BY SACNILK

Chennai, April 22 (IANS) Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has penned, sung and directed "Avirum Anbum" -- a song on hope, positivity, and love in these testing times.## Joining him in the effort are his daughter, actress Shruti Haasan, composers Anirudh Ravichander, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Devi Sri Prasad, singers Shankar Mahadevan, Bombay Jayashree and Sid Sriram, actors Siddharth and Andrea, pianist Lydian, and singer-actor Mugen.## The song is composed by Ghibran and edited by Mahesh Narayanan, and will be released on April 23. Commenting on the collaboration with various talents for "Arivum Anbum", Kamal said: "This was truly a democratic process and each participant recorded his/her part themselves as none of us could meet. It's a collaboration in the truest sense and since everyone shot and recorded it themselves from their homes, I don't know whom to credit cinematography too."## "We have entered an era of high-end technology and every one individually sent us their portions which we put together. I have written the song and Ghibran has composed it and all the participants were on board just over a call. This collaboration has made me so proud of my tribe, not just locally but internationally. Artistes are continuously trying to inject optimism in the masses since they look up to us. The song is a reminder of all that we are capable of and also the fact that tough times don't last, only tough people do," he added.## Composer of the song Ghibran feels that a united effort like this can help people to overcome this situation.## "We have created a song from our homes even at this time of crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. We all are in this together and we will win over it, but only with a united effort, and that is the key to win over any pandemic that surrounds us. I am extremely happy and grateful to have associated with each and every person who has worked on this song and who came forward without a second thought, also to all the chorus singers who sent me their works and came forward to collaborate with me. The difference we can create by being together is all that matters and we have created something together," said the composer.## The song will be released by Think Music. "These are surreal times and the new way of life is truly testing for everyone. At a time like this, when emotions are running high, it's important that all of us remember to treat people with love and compassion. This song by the ever-talented Kamal Hassan and the talented artistes captures that beauty and is sure to resonate with anyone who hears it," said Swaroop Reddy, president of Think Music.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Actor Amitabh Bachchan has paid tribute to the care givers and first responders, whom he referred to as the "social warriors."## Big B took to Twitter, where he shared an image of Lord Ganesha made out of the words "Nurse", "Doctor", "Safai karmchari" and "Police".## "The front line workers .. the doctors and nurses .. the Social Warriors .. Natmastak hoon mai," he captioned the image.## Recently, the Bollywood veteran blogged about meeting boxing legend Muhammad Ali, recalling how bigwig filmmaker Prakash Mehra almost cast the two icons in a film.## Big B went down memory lane and blogged: "Its been a groggy night .. had been watching the Greatest Mohammad Ali in his numerous victories .. and Tyson .. and it just would not leave the attention .. became past 4 am .. and then suddenly thought of the meeting itself with the MAN."## On the work front, Big B will next be seen in films like "Chehre", Gulabo Sitabo", Brahmastra" and "Jhund".## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Actor Arjun Bijlani is overwhelmed with the positive response that his web series "State Of Siege: 26/11" amid the coronavirus outbreak in India.## "It's ironic how this has worked out so beautifully because first, we faced hurdles on the release date and when we actually released, coronavirus in India had only just broken out," Arjun said.## "It's been a surreal experience from then to now and I'd like to congratulate the entire team - the cast, crew and Abhimanyu Singh, Roopali Kadyan and our Director Matthew who have put a great piece together. This story had to be told and we're glad audiences are streaming in and positively receiving it, without them it wouldn't have been possible," he added.## Arjun along with Arjan Bajwa and Vivek Dahiya are seen as NSG Commandos in "State of Siege: 26/11". The series is based on Sandeep Unnithan's book "Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11". The show tells untold stories and the different events that took place during the attacks of 26/11. The Contiloe Pictures' show recently became the "Most Watched Original Content (New)" on Zee5.## Talking about the success, Arjan said: "‘?State of Siege 26/11' is the top rated and most watched show on ZEE5 India!! When all of us are locked in our homes, demotivated, this news couldn't have come at a better time. Lots of love to everyone who made it possible and especially all my fans!"## To this, Abhimanyu Singh, Founder-CEO at Contiloe Pictures, added: "I am glad our effort to showcase the effort of the commandos in neutralizing the 26/11 terror attacks has been liked extensively."## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Singer-composer-actor Himesh Reshammiya is a busy bee even during the COVID-19 lockdown.## A lot of things have come to a standstill as people have been told to stay indoors for safety. Work might have slowed down for many, but Himesh is as busy as ever.## "I am keeping myself busy with a lot of things during this quarantine period. I spend my days working out, composing new songs and reading new scripts. I am also planning a lot of things in film music and everything in the world of entertainment that is there for me. Like I always say, for me, the journey has just begun," Himesh told IANS.## What about working on a song on quarantine?## "No, I haven't made any song on quarantine yet but I have composed some great romantic and dance numbers, which I am sure my fans will enjoy immensely," said the "Aashiq banaya aapne" hitmaker, who has requested his fans to practice social distancing by staying at home.## "It is important for all of us to stay safe right now. As they say, this too shall pass," he said on a positive note.## Prior to the lockdown, he was busy judging new talent.## "I have judged many shows on television, but this ('BIG Golden Voice') was the first time that I judged on the radio. I don't think there is much of a difference between the two, except the fact that on radio, the quality of one's voice alone plays a crucial role. When you are judging on radio, especially during the first phase, voice is the only priority whereas on television, the attitude and personality of the singer also unknowingly become aspects on which the singer is selected," he said.## Talking about the radio show, he shared: "My favorite moment during judging 'BIG Golden Voice Season 7' was when we announced not one, but two winners. Shalini and Ankit both gave us performances to remember throughout their journey."## The former judge of "Indian Idol" often picks budding singers from reality shows for his film projects.## "All the singing shows are projecting great talent but some voices are so good that they inspire you. I truly believe that our country has some really amazing singing talent and their voices need to be heard by the entire nation. When I hear a great voice, I feel like launching it as soon as possible. This is something I have been doing time and again and will continue to do so in the future," said the composer, who had given a platform to many new singers like Darshan Raval and Mohammed Irfan.## Himesh has been in the industry for long, but he hasn't stopped learning even from the newcomers.## "Each and every one has taught me something valuable, but the most important thing I have learned is how to be the best student and keep learning at every stage of my life. Never stop learning and get inspired -- these are the biggest learnings from them (budding artistes)," said Himesh.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Electronic music artiste Tuhin Mehta says music has the power to heal the soul and feels it can help people get through the coronavirus pandemic.## Asked how can your music help people relax amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Tuhin said: "I think music is the one thing that stands besides when everything else has failed. It has the power to heal the soul and give you energy even when you are down and out!"## To cheer up people, he performed live for ‘Vh1 Quarantunes' on the Instagram page of Vh1 India on April 16.## "I'm always happy and excited to share my music with the world," he said about performing live.## Live performances come with a certain amount of limitations. Asked how he overcomes it, he said: "I have the camera set up to give the audience a birds-eye view of what's going on on the console. I also check the comments real-time which sort of gives me the energy I need to keep pushing forward musically."## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Having done actioners like "Force", the "Commando" franchise and "Junglee", actor Vidyut Jammwal, who is known for his high-octane stunts on screen, says his next "Khuda Hafiz" is a hardcore romantic film.## "'Khuda Hafiz' is a romantic movie. It's a true story of a man who is madly in love with his wife and gets married in 2009 during the recession. They go abroad and get a job. (The story is about) how this girl gets picked up and how the guy gets her back. It's a hardcore, true romantic movie with a little action," Vidyut told IANS.## The shooting of the film has taken place in Uzbekistan, Mumbai, and Lucknow.## Directed by Faruk Kabir, the romantic-action-thriller co-stars Shivaleeka Oberoi, who recently made her debut in "Yeh Saali Aashiqui", opposite late Amrish Puri's grandson Vardhan Puri.## The film is produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak and co-produced by Sanjeev Joshi, Aditya Chowksey and Murlidhar Chhatwani. It will be distributed pan-India by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Panorama Films.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Actress Lara Dutta is excited to play a police officer for the first time in the comedy-action web series "Hundred", and says her character is trying hard to survive in a man's world.## In the series, Lara will be seen as ACP Saumya Shukla.## "The show is a fun and entertaining story of a dysfunctional Jodi and the chaos that ensues in their lives. The makers have carefully scripted the show to bring alive action and humor in a very entertaining way," Lara said.## "One of the many reasons I chose to do the show is because I have never played a cop on screen and my character is trying hard to survive in a man's world. She has very interesting dynamics with the people in her life and the more complex a situation, the more she thrives. She is nothing like me in real life," she added.## The Hotstar Specials show chronicles the misadventures of two contrasting women, set in the backdrop of Mumbai, its chawls and crime gangs. Being described as a masala entertainer, the show also stars Rinku Rajguru.## It is co-directed by Ruchi Narain, Ashutosh Shah, and Taher Shabbir. The cast includes names like Karan Wahi, Sudhanshu Pandey, Parmeet Sethi, Rohini Hattangidi, Arun Nalawde, and Makarand Deshpande. The eight-episode series will launch on April 25 on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.## Talking about making digital as well Hindi debut, "Sairat" star Rinku said: "It's been a roller-coaster ride making my digital debut with ‘Hundred' -- a show that has equal measures of comedy and crime. I portray the character of Netra Patil - a bindaas Marathi mulgi who is trying to live her life to the fullest. What drew me towards the show is the way this character has been molded - people will see a different side of her in each episode."## To this, Karan added: "The show will hopefully give people a hundred reasons to smile and uplift their mood in these unprecedented times - it's just what the doctor ordered!"## Narain feels the show "has all the elements of a family entertainer - action, drama, comedy, thrill and more!"## "It's a story where desperation leads two unlikely women - one bindass and the other badass - to team up as they chase their own personal goals," she said.## The show is about a terminally ill girl looking for thrills, who is hired to be an undercover agent by an ambitious female cop looking for a promotion. It will tell their story as they get together to accomplish their own goal in 100 days.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) Actor Karanvir Bohra has come up with 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.## With a dash of fun and candid conversation, the series will try to keep the atmosphere light and stress-free.## Meanwhile, Karanvir has cooked halwa for his wife Teejay Sidhu to celebrate 13 years of togetherness.## The couple, who are parents to two daughters, have stepped into their 13th year of marriage. Owing to the current lockdown though, they are celebrating it in a simple way at home.## Karanvir stepped into the kitchen to make some halwa for Teejay.## Speaking about spending quality time at home for their anniversary this year, Karanvir shared: "I have made something special for Teejay and that is the legendary halwa! It is something healthy and a dish that can be made quickly too. The kids love eating it as well. So due to the lockdown, that's how we brought in our 13th year anniversary at home this time, with lots of quality time together."## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) Mumbai Police have taken to Twitter to express gratitude to filmmaker Rohit Shetty for helping out on-duty police officials who are working relentlessly to ensure a smooth lockdown as the nation battles the deadly COVID 19 pandemic.## The filmmaker has arranged for rest, shower and clothes changing facility along with breakfast and dinner in eight hotels across the city for on-duty police officials.## Informing about the same and expressing gratitude, Mumbai Police tweeted on Tuesday: "#RohitShetty has facilitated eight hotels across the city for our on-duty #CovidWarriors to rest, shower & change with arrangements for breakfast & dinner.## We thank him for this kind gesture and for helping us in #TakingOnCorona and keeping Mumbai safe."## This initiative by the filmmaker comes after he recently donated Rs 51 lakh to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) to aid daily wage film workers, who have been left jobless due to the lockdown amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.## On the film front, Rohit Shetty is all set with the next film in his cop drama universe, titled "Sooryavanshi". The forthcoming movie features Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in the lead.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, April 21 (IANS) "Captain America" star Chris Evans has advice to everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic -- adopt a dog.## Evans adopted his canine companion Dodger in 2015.## Asked about the best ways to cope during self-isolation, he said everyone needs to get a rescue puppy because they are "missing out", reports femalefirst.co.uk.## "I would never subject anyone to advise that would come from me. There's nothing I can give you that ... Do you know what my advice would be? Adopt a dog! Everyone should go out and get a dog. If you don't have a dog in your life, especially during this time, you're missing out," He told USA Today.## Is Dodger proving to him with comfort during these unsettling times?## He said: "Oh, yeah, absolutely. He doesn't leave my side."## Evans has been working on his scripts and promoting his latest series "Defending Jacob".## He said: "A lot of that's put on hold right now. There's always a stack of scripts you can check out, but ... everything is kind of being punted months and months and I think a lot of people have other priorities."## Evans, 38, says he feels "lucky and blessed" to be with his family at this difficult time, but admitted everyone feels like they are "stuck" in a "disturbing wait-and-see pattern" to see how the pandemic will impact their lives going forward.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) "Avengers: Endgame" co-director Joe Russo says India is a beautiful country but its locales are rarely been tapped in modern international action films.## Russo is glad that he got a chance to capture the beauty of the country in Netflix's upcoming action film "Extraction".## "India is a beautiful country. It is also rarely seen in a modern international action film. Some beautiful cultural aspects of the story (in ‘Extraction') would be enriched by setting in India and it does really pay off beautifully in the film," Joe said in a video, released by Netflix before the release of the film.## Originally titled "Dhaka", the film revolves around Tyler Rake (essayed by Chris Hemsworth), a fearless, black market mercenary, who embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he is enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. It has been shot extensively in India, along with other places around the world. It is directed by Sam Hargrave.## It also stars Indian actors Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi, Priyanshu Painyulli, and Rudraksh Jaiswal. The screenplay of the film is done by Joe Russo. The film is produced by Russo Brothers (Joe and Anthony Russo), Mike Larocca, Chris Hemsworth, Eric Gitter, and Peter Schwerin.## In the clip, Hargrave is seen embracing Indian traditions and praying before starting the film.## "We started the day with a traditional Indian blessing. They infused the production with a lot of Indian traditions," Hargrave said in the clip.## Looking back at his time in India, Hemsworth said: "Here we are in India. We are on the set of our movie for Netflix. Aesthetically, I think this film is beyond unique. So vibrant and full of movement. I don't think anyone shot a film like this here before. The public would turn up in thousands to watch us shoot. Every time they would call cut, they would cheer and clap. It was like being in a coliseum or something."## "Extraction" will release on April 24.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) Marathi celebrities like Sachin Pilgaonkar, Supriya Pilgaonkar and Sachin Khedekar have come together to raise awareness about COVID-19, with a track titled "Ladhvayya Mi Maharashtracha".## Written by Valley Mulgund and sung by Chinmay Hulyalkar and Sayee Gangan, "Ladhvayya Mi Maharashtracha" is a gesture of solidarity and a way of thanking the government machinery, doctors, nurses, policeman and all those people who are working to keep others safe and healthy.## "Bring out the fighter spirit in you. Respect the orders from the government, respect the heroes on the front-line, doctors, nurses, policemen and everyone who is going out so we can be safe," said Sachin.## Supriya added: "Stay home, keep washing your hands. Sanitize your surroundings, keep them clean. Clean and sanitize all your groceries before you use them. Care for people less fortunate than you. That's the only way we can defeat this pandemic."## The video also features Prajakta Koli, Dr. Amol Kolhe, Jaywant Wadkar, Vijay Patkar, Ashok Samarth, Sushant Shelar, Aniket Vishwasrao, Mrinal Kulkarni, Mrunal Thakur, Tejashree Pradhan, Prarthana Behere, Prajakta Male, Bhau Kadam, Anjali Bhagwat, Vitthal Kamat, Kaushik Marathe, Ramdas Karwande and Indraneel Chitale.## Stay tuned...