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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

B-Town pets are Instagram superstars!
2278 days ago
Bollywood

B-Town pets are Instagram superstars!

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) Just imagine, a puppy having an account on social media with a following of over 15K! Hard to digest? As much as the Bollywood celebrities are famous, their four-legged friends too create a frenzy on the internet. ## Several Bollywood celebrities and ardent animal lovers like John Abraham, Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra, among many other celebrities, have created Instagram accounts for their pets, who enjoy no less stardom and attention than their "parents". ## IANS lists a few celebrity pets with sizeable fan following on Instagram: ## DIANA CHOPRA ## Priyanka Chopra Jonas adopted a puppy in 2016 and named her Diana. The Indian actress then introduced Diana to the world on Instagram. She goes with the Insta handle "diariesofdiana", which currently has 220 posts, and has a fan following of over 149k. ## SIA and BAILEY ## Bollywood hunk John Abraham has two furry babies, Sia and Bailey. The two have a profile "abraham_bailey" and enjoy a fan following of over 15.1K. Their bio reads: "Hi, I'm Bailey and this is my baby girl Sia! I was adopted by my awesome parents and we all live together". Their profile currently has 141 posts. ## EDWARD BHATT ## Actress Alia Bhatt has a white persian cat, whom she has named Edward. She constantly gives sneak peek into her kitty's life through his profile "bhattedward". Edward's bio reads: "Momma's boy @aliaabhatt. Eddiiee..." ## BELLA, JASMINE, GOKU and KEETY ## Disha Patani is a parent to not one but four furry 'kids' -- two dogs and two cats, who go by the names of Bella, Jasmine, Goku and Keety. The four-legged friends on Instagram have a following of a whopping 21.1k followers. The bio describes them as: "Bella - Famous on the gram, Jasmine - Meows, climbs and a whole lot of love! Goku - Always bring me snacks, Keety - Too cool to care!" ## LUCIFER ## Going with the Insta ID 'livinitupwithlucifer' is actress Raveena Raveena Tandon-Thadani's cute Pomeranian. The actress has made a profile on the photo-sharing website to give everyone an insight to her puppy's life. Lucifer enjoys a fan following of over 1K fans on the social media website. ## TIA ## Actress-singer Sophie Choudry is a pet mama to a Shih Tzu named Tia, whose Insta handle is tia_thetzu. Tia enjoys a following of 1,893 fans. Her description reads: "I am a super cute Shih Tzu puppy living in Mumbai with my darling mummy @SophieChoudry & granny Yasmin." ## It doesn't just stop at pets! ## Actress Adah Sharma has a stuffed toy cat, which she has fondly named Radha. Adah has made an Instagram profile for the toy, which goes by the name "adah_ki_radha". The funny part is that the profile has a verified mark and has over 26.9k followers! Radha's bio read: "Radha Sharma... Starkid of @adah_ki_adah ## Here for my talent of changing expressions, not here coz of NEPOTISM. Going to be launched in Bollywood soon coz I lost 10 kgs..." ## Cheers to a dog's life! ## (Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at [email protected]) ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Despite coronavirus, B'wood celebs rock the party at Zee Cine Awards
2279 days ago
Bollywood

Despite coronavirus, B'wood celebs rock the party at Zee Cine Awards

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) Global health guidelines may have warned against large gatherings and public events owing to the coronavirus pandemic, but can that ever dampen Bollywood's mood to celebrate -- especially when the event in question is about scooping up awards and enjoying live performances by the superstars. ## If you were at the Zee Cine Awards in Mumbai on Friday, pandemic would probably be the last word in your mind. It was a star-studded gala where Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan's dance performances had them asking for more. ## Of course, for the sake of caution, the general public was not allowed entry, and there was no red carpet either. ## Among B-Town A-listers spotted keeping the shutterbugs busy with their style quotient and posing were Ayushmann Khurrana, Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Taapsee Pannu, Kriti Sanon, Nora Fatehi, Rakul Preet Singh, Tara Sutaria and Urvashi Rautela. Govinda came with wife Sunita, and Manish Malhotra was spotted giving photo-ops, too. ## Ranveer Singh lived up to his image of being an outrageous dresser, flaunting shock value in fashion as always in a shiny black coat that had gaudy, multicoloured motifs all over. He insisted on keeping his deep-tinted Harry Potter shades on even when he was sitting inside the dimly-lit venue. ## If you do keep track of who won what, Ranveer won the Best Actor (Male) in a Leading Role award for his performance in "Gully Boy" while actress Taapsee Pannu won the Best Actress award for her role in "Badla". ## Posting a pic with the trophy on social media, Taapse wrote: "The first one for 'Naina Sethi'." ## Ranveer returned on stage to collect the Best On-screen Pair trophy along with Siddhant Chaturvedi for "Gully Boy", while Siddhant was also declared Best Male Debutant for the same film. Ananya Panday won Best Female Debutant for "Student Of the Year 2". ## "Blessings on Blessings on Blessings," wrote Ranveer alongside an image in which he is seen flaunting his trophies. ## Ayushmann Khurrana was declared "Best Entertainer of the Year" while Kartik Aaryan won the Best Comic Performance award for his role in "Pati Patni Aur Woh". ## The Best Music award winners were Sachet-Parampara for "Kabir Singh", while Parvez Shaikh, Paul Jennings, Oh Sea Young and Franz Spilhaus shared the Best Action trophy for "War". The Best Choreography award went to Bosco-Caesar for the number "Jai jai Shiv Shankar" in "War", and the film also won Best Visual Effects. ## The awards will air on Zee TV and Zee Cinema on March 28. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Katrina Kaif wishes Rohit Shetty on his B'day amid rift rumours
2279 days ago
Bollywood

Katrina Kaif wishes Rohit Shetty on his B'day amid rift rumours

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) Amid rumours of a rift, Katrina Kaif on Saturday took to Instagram to convey birthday greetings to filmmaker Rohit Shetty, who directs her in the upcoming "Sooryavanshi". ## Katrina posted a photo of the filmmaker on her Instagram story and wrote: "@itsrohitshetty happiest birthday every wishing you the bestest year and reaching even greater heights... All the love to you." ## Earlier, the grapevine was abuzz with rumours of a rift between the two after Shetty reportedly said that no one would notice Katrina in "Sooryavanshi", considering the film has high-voltage action featuring its hero Akshay Kumar, along with Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh who feature in cameos. ## Soon afterwards, social media started trolling Shetty, and #ShameOnYouRohitShetty started trending on Twitter. Katrina came out to defend Shetty saying his quote had been taken out of context by a section of the media. It seems like Shetty actually meant that no one would notice Katrina accidentally blinking in a particular action scene considering there were such high-octane stunts going on, involving the three male stars. ## The actress added Shetty and she are good friends. ## Meanwhile, "Sooryavanshi" has been delayed indefinitely owing to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The cop drama was scheduled to release on March 24. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Harshvardhan Rane helps clean the Ganga in Uttarakhand
2279 days ago
Bollywood

Harshvardhan Rane helps clean the Ganga in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, March 14 (IANS) Actor Harshvardhan Rane, who is busy shooting for the Taapsee Pannu-starrer "Haseen Dillruba" in Uttarakhand, was recently spotted picking up trash from the river Ganga. ## "The tourists throw used clothes and consider it as 'Ganga Daan'. I request them to not indulge in such practice and rather donate their old clothes to the underprivileged," Harshvardhan said. ## After the clean-up drive, The actor posed for pictures with a group of local people. ## "Haseen Dillruba" is a murder mystery that features Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey and Hansika Motwani along with Harshvardhan in the pivotal roles. The film is scheduled to release on September 18 and it marks the return of director Vinil Mathew, whose last release is his 2014 debut feature, "Hasee Toh Phasee". ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Covid-19: Netflix, Disney halt production on projects
2279 days ago
Digital Media

Covid-19: Netflix, Disney halt production on projects

San Francisco, March 14 (IANS) In an effort to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus, both Netflix and Disney have halted production on certain projects, a media report said. ## Due to government restrictions as well as health and safety concerns, Netflix has stopped scripted TV and film production in both the US and Canada for two weeks, The Verge reported on Friday. ## "While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time," Disney was quoted as saying in a statement. ## The company, however, added that it will "continue to assess the situation and restart as soon as feasible." ## In good news for families during this challenging period, Disney also announced that "Frozen 2" will be available three months ahead of schedule on Disney+ in the US beginning March 15. ## "'Frozen 2' has captivated audiences around the world through its powerful themes of perseverance and the importance of family, messages that are incredibly relevant during this time, and we are pleased to be able to share this heartwarming story early with our Disney+ subscribers to enjoy at home on any device," said Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. ## Internationally, "Frozen 2" will be available on Disney+ in Canada, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand on March 17. ## "Frozen 2" follows Elsa, together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, on a remarkable and inspiring journey into the unknown to discover the source of her magical powers and save the kingdom of Arendelle. ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

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COVID 19 effect: 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' postponed
2279 days ago
Bollywood

COVID 19 effect: 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' postponed

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) The release date of the upcoming Parineeti Chopra-Arjun Kapoor crime drama "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" has been pushed again, this time owing to the coronavirus pandemic. ## The Dibakar Banerjee directorial was slated to open on March 20. On Saturday, less than a week away from release date, the film's producer Yash Raj Films (YRF) tweeted to inform: "Given the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country, we have decided to postpone the release of Dibakar Banerjee's Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. The health and safety of everyone is of utmost importance at this time." ## The post, put up on the banner;s official handle @yrf, was retweeted by the film's lead actors, Arjun and Parineeti. ## "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" has been jinxed by delay in schedule, Unconfirmed reports state that the film was originally scheduled to open over a year ago. It was finally readied for release next Friday, but it seems like Parineeti and Arjun will have to wait a while longer for their film to see light of day, once the COVID 19 storm passes away. ## The two actors worked together in the 2012 release "Ishaqzaade", which marked Arjun's Bollywood debut. The film was critically acclaimed. They reunited in the 2018 release, "Namaste England", which performed below expectations. ## Parineeti and Arjun's third outing together, "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar", marks Dibakar Banerjee's return as director to the Bollywood screen for the first time since the 2015 release, "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!" Parineeti plays a corporate executive named Sandeep Kaur while Arjun is Pinky Dahiya, a policeman. The duo go absconding under unusual circumstances. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Rashami Desai's 'Naagin 4' promo out
2279 days ago
TV

Rashami Desai's 'Naagin 4' promo out

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) Actress Rashami Desai is the latest addition to the cast of "Naagin 4". ## On Saturday, she took to her social media and unveiled a new promo of the ongoing supernatural TV show. ## The promo features Rashami in a different avatar. It also shows her face covered with mud. ## Announcing her entry into the show, Rashami wrote: "Super thrilled, excited, and a lot of mixed emotions going on." ## She added: You have seen me and loved me as Tapasya, as Shorvori, and now I am bringing forth to you a new side of me with this show. Hope to receive the same amount of love from you all for my new project." ## Rashami will be seen playing the role of Shalaka in "Naagin 4", which airs on Colors TV. Before this, she wooed audience with her stint in "Bigg Boss 13". ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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Neha Dhupia on being trolled over cheating comment: I've been misinterpreted
2279 days ago
TV

Neha Dhupia on being trolled over cheating comment: I've been misinterpreted

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) After being heavily trolled for her comment that seemed like she was defending a girl for cheating in a relationship, actress Neha Dhupia on Saturday took to social media to defend herself. She posted a lengthy statement, declaring she has been misinterpreted. ## The controversy started after a recent episode of the ongoing season of "MTV Roadies Revolution", wherein Neha, who is a gang leader, reprimanded a male contestant for slapping a girl, for allegedly cheating on him with five other boys. She also defended the girl saying as far as cheating goes, "it's her choice". ## Neha's attitude, however, did not find favour with netizens, with many users alleging she was a "fake feminist". ## Responding to the trolls, Neha wrote: "Roadies is a show that I have been a part of for five years and enjoyed every bit of it. It takes me all over India and gives me the opportunity to team up with absolute rock stars from all parts of the country. What I do not like or accept is what is happening for more than two weeks now! Recently during one of the episodes that aired, I took a stand against violence. ## "A guy talked about his partner who cheated on him (allegedly) and in retaliation, he hit her by his own admission. What the girl did is a choice she made which is a moral choice regardless of someone, man or woman... adultery is a moral choice. Cheating is not something I stand for, and it is unfortunate that I have been misrepresented for the same... but what I do stand for is women's safety." ## She also stated how trolls have affected her family members. ## "Sadly, as a reaction to my opinion, I have been subjected to weeks of vitriol. One of my posts had over 56k comments! Yet I was silent but now people close to me who have nothing to do with this - my family, my friends, my co-workers and even my dad's personal WhatsApp are being flooded with abuses and harassment. My daughter's page is nothing less than a barrage of abuses and this is not acceptable to me," Neha added. ## "What a man or a woman does in a relationship is their choice and moral choices are always ambiguous. But no matter what they are, they cannot lead to physical abuse. I stand by the fact that NO MATTER WHAT ... physical abuse or assault is not acceptable. Obviously, a man's physical strength is a lot more than girls and gender-based violence against women is a huge problem in our country and across the world... I urge people, whether a man or woman, to educate themselves about domestic violence... If you're a victim of abuse, please stand up for yourself. You are not alone," she concluded. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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Salman continues shooting for 'Radhe' despite COVID 19 scare
2279 days ago
Bollywood

Salman continues shooting for 'Radhe' despite COVID 19 scare

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) While film industries the world over are cancelling shooting schedules, release dates and other associated events owing to the global coronavirus pandemic, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan doesn't seem to have problems going ahead with the shoot of his upcoming film "Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai". ## Shooting of the film, co-starring Disha Patani, continues unabated in the city, and the makers insist they are strictly adhering to the safety norms of World Health Organisation (WHO). It seems the makers aim to complete shooting by the end of March, according to filmibeat.com. ## "Safety guidelines as issued by WHO will be followed on the film's set," a source said, according to a Mumbai Mirror report. ## While a chunk of the shoot has been completed in Mumbai and Goa, the current schedule includes some patchwork and a song being filmed on Salman and Disha, filmibeat.com added. ## "Radhe" is directed by Prabhu Deva, who earlier called the shots on the Salman Khan films "Wanted" (2009) and "Dabangg 3" (2019). Salman and Disha were seen together in last year's "Bharat". ## "Radhe" is said to be a Bollywood remake of the 2017 Korean action thriller, "The Outlaws". The film casts Salman as a cop, and also features Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles. ## The film is set to clash with the Akshay Kumar-starrer horror comedy "Laxmmi Bomb" during the Eid weekend this year. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Not Aamir Khan but his pillow is Kareena's favourite co-star
2279 days ago
Bollywood

Not Aamir Khan but his pillow is Kareena's favourite co-star

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) If you were under the impression that Aamir Khan is Kareena Kapoor Khan's favourite co-star, think again. The actress has just revealed that the tag goes not to the superstar but his pillow! ## On Aamir Khan's 55th birthday on Saturday, Kareena shared a glimpse of the actor for his fans on Instagram. In the photograph, Aamir can be seen sleeping in a flight, with his favourite pillow tucked under his head. Apparently, he carries the pillow with him everywhere. ## The actress jokingly wrote: "My fav co-star has to be @_aamirkhan's... pillow!" ## Aamir and Kareena have been shooting in Punjab for their upcoming film "Laal Singh Chaddha". Unconfirmed reports state the Advait Chandan directorial will hit theatres on Christmas this year. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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IPL 2020: SRK says spectators safety first, govt directives to be followed
2279 days ago
Bollywood

IPL 2020: SRK says spectators safety first, govt directives to be followed

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who attended the IPL Governing Council meeting on Saturday, said that it has been decided that the safety of the spectators will be kept first and all the directives issued by the government and the health agencies will be followed to the hilt amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak when the 13th season of the cash-rich league starts later. ## The organising body and the eight IPL franchisee owners sat across the table at the BCCI headquarters to chalk out comprehensive plan for the IPL 13 which has been now postponed till April 15. ## "Wonderful to meet all the franchise owners 'off the field' so to say. The meeting by BCCI and IPL was to reiterate what all of us feel…safety first of the spectators, players management and cities we play in. All directives of the health agencies and government to be followed…," Shah Rukh said on his official Twitter handle. ## "Hope the spread of the virus subsides & the show can go on. BCCI and team owners in consultation with the government will keep a close watch and decide the way forward in the health interest of everyone. Lovely to meet everyone and then sanitise ourselves repeatedly," he added while tagging BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, Secretary Jay Shah and IPL chairman Brijesh Patel. ## On Friday, BCCI decided to postpone IPL 13, originally scheduled to start from March 29, to April 15 amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak which has affected more than 80 people in India and has claimed two lives as well. ## On Wednesday, the government had cancelled all visas, except for a few official categories, till April 15 in the wake of the growing coronavirus scare. ## The Sports Ministry also followed this up by making it clear that all sporting events should be cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. And if it is unavoidable, the events should be held behind closed doors so as to avoid mass gatherings. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Aamir Khan turns 55, wishes pour in from B-Town and fans
2279 days ago
Bollywood

Aamir Khan turns 55, wishes pour in from B-Town and fans

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) Aamir Khan turns 55 today and wishes poured in from the film fraternity for Bollywood's Mr Perfectionist on social media. His fans also showered the superstar with love and wishes. ## Juhi Chawla, Aamir's co-star of his first blockbutser "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak", tweeted: "Aammiirrrr ..!!! Happy Happy Birthday .... !!! where's the party tonight ...???? A 100 trees for you. May you continue to do the superlative work you do.. in every field..!!!!" ## Ajay Devgn tweeted: "Aamir you are Kajol and my lucky mascot. Happy returns of today." ## Madhuri Dixit Nene shared a throwback picture with Aamir from their younger days and tweeted: "Here's to the man who is not only wise but also kind and thoughtful. On your special day, I wish you lots of happiness. May you enjoy this fantastic day to the fullest. Happy birthday @aamir_khan, have a fabulous one." ## Shatrughan Sinha wrote a long post over two separate tweets. "Warm & loving birthday wishes for our dear friend,an exceptional actor, director, producer, filmmaker, acceptable, respectable #AamirKhan. He has entertained all of us / nation with great successful films some on relevant social issues. Apart from been an extremely prominent actor, he has been hugely popular & successful as a TV talk show host. Wishing you super success, joy, peace & love in your future ahead. Love & regards to his beautiful family. Long Live Aamir Khan!God Bless!Happy birthday," he tweeted. ## Director Anil Sharma tweeted: "Dear @aamir_khan ji many happy returns of the day." ## Singer Guru Randhawa tweeted: "Wishing sir @aamir_khan a very happy birthday." ## Producer Bhushan Kumar shared: "Many happy returns of the day @aamir_khan. May all life's blessings be yours, on your birthday and always." ## Yash Raj Films formally tweeted on their official page: "An effortless performer who slays every role with perfection. Wishing the superstar, @aamir_khan a very Happy Birthday!" ## Fans, too, showered their favourite star with love and prayers. ## "There are actors, there are great actors. There are stars, there are Superstars. Then there is Aamir Khan. #HappyBirthdayAamirKhan," wrote a fan. ## A fan from Bangladesh wrote: "Do you need Any Actor? Who Good Acting, Stardom, Boxoffice? You see just One man... He is Aamir Khan. #HappyBirthdayAamirKhan. Love from Bangladesh." ## Another fan explained why he is called Mr Perfectionistin a tweet: "Happy Birthday @aamir_khan. Hardwork, Dedication, Acting & Good Script Selection, Looks Makes Him MR. Perfect. All the Luck fr LSC." ## On the work front, Aamir Khan will next be seen in "Laal Singh Chaddha" a Hindi adaptation of the 1994 Tom Hanks blockbuster "Forrest Gump". The Bollywood version is directed by Advait Chandan and is currently being shot in Punjab. The film also features Kareena Kapoor Khan and Mona Singh, and is scheduled to hit the theatres during Christmas weekend. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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