BY SACNILK

Lucknow, April 28 (IANS) Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor has now approached the King George's Medical University (KGMU), offering to donate her plasma for treatment of other Covid-19 patients.## The singer called up the head of the transfusion medicine department, Prof Tulika Chandra, and volunteered to help.## "She called me up and said she really wanted to help other Covid-19 patients. Vice-Chancellor Prof M.L.B. Bhatt has given a go-ahead on it and we will now be carrying out the tests on her to see if she is fit to donate her plasma," said Prof Chandra.## As per experts, Kanika's sample will be tested for a number of things before she can donate her plasma. These include her hemoglobin level that should be above 12.5, weight should be more than 50 kg and the patient should not have diabetes, cardiovascular issues, malaria, syphilis, and other such ailments.## Kanika's sample will probably be taken on Tuesday and if found to be eligible, she will be donating her plasma on Wednesday.## Kanika Kapoor had grabbed headlines last month when she became the first Bollywood celebrity to test positive for Coronavirus.## Kanika had attended two parties in Lucknow in the presence of top politicians and bureaucrats and all of them were later tested for Corona.## Kanika was hospitalized for over a fortnight at the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS).## She had, on April 26, come out with a statement clarifying her travel and Covid-19 history declaring that she was aware of misconceptions and wrong information floating around her but she chose to remain silent until ready to speak.## Kanika in her social media post had said that all persons she came in contact within the UK, Mumbai, and Lucknow had been tested negative and that she had duly followed the process.## Meanwhile, the KGMU on Sunday night made the first plasma transfusion in a 58-year-old patient from Orai who is a government doctor whose condition was critical.## The doctors now say that the patient is responding well to the transfusion.## The university has received three plasma donations from fully recovered Covid-19 patients, two from doctors and one from a Lakhimpur man.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Singer Sachet Tandon, the voice behind the recreated versions of the 2009 AR Rahman hit "Masakali", has reacted to all the criticism coming the new version's way saying he respects audience opinion.## "It's Tanishk Bagchi's song and I was approached by the creators to sing it. I was glad to be part of the song and I am still happy that makers thought of me. But the ultimate decision always lies in the hands of the public. It's totally up to them whether to like a particular song or not, and I truly respect their opinion," said Sachet, about his version, titled "Masakali 2.0".## "Also, I don't think that any creator would intentionally try to distort an original song. Speaking of 'Masakali 2.0', I was not its creator. I just sang it and tried to give my best," Sachet told IANS.## The original "Masakali" was composed by Rahman, written by Prasoon Joshi, and sung by Mohit Chauhan for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 2009 film "Delhi-6". It was picturized on the film's lead pair, Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor. Although the film fared below expectations, the song has gone on to attain cult status.## Shortly after the release of "Masakali 2.0", both Rahman and Joshi expressed disappointment on social media and were joined by a huge number of fans who agreed with them.## When asked Sachet about his views on the ongoing trend of recreations, he said: "In today's time, everything is being liked by the audience. Some remakes have done amazingly well, some originals have become hits. A proper balance should be maintained."## Sachet, who gave Indian cinema a blockbuster love anthem, "Bekhayali" in collaboration with Parampara Thakur last year for the film "Kabir Singh", has now come up with the melodious track "Bewafai", which has garnered over 20 million views on YouTube.## "It's a beautiful song (and I )loved giving voice to 'Bewafai'," Sachet said, sharing that he never gives heed to "likes" and "number of views".## "For me likes and the number of views do no matter. What matters the most is the love of the audience. The best feeling is to hear compliments about your song. Jab log baat karte hain song ke baare me tab zyada acha lagta hai," Sachet signed off.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Bollywood actress and former beauty queen Urvashi Rautela seems to be in a holiday mode and says amid lockdown a virtual vacation will do for now.## Urvashi took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself in a sea green bikini. In the snapshot, she lies on a wooden plank beside the ocean. She completed her look with a pink flower in her hair and sunglasses.## "Sunshine is my favorite accessory. Close your eyes & imagine the beach... A virtual vacation will do for now," she captioned the image, which currently has 330K likes.## Urvashi on Sunday treated her fans to a dance video. In the clip, the actress is seen performing "heel choreography" on the Bollywood number "Aashiq banaya aapne" by Himesh Reshammiya.## Earlier this week, Urvashi's Facebook account was hacked. She warned fans not to respond to posts originating from the account.## On the work front, "Beat pe thumka", a peppy wedding number featuring Urvashi has just been released. The song is from her upcoming comedy flick "Virgin Bhanupriya".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Tisca Chopra says due to the ongoing isolation period, anxiety and mental health are big issues today. She has stepped forward to help people get through this tough time.## People have been under lockdown for over a month now, and a lot of celebrities are trying to help fans through various activities. Some are suggesting good books, others are posting videos of cooking, while some are spending time learning new things.## Tisca has also found a way to help the masses through this lockdown. She conducted a live session on Instagram with Dr. Sanjay Chugh who specializes in neuro-psychiatry. During the session, they discussed issues that people are dealing with currently, right from anxieties to parenting.## "Due to this pandemic, we all are sitting in our homes and there are chances that we might feel anxious about this drastic change in our lifestyle. Due to this isolation period, anxiety and mental health is a big issue today. We might do yoga and other workouts to keep ourselves healthy physically but it is equally important to stay fit mentally too and so, I decided to get Dr. Chugh on board though by Instagram to explain people a lot of factors related to their psyche," Tisca said.## "Dr. Chugh is a well-known neuro-psychiatrists whom I have known for many years. I urged him to do this so that we can help share the right information and the right strategy to deal with the issues that people are going through. The fight isn't over yet and I hope that I can keep doing my bit by hosting more sessions like these for everyone," she added.## Meanwhile, Tisca recently shared a photograph of herself in a monochrome monokini. In the image, the "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji" actress was seen lying on the sand.## She mentioned that she was "missing the outdoors but making the most of the indoors".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, April 27 (IANS) Singer Katy Perry says she will never forget being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that she is trying not to be stressed about her delivery.## The 35-year-old star is expecting her first child with her fiance, actor Orlando Bloom.## During a conversation with "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, she admitted that she is facing some tough challenges due to the isolation, reports dailymail.co.uk.## Perry told Seacrest that dealing with "a pregnancy in a pandemic" is something she "will never forget".## "I'm having cravings that I cannot necessarily fulfill if I want to but, you know, I think there is a lot of things that I am grateful for these days," she said.## The "Darkhorse" hitmaker revealed her pregnancy news recently when she dropped the music video for recent single "Never worn white", in which she is seen cradling her baby bump at the end.## With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Perry and Bloom, who got engaged earlier this year, are following advice to stay at home and are trying to "exercise and eat well".## "Along with so many other people, they stay home. They both try to exercise and eat well so they can stay healthy. Katy really hopes everything has calmed down with the virus by the time the baby will be born this summer. She tries not to stress about the birth, but she definitely thinks about it a lot," a source said previously.## Recently, "American Idol" made TV history with the first remote results show ever due to the coronavirus. It is aired in India on Star World.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

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...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Amid lockdown strictures, Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor became nostalgic about spending time with his grandmother, saying he cannot wait to sit down and enjoy the "nonsense" of being a family together over a long slow Sunday lunch.## Arjun took to Instagram, where he shared a vintage photograph of his grandmother and late grandfather. Along with the post, he shared a heart-warming note about staying away from family due to the lockdown. "My dadu & dadi. I grew up with them in a joint family. Unfortunately, my granddad passed away just before I became an actor. He couldn't see me make a mark in the profession when he toiled to give our family our foundation. My dadi (she's on insta btw @nirmalkapoorbombay) who is too cool is hail hearty and lives in our family home about 5kms from where I stay but I can't see her for her own health."## He said he is missing visiting his grandmother Nirmal Kapoor owing to the lockdown.## "This post was just because I'm missing her and I'm certain a lot of u out there are worried and missing the elders in ur family and lives... eventually this will all pass and things will get better and when it does I can't wait to sit down and just enjoy the nonsense of being a family together over a long slow Sunday lunch.## "It is for that dream to be a reality we must sit at home and fight through this phase and chapter of all our lives. Here's to a Happy Sunday to everyone."## 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...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Singer Aastha Gill has collaborated with Sukh E for a fun wedding song "Video bana de", and says she hopes that the track brings "much-needed cheer and optimism" amid the challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.## "This is the first time I am collaborating with Sukh E. I have always loved his music, and working on this together has been super fun," Aastha said.## "It's a wedding song, a track that will definitely make you tap your feet. We created and shot the song before the lockdown, and in these tough times I hope Video Bana de brings in much-needed cheer and optimism," she added.## SukhE said: "‘Video bana de' is quirky, unconventional and bright. Aastha's vivacious energy just added to the whole experience of making the song. I hope this track helps in maintaining positivity during these tough times."## Sony Music India released the track on Monday. Since the song has a wedding theme, the duo recently announced a "Virtual wedding" as part of a promotional strategy. They posted an invitation card on their social media and the wedding functions were as follows: April 24 -- cocktail, April 25 -- sangeet, April 26 -- Mehendi and April 27 wedding.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) On the third death anniversary of Bollywood legend Vinod Khanna, his son, actor Akshaye Khanna, took to social media to pay homage to the former.## "There is no expiration date on the love between a father and his child. We will always remember you #VinodKhanna," Akshaye tweeted.## Along with it, he shared a picture from his childhood days in which he and his brother Rahul Khanna are seen holding their father's hands.## Many others in Bollywood joined Akshaye in remembering the iconic star who was known for his rugged image as a macho-man.## Actor Ali Fazal shared his experience of meeting the late Vinod Khanna. "Met Vinod ji once. I have never been able to take photos with people I look up to. Always thot kabhi kaam karoonga saath toh.. but this one I regret. Its just how it is. Managed very few in life. Thank you Vinod Khanna for being," Ali wrote along with a black and white picture of Vinod Khanna from his younger days," Ali recalled on social media, posting a black-and-white picture of Khanna from his younger days.## Vinod Khanna, who is known for his numerous performances of various shades in films like "Mere Apne", "Parvarish", "Mera Gaon Mera Desh", "Achanak", "Inkaar", "Khoon Pasina", "Insaaf", "Qurbani", and "Amar Akbar Anthony", died in 2017 after a prolonged illness.## The actor had married his college friend Geetanjali in 1971 and the couple was subsequently blessed with sons Rahul and Akshaye, both of whom would go on to become actors. But the marriage didn't survive for long as the two divorced in 1985, after which Vinod Khanna married Kavita Daftary, daughter of industrialist Sharayu Daftary.## One of the most enigmatic actors of Bollywood ever, Vinod Khanna left the film industry at the peak of his stardom in 1975 to become a disciple of Osho and in the early 1980s, shifting base to the godman's ashram in Oregon, United States, for about a decade.## When he returned to India in the late eighties and resumed work as an actor, he once again started scoring at the box office with hits such as "Insaaf" and "Satyamev Jayate".## In his later years, Khanna forayed politics. He was the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Lok Sabha from the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab.## Not only this, Vinod Khanna believed in spirituality a lot. In 1982, he had shifted to US to explore the spiritual sphere with Osho.## Marking Vinod Khanna's third death anniversary, his wife Kavita shared that she has donated a day's cooked food to the needy in Mumbai.## "My husband, my love @VinodKhanna LOVED his city and was committed to doing Seva till the very end. Today, on his 3rd Punya Tithi, we are donating a day's cooked food to 45,000 needy in Mumbai," she tweeted.## Incidentally, Vinod Khanna's death anniversary falls on the same date as actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan's. Khan was a close friend of Khanna, and the two had co-starred in the former's 1980 blockbuster "Qurbani". Khan passed away on April 27, 2009.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Lara Dutta says that irrespective of their profession, all women have faced sexism at some point or the other.## The actress plays a police officer in the new comedy-action web series "Hundred".## The former Miss Universe had a question-answer session with fans on Twitter where one of them asked: "It was great to see the series portray the difficulties in the life of women. Was that something that attracted you toward the series?"## Lara replied saying: "As women, we all have faced sexism in our life at some point or the other, regardless of which field we belong to. So yes this thought was an imp part of the narrative but not the only thing that motivated me to do this series."## She also opened up about her quarantine time.## "Can't complain! It's been good. Family is healthy and we've been able to spend a lot of time with each other. I've been studying, cooking, and doing fun indoor activities with my daughter," she said.## She also revealed her fitness regime.## "My routine varies according to my schedules and lifestyle. I've always worked out. Pilates, strength training, and yoga have been constant favorites. I'm vegetarian mainly and eat a balanced diet and I meditate," said Lara.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, April 27 (IANS) Hollywood star Vin Diesel has claimed that he is trying to "mitigate a war" between Universal Studios and the "prejudiced" Producers Guild of America.## The actor wasn't active on Instagram for some time, and he returned on Sunday to explain the reason behind his absence. He shared a bizarre poster for his upcoming "Fast & Furious" movie, titled "F9", along with a mention of a "war" between Universal Studios and the Producers Guild of America, reports dailymail.co.uk.## "Happy creative Sunday everyone... sorry I haven't posted much lately, I have been trying to mitigate a war between Universal studios and the p.g.a. Prejudice guild of America," Diesel posted.## He also shared a photoshopped poster of "F9". The edited poster has a look of a Halloween movie with a jack-o-lantern and a dark house in the background.## According to dailymail.co.uk, the poster was actually designed by an Instagram user dubbed as Mommy Torretto, a photo editor whose Instagram is filled with "Fast & Furious" poster parodies.## The reason behind Diesel using the poster in his post is unclear. While Diesel did crop out the bottom featuring the old release date and Universal Pictures logo, the Made by Mommy Torretto watermark is still visible on the poster.## With regard to Diesel's cryptic post, there is no indication why he is referring to the Producers Guild of America as the Prejudice Guild of America.## Diesel has been a part of the franchise since the beginning, starring in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious". He was not in 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious" had a cameo in 2006's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift". He returned to the franchise to star in 2009's "Fast & Furious", and also backed the project as a producer.## The ninth installment is more of a personal affair for Diesel's Dominic Toretto as he has to face off with his brother, Jakob, played by John Cena. "F9: The Fast Saga" sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters of the series. It also stars Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron.## The release of the ninth installment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise has been rescheduled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Actor Vatsal Sheth turned director with a short film during the ongoing lockdown period, and he thinks the effort is no less than his child.## Vatsal's short film "Kahaa Toh Tha", running over six minutes, stars the actor with his wife Ishita Dutta and explores love in the times of quarantine.## "I was having a chat with a friend of mine and I was telling him how much I miss shooting and the regular schedule. While talking to him, I realized, I am an actor, Ishita is an actor. We have phone cameras and basic stuff to shoot. I called a friend, he wrote this story for us, then we sat down on storyboarding, shot division and everything came together. That's how this film came to life," Vatsal told IANS.## Vatsal plays Abir, a restless but loving husband to Myraa, a thoughtful and caring wife. The middle-class working couple realise that their marriage is not that perfect, while they are stuck together in the lockdown.## "We settled for this story because it's a sweet, nice, and feel-good short film. We as a couple were able to relate to it and we thought a lot of couples might feel the same way," he said.## The film was completely made during the lockdown.## "We used our phone cameras to shoot the film. It was just Ishita and me, we were moving the furniture everywhere. We would shoot the scene, run back to the frame to check if everything was done right or if we had fumbled or if we needed to do a retake. Lots and lots of hard work have gone into it. But it was definitely a lot of fun," said the actor about its making.## Vatsal has also launched his production house Vatsal Sheth Films.## "After we made the film, I roped in a lot of good technicians who made the movie as it looks now. We got Mehul who has done music for 'Tanhaji' to do background score for us. We bought in an editor, we brought in someone to make creatives and do color correction. It was a lot of to and fro but in the end, I am really happy with how it has turned out! And none of us have stepped out of the house to do anything, we all have done the work from our homes and made sure that the film reaches you the best it can," he said.## He is very happy with the final product.## "It's like a child to me. It's my first film as a director. I am very excited, although it's a short film, I have worked as hard on it as I would on any other project. I am also thankful to the team at Times Music, they have taken over the project and they are releasing it. I am very excited about this journey," he said.## Stay tuned...