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IANS News

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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

Priya Tandon's take on her character in 'Vidrohi': Grey shades make her real
1630 days ago
TV

Priya Tandon's take on her character in 'Vidrohi': Grey shades make her real

Mumbai, Dec 23 (IANS) 'Saath Nibhaana Saathiya' actress Priya Tandon talks about playing a prominent role in the historical drama 'Vidrohi'. She is seen as Amba, a house help for years who is considered an integral part of the family. ## The actor is enjoying playing the part and she often relates to her on-screen role as well. ## "Amba caters to all needs of the family members specially Radhamani (Sulagna Panigrahi) who treats her like a younger sister. When around the family, she is sincere and loyal, yet ever vigilant, but when it comes to her child, Hari, she can do anything even if it means destroying the family's happiness. So, she does have both positive and negative aspects about her. Her grey shades make her real," she adds. ## Priya connects to the fact that Amba is strong, confident yet emotional. "I totally relate to this side of her. At the same time Amba does teach me new aspects of life every time. That's pretty interesting," says the actor, adding that the show is unique as it highlights an important history from the pages of the Indian freedom struggle. ## She also shares that on set vibes are wonderful. "It feels like I have come to meet my relatives for a festival. Each and every person on the set is there to perform their best and work towards the success of the show," she adds. ## Priya takes 40 minutes to get the hair and make-up done. Then there are the tattoos and jewellery that takes some time. "Our costume designer has done a wonderful job and the costumes are well designed and very well fitted. I love the ikkat prints and tribal designs that have been done so accurately," she shares. ## The actor is happy with the kind of response her look from the show is receiving, especially for the drapes and her tattoos. She is also being complimented on her performance. ## "Everyone on the set is determined to make the show look and feel as close to the original time period. Such period pieces are tricky and need to be managed well," she says. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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'Bigg Boss 15': Karan-Tejasswi spat gets nastier
1630 days ago
TV

'Bigg Boss 15': Karan-Tejasswi spat gets nastier

Mumbai, Dec 23 (IANS) The fight between Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakash is getting worse every day inside the 'Bigg Boss 15' house.## Recently, during the Ticket To Finale task, Tejasswi blames Karan that he is an altogether different person during the task. She also tells him that he is not willing to make this relationship work.## Karan says: "I am with the one who will play fair, either for you or me." Tejasswi replies: "I will support the one who will play for me".## Karan adds: "You are doubting my intentions." While Tejasswi says that she will play for her supporters as Karan is also doing the same. "I have no issues if you win but play a fair game".## Later, Karan tells Tejasswi that his chances are weak to win the task. Meanwhile, Tejasswi asks Karan if he has a problem if she wins the game. Karan says: "You should be ashamed of yourself and now these people are closer to you than me".## He points out Rakhi Sawant and Devoleena because Rakhi has told Tejasswi that Karan is hatching plots behind her back and Tejasswi trusts Rakhi. This hurts Karan.## Stay tuned...

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'IBD 2': Nora Fatehi recalls her early days as a contestant on a reality show
1630 days ago
TV

'IBD 2': Nora Fatehi recalls her early days as a contestant on a reality show

Mumbai, Dec 23 (IANS) Actress, model, and dancer Nora Fatehi, who will be seen as a special guest along with singer Guru Randhawa on 'India's Best Dancer 2', recalled performing as a contestant on a reality show. ## She also praised contestant Saumya for her belly dancing skills and gifts her a coin belt. ## Nora Fatehi says: "Saumya, you are a true artiste and you have taken belly dancing to another level. Looking at you, I feel so overwhelmed because I am reminded of my days of being a contestant on a reality show." ## Nora Fatehi and Guru Randhawa are coming on the dance reality show to promote their latest song 'Dance Meri Rani'. During the show, contestants Saumya and Vartika perform a unique dance style, Kalbelia, on the song 'Reshami Roomal'. Kalbelia is a tribal dance form from the Thar desert in Rajasthan. ## Nora adds appreciating Saumya: "I am so proud of you for representing belly dance the way you do. I think you should win 'India's Best Dancer' because even though belly dance has existed for years, it hasn't gotten the respect and international recognition it deserves. You winning this show will do that." ## 'India's Best Dancer 2' airs on Sony Entertainment Television. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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Why 'Pushpavalli' actor Manish Anand took to keto diet
2233 days ago
TV

Why 'Pushpavalli' actor Manish Anand took to keto diet

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Actor Manish Anand, who has appeared in the web series "Pushpavalli", has turned to a ketogenic diet to prepare for his next series "Salt City.## "'Salt City' was one challenging experience. I had to look leaner for the part. I had to cut down on the weight. So I opted for a ketogenic diet which is a very low carb diet. The trick here is to do it right as more often than not it goes wrong and there are no results," he said.## Manish said he had to be "extremely careful and precise while doing it".## "It helped and I got the feel of the character soon after and I hope it has translated into my performance. 'Salt City' would be out soon and I can't wait for the feedback on that."## The actor will also be seen alongside actress Shamita Shetty in the upcoming film "The Tenant" The film has been directed by Sushrut Jain, who is based in Los Angeles.## Talking about his role, Manish had previously shared that his character is "complex" and has "got multiple shades."## Manish has signed up another movie for which he is learning Arabic online.## Stay tuned...

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Vinit Kakar grooms acting skills by watching TV mythologicals
2233 days ago
TV

Vinit Kakar grooms acting skills by watching TV mythologicals

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Several mythological shows, including "Mahabharata" and "Ramayan", have been re-running on TV amid the lockdown, and actor Vinit Kakar is catching up with all of them to better his performance as Ashwatthama in the ongoing television show "Radha Krishn".## "I'm enjoying watching all the mythological shows.. as these old series turn out to be very epic and audience favorite. I'm watching them and learning about how actors used to convey their dialogues and how they used to carry those heavy outfits while acting. These things are going to help me to groom my acting skills. Once the lockdown gets over I'm going to shoot for the Mahabharata character Ashwatthama, which is an important character in the story...So, I'm not missing any episodes of Mahabharata," he said.## Apart from binge-watching mythological shows, Vinit is also taking proper care of his health amid lockdown.## "In my free time, I take proper care of my health and body. I enjoy being in shape. I'm eating more of raw veggies and I'm exercising six hours a day," Vinit added.## Stay tuned...

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Bani J's hair-raising mantra in hues of the ocean
2233 days ago
TV

Bani J's hair-raising mantra in hues of the ocean

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) TV personality and actress Bani J added a dash of mermaid vibes to her persona, colouring her hair ocean blue with a streak of sea green and lavender. She said she couldn't just post a plain photograph as it doesn't feel creatively satisfying.## The actress, who plays Umang in the web-series "Four More Shots Please!", flaunted her new look in an Instagram selfie.## Alongside the picture, she wrote: "Day 37: Took some pictures to document the hair. Every time I color it, it's my favorite color. Every time I think it's the best, it gets better. Couldn't just post a picture plain, it never feels creatively satisfying - enough, I guess that's a good thing. Always wanting to do more. Always doing more. I'll know when to stop. Internal guidance."## "May we all learn to channelize it. And listen to it. Did you know they actually do tattoos like this? Not just in white ink, it's called Bloodlines or blood lining (you can ask Google about it) Making art in your skin minus the ink. Tres cool. Just as painful as a regular tattoo though. Lol."## Bani had recently shared that she was "dangerously dehydrated" while shooting for the second season of "Four More Shots Please!" in Udaipur.## Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd and created by Rangita Pritish Nandy, the second season of "Four More Shots Please!" sees four women making radical choices in love, career, and friendship. The web-series airs on Amazon Prime Video.## Stay tuned...

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Maniesh Paul reveals his lockdown fitness mantra
2233 days ago
TV

Maniesh Paul reveals his lockdown fitness mantra

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actor-host Maniesh Paul is making sure that his fitness is not affected during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.## In this difficult phase, his family is staying indoors, and Maniesh has found a new way to burn some calories.## "While I am missing the shoot of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs' as well as the young contestants, I understand the need to stay indoors. I knew I'll not be able to go to the gym when the lockdown was eminent, but I wanted to work out every day and so, I bought some gym equipment," said the host of "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs".## "Come what may, me and my wife wanted to stay fit during this quarantine phase. I brought dumbbells, benches and rods -- everything home," he added.## He also shared that his wife is into functional training.## "We are doing lot of planks, push-ups, ab crunches and so on as well. In fact, every day for cardio, we are walking down 10 floors and then we climb up again. We repeat this for 20 minutes in a day and make sure that we cover everything," he said.## Stay tuned...

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Hina Khan: 'Bigg Boss' house and COVID quarantine poles apart
2234 days ago
TV

Hina Khan: 'Bigg Boss' house and COVID quarantine poles apart

New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) No househelp and no option to step out have made many feel like being locked up in the "Bigg Boss" house. But former "Bigg Boss" contestant Hina Khan says that participating in the reality show and experiencing the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown have nothing in common.## The reality show, an Indian version of international series "Celebrity Big Brother", features celebrities locked inside a house for months under constant camera surveillance, without any gadgets or luxury.## "The 'Bigg Boss' house and this quarantine phase are poles apart in regards to any kind of comparison. There is no tactic I am using right now," Hina told IANS.## Unlike the show where the contestants have to be away from their loved ones, Hina is living with her family in Mumbai right now and is feeling fortunate.## "I am so happy to have them by my side during these tough times," said the "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" actress.## Like others, she is also doing household chores and keeping herself entertained with engaging content online.## "From cooking to cleaning to working out to watching stuff online, I have been diverting my mind with things that are positive and productive. Right now it's best doing what you like doing more than anything else, to deal with the home quarantine phase in a better way," she said.## The lockdown, which has been imposed since March, has been a learning experience for her.## "The art of patience is the biggest thing I have learned from the lockdown. Keeping calm, composed, and patiently passing through each day is what I am now getting much better at," she shared.## She doesn't have big plans after the lockdown gets over.## "I feel that even when the lockdown is over, getting back to the normal way of life like it was before this whole scenario began, is honestly going to take a lot of time. So even if there are things I want to do, it's all going to be done with keeping necessary precautions in mind first," she said.## While there is still time for the lockdown to be lifted, viewers can enjoy her recently released a short film titled "Smartphone".## "The short film has a great message. One is about never underestimating anybody else's abilities and there is a strong sense of women empowerment as well, so content-wise it is quite good. And right now I feel that good, meaningful, and interesting content is what people need to be given to watch, to help divert their minds from the stressful situation that we are all facing at the moment," said Hina.## She plays a rural woman in the short film.## "It was a challenging role with lots of nuances to keep in mind. From the desi accent to the language, dressing style, and even personality traits of the character, I had to ensure that every small detail was perfect! And challenges like these in my workspace are what I actually look forward to and enjoy working on, so this definitely is one of those amazingly challenging projects," she said.## Stay tuned...

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Hansa is an evergreen character: Supriya Pathak
2234 days ago
TV

Hansa is an evergreen character: Supriya Pathak

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Supriya Pathak says Hansa is an evergreen character, whom she considers an "epitome of hope". Hansa is one of the popular characters of the show "Khichdi".## "Initially, I was worried about playing Hansa because Hansa is someone who talks a lot but does nothing. But after I started playing the character, it was such a relief. I feel Hansa is an evergreen character which has been a sheer pleasure to perform," said Supriya.## "For the first time in my life, I was not stressed out and was happy. It has been 16 years and to date, a part of Hansa always remains with me. Apart from Hansa's traits, I personally appreciate how precisely the show is written keeping in mind the relatability with the characters. Her innocence is completely charming and she is an epitome of hope that everything will be fine eventually," she added.## Hansa has all the traits of a stereotyped Gujarati woman but in a fun way. Her innocence and camaraderie with her husband Praful (played by Rajeev Mehta) who is always ready to give an answer to Hansa's questions are some of the high points of the show.## Star Bharat has brought back the quirky Parekh family of the "Khichdi" show to the small screen amidst the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.## Stay tuned...

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Aparna Dixit: I am not insecure of the web
2235 days ago
TV

Aparna Dixit: I am not insecure of the web

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) "Pyar Ki Luka Chuppi" actress Aparna Dixit says that the web has provided a lot of opportunities to actors, so no one should be insecure of the medium.## "I am not at all insecure because I am very sure of the loyalty of the TV audience. I feel that the TV audience is still a huge number and both the platforms are very different. It's like how people used to compare TV and films and now one more thing has been added," she said.## "Actors who used to sit at home, with no work, have got more opportunities. Also, it provides every one of a new way to display their talent. I think it's a great thing. There is some content which we can't show on TV, so now that can be shown on the web. If your story is good, you get the audience, irrespective of the platform," she added.## Aparna said there must be different content on TV as well, to keep the viewers engaged.## "I feel that content is supposed to be very different from each other as the audience loves watching different genres. We have to give them different kinds of stories. Also because actors also like to explore different genres," she said.## Meanwhile, during the period of lockdown, Arpana is missing shooting for her show "Pyar Ki Luka Chuppi".## "I miss shooting so much and I miss Rahul and Sheetal so much they are such amazing co-actors and I used to have blast on the set. I am missing making Instagram stories on the set. I am the one who makes many Instagram stories on the set, so I think my audience is also missing that," she said.## "In the evening, I used to have fruit sessions with Rahul and we would make fruit platters. I am also missing all the gossip sessions. Most importantly, I am missing delivering new episodes to the audience. I am getting so many messages from our fans asking when the next episode would come," she added.## Stay tuned...

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COVID-19 effect: It could be golden days for long TV series again
2236 days ago
TV

COVID-19 effect: It could be golden days for long TV series again

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) It is quite some time before people start flocking to cinema halls or other entertainment events. For now, they will stick to their stay-at-home lifestyle even after the lockdown is lifted, and even after the coronavirus crisis is over. And that's expected to have a ripple effect on the television industry with the trend of long format making a comeback on the small screen post-pandemic.## Signaling gloomy days for film business and live entertainment gigs, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be a major inflection point for changing the way people consume entertainment content, registering fast pace growth of television and OTT platforms.## "Collective public experience will be replaced by collective family viewing, that too within the confines of their respective homes," producer-director Vivek Budakoti of banner Katha Kottage, told IANS.## According to a recent report by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), TV consumption continues to show a growth of 40 percent over a pre-COVID period now at 1.24 trillion minutes -- the increase led by both reach and average time spent. It also stated that the Hindi GEC in HSM (Hindi speaking market) is at an all-time high with 8.5 billion impressions with mythological shows leading the way.## "This trend will be there for time being before people go back to cinema halls. Web platforms will gain traction amidst TV and cinema. It may sort of work as a bridge between two seasoned mediums," Budakoti pointed out.## Actor Sharad Malhotra feels "even after lockdown is removed and the situation gets normal people" will think twice before stepping out for a film.## "Long-running shows will be in demand more than before," Sharad added.## To this, actress Vahbiz Dorabjee added: "There is a possibility that the trend of long-running shows will be back. This pandemic will stay in people's minds for a very long time. Even after it goes, it is going to take a long time to settle down because people won't be able to forget this deadly virus so soon."## The change has started reflecting already. At a time when limited series are in vogue, Disney+ Hotstar has commissioned 234 episodes of the animated series "Selfie With Bajrang".## One can say that television has always been a haven for long-running shows with popular "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah", "Kumkum Bhagya" and "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" being the case in point.## Adaa Khan noted that "daily soaps are like dal chawal. Long-running hit shows like ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' already exist. You should have a constant story to tell and it should click with masses", with actress Jasmin Bhasin pointing out: "Long-running shows always existed depending upon being hit. If people love specific shows they continue seeing it. The story has to constantly hold the audience's interest."## But one can't overlook the fact that finite concept was fast seeping into the industry, with sequels and limited series becoming a new reality of the television landscape.## Benaifer Kohli, producer of the hit show "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!", feels "even a finite show, if it works, can be converted into a long-running show."## "Because you don't want to close a show which is being loved by the public. So, you automatically tend to lend more stories and make it a long-running show...Long-running shows will be the order and trend of the day in the times to come," Kohli told IANS.## Stay tuned...

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Aamna Sharif pens a poem on current health crisis
2237 days ago
TV

Aamna Sharif pens a poem on current health crisis

Mumbai, April 25 (IANS) Actress Aamna Shareef has turned poet during novel coronavirus lockdown.## On Saturday, the "Kahiin Toh Hoga" fame actress took to Instagram and shared a self-composed poem, depicting the ongoing health crisis.## "Phone rakhte hi sunaayi nahi deti... doston Ki awaaz hai, apno se hi door rehna, yeh kaisa andaaz hai, daulat ke peeche bhaag Raha Tha Isiliye Kya Dosti Naraaz Hai," Aamna's wrote.## She also posted a video in which she is seen reciting her poem, titled "Dua Karti Hoon", which is co-written by her husband Amit Kapoor.## Speaking of her acting stint, Aamna is currently reprising the iconic antagonist Komolika in the reboot show of "Kasautii Zindagii Kay".## Stay tuned...

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