the entire country which he calls his family, Bollywood's dapper dude Salman Khan feels very loved and appreciated when his fans call him 'bhai' or 'bhaijaan'. ## Salman made his debut in Hindi cinema in 1989 with 'Biwi Ho To Aisi' and is one of the biggest stars in India. He has starred in hits one after the another such as 'Maine Pyar Kiya', 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun...?', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Tere Naam', 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi', 'Wanted', 'Dabangg', 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and 'Sultan'. ## The superstar, who according to the Forbes 2018 list of Top-Paid 100 Celebrity Entertainers in world, was the highest-ranked Indian, enjoys a massive fandom. He currently has 48.1 million Instagram followers and on Twitter he has over 43.4 million. ## Talking to IANS about the bundles of love coming his way, Salman said: "I feel very grateful and I feel very loved and I really appreciate all the love and respect from all the fans from the whole country." ## The actor, who has been feted with two National Film Awards as a film producer, feels over the moon when his fans call him 'bhai' (brother). ## "The fact that they call me 'bhai', 'bhaijaan'... it is just feels amazing. It just feels that the whole country is like family. I love that feeling. No matter who, no matter what sect, what caste or religion... they all call me 'bhai' and I love that fact," said the eldest son of veteran screenwriter Salim Khan. ## As a global star does he have any fears? ## Pat came to the reply from Salman: "I don't have any fears, I have responsibilities." ## He feels responsible for doing his best on screen for the people who love him. ## "I need to deliver each and every time to the best of my abilities. When people come out of the theatres they should follow the character and the best parts of the character and implement that in their real lives. That is what I do," said the star. ## Cinema has the power to influence, and Salman wants to set a good example. ## "When I used to go out to watch a movie, I used to get very influenced by the heroes of my time and do the right thing. So, this has been my endeavor to keep on doing this all the time and not play negative and say the right things and doing the right thing on screen and in real life as well," he said. ## Looking forward, his fans have many reasons to celebrate as their 'bhaijaan' has a long list of films lined up. ## Salman will be seen in 'Tiger 3', 'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali', 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2' and the second instalment of 'No Entry'. ##

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Saqib Saleem: Depicting Their Mannerisms Without Mocking Cricketers Was A Tightrope Walk
1625 days ago
Bollywood

Saqib Saleem: Depicting Their Mannerisms Without Mocking Cricketers Was A Tightrope Walk

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Bollywood actor Saqib Saleem, who played the character of cricketer Mohinder Amarnath in '83', says getting the mannerisms and body language of the cricket star right without mocking him was quite a thin line that he had to maintain.## In conversation with IANS, Saqib shares, "When we were starting the film, Kabir told us that every actor has to become them instead of pretending to act like them. So, for me, it was like imbibing Jimmy sir's body language where I was holding the very essence of how he would move his shoulders, walk on the field, etc.## "We cannot change that because those are their signature body language that the world has seen...we can see it on all the footage that are available online. But for me, it was a tight rope to walk where we did those mannerisms without mocking them".## "Since we were preparing for a year, the body language became my second nature, it was not looking like mocking anymore eventually", he added.## As the film is based on the victory of the Indian cricket team that won the World Cup 1983 led by Kapil Dev, the actor shared how it was a moment of nostalgia to watch the film with his father Saleem Qureshi.## Drawing a parallel between real and reel life Saqib said, "You know my father is a huge fan of Mohinder Amarnath. So for me, it was one of those special films where I wanted to impress my father and I wanted him to feel proud of me for my acting. Quite interestingly, Jimmy sir during the World Cup also was trying to impress his father Lalaji with his performance.## "Yes, he came from a privileged background but he was a most responsible and humble man who understood the duty of being the son of an iconic cricketer like Lala Amarnath. He was trying to prove how deserving he is to be an Amarnath".## Lala Amarnath was the first cricket captain of independent India. He was also the first batsman to score a century in Test cricket for India. Mohindar Amarnath is the son of Lala Amarnath.## Asked about what was his understanding of Mohindar as a personality and Saqib shared, "I asked him that when he used to face the fast bowling of West Indies cricket greats like Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, what was going on in his head? Jimmy sir laughed and replied, 'Beta uss time pe agar zyada dimaag chalate na, to ball saar pe lag ke wahin khatam ho jaate...we were just doing our basics right. That is it, it was all about those few seconds in between and your reflexes".## Directed by Kabir Khan, '83' released in theatres on Friday.## Stay tuned...

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Pooja Hegde's Loving The Response To 'Radhe Shyam' Trailer
1626 days ago
Bollywood

Pooja Hegde's Loving The Response To 'Radhe Shyam' Trailer

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Actress Pooja Hegde, who plays the character of Prerna in 'Radhe Shyam', is on cloud nine with the response to the film's trailer.## In addition, she calls the film a love story where the couple fights unforeseen battles and forces which are beyond their comprehension.## Commenting on the same, the actress says, "'Radhe Shyam' has witnessed an incredible amount of excitement and it feels fantastic to have the audience wait for your movie so eagerly. The uproar created by those who loved the trailer was heartwarming to watch. It's a love story of a couple who are fighting forces beyond our ken to be together".## Talking about her character, the actress, who has been getting a positive response from the audience, says, "Prerna has the strength it takes to fight for love and I'm glad that her courage came across to the viewers through the trailer".## The trailer shows Pooja embodying a princess as she pulls off classic looks complementing the scenic European locales.## 'Radhe Shyam', a period romantic drama, also stars Prabhas and Bhagyashree and has been shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. The film is written and directed by Radha Krishna Kumar and is slated to hit theatres on January 14.## Stay tuned...

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Vidyut Jammwal's 'Khuda Haafiz Chapter II - Agni Pariksha' shoot wraps up
1626 days ago
Bollywood

Vidyut Jammwal's 'Khuda Haafiz Chapter II - Agni Pariksha' shoot wraps up

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) The shooting for Vidyut Jammwal-starrer 'Khuda Haafiz Chapter II - Agni Pariksha' has been wrapped up. ## The upcoming film directed by Faruk Kabir wrapped up its shoot with the last schedule shot in Egypt. ## Vidyut said: "Essaying Samir has been an adventurous journey spanning across two wonderful films directed by the brilliant Faruk Kabir." ## "As we wrap the second one, I'm grateful and proud to be on a film that pushed me to my limits. It made performing stunts and action sequences even more exciting for me. I hope to give the audience something memorable and epic with this one." ## Filmmaker Faruk Kabir added that shooting in Egypt was a great adventure. ## He said: "Before wrapped the film, we shot there for 15 days and we felt thoroughly welcomed in this mystical country. The landscape that it offers 'Khuda Haafiz Chapter II Agni Pariksha' is phenomenal. It makes the visually palatable and amps up the thrill." ## Kumar Mangat Pathak, Managing Director at Panorama Studios, said: "We've repeated the team of the first instalment and the comfort, friendship and pace of work that they maintain are commendable. With the film wrapped, we're excited about launching into post-production and announcing its release date." ## Panorama Studios International presents 'Khuda Haafiz Chapter II - Agni Pariksha', a Panorama Studios production, written and directed by Faruk Kabir, produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak, co-produced by Sanjeev Joshi, Aditya Chowksey and Hasnain Hussaini. ## It also stars Shivaleeka Oberoi. ## The second chapter outlines the intense action love story between the lead characters essayed by Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi, who are both tasked with facing challenges posed by circumstances and society. ##

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After '83', Anjum Batra returns to the field for 'Jersey'
1626 days ago
Bollywood

After '83', Anjum Batra returns to the field for 'Jersey'

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) '83' actor Anjum Batra is all set to be seen in Shahid Kapoor and Mrunal Thakur-starrer 'Jersey'. He will be seen playing the character of Shahid's best friend in the movie. ## Speaking of his character, Anjum reveals: "I am playing Amrit Bhalla in the film. Me and Shahid are best friends. In the film, Shahid is shown in trouble to arrange Rs 500 rupees for the cricket jersey which his son demands as a birthday gift. The audience will see me giving many ideas to Shahid to arrange money." ## He further continues: "Basically Amrit is good for nothing. He doesn't like to work at all. He only wants free liquor and 'udhaar ke paise'." ## 'Jersey' is a sports drama film, written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri. It features Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, and Pankaj Kapur. 'Jersey' is all set to release on December 31. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

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Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury on getting 'Lost' with Yami Gautam
1626 days ago
Bollywood

Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury on getting 'Lost' with Yami Gautam

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Three-time National Award-winning director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury has heaped praise on his 'Lost' actress Yami Gautam and called her one of the most conscientious actresses he has worked with on a film. ## Speaking about Yami, Aniruddha said: "It was an incredible experience of working with Yami Gautam. She is one of the most conscientious actresses I have worked with on a film. No matter what, she was always there on the set, prepared before time. I knew she wasn't doing well when we were shooting on one of the most humid days at a live location, but she didn't let that affect the process." ## He said that Yami is a very collaborative artist. ## He added: "We had several discussions before going on the floors. She understood the nuances of her character and embodied it perfectly. She has completely owned the lead part of investigative journalist Vidhi Sahani." ## 'Lost' also stars Pankaj Kapur, Rahul Khanna, Neil Bhoopalam, Pia Bajpiee, and Tushar Pandey. The screenplay is written by Shyamal Sengupta, dialogues by Ritesh Shah, and stories by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and Shyamal Sengupta. ## The film is produced by Zee Studios, Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Sam Fernandes, and Indrani Mukherjee. ##

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