Dia Mirza on two decades of Miss Asia Pacific pageant win

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Dia Mirza on two decades of Miss Asia Pacific pageant win

Actress Dia Mirza reminisces about her life-changing moment in December 2000 when she won the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant, saying the win felt like it transitioned her old life into a new one.

“I was not raised to be competitive. Perhaps that is why I never wondered what would happen if I did not win. As this young girl from Hyderabad, I went to both the Miss India pageant and to Miss Asia Pacific International with the thought that I would value the opportunity and make the most of it,” said Dia, who was just 18 years old back then,” Dia said.

“Whenever I felt the stirrings of the desire to win, I in fact felt uncomfortable. But looking back, winning felt like transitioning from my old life to a new one. I was still the same but everything else had changed. And since then my attitude towards every new opportunity has been the same. I approach it with gratitude and humility and I learn, imbibe and make the most of it,” she added.

She went on to make her acting debut with “Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein” in 2001.

Today, she is also a producer and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).

“When I look back, I just feel, it was all meant to happen. Me being spotted by a modeling agent at 16, the advertising campaigns, fashion shows, editorial shoots that followed. And then the Miss India pageant and the international crown, of course. It all seemed daunting then but I guess, at some level, I was ready. Just as I always am, when another new and exciting challenge beckons me,” said Dia.

On the secret of winning, she shared: “Believing in yourself, being authentic and trusting life. And always knowing that a bigger force is at work to take you towards a higher purpose where you can make a positive difference, somehow.”

Rahul Dev: My bond with Sanjay Dutt has evolved with time

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Rahul Dev: My bond with Sanjay Dutt has evolved with time

Actor Rahul Dev will be seen in the upcoming Sanjay Dutt-starrer Torbaaz. Rahul says since his Bollywood debut in 1997, he has bonded well with Dutt and their friendship has evolved with time.

“Sanjay is a very giving actor. He is not one of them who would snatch the moment. He is a great co-actor to build a scene with, he is not a controlling factor,” Rahul told IANS.

He recalled his debut film was the late Mukul Anand’s Dus, which got shelved shortly after the shooting started. The 1997 film starred Vinod Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, and Shilpa Shetty.

“My debut film, which remains unreleased, was a directorial of Mukul Anand ji, titled ‘Dus’. For 42 days, we shot the film. I was a debutant actor but since day one, he (Sanjay Dutt) was very friendly and slowly we became good friends. He is a very warm-hearted person. We used to work out together and though I was a new struggling actor in this big city Mumbai, he never treated me like that. If you talk to him, you just get it, he is a large-hearted man,” said Rahul. Since then, Rahul worked with Sanjay Dutt in Sarhad Paar, Kidnap, and Blue.

“I have seen him in his forties, in his fifties and now. A lot of things have changed in him but the constant factor is Sanjay is all heart,” smiled Rahul, while opening up about Dutt, who turned 61 in July.

The two actors will again be seen together in Torbaaz. In the film, Rahul plays an Afghani extremist and Sanjay Dutt is a cricket coach who goes to Afghanistan to train the children of a refugee camp.

“There is an ideological fight between two characters that Sanjay and I played out in the film and one has to watch the climax… we had a hard-hitting scene,” Rahul signed off.

Torbaaz, directed by Girish Malik, also features Nargis Fakhri and is set to release on Netflix on December 11.

Former IAS officer Santhosh Babu joins Kamal Haasan’s MNM party

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Former IAS officer Santhosh Babu joins Kamal Haasan’s MNM party

Former IAS officer Santhosh Babu on Tuesday joined Makkal Needhi Maiam floated by actor turned politician Kamal Haasan. Babu has been made the party’s General Secretary-Headquarters.

Speaking to the media here, Kamal Haasan said that Babu — who had taken voluntary retirement after serving the Tamil Nadu government — will handle the party’s information technology, data, research, and other issues.

Babu said he foresees IT-enabled predictive governance, which would obviate the need for people to go to government offices for applying for documents.

Kamal Haasan said he would seek Rajinikanth’s support in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls. The MNM founder said that if Rajinikanth enters politics he too would contest.

Arshi Khan on new web series: ‘It’s a double-meaning show but also a fun title’

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Arshi Khan on new web series: ‘It’s a double-meaning show but also a fun title’

Actress Arshi Khan is out exploring her comic side in the OTT space and she is aware her new show comes with loads of double meaning.

Arshi is seen trying her hand at comedy in the web series “Mary Aur Marlow”. She stars opposite Akshay Mishra in the series that revolves around Mary and Marlow, where Mary (Arshi) ends up becoming a sexpert for grassroots level people who cannot afford to go to the doctor or specialist.

Since Mary’s Hindi is not up to the mark, Akshay, who plays Marlow, helps her communicate with the people she sets out to help. However, when he tries using ‘shudh’ Hindi, it leads to unintentional double meaning language.

From the trailer and title, it is not surprisingly evident that the show has a lot of double-meaning dialogues.

“It’s a double-meaning show but I think ‘Mary Aur Marlow’ is also a fun title. After hearing the title, people think it will have bold content but when they watch it, they will realize it’s a fun show, which has a lot of comic scenes,” Arshi told IANS in a telephonic interview.

Reacting to the government’s decision, to put all digital media portals, including online news and Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regulation, Arshi said: “The government should definitely regulate digital platforms because nowadays there is a lot of web series that are showing vulgar content and people of any age group can access the internet. So, the government surely needs to keep an eye on them.”

Arshi feels she has good comic timing. “I never find it difficult to do comedy on screen because I feel my comic timing is really good, so I like to act in shows which have comic content,” Arshi said.

“I had a really nice experience shooting for this series and I had a lot of fun working with (director) Anirudh (Kumar) while we were shooting for it. We have released just one episode of the show and I hope the audience will have a lot more fun watching the next episodes,” she added about the show, currently streaming on Big Movie Zoo App.

Saqib Saleem: Comedy teaches you to live in the moment

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Saqib Saleem: Comedy teaches you to live in the moment

Actor Saqib Saleem, who has done roles across genres in films, feels comedy is the genre that teaches an actor to live in the moment because spontaneity is an important element of a comic performance.

Saqib tried comedy in the recent OTT film, “Comedy Couple” that cast him as a stand-up comedian. The Nachiket Samant directorial also featured Shweta Basu Prasad, Rajesh Tailang, and Pooja Bedi.

“One of the most important things I have learned playing a stand-up comedian in ‘Comedy Couple’ is how to live in the moment. I think comedy teaches you, as we keep saying, it is all about timing. When stand-up comedians perform before a live audience, they also interact with them. So, at times, based on the reaction of an audience, one can crack a few more jokes spontaneously. I learned how to catch those moments, be spontaneous and yet make things look effortless. Perhaps that is the reason I am kind of tempted to try my hand in stand-up comedy!” Saqib told IANS.

While the actor went through the videos of many popular Indian stand-up comedians for the role, he said: “I think most of our comic artists are superb. Whether it is Zakir Khan, Kaneez Surkha, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Vir Das, or Kenny Sebastian, among others, they are so much fun to watch! I mostly follow Indian comedians and, who knows, someday I might try my hand at stand-up comedy.”

Stand-up comedy has been such an integral part of pop culture in India. So much so, not only have several digital shows and series been made featuring stand-up comedians, several actors like Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhaskar, and Richa Chadha have also given the pop art form a shot.

Bigg Boss 14: Is Kavita Kaushik finally ready for the big game?

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Bigg Boss 14: Is Kavita Kaushik finally ready for the big game?

Bigg boss 14 watchers have lately been amused watching what seems to be a sudden shift in strategy on part of housemate Kavita Kaushik. The contestant who entered the house as a wild card entrant, only to be evicted owing to her rash attitude, was allowed re-entry a while back, and she is making most of her second life on the show.

To begin with, Kavita seems to have understood that survival in the house is all about creating a ruckus without being painted a villain for it.

Earlier, the picture was different. She was seen getting into an ugly spat with housemate Pavitra Punia. She was also seen engaging in a heated argument with Eijaz Khan, who had initially called Kavita his “good friend” during her entry. After Eijaz became the captain he was seen asking her to follow rules and that seemed to irk her. A boisterous Kavita was seen using explicit language and then indulging in almost a physical and verbal spat with Eijaz.

Not surprisingly, Kavita had been ousted after getting nominated and receiving the least amount of votes from the audience. After her re-entry, initially, it seemed like Kavita was not interested in the game. She stayed aloof, with no interest in tasks. It seems now she was actually on observation mode during that phase, for she was quick to change that strategy.

In her second stint as captain, Kavita has stood up for herself and seems to be getting her game mode on. She has been giving it back to housemates like Aly Goni, Jasmin Bhasin, Abhinav Shukla, and Rubina Dilaik. It seems like she has finally realized she has a game to win in the Bigg Boss house.

Kriti Kharbanda shares her goofy mood

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Kriti Kharbanda shares her goofy mood

Actress Kriti Kharbanda has shared her mood in a recent post on social media. Kriti posted a picture on Instagram, where is seen making a goofy face as she poses in a striped red and white saree. A part of the saree covers her face.

“#mood…#happyday,” she captioned the image.

Kriti recently talked about the film that changed her life. She says it was her 2017 release Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana.

Directed by Ratna Sinha, the film revolves around a smalltown couple who meet for a proposed arranged marriage. An unexpected event on their wedding night turns their innocent love story into a revenge saga.

The actress was most recently seen in “Trish”, also featuring Pulkit Samrat, Jim Sarbh, Harshvardhan Rane, and Sanjeed Sheikh. The Bejoy Nambiar directorial is streaming in the film as well as web series formats. A few days ago, Kriti revealed that she was diagnosed with Malaria.

Nushrratt Bharuccha on ‘Chhorii’: Excited, nervous, charged up for this one

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Nushrratt Bharuccha on ‘Chhorii’: Excited, nervous, charged up for this one

Bollywood actress Nushrratt Bharuccha has started shooting for the upcoming film Chhorii and says she is excited as well as nervous about the project.

On Thursday, Nushrratt posted a string of pictures from the sets of the film’s mahurat pooja on Instagram. In one image, Nushrratt is seen posing with the film’s clapboard.

“Onto new beginnings, this time for #Chhori. Excited, nervous, and charged up for this one! @furia_vishal cannot wait to create magic with you! Thank you @ivikramix and @abundantiaent, along with @crypttv and the sweetest @notjackdavis for having put this thrilling film together and trusting me with it! @shikhaarif.sharma Girl you get me, kahaan thi tu ab tak!” Nushrratt captioned the image.

The actress started shooting for the film in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, at Pipariya in Hoshangabad district. The filming kicked off after the mahurat puja, which was attended by the cast and crew who kept their masks on. The team will film throughout December across the state, with a few days to be shot subsequently in Mumbai in the final schedule.

“Chhorii” is a horror film with a social message. It also stars Mita Vasisht, Rajesh Jais, and Saurabh Goyal. The film is directed by Vishal Furia, known for his Marathi film “Lapachhapi”.

Popular Telugu poet, writer Devi Priya passes away

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Popular Telugu poet, writer Devi Priya passes away

Popular Telugu poet, writer, and journalist Devi Priya succumbed to ill health in a Hyderabad hospital on Saturday.

Born as Khaja Hussain on August 15, 1951, at Tadikonda in Guntur district, he used Devi Priya as his pen name as a writer and went on to win the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Hussain was considered as one of the state’s first political commentators, said an official statement from the Andhra Pradesh government.

As a journalist, he worked in Telugu newspapers as well as an English daily, including earning fame for a poetic cartoon strip. Hussain wrote lyrics for Telugu movies such as Rangula Kala, Ragulutunna Bharatam, and Pallaki.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan expressed grief over the passing away of Hussain on Saturday. Reddy conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members of the poet.

Harichandan offered prayers for the peace of Hussain’s soul and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family members.

Samantha Akkineni makes a powerpuff statement in new post

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Samantha Akkineni makes a powerpuff statement in new post

Telugu star Samantha Akkineni has left her fans amazed with her new workout post on social media where she cuts a picture of power, lifting heavyweights.

In an image she shared on Instagram, Samantha is seen doing deadlifts, dressed in sky blue lycra pants and a grey top. The actress captioned the image with a muscle emoji.

Samantha, who is married to Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya, is all set to make her digital debut with season two of “The Family Man”, a show that revolves around a seemingly simple middle-class man (played by Manoj Bajpayee) who actually works for a special cell of the National Investigation Agency.

The upcoming season will also feature Sharad Kelkar along with Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Darshan Kumar, Sunny Hinduja, Shreya Dhanwantary, Shahab Ali, Vedant Sinha, and Mahek Thakur.

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