Tag: Bollywood

  • Anushka Sharma glows as she poses with her baby bump

    Anushka Sharma glows as she poses with her baby bump

    With weeks to go before baby Sharma-Kohli arrives, Anushka Sharma has opened up about her pandemic pregnancy and posed for the cover of Vogue India with her baby bump.

    Sharing details about her pregnancy, Sharma revealed that she felt exhausted and nauseous during her first trimester. She said that couldn’t go near the kitchen as she couldn’t stand the smell of things.

    “Smells would revolt me, I couldn’t go near the kitchen. I swear, I could smell people’s skin. I thought it was never going to end,” said Anushka. “I didn’t think I could feel so tired. I am an active person and it was startling, but even when you’re in pain, or uncomfortable, you are still thinking: have I eaten at the right time? Is the baby okay?”

    The actor also revealed that she was hooked to eating toast and crackers during the first three months and when that ended she wanted to eat vada pao and bhel puri. But other than that she did not have any major cravings, unlike Gigi Hadid who shared that she was hooked to eating spices.

    Anushka also said that the pandemic turned out to be a “weird blessing” for the couple.

    “The pandemic has been a weird blessing in a way. Virat was around and I could keep it a secret. We only left to go to the doctor’s clinic. No one was on the streets so we couldn’t be spotted,” said the actor.

    Meanwhile, a self-confessed planner, Sharma revealed that her child’s animal-themed nursery is complete.

    “I just want to be prepared. Everything is slower because of the times we are living in and I don’t like to rush things. This time in my life, even more so,” she says. “I want the nursery to be very calm. It’s the place where you spend the most amount of time, where you are bonding with your baby, so it has to be peaceful.”

    Sharing details about the nursery’s theme, Sharma said: “I don’t believe that boys have to wear blue and girls pink. The nursery has all colours. Both Virat and I love animals and we want our baby to have that bond too. They are a big part of our lives and we really believe they can teach kindness and compassion to children.”

    Anushka and Virat are expected to welcome their bundle of joy in January 2021. Their announcement tweet was the most-liked tweet of 2020.

  • ‘Bigg Boss’ winner Gauahar Khan chooses Pakistani designer for nikkah ceremony

    ‘Bigg Boss’ winner Gauahar Khan chooses Pakistani designer for nikkah ceremony

    Bollywood actor and Big Boss winner Gauahar Khan tied the knot on Friday in Mumbai an intimate nikkah ceremony. For her big day, Khan donned a beautiful ivory and gold ensemble by Saira Shakira. Her groom Zaid Darbar’s sherwani was also from the same fashion label.

    Sharing pictures from the nikkah on social media, Khan wrote: “Qubool Hai.”

    The actor also thanked Saira Shakira and Laam for the customized “dream nikkah” outfit.

    Gauahar accesorized her outfit with kundan jewellery and completed her look with clean makeup and a bright, red lip.

    An adorable video of Khan giving her husband Zaid final touches before the ceremony has gone viral on social media.

    The couple had first announced their wedding news on social media when Khan had posted pictures with the caption: “It gives us immense joy to announce that we are tying the knot and embarking on a journey of forever.”

    Talking about their love story, Gauahar recently shared that there was no courtship period. “I met him, we hit it off and he didn’t think he would propose to someone, marriage was not on his mind. When he asked me, it wasn’t planned. It was in a flow and after meeting me, in literally over a month, he proposed to me. There were no second thoughts.”

    While their nikkah was a low-key affair, their reception was a grand one with several notable personalities present including Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Manish Malhotra. Khan even donned a bold gold and maroon Manish Malhotra lehenga for the reception. Zaid complemented her in a black and gold sherwani paired with a matching shawl.

  • What to watch this long weekend

    What to watch this long weekend

    Ah, the long weekend is here and with COVID-19 still posing a threat, time to kick back and binge-watch movies and shows while staying cosy at home. Here’s a list of new releases hitting streaming platforms this weekend.

    AK vs AK

    Termed a mockumentary (a film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary), AK vs AK features Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap with Sonam Kapoor also putting in an appearance. The film’s official synopsis reads: “A brash film director (Kashyap, as himself) kidnaps the daughter of a movie star (Kapoor, as himself) and films the star’s desperate search for his daughter in real-time as his next blockbuster.”

    The film has received raving reviews and looks very different from what Bollywood usually has to offer.

    Read more – Anil Kapoor’s upcoming film ‘AK vs AK’ gets into trouble with the Indian Air Force

    The Midnight Sky

    George Clooney heads to the post-apocalyptic world in this new space drama for Netflix which he has directed himself. While the film has opened to mixed reviews, Clooney’s performance and getup in the film have been highly appreciated. The film is already trending at number one on Netflix Pakistan.

    Coolie No 1

    Featuring Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan in the lead, Coolie No 1 is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. The film is a through and through Bollywood masala film with colourful dances, sets and crass comedy. While it probably does not have anything new to offer, we’ll just sit through it to make comparisons and trash Bollywood for repeating the same problematic tropes and not coming up with anything new.

    Bridgerton

    Netflix’s big Christmas drop, Bridgerton has been described by several reviews as a period drama which sees Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl.  Based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling romance novels, the show follows the powerful Bridgerton family as they navigate London high society in the 18th-century. According to reviews and critics, the series is fuzzy, romantic and highly bingeable but hollow at the same time. But if you’re a sucker for period romance, you’re bound to enjoy it – I know I will.

    The Undoing

    Though this murder mystery featuring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant is a couple of weeks old, it is totally worth the watch. The six-episodes series is gripping, intense and will have you on the edge of your seat as you guess who the killer is. And while it does drag at a few points, the stellar performances more than make up for it.

    What are you looking forward to the most?

  • ‘The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives’ falls flat despite the glam and starry special appearances

    ‘The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives’ falls flat despite the glam and starry special appearances

    What are the three things you look for in a reality tv series? Drama, drama and more drama. Unfortunately, Netflix’s latest reality television series The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has everything to offer besides that. You have glitz, glam, a fancy holiday, discussions on plastic surgery and the cherry on top – lots, and I mean lots, of starry special appearances. But all this fails to add to the oomph factor and you end up watching the show only because of your love for Bollywood.

    The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives (let’s just call it FLBW) centres around four Bollywood wives – Maheep Kapoor, wife of Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Khan, wife of Sohail Khan, Bhavana Pandey, wife of Chunkey Pandey, and Neelum Kothari, wife of Samir Soni. Maheep is the queen bee of the gang which has been together for 25 years. Mind you, this has been repeated a gazillion times in the entire show, lest we forget. Seema is the one with the wit and sarcasm, while Bhavana is the superstitious one. And Neelum, throughout the series is just worried about one thing: should she make a comeback to films.

    While each woman has her own distinct personality and they are interesting to see in the first episode, the problem with the show is that there is just no drama. The girls are chill with one another and no one gets pissed at the other, except in one episode. Even then, their ‘showdown’ was just very dry. What is this relationship? Where is the spark? The fire? Twice Karan Johar had to come in and be the phoppo he is so that he can instigate them. Unfortunately, the fire never really lights – they really should have taken classes from our favourite Sima Taparia from Indian Matchmaking on how to say the most outrageous things and still not be hated for it. Most of the stuff we saw in the series was all that the paparazzi have already shown to us or they have posted on their Instagram feeds. Even their conversations were terribly safe as if they were scared to give viewers a sneak peek into who they are behind the facades. Just goes on to show that reality tv is not everyone’s piece of cake.

    The two things I did find interesting was that one Maheep is a stalker. An actual stalker. She observes people through her binoculars and she apparently caught glimpses of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan’s wedding through her binoculars. And secondly, Seema and Sohail, despite being married don’t live in the same house. They live across the street from one another and are very happy with this arrangement.

    Interestingly the show is called FLBW, but we barely get to see them as wives. We end up watching them as mothers mostly because my God they are obsessed with their kids. Even the series opens with Maheep fretting over her daughter Shanaya’s Le Bal debut.

    The biggest takeaways from the show had NOTHING to do with the wives. For me, there were two major ones. SPOILERS AHEAD. One that Janhvi Kapoor got a wish from Kylie Jenner on her birthday and second which fascinated me the most – on their trips abroad, Shah Rukh Khan would be the one to babysit all the children when the wives would go party. In fact, my favourite episode from the season was the one which had SRK. Damn that man can charm even a cactus. His witty one-liners and dry humour had me smiling throughout the episode. Gauri Khan in an Instagram post has said that she will be gatecrashing the second season and I do hope that if there is a second season, I’d like to see more of Shah Rukh in it than anyone else.

    The makers of the show tried to create a desi version of Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Sex and the City, but they somehow forgot to add the main ingredient – drama. In this review, I am not even going to recommend or not recommend the show. Because I know that if you’re a Bolly freak like myself, you will still sit and spend five hours watching the eight episodes. All I’m going to say is keep your expectations low.

  • Gippy Grewal calls out Bollywood for ignoring farmers’ plight

    Gippy Grewal calls out Bollywood for ignoring farmers’ plight

    Punjab star Gippy Grewal has lashed out at Bollywood for not standing up for Punjab at a time when the state needs their support for the ongoing farmers’ protest.

    Read more – Ahmed Ali Butt to share the screen with Gippi Grewal in upcoming Punjabi film

    Rupinder Singh Grewal, popular by his stage name Gippy Grewal, took to Twitter and wrote that for years Punjab had welcomed Bollywood with open arms but its silence over the issue was painful.

    “Dear Bollywood, Every now and then your movies have been shot in Punjab and every time you have been welcomed with open heart. But today when Punjab needs you the most, you didn’t show up and speak a word. Disappointed,” the 37-year-old singer tweeted.

    In response to Gippy’s tweet, Taapsee Pannu said that there are artistes in Bollywood who have always been vocal about contentious issues, including the farmers’ protests, and she found his generalised comment “demotivating”.

    Replying to the actor, Grewal said his tweet wasn’t for Pannu and others who are supporting the farmers, but for those who call themselves Punjabi.

    “My tweet was for them who call themselves from Punjab and not utter even a single word. They all vanish,” the singer added.

    Earlier, Kangana Ranaut and Diljit Dosanjh were involved in a Twitter feud over the ongoing farmer’s protests in India in which Diljit gave Kangana a piece of his mind and called her out for propagating hate.

    Farmer’s Protest

    Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi’s gateways to demand a repeal of the Centre’s three new farm laws. The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana as well as Uttar Pradesh, are worried the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price and procurement system while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.

    The government has been in talks with farmer leaders to resolve the issue.

  • Diljit Dosanjh gave Kangana Ranaut a piece of mind and we’re here for it

    Diljit Dosanjh gave Kangana Ranaut a piece of mind and we’re here for it

    An epic Twitter feud between Kangana Ranaut and Diljit Dosanjh over the ongoing farmer’s protests in India is making headlines across the subcontinent. In case, you have no idea what happened, keep reading.

    The fight started when Dosanjh hit out at Ranaut for misidentifying an elderly Sikh woman from the farmers’ protest as Bilquis Bano – the octogenarian who made international headlines during the anti-CAA protests earlier this year in the Delhi neighbourhood of Shaheen Bagh – and said the woman joined the protest for Rs 100 only. Ranaut later deleted the tweet after she was called out for spreading misinformation.

    Sharing a video of the woman speaking on the issue, Dosanjh advised Kangana to listen to the video.

    “One should not be this blind,” he added.

    What followed was an ugly war of words with Dosanjh counter-attacking in Punjabi. Kangana did not hold herself back while attacking Diljit, referring to him as “Karan Johar ke paltu“.

    In response to this, Dosanjh told Kangana that she is well-versed with the art of playing with people’s emotions. No surprises there. The actor has on several occasions also propagated hate against Pakistan.

    Kangana continued to drag KJo into the conversation without any reason. Her hatred for the filmmaker is hardly a secret.

    Diljit further pointed out to Kangana that he is a Punjabi and not a “Bollywood wala” and that Bollywood invites him to do films.

    Kangana then hit back by accusing the Punjabi singer of provoking farmers against the country.

    When one Twitter user called out the actor for insinuating that Johar offers work in exchange for sex, Kangana attacked him also.

    However, Diljit did not stop and continued to school Kangana over her irresponsible statements.

    Other Punjabi artists including Mika Singh and Gippy Grewal stepped in to support Diljit and voice their distaste over Kangana’s comments.

    Case registered against Kangana

    Meanwhile, the Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has sent a legal notice to actor Kangana Ranaut, seeking an unconditional apology for her “derogatory” tweets against farmers and activists involved in the protest against the Centre’s farm laws. They have also requested Ranaut to remove the particular tweets.

    “We have sent a legal notice to Kangana for her derogatory tweet calling the aged mother of a farmer as a woman available for Rs 100. Her tweets portray farmers protest as anti-national. We demand an unconditional apology from her for her insensitive remarks on farmers protest,” said president of DSGMC Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a tweet.

    Farmer’s Protest

    Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi’s gateways to demand a repeal of the Centre’s three new farm laws. The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana as well as Uttar Pradesh, are worried the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price and procurement system, while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.

    The government has been in talks with farmer leaders to resolve the issue.

  • Superstar Rajinikanth launches his own political party

    Putting an end to all speculations, Tamil actor Rajinikanth on Thursday announced that he would launch his political party in January 2021, months ahead of the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. He said an official declaration regarding the same will be made on December 31.

    In a brief statement released on Twitter, Rajinikanth said that his party would fight the Assembly election in 2021 and “emerge victorious”.

    “A non-corrupt, honest, transparent and secular party with a spiritual politics” would “definitely win the next elections,” read the superstar’s tweet.

    However, the actor did not clarify whether he would contest the 2021 state elections. In March 2020, Rajinikanth had said that he would not be a Chief Minister candidate or contest the polls. But sources close to the actor said he would actively take part in election campaigns and rallies while staying secure in a strict bio-bubble.

    Shortly after his tweet, Rajinikanth addressed a press conference in which he explained his reasons for joining the politics. He said that his aim was to bring a change in Tamil Nadu.

    “I am just an instrument. Only people can bring about change. If I win, it is the people’s victory. If I am defeated, it will be their defeat. We need to change everything. If not now, then never,” he said.

    Rajinikanth had announced his entry into politics in 2017 at a time when Tamil Nadu faced a vacuum after the demise of AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and ailing of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

    Read more – Guess which Bollywood superstar just followed Mahira Khan on Instagram

    Soon after the announcement, fans of Rajnikanth burst crackers and distributed sweets in Tiruchirappalli.

    Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) welcomed Rajnikanth’s entry into politics and hinted towards a possible coalition as well.

    “We welcome great actor Rajinikanth’s decision to enter politics. In politics, anything can happen. If there is any chance, an alliance can be formed with his party,” Panneerselvam told the media.

    Tamil Nadu is set to go to Assembly elections in 2021.

  • Shah Rukh Khan spotted sporting a new look for upcoming film ‘Pathan’

    Shah Rukh Khan was spotted outside Yash Raj Studios sporting long locks, reportedly his new look for upcoming film Pathan.

    Pictures of the actor which have gone viral on social media show him with his long hair that half-tied at the back. Even at 55, the actor was looking dapper in a white t-shirt and denim jeans paired with sneakers.

    As per reports, Deepika Padukone will reunite with him for the film. The actress made her Bollywood debut opposite SRK in Om Shanti Om and has gone on to star with him in several films including Chennai Express and Happy New Year.

    Pathan is being directed by Siddharth Anand and also stars John Abraham. The film marks SRK’s comeback to the big screen after a hiatus of more than two years. His last release was Zero in 2018 which was a commercial and box-office flop.

    The film is expected to release by the fall of next year. Although the film’s official release date has not been announced yet, rumours and reports say that the film will most likely be released on October 2, 2021

  • Abhishek Bachchan is unrecognisable in leaked pictures from upcoming film

    Abhishek Bachchan is unrecognisable in leaked pictures from upcoming film

    Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan is unrecognisable in the pictures leaked from the sets of his upcoming thriller Bob Biswas. Pictures of the actor wearing a blue shirt and dark pants, a wig and large glasses have gone viral on social media.

    Bachchan is even sporting a big paunch.

    According to details, the actor is currently shooting for the film in Kolkata. In the film, he will be playing the character of Bob Biswas, an intriguing character from Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, starring Vidya Balan. The film also stars Chitrangda Singh.

    The movie is a spin-off to the 2012 thriller Kahaani. It is produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma under Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment alongside Sujoy Ghosh’s Bound Script Production.

    It is directed by debutante filmmaker Diya Annapurna Ghosh. The film went on floors on January 24, 2020. Balan is most likely to have a cameo in the thriller.

    Bachchan’s last release Ludo was well-received by audiences and critics alike.

  • Netflix in trouble for kissing scenes in temple in ‘A Suitable Boy’

    Netflix in trouble for kissing scenes in temple in ‘A Suitable Boy’

    An Indian state on Sunday asked police to investigate Netflix series A Suitable Boy after a member of the country’s ruling party objected to scenes in the series, in which a Hindu girl kisses a Muslim boy against the backdrop of a Hindu temple.

    The series, based on an English novel by one of India’s leading writers Vikram Seth, follows a young girl’s quest for a husband in the backdrop of newly independent India (1951). It is directed by celebrated Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.

    “It has extremely objectionable scenes that have hurt the feelings of a particular religion,” Narottam Mishra, the interior minister of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, said on Twitter.

    “I’ve directed police officers to get this controversial content tested” to determine “what legal action can be taken against the producer-director of the film for hurting religious sentiments”.

    He later said: “For objectionable scenes in the web series A Suitable Boy, an FIR has been lodged against Monika Shergill (Vice President Content, Netflix India) and Ambika Khurana (Director, Public Policy at Netflix) associated with the management under Section 295 A (willfully hurting religious sentiments) in the Civil Lines Police Station of Reeva.”

    Gaurav Tiwari, a leader of the youth wing of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also governs Madhya Pradesh, has filed a separate complaint against Netflix and warned of street protests by Hindus if the series is not taken off the platform. He also accused the show and streaming platform of promoting ‘love jihad’ – a term radical Hindu groups use to accuse Muslim men of converting Hindu women by marriage.

    A Netflix India spokesman declined comment on the police complaint.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the six-part series was officially commissioned by BBC Studios and produced on a budget of £16 million making it one of the most expensive BBC series ever made. Netflix is the exclusive distributor of the series for all global territories, except continental North America and China. It released on the streaming platform on October 23, 2020.

    Social media commentators say the scope for creative freedom is narrowing in India, especially when it involves any depiction of Hindu-Muslim relations.

    Many Indians took to Twitter demanding a boycott of Netflix, which sees India as one of its most promising growth markets, but where its shows have faced legal challenges.

    Last month, a unit of India’s Tata conglomerate withdrew a jewellery advertisement featuring a Hindu-Muslim family celebrating a baby shower, following threats to one of its stores and wide criticism on social media.

    Earlier this month, the Indian government announced rules to regulate content on video streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Walt Disney’s Hotstar.