Bollywood stars take over the kitchen in new season of ‘Star Vs Food’

The new season of the Bollywood food reality show ‘Star Vs Food’ will be releasing on September 8, featuring – Anil Kapoor, Badshah, Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Nora Fatehi, and Zakir Khan.

As all the stars who have taken part in the show and tried their hands in cooking, one of the most excited among all is Janhvi Kapoor.

Janhvi said, “The experience of cooking a Korean dish was unparalleled as I was on the knife’s edge this time unlike enjoying my meal in a restaurant. Korean is one of the most challenging cuisines to prepare, but Chef Basu’s passion encouraged me to attempt even after so many blunders and ‘Oops’ moments in the kitchen!! It makes me extremely proud to overcome my kitchen fear and nail something so difficult.”

Featuring Mumbai and Delhi’s popular fine dining restaurants such as Silly, Moner, Blah!, Chi Ni – The Roseate, Jamun and Dashanzi, the show promises to be a delectable treat for audiences across the country.

Sharing her experience, Ananya said, “My sister Rysa bakes and knows how to cook. I knew this won’t be easy for me as my parents have never seen me in the kitchen, unlike my sister. So here I am, taking up this challenge and ready to shock my family with my hidden talent, maybe. (Laughs).”

Being a foodie and Punjabi, rapper Badshah is also looking forward to the show, as he mentioned, “food is a big part of a Punjabi’s life but unfortunately, I can’t cook the way I like to eat! Hopefully, now that I have some professional training, I can try satisfying my palate with my own cooking.”

Actress Norah Fatehi on the other hand is excited because she has got a chance to cook some of her traditional food for the show.

“Nothing brings people together like good food so when I got the chance to cook traditional Moroccan food with the chef, I knew it couldn’t be passed. I have been witnessing my dad cook some delicious meals as he is a chef and I always wanted to wear an apron and cook something for my friends and family. Star vs Food is the perfect fit for me and I hope to make my family proud of my cooking skills,” she said.

The show will be released on discovery+.

Mallika Sherawat, Esha Gupta unmask their characters in ‘Nakaab’

The trailer of web series ‘Nakaab’ has been launched. It is an investigative thriller directed by Soumik Sen and stars Mallika Sherawat, Esha Gupta and Gautam Rode in the lead.

Speaking about her character, Mallika said, “This series investigates the hidden nuances of a glamorous industry. I play Zohra who is an inspiring single woman at the apex of the media industry, but her character is mysterious. It’s the kind of part I have never explored before and honestly I feel it’s the role of a lifetime. ‘Nakaab’ has crime, drama, secrets, and scandals and is a complete entertainer. However, it was the fantastic mysteriously layered character written by Soumik that made me immediately take up the part.”

In the show, cop Aditi Amre (Esha Gupta) gets assigned to a high-profile death case of a prime-time television actress Vibha Dutta (Ankita Chakrobarty) who was very close to television czarina Zohra Mehra (Mallika Sherawat). Aditi’s monotonous life turns upside down when she starts unfolding intricate details about the case.

As Aditi embarks on this journey with her senior, Pawan Bisht (Gautam Rode), she discovers a part of her own personality that she never knew existed within her.

Playing the role of Sub Inspector Aditi Amre, Esha Gupta said, “What pulled me towards playing this character is that it has immense depth. Investigative dramas or thrillers have been a personal favourite for me, and I found the backdrop of this story really interesting.”

‘Nakaab’ will go live on September 15 on MX Player.

Hrithik Roshan flaunts his beefed up biceps, pic goes viral

Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan’s latest picture has sent social media into a tizzy as he is seen flaunting his pumped up “Bollywood biceps”.

The actor’s name is currently trending on Twitter courtesy the black and white picture he has shared on Instagram on Monday. In the image, the ‘War’ actor is seen wearing a loose vest and flashing his biceps for the camera.

The 47-year-old actor, who is fondly called as the ‘Greek God of Bollywood’ thanks to his good features, is sporting a rugged beard and messy hair in the picture.

“Bolo bollywood bicep ki jai,” he wrote as the caption for the photograph, which in just two hours has garnered 1.3 million likes on the photo-sharing website.

Hrithik is currently prepping for his next ‘Fighter’ which also stars Deepika Padukone.

‘Fighter’ will be India’s first-ever aerial action genre film.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film will be shot using the latest technology and filming techniques, and at locations across the world.

‘Fighter’ is slated for release in 2022.

Milind Soman undergoes CT scan says ‘all normal’

Actor-model Milind Soman recently got a CT scan done at a hospital in Bengaluru. He informed that he was “all normal”.

Milind took to Instagram and shared a picture of himself sitting on a CT scanner bed in a hospital.

He wrote, “Had a CT Scan in Bengaluru, checked for blockages, etc. All normal. Regular screenings as recommended by qualified doctors are important, but what you do between screenings is even more important.”

He added, “Regular good habits with food, exercise, sleep and stress management can help ensure that every screening shows normal body function, whatever your age.”

The actor is currently seen judging the second season of a modelling reality show with Malaika Arora and Anusha Dandekar.

He was last seen in the web series ‘Paurashpur’ and ‘Four More Shots Please!’.

Ravi Dubey: Tough times taught me much more, which success couldn’t

Popular television actor Ravi Dubey is completing 16 years in the entertainment industry this year. Being part of some of the popular shows that include ‘Saas Bina Sasural’, ‘Jamai Raja’ and several TV reality shows, the actor has also expanded his professional horizon into film production.

In conversation with IANS, Ravi said how tough times taught him more than the success he got and that it is the biggest blessing that his life partner Sargun Mehta is also in the same profession.

Ravi told IANS: “I would say the last 16 years of my professional career itself is a teacher because when I started acting, the avenues were film and television, OTT did not exist back then. Since I have got opportunity step by step and never seen the overnight success, I have gratitude but it (success) never got into my head to become arrogant. I have learnt way more and sharpened my skill set during my hard times than happy times. Honestly speaking, there is no school that could teach you how to handle success and what we learn from experience, can never be learnt from a book!”

Starting his career in ‘Yahaan Ke Hum Sikander’ in 2007, Ravi started gaining visibility from the show ’12/24 Karol Bagh’.

Recalling his first taste of fame, Ravi said, “I think my show ‘…Karol Bagh’ was when the first time I realised that in public places like shopping malls and in cafes when I visited people started recognising me. That show was also very special for me because I met Sargun there. We started dating and now we are married for life!”

Together Ravi and Sargun appeared in several dance reality shows like ‘Nach Baliye 5’, ‘Nach Baliye 6’, and in the music video ‘Toxic’. He also produced films like ‘Kala Shah Kala’, ‘Jhalle’ and the upcoming ‘Saunkhan Sakhne’.

Apart from acting and producing, Ravi has anchored TV shows like ‘India’s Dancing Superstar’, ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’, ‘Rising Star 2’, ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs’ to name a few.

Considering the fact that Sargun is one of the most successful actresses in the Punjabi film industry, asked about their equation coming from the same profession of acting and Ravi replied, “That is the best thing because we understand each other completely. Since we are in the same business, there is a lot of unsaid understanding we have. As actors we also want to grow in the business as we are also stepping into production, together we could expand our professional and personal life with great synergy. I think, for us, the relationship we have is the centre of our life, that drives us to grow, as actors and as a couple.”

Currently, the actor is working on a few projects that are under wrap and are soon to be announced.

Richa Chadha wants all-female crew for maiden production venture

Actress Richa Chadha aspires to have an all-female crew with her maiden production venture ‘Girls Will Be Girls’, where women can showcase the best of their abilities in front of and behind the camera.

Richa said: “It’s always refreshing that a story centred around a feminist story is told by the voices of women. It’s always exciting and we have seen so many such examples in films and it’s always refreshing when these stories are told by a female voice.”

‘Girls Will Be Girls’, directed by Shuchi Talati, will be produced through the banner Pushing Button Studios, Crawling Angel Films, Dolce Vita Films, France.

Set in a Himalayan boarding school in a hill station in northern India, the plot of the film revolves around the coming of age of a 16-year-old girl and her relationship with her mother.

Richa added: “Ours is an effort in that direction. It has become increasingly important today to acknowledge women’s representation in the business of films, and I feel great over the years to have known some amazing talent across filmmaking departments and am looking forward to working with many more through the course of this film.”

‘Eternals’ to see Diwali release in India

The much talked about action adventure film ‘Eternals’ by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is all set to light up screens in India on November 5 as it is set for a Diwali release.

‘Eternals’ is slated to release in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Chloé Zhao, who won several honours such as the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Director for ‘Nomadland’, is helming the film. ‘Eternals’ is her fourth movie as a director. Her other credits include ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’ and ‘The Rider’.

The film, which is intended to be the 26th film in the MCU, stars Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Barry Keoghan, Angelina Jolie and Kit Harington.

The story, spanning thousands of years, features a group of immortal heroes forced out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s oldest enemy, The Deviants.

Nikki, Rubina share lists of their ‘Bigg Boss OTT’ favourites

Actress Nikki Tamboli and Rubina Dilaik entered the ‘Bigg Boss OTT’ house as special guests and the two popular contestants of ‘Bigg Boss 14’ played some interesting games with the housemates.

Nikki appreciated Divya Agarwal and said: “Divya is playing an over-the top game in the house despite the fact that she has no connection for the past two weeks and she is shining bright. Though this is a game of connection and she has no connection still she is answering upfront and I think she is really brave.”

While talking about the connections, she said: “Millind Gaba and Akshara Singh are the weakest connection. Since the connection of Akshara and Pratik is broken she is just demotivating others and seems like doing nothing. Millind also doesn’t seem like playing the game and being emotional. And according to me Nishant Bhat and Moose Jattana are the sweetest and strongest connections.”

She added about her perspective towards different contestants and described them in one word saying: “Shamita Shetty is motivator, Raqesh is chivalrous, Nishant is crude, I am a big fan of Moose and I just love Pratik. Neha is impulsive, Divya is strong, Akshara is lost and Millind is innocent.”

While on the other side, Rubina said she would like to pair up with Raqesh as her connection if given the chance.

That’s not it, there were also the protagonists, Ronit Roy and Richa Chadha of the thrilling drama series ‘Candy’ who played an interesting and engaging game with contestants asking them which ‘Candy’ suits each housemate. Divya names Shamita as the dominating ‘Candy’, with ‘Greedy Candy’ being Divya, to name a few.

‘Bigg Boss OTT’ streams on Voot.

Kangana confident ‘Thalaivii’ will woo audiences back to theatres

Actress Kangana Ranaut says ‘Thalaivii’ is the best film of her career so far and is confident that it will bring audiences back to the theatres.

Kangana earlier attended the premiere of her film in Hyderabad and expressed her disappointment with multiplexes for not screening the film due to the gap between its big screen and digital release.

On Monday, the actress took to her Instagram Story and shared a poster of ‘Thalaivii’, a biopic based on the life of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and former actress J. Jayalalithaa, and wrote: “What a gratifying experience to watch ‘Thalaivii’ best film of my career so far.”

Kangana also shared a note, saying: “‘Thalaivii’ is a theatrical experience hopefully Hindi multiplexes will also play it. I am confident it will bring audiences back to the theatres @pvrcinemas_official @inoxmovies.”

The film, which will be released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, showcases the varied aspects of Jayalalithaa’s life, tracing her journey as an actress at a young age to becoming the face of Tamil cinema as well as the rise of the revolutionary leader that changed the course of the state politics.

It is set to release in cinemas on September 10.

TN Hindu Munnani to go on hunger strike against ban on Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations

The Hindu Munnani will conduct a hunger protest on Monday at Valluvar Kottam against the DMK government’s ban on installing idols at the roadside during the Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations.

The BJP and the Hindu Munnani are up in arms after the DMK government announced that idols would not be permitted to be installed at roadsides and that immersion of these idols in water bodies was not allowed. The government in its order on August 30 said that this was to adhere to the Covid standard protocol and prevent the spread of the pandemic.

This has not gone down well with the Hindu outfits, and the BJP Tamil Nadu state president, K. Annamalai questioned the wisdom of the government banning Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations while allowing TASMAC liquor shops to function unabated.

The Hindu Munnani has announced that it would install one lakh idols at the residences and celebrate the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival. The Government has said that the festival has to be confined to the residences of the people. The organisation has also called upon the people to worship at Vinayakar temples and pray for good sense for the Tamil Nadu government to allow Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations.

BJP state president K. Annamalai has also said that the party would conduct protests across the state against the DMK government’s decision to ban installing idols at waysides.

Hindu Munnani Tamil Nadu state president Kadeswara C. Subramaniam has said that the organisation would go ahead with the Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations on September 10. He also demanded that the DMK government conduct talks with the Hindu Munnani leaders immediately.

While speaking to IANS, Kadeswara. C .Subramaniam said, “The DMK government of Tamil Nadu is showing its true colours and is against the Hindu interests. The Hindu Munnani is conducting a hunger protest against the draconian policies unleashed by the DMK government against Hindu festivals and we will strongly oppose this across Tamil Nadu.”

The BJP has also raised the issue in the Tamil Nadu Assembly with party legislator M.R. Gandhi calling upon the government to permit Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations across the state.

However, state Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department P.K. Sekar Babu in his reply said that the state government was only taking action on the basis of a circular issued by Union Home secretary Ajay Bhalla directing all states to take suitable measures to prevent crowd control and to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

DMK propaganda secretary, T. Sabapathy Mohan told in interview, “The BJP and Hindu Munnani are trying to politicise the issue. The government’s ban is only for the welfare of the people and to prevent the Covid pandemic spread and nothing else. People know the real issues and politically charged issues and they will see through the plans of these organisations.”