BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Bhumi Pednekar will share health and nutrition tips to tackle emotional eating during the novel coronavirus lockdown.## "I have always strived to lead a balanced lifestyle and believed in the synergy of how nutrition, what we eat directly impacts our health and fitness. This lockdown, though extremely challenging for all of us because it has changed how we live life and exist, is also impacting our minds and that can throw off diet and nutrition in a big way," said Bhumi, who will initiate the effort with her nutritionist.## "What we eat has a lot to do with how we feel - it's connected and it's mostly emotional. This will create health and fitness issues and I want to share with everyone my nutrition journey through COVID-19 and I hope that people will find this useful."## The actress has maintained a routine and stuck to her nutritious way of life all through the coronavirus pandemic. She credits her nutritionist Dr. Siddhant for her fit body and will be doing a live chat with him to share health and nutrition tips with everyone.## "I have ensured that I'm mobile, I have been working out, I'm on a nutrition-rich diet and I have not resorted to binge and junk eating. My nutritionist Dr. Siddhant is a genius and has a wealth of knowledge which has helped me shape my life. I want him to share his knowledge with as many people as possible because he has kept me going despite the lockdown challenges," she said.## On the professional front, Bhumi will next be seen in the films "Durgavati" and "Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, April 27 (IANS) Telugu superstar Vijay Deverakonda has raised over Rs 40 lakh through his Middle-Class Fund and says he has "reset" the goal of his charity, what with such generous donation coming in from fans. While he had earlier planned to help 2000 families, Vijay now hopes to help over 4000 families.## The "Arjun Reddy" star took to Twitter, where he shared a spreadsheet showing the amount of donation that has come in, and how many households have so far been helped.## Alongside the spreadsheet, the actor also penned an emotional thank you note.## "Today what I saw was magical. Mass care, Mass love, and Mass generosity. Each one of you this missed class fund and its success belongs to you. I promise I will not let you down, we will reach out to each and everyone who reaches out to us and we shall all enjoy the happy smiles that shine back at us.## "In a day you made 25 lakhs into 40+ lakhs. Together we have now reset our goal of 2000+ families to 4000+ families. Today our team was 4, tomorrow we make it 34, so we can reach more people faster."## "Below is an update of day 1 broad numbers. Every day at 9 PM we will share with you a sautés update, so we can witness the impact of what we all are together doing. #TDF #MCF. Note- Households funded today were affected by our training session and 11 AM-12 Noon closure of stores. We will see a jump in families reached from tomorrow on."## Vijay also shared a tweet from a person, who donated Rs 1 lakh to The Deverakonda Foundation.## The actor replied saying: "Darling, 100+ Families will be reached with your support to #MCF. Bigg hugg"## On Sunday, Vijay took to social media to make two important announcements.## He wrote: "None of us were prepared for this. But we are fighters. We shall survive this and come out of it strong. This thing hit me hard as well, but I am here now. I am here with my incredible team that never says no to a fight and we are happy to announce a Rs 1.30 cr fund to help as many as we can. All we need is some love, kindness, and support and I am sending you all, my love and strength."## He even posted an 11-minute video clip in which the actor assured that he will provide employment opportunities and take care of the immediate requirements such as groceries and medicine through his foundation.## He also added that he will take care of the immediate needs of more than 2,000 families.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Known for his chiseled frame and fitness fetish, Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan wants to decimate the last cigarette on the planet.## The subject came up on Twitter after a user asked him he had a cigarette in his hand while he was standing with his sons in the balcony of his home, in a recently-posted picture shared by the actor's Fanclub.## "Does @iHrithik have a cigarette in his hand or am I seeing wrong? I hope you don't @iHrithik. It makes me very very very sorry," the user wrote.## The actor replied: "I am a non-smoker. :) and if I was Krrish, the first thing I'd do after eradicating this virus would be to decimate every last cigarette from this planet.## Recently, Hrithik shared some 'lockdown tips' with fans. He suggests a daily dose of vitamin D to take care of mental health even as we continue to be confined at home.## Hrithik Roshan has been spending the lockdown with his ex-wife Sussanne Khan, who has temporarily moved in with him, to take care of their two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan.## Talking about mental health, Hrithik has recently started learning piano, which he feels is "great for activating both sides of the brain".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji may have been single when she played a mother of two in the 2007 film "Ta Ra Rum Pum", but the role brought her motherly instincts out.## Rani, who was paired opposite Saif Ali Khan in the film, said: " 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' was a very, very lovely shooting experience for me because we shot in America, in New York, for nearly three months. I was there for three months at a stretch and it was lovely living in New York around that time shooting the film. We had two little angels - Ali and Angelina (who played Saif and Rani's on-screen kids). I was single at that point of time but to actually play a mother of these two children really got my motherly instincts out."## The film, which was released 13 years ago on April 27, is a sports drama set in the backdrop of car racing in the USA, with Saif playing a racing prodigy. It was directed by Siddharth Anand.## "Today, when I look back and watch the film when I have Adira with me, it just feels so amazing. When 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' released, I had a lot of children and parents really watching the film with a lot of love. I still get a lot of people telling me that they watched 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' and it's one of their favorite films because it has car racing and it has the story about the children," she added.## Rani feels the film's universal theme of family coming together to overcome all odds is what connected with the audiences.## "It's a very nice warm lovely story and I think I connected with the film and the story a lot at that time. It was a very sweet story about this couple who has children and how they fight the odds. I think crisis like these brings families closer and I think that's a very special part of the story," she says.## Rani says she had a blast acting with actor Saif Ali Khan, with whom she also worked in films like "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic" and "Hum Tum".## "Of course, having Saif with me as a co actor was wonderful! Also, Victor Banerjee played my father in the film and it was wonderful having him on set and to be working with him. It was overall a great experience and I remember being really, really happy on the sets of 'Ta Ra Rum Pum'" she said.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New York, April 27 (IANS) Joining the growing body of evidence for social media being the primary source of fake news around coronavirus, a new study has found that people who relied on social media or conservative news outlets in early days of the COVID-19 outbreak were more likely to be misinformed about how to prevent the virus and believe conspiracy theories about it.## The Annenberg Science Knowledge (ASK) survey on COVID-19 was conducted in early March, among a nationally representative sample of 1,008 US adults, the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US said.## The study, published in the journal Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review, found that there were notable differences in views about the coronavirus that correlated with people's media consumption.## According to the researchers, conservative media usage (such as Fox News and Rush Limbaugh) correlated with higher levels of misinformation and belief in conspiracies about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.## The survey found that more than 23 percent people thought it was probably or definitely true that the Chinese had created the virus as a bioweapon (there is no evidence of this).## More than 21 percent of participants thought taking vitamin C can probably or definitely prevent infection by the coronavirus (it does not).## Social media and web aggregator usage was associated with lower levels of information and higher levels of misinformation, the researchers added.## People who used social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) were more likely to believe that taking vitamin C can prevent infection with the coronavirus; that some in the CDC were exaggerating the threat to harm the president and that the virus was created by the US government.## People who used web aggregators (such as Google News, Yahoo News) were less likely to believe in the effectiveness of handwashing and avoidance of symptomatic individuals as ways to prevent transmission of the virus (in early March, the asymptomatic transmission was less clear).## Mainstream broadcast and print media usage correlated with higher levels of the correct information and lower levels of misinformation, the study said.## People who reported using broadcast news (such as ABC News, CBS News, NBC News) were more likely to say, correctly, that the novel coronavirus is more lethal than the seasonal flu, it added.## People who consume mainstream print news (such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal) were more likely to hold accurate beliefs about the virus.## They were more likely to report that they believe that regular hand washing and avoiding contact with symptomatic people are ways to prevent infection with the coronavirus; and less likely to believe that vitamin C can prevent infection.## "Because both information and misinformation can affect behavior, we all ought to be doing our part not only to increase essential knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, but also to interdict the spread of deceptions about its origins, prevention, and effects," said study co-author Kathleen Hall Jamieson.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Archana Singh Rajput, who was seen in the TV show "Bahu Humari Rajni Kant", will be seen making her Telugu debut with the film "Mahaprasthanam", starring Tanish and Kabir Duhan Singh.## "The film is a gangster drama based in an action backdrop. I'm playing the lead and have done two item numbers in this film. The first song is 'Kummu kummu nene neeku zyummu' and the next song is 'Billi choosa'. My experience was really amazing working with all of them," said Archana.## The actress said it was great sharing screen space with Kabir Duhan Singh, Tanish, and Muskan in the film directed by Jhony, who had earlier called the shots on the horror thriller "Anthaku Minchi".## "Altogether it was great tuning and chemistry. About the director, Johnny sir is very creative and supportive. It is my first Tamil film and I really enjoyed working!" he said.## She said she had never done an item number before.## "It was an amazing experience. I never did item songs and worked for the Telugu industry before and it's for the first time. It was a challenging role because language is very different. As I'm very hardworking I have done lots of rehearsals before shooting. Kapil sir was my Choreographer who supported me a lot," she said.## The music is given by Sunil Kashyap. The motion poster of the movie has been released.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Folk Singer Swaroop Khan says folk music is like a vast ocean that has been in existence for thousands of years, and he does not think that it's threatened by remix or any other type of music.## Known for his hit songs in "PK" ("Tharki chhokro") and "Padmaavat" ("Ghoomar"), singer Swaroop believes that every kind of music deserves its due credit.## "Folk music is like an ocean. It is vast and huge. I don't think folk music is being threatened by the remix market or any other type of music. This whole thing about one type of music being threatened by other needs to stop. Folk music has been in existence for thousands of years and it is well appreciated and loved in India and overseas," said Swaroop.## He had been part of "Indian Idol" season 5 and thinks that folk music is a way of connecting with god. "Different kinds of music cater to different kinds of taste, there are rap, classic, rock, folk, fusion, filmy songs, all of which exist because people love them. I don't think folk music is threatened by anything. Folk music is a way of connecting with god. It has been here from long before and will remain till long after," he said.## Swaroop Khan says "Indian Idol 5" changed his perception about singing.## He also talked about his childhood dream of becoming a singer. He said: "Some people are forced into their respective professions, but as far as I can remember, I'd always wanted to be a singer. I come from a family of singers, so it's been part of my upbringing. Singing made sense to me, it appealed to me and I followed it".## Swaroop Khan's hits include "Mehandi", "Bahut hua samman", "Jai ho pehlwaan", and "Crazy lagdi".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

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...

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Fun chat shows to informative sessions, actors like Kartik Aaryan, Sunny Leone, Shruti Haasan, and Rashami Desai are flaunting their hosting skills in the digital space to while away their lockdown hours and fans are loving it.## Kartik's talk show on YouTube, "Koki Poochega", is surely among the most popular efforts. On the show, he interacts with frontline warriors in the COVID-19 battle, including doctors and health workers, and also with survivors of the novel coronavirus pandemic.## Kartik's trademark humorous style, at the same time engaging and informative, has already won the show a huge fan base, including Bollywood stars such as Alia Bhatt and Janhvi Kapoor, who have heaped praises on Kartik's effort on social media.## In his first episode of "Koki Poochega", Kartik interviewed India's first COVID-19 survivor Sumit Singh. The interaction gave an insight into what a person with symptoms of the virus should do and not do.## Shruti, who has been sharing recipes along with hair and skincare tips on social media, also goes live on Instagram for interactions with select guests.## Ways to stay strong, maintain mental balance, and keeping patience have been some of the topics of discussion.## "I have a close group of women who are my friends, but I also have a larger circle of women whom I have been interacting with that have been inspiring me. They are from different walks of life," said Shruti.## "I thought it would be lovely to interact with them on various topics and I like that they are from different places, different topics, and different professions," she added.## Sunny Leone has also started her chat show on Instagram.## Titled "Lockdown with Sunny", it sees Sunny in conversation with several celebrities, including Daboo Ratnani and Mandana Karimi.## "It was my idea to just have fun with our fans and people on Insta. It is all about light-hearted conversations with funny things and details about the guest," Sunny said.## "Bigg Boss 13" contestant Rashami Desai has also started her own digital show titled "The RDShhow".## "It's not your regular chat show. It's being made with an intent to educate people on different fields of career. I'll be inviting eminent personalities from various fields as guests on my show. We'll be discussing each field, with its possible career opportunities and the skills required to be successful in those particular fields," said Rashami.## Also making good use of the digital platform, actor Karanvir Bohra has started a fun-filled and informative live series titled "Lockdown with KV".## "The idea right now is to keep people engaged, talking, and importantly listening and watching good content to keep their minds diverted from the ongoing stressful situation," he said.## "So that's what my second live series 'Lockdown with KV' is aiming at. The first main idea which is to just talk to people from different walks of life and understand their lives and routines and importantly coping skills during these trying and testing times" added the actor, who had earlier brought in his celebrity friends for a 21-question series on Instagram.## Actress-producer Dia Mirza's digital session, "#DownToEarthWithDee", features celebrity guests who share a common love for nature. The session is held every Wednesday.## Dia's first conversation with filmmaker Zoya Akhtar dwelt on a number of things, from their shared love for nature to how they are both dealing with the lockdown.## "I hope these conversations on '#DownToEarthWithDee' every Wednesday will help all those seeking ways to live in better harmony with nature despite living in cities. I hope they find some magic, inspiration, and solutions in our conversations,'' Dia said.## Joining the list is actress Urvashi Dholakia, who has a digital chat show called "Trending Now".## Through the course of the show, Urvashi will be seen chatting up with personalities from diverse fields.## She has interviewed celebrities like Tony Kakkar, Sriti Jha, and Sumona Chakravarti.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who has tasted success on the big screen as well as the digital space, says that when it comes to the debate on web censorship, a dialogue is very important.## "Everything should have a debate because the dialogue is important. The storytellers get to tell their stories the way they want to, without the censors on the platform. They have freedom," opined Tripathi, who gained a major fan base as Guruji in "Sacred Games" and Kaleen bhaiya in "Mirzapur".## However, not everything can be defended in the name of creative freedom, he feels.## "There are some people who just want to spread 'sansani' (sensationalism). They too have some freedom because there are no censors. So, there are pros and cons of having censorship, and if there is a debate only then will people arrive at some conclusion," the actor pointed out.## On the acting front, he will next be seen in Kabir Khan's "83".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) After wooing her fans and followers with her sizzling bikini pictures from her vacations, actress and former beauty queen Urvashi Rautela treated them with a new sizzling video of her dancing effortlessly.## Urvashi took to Instagram, where she uploaded to dance videos of herself. In the clip, the actress is she is seen performing "heel choreography".## In one video, Urvashi is seen performing on the Bollywood number "Aashiq banana aapne" by Himesh Reshammiya.## ""So honoured, blessed & grateful to be the "First Indian Artist to perform #HeelsChoreography Aon screen ALove u Tushk," she captioned the videos.## In other news, Urvashi's Facebook account was hacked. She warned fans not to respond to posts originating from her Facebook account.## Urvashi realised that her Facebook has been hacked when a few posts, comprising pornographic content, started originating from the account.## Mumbai Police have informed Urvashi that they have acted on the issue, and a complaint has been registered with the cyber police cell.## 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 26 (IANS) Actress Tisca Chopra is missing going outdoors but she says she is making the most of staying indoors.## Tisca shared a stunning photograph on Instagram of herself in a monochrome monokini. In the image, the "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji" actress can be seen laying on sand.## "Lockdown diaries Day 29: 'Missing the outdoors but making the most of the indoors .. Made some #dimsums last evening and judging by the reaction they were good. Tara loves whatever little I cook and that is encouraging me be more adventurous (head to stories)," she wrote alongside the image.## She also mentioned she would be chatting with a psychiatrist on the photo-sharing website.## Tisca then took to her Instagram Stories, the actress is seen looking into her iPad and she captioned it: "#Backtoschool".## Recently, the actress dedicated her role of Dr. Mira Anand in the series "Hostages" to first responders and caregivers amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country.## "Hostages", a crime thriller, is directed by Sudhir Mishra. It is an official adaptation of an Israeli series of the same name. It also stars Ronit Roy, Parvin Dabas, Aashim Gulati, and Mohan Kapoor.## Amid lockdown, Tisca is using her time to hone her filmmaking skills. She has been taking online classes on how to direct feature films.## Stay tuned...