Page 1396 - Entertainment Culture

BSP criticises Naresh Aggarwal for remarks on Jaya Bachchan

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Tuesday criticised the remarks made by former Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Aggarwal, who has joined Bharatiya Janata Party, about Jaya Bachchan.Former UP chief minister and BSP chief Mayawati, in a statement, came down heavily on Aggarwal for using objectionable language for Jaya Bachchan and termed them as derogatory remarks.Calling the remarks as anti-women in nature, she said, "Naresh Aggarwal should accept his mistake and immediately apologize to the whole nation"."The top BJP leadership should take serious note of this," she said in an official statement, issued today, a day after the controversial remarks were made."Jaya Bachchan is a respectable lady from a respectable family which has made an immense contribution to the world of cinema. On top of that, she is a sitting MP, hence such remarks against her are not acceptable at all," the BSP chief added.When queried about the reason for leaving the SP, Aggarwal, who was miffed with the party ...

No life without hiccups, says 'Hichki' actor Rani Mukerji

Over a week before the release of her film 'Hichki', Rani Mukerji today said she, like others, had faced hiccups in the early stage of her life. Rani, who came to the city to receive the 'Pride Of Bengal' (Aparajita 2018) award, said she used to stammer in her childhood. "There is no life without hiccups. My hiccup in life was my stammering at childhood. But we must overcome the hiccup and turn that into your strength," she said. About the Siddharth Malhotra directed 'Hichki', she said, it is such a film that has the potential of both educating and entertaining the audience. "Hichki has an important message. And it is an honour to get such an award over a week before the film's release," she said about the award. Hichki features Rani as Naina Mathur, a self-motivated teacher who suffers from Tourette syndrome. It is a neurological disorder characterised by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements. Stating that she found the new status of motherhood fulfilling, Rani

AIB Roast case: No relief to Arjun Kapoor , Ranveer Singh

The Bombay High Court has not provided any relief to Bollywood actors Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the AIB Roast Case.The court rejected the petition of both the actors and set April 3 as the next date of hearing in the case.The actors had filed a petition in the court and sought quashing of the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Mumbai police against them.In 2013, the actors were criticised after they used abusive and vulgar language during a live stage show called 'AIB Roast Master'.

Jaya Bachchan refuses to comment on Naresh Agarwal

Film actor and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Jaya Bachchan on Tuesday refused to comment on her party's former colleague Naresh Agarwal, who termed her as a 'mere film dancer'When reporters asked for her reaction on Agarwal's comments, Jaya said, "I am a stubborn lady, I will not answer."Former SP leader Agarwal on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his MLA son Nitin Agarwal and supporters.Agarwal also found him in the midst of a controversy over his remarks on Jaya Bachchan.Agarwal said he was being neglected in the SP and was hurt when instead of him, the party gave the ticket to Jaya Bachchan "who used to dance in films'."My stature has been equated with that of a mere film actress. Just because she could dance and act in films, my candidature (to Rajya Sabha) has been sacrificed for her. I haven't taken it kindly," Agarwal said.Two prominent women leaders of the BJP cornered Agarwal for his comments.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took to Twitter on ...

Naresh Agarwal's departure is SP's gain: Mulayam

Naresh Agarwal's departure is an advantage for the Samajwadi Party (SP), said party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday.Former SP leader Agarwal on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his MLA son Nitin Agarwal and supporters. He bid adieu to the SP as it did not field him for the Rajya Sabha polls and gave the election-ticket to film actor Jaya Bachchan."He (Naresh Agarwal) left the SP and that is an advantage for us. We will never consider his resignation as a loss to our party," Mulayam told reporters here.When asked about his reaction on Agarwal's comments about Jaya Bachchan, Mulayam refused to comment and only said, "Whatever he wanted to say that he has already said publically about her."On Monday, Agarwal also found him in the midst of a controversy over his remarks on Jaya Bachchan.Agarwal said he was being neglected in the SP and was hurt when instead of him, the party gave the ticket to Jaya Bachchan "who used to dance in films'."My stature has been ..

Esha Deol to play chef in short film

Actress Esha Deol, who hasn't been seen on the big screen for a while, will play a chef in a Hindi short film "Cakewalk".

'Jazbaa' singer collaborates with Rahman

Vipin Aneja, who has sung songs for films like "Jazbaa" and "Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster", has teamed up with music maestro A.R. Rahman for an untitled Tamil film.

'Instead of segregating, bring regional films under one umbrella'

India's diverse regional film industry has the power to add to Indian cinema's growth, and so, it must be brought under one umbrella for it to leave a larger impact, says Madhu Chopra of Purple Pebble Pictures, which has backed movies in Bhojpuri, Marathi, Punjabi, Sikkimese, Assamese and Bengali.

'Baa Baaa' director's masterclass with Anupam Kher

Debutant director Vishwas Paandya says it was like a masterclass to watch veteran actor Anupam Kher's transformation for his film "Baa Baaa Black Sheep".

Akhilesh, Mayawati slam Agrawal for remarks against Jaya Bachchan

Both the SP and the BSP today condemned Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal for his "indecent" and "derogatory" comments against actor-politician Jaya Bachchan. Agrawal, who quit the Samajwadi Party (SP) and joined the BJP yesterday, had said he was denied a ticket to the Upper House of Parliament for someone "who used to dance in films". The SP has re-nominated Jaya Bachchan to the Rajya Sabha. While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded that the BJP should immediately take action against him, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati demanded that Agrawal should tender an apology to the nation for making "anti-women" remarks. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra has distanced his party from Agrawal's remarks, while senior leader and the most prominent woman face of the saffron party, Sushma Swaraj has taken to Twitter to criticise the Rajya Sabha MP's comments. Facing a backlash for belittling Jaya Bachchan, Agrawal, whose term as a Rajya Sabha member comes to an end on April 2, offered his regrets .

Ensure proper treatment facilities to Bachchan: Raje to officials

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today gave necessary directions to Jodhpur district administration to ensure proper treatment facilities for Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan who fell sick during the shooting of a film there. Chief minister Raje is on an Andhra Pradesh tour from where she gave necessary directions to the Jodhpur district administration on phone, a statement said. The statement said Bachchan was being given treatment after he fell sick last night.

Shah Rukh Khan's wax figure to join Madame Tussauds Delhi

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's wax figure will be the latest to get featured at the Madame Tussauds Delhi. This would be the second figure of Shah Rukh to be displayed in his signature pose besides other iconic celebrities, in a special interactive zone. The first figure was launched in London in 2007. Managed by Merlin Entertainments, Madame Tussauds in Delhi has wax figures of famous personalities from sports, cinema, politics, history and music. "Given his massive fan following across the globe, and because he is a popular celebrity and loved by everyone; it was a prestigious choice for us to bring Shah Rukh Khan's figure to Madame Tussauds Delhi," Anshul Jain, General Manager, and Director, Merlin Entertainments said in a statement. Wax figures of cricket icon Kapil Dev, Milkha Singh, singer Asha Bhosle and Shreya Ghoshal, yesteryear actor Madhubala among others have already been unveiled by the museum.

Irrfan-starrer 'Blackmail' to release on April 6

Irrfan Khan-starrer "Blackmail" will release as per schedule, the makers have announced after meeting the actor. Irrfan, 51, recently announced that he was fighting a rare disease in a Twitter post. Bhushan Kumar and Abhinay Deo met Irrfan, whose ill health had led to speculation about his upcoming projects. Accroding to the filmmakers, Irrfan told them to go ahead with the planned release of the film. "I recently met Irrfan and even though he is battling his health, he was very excited about the initial response to the trailer and songs of 'Blackmail' and was very keen that we released the film in the best possible way on April 6 as scheduled. We are all praying for him and I am confident that he will sit with us and watch the film on April 6." "Our prayers are with Irrfan and his family. We are hopeful that he will recover from his illness. As per his wish, we will release Blackmail on April 6 in the best possible manner," Kumar added. Besides Irrfan, the film features Kirti ...

Have NOC to do film on 'Batla House' encounter: Nikkhil Advani

Director Nikkhil Advani says he has acquired all the necessary permissions for his film on the Batla House encounter that will go on floors in September. The encounter occurred in September 2008 against Indian Mujahideen terrorists in the Batla House, a locality in Jamia Nagar in Delhi. As per reports, two suspected terrorists were gunned down and two other suspects were arrested, while one accused escaped that day. Encounter specialist and Delhi Police officer Mohan Chand Sharma, who led the police action, was shot dead during the incident. "We have touched upon real life incidents earlier with films like 'Lucknow Central' and 'Airlift'. We have been doing research on the subject of 'Batla House' for four years, we have NOC from everybody. It is based on the life of a police officer who was involved in the 'Batla House' operation," Advani told PTI. "As a production house, we make sure that we do a thorough research so the director has all the things ready. We will start the shoot ...

Agrawal regrets comments on Bachchan, but brickbats fly

New BJP entrant Naresh Agrawal today apologised for his comments on Jaya Bachchan, but that did little to quell the outrage with Union minister Harsimrat Kumar Badal and BJP MP Rupa Ganguly amongst others taking up feminist cudgels on the actor-politician's behalf. The Rajya Sabha MP, who lost out to Bachchan in the race for re-nomination to the upper house and yesterday quit the Samajwadi Party to join the BJP, had said at a press conference that the SP denied him the RS ticket and gave it to somebody who used to dance and act in films. "My intention was not to hurt anybody's sentiments. I regret if my comment has hurt somebody's feelings and withdraw my words," he said today. He also claimed that the media had twisted his comments. However, his explanation left several of his politician colleagues unimpressed. Union Food Processing Minister Badal said the comments were not just sad but also reflected a certain mindset. ... I want to say that it shows the mindset and the upbringing ..

'Thugs of Hindostan' a huge film, proud to be a part of it: Ronit Roy

Actor Ronit Roy is thrilled to be a part of the upcoming film "Thugs of Hindostan" and calls it as an experience of a lifetime. Produced by Yash Raj Films, the Vijay Krishna Acharya-directed movie brings together Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan for the first time on screen. In an interview with PTI, Ronit says, "It is a huge, humongous film. I am extremely proud to be a part of it and working with Yash Raj Films. It is a great experience being in the film and to be with Aamir, Mr Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima (Sana Sheikh). It has humongous talent across the board." While the 52-year-old actor is tight lipped about his character in the film, he reveals he does not have any scenes with Aamir in the film. "I shot with Mr Bachchan, but unfortunately I do not have a scene with Aamir sir. Where my track ends, is the reason the films starts. That's all I can say," he adds. While Vijay had previously directed Aamir in "Dhoom 3", Ronit says he was initially also supposed to be a part of ..

Kiran Agarwal collaborates with Manish Om Singhania for her Brain Child WOKA

Kiran Agarwal, wife of Vedanta Resources Plc. Anil Agarwal, is a visionary who has been compassionate towards the needy in the society. This time she has dedicated herself towards enriching entertainment, wherein she not only produces but creates and narrates stories for children through her YouTube channel 'WOKA'. WOKA stands for World of Kiran Agarwal. She has collaborated with Writer and Director Manish Om Singhania to create animation films with moral values for children of age 4+.Manish Om Singhania has been actively working in the Indian TV/Film Industry. He also runs his own Infrastructure Business and is the Chairperson of his brain-child, 'Brahmand Group'.His childhood dream of being a filmmaker, landed him on the sets of Ashutosh Gawrikar's film "Swades" as an apprentice (Direction team) but due to the shift in the shooting dates by almost 8 months, he had to move on to the next available opportunity, which he found in and with, Late Ashok Gaikwad and Aroona Irani's on their

Amitabh is fine, says Jaya Bachchan

Rajya Sabha MP and wife of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan on Tuesday said all was fine with the actor's health."Amit ji's (Amitabh Bachchan) health is fine. His back, neck hurts. He is in some pain, but overall he is doing fine," she told reporters.Earlier in the morning, Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently shooting for 'Thugs of Hindostan' in Rajasthan, took to his blog to mention that he was being examined by Doctors."I am getting my team of Doctors in tomorrow morning to fiddle around with my body and set me up again .. i will rest and keep informed in process .." wrote the 'PINK' star.

Jackie Shroff's 'Shunyata' wins international award

Actor Jackie Shroff's short film "Shunyata" has won an award at Best of India Short Film Festival in Los Angeles, US.

'Midnight Sun' to release in India on March 30

Patrick Schwarzenegger and Bella Thorne's romantic drama "Midnight Sun" will release in India on March 30.