BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Actress Katrina Kaif feels fortunate that biggies like Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, and Salman Khan are her friends, and says she respects them and ego doesn't come into friendship.## "I don't need to look at, 'why have you hurt my ego'. That's your problem. Disrespect is different. You must stand up and defend (against) that. What purpose does the ego serve? I'm just a person," Katrina said.## "Whether it is Shah Rukh or Hrithik, Akshay or Salman, I'm very fortunate to call them friends and they are important to me. I can talk to them at any time. I respect them and when you respect someone, the ego doesn't come into it," added the actress.## The actress will soon be seen in "Sooryavanshi" with Akshay and she says that the oft-repeated perception that she is a "blockbuster star but not a great actor" never bothers her.## She said: "My focus was to be a star. I wanted to be loved by people and seen by people. That came from when I was growing up. I have zero inhibitions about hiding and changing that. That's my journey and my story, and I have to own that. I did exactly what I set out to do. Every day I realise how fortunate I am to say that. I wanted to be known in every household, my idol was Hema Malini ji and that's what I was interested in being."## For Katrina, life is all about striking a balance. "There's a lot that you need to try and balance. A lot of changes, so it's very hard to talk about your career. It becomes a subconscious ingrained habit of whether I'm doing well. It's judged by the parameters of the film industry and media. Your sense of self and your sense of self-worth gets driven by that. Your sense of self comes from who you are. Whether a film is a success or not has to not weigh on your sense of self."## Talking about finding herself, the Britain-origin actress said: "I'm a huge believer of self-therapy and think everyone should do it. Try to get a hold and understand who you are. You will be crushed, your soul will be crushed if your sense of self is decided by the box office and your popularity. You have to decide where you stand, for you to be happy and satisfied and growing. You have to try and place yourself where you want to be. If you're trying to chase a number, that won't happen. You won't get the kinds of projects you are looking for."## Katrina asserts that she found her "identity of who I was in India".## "I took after my father in the sense that I had a connecting to this country. I felt like everyone was amazing and kind and loving and welcoming to me. There was no fear anywhere when I came here. I heard lots of things about the industry but I didn't feel it. I don't give too much importance to what people say about what we can and can't do," she said.## Katrina was speaking on the audio show "Kissa Khwaabon Ka", available on Audible Suno.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Chandigarh, March 6 (IANS) The Chandigarh schedule for the Aamir Khan-starrer 'Laal Singh Chaddha' has concluded.## Actress Mona Singh, who plays a pivotal role in the film, took to Instagram and shared a few pictures of the wrap-up party.## In the images, Mona and Aamir are seen sharing smiles.## "Worked hard and partied harder Chandigarh schedule wrap and now off to Amritsar. #laalsinghchaddha #bestteam #happiness #partymode #workmode #punjab," Mona wrote.## "Laal Singh Chaddha" is self-produced by Aamir, and directed by "Secret Superstar" maker Advait Chandan. The film, also featuring Kareena Kapoor, is an official adaptation of the 1994 Hollywood hit "Forrest Gump", starring Tom Hanks.## The film will release on Christmas this year.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Ahead of International Women's Day, actress Shama Sikander spoke about the evolution of female roles in Hindi cinema.## "Cinema has played a huge role in getting issues to the mainstream and the women have come and slayed the screen and how -- from ''Mother India'' to ''Arth to ''Kahaani'' and ''Queen. If we make a movie like ''Sholay'', Hema Maliniji had done a great job with the role of Basanti that we won't forget ever. The issues have been paramount for women and no point choosing to have a blind eye to it," said Shama.## She added: "We have to acknowledge the issues and as society moves towards a solution. ''English Vinglish'' was such a breakthrough performance from one of my greatest idols, the late Sridevi ji. They have done an enormous amount of great work and movies seem to be an apt representation of the modern Indian woman taking on the world. The performances have been fantastic by the girls for the longest time and it''s time we acknowledge the fact that nationwide we have to have the same level of empowerment of women in every sector and it will have to be one huge collective effort led by women and men."## She also urged everyone to watch Taapsee Pannu''s latest film "Thappad".## "It''s the best thing you can do on this Women's Day. It''s the best movie made on women's empowerment in today's time and all the ladies will take a stand for themselves after watching it," she added.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Actress Patralekhaa feels a woman gives birth to a child and that is the reason why womanhood need to be celebrated bit more compared to manhood.## At a promotional event ahead of International Women's Day, the actress was asked what she thought is the best thing being a woman. "That we can give birth," she replied, adding: "I feel we are equal. We go out and we earn. We are as good as men. But I also feel that there is no competition. I am not saying that we are better or boys are better. I haven't given birth yet but I know it is something else, so that''s why maybe we should be celebrated a tiny bit more."## The actress said that womanhood should be celebrated throughout the year and not just on a particular day. "I always wonder why do we need one particular day or week to celebrate womanhood. I just feel like we (women) should be celebrated throughout the year. You know we give birth. It''s a really difficult thing. I mean you can't explain it. One has to go through it to understand it. I think we should be appreciated and given a lot more than we actually deserve," she noted.## Talking about her Holi plans, Patralekhaa said: "I think I am just going to go to my friend''s place. We will play a bit of Holi and celebrate. Every occasion in India needs to be celebrated whether you play it or not. I don't like to burst crackers on Diwali but I love celebrating occasions."## Patralekhaa was last seen in Zee5 web series named "Badnaam Gali" along with Divyendu Sharma.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Actress Manisha Koirala will be seen in the role of an archetypal Parsi mother in the Netflix original film 'Maska'. She says her character tries to preserve the heritage of the Parsi culture.## The first look of her character, named Diana, from "Maska" was released on Friday.## Talking about her role, Manisha said: "I am playing an eccentric Parsi woman whose son has gone off-track. I am trying to preserve the roots and heritage of the Parsi culture. My character wants to preserve her Irani Cafe and restaurants as she wants to carry on her husband''s legacy."## An extremely passionate person about the family and culture, Diana is extremely protective of her son, Rumi and wants him to carry forth the family legacy. She is emotionally strong as she has faced several hardships.## The film, also starring Prit Kamani, Shirley Setia, and Nikita Dutta is a coming-of-age story that promises to take the audience through a "journey to understand the difference between dreams and delusions".## "Maska" is slated to release on Netflix in March.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who is one of the highest-paid actors in India, has a lavish villa in Goa. He often visits the beach state to spend quality time with his family.## According to gqindia.com, the house, which is located on a white-sand beach, was bought by the "Kesari" actor a decade ago.## "I like to go to Goa. I love it. It''s very chilled out. Everyone knows me there and they just say hi, but nobody bothers me as such. It''s the only place in the country where I can roam around and enjoy myself," Akshay said in an interview to a leading daily.## Akshay also spoke about how he ditches his early morning routine to sleep and relax in Goa. "Everything is so easy and you can get up late in the morning. My house is located in such a place that there is a network problem, so phones don't work. The beaches are also clean. I can go and take a dip in the sea and see the sunset," he added.## On the film front, Akshay is gearing up for the release of "Sooryavanshi", a cop drama. It is directed by Rohit Shetty and co-stars Katrina Kaif.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey says shooting in Delhi is more expensive than shooting in some of the foreign locations.## Pandey traveled extensively while shooting for his upcoming spy action-thriller series, "Special Ops".## "We have travelled to locations where we felt the story needed to move. We travelled and shot in locations where we could tell the story better and these include places like Azerbaijan, Turkey, the UAE and Jordan," Pandey said.## "You won't believe -- shooting in Delhi was more expensive than shooting in some of the foreign locations. The story called for some heavy mounting and hence was shot at international locations," he added.## Pandey has directed the series along with Shivam Nair. The eight-episode Hotstar Specials spy action-thriller series is based on the role of Indian intelligence in a series of real terror attacks that India has faced over the last 19 years.## The series features Saiyami Kher, Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Divya Dutta, Vinay Pathak, Muzammil Ibrahim, Vipul Gupta, Sajjad Delafrooz, Parmeet Sethi, Gautami Kapoor, Sana Khan, Sharad Kelkar, and KP Mukherjee. It is slated to go live on March 17 in seven languages on Hotstar VIP.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Popular television actor Nakuul Mehra finds the web entertainment space exciting and says that he would rather enjoy being the star on the web than a struggler in Bollywood.## Nakuul recently appeared in the ZEE5 web series "Never Kiss Your Best Friend" and the short film anthology "Zindagi In Shorts" that is streaming on Flipkart video. In both projects, he has received a positive response.## While earlier the natural career progression of a successful television actor was to try and find space in Bollywood films, Nakuul told IANS: "I think more exciting work is happening on the web, and there is honestly no difference in the value of production of a feature film and a well-made web show. If I think of reach, both the platforms have the widest reach across all age and socio-economic status of the audience. Both are accessible."## "I also think that people tend to look at a TV actor not as celebrated as a film actor. But an actor is an actor, isn't it? I would love to be a part of big Bollywood films but not because it is a ''Bollywood project'' but because I will not get such an opportunity on TV or web. I would rather be a celebrated talent on the web than a struggling actor in Bollywood," said Nakuul who is known for TV shows like "Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara" and "Ishqbaaaz".## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Actress Rajeshwari Sachdev says she likes to take up many challenges and get out of her comfort zone, despite having anxieties.## "I am exquisite. Not to say I am fragile or unbreakable, but I have a quality to let things pass and I believe that everything turns out well. So I take up many challenges and get out of my comfort zone. I have my anxieties but I know I am persevering enough to sail through. So every moment of my life is a celebration for all that I achieve each day as a woman in all aspects of my life," said Rajeshwari, who is seen in Zee Theatre''s teleplay "Double Game".## Ahead of International Women's Day, Zee Theatre talents opened up about the importance of telling hidden stories of strength in womanhood.## Actress Himani Shivpuri, from the teleplay "Hamidabai Ki Kothi", said: "I am a winner because coming from a small town in Dehradun, I chose the profession of theatre, which was unthinkable in those days. Its been a wonderful journey - theatre, television."## "My husband had died when I reached Mumbai but I survived and brought up my son. It is important to celebrate yourself because I think each person is unique in themselves and we should appreciate what we are, how different we are from other people and appreciate others as well. Normally, we only appreciate the other people and we admire how beautiful someone is or how successful someone is but I feel that this is the time to celebrate yourself and look at all that you have achieved, enjoy life and live every moment beautifully. How I'd like to celebrate my story is by continuing to be what I am, continuing to be myself," she added.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Those who grew up in the nineties would recall her as the heroine of Akshay Kumar in his 1991 debut film 'Saugandh', and also Mithun Chakraborty''s leading lady in the 1993 film 'Phool Aur Angaar'. Almost three decades later, Shanthipriya has lost none of that verve, as is obvious in a new set of wallpapers that have just been released.## Shanthipriya was last seen on the big screen in the 2011 release, "The Murderer", which also released as "Hamilton Palace" in parts. Her last appearance was on the TV show, "Dwarkadheesh: Bhagwaan Shree Krishna" (2011–2012).## In 1999, she married actor Siddharth, who was the grandson of V. Shantaram and who acted in films such as "Baazigar" and "Vansh". Siddharth died of a heart attack in 2004.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Chennai, March 5 (IANS) Tamil superstar Dhanush's upcoming film 'Karnan' is not about Kodiyankulam caste riots, the film's director Mari Selvaraj has clarified, in a recent interview to the Tamil publication Vikatan.## Controversy erupted since it was speculated that ''Karnan'' is about the 1995 Kodiyankulam Maniyachi communal clash. The crew of the film was even threatened to stop shooting in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi or face consequences. Members of the political party Mukkulathor Pulipadai demanded that the permission for the shoot be cancelled. The organisation's leader, actor-turned-politician Karunas, even went on to say that the film is overtly critical of a particular community, and portraying a similar episode might disturb peace in the region. Party members also urged the police to arrest the director.## In an unrelated controversy, fans of late actor Sivaji Ganesan had earlier requested the film's producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu to change the film's title because Sivaji's 1964 mythological film had the same title.## Chandrasekharan, President of Sivaji Social Welfare Association, wrote a letter to the producer stating: "We all know that Karnan is legendary Sivaji Ganesan sir's classic film. Now we have come to know that your film with Dhanush is titled as Karnan. It would be great if you could add a prefix or suffix instead of using the exact title of Sivaji's classic film. It hurts the sentiment of ardent fans."## Although the producer still hasn't changed the film's title, Dhanush recently took to his social media account to declare that he has completed 90 percent of the film's shoot. He shared the news with a photograph from the film, which showed him holding a sickle in his hand. Fans were quick to notice that his look was similar to his recent hit "Asuran", and expressed their anticipation for ''Karnan''## Said to be an action entertainer, which is set in Tirunelveli, the film also stars Malayalam actress Rajisha Vijayan as the female lead, cinematographer-turned-actor Natarajan aka Natty and Malayalam actor Lal among others.## "Karnan'' will release in mid-2020.## Meanwhile, Dhanush's film by director Karthik Subbaraj titled ''Jagame Thandhiram'', has been wrapped. The film will release on May 1. The first look poster of the film resembles the 15th-century, mural painting, The Last Supper by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci.## In a tweet, Dhanush wrote: "It was a pleasure to work with such a quirky, sensible and visionary filmmaker like @karthiksubbaraj this one is going to be special.''## The film features Malayalam actors Aishwarya Lekshmi and Joju George.## For more and latest news about Kollywood, stay tuned with us.