Shweta Basu Prasad discovers the challenge of comedy in her latest

Actress Shweta Basu Prasad tries comedy in the upcoming film Comedy Couple. The experience of working in a comedy made her realize every genre comes with its charm and challenges.

“Every genre has its charm and challenges. Comedy is challenging because you have to make people laugh and I feel laughing and crying are strong emotions. So, if it is a well-written script half the job is done,” Shweta said.

As an artist, she keeps certain things in mind. “Also, as a performer, you have to keep in mind the thin line between overdoing and underdoing things. It could be a great joke but if you overdo it, it might not work,” she said.

“It is, of course, a collaborative effort between co-actors and that matters a lot in the comedy genre. The execution matters a lot, too,” she said.

The film is being billed a comedy romance or com-rom. “I have never done an out-and-out com-rom as they call it,” Shweta said, about the film that casts her as a stand-up comedian.

She shared she had a great time on the set. “There were times we were actually rolling on the floor and laughing on jokes and scenes that we were doing. I hope it makes the audience laugh too,” she claimed.

“Comedy Couple” also stars Saqib Saleem. Directed by Nachiket Samant, the film is based in Gurgaon against the backdrop of the burgeoning stand-up comedy scene in the city. “Comedy Couple” is based on a story by Bikas Mishra, with a screenplay by Raghav Kakkar and Kashyap Kapoor. It will drop on Zee5 soon.

Bigg Boss 14: Pavitra Punia slams ex-beau and BB 13 star Paras Chhabra

television actress Pavitra Punia, who is currently a housemate in the 14th season of the controversial reality show Bigg Boss, has opened up on her former boyfriend and Bigg Boss 13 star, Paras Chhabra. Last year on the show, Paras was often heard talking about Pavitra in the house, though not exactly in glowing terms.

Would she give a hard-hitting reply to the comments Paras had made, now that she is on the same show?

“I did not answer then during “Bigg Boss 13″, when I was hearing everything. When he said those things in the house, I didn’t say anything. I won’t say anything now. People who don’t exist for me, what can I comment on for them?” Pavitra replied.

She says she does not find it unfair that her name was discussed on the show last year. Without taking names, Pavitra added that Paras did not respect his then-girlfriend Akanksha Puri either and that he does not have any existence in her life.

“No, it is not unfair. Jisne itna kiya uske liye, woh uska sagah nahi ho paaya, toh aise insaan ke liye comment kya karna hai (He couldn’t be loyal to the person who did so much for him, why would I even comment on such a person)?” she told IANS.

Pavitra added: “I don’t exist in his life, he doesn’t exist in my life. But he didn’t respect the one who did exist in his life. Do you think Pavitra Punia would comment on such a person?”

She was previously seen in the reality show “Splitsvilla 3”, and says “Bigg Boss” is a big platform.

“I feel all platforms are made for something. ‘Bigg Boss’ is a big platform for those whose careers stop after a point. There are ups and downs in everyone’s lives. There is a time when fame is with you. And when it starts going down then ‘Bigg Boss’ is the platform that turns out to be a rising point,” she said.

Pavitra added that over the years the show has changed, and become so big that active stars are also taking part.

“It is a rising platform for people who are not doing well in life. However, over the recent past, this has changed. People who find work are also on the show,” she said.

Kanika Dhillon asks how long will Rhea Chakraborty still have to be in jail

Author-screenwriter Kanika Dhillon on Monday expressed concern over actress Rhea Chakraborty still being in jail.

“While d conspiracy theories r being mulled over- A young woman is still in Jail #rheachakroborty @Tweet2Rhea CBI has clearly stated no foul play… how long n under what charges can she be kept in jail- And denied bail?? @NCWIndia can anyone give some answers pls?!” tweeted Kanika, tagging the official account of the National Commission for Women.

Kanika’s tweet comes at a time when the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) forensic team has stated that Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput had committed suicide, ruling out murder.

Late Sushant Singh Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea and her brother Showik Chakraborty are among the 20 persons who have been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) as part of the probe surrounding the drugs angle linked with Sushant’s death case. The siblings are currently in judicial custody till October 6.

Covid tests for ‘Naagin 5’ stars after co-actor Sharad Malhotra tests positive

The shoot of the popular television show Naagin 5 has been stalled after actor Sharad Malhotra tested COVID positive.

His co-stars Surbhi Chandna, Mohit Sehgal, and Suchit Vikram Singh have undergone coronavirus tests. Mohit and Surbhi subsequently shared that they have tested negative.

Sharing a health update, Mohit wrote on Instagram about himself and his wife, actress Sanaya Irani: “I and @sanayairani both have been tested negative bit still to be sure of it. We will be performing the tests again by Tuesday or Wednesday. They say usually after 5 days of getting in contact with the COVID positive person the virus starts to spread in our body if it has to. I Will update soon.”

He urged fans to be “extra careful”.

“Stop pulling ur mask down and stop saying u won’t get it because u know what u r no different. Most of us are getting it. Please be ultra careful and take all the precautions,” he wrote.

Surbhi express relief, too. “It was important for me to keep my mind stable and sane because these few hours have been mentally exhausting especially the big stress was for the parents. Thank you and big love for the strength. #TestedNegative,” she wrote on Instagram Story.

Such shared a picture getting tested for the virus. ” ‘Naagin 5’ shoot has been stalled for a few days after some people found positive on our set,” Suchit wrote.

Ransomware attack on Pooja Bedi’s website

Celebrity Pooja Bedi in a complaint to the Goa Police Cyber Cell on Monday said that her business website happy soul.in was targetted by hackers, who were now demanding ‘ransom’ in order to restore access to her e-commerce site.

Bedi, who resides in Goa and whose website trades in organic supplements, also took to Twitter with her woe, tagging Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Director General of Police (DGP) Mukesh Kumar Meena, saying the hackers have threatened to sell drugs and narcotics substances on her website if the ransom is not paid.

“Dear @DGP_Goa my eCommerce website http://happysoul.in HACKED AGAIN last night & this time they state if I don’t pay the ransom they will sell DRUGS on my website. I have registered (an) FIR in Old Goa Police Cyber Cell last week but no action from Cops. My company regd in Goa @goacm,” the actress said in a tweet.

“Dear @GoDaddyHelp your team is NOT cooperating with our team for my hacked e-commerce website http://happysoul.in Despite my deluxe security on your server & SSL the hacker hacked AGAIN yesterday made ransom demands threatening 2 sell my data & sell DRUGS on my site,” also tweeted tagging the global website hosting platform.

Arjun Bijlani: ‘Miley Jab Hum Tum’ should have season 2, as web series

Actor Arjun Bijlani is rooting for the second season of the popular 2008 tele-teen drama, Miley Jab Hum Tum, and he would prefer the sequel to be a web series in format.

Arjun played introvert college student Mayank in the TV show, which ran from 2008 to 2010.

“It would be amazing to see what the four lead characters are doing now, after 15 years. They met in college, fell in love but where has life taken them after that?” the actor wondered.

He recently sent out birthday greetings to his “Miley Jab Hum Tum” co-star Rati Pandey, who played his on-screen love interest Nupur in the show, which also featured Mohit Sehgal and Sanaya Irani.

Arjun feels that with the digital boom, “Miley Jab Hum Tum 2” could be a web series.

“It should be short and crisp. People should be able to re-live their favorite characters but not in a long format show. It can be a web series of a few episodes,” he said.

Sushant case: Kangana Ranaut discards suicide theory

Actress Kangana Ranaut on Saturday reacted to news reports suggesting that the forensic team of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi hinted that late actor Sushant Singh Rajput had committed suicide.

“Young and extraordinary individuals don’t just wake up one fine day and kill themselves. Sushant said he was being bullied and outcast, he feared for his life, he said movie mafia banned him and harassed him, he was mentally affected by being falsely accused of rape #AIIMS,” the actress tweeted on her verified account.

“With the latest progress, we need answers to a few questions.

1) SSR repeatedly spoke about big production houses banning him. Who are these people who conspired against him?

2) Why media spread false news about him being a rapist?

3) Why was Mahesh Bhatt doing his psychoanalysis?,” Kangana wrote in a separate tweet.

Kangana’s reaction comes on a day when AIIMS, in its report to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), “hinted” that Sushant’s death on June 14 happened by suicide and not murder, as per our sources from the hospital.

The actress, on Saturday, also posted tweets alleging that Sushant had a fallout with Yash Raj Films, there was a conspiracy behind his films getting shelved, and that he was being blackmailed.

“He wrote in many his social media posts that he is being thrown out of film industry, spoke openly about his fall out with Yashraj films. His family went to cops because he feared people in his life, abetment of suicide is a murder, legally and morally it’s a bonafide murder,” Kangana wrote.

“He spoke openly about his fall out with Yashraj films, it’s a known fact that he was banned by many big production houses, many of his films were dumped which looked like an evident conspiracy. He begged people on social media and told them he is being thrown out of film industry,” she added.

“His family complained to cops about the threat to his life way before he died, he wanted to live but quit films, he wanted to settle in Coorg but who blackmailed him? Who cornered him in a way that dying was easier than living? Morally and legally abetment of suicide is a murder,” Kangana further tweeted.

Dharma Productions’ ex-executive accuses NCB of ‘coercion’

A Mumbai special court on Saturday extended the judicial custody till October 6 of former Dharma Productions executive Kshitij Ravi Prasad even as he accused the Narcotics Control Bureau of employing “pressure tactics” and “harassment”.

Prasad was arrested on September 26 by the NCB during its ongoing probe into the drugs angle to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Kshitij was presented before Special NDPS Court Special Judge JB Gurav at the end of his earlier judicial custody.

The NCB said in its remand application that Kshitij was in touch with several suppliers and peddlers from whom he used to procure drugs and his judicial custody was needed to unravel whom all he was delivering the contraband in Bollywood.

In a separate statement filed through his lawyer Satish Maneshinde, Kshitij said he had retracted his earlier statement given to the NCB allegedly under duress.

He claimed that NCB sleuths told him they would let him off if he falsely implicated (filmmaker) Karan Johar, Somen Mishra, Rakhi, Apoorva, Niraj, or Rahil, but he (Prasad) refused.

“That subsequent to September 27, I have been repeatedly harassed and coerced into falsely implicating Dino Morea, Arjun Rampal, and Ranbir Kapoor in the present proceedings, despite me repeatedly stating that I do not know the said persons and have no knowledge of such allegations,” Kshitij said in a handwritten addition to the statement.

He contended that since he refused to oblige, the NCB officials allegedly prepared the statements as per their wishes and forced him to sign them, and even threatened to implicate his wife and family in the case.

“I say that in this manner I am being mentally, emotionally, and psychologically harassed and abused by the NCB into making false statements,” Kshitij claimed.

Kshitij is the 20th person to be arrested to date by the NCB in the high-profile case, including Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty — the only woman accused in the case so far — besides her brother Showik, and 18 others including peddlers, suppliers, aides of the late actor Sushant, etc.

The NCB has also recovered various types of drugs and cash from the accused as it attempts to unravel the nexus of the drug in Bollywood for the past nearly two months.

Ayushmann Khurrana on UP gangrapes: We have to raise better sons

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is distraught reading about the recent horrific gang rape and killings at Hathras and Balrampur.

“Shocked, shattered, and devastated. After Hathras, another gangrape and murder at Balrampur! It’s barbaric, inhuman, and calls for the most severe punishment to the guilty. When will this stop? We are failing every single day to protect the women of our country. We have to do more than just protecting women. We have to raise better sons!” he said.

The actor, who has been roped in by UNICEF India as a celebrity advocate who will work at ending violence against children, has also trained focus on atrocities against children. He says brutality against minors is unacceptable but preventable.

“As a UNICEF celebrity advocate, my role is to further children’s rights, to support UNICEF in advocating for these rights using my voice and my influence. One of the major issues I am supporting is ending violence against children, to advocate that violence against children is unacceptable, and it is preventable,” Ayushmann said.

The actor says he will spotlight on how to put an end to the societal menace.

“Violence against children is pervasive, but how often do we hear about it being reported or discussed? I will be drawing attention to this issue, making violence against children visible. We need more and more people acknowledging that violence happens, taking steps to end violence as well as to report it,” he said.

Kunal Kemmu gets daughter Inaaya’s name inked

Actor Kunal Kemmu took to Instagram to flaunt his new tattoo, written in Devanagari, and inked under his chest. It spells out the name of his daughter, Inaaya.

“This ink is the closest to my heart emotionally and literally as well. My little girl is and will always be a part of me,” he wrote.

He added: “Her name inaaya is at the center in Devanagari and her middle name Naumi meaning Goddess Durga is represented by the Red Bindi (artistic) in the middle and the Trishul at both ends. Thank you @ironbuzztattoos #pramod for doing this at such short notice and so well. I love it.”

Kunal has married actress Soha Ali Khan. The couple tied the knot in 2015 and Inaaya was born in 2017.