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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

Sunny Hinduja on working in India's 1st OTT series shot during lockdown
2247 days ago
Digital Media

Sunny Hinduja on working in India's 1st OTT series shot during lockdown

Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) India's first micro web series shot during the COVID-19 lockdown will be out soon. "Mardaani 2" actor Sunny Hinduja, who features in the series, says the project was challenging as well as fun to work on.## Titled "A Viral Wedding", the series had its pre-production, shooting and post-production work done entirely during the lockdown, with none of the individuals who are involved in the series stepping out of their homes.## The series is directed by Shreya Dhanwanthary, Sunny's co-star in the 2019 OTT show, "The Family Man". It tells the story of a social media influencer who refuses to cancel her wedding owing to the lockdown.## "We had our shares of fun on video and phone calls during the making where people were located in different states and cities. It also brought along shares of struggles with it. But I must admit it was harder than we anticipated, we had nobody to help us, no equipment, no setup, we had to become the lightmen, cinematographers, art directors, and everything," said Sunny, who is playing a primary part in the series," said Sunny.## "Taking care of the sound was another task, as people would be cooking so there were cooker whistles at random times, sometimes there were birds, crows making noise. But with all this, we still managed to complete the shoot in just a week. From start to finish everything was done during the lockdown period. It's a light-hearted attempt to make people smile during this time," he added.## On working with Shreya Dhanwanthary, he said: "When Shreya asked me, I said a yes without thinking. The idea in itself was so unique that it was difficult to say no. We even discussed various ideas about the character and worked together to come up with something real and very different from my own personality. But after reading the script which was penned in 24 hours, I was bewildered at how good it was."## "Even if it wasn't for the lockdown, I would have agreed to do it. The cast and crew are based in different cities and they are working at different timelines, knowing the kind of hard work put into it, feels like a humbling experience to be a part of a first-of-its-kind web series," added Sunny.## Besides Sunny and Shreya, the show also features Amol Parashar, Aishwarya Chaudhary, Aritro, Sharib Hashmi and Mohit Raina, among others.## The shoot is over and the team is giving final touches to a few episodes. The series is likely to come out later next week.## Stay tuned...

Shriya Saran, husband ignore netizen's objectification quip
2247 days ago
Tollywood

Shriya Saran, husband ignore netizen's objectification quip

Hyderabad, April 16 (IANS) Actress Shriya Saran is known for her amazing dance moves, stunning figure and glamorous screen presence. Time and again, fans have expressed their love and admiration for these qualities, although there are occasions when certain fans can go beyond the limits of decency.## In a recent 'Insta live' session on her page, a user, while describing the actress, wrote: "Nice b***s."## Shriya ignored the comment while her husband Andrei Koscheev, who was also part of her live question-answer session, seemed to take it sportingly. "I agree with you guys, more comments on her please," he wrote.## Shriya got married to Andrei Koscheev in a hush-hush ceremony in Rajasthan in 2018. She is currently in Spain and regularly takes to her social media accounts to post messages and pictures with her husband.## In an interview not long ago, Shriya said: "God has been kind and I'm blessed to have such a supportive partner like Andrei. I somehow like the word partner more than my husband. Because Andrei is like my partner-in-crime, partner-in-fun and everything else. He's really proud of me and my work. Whenever I'm stressed or worried about what I'm doing, he always tries to calm me down. He's the best thing that's happened to me and I'm loving every minute that I spend with him."## In a recent interview, she spoke about how her husband displayed symptoms of COVID-19 but wasn't admitted to the hospital. She said ''Andrei began to develop a dry cough and fever. We rushed to a hospital but the doctors were overwhelmed and urged us to leave. 'Chances are that even if he doesn't have Covid-19, he will get it if he stays here,' the doctors told us. So we decided to go home and self-isolate ourselves and get treatment at home. We slept in different rooms and maintained a safe distance from each other. Thankfully, he's feeling better now, so I hope the worst is behind us."## On the work front, Shriya is likely to star opposite Nandamuri Balakrishna in director Boyapati Srinu's next.## Stay tuned...

John Krasinski to enter the Marvel universe?
2247 days ago
Hollywood

John Krasinski to enter the Marvel universe?

Los Angeles, April 16 (IANS) Actor John Krasinski has reportedly met with Marvel Studios for an unspecified project.## Although details about the project are awaited, Geeks Worldwide claims that Marvel has been holding "virtual meetings" with actors, directors, and writers lately, and Krasinski was one of them, reports dailymail.co.uk.## The report also stated that they are not sure if Marvel was interested in Krasinski as an actor, writer, director, or all three. It also indicates that Krasinski might be in talks for a role as Young Avengers. Another possibility that the site mentioned is "Fantastic Four" reboot with Disney in control of the franchise due to the Fox merger.## Marvel has not confirmed any developments with Krasinski, and the actor hasn't responded to the report either.## Krasinski came into spotlight with his role as Jim Halpert in "The Office", aired in India on Star World. He has also directed five films, including his breakthrough hit "A Quiet Place", in which he starred alongside his wife Emily Blunt. He also plays the title character in the Amazon Studios series "Jack Ryan", which has been renewed for a third season.## Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Krasinski has launched a web series "Some Good News".## Stay tuned...

Arjun Kapoor's virtual date will feed 300 daily wage earners' families
2247 days ago
Bollywood

Arjun Kapoor's virtual date will feed 300 daily wage earners' families

Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) The funds raised by Actor Arjun Kapoor's virtual date will be used to help the families of 300 daily wage earners.## The actor's virtual date happened through his sister Anshula Kapoor's online fundraising platform, Fankind, and raised enough funds to feed the families in question for a month.## "Coronavirus has thrown us all into unchartered territory. I'm grateful to all my fans that my 30-minute virtual date with five lucky winners for Anshula's Fankind has raised enough funds to feed many families," Arjun said.## Earlier, the actor has pledged to the PM-CARES Fund, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund, GiveIndia, The Wishing Factory and Bollywood's Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).## He announced: "Along with the funds raised during the chat, I have also extended some additional support to GiveIndia and this collective fund will support the families of these daily wage earners for a month. I felt happy to raise their morals and connect with people outside my circle and instill hope and faith within them. We must do our best in whatever way we can to help everyone triumph over this."## On the acting front, Arjun will next be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar". The film also stars Arjun's "Ishaqzaade" co-star Parineeti Chopra.## Stay tuned...

What Rhea Chakraborty said on 'relationship' with Sushant Singh Rajput
2247 days ago
Bollywood

What Rhea Chakraborty said on 'relationship' with Sushant Singh Rajput

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Actress Rhea Chakraborty prefers no intrusion into her private life, and that is the reason she never reacts to the rumors of her relationship with actor Sushant Singh Rajput.## The actress says Sushant is a "dear friend", and refused to get into any more details.## Asked if all the recent headlines about their reported affair take away her focus from work, Rhea told IANS: "Sushant is a dear friend. I have known him for many years! No more comments on this."## Rhea is coping up with the lockdown by "reflecting inwards".## "Sweating it out, yoga, meditation, cooking… I also did an Ayurveda course … Learning a lot about new things and health," she added.## On the work front, she is seen in Sonam Nair's short film "Boom Noom". It premiered on Zee5 on April 15 as part of their online short film festival.## Talking about the film, she said: "I really enjoyed shooting this over one single entire night! The crew was fun. Sonam has the wackiest sense of humor. She kept us happy."## Stay tuned...

Vir Das takes cue from 'desi' stand-ups for 'Hasmukh'
2247 days ago
Bollywood

Vir Das takes cue from 'desi' stand-ups for 'Hasmukh'

Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Actor-comedian Vir Das says preparing for his starring role in upcoming show "Hasmukh" was the best part of working in the project.## He "consciously watched" a lot of shows by local stand-up comics to get his character in the Netflix show right.## "A lot of my research had started when I was writing the show. But when I began my prep as an actor, I consciously watched a lot of shows by local stand-up comics," Vir said.## "I had finished 'Jestination Unknown' around the same time so by virtue of that I'd learned that humor is rooted in local styles and culture. There is more banter. The stories are intimate. I used all of that in Hasmukh's set. Watching more and more comics nudged me towards finding the right persona for 'Hasmukh'," he added.## Talking about his character, Vir explained: "He is essentially an introvert and his stage person is a lot more open. I chalked out everything that Hasmukh would want to include in his set, figured a delivery style for him and made it entirely different from what he is off stage. The prep was actually the best part of the show for me. I enjoyed it to bits."## "Hasmukh" is about an ambitious comic on a mission to prove to his mentor that he is a good comedian. It shows how every dream comes with a price and Hasmukh (Vir Das) realizes that the only way to "kill it on stage", is if he "kills off stage".## Also featuring Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Pahwa, Amrita Bagchi, Suhail Nayyar, Inaamulhaq and Raza Murad, "Hasmukh" is directed by Nikhil Gonsalves and will release on April 17. The Netflix show is produced for Applause Entertainment by Emmay Entertainment.## Stay tuned...

'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja' wrong debut for me: Director Satish Kaushik dissects the flop
2247 days ago
Bollywood

'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja' wrong debut for me: Director Satish Kaushik dissects the flop

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Twenty-seven years since the release of the Sridevi-Anil Kapoor starrer "Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja", director Satish Kaushik opens up on why he thinks the film failed at the Indian box-office.## "Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja" hit the screens in 1993, and was widely regarded as one of the most expensive Bollywood films ever upon release. The film marked the directorial debut of Kaushik, who likes to call it his first child. The film also starred Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, and Johnny Lever.## The project released after a spate of delays. It was announced in 1987, around the time the Sridevi-Anil Kapoor superhit "Mr. India" released. It was initially being directed by Shekhar Kapur, who had also called the shots on "Mr. India". However, when Kapur quit the project halfway, Kaushik was roped in.## The delay, for one, was a reason for the film's failure, Kaushik contends.## "It took really long to make the movie. That's one of the reasons. Also, I feel it was the wrong film to attempt as a directorial debut. The first film for any director should be the one that reflects some elements of his or her own personality, beliefs and background to make it seem real and believable," Satish told IANS.## "In layman's terms, I can say that ‘pant-shirt pehanne waale ladke ne pehli hi film mein tuxedo pehan liya. When I made Hum 'Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain' with Anil and Kajol, it worked because I felt much more at home and could feel the atmosphere and the world of the film. That was my first hit," he added.## He tags the film his firstborn. " 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja' was my first child and I had my first child, Kush, also soon after the film's release. I lost both the children (his son passed away and the movie flopped), but I am proud of both of them. As I keep remembering Kush, I keep watching the "Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja" train robbery scene, keep listening to songs like 'Chandi ka chamcha' and 'Dushman dil ka', and keep remembering Baba (Azmi)'s camera work, Veeru Devgan's action sequences, Laxmikant-Pyarelal's music, and Anil, Sridevi, Jackie, Johnny, Paresh and Anupam's fine performances. I can proudly say that both my first children were awesome and will never go out of my life."## Kaushik talked about his "box-office" earning from the film, which did not fare well.## "Fair well? It didn't work at all. It was a ‘flop'. But it worked more than brilliantly for me because I earned some amazing friends and family in the form of Boney Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Javed Akhtar Saab, Sridevi madam, Baba Azmi, Bijon, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and Anupam Kher. Films come and go, but the relations that I earned because of 'Roop Ki Raani Choron Ka Raja' are still there with me. That's my box-office earning from the film," he said.## Having said that, Kaushik is thankful that he got an opportunity to shoot such a big film at the start of his career.## "I was glad that I, Satish Kaushik, a dreamer from Delhi's Karol Bagh, got such a big opportunity right at the beginning of his career to direct the biggest film of that time. Honestly, everyone involved in the film was extremely supportive and we all worked very hard to deliver a blockbuster, but unfortunately, the film was a dud at the box office. While it wasn't a hit back then, it's amazing how it still receives so much love from the viewers when it telecasts on the television," he said.## Would he like to remake the film again and correct what went wrong?## "Many years ago after the release of the film, I checked into a hotel in Chennai and turned on the TV. The moment I switched it on, I was horrified because the movie that was playing was "Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja". So, a big no as far as the remake goes. But yes, there are many young directors who want to give it a shot because they feel that the film was a good masala entertainer with great action, comedy and song sequences," he said.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Lockdown diaries: Sona Mohapatra is working on new songs
2247 days ago
Song

Lockdown diaries: Sona Mohapatra is working on new songs

Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Singer Sona Mohapatra is using the lockdown period to work on original music. She is spending a lot of time in her home studio with composer and partner, Ram Sampath, working on new songs and collaborations.## "During the lockdown period, I have this newfound energy to work on a variety of music. There are no commercial pressures, no race against time to meet a deadline and it's now that I am doing some of my best, most gratifying work. I am exploring new genres, new tunes and a large variety of music," said Sona.## "I just spoke to the prolific songwriter and multiple award-winning lyricists Amitabh Bhattacharya about the current music scenario. Ram and I had last worked with him on the soundtrack of 'Delhi Belly'. We have decided to create some beautiful love ballads together, the kind that has gone missing from our mainstream nowadays. I'm also working with a lot of new, younger talent who are bursting with ideas," she added.## Ram shared that slowing down has helped them appreciate the things they took for granted and that has flowed into the creative process. "It's brought the focus back on the roots of music: melody, lyrics and a sense of hope for the future. We have too much and want too much. This time has taught us to work on what we need. That's at the heart of this creative phase".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

DiCaprio, De Niro offer movie role to raise money for food fund
2247 days ago
Hollywood

DiCaprio, De Niro offer movie role to raise money for food fund

Los Angeles, April 16 (IANS) Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro are giving fans the chance to appear in their upcoming film, directed by Scorsese movie.## The duo are set to reunite with the veteran director for an adaptation of "Killers Of The Flower Moon".## DiCaprio and De Niro are using the upcoming production to raise funds for the All-In Challenge, an online initiative that gives stars from all corners of the entertainment industry a chance to offer donation initiatives to benefit America's Food Fund reports aceshowbiz.com.## "Our most vulnerable communities need our support now more than ever," De Niro said in a video shared across social media.## He explained that those who make a donation to AllInChallenge.com will have a chance to win a walk-on role in the production.## DiCaprio added: "If you've ever wondered what it was like to be able to work with the great Martin Scorsese, this is your chance."## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

Mark Ruffalo lost out 'Blue Valentine' to Ryan Gosling
2247 days ago
Hollywood

Mark Ruffalo lost out 'Blue Valentine' to Ryan Gosling

Los Angeles, April 16 (IANS) Actor Mark Ruffalo has revealed that he lost the lead role in 2010 movie "Blue Valentine" to Ryan Gosling.## Ruffalo said "Blue Valentine" director Derek Cianfrance tried and failed to cast him in "Blue Valentine" in a role eventually played by Ryan Gosling, reports variety.com.## He missed out on the role of Dean Pereira that Gosling portrayed opposite Michelle Williams' Cindy Heller. Gosling got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama for the role in the hit movie.## Ruffalo opened up about losing the role while talking about his new HBO mini-series "I Know This Much Is True", which is directed by Cianfrance.## He got Cianfrance on board to write and direct all six episodes saying that his "rough and holy" style would be "an ideal fit" for the blue-collar story based on the novel of the same name by Wally Lamb.## In the series, the "Avengers" stars as two very different twin brothers in the story, which is about a blue-collar Connecticut family's struggle with schizophrenia and loss.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

COVID-19: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and other H'wood stars raise $1.75mn through poker
2247 days ago
Hollywood

COVID-19: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and other H'wood stars raise $1.75mn through poker

Los Angeles, April 16 (IANS) Hollywood superstars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have raised $1.75 million for COVID-19 relief work through poker.## Affleck and Damon led the list of big names who got together for an online celebrity poker tournament, All In For America's Charity. They raised $1.75 million for Feeding America, a non-profit organization that distributes food to those in need amid the outbreak of COVID-19, reports dailymail.co.uk.## Celebrities such as Tom Brady, Adam Sandler, and Bryan Cranston bought in for $10,000 each at the food bank fundraiser.## Other notable names who joined the virtual game included Sarah Silverman, Cheryl Hines, singer Adam Levine, and actors Jason Bateman, Jon Hamm, Tobey Maguire, Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith.## Earlier this week, Affleck took to Instagram to announce the philanthropic poker event.## "Excited to announce that I have joined forces with @FeedingAmerica, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, to raise money for folks who need it most. Join me and some familiar faces ... as we face off in a friendly poker tournament," he said.## Affleck, who is currently dating actress Ana de Armas, added that Feeding America's "work is more critical than ever before" as they help feed the less fortunate. He stressed that the virus outbreak has put pressure on food banks.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

Lockdown diaries: Aham Sharma hones the singer in him
2247 days ago
TV

Lockdown diaries: Aham Sharma hones the singer in him

Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Actor Aham Sharma, who has featured in TV shows such as "Mahabharat" and "Vikram Betaal Ki Rahasya Gatha", says he has always been fascinated by singing and is now learning new songs to beat the lockdown blues.## "I am spending most of my time with my family. I have been catching up on a few books related to craft and fiction, documentaries as they keep me positive," he said.## Fitness continues to be important to him.## "I am doing Suryanamaskar, pushups, and yoga to stay fit," said Aham.## As lockdown has been extended, he says he has lots of free time.## "I am planning to polish my martial arts techniques which I couldn't do on regular days due to hectic shooting schedules," he said.## "But the special interest which I have started taking since the lockdown started, is singing. I have always been fascinated by singing, so what better way to utilize the free time. I am learning new songs every day, doing riyaz to train myself and sharpen my skills," he said.## Stay tuned...