Arjun Rampal, Raju Chadha, and Rahul Mittra awarded at the first Indian Film Festival in Kenya
The first-ever Indian Film Festival in Kenya was inaugurated in a grand ceremony in Nairobi coinciding with Indian Independence Day by the Indian High Commissioner Rahul Chhabra. Awardees included popular actor Arjun Rampal & top filmmakers Raju Chadha, Rahul Mittra & Umesh Shukla and Dharmindra Mehra and Ajay Arora.
Minister for Information, Communication & Technology Joe Mucheru pledged to review the decades-old Films and Stage Plays Act to make it friendlier to movie makers and said that the government would line up tax holiday and rebates to lure Indian movie makers to invest in Kenya. “I see a lot of opportunities in Kenya and was elated at the warm reception. I look forward to shooting a film here soon,” added Raju Chadha, top producer and film presenter who was awarded for his immense contribution to Indian cinema.
Filmmaker Rahul Mittra’s address at the round table got a standing ovation where he spelled out the way forward for the Kenyan Government in order to attract filmmakers from India & rest of the world, which was noted by the minister. The five days Indian Film Festival Kenya 2019 was curated by Captain Rahul Sudesh Bali and organized by The Indian Film Festival Worldwide (IFFW) under the aegis of the High Commission of India in Kenya and supported by Kenya Film Commission & Sarova Hotels & Resorts.
The Bollywood celebrities were also taken to spectacular locations including the breath-taking Masai Mara & Mombassa, apart from hosting a round table conference along with top Kenyan filmmakers & government functionaries. Also present were Cricketing legend Aasif Karim, CFO Safaricom Sateesh Kamath, Chairman Kenya Tourism Jimmi Kariuki, CEO Kenya Film Commission Timothy Owase & Rajay Singh of Safari Trails.
WOAH! Gurinder Chadha’s Blinded by the Lights was the closing film at IFFM 2019
The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2019 officially closed its tenth edition with the screening of Gurinder Chadha’s Blinded by the Lights. Complete with Bollywood performances by children, Chadha will grace the occasion to take questions for the audience post-event. Based on the book by journalist Sarfaraz Manzoor, Blinded by the Lights has been lauded for its fresh narrative. It’s said to be amongst the best coming of age stories from the sub-continent talking about the quintessential immigrant inside story from a lived-in perspective. It’s also a tribute to Bruce Springsteen’s and his works
The film was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and bagged a mega worldwide distribution deal. It’s scheduled for an Indian release this week. The movie, featuring Viviek Kalra and Hayley Atwell along with Nell Williams in the lead, is Chadha’s offering post Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice.
Mitu Bhowmick Lange said, “Soaked in all issues and things close to our hearts, this is the film that will have a strong connect with the audience. Every Indian in Melbourne will feel in sync with the story as it is a narrative replete with stories close to their hearts. The universal story of immigrants said with the most personal touch.” This year, the IFFM screened over 60 films in over 20 languages, including Vijay Sethupathi’s Super Deluxe, National award-winning Bulbul Can Sing, Bhoga Khirkee and the Oscar-winning Period: End of Sentence.
Remembering Vidya Sinha
Vidya Sinha, who lit up many of Basu Chatterjee’s rom-coms in the 1970s and 80s, is no more. She breathed here last in a hospital in Mumbai on August 15, the day of independence for our country and a bizarrely opportune time for Vidya to be freed of the burden of living.
The last years were not kind to this pretty quiet dignified actress. The heroines’ roles had died out long ago and Vidya had switched to television where she played matronly roles in serials like Kkavyanjali, Qubool Hai, and Ishq Ka Rang Safed. But even the serials had stopped coming her way now. In 2009 Vidya had filed a police complaint against her second husband Netaji Bhimrao Sulunkhe accusing him of torture and extortion. She finally won a long court battle with her husband in 2011 for maintenance.
Vidya had a short but glorious innings as a leading lady. She was a favourite with two filmmakers B R Chopra and Basu Chatterjee.
With the formidable B R Chopra she did the memorable marital comedy Pati Patni Aur Woh as well as the disastrous love triangles Karm and Mukti (both produced by B R Chopra and directed by Chopra’s son-in-law Raj Tilak).
It was Basu Chatterjee who gave Vidya her fleeting fling with fame. Chatterjee introduced Vidya in the arthouse hit Rajnigandha in 1974 and followed it up with another success Chotisi Baat. It is these two films that she is remembered by to this day. Vidya went on to do other films directed by Basuda, like Tumhare Liye (co-starring her Pati Patni Aur Woh leading man Sanjeev Kumar), and Safed Jhooth. But she did not find much success in cinema after her initial spurt of nominal arthouse stardom with her first two films.
Curiously she worked with the biggest of directors during her brief spell of stardom in the 1970s, including Gulzar (Kitaab, Meera). But somehow her career never took off in a big way.Vidya once confessed she never took her career seriously. The truth is the reverse. Her career never took her seriously.
Famous songs filmed on Vidya Balan
1. ‘Rajnigandha Phool Tumhare’: Rajniganda
2. ‘Na Jaane Kyon Hota Hai Yun Zindagi Ke Saath’: Chotisi Baat
3. ‘Jaan-E-Man Jaan-E-Man Mere Do Nayan’: Chotisi Baat
4. ‘Tumhe Dekhti Hoon Toh Lagta Hai Aise’: Tumhare Liye
5. ‘Thande Thande Pani Se Nahana Chahiye’: Pati Patni Aur Woh
Farhan Akhtar takes on Hrithik Roshan yet again
Muscling in with a big-budgeted blockbuster at the last minute is now becoming a norm. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidwani did it once earlier to Hrithik Roshan when in January 2017; they released their Shah Rukh Khan starrer Raees alongside Roshan’s Kaabil although the Roshans had announced their film from long before.
Sidhwani and Farhan are doing it again. They are all set to release the Hindi version of Telugu cinema’s most expensive film to date Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy on the same day as Hrithik’s big action starrer War for Yash Raj films.
A source close to War says Ritesh and Farhan’s move is unethical. “Aditya Chopra and Yash Raj Film had announced War for 2nd October, months ago. Suddenly Excel (Farhan and Ritesh’s company) comes up with this dubbed Hindi film. It just upsets everything.”
And to think Farhan and Hrithik are close friends. This is the second time Farhan is doing this to Hrithik.
Looks like the war has just started.
R Madhavan shuts a troll down for her hate comment with absolute class and perfection!
R Madhavan recently posted a picture with his father and son where the trio celebrated Raksha Bandhan, Independence Day, and Avani Avittam. The internet couldn’t stop gushing over the three generations smiling wide as they posed for the picture. While the internet couldn’t stop being in awe of them, there were a certain group of trolls who ended up over-analyzing a picture.
In the background, a holy cross could be spotted next to Lord Ganesha’s idol. Making a mountain out of a molehill, a troll decided to highlight and point out the “problem” in the picture. Making derogatory comments about losing respect for Madhavan, she tried to attack the Rang De Basanti actor but got beautifully shut down by the actor. He posted a note pointing out how he has blessings from all the religions and respects every religion as his own. He also pointed out that he was surprised the troll did not spot the framed picture of Golden Temple in their “sickness”. Take a look at the conversation between them.
Can we all just take a moment and appreciate R Madhavan for being one of the purest souls in the industry? He will next be seen in Rocketry – The Nambi Effect.
Parineeti Chopra says no booze please, despite playing an alcoholic character
Parineeti Chopra is now in London shooting for the Hindi remake of a very dark brooding intense British drama The Girl On The Train for which the marvellous Emily Blunt was nominated for the BAFTA award for the best actress. The role is that of an alcoholic woman who has delusional images of horrible happenings in a home that she sees from a train every day.
Ms Blunt drank her way through the performance. Apparently, she was on alcohol right through the shooting of the film to remain in character. Parineeti has no such ambitions. “I am not drinking, just acting,” she divulges,
This brings us to the actors who have actually been on a high while playing an alcoholic. Highest on the ‘high’ list is the mighty Dilip Kumar who actually drank to look convincing as the sozzled lover in Bimal Roy’s Devdas. The closest we came to this level of (drunken) dedication was Aamir Khan who doesn’t touch a drop of alcohol in real life but drank himself silly for a song where he had to act drunk.
It remains to be seen how convincing Parineeti looks as an alcoholic without being drunk.
Laal Kaptaan: On Saif Ali Khan’s birthday, makers release intriguing teaser, film to release on October 11
Laal Kaptaan, directed by Navdeep Singh, stars Saif Ali Khan in the leading role. The film is set in a tumultuous era of Indian history. There has been massive anticipation surrounding the film ever since it was announced, given that it portrays Saif in a never-seen-before avatar. The star steps into the shoes of a Naga Sadhu, out on a dramatic journey is ridden with drama, revenge, and deceit.
As Saif Ali Khan is celebrating his birthday today, the makers of the film unveiled the teaser of the upcoming film which is very intriguing. The actor is seen showcasing his look while staring straight at the camera. Along with the teaser, the makers revealed that the film will release on October 11, 2019.
The film was supposed to release in September but due to patchwork, some portions had to be worked on. Produced by Eros International and Colour Yellow Productions, Laal Kaptaan releases nationwide on October 11, 2019.
Sonakshi Sinha reaches Moradabad to record her statement in a fraud case
Sonakshi Sinha, in February, was accused in a fraud case in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. A case was registered against Sonakshi Sinha under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code. In the police complaint, the complainant Pramod Sharma had said that an amount of Rs 32 lakhs was transferred to Sonakshi’s account for an event but she did not turn up.
On Wednesday, August 14, Sonakshi Sinha reached Moradabad to record her statement in a fraud case. The reason she was summoned to Moradabad is because she could not meet the police in Mumbai. After recording the statement, she flew to Jaipur to continue her shoot for Dabangg 3.
Sonakshi Sinha had earlier released a statement and dismissed the allegations made against her. “An event organiser who couldn’t live up to his commitment obviously thinks he can make a fast buck by maligning my crystal clear image in the press. There is full cooperation with the authorities from my end for the investigation to be conducted. Would request the media not to fan these bizarre claims of an unscrupulous man,” the actress had tweeted.
Veteran actress Vidya Sinha passes away at 71, celebs mourn the loss of Pati Patni Aur Woh star
Veteran actress Vidya Sinha, known for her roles in Rajnigandha and Pati Patni Aur Woh, passed away at the age of 71 on Thursday. The actress was suffering from lung and heart ailments. She was kept on ventilator support. Vidya Sinha was a part of many films including Bodyguard, Chhoti Si Baat, Love Story among others. She was last seen in TV show Kulfi Kumar Baajewala.
Bollywood celebrities like Lata Mangeshkar, Bhumi Pednekar, Shabana Azmi, Madhur Bhandarkar offered their last respects to the actress.
Dabangg 3: Salman Khan kicks off last schedule in Jaipur
Salman Khan has been working nonstop for his upcoming film Dabangg 3 in which he returns as the quirky cop, Chulbul Pandey. After completing the schedule in Phaltan, Maharashtra, the cast has flown to Jaipur for the last leg of the schedule. The cast has been shooting for 75 days and another eight days will be required in Jaipur to shoot near the monuments.
Salman Khan flew to the Pink City and began shooting on Independence Day. They are filming at a remote village Basca near Agra road. A huge crowd had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite star. In this schedule, Prabhu Deva will capture the beautiful moments during the song shoot sequence. After that, it’s a wrap for both the actors.
Salman Khan will fly to the US for a short break after the wrap before he begins Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Inshallah. The film was supposed to go on floor in August itself bur due to date issues they will now begin in the first week of September in Mumbai. Like his previous films, this Bhansali film will also be shot for 100 days. This will overlap with Salman’s shoot for Bigg Boss 13.
Coming back to Dabangg 3, the film is slated to release on December 20, 2019.
Vijay Sethupathi and Aamir Khan to collaborate for a film
South Indian actor Vijay Sethupathi recently confirmed that he would be working with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in a film. The confirmation comes in after Khan met Sethupathi on the sets of Sanga Tamizhan at Pollachi.
Aamir Khan is currently working on the film titled Lal Singh Chaddha. The movie is an official remake of Robert Zemeickis’ 1994 Hollywood classic Forrest Gump. If reports turn out to be true, the film will mark Vijay Sethupathi’s debut in the Hindi film industry.
Aamir Khan and Vijay Sethupathi have one more connection. The Dhoom 3 actor will reprise Vijay’s role of Vedha in the Hindi remake of Tamil blockbuster Vikram Vedha. Saif Ali Khan will be playing the role Madhavan did in Tamil.
Aamir Khan was last seen on screen in the 2018 film Thugs of Hindostan alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif. On the other hand, Vijay Sethupathi is an Indian actor, producer, lyricist and dialogue writer who works prominently for the Tamil film industry. He has proved his mettle as an actor in films like Pizza, Vikram Vedha, and Super Deluxe among others.
Recently the Super Deluxe actor was in the news for his comment on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The actor in a radio interview said that it is against democracy.
Prabhas gears up to meet a crowd of 100,000 at the Saaho pre-release event at Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City!
The Saaho trailer has been living right up to its hype. The trailer which was released in four languages has managed to cross 70 million in just 48 hours. After the trailer launch, Prabhas is gearing up for his city tour of Hyderabad. The makers of Saahohave organized a pre-release event in Ramoji Film City on 18th of August, 5 PM onwards which will see one of the biggest events of all times.
Prabhas himself was a pretty important part of the planning of such a mammoth event which is being organized at such a grand scale. The event will have an expected crowd of 100,000 people who are all going to be fans of the heartthrob who are dying to meet him. It’s also interesting to note that Prabhas will be visiting Ramoji Film city to meet his fans after a long duration of 2 years, as the last time he interacted with his fans was when Bahubali 2 was released!
The event will see Prabhas present at the venue alongside co-star Shraddha Kapoor and it will be the first public interaction of Prabhas for the upcoming release of Saaho.The event will see the makers treat the audience by giving them a further sneak peek into the world of Saaho by releasing a snippet.
Having Prabhas, an actor who enjoys pan India appeal paired with gorgeous Shraddha Kapoor, the movie is being shot in three languages, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, simultaneously. The movie also has a superlative ensemble cast of Jackie Shroff, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Mandira Bedi, Chunky Panday, Mahesh Manjrekar, Arun Vijay, Murali Sharma, amongst others.
Saaho is a high octane action thriller which is presented by T-Series, produced by UV Creations and directed by Sujeeth and is set to hit the theatres on August 30, 2019.
Bhumi Pednekar signed as brand ambassador for Raisin
Raisin – a contemporary line of fusion wear for the modern women of today, hailing from Surat, has recently signed Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar as their brand ambassador. Bhumi is known for her spectacular roles in Dum Laga ke Haisha, Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and many others.
Bhumi Pednekar said, “Raisin stands for the new-age Indian girl, someone who is independent; looking for her freedom, fun yet traditional in her essence and that resonates with me completely!”
Founders of Raisin, Mr. Vikash Pacheriwal and Mr. Vishal Pacheriwal said, “We are extremely excited to have Bhumi on board yet again, this time as Brand Ambassador. She resonates the brand in the best way possible. While traditional marketing has been the brands focus and approach Bhumi fits in right as she is loved by entire India.”
Raisin was launched in August 2018 and has been growing massively. The brand is present in more than 160 stores across India and available in metros and mini metros totalling to 57 cities in India. The main objective of the brand is to help connect the consumer directly with the manufacturer and effortlessly fuse classic styles with unique modern designs without compromising on the quality and still keeping it affordable.
Absence of sex education turns boys and girls to pornography, says Section 375 actress Richa Chadha
Actress Richa Chadha will next be seen in the thriller Section 375 directed by Aditya Bahl. The actress who was recently present at the trailer launch of the film along with the director and her co-stars was asked about her views on providing sex education in school.
Answering the question she said that it is very wrong at the very base level when the absence of sex education leads to young boys and girls turning towards pornography in order to learn about it. She also said that at a time when data is freely available, cases of juveniles committing rape and upload the videos online are heard. She further added that if parents feel uncomfortable talking about it at home, it should be discussed at school in order to improve the overall upbringing of young kids.
Richa plays a public prosecutor fighting to get justice for her client who claims she has been raped by a movie director (Rahul Bhatt), who is being defended by Akshaye Khanna’s character.
Akshaye Khanna who plays a criminal lawyer while talking about the film said, “When you watch the film, I am sure you will recognise that the director has made this film with a lot of maturity as it is quite nuanced. Whether it is the story or the dialogue, it is very fresh. His take on this particular law, the judicial system and the relationships between the characters is commendable. His extremely high level of writing is what really attracted me to do this film.”
Section 375 is directed by Ajay Bahl and produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL co-produced by Sanjeev Joshi and Aditya Chowksey. The film revolves around a director played by Rahul Bhat being accused of rape by costume assistant played Meera Chopra.
Here’s why Nithya Menen chose the multi-starrer Mission Mangal for Hindi debut
Actress Nithya Menen is a popular face in the Southern film industry. The actress is all set to make her Hindi debut with the multi-starrer Mission Mangal. She will be playing one of the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientists. The film also stars Vidya Balan, Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Sonakshi Sinha.
Nithya said that she chose this film as her debut because she did not want her first Hindi film to be a rom-com, as is the norm. The actress who has featured in several South Indian languages said that she has always chosen unconventional films from the beginning. Menen feels her movie choices are unconventional because she never really wanted to become an actor. She does a film only if she loves the story.
So when the actress decided to enter the Hindi film industry, she was not looking for a conventional rom-com. The OK Kanmani actress believes that the film should be bigger than an actor as that is the only way to make good films. Nithya Menen also said that the film becomes mediocre when the actor becomes bigger than the story and hence creates an imbalance.
Nithya Menen has worked in several movies in the Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu industry. Initially she wanted to become a journalist, but dropped the thought during her time at college. It was tough for her to convince her parents, as she came from a family where creative jobs were not much encouraged.
“I have always told Farhan that wait till all of us are fifty plus”, says Akshaye Khanna about the Dil Chahta Hai sequel
Actor Akshaye Khanna will next be seen in the thriller film Section 375, directed by Ajay Bahl. At the trailer launch of the film, the actor was asked about the sequel of the film Dil Chahta Hai. The cult classic film recently completed 18 years of release. The film was directed by Farhan Akhtar and had Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan along with Akshaye Khanna play the lead characters. The film traces the journey of three friends.
Responding to the question on the sequel of the film, Akshaye Khanna said, “I have always told Farhan that wait till all of us are fifty plus, then make Dil Chahta Hai 2. Then it will be fun. It is no fun if you make it in 10-15 years. Aamir is 50+ and Saif will be there soon. I’ll take a little more time, but then we’ll see.”
Akshaye Khanna will be seen playing the role of a criminal lawyer who has shades of grey. When asked about his role, the Hulchul actor said, “I did the film because I was totally impressed and inspired by Ajay’s (Bahl) writing. I had not come across this kind of writing in the longest time. He seems to have given all his heart and soul to it, and it shows because it is so mature and in-depth.”
Khanna talking about the film said, “When you watch the film, I am sure you will recognise that the director has made this film with a lot of maturity as it is quite nuanced. Whether it is the story or the dialogue, it is very fresh. His take on this particular law, the judicial system and the relationships between the characters is commendable. His extremely high level of writing is what really attracted me to do this film.”
The film also stars Richa Chadha as parallel lead, who also plays a lawyer. Section 375is scheduled to release on September 13.
Boman Irani collaborates with his sons under his home production
Boman Irani shot for the first project of his production house Irani Movietone recently. The ad shoot took place in Mumbai and it was a 1-day schedule. An interesting part of this project is that the project was directed by Boman Irani’s younger son Kayoze Irani, line produced by his elder son Danesh Irani and stars Boman Irani.
Talking about his experience of working with his sons, Boman Irani shared, “Initially, it felt odd when they started calling me Boman Sir on the set, instead of dad. But I guess that’s the first rule of being professional and the rest follows. Overall it was a great experience working with them and this is just the beginning.”
Boman Irani launched his production house Irani Movietone earlier this year. He will be next seen in the film Made In China co-starring Rajkummar Rao and Mouni Roy, which will release later this year.
Shraddha Kapoor opens up about shooting for 3 films together as she gears up for back-to-back releases!
Actress Shraddha Kapoor has been busy juggling between the sets of three films — Saaho, Chhichhore and Street Dancer 3D, this year. This year is not only a busy year for Shraddha but the actress has taken it a notch higher with good projects. And now, she will have two projects releasing within a span of one week – Saaho and Chhichhore. But what’s the good part is Shraddha whose Saaho and Chhichhore were releasing on the same day on 30th August; the makers have shifted Chhichhore to 6th September so it’s a sigh of relief to Shraddha. However, the makers of Nitesh Tiwari’s directorial shifted the college caper a week ahead, making way for Saaho to be a solo release. As a result, the Stree actress will have two releases back-to-back.
Talking about her films, Shraddha Kapoor says, “Throughout this year, I’ve been juggling the shoot of three films and traveling to different places for them. Now, it is ironic that two of those films are releasing just one week apart. It is the first time that something like this is happening to me. As actors, we keenly wait for these Fridays, but this is double the happiness for me. Promoting two films at the same time is going to be hectic, but I am excited about both the projects, especially, because they are so different from one other. There’s been so much learning, shooting for these films together, playing vastly different roles”. Shraddha Kapoor is the perfect definition of versatility! In all her projects Saaho, Chhichhore, and Street Dancer 3D, the actress will be portraying extremely different roles. In Saaho trailer, the actress looks extremely stunning where Shraddha personifies action woman holding a gun in hand, wearing boots and going all the way formals looking more professional like always in the cop avatar is a witness that Shraddha knows how to blend in any role that she takes up.
Chhichhore is a blend of typical college-going look and a middle-aged woman where Shraddha fits the bill perfectly acing both the characters. Shraddha who has already left an impact on the hearts of her fans with her dancing prowess in ABCD 2, the actress is leaving no stone unturned in her upcoming Street Dancer 3D and is taking it a level higher where she is sure to leave the audience in awe with her dancing skills. Shraddha Kapoor is winning hearts not only of the audience but the actress is also the top choice of Filmmakers. The actress is the first choice went it comes to franchises and films like Baaghi and now Street Dancer 3D is proof of her coming back in the sequels.
This year is going to be a treat for Shraddha’s fans as she has two releases lined up, Saaho alongside Baahubali fame Prabhas, Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore and both have her looking extremely different from each other.
Sidharth Malhotra says criticism and failure add fire to his belly!
Sidharth Malhotra has already started shooting for his next, Shershaah as soon as Jabariya Jodi release. Despite the turmoil in Kashmir, the team is trying their best to catch up on the missed out time due to the delay in equipment and crew members’ arrival. The actor has been appreciated for his role in Jabariya Jodi and the reviews have also been turning out to be positive. While the fans loved his never-seen-before avatar, Sidharth Malhotra in his recent interview spoke about failure and criticism.
When asked about how he takes failure, he said that an actor’s growth should not be defined by his performance in just one film. Failure does affect him and he’s aware that some of his films didn’t do as well as the others, but he knows how to deal with failure. He makes sure to maintain a positive outlook. While failure and criticism hold a few people back, Sidharth says it only motivates him to try something new every single time. He elaborated further how it adds fire to his belly and also spoke about how there are superstars who still work hard. At the end of the day, all he does is keep working hard towards his goal.
He will be seen in Shershaah with Kiara Advani where he will portray the role of Captain Vikram Batra.
National Award winner Surekha Sikri suffered brain stroke 10 months ago
Veteran actress Surekha Sikri won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor (female) for her role in Amit Sharma’s directorial, Badhaai Ho. The film starred Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta, and Gajraj Rao. The actress, who is in her 70s, has not worked since her last release and there is a reason for it.
Surekha Sikri recently revealed why she hasn’t worked in movies or Television for the past 10 months and the reason is her health. The actress had a brain stroke ten months ago after she fell and hit her head in the bathroom while shooting in Mahabaleshwar. Since then she has not been able to work and has been recovering. She assured that the doctors have said that she will be fine soon.
Surekha Sikri further said that she is quite thrilled to win the National Award. She expected Badhaai Ho to win Best Screenplay as well as the script awards since the content is the king.
Surekha Sikri has earlier won two National Awards – one in 1988 for Best Supporting Actress in Tamas and 1995 for Mammo.
Singer Mika Singh gets a ban after performing in Karachi
The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has banned singer Mika Singh after he performed in Karachi for Pervez Musharraf’s relative. Several people called out on the singer on social media for performing in Karachi, Pakistan.
A week ago, the Indian Government revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. This decision by the Government drew some strong reaction from the Government. Pakistan banned the screening of Indian films. Following this, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) had demanded blanket ban on Pakistani artists, diplomats and bilateral relations with Pakistan and its people.
Mika Singh’s performance in Karachi received a lot of flak from his fans. The All India Cine Workers Association has issued an official statement banning singer Mika Singh for his performance in Karachi.
Reportedly, the AICWA has said that it will not allow anyone in the industry to work with the singer as he is being banned. The organization feels that Mika Singh did not care much about the country’s pride when he decided to perform in Karachi for a wedding which was for Pervez Musharraf’s relative. This step by the singer did not go down well with anyone from the All India Cine Workers Association. Now, AICWA has asked the I&B Ministry to look into this case
