Venturing into a new genre, the Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal seems to be garnering ample attention as fans cannot wait to see the actor in a brand new avatar. While his look and the details of the film are being kept under wraps, filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, T-Series and the entire team of Animal decided to give a sneak peek into it as we gear up to enter a new year. Right before midnight, the makers unveiled the first look of the Rashmika Mandanna starrer on social media.

Just a day ago, makers had taken to Instagram to make an announcement that the film’s first look will be released on December 31. Keeping up with their promise, before the clock strikes 12, the makers posted the first look of Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor and the intense poster definitely seems to be creating waves.

 

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For the unversed, Animal is expected to a gangster drama that also brings together Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna for the first time. It also has Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Tripti Dimri, playing pivotal roles. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, producer and head honcho of T-Series, Bhushan Kumar had spoken about the film saying, “Animal has heroism, songs, real dialogue-baazi, and father-son emotion. Just like you saw how KGF: Chapter 2 had mother's emotion, and action, this one will have action, songs, a big-looking film, everything is there with a great star cast. So, there isn't pressure with the movie but more confidence that film can become a huge one.”

Animal is expected to be shot in Mumbai and is slated to release on August 11, 2023 in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu.

Also Read: Animal: First Look of Ranbir Kapoor starrer to release on December 31

The year 2022 ends today and the biggest grosser of the year is Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files. It was the sleeper blockbuster as the film, reportedly made in just Rs. 15 crores, opened with collections of just Rs. 3.55 crores and had a lifetime of Rs. 252.90 crores. As a result, the expectations are tremendous for Vivek’s next film, The Vaccine War. Vivek Agnihotri announced the film a few months back and two weeks ago, the film went on floors.

Bollywood Hungama has learnt about the casting of The Vaccine War, which was kept under wraps till now. A source told Bollywood Hungama, “The Vaccine War stars Nana Patekar in the lead. He has a very important and well-fleshed-out character. Nana sir is putting his heart and soul into playing his character and he’s happy shooting for the film.”

Nana Patekar, who turns a year older tomorrow, on January 1, was last seen in the Tamil film Kaala (2018), co-starring Rajinikanth. It's My Life (2020) and Tadka (2022) did see a release on television and digital respectively, but these were delayed projects. In 2023, he's expected to be seen in as many as 3 films. Besides The Vaccine War, he plays the lead in The Confession, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan. He also shot for the Marathi remake of the blockbuster Gujarati film, Chaal Jeevi Laiye (2019).

The source added, “Apart from Nana Patekar, The Vaccine War also stars Vivek Agnihotri’s wife Pallavi Joshi, who’ll be back on the big screen after her dynamic performance in The Kashmir Files. Gopal Singh, who recently played a significant role in Madhur Bhandarkar’s India Lockdown (2022) and veteran actress Divya Seth are also a part of the cast of the film. The movie is currently being shot in Lucknow.”

The Vaccine War, as the name suggests, is about India’s successful vaccination programme against the threat of Covid-19. It is scheduled to be released on Independence Day in 2023.

Also Read: Makers of Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War, “Few agencies, parties and media houses worked towards defaming India’s vaccine victory”

With Shah Rukh Khan joining hands with Atlee, Prabhas joining hands with Om Raut, there has been a lot of interesting collaboration between Bollywood and South that 2023 can look forward to. Adding to the list of Pan India projects is yet another massive venture, as per recent reports. Readers may recall that KGF director Prashanth Neel had announced a film with Junior NTR, NTR31 earlier this year. Now the latest update on that front is that the filmmaker has roped in Aamir Khan for the film.

It wasn’t too long ago that Aamir Khan had announced that he is taking a break from movies post the release of Laal Singh Chaddha in August. But it seems that the superstar is returning to films soon. Although there has been no confirmation from the filmmaker or the Bollywood star, an IANS report has stated sources close to the filmmaker have confirmed the news and it was also being said that the film will go on floors next year after Prashanth Neel completes work on Salaar. Further details of his role and other information are currently kept under wraps. Currently, if these sources are to be believed, Prashanth is busy with the post production work of Salaar, which stars Prabhas, Shruti Haasan, and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles.

Coming to the project which has apparently been titled NTR31, from what we hear, Prashanth Neel is working on idea that he conceptualized about two decades ago. However, the filmmaker was keen on building this film on a massive scale and waited for years for the right time. So after helming Salaar, which is also expected to be big budget entertainer, the filmmaker will kick off this project. Besides these two films, Prashanth is also set to return to the KGF franchise too with KGF Chapter 3.

Also Read: NTR 31: Jr NTR to collaborate with KGF director Prashanth Neel for his next; first look unveiled

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By introducing a lot of unexpected twists and turns on the show, the makers have finally managed to keep the audience hooked to Bigg Boss 16. The Salman Khan-hosted show has now got an extension and would see its grand finale later in the month of February. Talking about this week, the audience got to witness a lot of arguments among the contestants, especially Archana Gautam and Shalin Bhanot. Their heated argument has not only divided fans of the show but also grabbed the attention of the host. In the upcoming episode, Salman Khan will be seen addressing the same while slamming Archana and Shalin for their behaviour.

On Friday, the official social media handle of the channel dropped two promos, in which Salman can be seen discussing the matter with the duo. While talking to Shalin, Salman slammed him for using foul language and calling Archana “do takke ki aaurat (cheap woman)”. Shalin tries to justify his actions and statements but in vain. During the same, Salman tells him that he is “missing” the whole point “again”.

 

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Meanwhile, in another promo video, Salman did not spare Archana as well. He politely calls her out for passing personal comments in the show. The promo ends with Salman saying, “Ghar mai wapas laane ki takat rakhta hu toh bahar nikalne ki bhi utni hi takat rakhta hu (If I am able to get you back in the home, I am able to kick out as well).”

 

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For the unversed, in one of the previous episodes, Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Archana had an argument over the former's claim that the latter prepared an insufficient amount of sabzi for all the housemates. Shalin intervened in the fight and made Priyanka understand that there is no sense in revisiting the matter because Archana is petty. Enraged at the remark, Archana landed a blow by saying that Shalin is obviously talking about his ex-wife. Post that Shalin began hurling things about the house.

A riled-up Shalin requests 'Bigg Boss' to summon him to the confession room to talk about the matter. He bursts out crying as he admits that he cannot tolerate the humiliation doled out to him.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 16: Housemates become publishers and editors for a quirky nomination task; deets inside 

While Nayanthara starrer horror thriller Connect has been creating examples of its success with its release in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, the film is all set to release in Hindi today. With its release in the South, the film has started to collect love from all across and the actress just couldn't resist sharing a thankful note to her fans for showering a great response. 

While taking to her social media, Nayanthara shared a thankful note with her fans. She further jotted down the caption, “Thank you guys for making #Connect a big success ♥️ Connect Hindi Releasing today.”

 

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Connect is very special for Nayanthara fans as the actress is all set for her Hindi debut with the Hindi dubbed version of the film releasing in Hindi today. Moreover, it is also yet another film of Nayanthara with the director Ashwin Saravanan after Maya, which makes Connect a must-watch. 

Produced by Vignesh Shivan under Rowdy Pictures, Connect is directed by Ashwin Saravanan. The film stars Nayanthara, Sathyaraj, Anupam Kher, and Vinay Rai. The film is written by Ashwin Saravanan and Kaavya Ramkumar and has been released in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam on 22nd December and released in Hindi today.

Also Read: Nayanthara speaks about life after marriage, “Nothing has changed for me”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, Hiraben passed away in the wee hours of Friday that is December 30. Numerous celebs from the Hindi film industry, including Akshay Kumar, Swara Bhaskar, Kangana Ranaut, Jackie Shroff and more, mourn her death while offering their condolences to the actor and his family.

Stars like Ajay Devgn, Anupam Kher Akshay Kumar, Shehnaaz Gill, and Sonu Sood tweeted to express their grief, while Kangana Ranaut and Swara Bhaskar took to their Instagram story to mourn PM’s loss. “There is no greater sorrow than losing a mother. May god give you the strength to bear this sorrow,” wrote Akshay Kumar in a tweet, while Ajay Devgn tweeted, “My heartfelt condolences on the passing of Smt. Heeraben Modi. A simple, principled lady, she raised a fine son in our PM Shri Narendra Modiji. Om Shanti. My personal condolences to our PM and his family.”

Meanwhile, an excerpt of Anupam Kher’s tweet, which was written in Hindi, read, “Your love and respect for her is evident in the world. No one will be able to fill her place in your life! But you are the son of Mother India! The blessings of every mother of the country are with you. My mother too!” Sonu Sood, Kapil Sharma, and Shehnaaz Gill also tweeted.

माँ को खोने से बड़ा दुख कोई नहीं. भगवान आपको इस दुख को सहने की शक्ति दे @narendramodi जी. ॐ शांति ????

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 30, 2022

My heartfelt condolences on the passing of Smt. Heeraben Modi. A simple, principled lady, she raised a fine son in our PM Shri Narendra Modiji. ????️ Shanti ???? My personal condolences to our PM and his family. @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/5RxRXobyca

— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) December 30, 2022

आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी! आपकी माताश्री #हीराबा जी के निधन का सुनकर मन दुखी भी हुआ और व्याकुल भी।आपका उनके प्रति प्यार और आदर जग ज़ाहिर है।उनका स्थान आपके जीवन में कोई नहीं भर पाएगा! पर आप भारत माँ के सपूत हो! देश की हर माँ का आशिर्वाद आपके ऊपर है।मेरी माँ का भी!???????? pic.twitter.com/L9uPvMWjM2

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) December 30, 2022

आदरणीय मोदी जी, माँ कहीं जाती नहीं है बल्कि कई बार ईश्वर के चरणों में जाकर इसलिए बैठ जाती है कि उनका पुत्र दूसरों के लिए और बेहतर कर सके। माता जी सदैव आपके साथ थी और आपके साथ रहेंगी। @narendramodi
ओम् शांति ???? https://t.co/zw3p6bxSs4

— sonu sood (@SonuSood) December 30, 2022

आदरणीय @narendramodi जी,माँ का दुनिया से चले जाना बहुत ही दुखदायी होता है। उनका आशीर्वाद हमेशा आपके साथ रहेगा।ईश्वर माता जी को अपने श्री चरणों में स्थान दें हम यही प्रार्थना करते हैं???? ओम शांति https://t.co/Vsf2KIi8Us

— Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) December 30, 2022

My deepest condolences to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi on the sad demise of his beloved mother, Smt. Heeraben Modi There is nothing as priceless & indescribable in God’s creation as the bond between mother & child. Om shanti! pic.twitter.com/OzQsOdZmLK

— Shehnaaz Gill (@ishehnaaz_gill) December 30, 2022

Heeraben breathed her last, reportedly, at around 3.30 am. She was admitted to U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Ahmedabad earlier this week due to health issues. The medical bulletin read “Heeraben Modi passed away on 30/12/2022 at 3.30 am during the treatment at U N Mehta Heart Hospital.” Besides, Bollywood celebs, Kolkata’s CM Mamta Banerjee, Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, and AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi, also expressed condolences.

On the other hand, hours after performing the last rites of his mother Hiraben Modi in Gandhinagar, Narendra Modi flagged off the seventh Vande Bharat Express.

While the controversies within the Bigg Boss house has been brewing up with contestants imposing blames and accusations on each other, some of them have been causing a stir even outside the house despite staying on the show. The recent wildcard entrant Vikkas Manaktala seems to be the latest one whose name got embroiled in a legal hassle after he addressed co-contestant Archana Gautam as ‘neechi jaati’ (lower caste), amounting to discrimination. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has issued a notice to many associated with Bigg Boss 16, including channel partner Viacom 18 and Endemol Pvt. Ltd.

As per PTI reports, NCSC issued a notice to the Maharashtra government, State police, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Endemol India Private Ltd, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd and Colors TV wherein the commission said suo-motu cognizance has been taken on information received through social media regarding Manaktala calling Gautam “neech jati ke log" (a low caste person).

Furthermore, referring to the Indian law, the NCSC added, “This is clearly an offence punishable under SC/ST Act, and the Commission has decided to investigate into the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred upon it under Article 338 of the Constitution of India.” The notice also requested to take action as soon as possible continuing, “You are hereby requested to submit action taken report to the undersigned within seven days of receipt of this notice.” Colors TV and the rest of them involved in the notice are yet to issue a response regarding the same.

Bigg Boss 16 currently features MC Stan, Sajid Khan, Sumbul Touqeer, Sreejita De, Tina Datta, Shalin Bhanot, Soundarya Sharma, and Priyanka Chahar Choudhary as contestants along with Archana Gautam and Vikkas Manaktala as contestants. The show currently airs on Colors channel from Monday to Friday at 10 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 pm. It is also available for streaming on Voot.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 16: Housemates become publishers and editors for a quirky nomination task; deets inside 

For the past one week, media has been abuzz with reports regarding the suicide of Ali Baba Dastaan-E-Kabul actress Tunisha Sharma, which was followed by the arrest of her ex-boyfriend and co-actor Sheezan Khan. After the families of the victim and the accused addressed the media regarding their respective children, many of their co-actors too have spoken about their opinion regarding the issue. The latest one to talk about the matter is Uorfi Javed who posted a long note on social media, a day go, not only addressing the issue but also requesting females to give away their life for anyone.

Uorfi Javed took to her social media to share a long note regarding the issue on her Instagram story saying, “My 2 cents on Tunisha’s case, yes he might be wrong, he might have cheated on her but we cannot blame him for her death. You absolutely cannot make someone stay with you who doesn’t want to stay. Girls no one I REPEAT NO ONE is worth giving up your precious life. Sometimes it might just seem like the end of the world but trust me it’s not. Think about the people who love you or just try loving yourself a bit harder. Be your own hero. Please give time some time. Even after suicide the suffering doesn’t end, the ones that are left behind suffer even more.”

The statement comes after the Sharma family claimed that Sheezan Khan had cheated on Tunisha Sharma, which led to her suicide. The actress committed suicide by hanging herself in the makeup van on the sets of the ongoing show Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul which also featured Khan in the male lead. As per statements given to the officials, it seems that the actor had spoken to the late actress fifteen minutes before her demise.

Also Read: Tunisha Sharma Death: Arrested Sheezan Khan allegedly deleted WhatsApp chats another ex-girlfriend

Famous singer Arijit Singh was supposed to host a show at Eco Park in Kolkata on the occasion of New Year. However, it has been cancelled. While the actual reason behind the cancellation is yet to be revealed, Bhartiya Janta Party has alleged that it's a political decision as a few days back he sang 'Gerua' at Kolkata International Film Festival, which was originally picturised on Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Amid the row, Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim has broken his silence and shed some light on the matter to clarify the actual reason behind the cancellation. As per a report by Free Press Journal, Hakim has clarified that permission was not granted for it to avoid a clash with a scheduled event to mark India's G-20 Presidency. According to the report, he said, “The event marking India's G-20 Presidency will take place at the Convention hall, which is just opposite the Eco Park. Several foreign dignitaries are likely to attend that event.”

Elaborating the issue further, the mayor further added, “Huge crowds would have gathered for Arijit Singh's show and it would have been difficult to handle such volumes of spectators. The police rightly felt that conducting such a big event just opposite the Convention Hall could result in a law-and-order problem.”

The mayor also mentioned that a Salman Khan show has also been cancelled for the same reason. The report quoted him saying, “Owing to concerns about law-and-order problems, the events of Salman Khan and Arijit Singh had to be cancelled. Also, we didn't receive any application for the programme at Eco Park.”

For the unversed, it all started when Dr Indranil Khan, State President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, West Bengal, questioned why Arijit's show was cancelled. In a tweet, he had written, “Why has Arijit Singh's show at Eco Park been cancelled by WB Govt body HIDCO, The result of Arijit humming 'Rang de tu mohe Gerua' in front of Her Excellency at KIFF? Intolerance scales new heights.”

A section of internet users speculated if Arijit singing 'Gerua' in front of Shah Rukh Khan, who was also present at KIFF 2022, was only a tribute to the star or a hidden jibe, amid the ongoing 'Besharam Rang' controversy.

Also Read: “Arijit Singh has weaved magic with his charismatic voice; Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone let their hair down” – says Siddharth Anand on ‘Jhoome Jo Pathaan’ song

Popular Indian actor and screenwriter Siddharth Suryanarayan, who is widely known by his first name, alleged that his parents were harassed at the Madurai airport for 20 minutes. As soon as the actor shared his plight through an Instagram story, a lot of speculations and rumours about the incident started floating on the internet. To clear all of that for once and all, on December 29, Siddharth penned a long note to explain what “exactly” happened at the Madurai airport.

In a carousel post, the Rang De Basanti actor shared the details of the alleged harassment. In his note, he stated that after he shared the incident on social media, he has been receiving several messages from people sharing their own experiences. Giving a detailed account of the alleged harassment, Siddharth stated that security officials flagged his 70-year-old mother's purse and also shouted at his sister “for carrying medical injections”.

“The CISF individual who sat behind glass kept scrutinising our IDs repeatedly including the children's passports. He then looked at my face and Adhaar card and shouted "yeh tum ho?" When I told him it was me and asked him why he asked me that question when my ID looks exactly like I do, he said he had doubts. Then the next individual shouted at us asking 'Hindi samajhte hain na?' And before we answered, rudely went on to throw out any ipad or phones that he found. After my bag cleared, he then took out my earphones and threw them on the tray,” read an excerpt of his post.

 

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In the caption of his post, Siddharth wrote, “The other day at Madurai Airport… This is all I have to say about that.” He also signed off by saying, “Moving on,” followed by a red heart emoticon. In the comments section, many extended their support to the actor while a section of them shared that they too had a similar experience in the past.

Also Read: Siddharth alleges his parents were harassed at Madurai airport for 20 minutes: ‘Jobless people showing off their power’

Bollywood stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan jetted off to Switzerland to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year. After three long years, the family has flown to Gstaad to enjoy the beautiful snow-capped mountains. Kareena is leaving no stone unturned to enjoy the family with her husband and kids. The actress recently shared a family photo featuring Saif Ali Khan and their kids Taimur and Jehangir Ali Khan.

The picture-perfect moment captures Kareena in a black jacket with matching pants and sunglasses. Meanwhile, Saif also opted for a black outfit paired up with sunglasses and grey shoes. Talking about Jeh, the little munchkin can be seen posing for the click in a dark blue jacket and pants while Taimur wore a pair of neon green pants teamed up with a black shirt. The sun-kissed picture shows them sitting on a fallen tree trunk with a car, pine trees, houses and snow in the background.

Instagramming the family photo, the Ki & Ka actress wrote a short caption, which read, “The countdown begins… / 29-12-2022 / ???????? / What is that in Tim’s mouth? Strawberry lollipop anyone?” Among many others, director Zoya Akhtar reacted to the post and dropped a couple of red-heart emoticons in the comments section. Meanwhile, a section of fans goes gaga over Tim and Jeh.

 

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Coming to the professional front, the 42-year-old actress was last seen in Laal Singh Chaddha opposite Aamir Khan. The film was an official remake of a classic Hollywood film, Forrest Gump.  She has multiple releases for next year in her kitty, including The Devotion of Suspect X, co-starring Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat.

Recently, she was shooting for a Hansal Mehta directorial. Besides this, the actress has also signed a project with Rhea Kapoor titled The Crew, in which she will co-star with Tabu and Kriti Sanon.

Also Read: Kareena Kapoor Khan smiles as son Jeh Ali Khan gatecrashes her yoga session, watch

Bollywood Hungama hosted its roundtable with actresses who made a mark in 2022 in films. Five actresses including Bhumi Pednekar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Rakul Preet Singh, Alaya F, and Huma Qureshi were a part of the conversation that went from their performances this year to pay parity and intimacy. The actresses spoke about several aspects of their careers including the importance of having intimacy coordinators on sets. In the past few years, intimacy coaches have become an important part of the shoot to take the actors through the process smoothly.

Speaking at the Bollywood Hungama Actresses Round Table 2022 presented by Astroyogi, Huma Qureshi recalled shooting the Badlapur rape scene, which left her traumatized. The film featured her playing the role of a sex worker. As the conversation revolved around intimacy coaches playing a major role in recent years in the movies, she recalled shooting the Badlapur scene. “I play a sex worker. That’s why I did the film because, for me, it was such a beautiful thing to explore how can we make people feel bad for a sex worker who we judge so freely and who can also be raped and that she is also a woman at the end of the day. I love that thing in that character but while doing the scene, I was a wreck,” she explained.

She said that she felt the safest with Sriram Raghavan and Varun Dhawan. “They were all amazing. But, it’s a lot. I remember going back to my room and I was fully clothed the whole time and it was all simulated but I went back home and my hands were shaking. You are not feeling it for other person but you are there. I felt rage because you want to hit the person back and you can’t. I just felt rage. I had to really calm myself down," she said.

The film starred Varun Dhawan, Yami Gautam, and Radhika Apte. It was helmed by Sriram Raghavan.

Meanwhile, Huma Qureshi was most recently seen in Monica O My Darling and Double XL.

ALSO READ: Huma Qureshi flaunts her desi moves in New York; Saqib Saleem drops a hilarious response, watch

A while back filmmaker Hansal Mehta had announced that he would soon be directing a film starring Kartik Aaryan. However, months after the announcement there has been no progress on the project at all. In fact, industry buzz claims that the makers have now shifted focus from the venture totally. If that was not enough, the grapevine claims that with Kartik and Hansal both busy with no dates for their joint venture, the film has almost been shelved.

Revealing details about the delay of the untitled project a well-placed industry source informed Bollywood Hungama exclusively, “Yes, Kartik and Hansal had planned on working together and had announced an untitled venture. However, there have been constant delays with the project, and now it seems like the film has been pushed indefinitely.” Further talking about the delays, the source continues, “Kartik Aaryan has had a stellar 2022, with the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Freddy hitting the mark he has become one of the most sought-after talent today. Besides Katrik already has his hands full with Shehzada and Satyaprem Ki Katha so it is unlikely that he will have time for anything else in the immediate future. Hansal is too busy with Modern Love: Mumbai and has Scam 2023 and a couple of other projects he is working on. So essentially with both director and actor busy the collaboration has been put on hold.”

Though the source refrains from stating that the film has been shelved, he adds, “You cannot say that the film has been shelved since both Kartik and Hansal are still keen on doing the film. They will get to it when both have time and dates. But till then, the film will remain on the back burner.” Echoing a similar thought, a source close to the duo says, “No the film is very much on. It is just that neither has had the time to allocate to the project.”

Also Read: Anurag Kashyap, Hansal Mehta, Prabhu Dheva and others react to SS Rajamouli being honoured by the New York Critics Circle

Veteran film producer Nitin Manmohan has passed away in a hospital in Mumbai. The producer was rushed to hospital on December 3 after suffering from a massive heart attack. He was on the ventilator for 15 days, his friend and producer Kaleem Khan confirmed the news.

A team of doctors were treating Nitin Manmohan at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Navi Mumbai. They were providing him with the best care. As per reports, his son Soham, who lives in Dubai, had flown down to Mumbai to be by his father's side.

Nitin Manmohan is survived by his wife, son and daughter. He was veteran actor Manmohan's son.

Nitin Manmohan is a well-known Indian producer, director and writer who produced films including Bol Radha Bol (1992), Laadla (1994), Army (1996), Shool (1999), Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (2001), Deewangee (2002), Dus (2005), Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011), Ready (2011).

Television actress Tunisha Sharma, who was starring as Shehzaadi Mariam in Ali Baba Dastaan-E-Kabul TV show, allegedly died by suicide on December 24 on the sets of the fantasy-themed show at Vasai in Maharashtra's Palghar district. The actress was only 20. Her last rites were conducted on Tuesday, December 27 in presence of her family, friends and industry colleagues. Her co-actor Sheezan Khan has been arrested in alleged abetment to suicide case. They reportedly broke up 15 days before the incident took place.

The police said that Sheezan Khan was talking to another woman, who was his ex-girlfriend, on WhatsApp but later deleted all his chats with her. As per the NDTV report, the police found “250 pages of WhatsApp chats from Sheezan's mobile phone which will be studied and further analyzed. The cops have written to WhatsApp to retrieve all of Sheezan's chats with his another ex-girlfriend and are probing why he deleted the messages.”

Following her death on December 24, Tunisha Sharma’s mother filed a complaint against Sheezan Khan for alleged abetment to suicide. The actor has been sent to judicial custody following his arrest as the investigation is underway. It is being reported that the two actors were in a relationship and that they had broken up 15 days ago. Tunisha Sharma was allegedly under stress and is speculated that this drove her to the edge.

The actress reportedly did not leave any suicide note. Police will conduct investigation from both murder and suicide angles.

ALSO READ: Tunisha Sharma Death: Shivin Narang reveals he was supposed to shoot a music video with Internet Wala Love co-star on the day she died

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Bollywood Hungama hosted its roundtable with actresses who made a mark in 2022 in films. Bhumi Pednekar, Tamannaah Bhatia were amongst the actresses who were in attendance along with Rakul Preet Singh, Alaya F and Huma Qureshi. The actresses spoke about several aspects of their careers including the discussion around pay parity and whether things have changed at all over the past few years.

Speaking at the Bollywood Hungama Actresses Round Table 2022 presented by Astroyogi, Tammanaah Bhatia said that women have to build a strong market for themselves to move ahead whereas Rakul Preet Singh noted that they is still a long road ahead in terms of pay parity. Bhumi Pednekar then said, “I could have as many Rs. 100 or Rs. 200 crore films as my male co-star. I may be appreciated for my work but it’s a norm that I will not be paid as close to what he is being paid”. She added that the change has to come from every corner.

She further said, “The disparity was also in the west but the men there stood up for women. They said either they will take a pay cut or get them the same remuneration. And while I don’t want anyone to stand up for me, there has to be empathy. One needs to acknowledge the issue.”

However, Huma Qureshi said that male actors have created a market for themselves over the years. “But we should also understand that the males have created a market over years. We cannot pitch 10 female films with the 100s they have,” she said.

Adding further, Bhumi said, “If the budget is Rs. 125 crore, the males get a good two-digit figure but then they want me to be thankful. You have come to me because I add a certain amount of credibility but they always make it sound like an opportunity.” Rakul Preet Singh said that it is because the actresses are replaceable in the movies.

On the work front, Bhumi Pednekar starred in two movies this year – Badhaai Do and Govinda Naam Mera. Bhumi will now be seen in films like Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed, Ajay Bahl’s The Ladykiller, Sudhir Mishra’s Afwaah, Gauri Khan produced Bhakshak, Mudassar Aziz’s Mere Husband Ki Biwi and a couple of more unannounced projects that will push the bar for cinema.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Tamannaah Bhatia says male actors are more uncomfortable during intimate scenes; Bhumi Pednekar recalls being extremely ‘nervous’ during full throttle scene in Lust Stories

Last weekend, the television industry woke up to the shocking news of the suicide of young actress Tunisha Sharma. The actress, who played the leading lady in the adventure-fantasy drama Ali Baba Dastaan-E-Kabul, hung herself in the bathroom of the sets of the show on Saturday, December 24 after allegedly breaking up with her boyfriend and co-actor Sheezan Khan. Yet another co-star of the duo and television star Vineet Raina recently opened up about his bond with Tunisha as well as what he knew about her relationship with Khan.

Soon after the demise of co-star Tunisha Sharma, actor Vineet Raina had taken to social media to dedicate a special tribute post to her, recalling his onscreen memories with the actress. And now, in an interview with ANI, he recalled the last time he spoke to her. He said, "I last met her on December 10, on the last day of my shoot, as my role was getting over. She cried as I was leaving. My last chat with her was when she invited me to join her birthday. She was talented and a very good singer. She once sang on the sets, leaving us all amazed. She was a very good soul and we lost her too soon,"

Vineet revealed that he had a good camaraderie with everyone on sets and he also spoke about whatever little he knew about Sheezan and Tunisha. He added, "I never saw them fighting. Whatever it was between them was outside the sets. They were very professional. I believe in the Mumbai police and they will definitely look into all aspects of this case."

Along with that, Raina also extended his support to Tunisha’s mother, who has sought cooperation from the authorities to look deeper into the death of her daughter and requested the police to investigate the case from all angles.

Also Read: Tunisha Sharma Death Case: Mother of the late actress issues statement after sister of Sheezan Khan requests media to give them ‘privacy’

Adding another game-changing twist to the story, Colors' reality show Bigg Boss 16 has decided to establish democracy of sorts this time by inviting fans of the show to vote for the captain of their choice for the first time ever in the history of the game show. The master of the house picks housemates Shiv Thakare, MC Stan, and Abdu Rozik as the candidates who are contesting an election against each other for captaincy. This task is a dream come true moment for the fans, who get to step inside the coveted house and vote for their favourite candidates, who will be seen delivering a speech on their manifesto. It will be interesting to see who is the first captain to be chosen by the public?

Coming to the highlights of the upcoming episode, audiences will get to witness a fight between Vikkas Manaktala and Archana Gautam. Archana, who is possessive about the kitchen area, didn't want Vikkas to brew his tea on the stove while she was preparing a dish. Until now, many contestants have bowed down to Archana's idiosyncrasies and quirks, but Vikkas refused to relent.  Their fight turned into a heated tug of war and we hear that it could escalate into an incident of violence. A vessel of boiling water spills all over the kitchen and lands in a pot of hot oil; right then, Archana brandishes a pan in front of Vikkas, who knocks it off cautioning the housemates as the brawl gets intensified. At this point, Soundarya intervenes and reminds Vikkas that he can't get violent while he reasons that Archana's trying her best to instigate him. Find out how this fight ends in tonight's episode.

This is not all. Yesterday's fight over who goes to the BB mandi for the third round between Vikkas and Sumbul Touqeer continues in tonight's episode too. Vikkas will be seen alleging that Sumbul is a hypocrite and a liar, who doesn't say things that she means. Questions are raised about each other's characters and integrity. In retaliation, Sumbul will make him feel bad by reminding him that he's looking funny while arguing with a teenager. It will be interesting to watch what started it all.

There will also be a few light moments, like where Shiv Thakare and Shalin Bhanot will flirt with Maahim, the adorable four-legged member of the house. Tina Datta will also be seen lamenting in front of Maahim while also asking her questions that have been haunting her in the house. The only person who's having a hard time with Maahim around is Abdu Rozik, who's being chased by her.

Bigg Boss 16 airs from Monday to Friday at 10 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 pm on Colors. It is also available for streaming on Voot.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 16 contestant Archana Gautam denies to do her duty; miffed with her behavior, MC Stan calls her ‘Shemdi’

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is known for his extreme talent and unique acting skills. He has made his own identity in Bollywood and has managed to raise name and fame for himself.

Raman Raghav actor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui called on Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. This meeting was officially titled as Courtesy Call by the Home Ministry officials.

This known actor seemed to contact the respective officials for a meet with Amit Shah unexpectedly. The reason for this meet and greet remains unidentified. It was observed that Nawazuddin had sitting with the Home Minister for half an hour. He was eventually seen gifting Amit Shah a plant as a present. Photos witnessing this were out in social media.

However, it is not the first time Nawazuddin Siddiqui was seen meeting a BJP minister. Recently, Siddiqui was also seen gathering with ICCR chief, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Goa CM, Pramod Sawant.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been a part of many hit films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and many more. His role as a villain in film Kick, also garnered love from audience. This actor has many upcoming projects in his pipeline. Currently, Siddiqui is in notice due to his upcoming film, Haddi, directed by Akshat Ajay Sharma. His character in the film is a caricature of trans-people. The film is slated to release next year.

Also Read: Nawazuddin Siddiqui greets daughter Shora Siddiqui at the airport; social media can’t stop appreciating her beauty

Almost a month ago, the teaser of the Vipul Shah and Sudipto Sen collaboration, The Kerala Story hit the tube. But it seems that the film has run into trouble. The teaser showcased Adah Sharma, who is expected to be the leading lady of the film, talking about how women are brainwashed to join the ISIS organization. After its release, it faced allegations of how facts were blown out of the promotion and some of them even called it ‘inaccurate’. Furthermore, a few politicians also called out the filmmaker and demanded the ban of The Kerala Story.

Even though he did not clarify the matter, Vipul Shah addressed the issue during an interview with Mid-Day wherein he asserted that they have evidence to support their claims. In these reports, Vipul Shah talked about the allegations, saying, "We will address [the accusations] in due time. Nothing we say will be without the evidence. When we present our facts and figures, people will get the answers. Whether they choose to accept them or not is their choice. Director Sudipto Sen has researched extensively for four years before starting the film."

He added, “We are making a film on a big tragedy. If I feel that I want to tell this story as a filmmaker, then, discussion on whether I am pro-establishment or not will only reflect an individual’s point of view. As a filmmaker, I only think of the story that touches my heart, and moves me enough to want to narrate it.”

For the unversed, the teaser of The Kerala Story showcases Adah Sharma talking about two important parts of her life. While she starts introducing herself as a nurse who aims to protect people, she further goes on to add how she is an ISIS agent in Afghanistan jail. She also goes on to add that about 32,000 girls are trapped in this world and also added that this kind of racket has been functioning openly in the state, with many women falling prey to it each time.

Directed by Sudipto Sen, the film will feature Adah Sharma along with an ensemble cast.

Also Read: The Kerala Story Teaser | Vipul Amrutlal Shah | Sudipto Sen | Adah Sharma | Aashin A Shah

We all know that one of the main reasons behind the long standing association between Shah Rukh Khan and Yash Raj Films is Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.  But the superstar recently revealed that his record breaking film that managed to establish him as an evergreen romance legend was not something he was keen on doing initially. It seems that SRK always desired to do an action film ever since the start of his film career. Filmmaker Aditya Chopra even started work on a script for the actor but suddenly the situation changed and the world got DDLJ. Looks like his wish come has true with Pathaan!

Recalling the early 90s, when Shah Rukh Khan was approached for an action film under the YRF banner, the superstar revealed in an interview, “I have had this big desire to do an action film, ever since I entered the film industry. When I and Aditya started off, he wrote an action film for me. I never thought I could do romance or social drama. But one day, he came to me and said, ‘Can we drop this idea, Shah Rukh? I’ve got a love story to do.’” And the rest is history. For the unversed, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge featured Kajol as the leading lady and the film ran in theatres for over two decades, making it the longest running film in history.

On the other hand, Shah Rukh Khan will soon return as the leading man of yet another YRF venture, Pathaan. The film will feature him in the role of a spy. Talking about how he leaped at the opportunity of doing an action entertainer, SRK added, “This time when he said Pathaan, it was COVID and just a little shooting was allowed. I quickly jumped on it and told my team, ‘Let’s do it before he cancels.’ So, I worked out and built a body. But they didn’t want any of it. They told me, ‘You just do cool action. You are easy’.”

Pathaan also stars Deepika Padukone as SRK’s leading lady and John Abraham as the antagonist. The film will release on January 25 in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan congratulates an expecting couple after a husband asks SRK to name his future daughter or son: ‘Ho lene de phir naam sochenge’

Riteish Deshmukh, who kicked off his career with Bollywood, has now become a well-established name in Marathi industry too. He is all set to make his directorial debut with Ved, which is expected to be a remake of the South film Majili. The film also marks the Marathi acting debut of Genelia D’Souza. With the release date nearing, the actor decided to visit the iconic Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur to seek the blessings of the Goddess. Recent reports, however, claimed that a journalist who tried to meet the star for an interaction was mistreated by his team.

As per reports, a journalist attempted to catch a glimpse of the star for an interaction but the PR team of Riteish Deshmukh is said to have misbehaved with the professional and is even said to have thrown him out of the hotel. After reports about the incident started surfacing, Riteish Deshmukh addressed it during a media interaction that was held in Kolhapur, where he apologized on behalf of his team. He said, “I apologise if you feel that you have been insulted by us. I had not organised any meeting. I have been married for 11 years, but we did not come to take a darshan (of the temple) together. So, we came to visit the temple. This is not the place to talk about movies. May the blessings of Mahalakshmi be upon you.”

Coming to Ved, the film is a remake of the Naga Chaitanya, Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer Majili and also marks the movie debut of Jiya Shankar. It marks the return of the popular couple Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza on the big screen. The film also has Salman Khan doing a special appearance in the form of the dance number ‘Ved Lavlay’. It is expected to hit the theatres on December 30.

Also Read: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Karan Johar groove with Riteish Deshmukh on ‘Ved Lavlay’ song from Ved, watch videos

The demise of television actress Tunisha Sharma has embroiled into a major controversy with her suicide leading to several legal allegations against her Ali Baba: Dastan-e-Kabul co-star Sheezan Khan. The latter, who is also the alleged boyfriend of the actress, was arrested in relation to abetment to suicide. Although he has spoken to the media, the actor’s family issued an official statement, earlier today, requesting the media to give them privacy. On the other hand, a video of Tunisha’s mother talking about the case found its way on social media where she revealed that Khan used and ditched her daughter in the name of marrying her.

In the video that has been doing the rounds on Instagram, Tunisha Sharma’s mother Vanita Sharma said, “Main aap sab media walon ko yeh batana chahti hoon ki Sheezaan ne Tunisha ko dhoka diya. Uske saath mein ek relationship banaya. Shaadi ka wada karke usne Tunisha ke saath breakup kiya. Uska pehle kisi ladki ke saath involvement thi. Uske bawajood bhi Tanisha ko usne involved rakha apne saath. 3-4 mahine usko use kiya. Bas main itna kehna chah rahi hoon hoon ki usko sazaa milni chahiye, usko mat chodna. Mera bachha gaya hai. Baaki media bahut cooperate kar rahi hai. Tahe dil se shukriya karti hoon. (I want to tell all of the media houses that Sheezan betrayed my daughter Tunisha. He was in relationship with her. After promising to marry her, he broke up with her. Before that, he was also involved with another girl. Despite that, he was involved with Tunisha and used her for 3 to 4 months. I just want to bring him to justice and punish him. Please don’t let him go. My child died. That’s all I want. I am eternally thankful to the media for their immense cooperation.)

 

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Her video came after the Khan family issued a statement about Sheezan cooperating with the police, where they stated, “We have full faith in the Indian judiciary system, and Sheezan is cooperating with the Mumbai police through all the procedures. We will talk about this when the time is right, but for now, please allow us the privacy which our family deserves right now.”

Also Read: Tunisha Sharma death row: Sheezan Khan’s sisters BREAK silence; issue official statement

Over the last week, the news of rising Covid cases in China has been making news worldwide. The neighbouring country practiced the zero-Covid strategy since the beginning of the pandemic. As part of this strategy, cities and districts would be locked down even if a single case was detected. After the citizens put up a huge protest across the country, the Chinese government decided to remove most of the Covid-related curbs. It immediately led to an insane increase in Covid cases and also hospitalizations and deaths. Meanwhile, countries like South Korea, Thailand, and the USA etc also reported a surge in Coronavirus cases. It led to fear that it might lead to another wave in India.

Since the last few days, all states are on alert mode with the central government even asking for random testing of 2% of passengers arriving from international flights. While the states have avoided putting any restrictions, Karnataka has decided to make the mask rule compulsory in indoor spaces, including cinemas. Today, on December 26, the health minister of the Southern state, K Sudhakar, told the media that wearing masks will be mandatory in movie theatres, schools and colleges. That’s not all. Patrons will have to wear masks when they ring in the New Year in pubs, restaurants and pubs. Also, New Year celebrations will be required to end before 1:00 am.

Trade experts feel that mandatory use of masks will not impact footfalls in any way. A trade source said, “Though a lot of brouhaha has been made over the rise of cases in China, there’s no fear among the public as it was in 2020 and 2021. The experts have also clarified that the variant causing cases in China has been in India for a long time. Hence, the cinema business is unlikely to get affected, even if the mask rule is implemented.”

An industry insider remarked, “Yesterday, on Christmas, holiday spots like hill stations and restaurants and pubs across the country were full and crowded. The same goes for cinema halls. Sunday saw a big turnout in cinemas, especially for Avatar: The Way Of Water. In Karnataka’s capital city Bengaluru, it is running to house full shows even on weekdays. A few other states might also implement the mask rule but it’ll not make the public fear venturing into the theatres and multiplexes. As of now, all is fine and all eyes are on the big Pongal releases like Ajith-starrer Thunivu and Vijay-starrer Varisu, followed by Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan on Republic Day.”

Trade and industry sources are also confident that at the most, states might ask moviegoers to wear masks in cinemas. Rules like 50% occupancy are unlikely to be enforced.

Also Read: Makers of Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War, “Few agencies, parties and media houses worked towards defaming India’s vaccine victory”