BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Irrfan Khan was a true on-screen chameleon who smoothly transformed from a top athlete to a bandit to a common man looking for a bride to a doting dad in films. The actor is no more, but his memorable roles in Bollywood films will stay forever in the hearts of his millions of fans.## Here's the IANS guide to his top 10 Bollywood films:## "Paan Singh Tomar"## He brought the life story of the late Paan Singh Tomar, a champion athlete who later became a bandit, to the big screen. It wasn't easy to get into the skin of Tomar, who later came to be known as the 'Bandit King' of the Chambal Valley.## "Two months before the shoot, I took physical training from a Delhi-based national-level coach on Steeplechase. It was difficult but enjoyable. I also undertook lessons on voice modulation and pronunciation as I had to speak in the local dialect," Irrfan had said in a 2012 interview with Indian Express.## The film, helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, fetched him National Award for Best Actor.## "The Lunchbox"## The 2013 film was a romantic movie but not the usual one with actors lip-syncing to love ballads. He played a lonely man on the verge of retirement. But before his office days are over, a mistaken lunchbox delivery changes his life.## "I long to explore romance in different ways. I don't often get that chance. This concept of love, we misuse the term. Love is a pure connection, a strong longing," the actor had said in an interview to The Star in 2014.## "Piku"## It was essentially a father-daughter film that was appreciated by many for Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone's natural acting. But Irrfan knew how to make his presence felt in the Shoojit Sircar directorial that had released in 2015. He played the role of a man who ran a cab service in Delhi. His profession makes him join the fun yet emotional ride with the father and daughter in "Piku".## "The script was so new. The flavor of the film, the emotions were all so new and fresh. That attracted me. Also, the team... Shoojit and Juhi (Chaturvedi, the writer of 'Piku'). I was dying to work with them," Irrfan had told India Today in 2015.## "Maqbool"## The 2004 crime drama about passion and power was an adaptation of the play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare. In the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial that had Ames like Pankaj Kapur and Tabu attached to it, he played the title role -- a right-hand man of an aging don.## "Life In A... Metro"## The multi-starrer had multiple stories in one film dealing with topics like extramarital affairs, love, and heartbreaks. He essayed the role of a straightforward man desperately looking for a bride.## "I did not do any preparations for the role. My preparation was that I did not prepare for the role. I had complete faith in (director) Anurag Basu. The kind of character it was, it had to be done spontaneously. The only preparation was to think like a man who has not met a girl even though he is 37 years old now and still has not touched a girl. So one can imagine the desperation one feels when he has not touched a girl," he had said in an interview to movietalkies.com.## "Madaari"## The 2016 movie showed him like a grieving father who later kidnapped a top politician's son.## " I play a man who feels the system has collapsed completely and there is a need for reform. My character is not based on any one individual. Nor is the film an attack on my political ideology," Irrfan had told IANS in 2016.## "Hindi Medium"## In the 2017 comedy-drama, he played a rich businessman who did everything -- even pretended to be underprivileged -- just to get his daughter enrolled into an English school.## "Karwaan"## The 2018 movie took the audience on a fun road trip with Irrfan, Dulquer Salmaan, and Mithila Palkar's characters. Irrfan portrayed the friend who everyone would want in real life too. It showed his comic side and romantic sides too.## "Haasil"## With a focus on student politics, the 2003 movie showed him as a student leader of Allahabad University that fetched him Filmfare Best Villain Award.## "Angrezi Medium"## The 2020 film was a spin-off to "Hindi Medium. "Angrezi Medium", primarily a father-daughter story, was one of the last films that released before the COVID-19 lockdown. He played a sweet shop owner and single father set to fulfill his daughter's dream to study in London.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The sudden demise of actor Irrfan Khan not only jolted the Indian film industry but sent shock waves internationally as well. Popular celebrities Riz Ahmed and Ava DuVernay lead the charge in condoling his death, remembering him for his exceptional talent.## "Venom" star Riz Ahmed took to Twitter to mourn his demise, saying that Irrfan was a "guiding light for so many of us".## "Rest in peace one of the greatest actors of our time, Irrfan Khan. I never met him but he was an inspiration and a hero to me and millions of others. His work was consistently transcendent, he was a guiding light for so many of us," he tweeted.## He continued: "If you've not seen his work, watch ‘The Lunchbox' or ‘The Warrior'. A true artist who spanned Bollywood and Hollywood and was acclaimed in both. His words in a letter to a newspaper about his illness are a reminder of his beautiful mind and of life's fragility. His work will live on."## "When They See Us" creator Ava DuVernay also posted an emotional message along with a picture of the actor.## "A grateful fan of #IrrfanKhan here. Gone too soon. When he is on screen, you can't take your eyes off of him. He lives on in his films," she posted.## To DuVernay's post, "Rise Of The Guardians" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" director Peter Ramsey commented: "I can't believe it. A genius. So great in THE LUNCHBOX. I'm devastated."## With projects like "Paan Singh Tomar", "Piku", "Talvar", "The Lunchbox", "Maqbool", and "7 Khoon Maaf", Irrfan carved a name for himself in Hindi cinema. He has gradually established himself in the West too. He featured in foreign films like "The Namesake", "Life of Pi", "A Mighty Heart", "Slumdog Millionaire', "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Inferno" and "Jurassic World".## Irrfan featured alongside Hollywood actors such as Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in "Jurassic World". The film's director, Colin Trevorrow, shared a heartfelt message along with a happy image of Irrfan.## "Deeply sad to have lost #IrrfanKhan. A thoughtful man who found beauty in the world around him, even in pain. In our last correspondence, he asked me to remember "the wonderful aspects of our existence" in the darkest of days. Here he is, laughing," he tweeted. "The Warrior" maker Asif Kapadia simply wrote, "Love you Irrfan Bhai".## The British Film Institute also mourned his death through a post on its Twitter account."We're deeply saddened to hear that Bollywood legend Irrfan Khan has passed away," read the post.## The actor, diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor in 2018, passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday, leaving the whole world in deep shock.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, April 29 (IANS) Singer Dua Lipa, who is known for belting out hits like "New Rules", "IDGAF" and "One Kiss", says pop artists, especially women have to work harder to be taken seriously in the industry.## Achieving the star status was not an easy ride for Lipa, who was speaking on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, reports aceshowbiz.com.## She said: "Artists in pop, especially women, have to work harder to be taken seriously. You have to work a lot harder for people to really believe that these are your lyrics, that this is your vision."## Citing an example from the title track of her second album "Future Nostalgia" as an example, the singer said she uses encouraging lyrics to help her feel more empowered.## "I know you ain't used to a female alpha," she used the line from the song as an example.## She said: "When I put lyrics like that into my record, and I perform them, I do feel more empowered and stronger, and yeah, I'm like, 'I am a female alpha,'. But it's also recognition that we are built on the backs of giants.## "There have been strong, influential women since I was very little in the music industry: Pink, Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Madonna, Janet Jackson."## The 24-year-old singer said that she loves all of her songs."People go, 'Are you bored of singing the same song over and over again?' I'm not, because it's not really about me in that instance -- it's about the listeners," she said.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, April 29 (IANS) The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences to change rules and eligibility requirements for the 2021 Oscars, making movies of streaming services eligible to win the golden statuettes.## The Academy has tweaked its Oscar eligibility rules in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The change is not permanent, and will apply to films released this year, reports variety.com.## During a meeting on Tuesday, the board of governors approved a temporary hold on the requirement that a film needs a seven-day theatrical run in a commercial theater in Los Angeles to qualify for the Oscars.## However, there's a catch and not all movies premiering on a streaming service will be eligible for Oscar. To get in Oscar contention, the streaming movie must have already had a planned theatrical release.## "The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theatre," said Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson, adding: "Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering. Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules. The Academy supports its members and colleagues during this time of uncertainty. We recognize the importance of their work being seen and also celebrated, especially now, when audiences appreciate movies more than ever."## Once movie theaters are allowed to re-open, the seven-day window will once again be required for eligibility.## The Academy also shared that it will eliminate an Oscar category. The sound mixing and sound editing categories will be combined into one award, reducing the total number of categories presented on the show to 23.## And in an effort to become more carbon-neutral, the Academy prohibited DVD screeners for the 94th Oscars gala. It also announced that for the first time all Academy members will be invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting for international feature films.## The 93rd Oscars will be held on February 28, 2021.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Irrfan Khan was one of the few Indian stars to seamlessly transition from Bollywood to Hollywood while breaking the stereotypical barriers reserved for brown people in the West with his unconventional acting skills.## From pivotal roles in big-budget tentpoles like "Jurassic World", "Inferno" and "The Amazing Spider-Man" to critically acclaimed and successful crossover dramas such as "The Namesake", "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Life of Pi", Irrfan was India's first and biggest export to Hollywood. And he did all this without making any clamor about invading the West, and instead let his work do the talking.## He was the actor who matched the Oscar-winning Tom Hanks' on-screen thunder. He was the star who turned down offers to work with Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Nolan, and Ridley Scott without breaking a sweat. He was the actor who retained his identity as an Indian while escaping the stereotypical traps, sometimes as a police inspector in "Slumdog Millionaire", sometimes as a doctor in "The Amazing Spider-Man", sometimes as a powerful businessman in "Jurassic World" and sometimes as the head of an enigmatic international organization known as 'The Consortium' in "Inferno".## While promoting "Inferno", actor Tom Hanks said he wants to be cool like Irrfan.## "Here's what I hate about Irrfan Khan... I always think I'm the coolest guy in the room, and everybody's hanging on to every word I say and everybody's a little intimidated to be in my presence. And then Irrfan Khan walks into the room. And he's the coolest guy in the room," Tom Hanks said about working with Irrfan.## After carving a name for himself in Hindi cinema, he has gradually established himself in the West too. But there was a time in the 1990s when Irrfan was contemplating leaving the glitzy world of showbiz.## British filmmaker Asif Kapadia's "The Warrior" in 2001 gave a much-needed fillip to his career and exposure to the West that opened new vistas. From there on, there was no looking back.## In an interview with IANS in the past, Irrfan had shared how his move to tread the Hollywood path was initially met with criticism.## "When I entered Hollywood, most of my colleagues and industry people used to say that 'Hollywood mein kya hai', 'Taxi driver aur waiter ke role hi hote hain'. But fortunately, things have changed. Now, nationality is not important," he said, going on to use his character in "Inferno" to further elaborate his point. For me in 'Inferno', nationality doesn't matter, or like in 'Jurassic World', where I played the role of Simon Masrani -- he could have been an Indian Sindhi or an Italian. So that is how things are changing. Your nationality doesn't really become a limitation," the National Award-winning star had said.## He also starred in the 2017 film "The Song Of Scorpions", and 2007 movie "A Mighty Heart", which also featured Angelina Jolie, besides the Indo-German short film "The Cloud Door" (1994).## After working on the small screen, Irrfan made his film debut with a cameo in 1988 through Mira Nair's Oscar-nominated "Salaam Bombay". The actor passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was 53.## The actor, diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor in 2018, was still recovering from the disease after extensive treatment in London.## The actor was taking baby steps back into the acting world. He recovered well enough to complete the shoot of "Angrezi Medium", which was incidentally the last film to hit the screens in India before the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.## Here's a look at some of his iconic work in the West## * The Warrior (2001)## Directed by British filmmaker Asif Kapadia, the movie featured Irrfan as a warrior in feudal Rajasthan and chronicles his journey to give up the sword. The 2001 film won a BAFTA that year.## * A Mighty Heart (2007)## In Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart", which narrates true story of the kidnap and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, Irrfan got on board for the role of a Pakistani intelligence officer known only as Captain, and impressed all with his skills.## * Inferno (2016)## In the thriller film, directed by Ron Howard, Irrfan is seen as Harry "The Provost" Sims, head of The Consortium, who is helping Zobrist in his mission to reduce the Earth's growing population. It also features Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Ben Foster and Sidse Babett Knudsen.## * The Namesake (2006)## He collaborated with Mira Nair for the film based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri. The film narrates the struggles of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli (Irrfan and Tabu) as first-generation immigrants from trying to find a place in the US while raising their children.## * Slumdog Millionaire (2008)## Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film was a game-changer for Irrfan and propelled him into the big league. In the film, he featured as a police inspector who gets caught up in the main storyline -- about Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) who becomes a TV sensation after winning the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?".## * Life Of Pi (2012)## The Ang Lee film is about an Indian man named "Pi" Patel, who is narrating his life story to a novelist. It's about how at 16 he survives a shipwreck and is adrift in the ocean on a lifeboat with a tiger. He essayed the older Pi Patel in the adventure drama. The movie was a huge success both critically and commercially.## * The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)## In the superhero film by Marc Webb, he was seen as a super scientist named Rajit Ratha. He featured alongside Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans and others.## * Jurassic World (2015)## Irrfan joined Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in the sci-fi film to essay the role of Simon Masrani, CEO of the Masrani Corporation and the owner of Jurassic World. It was a commercially successful project and ensured more visibility for the actor in Hollywood.## * Puzzle (2018)## The drama film directed by Marc Turtletaub follows the life of a stay-at-home mother Agnes who enters a puzzle building competition. Irrfan starred as the puzzle partner of Kelly Macdonald's character Agnes.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, April 29 (IANS) Coronavirus has come as a blockbuster blow for the Telugu film industry, the second biggest in India after Bollywood, as films valued Rs 2,000 crore either ready to be released or in production have been stuck for over a month.## With no chances of an early end to the crisis, the industry is not only staring at massive losses but also fear the loss of over 70,000 jobs in production, distribution, and exhibition departments.## Like many other industries and every film industry in the world, the coronavirus outbreak and the resultant lockdown brought everything to a standstill in Tollywood, as the Telugu film industry is popularly referred to.## According to well-known producer Daggubati Suresh, 15 films which were ready for release and another 70 films which were under various stages of production are stuck.## "Production varies from a film like RRR which is Rs 400 crore plus film to many films which are in the hundred crore bracket and a lot of films in the Rs 20-30 crore bracket. There are many with a budget of Rs 3-5 crore. There is quite a big money stalled. May be in production alone projects worth Rs 2,000 crore are stalled," Suresh told IANS.## The big banner movies stuck include 'RRR' of S.S. Rajamouli of 'Baahubali' fame. Starring Ram Charan and Jr. NTR in the lead roles, it is expected to be another magnum opus from Rajamouli.## Superstar Chiranjeevi's 'Acharya' is another big banner movie stuck due to lockdown. Movies of leading stars like Balakrishna, Allu Arjun, Vankatesh and Ravi Teja have gone behind schedule. Most of them are Rs 30-40 crore movies.## Nani and Vijay Devarkonda's movies were ready for release. Ram Pothineni-starrer 'Red' was also scheduled for April release.## The lockdown has brought all the production, distribution and exhibition activities of Suresh Productions to a grinding halt. The company had four films under production 'Narappa', 'Virata Parvam', 'Crush' and 'Krishna and his Leela' and it had planned three other movies.## "It's not just filmed under production which is hit. All three studios and 250-300 screens all are shut. The losses are huge," said Suresh.## He pointed out that 1,800 cinema theatres are the worst affected by the lockdown.## The second-largest film industry in the country after Hindi, Tollywood makes 250-275 movies every year. About 175 films are made in Telugu while about 100 films are dubbed from other languages. The budget varies from Rs 1-2 crore to Rs 200 crore, pointed out the ace producer.## "Tollywood's most successful film 'Baahubali' proved to be the biggest hit in India. Now 'RRR' will be the biggest film. It is basically a Telugu film being dubbed into other languages. Somewhere we are making the biggest films of the industry," said Suresh.## Every year 25-30 Hindi movies are made with Rs 100 crore budget while the number of Tollywood movies in this bracket will be around 12. Tamil industry ranks third in this category with 3-4 films.## Suresh foresees plenty of joblessness in the industry even after it gets back to work. "The filmmakers will try to save cost and try to remove the unnecessary flab. There will be a lot of digital interfaces and there will be a lot more work from home attitude."## Many low-level non-technical jobs and even mid-level managerial jobs are likely to go. Things may change even for outdoor shootings with less number of people handling the work. Huge joblessness is also feared in distribution and exhibition with cinema theatres resorting to lay-offs.## The producer does not expect things returning to normal in the industry until the vaccine or drug is made for COVID-19. "I don't think too much is happening. It could be a low of 6 months to a high of 12-15 months."## "All depends on when the vaccine and medicine will come. That's when we are fully done. If the process of developing a vaccine or medicine is slow then some small shootings and some post-production work can happen. The films may have to be released through OTT (over the top) or some other platform."## Creative Producer Venkat Sidda Reddy believes that Tollywood will make a comeback. "The film industry has seen so many ups and downs and I strongly feel that there will be a comeback. The looming uncertainties of shooting schedules, theater occupancy and the competition with the OTT platforms are definitely going to be major challenges but every challenge is also an opportunity," Reddy told IANS.## "With this sudden downward trend, the budgets will become smaller. With smaller budgets, shoot schedules have to be very well planned and we will have to find ways to work with smaller crews and shorter shooting schedules. This is a good opportunity to use technology and device processes that are lacking in the industry," said Reddy.## He believes that the low budget films with genre-specific films will have worldwide reach on OTT platforms. There will be a lot of opportunities in the OTT platform for newer ideas.## "With theaters closed and everyone binging on OTT, the producers, distributors, and exhibitors now know the real impact of OTT on films. So there will be a huge paradigm shift and as a supporter of Indie cinema, these challenging times are going to open doors for more opportunities," he added.## For more and latest news about Tollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Jaipur, April 29 (IANS) Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan who passed away on Wednesday had a strong love for the theatre world. He wanted to see new talents come out on the stage and theatre culture growing in India the same way as it has grown in developed countries. He also wanted folk tales from Rajasthan villages to be told in cities so that there could have been the right connections between rural and urban India.## During one of his scheduled visits to Jaipur way back in 2016, he had said, "Going to the theatre is not being looked down upon by anyone in other countries but in India, things need to be changed.## "Am glad to see scenario changing in India too. I feel happy to see people in Gujarat and Rajasthan visiting theatres regularly after taking out time from their busy schedules. The art and culture of different states are preserved via this medium and hence it should be promoted," Irrfan had said.## However, he was equally sad to see that the vast spread of folk tales and stories could not come out of Rajasthan villages to cities. According to him, this is the reason a real connect could not be established between rural and urban India which indirectly couldn't help theatres in this state to grow. Also, he felt sad to see that there are no more quality writers left in the industry. "There is a strong need of writers to pen interesting plays and I wish FTII starts thinking on this," he had said.## He strongly believed that true acting comes from the theatre.## Irrfan loved exploring wildlife. "I love getting lost in the thickness of jungles. Wildlife safari excites me, incites me and takes me back to the roots, You discover lot many newer perspectives of life during jungle walk," he said.## Being a family person, he loved spending quality time with his family in Jaipur. However, at times, he was engaged in different events on his short visit to his hometown, which did upset him sometimes but he still managed everything with an equal clan and was successful in keeping his family as well as his city folks happy.## He loved his family. Sadly, his mother Saeeda Begum passed away on Saturday and the actor paid his last tributes to his mother via video conferencing.## Irrfan's last film was "Angrezi Medium" which ran in theatres for just a day before cinema halls across India were shut due to the lockdown.## The movie is now available on Hotstar.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) It was Delhi's National School of Drama (NSD) that helped late veteran actor Irrfan Khan to find a footing in Indian cinema. In 1986, director Mira Nair had paid a visit to NSD to look for actors to cast in her film "Salaam Bombay". She picked the 20-year-old Irrfan for a small role.## Apart from letting Irrfan to explore the world of acting, his alma mater also played a crucial roles in his love story with his wife Sutapa Sikdar. Sutapa, who is a writer, was Irrfan's collegemate. The two fell in love during their college days and later tied the knot in 1995.## As Irrfan left for his heavenly abode on Wednesday, his alma Mater NSD paid tribute to him.## On the behalf of NSD family, Director-In-Charge Suresh Sharma tweeted: "The news of the demise of noted actor (alumnus NSD) Mr. Irrfan Khan is highly shocking. The NSD family pays a heartfelt tribute. Irrfan Bhai had contributed a lot to theatre. God bless the departed soul."## Irrfan was only 54. Earlier this week, he was hospitalised after being diagnosed with colon infection. He even battled neuroendocrine tumour for several months and returned to Mumbai a few months ago after being treated in London.## While remembering the versatile actor, a glance through his Twitter feed provided us with one of his precious pictures from his NSD days.## In 2016, Irrfan had posted a black and white picture in which he is having a fun conversation with his friends from NSD.## "Woh Bhi Kya Din the NSD ke," Irrfan had captioned the image that shows him sporting eyeglasses.## Before learning acting at NSD, Irrfan had pursued MA degree from one of the colleges in his home town Jaipur.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Irrfan Khan, who won over millions of fans with his roles in numerous international and Indian films, is no more. A statement by his official spokesperson has confirmed the demise of the 54-year-old actor on Wednesday.## "'I trust, i have surrendered'; These were the some of the many words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It's saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it," said the statement, confirming the news of the actor's death.## On Tuesday, Irrfan was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection. Although a statement issued by his spokesperson in the early hours of Wednesday had dispelled rumours about his health condition, the confirmation of his demise came later in the day.## Expressing condolences to Irrfan Khan's family, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar tweeted Wednesday morning: "My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om Shanti. Irfaan Khan salute."## Shoojit Sircar had directed Irrfan in his 2015 movie "Piku" which also starred Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan.## The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor a while back and has been under medical attention for the same. He even went abroad for treatment.## On the work front, Irrfan Khan was last seen in "Angrezi Medium", last-released Bollywood film before COVID-19 forced the complete shutdown of cinema halls. "Angrezi Medium" ran in theatres for just a day before halls all over India were shut down.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Actor Manish Anand, who has appeared in the web series "Pushpavalli", has turned to a ketogenic diet to prepare for his next series "Salt City.## "'Salt City' was one challenging experience. I had to look leaner for the part. I had to cut down on the weight. So I opted for a ketogenic diet which is a very low carb diet. The trick here is to do it right as more often than not it goes wrong and there are no results," he said.## Manish said he had to be "extremely careful and precise while doing it".## "It helped and I got the feel of the character soon after and I hope it has translated into my performance. 'Salt City' would be out soon and I can't wait for the feedback on that."## The actor will also be seen alongside actress Shamita Shetty in the upcoming film "The Tenant" The film has been directed by Sushrut Jain, who is based in Los Angeles.## Talking about his role, Manish had previously shared that his character is "complex" and has "got multiple shades."## Manish has signed up another movie for which he is learning Arabic online.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Rapper Badshah had fun working with actress Jacqueline Fernandez and says he learned a lot from her.## Badshah worked with Jacqueline on his latest single "Genda Phool".## "Working with Jaqueline was fun, I learned a lot from her, I think she is one of the most hard-working professionals I have had the pleasure of working with. We have been complimented a lot on how we look together on the screen which is a great thing," Badshah told IANS.## "We always had the concept of the music video very clear in our minds, the colors, the dance, the red and white sari to the alta, and when Sneha Shetty, the director, and my team and I sat down, we just knew what we wanted her to look like. The element has been appreciated and loved by the audience, there are actually tutorials that have gone viral to achieve the look and I am proud that we have been able to take the beauty of cultural ethnicity and presented it," he added.## "Genda Phool", which comes with a Bengali touch, is themed around Durga Pujo and is directed by Sneha Shetty Kohli. It has crossed over 228 million views and was Number 1 on Youtube worldwide charts for 3 weeks. The song also resonates with the international audience and has entered BBC Asian Charts at the #1 position.## Talking about the success of the song, he said: The response has been phenomenal. We were expecting the audience to connect to the song, but the sort of virality the song attained was not expected. It went viral, especially amongst the Bengali diaspora. People are recreating the look on Tik-Tok, it has become a phenomenon. I am extremely excited about how the song is performing, steadily moving to the top of the charts across Youtube, Radio, TV, and streaming platforms."## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Singer Lisa Mishra described joining global superstar Lady Gaga's COVID-19 relief concert "One World: Together at Home" as an "absolutely beautiful" experience and says that it has made her realize the importance of music in global healing.## Over 70 artists and celebrities from across the world joined Gaga's concert to honor the frontline workers earlier this month. The virtual concert, organized by the WHO and Global Citizen, included performances and appearances from stars such as Lisa, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney.## "I think it was absolutely beautiful. A free concert, accessible from our homes, celebrating our healthcare workers, and raising funds for their continued safety while they are on the front-lines: an absolute dream," Lisa told IANS while looking back at the experience of the virtual concert.## Talking about her takeaway from it, she said: "I think it made me realize exactly how important music is for global healing. These are uncertain times and I've been leaning so much on music to carry me through the low points. I can only assume the rest of the world feels the same."## While many projects have been put on hold due to the global lockdown, Lisa has come out with new music. She has launched her first solo non-film single "Nai chaida", about a long-distance relationship. "Nai chaida" released on Tuesday on VYRL Originals.## The singer feels "music has always been the global language of healing in times of hardship".## "Songs of war, freedom, unity, have long-defined eras of tumult. Music will again be the art form that rejuvenates our spirits in this time," she added.## The Indian-American is best remembered for rendering the reprised version of "Tareefan". Most recently, she delivered hits "The wakhra song", "Naadaniyaan" "The Sky is Pink" and "Chandigarh means" from "Good Newwz".## She is utilizing her time amid lockdown by "Writing and recording".## "There were several pending projects when the lockdown happened, so I am busy finishing those and working on new songs," she said.## Asked if the uncertainty about the future makes her anxious, Lisa said: "Of course- it's less about the lockdown but more the human toll that makes my heart heavy. I am grateful for my health and family because we're seeing how badly this has ravaged the world. I am especially worried about those without the means or access to necessary healthcare and essential goods."## Stay tuned...