Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / 2016 / Archives for December 2016

Archives for December 2016

Civilians killed by barrel bombs near Damascus: reports

by

Activists say Syrian government forces target rebel-held areas in Wadi Barada northwest of the capital.

The Syrian regime has repeatedly used barrel bombs on civilian areas [YouTube]

The Syrian regime has repeatedly used barrel bombs on civilian areas [YouTube]

by Al Jazeera

At least 14 civilians have been killed and several others wounded in a series of barrel-bomb attacks on rebel-held areas near Damascus, activists have told Al Jazeera.

Syrian government air strikes targeted the town of Wadi Barada, northwest of the capital on Monday, injuring dozens of people, including several children, activists said.

According to videos posted on social media by opposition groups, the Syrian regime intensified its assault on the town.

The White Helmets, a team rescuing people from bombed-out houses, said a number of people were trapped under the rubble following the heavy bombardment.

Barrel bombs are typically constructed from large oil drums and filled with explosives, nails and scrap metal.

Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish side of the Turkey-Syria border, said the Syrian regime was in the third day of an offensive against Jaish al-Islam, which controls Wadi Barada and is one of the most powerful groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

On Friday, the Syrian army and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, launched an operation to retake Wadi Barada, after accusing the rebels of contaminating drinking water at a spring with diesel.

The Wadi Barada valley, a mountainous area near the Lebanese border, has been under siege since 2014 with food, water and electricity all in short supply.

According to a report published earlier this year, more than one million Syrians are believed to be trapped in 46 communities across the country.

The Syrian civil war started as a largely unarmed uprising against Assad in March 2011, but quickly developed into a full-on armed conflict.

Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy to Syria, estimated in April that more than 400,000 Syrians had been killed since 2011.

Calculating a precise death toll is impossible, partially owing to the forced disappearances of tens of thousands of Syrians whose fates remain unknown.

Almost 11 million Syrians – half the country’s pre-war population – have been displaced from their homes.

British pop star George Michael dies aged 53

by

Michael’s manager says the singer’s death in Oxfordshire, England on Sunday was caused by heart failure.

File photo dated 13/07/85 of George Michael of Wham performing at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in London: PA/PA Wire

File photo dated 13/07/85 of George Michael of Wham performing at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in London: PA/PA Wire

by Al Jazeera

British singer George Michael, who became one of the pop idols of the 1980s with Wham! and then forged a career as a successful solo artist, has died at his home in England aged 53.

Michael’s manager, Michael Lippman, said on Sunday that the cause of death was heart failure.

Before Lippmann’s announcement, police had issued a statement calling Michael’s death at his home in Goring, Oxfordshire “unexplained but not suspicious”. A post-mortem would be undertaken in due course, the police said.

Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou on June 25, 1963 in London to Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, Michael once played music on the London underground train system before finding fame with Wham!.

With a school friend, Andrew Ridgeley, he formed Wham! in 1981, a partnership that would produce some of the most memorable pop songs and dance-floor favourites of the 1980s.

“It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period,” his publicist said in a statement.

“The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage,” the statement said.

Michael sold more than 100 million albums in his career.

He was due to release a documentary in 2017 after a period of living as a virtual recluse in which he hit the headlines for a series of bizarre incidents linked to drugs.

Earlier this month, it was also announced that producer and songwriter Naughty Boy, whose real name is Shahid Khan, was working with Michael on a new album for next year.

Following years of speculation over his sexuality, Michael came out as gay in 1998 after being arrested for committing a “lewd act” in the public toilet of a Los Angeles park.

He fronted a documentary about HIV to coincide with World Aids Day the year he came out.

LGBT charity Stonewall reacted to the news of his death in a tweet, saying: “R.I.P. George Michael. You inspired many and your music will live on in the hearts of the community. You will be sorely missed.”

Michael’s death comes at the end of a year that has seen the passing of several music superstars, including David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen. Rick Parfitt, the guitarist of British rock group Status Quo, died on Saturday at 68.

Demonetisation trouble not over, to spill over into new year: Bankers

by

old-notes

New Delhi: A mere four days before the demonetisation deadline of December 30, by when the pains of customers are supposed to allay — as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said — bankers seemed to nurse no hopes of any comfort and expected long queues to slither into the new year and into the months that follow.

“The rush is still there and there’s no hope of any respite. How can there be any when the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) is providing only 20-30 per cent of total cash required at the banks?” All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam told IANS.

“The situation has not improved much. We had written to even RBI Governor Urjit Patel, apprising him of the situation. But then this is India, you cannot expect a swift reply from anyone. There’s no transperancy,” he said.

Venkatachalam expressed his anger also at the sorry state of bank employees who are being targets of disillusioned customers’ wrath for no fault of theirs.

He blamed RBI for eroding customers’ confidence in the institution of banks by not coming up with any satisfactory answers for the instances of new currency being seized all over the country, while none of this is reaching the legitimate candidates.

“Why doesn’t RBI give an answer for the currency leakage? The customer is naive; he sees the news in the paper or TV and thinks it’s the doing of the bank officials, that the money is being siphoned off by them. It disillusions him further,” Venkatachalam said writing-off the motive of eradicating black money too as a red herring.

He was seconded, in part, by a bank official from a HDFC branch in Noida, who said that money accorded to banks is just as little as before, however, the rush has attenuated.

“The crowd of customers is not as massive as before; partly because of the ATMs, some of which have finally found some cash,” Samiksha Sandle, Manager, HDFC branch Noida Sector-16 told IANS.

Despite this time being the holiday season, the bank officials have been persuaded to not go on leave, she said.

“As an emergency measure, we have not approved any long leave for our employees,” Sandle added.

(IANS)

Pakistan end rain-marred opening day at 142/4 vs Australia

by

pakistan

Melbourne: Pakistan lost two quick wickets to struggle at 142/4 when incessant rain forced an early close of play after the tea session on the opening day of the Boxing Day second cricket Test against Australia here on Monday.

Electing to bat after winning the toss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here, Pakistan lost opener Sami Aslam (9) cheaply, who fell to off-spinner Nathan Lyon in his very first over of the day.

Aslam’s opening partner Azhar Ali (66 not out) and one down batsman Babar Azam (23) then added 42 runs before Azam was sent back by pacer Josh Hazlewood off the last ball of the morning session as Pakistan went into lunch at 60/2.

Already 0-1 down in the three-match Test rubber, veteran Younis Khan (21) then joined Azhar after the break.

The Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood extracted good bounce and carry as they zoomed past the Pakistani batsmen with sheer pace.

Hazlewood nearly had Younis early, when umpire Ian Gould raised his finger to an appeal for leg before wicket.

The veteran Pakistan right-hander, however, decided to review and got the call overturned as the ball, that struck a shuffling Younis on the knee roll, seemed to have missed the leg stump.

Azhar, meanwhile brought up a gritty fifty and also breached the 1000-run mark in Tests for 2016.

Just when he and Younis looked set to blunt Australia’s impact of the first session, pacer Jackson Bird managed to break through the defence of Younis to end the 51-run third wicket stand.

Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (11) then joined Azhar and the 42-year-old got off the mark with a six off Lyon. But the joy was short-lived as Bird saw the back of the Pakistan captain shortly.

Reeling at 125/4, Asad Shafiq (4 not out) survived a few anxious moments before a slight drizzle forced an early tea break with Pakistan on 142/4.

Only 50.5 overs could be bowled on the first day, as the rain got heavier and forced the umpires to call off play for the rest of the day.

Brief Score: Pakistan 142/4 (Azhar Ali 66 not out, Babar Azam 23, Jackson Bird 2/53) v Australia.

(IANS)

Mithun Chakraborty resigns from Rajya Sabha on health grounds

by

mithun-chakraborty

New Delhi: Actor and Trinamool Congress member Mithun Chakraborty on Monday resigned from Rajya Sabha.

He has submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman in which he has mentioned that because of his health condition, he has not been able to fulfil his duty in Rajya Sabha and that is why he is relinquishing his seat, sources in TMC said.

Mithun, whose alleged involvement in Saradha scam made news last year, had attended the Upper House for three days only.

According to data available on the website of PRS Legislative Research, Chakraborty has 10 percent attendance in the upper house against an average of 79 percent.

He has so far not participated in any debate, nor has he asked any question or moved a private members’ bill.

Chakraborty was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2014.

(Agencies)

Chikkaballapur: Massive explosions as trucks carrying 900 LPG cylinders catch fire

by

fire_cylinders

Chikkaballapur: Two trucks carrying 900 LPG cylinders caught fire at Chinatamani near here in the wee hours today triggering massive explosions but there was no casualty, police said.

Deafening sounds of blasts and huge inferno were seen for quite some time as the cylinders, kept in the vehicles near a gas agency godown, exploded one after the other damaging at least one more car.

“As many as 900 gas cylinders burst after two lorries laden with them, and a nearby car, accidentally caught fire near the godown of SNL Gas Agency in Chintamani, about 39 km from here. There was no loss of lives or injury as nobody was inside the parked vehicles,” Sub-Inspector Liaqat Ali told PTI here.

The blasts occurred between 12.30 AM to 1 AM, he said, adding police and fire service personnel from Chikkaballapur, Sidalaghatta and Srinivasapura, reached the spot on being informed and doused the blaze within half an hour.

No arrests has been made yet, he said, adding police are investigating the matter.

(PTI)

Gulf-bound Mangaluru man released by NIA; no evidence of ISIS link

by

mangaluru

Mangaluru: A UAE-bound man, who had been taken into custody by authorities on ‘suspicion’ at Mangaluru International Airport last week, later became an ‘ISIS terrorist’ for a section of media.

Even though 41-year-old Munaf Rahman, a resident of Old Kent Road, Mangaluru, was released by the NIA officials, who found him innocent, a few Kannada television channels on December 25 claimed that NIA had taken him to New Delhi for further inquiry.

A section of media went on to claim that Munaf had ISIS links and that he had planned to officially join the dreaded terror outfit after flying into Syria.

In fact, Munaf had gone to the Airport along with his wife and children to board the 9W 504 Jet plane bound for Sharjah on December 23. When Airport authorities questioned the intention behind visiting Sharjah, he said that he was on his way to meet his wife’s sister Ashika who stays there.

When authorities continued to question him, Munaf lost patience and reportedly behaved rudely. His behaviour gave rise to suspicion in the minds of immigration authorities and hence they took him to custody and handed him over to Umesh Rai, an officer of the NIA. Munaf’s wife and children were sent home.

Despite subjecting Munaf to a rigorous interrogation, NIA officials failed to get any evidence against him. Hence, they released him after impounding his passport and asked him not to leave the city without permission.

According to sources, Munaf is a native of Thalassery in Kerala and he has been residing in Mangaluru for past five years along with his family. He is engaged in crockery business both in Kerala and Karnataka.

Interestingly, a Gujarati youth, identified as Arjun, was also detained on the same day at the same Airport by the authorities for carrying a live bullet in his pocket. Neither he was handed over to the NIA, nor he was treated like a terrorist.

(Agencies)

Court dismisses Swamy’s plea in National Herald case

by

sonia-rahul

New Delhi: A Delhi court today dismissed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking certain documents from the Congress party and Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) in the National Herald case filed by him against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others.

Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen rejected Swamy’s application while giving him the last opportunity to submit the list of complainant witnesses in the case in which he has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which AJL owed to the Congress.

Besides Gandhis, other accused-Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda-have denied the allegations levelled against them.

The court has now put up the matter on February 10 for pre-charge proceedings.
On Swamy’s plea, the trial court in its January 11 and March 11 orders had sought documents from Ministries of Finance and Urban Development, Department of Corporate Affairs and Income Tax Department and 2010-11 balance sheet of the Congress party in the case, which were submitted by the INC and AJL on April 8.

However on July 12, Delhi High Court had set aside both the orders of the trial court saying they were passed in a “casual manner” and “without application of mind”.

Swamy then filed a fresh application before the trial court seeking summoning of certain documents while the Congress leaders and AJL sought the return of documents including its balance sheet, which had been submitted in the court.

In this application, Swamy had sought documents relating to a loan given by the Congress to the AJL, the holding firm of the National Herald, saying these were necessary for the purpose of trial.

During the hearing on December 9, the counsel appearing for the accused had told the court that Swamy was seeking a “fishing and roving enquiry” in the case by calling for documents from the party and the AJL as he wanted to make out a “new case” against them.

Swamy, however, had termed the allegation as baseless and said his demand was legitimate.

The court had on June 26, 2014, summoned Sonia, Rahul, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda as accused in the case besides YI.

It had on December 19, 2015, granted bail to Sonia, Rahul, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to summons. Pitroda was granted bail on February 20 when he had appeared in the court.

Sonia, Rahul, Vora (AICC Treasurer), Fernandes (AICC General Secretary), Dubey and Pitroda were summoned for alleged offences under section 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

(Agencies)

PVR PICTURES’ HORROR FILM ‘THE BYE – BYE MAN’ TO HIT THEATRES ON 13TH JAN 2017

by

the-bye-bye-man

PVR PICTURES’ HORROR FILM ‘THE BYE – BYE MAN’ TO HIT THEATRES ON 13TH JAN 2017

PVR pictures is all set to chill you to the bones with the release of their much awaited supernatural horror film – THE BYE -BYE MAN. Directed by Stacy Title & written by Jonathan Penner, the trailer of this film is enough to awaken the dark side of you and ensure you don’t even utter or think the words THE BYE – BYE MAN. The trailer of the film keeps one gripped throughout and the words “Don’t think it, Don’t say it” ring in your head on repetitive mode, making you suspicious about the horrid man in the hood. The more you think about the Bye Bye Man, the closer he gets to you. American actor Dough Jones known for his roles in science fiction & horror genres is playing this character – THE BYE – BYE MAN, and he manages to capture a person’s mind and controls every action of theirs. The story revolves around 3 friends who stumble upon the horrific origins of THE BYE – BYE MAN, a mysterious figure they discover is the root cause of the evil behind man’s most unspeakable acts. Played by Douglas Smith, Carrie – Annie Moss & Lucien Laviscount, the characters play with your subconscious and train your mind to almost believe he will come for you. And if this has not got you squirming in your seat, we don’t know what will! So this Jan 2017, Don’t think it, don’t say it because THE BYE-BYE MAN is coming to get on Friday the 13th Jan, 2017 at every theatre near you.

BIG B PRAISES URVASHI RAUTELA’S “HASEENO KA DEEWANA”

Urvashi Rautela, who has impressed the audiences with her moves in the revamped version of Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic song “Haseeno Ka Deewana”, recently met the megastar at “Think With Me Summit 2016”. Big B, who is known to acknowledge newcomers, hugged Urvashi and exchanged words with her. Urvashi was delighted to meet Amitabh Bachchan as she had dedicated her song from KAABIL to him. It was a special moment for her. He praised her hard work and appreciated the new version of his classic song. They also spoke about films. The 2 actors also participated in a discussion together. They spoke about films and how it affects society. Urvashi, who was awarded “The Youth Icon Of India”, also spoke about gender issues at the event. Interestingly, Amitabh has worked with many young actresses. So does that mean we will get to see him with Urvashi in a film? Guess only time will tell!!!

AAMIR KHAN & DANGAL GIRLS FELICITATE WOMEN KUSHTI COMPETITION WINNERS IN KOLHAPUR

Lokmat, Maharashtra’s & Goa’s daily hosted “Lokmat Chi DANGAL Kushti Competition” – an all Maharashtra women wrestling match in Kolhapur, the Kushti city of Maharashtra. Aamir Khan felicitated the winner of the competition and also shared his experience of the movie, his 1st visit to Kolhapur and lots more with over 2000 people who came for the event at Lokmat printing press in Kolhapur. Present for the event apart from Aamir Khan were Hasina Faras – Mayor of Kolhapur; Dhananjay Mhadik – MP Kolhapur; Nitish Tiwari – Director of DANGAL, Sanya Malhotra & Fatima Shaikh – the DANGAL girls, Shrenik Ghodawat – Director of Sanjay Ghodawat Group & Vijay Darda – Chairman Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd. Adding in Marathi, Aamir Khan (Actor & Producer, DANGAL) said that, “I would like to thank Lokmat for hosting the Kushti competition and providing a platform for women wrestlers to showcase their talent. I have wonderful memories associated with this city since 14 years of age when I came to Kolhapur for a Tennis Competition and won it too. With every movie, it’s a journey where hopes are high. The DANGAL actresses have been trained at an international level of wrestling which they practiced for a year now. My intent is to create a people’s movement across Maharashtra with our Pani NGO Initiative to ensure good drinking water across villages & towns. ” Aamir connected with the audiences by speaking in Marathi and also spoke about his upcoming movie THUGS OF HINDUSTAN for which he is sporting a beard.

SHAHID & DEEPIKA’S SIZZLING CHEMISTRY IN SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI’S ‘PADMAVATI’

Shahid Kapoor & Deepika Padukone are busy shooting in full flow for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming PADMAVAT. The duo are continuously doing night shifts and the shooting is going on in full flow. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is really happy with the sizzling chemistry shared between the lead actors Shahid Kapoor & Deepika Padukone and the way the shoot is going on. The unit shot a song sequence recently and both Shahid & Deepika were superb and the entire crew along with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali gave a standing ovation to the duo.” Going by Shahid’s Instagram it looks like the actor is working on his body. He is busy shooting for PADMAVATI at night and throughout the day he is working on his body. He has gotten so deep into the skin of character that he doesn’t answer his phone or messages for days on end. The period drama stars Shahid Kapoor as Raja Ratan Singh Rawal of Chittor, Deepika as queen of Chittor, Rani Padmavati.

MUMBAI’S DITYA BECOMES INDIA’S 1ST SUPER DANCER!!!

India waited with bated breath when the 5 finalists Masoom, Deepali, Ditya, Yogesh &
Laxman took the center stage to perform for 1 last time for the fans of SUPER DANCER. Out of these 5 child protégées who took India by storm with their impeccable techniques, unique dancing style & cuteness overload, 9 year old Ditya Sagar Bhande
from Mumbai’s Nallasopara, was announced as India’s 1st SUPER DANCER. Ditya was bestowed with the trophy by the judges Shilpa Shetty, Geeta Kapoor & Anurag Basu along with Shradha Kapoor & Aditya Roy Kapoor. Says Shilpa Shetty, “For almost 3 months now, these talented kids have put their heart & their soul too in their performances. We have developed a bond with them and I am going to miss all this excitement after tonight. I wish them all the very best for a great life that they will make for themselves hence on. I am happy that her hardwork & her determination has got her the title.” Adds Geeta Kapoor, “It was a tough competition amongst the top 5 finalists as each equally deserved. Ditya mastered the art of hip hop and went beyond her boundaries to excel. ”Needless to say, Ditya was beyond excited with the win. Along with the trophy, Ditya took home the grand prize money of Rs. 15 Lakhs from Sony Entertainment Television, an Oppo Smart Phone and a gift hamper worth 1 lakh from Patanjali.

ANUPAM KHER, ANNU KAPOOR & KAY KAY MENON TEAM UP FOR COMIC THRILLER ‘BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP’

When the 3 Maharathi “Actors” of Bollywood – Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor & Kay Kay Menon, admit individually that they agreed to work in Vishwas Paandya’s Comic Thriller BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP after just reading the script, it becomes clear that the film industry really has changed in the last 5 years and the term “content is king” is no longer a wishful fantasy. Anupam Kher & Annu Kapoor have a healthy one upmanship in the film and Kay Kay Menon will be seen in a special role in the movie. Vishwas Paandya says, ”They would all keep improvising on the sets, each one taking the performance one level higher than the other!!! Even Manish Paul learnt from them and caught on early. Actors playing off each other has positively helped the movie and was a great energy to have for a 1st time director like me” Agastya film’s BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP also stars Manish Paul & Manjari Faddnis and is produced by Anand Swarup Agarwal & Krishna Datla with music by Shaan, Gourav Dasgupta & Roshin Balu.

‘VEERAM’ ADDS FEATHER TO ITS CAP BEFORE THE RELEASE

It was a proud moment for Director Jairaj as the song “We Will Rise” from his upcoming flick VEERAM has passed the eligibility test to reach an Oscar nomination. 91 songs are been chosen at the 89th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science. “We Will Rise” composed by Jeff Rona and is been penned & crooned by Kari Kimmel. Out of 91 songs 5 songs will be able to make it for the final voting for the Oscar on 24th Jan, 2017 and the 89th Oscar will be held on 26th Feb, 2017. Director Jayaraj’s magnum opus VEERAM is one of the most anticipated movies in India because of the making & the big budget. Set in the 13th century Kerala, the movie shares the similarities of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the life journey of Chandu, a master of Kalaripayattu, a martial art form of Kerala. and is the 5th installment in Jayaraj’s Navarasa series. The film, which also takes inspirations from the Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern Ballads) of North Malabar region in Kerala, Produced by Chandramohan D. Pillai & Pradeep Rajan, under the banner of Chandrakala Arts, this action period drama canned in 3 languages – English, Hindi & Malayalam stars Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor as the leading man, Divina Thackur & Himarsha as heroines. Action choreographer Allan Poppleton, who has worked on Hollywood films like 300 & AVATAR, has been roped in to take care of the action sequences. Oscar – winning make – up artist Trefor Proud has also been brought on board. The movie will be released in the month of this Jan, 2017.

AKSHAY TO PLAY LAWYER JAGDISHWAR MISHRA IN ‘JOLLY LLB 2’

Akshay Kumar is excited about his lead role in JOLLY LLB 2, the sequel to Subhash Kapoor’s 2013 directorial. The actor feels that the character is inspired by Birbal, one of the 9 gems of Emperor Akbar’s court. In fact, Akki’s connection with the historical figure goes back to his childhood. Back then, his father Hari Om Bhatia used to read out to him the stories of Akbar & Birbal. As a young boy, the actor loved listening to tales of how the wise & the quick – thinking royal advisor resolved issues with his intelligence, consequently bringing a smile to everyone’s faces and at the same time, also communicating a message through his actions. Eventually, when Akshay heard about his role in the film, he was enthused about playing a character that embodies similar qualities as his bachpan ka hero. Audiences are looking forward to the sequel, as the 1st film was really appreciated for its interesting plot, which was based on a real -life incident. Akshay Kumar will play the role of lawyer Jagdishwar Mishra in JOLLY LLB 2. This follow – ups to the original 2013 film is based on a real – life incident, and takes a look at the realities of the lives of lawyers in India.

ADITYA ROY KAPOOR, ANURAG BASU, GANESH ACHARYA, AMOL GUPTE & PRIYA DUTT SPREAD JOY AMONGST CANCER STRUCK CHILDREN AT TATA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

This year, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Anurag Basu, Ganesh Acharya & Amol Gupte joined Priya Dutt & children fighting Cancer at the Tata Memorial Hospital to ring in Christmas celebrations & to celebrate life and bring in cheer amongst the children. Aditya Roy Kapoor went a step further and sang his latest released song “Humma Humma” from his upcoming movie OK JAANU, while playing his guitar, with a cancer survivor who is also a singer, and created a poignant moment for the entire audiences. Children fighting cancer & children who have survived cancer put up a brilliant show for the parents with their performances in dance, drama & music. Amole Gupte & Aditya Roy Kapoor were awed by the exhibition of photographs, works of arts & crafts, displayed during the event. The children and their familes, over the last 3 months, were taught varied skills by professionals, while undergoing treatment for cancer, and had created these beautiful exhibits. The professor for photography, who gave these children a unique way of expressing their thoughts & their world, is Rajen Nair – a deaf & mute professional photographer, who has been leading this workshop for many years now.

MAHESH BHATT LAUNCHES MUSIC OF ‘AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI’

AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI’s 1st look & music was launched by director Mahesh Bhatt. Mukesh Bhatt, Praksh Jha & Tigmanshu Dhulia also were present. The film is based on an income tax Dy commissioner at Ranchi, Ajay Singh who is handicapped with their eye & ear. Though he is physically challenged, with great ambition & strong will power he has got his goal. AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI is based on IRS Ajay Singh’s biopic. This is film is written & directed by Rishi Mishra. This film is produced by Binod Kumar’s Shree Triveni Films International & Basmati Creations.
AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI is releasing in Jan, 2017 across all over India. This film has 8 songs composed by Ved Sharma, Tanmay Pahwa & Sushant – Shankar to lyrics by Rajesh Verma, Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Ved Sharma & Ajay Singh and sung by Pamela Jain, Krushna Barua, Shabaab Sabari, Ved Sharma, Prithviraj Singh Dev, Tanmay Malik & Rohit Akauri.

RAKESH ROSHAN CONCEPTUALIZED ‘KRRISH’ IN SHOWER!

When the host of Vh1 “Inside Access” asked Hrithik about a memory from the sets of KRRISH, he said, “This is the genesis of KRRISH, the 1st day!!! I remember, I was in my room and my dad had frantically climbed down the stairs and entered my room in his towel. He was just in the shower. He was in a towel saying that, “I have an idea of making a KOI MIL GAYA Part 2! And all this time we were looking for ideas to make as our next film and we kept coming up with things and saying “no, it’s not good.” And he came up with this idea. And he was in his towel and he came & narrated the whole idea. He always gets his ideas in the shower!!!”​

SHWETA KHANDURI’S TRAVEL DIARIES

It is a given that Bollywood celebrities need to travel a lot, movies are often shot in exotic locations throughout the world. But seldom do they get to really explore & enjoy the place since work takes up most of the time. That’s the reason every once – in – a -while, these celebs take off to their favorite destination to unwind, chill & relax to come back rejuvenated to entertain us. Shweta Khanduri believes that travel is the best investment for your money and she is lucky to be a part of the industry as she often gets the opportunity to travel the world and get insights about different cultures & cuisines. It is her love for traveling that whenever this diva is not glamming up for fashion shoots & shows, she escapes to places like Shimla, Manali, Kasaul et al. The actress wishes to explore more countries in the near future. “There’s a mix of places I’d love to jet set, landmarks I’d like to see, adventures I’d like to have, experiences I hope to share with specific friends & family, and I have prioritized my travel goals for the next 3 years. I think everyone must make the travel goals and when you make your own travel goal list, it’s important to recognize the places you have already been to that you’d always dreamed of which is very fulfilling, and include a few “gimme” goals to strive for and stay motivated.”

MONICA RAVAN SIZZLES IN ‘KEEP SAFE DISTANCE’

Monica Ravan took part in a seductive dance number “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for KEEP SAFE DISTANCE recently. The film which is an action – romantic – musical drama is being produced by Mahesh Sharma & Vishnu Sharma and is written & directed by Raama Mehra. The film is now 60% complete. Another 3 days shooting stint for the film was held from 6th Dec, 2016 to 8th Dec, 2016. Leading pair of the film Jai Yadav & Sagarika took part in several romantic & crucial scenes along with Kiran Kumar, Shahbaaz Khan, Adi Irani, Pradeep Kabra, Kratika Mathur, Sanjana Singh, Atishri Sarkar, Vishnu Sharma, Laxman Singh Rajput & Shilpa Gandhi. Music: Damodar Rao. Lyrics: Rahul Sharma.

1ST LOOK OF FAISSAL KHAN’S ‘DANGER’

by

faissal-khan-danger

1ST LOOK OF FAISSAL KHAN’S ‘DANGER’

Aamir Khan’s brother Faissal Khan’s comeback film Horror Thriller DANGER unveiled its 1st Look Poster. DANGER is inspired by true events of Gaya (Bihar) Hotel’s brutal owner who killed people and used their meat to serve others. Faissal Khan plays a “Gujrati” stockbroker in the film who gets trapped into this hotel along with his wife. The film is written & directed by MAIN HOON RAJINIKANTH fame controversial director Faisal Saif and also stars Vedita Pratap Singh & Kavita Radheshyam in the leads. According to the maker, DANGER is the most “Scariest Film” India will ever witness. “This is an out & out Faissal Khan’s film as he has put in a lot of hard work into it. The audience will see a total new Faissal Khan in DANGER which they will never forget.” said Faisal Saif. The shooting of the film is completed with Pakistani actress Meera’s song and the makers are looking for 3rd Aug, 2017 release which also happens to be Faissal Khan’s birthday.

IMRAN FINISHED SHOOTING LAST SCHEDULE OF HIS UPCOMING FILM ‘SARGOSHIYAN’

Actor turned Director / Producer Imran Khan recently finished the last schedule of his film SARGOSHIYAN, which stars Indraneil Sengupta, Hassan Zaidi, Sara Khan, Aditi Bhatia, Khalid Siddiqui, Alok Nath, Fareeda Jalal, Tom Alter, Shahbaz Khan and prominent Kashmiri actors. Imran Khan made his debut in 1991 with Rishi Kapoor in the film INTEHA PYAR KI and was also seen in strong character roles in movies like BIG BROTHER, HEROINE, SURYAVANSHAM, KHILADIYON KA KHILADI, HAWA, DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI, SHAHEED BHAGAT SINGH, KISMAT et al. SARGOSHIYAN exhibits the unperceived & unexplored part of Kashmir. Imran recently wrapped up the shooting of the film and has successfully captured uncharted places in Doodhpathri, Awantipora ruins, Mughal Road, Aharbal Falls, Badpathar and many more lesser travelled exotic locales s of Jammu & Kashmir giving the audiences a landscape image. The film highlights human relationships along with Kashmiri Culture adding flavor to it. Imran says “Considering it’s my 1st directorial venture shooting at remote beautiful villages of Kashmir would have been impossible without the help from the J & K Tourism, J & K Government, our Indian Military and of course the warm hearted & ever helpful locals of the beautiful valley! Given the vast locales there was eminent travel and became a logistical challenge, but I am fortunate to have the wonderful & the supportive star cast who stood by me in – 5 degree temperatures with a big smile!” SARGOSHIYAN is slated to release in Mar, 2017.

SHARMAN JOSHI, JOHNNY LEVER & MANISH PAUL REGALE DIFFERENTLY ABLED KIDS AT JAMNABAI NARSEE SCHOOL

Sharman Joshi, Johnny Lever & Manish Paul graced the “15th Sports Meet of Differently Abled Kids” at the Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai on 20th Dec, 2016 as chief guests. 1200 differently abled students from 40 special schools had
participated in the special event sponsored by the Narsee Monjee Educational Trust in order to celebrate the spirit of children with disabilities. “Seeing the spirit of these lovely kids is a great source of strength for people like me, ” said Johnny Lever who was the Guest Of Honour. Sharman Joshi said, “I was here to give my love & my support to the kids but in return I got a lot of strength & a lot of encouragement”. Manish Paul said, “All my fatigue went away after seeing the energy of these amazing kids. I am so grateful to the school organizers for giving me an opportunity to participate in this rare event and I would really like to congratulate the teachers & the parents for putting together a great show.”

MUVIZZ.COM TURNS FESTIVAL PARTNERS FOR AN UPCOMING FILM ‘ALIF’

Muvizz.com, video on demand (VOD) platform has collaborated as the festival partners for the feature film, ALIF – DOZAKH IN SEARCH OF HEAVEN directed by Zaigham Imam and slated to release early next year. After producing short – films like TAANDAV & KRITI, Muvizz.com is supporting this film which strongly raises important questions about the Muslim education system & indo -pak relations, promoting the tagline of the film “ladna Nahi padhna zaroori hai”. Starring Neelima Azeem and narrated by Jaya Bachchan the film was recently screened at the film club of Aligarh Muslim University, Glocal University, Saharanpur, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar et al and received an exhilarating response. The film is set in the backdrop of a Muslim majority area of Benaras, where Hakim Raza lives with his orthodox family and aims to make his 10 year old son a doctor. Zaigham Imam, a former journalist who wrote 2 novels “Dozakh” & “Main Mohabbat” made his 1st feature film called ALIF – DOZAKH IN SEARCH OF HEAVEN (based on his own novel) which received global recognition. “Living in a society with humanitarian tragedies, hatred, religious hypocrisy & political propaganda, will we ever be able to understand that to improve this world and make it beautiful it is essential to bring harmony between us. As a producer, writer & director choosing “ALIF” was not too difficult for me because this film brings the positive form of life and expresses its struggle which is the basic human quality. In today’s date, “ALIF” brings morale to humanity and the entire race which is a matter of utmost relief for me.”

KAJAL AGGARWAL EXPLORING BULGARIA DURING HER HECTIC SHOOT

Kajal Aggarwal, who is shooting with megastar Chiranjeevi for her upcoming film KHAIDI NO. 150 is making sure to explore the scenic beauty of Bulgaria. She is enjoying the picturesque towns surrounded by high mountains of Bulgaria. The actress will be sharing the screen for the 1st time with Telugu filmdom’s Chiranjeevi. KHAIDI NO. 150, which is the official remake of Tamil blockbuster KATHTHI, is slated for Sankranti 2017 release.

RAJINIKANTH COMPLIMENTS ‘KAABIL’ & HRITHIK ON ‘KAABIL’

Rajinikanth & filmmaker Rakesh Roshan go a long way. Their association was cemented with the 1986 film BHAGWAN DADA that was directed by Hrithik Roshan’s maternal grandfather J Om Prakash & produced by Rakesh Roshan. It was a film in which Hrithik, who was 12 then had his 1st speaking part. Over the last 3 decades Rakesh & Rajini have stayed in touch. As has been a practice for the last 30 odd – years, this year too the Bollywood filmmaker called the Tamil superstar to wish him on his birthday (12th Dec). Rajini thanked him for his good wishes. In turn, he also paid Hrithik a compliment. Said he, “I have watched the Tamil, Hindi & Telugu trailers of KAABIL and I simply loved it. I also think Hrithik is stupendous. Please tell him that I am eagerly awaiting the film.” KAABIL is titled BALAM in Telugu & Tamil. He also praised Rajesh Roshan for the music after having watched the songs. Rakesh Roshan was overwhelmed with the compliment, as was Hrithik when he heard that the praise had come from the man himself. The 2nd trailer of the film in which Hrithik teams up with Yami Gautam was released recently and has taken over the internet! KAABIL is an incredible love story with immense emotion & mind boggling action in which Hrithik Roshan and his love interest Yami Gautam are playing a visually impaired (blind) couple. Rakesh Roshan’s KAABIL is directed by Sanjay Gupta and will release on 25th Jan, 2017.

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER FOR ALIA

Alia Bhatt had unusual company, to say the least. But the actor found it “interesting” to spend a day at the TiE Global Summit in Delhi, In the past, Aamir Khan has also been part of the summit. “When I got the invitation, I was like, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to speak there? What am I going to say (laughs)?” But I thought it was an interesting event to speak at because it’s about leaders & leadership,” says Alia, who was the only actor to speak at the summit. It was very cool. There were people from different walks of life. I’m learning a lot at these events by meeting different people, and also from the kind of questions people ask. It’s like you are being thrown into situations that aren’t your comfort zone,” she says. Ask the 23 – year – old if she ever feels too young at such talks, and she says, “Everyone asks me the same thing. On a TV show recently, I said that age is just a number for me. And, I feel this (talks at summits) is exactly what I should be doing.”

SWARA FORCED TO GO INTO HIDING

Swara Bhaskar who has teamed up with Sumeet Vyas, the breakout star of the TVF web series, PERMANENT ROOMMATES, plays a young girl climbing up the corporate ladder in a never – seen – before, highly stylised look in debutant director Gaurav’s AAPKEY KAMREY MEIN KOI REHTA HAI. And following strict instructions to keep her look under wraps till the film hits the theatres, Swara has been diligently covering up her face every time she steps out, either on the sets or for pictures with her team. “I’ve mostly been given Indian looks onscreen, with a strong girl – next – door vibe so far but this film will see me as a more glamorous & urban character. Gaurav is so particular about my look, I remember this one time I hadn’t taken off my costume, hair & makeup and was ready to leave for home when he told me that I couldn’t go out like that. I had to cover up even while in the car,“ The 32 -year – old actress informed Mirror, adding that the film takes stock of the lives of today’s youngsters and how they navigate relationships.

‘TERI YAAD MEIN’ MUSIC LAUNCH HELD IN MUMBAI

Mumbai witnessed the song launch of TERI YAAD MEIN. Starring Seema Khan & Dev Sharma (YAARIYAN fame) released by Venus Music. The song has been composed by Dev & Ashish and sung by Shruti Rane. The video has been choreographed by Pran Hambarde & directed by Amit Kumar. Director Neeraj Pathak was present at the event. Seema Khan Said, “This is my 1st album and I’m so happy it’s out now. People are appreciating our effort. I would like to thank Venus as they supported us a lot. Now I’m working on my next album which is releasing very soon.”

AJAY DEVGN’S ‘SHIVAAY’ COMPLETES 50 DAYS IN CINEMAS!!!

Ajay Devgn’s ambitious directorial venture SHIVAAY has successfully completed 50 days in cinemas!!! SHIVAAY, starring Ajay Devgn, Abigail Eames, Sayyeshaa & Erika Kaar not only continues its fabulous run at the Box -Office turnstiles but also left the audiences spellbound with the high octane action & emotions portrayed in the film!!! In a day & age where there is neck to neck competition between movies, SHIVAAY has manged to entertain the audiences and enjoy a 50 day run at the Box – Office turnstiles. Not just that, the breath – taking visuals and the emotional story of Ajay’s relationship with his onscreen daughter Abigail Eames appealed to the masses and developed a strong word of mouth towards the film. The movie also crossed Rs 100 crore making it Ajay Devgn’s 6th century!!!

SONU NIGAM RELEASES A NEW SONG CALLING FOR AN END TO CHILD HUNGER IN INDIA

Fight Hunger Foundation, India’s only NGO dedicated exclusively to fighting malnutrition, has announced that legendary singer Sonu Nigam, their Goodwill Ambassador, has released a song for them, to help raise awareness about malnutrition and its causes. Sonu Nigam’s emotional & soulful song “Hope In The Futurez” asks the listener to join in the fight against hunger and is sung in his unique & passionate style. “Fight Hunger Foundation” is thrilled that Sonu Nigam is so passionately involved in their cause, and believe that with his support they can create awareness amongst people so we can collectively as a society make India, a hunger – free country. Sonu feels strongly about providing every child in India with happy & healthy future. He hopes that people will be inspired by his song “Hope In The Future” and will pledge their support to “Fight Hunger Foundation”. He strongly believes that, our children are the future and we must do whatever we can to protect & nourish them.” Says Sonu Nigam, “I can no longer just stand by, while millions of children in India die of hunger. We know how to fight hunger: we can beat it. My new song called “Hope In The Future” is dedicated to an amazing organization called “Fight Hunger Foundation”. They fight everyday so that one day, no child in India will die of hunger. I know that if we come together to fight hunger, this day will come soon.”

SUSHILA BHATIA’S BILINGUAL ‘BHAAGYA NA JAANE KOI’ READY

BHAAGYA NA JAANE KOI (in Hindi & Awadhi languages), produced by Sushila Bhatia and directed & edited by Dilip Gulati is now complete after 30 days shooting stint in Lucknow locales. Dubbing of the film has also been completed at Studio DG 9, which is Dilip Gulati’s own Recording Studios on 15th Dec, 2016. The final mixing of sound -tracks & DI work has also begun at the same studio on 16th Dec, 2016 and the 1st copy will be out digitally by the end of Dec, 2016. The film is being planned for Jan / Feb 2017 release is based on the true story written by well – known legendary author Munshi Premchand from his 2 largest selling novella “Kafan” & “Nirmala”. Rajpal Yadav, Sadhu Meher, Netra Raghuraman, Anita Sehgal & Roopa Mishra are playing the main roles in this film. Screenplay – dialogues: Paras Jaiswal. Lyrics: Sushila Bhatia. Music: Iqbal Darbar & Uday Mazumdar.

AFTER QUITTING ‘SAATH NIBHANA SAATHIYA’, NEERAJ BHARADWAJ IS NOW BUSY WITH FILMS

Neeraj Bharadwaj who was in the news because of his divorce with his actress wife Upasna Singh, after acting in several Bhojpuri films as a leading man and serials on Doordarshan as well as the satellite channels for the last several years, has decided to concentrate all his time & attention only on films. Neeraj is now acting in producer Shobu Pandey’s film WAFA 2, Mehul Kumar’s SHAADI KE BAAD LOVE MARRIAGE, CAFE COFFEE et al. For the 1st time he is also acting in Mohandas’s Marathi film & Shantiketan’s Malayalam film. Neeraj feels that these days, only women are being given importance in serials and men are relegated to the sidelines and made to stand like show pieces and their tracks are seen occasionally and by & large they are reduced to being just space fillers. “If I get a good & challenging role in a TV serial, I will do it but will not do a TV serial only to stand as a show piece and let myself be relegated to the sidelines,” quips Neeraj.

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives