SSR case: CBI team back in Delhi, to meet AIIMS forensic board

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SSR case: CBI team back in Delhi, to meet AIIMS forensic board

Almost a month after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) went to Mumbai to probe the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, it has returned to Delhi and will hold a meeting next week with the AIIMS forensic team, sources said on Thursday.

According to CBI sources, the team of the SIT has returned to Delhi on Wednesday and will now be holding meetings with the AIIMS forensic team on Sunday and later in the coming week also to take its medico-legal opinion in the case.

The team had gone to Mumbai along with the forensic team on August 20, a day after the Supreme Court gave its nod to the CBI probe into the death of the late actor.

During the CBI’s stay in Mumbai, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) forensic team also visited the flat of Sushant and recreated the crime scene along with Sushant’s sister Mitu, Pithani, and personal staff.

The CBI last month had roped in the AIIMS forensic department to take its assistance in studying the autopsy report prepared by the Cooper Hospital, the crime scene recreation and to guide the federal agency if there was any foul play in his death.

Sushant was found dead in his Bandra flat on June 14.

AIIMS Forensic Department head Dr. Sudhir Gupta has constituted a medical team to assist the CBI.

AIIMS sources said, “We are in the process of perusal of the case after the due medical board meeting and subsequent meeting with the CBI.”

The source said that the AIIMS forensic department medical board’s opinion will be given to the CBI, and hoped it will present a total conclusive report without any confusion or doubts. The source, however, said that the reports could not be shared as the matter was sub judice.

He further said that next week the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) findings and the CBI investigation findings have to be understood before a final medical opinion is arrived at.

The CBI team during its stay in Mumbai recorded the statement of Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Show, father Indrajit, his house manager Samuel Miranda, flatmate Siddharth Pithani, former celebrity manager Shruti Modi, talent manager Jaya Saha, personal staff Neeraj Singh, Keshav Bachne, Dipesh Sawant and several others.

The CBI team also recorded the statement of Sushant’s sister Mitu Singh in Mumbai, and his father K. K. Singh, and elder sister Rani Singh in Delhi.

The CBI’s SIT also visited the flat of Sushant Singh Rajput several times and the Cooper Hospital where his autopsy was done.

The team also visited the Waterstone resort, where Sushant stayed for several months.

However, officials of the CBI remained tightlipped on the return of the SIT members from Mumbai and the meeting of the team with the AIIMS forensic department.

Besides CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are also probing the death of Sushant.

The NCB has arrested Rhea, Showik, Miranda, Sawant, and several others in the drug-related case.

Priyadarshan has been on my checklist forever: Aditya Seal

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Priyadarshan has been on my checklist forever: Aditya Seal

Actor Aditya Seal recently got a chance to work with director Priyadarshan, and says that it was his wish to work with the veteran filmmaker for a long time.

Aditya features in the story titled “Anamika” in the film “Forbidden Love”, which is directed by Priyadarshan.

“He has been one director who has been on my checklist forever and finally I had a chance to work with him. Let me tell you it was beyond what I had expected my experience to be,” Aditya, who has featured in films like “Student Of The Year 2” and “Tum Bin 2”, told IANS.

“Forbidden Love” comprises four stories — “Diagnosis Of Love”, “Rules Of The Game”, “Anamika” and “Arranged Marriage”.

Ali Fazal, Aahana Kumra, Patralekhaa, Omkar Kapoor, Anindita Bose, Pooja Kumar, Harsh Chhaya, Raima Sen, Mahesh Manjrekar, Rannvijaya Singh, and Vaibhav Tatwawadi, also feature in the cast, across the four films.

Sonakshi Sinha: I’m not worried about when work will start

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Sonakshi Sinha: I’m not worried about when work will start

Actress Sonakshi Sinha says she is not fretting about getting back to work, or how the industry will change in the COVID era.

The actress shared that she is loving the lockdown life for now.

“I am just going to admit that I am loving lockdown life. In the last 10 years, I haven’t gotten a break for so long, where I have been able to spend time with myself, understand what I want from life, do the things I like to do and just be one with yourself, sort your head out, contemplate and understand what’s important and what’s not important in life. I’m really loving it,” Sonakshi said.

“I am not worried about when work will start, and how it will be. I know it’s going to be difficult going back to the set, with ‘what you are touching’, ‘don’t touch your face’, and with people in PPE kits. I did one photoshoot and it was so strange being around people who are covered up head to toe and you are the only one open. You are like ‘keep your hands to yourself and don’t touch your face’, sanitize every five minutes. It’s really weird,” she added.

The actress is “keeping that worry aside and doing what makes me happy at the moment”, she said, explaining it refers to “my art and painting, endless conversations with friends and spending time with family”.

“Right now, everybody is in the same boat. It will start when it has to start and we will move on with this and get over it,” she added.

Talking about her binge-watch list, Sonakshi said: “I watched so many things that I am fed up of watching anything now.”

“I watched ‘Talaash’ again because I am doing a show with Reema Katgi and I love that film. I want to read but I don’t have the patience to sit down with a book. When I do my cardio, I need to have something in front of me to watch otherwise I hate doing cardio. I wish we had finished Reema’s web show. It was such an exciting role for me. I can’t wait to get back,” she said in an episode of the show “Zoom Happy Space With Rudrani”.

SSR case: Shruti Modi not quizzed as SIT member tests corona positive

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SSR case: Shruti Modi not quizzed as SIT member tests corona positive

Hours after Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager Shruti Modi appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for questioning on Wednesday, she was sent back as one of the officers tested positive for Covid-19.

NCB Deputy Director K.P.S. Malhotra in a statement said, “A team member of the NCB SIT tested positive for Covid-19, the antigen test report was just received by NCB.”

Malhotra said, in view of that other SIT members, etc., will be also tested as a precaution, and all due protocols laid down will be followed.

“Accordingly, NCB has sent back Shruti Modi, who had joined investigation today morning,” he said.

Shruti Modi was summoned on Tuesday by the NCB to join the probe. Besides Shruti Modi, Sushant’s talent manager Jaya Saha was also summoned by the agency.

The questioning of Shruti Modi is part of the NCB investigation in the wake of a case registered at the request of the Enforcement Directorate.

The NCB has till date arrested over one and half dozen people in connection with the Sushant death case.

Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda and several others have been arrested by the NCB.

The NCB has registered a case on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the alleged drug chats of Showik, Miranda and several others came to the fore.

Sushant was found hanging in his Bandra’s Mont Blanc apartment on June 14.

Besides the CBI and the ED, NCB is the third agency to probe into the death case of Sushant.

Meanwhile, in a significant development, the names of Bollywood celebrities like Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Simone Khambatta have apparently emerged in the NCB probe into the drugs angle surrounding the mysterious death of Sushant, official sources said.

Chris Evans uses nude photo leak to exhort voter turnout in US polls

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Chris Evans uses nude photo leak to exhort voter turnout in US polls

Captain America star Chris Evans wants to turn his accidental explicit photo leak incident into a public service announcement.

Evans took to Twitter to break his silence after accidentally sharing his private photo, and used it as an opportunity to boost voter turnout for the upcoming US presidential election.

“Now that I have your attention…. VOTE Nov 3rd!!!” the 39-year-old star wrote on Twitter, his first comment since he shared a photograph of his manhood on Instagram on Saturday.

Evans became a trending topic on Saturday when he accidentally shared the picture on Instagram Story. He was quick to delete it.

The explicit photo leak sparked a Twitter frenzy, with the actor’s name trending for several days on the social media platform.

Evans’ younger brother, Scott Evans, joked about his brother’s social media gaffe while Mark Ruffalo and Chrissy Teigen tried to comfort the actor over the blunder.

“@ChrisEvans Bro, while Trump is in office there is NOTHING you could possibly do to embarrass yourself. See… silver lining,” joked Ruffalo.

At the moment, Evans is rumored to be dating actress Lily James. He previously dated actress Jenny Slate.

‘Mr Bean’ at 30: Childish, anarchic behaviour always funny, says Rowan Atkinson

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‘Mr Bean’ at 30: Childish, anarchic behaviour always funny, says Rowan Atkinson

The popular Rowan Atkinson-starred series, Mr. Bean, has completed a 30-year run. The English comedian star said he always believed that the show had a very good chance of being successful and long-running, partly because the character is essentially a child in a man’s body.

“I always believed that ‘Mr. Bean’ had a very good chance of being successful and having longevity, partly because the comedy is mainly visual and partly because Mr. Bean is essentially a child in a man’s body. Across all races and cultures, the behavior of children tends to be the same and so is easily identified and laughed at,” Atkinson said.

What makes “Mr. Bean” relevant today, 30 years on? “His childish, anarchic behavior will always be funny,” Atkinson replied.

Talking about his fondest memories from filming “Mr. Bean”, Atkinson said that he found filming the show “stressful.”

“I’m sorry to say that I find all filming stressful but ‘Mr. Bean’ especially so, because of the burden of responsibility I feel to make it funny. Of course, you have support from other excellent actors but whether the jokes work or not tends to be down to me. And that’s stressful,” the 65-year-old actor reasoned.

He added: “However, I enjoy it when it’s over! I enjoy whatever success we have. If an audience finds it funny, then it’s been worth it.”

Were there any moments when Atkinson wanted Mr. Bean to speak? “Often, which is why he speaks a lot in the first Mr. Bean movie (‘Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie’, released in 1997). We felt that he had to talk more so that we could tell the story. He talks more in the latest cartoon episodes. I find the way he talks funny,” he said.

Kangana on Jaya Bachchan reaction: Would you say the same if your daughter was beaten, drugged, molested?

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Kangana on Jaya Bachchan reaction: Would you say the same if your daughter was beaten, drugged, molested?

Actress Kangana Ranaut has criticized Samajwadi Party MP and actress Jaya Bachchan for her remarks against people who are trying to tarnish the image of the film industry and questioned whether her stance would change if her children were involved.

“Jayaji would you say the same thing if in my place it was your daughter Shweta beaten, drugged, and molested as a teenager, would you say the same thing if Abhishek complained about bullying and harassment constantly and found hanging one day? Show compassion for us also,” Kangana said.

In the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Jaya Bachchan demanded the government to provide protection and put a ban on the unending bashing being faced by members of the film industry.

“Some of the people who have got name and fame has said it is ‘gutter’,” she said, without naming the individuals but added they should not defame the industry.

“It is the film industry that gave name and fame to many people. There is a continuous process to defame the industry for the things done by a handful, she added. Previously, Kangana had called the film industry a “gutter” and alleged that 99 percent of the people who work in it have been exposed to drugs.

Kangana tweeted: “Like a famous choreographer once said “rape kiya toh kya hua roti toh di na” is that what you implying? There are no proper HR departments in production houses where women can complain, no safety or insurances for those who risk their lives every day,no 8 hours shift regulations.”

“This mentality that gareeb ko roti mila toh that’s enough need to change,gareeb ko roti ke saath samman aur payaar bhi chahiye, I have a full list of reforms I want from centre government for workers and junior artists,some day if I meet honourable Prime Minister I will discuss,” the actress added.

Kangana continued: “As and when I get time to meet authorities I will share the detailed list of reforms I have prepared for labourers in the film industry across India so that young leading Indians can fight for similar reforms for their underprivileged friends in their own respective fields.”

‘JL 50’ producer Ritika Anand on how Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapur came on board

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‘JL 50’ producer Ritika Anand on how Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapur came on board

Actress Ritika Anand, who features in and has produced the four-episode web series, JL 50, says that although she was always keen to cast Abhay Deol as the protagonist of the show, she and writer-director Shailender Vyas were initially apprehensive about approaching him. She added she feels fortunate to have a cast that includes Pankaj Kapur and Piyush Mishra along with Abhay.

Talking about the casting of Abhay in as Shantanu Ritika in the sci-fi thriller, she said: “Abhay was the first choice and an intimidating one too. We had heard so much about how he only gives a nod to excellent scripts. We had confidence in the script but we weren’t sure how he’d take the time travel angle of the story. However, upon Shailender and Piyush ji’s suggestion, we sent Abhay the script and after a few anxious nights, we heard that he loved the premise of the story and the script of the film.”

According to Ritika, the idea of sci-fi came to her mind in 2016.

“In March of 2016, I suggested to Shailender that we should make a Hindi film on quantum physics, time travel, and inane crashes. At the offset, my suggestion was met with an ‘it doesn’t work with an Indian audience’. However, with some deliberation, I got Shailender to write a detailed 13-page story synopsis in March 2016. Around June or July the same year, amidst challenging times, I once again suggested to Shailendra that we convert the synopsis into a full script,” Ritika said.

However, from scripting to raising the fund and finding the cast, and releasing the show, took her four years.

Talking about casting Pankaj Kapur, she said: “We had approached Pankaj ji for a film in 2015, called ‘Palki’, which didn’t materialize with him. However, for ‘JL50’, Shailender was certain that he wanted Pankaj Ji for the role of professor Das and this time we weren’t going to let it fall through. We weren’t sure though that he would accept a script with such fantasy and unreal elements, when we went to see him after he had read the script, he told us that he had watched ‘Interstellar’ and ‘JL 50’ reminded him of it. It was a compliment and we were thrilled to have him on board,” she added.

The show released on the OTT platform SonyLIV September 4.

B-town wishes ‘inspiring’ star Ayushmaon his birthday

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B-town wishes ‘inspiring’ star Ayushmaon his birthday

Ayushmann Khurrana turned 36 on Monday, and friends and colleagues took to social media to wish the actor.

Sharing a picture of him shaking Ayushmann’s hands at the National Film Awards ceremony in 2019, Akshay Kumar wrote: “Happy birthday. Keep up the amazing work, my best wishes always.”

Varun Dhawan went down memory lane and shared how the two danced on the same stage years ago. “This was many years back when we danced on the same stage on each other’s songs. Happy birthday paaji,” Varun wrote on Instagram Story.

Reacting to the wish, Ayushmann wrote: “Wow paaji. Blast from the past.”

Taking to Instagram Story, Vicky Kaushal wrote:” Happiest birthday Veerey.”

Taapsee Pannu wrote: “Happy birthday Khurrana. Let’s explore the sporting arena this year.”

Bhumi Pednekar, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Ayushmann in “Dum Laga Ke Haisa”, expressed her desire to work with the birthday boy soon.

“Happy birthday my dearest AK. Can’t wait to create more magic with you,” Bhumi said.

Wishing Ayushmann, Anushka Sharma wrote: “May you keep pushing boundaries and creating landmarks.”

Katrina Kaif praised Ayushmann for his performances. “Keep raising the bar with incredible performances. Have a wonderful year,” she wished.

Ayushmann’s family members, including wife Tahira Kashyap Khurrana and brother Aparshakti Khurana, also wished the actor.

Tahira posted a picture of her and Ayushmann with cake smeared on his face.

“Having my cake and eating it too,” Tahira quipped.

Aparshakti shared an old picture with his “bhaiya”.

“Picture from our first photoshoot together. Our hairstyle might be a little controversial but my love for him was definite and remains so. Always his first fan. Happy birthday bhaiya!@ayushmannk,” he wrote.

Sushant probe: 7 drugs accused sent to NCB, judicial custody

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Sushant probe: 7 drugs accused sent to NCB, judicial custody

Seven drug peddlers/dealers, nabbed by the Narcotics Control Bureau as part of its probe in the drug angle in Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, were Monday sent to the agency’s or judicial custody for varying periods, officials said.

Drug peddler Anuj Keshwani, who was one of the earliest arrested by the NCB, has been sent to judicial custody till September 23.

While Karamjeet Singh Anand, Dwayne Fernandes, and Ankush Anreja, all arrested in the past couple of days, were sent to NCB custody till September 16, three others – Sanket Patel, Sandeep Gupta, and Aftab Fateh Ansari – also arrested in this period, have been sent to judicial custody till September 23.

All the accused were produced before a Mumbai Court via video-conferencing this afternoon.

Keshwani was arrested after another drug peddler Kaizen Ebrahim revealed to the NCB that he procured drugs from Keshwani for onward supplies to other clients.

Following further revelations made by Keshwani and others, the NCB had swooped down on drug-dealers and peddlers in the city, and 16 of them have been rounded up so far.

In the latest round, Anand, Fernandes, Anreja, Patel, Gupta, and Ansari were arrested from Mumbai and Chris Costa from Goa.

These arrests are part of the case in which the NCB has earlier arrested Sushant’s girlfriend and Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda, his staffer Dipesh Sawant, and drug peddlers Abdul Basit and Zaid Vitra.

Sushant was found dead at his Bandra home on June 14, triggering a huge upheaval in Bollywood and simultaneous probes by the NCB, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Central Bureau of Investigation in various aspects of the case.

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