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Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety Is A Highly Entertaining Film For The Entire Family

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Producer: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Luv Ranjan & Ankur Garg
Director: Luv Ranjan
Star Cast: Kartik Aryan, Sunny Singh, Nushrat Bharucha, Alok Nath, Ishita Raj Sharma, Sonalli Sehgal, Deepika Amin, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Virendra Saxsena, Pawan Chopra, Preetam Jaiswal et al
Music: Rochak Kohli, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Amaal Malik, Zack Knight, Saurabh – Vaibhav, Guru Randhawa, Rajat Nagpal & Hitesh – Sonik

Director Luv Ranjan shot to fame with a surprise hit, Pyaar Ka Punchnama, in the year 2011 and the highlight of the film was the bromance between the 3 new but attractive male leads namely Kartik Aaryan, Divyendu Sharma & Raayo S. Bakhirta. The film’s success was based on the fact that it was light, youthful & played on the fun stereotypes about women & dating. Now, the filmmaker is back with yet another film with his favourites namely Kartik Aaryan, Sunny Singh & Nushrat Bharucha. Yes, and it is love triangle but with a twist. Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS) is a clash between Romance Vs Bromance. The undercurrent here though is the same: Is the dosti between men more precious than a romantic liaison with a woman?

The movie revolves around Titu (Sunny Singh) who is a hapless victim of romance. A perpetual lovesick puppy, he falls in love way too easily and gets his heart broken at the drop of his hat. Sonu (Kartik Aaryan), his street – smart, suave pal is his savior. He literally saves him from bad company, relationships and is kind of obsessed with him… in an endearing sort of a way. Sonu advises Titu to stay away from Sweety (Nushrat Bharucha). Titu does not pay any heed to Sonu’s advice but in turn tells him that his motherly instincts are making him say so! This sentence sort of summarises the extent to which these guys are close!!!

So, the film mounts on as Titu falls deeper in love with the seemingly flawless Sweety who tries her best to woo him. Sonu remains skeptical, waiting for a chance to find something against her that he can use. She too realises his true designs & declares a full – blown war against Sonu. The suspense of the film is who wins? Dosti or Pyaar or do these plots take a totally different trajectory? The makers successfully hook us on with the cat & the mouse game between his hero & the “villain”.

Well, there is no denying that the target audiences for these movies are young college going kids. The film caters to them and does a good job with its dialogues and the plot to keep the viewer constantly hooked. The dialogues with punches written by Rahul Mody along with director Luv Ranjan are young & funny. There are many cusswords used with beeps in it, which add to the overall fun. Along with Kartik Aryan, Alok Nath’s punch lines are very funny too.

Director Luv Ranjan holds the film in place & keeps us engaged throughout with surprise twists and the Tom & Jerry like chemistry between Sonu & Sweety. No, the ending is nothing like you’d ever expect and would take you by surprise. Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS) will surely keep you on the edge of the seat.

There are certain scenes which stand out & deserve a mention. The scene where Sweety is introduced for a rishta with Titu, Sonu keeps getting anxious at the prospect of his friend ending up with her are noteworthy. Another sequence which is interesting is when Titu’s ex – Pihu (played by the electric Ishita Raj) shows up in the story. Sonu’s funny segment with servant Babu, who is appointed by Sweety, will make you laugh hard.

Talking about the performances, Kartik Aryan’s screen presence is top class. His evil grin & devilish charm will make you fall in love with him. Sunny Singh is a total eye candy and delivers as a shy, romantic fellow. He is natural & believable as Titu. Nushrat Bharucha commands your attention and her moments with Kartik Aaryan are pure fire. Their chemistry is sizzling and they totally look good together. She holds on to her character and delivers a solid performance. Special mention to Alok Nath who plays a quirky patriarch Ghasitaram. He is refreshingly good as a whiskey + kebab loving grandfather and adds a much needed zing to the plot. Ishita Raj as Titu’s ex – Pihu does her role fantastically well.

The writing by Rahul Mody & Luv Ranjan is fiery and does not slip one bit. The film keeps you on the edge from start to end, guessing what’s coming next.

The music of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety is already hit after music director Hitesh – Sonik revamped some of the chartbusters like “Dil Chori” & “Bom Diggy Diggy”. Hitesh Sonik’s background score goes really well with the overall appeal of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS).

As for visuals, the film looks very good as cameraman Sudhir K Chaudhary does a fine job of making every frame look pretty & colorful. Editor Akiv Ali keeps the movie tight & crisp. Vicky Sidana gets the casting spot on.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety entertains as well as packs a solid punch. It is witty & sharp both in terms of drama & execution.

At the box office, it will be lapped up by its target audiences, the youth, who will take an instant liking towards the film. Strongly recommended.

Pak summons Indian envoy over ‘unprovoked firing’

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Islamabad: Pakistan summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh for the second consecutive day today over the “unprovoked firing” by Indian troops across the Line of Control. Foreign Office said that Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh and condemned the “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by the Indian forces along the LoC on March 1 in Bhimber/Samahini Sectors.

The firing killed a civilian and injured his wife and son, it said, adding that Indian troops were using “heavy mortars”. Faisal said despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. India carried out more than 415 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary so far in 2018, resulting in the killings of 20 civilians and injuries to 71 others, he said. He said this “unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations.”

“The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation,” said Faisal.

Pakistan urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.

He asked India to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate the latest incident and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.

He also urged the Indian side to allow the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. India maintains that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.

The Foreign Office yesterday summoned Singh and condemned the “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by the Indian forces in Kotli/Jandrot and Chirikot Sectors. It had summoned India’s deputy high commissioner on February 5, 15, 20, 22, 24 and 27.

(Agencies)

Eastern Ghouta residents ‘mock’ ceasefire as killing continues

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Smoke rose from the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus on Tuesday, February 27 [Bassam Khabieh/Reuters]

by Zena Tahhan, Al Jazeera

Residents of Syria’s Eastern Ghouta are “mocking” a so-called ceasefire in the area, as bombardments by the Syrian government and their principal ally, Russia, continue, according to doctors and local activists.

At least five civilians were killed on Thursday in attacks on several towns in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta – a suburb of the capital Damascus – activist Abdelmalik Aboud told Al Jazeera from the town of Douma.

Fayez Orabi, spokesperson for the opposition’s health directorate in Damascus and its suburbs, and the UK-based monitoring group, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed the numbers.

The Syrian Civil Defense – a volunteer rescue group also known as the White Helmets – said a child was killed in the attacks.

“The people of Eastern Ghouta mock the news of exit corridors – they did not believe it for a second because they have lost all confidence in the regime’s credibility – particularly because the shelling has not stopped, and neither the Russians nor the regime have expressed any seriousness in keeping civilians out of the war,” Aboud said.

Several attempts at a ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta have failed in recent days.

The area is a key target due to its proximity to Damascus, where the government of President Bashar al-Assad is based.

Eastern Ghouta has been under control of armed opposition groups since 2013 – two years into a popular uprising in Syria calling for the removal of al-Assad.

When the government responded with force, locals and army defectors decided to take up arms and managed to gain control of large territories across the country.

With Russia’s intervention in 2015, Assad’s forces have been able to regain most of the territory, but Eastern Ghouta remains one of the last armed opposition strongholds.

The area has been under a suffocating siege by government forces since 2013, in an attempt to drain the armed opposition operating there.

While Russia and the Syrian government say they are aiming at armed groups, who it refers to as “terrorists”, civilian neighbourhoods and sources of livelihood have been attacked frequently.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, about 19 markets, seven medical centres, six schools, three kindergartens and 10 civil defence centres have been hit since November 2017.

The government’s campaign to regain control over Eastern Ghouta intensified on February 18. Since then, more than 500 civilians have been killed, including women and children, according to local activists.

“One cannot describe the level of monstrosity over the past few days,” Abu Salem al-Shami, an activist in the area, told Al Jazeera.

‘Attacks never stopped’
On February 24, the United Nations Security Council voted in favour of a 30-day truce, which was violated only hours later.

And, on February 26, Russia said it would implement a five-hour ceasefire daily as well as evacuation corridors to allow the area’s 400,000 residents to escape the bombing campaign.

But residents say neither the ceasefire nor the corridors have been implemented.

“The shelling has not stopped. The [Syrian] regime has not abided by the timings of the ceasefire. The violations of the truce are constant – 24 hours a day,” Aboud said.

Al-Shami explained that people are very careful not to walk in the streets as they have “no faith” in any ceasefire.

“There were people being killed from the moment the so-called ceasefire was announced. The warplanes are constantly in the sky, day and night. A real truce would mean that people can leave their homes, buy food and drink and that humanitarian aid would be able to come in, but that hasn’t happened.

“It’s the exact opposite,” he added.

Due to the siege, very little humanitarian aid has entered Eastern Ghouta, making access to basic supplies such as food and medicine highly restricted.

According to the United Nations, nearly 12 percent of children under five in Eastern Ghouta suffer from acute malnutrition – the highest rate ever recorded since the start of the war in Syria, which has killed close to half a million people.

US court grants interim stay on debt collection against Modi’s Firestar Diamond

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A special court on Thursday gave the CBI custody of Karti Chidambaram, son of Congress leader P. Chidambaram, for questioning till March 6 in the INX Media alleged bribery case, saying the matter is at an initial and very crucial stage that requires further investigation.

CBI Judge Sunil Rana gave the order after three hours of heated arguments between Karti’s lawyer and the CBI counsel, who pleaded for 14 days custody, saying he needed to be questioned thoroughly in “a serious finance corruption case” which is not a political witch hunt or vendetta.

“In view of the submissions made and the fact that the matter is at the initial stage of investigation, which is a very crucial stage and further as per the case diary and day-to-day report of the investigation, the claim of the CBI is based on the ground that there is a prima facie material showing the involvement of the accused and it requires further investigation,” the judge said in his nine-page order.

“In view of the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the view that the police custody of the accused is necessary to confront the accused with documents, co-accused and to unearth the larger conspiracy and role of other accused persons involved in this case.”

Hence, the Judge said, it would be appropriate to grant further custody to the CBI of Karti for five days.

The investigating officer was asked to get the accused medically examined every 24 hours during the custody and Karti would be at liberty to seek the assistance of his counsel during the remand period.

Earlier, the prosecution contended that INX Media had received foreign investment to the tune of 26 per cent, including FDI, and in pursuance of criminal conspiracy it again approached the FIPB unit of the Finance Ministry and sought permission for the downstream investment.

“It is further submitted that such deceitful and fallacious proposal was favourably considered by the officials of the Ministry of Finance and was approved by the then Finance Minister (P. Chidambaram),” the Judge said, recalling the prosecution arguments.

The Judge disallowed Karti’s plea for home-cooked food but directed that he could be allowed medicines.

The INX Media had also received foreign investment of Rs 300 crore from August 22, 2007 to May 12, 2008 — which was in excess equivalent to Rs 300.7 crore. It was received from three Mauritius-based foreign investors.

Appearing for the agency before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta said Karti, who was arrested on Wednesday and sent to one day CBI remand, spent the whole night in the cardiac care unit of Safdarjung Hospital and came to the CBI only in the morning.

“He was only questioned for a few hours. It is amazing that despite no history of cardiac problem, doctors advised him to be in the CCU,” Mehta said.

He said one-day custody was not enough to question him and the CBI needed 14 days to interrogate Karti.

Mehta said investigation was at a crucial stage and custody remand of Karti was required to confront him with documents, co-accused and the trail of proceeds of crime as he was the ultimate beneficiary and the prime conspirator in monetary transaction involving huge sum of money.

The prosecutor accused Karti and his father, who was then Finance Minister in 2008, connived with each other to get Foreign Investment Promotional Board (FIPB) clearance for the INX Media, headed by murder accused Peter and Indrani Mukherjea, which was earlier accused of serious violations in receiving overseas funds.

The prosecution said Karti needed to be confronted with other accused, including his Chartered Accountant Bhaskar Raman, who is already in custody, and suspects in the case. There was need to travel to several cities for which 14 days custody would be required, he said.

He said Advantage Strategic Consultants, which is linked to alleged illegal payments, was virtually owned and controlled by Chess Management in which Karti is said to have stakes.

In her statement to a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC, Indrani Mukherjea said she along with her husband had travelled to a hotel in Delhi where they had met Karti.

Mehta said the hotel stay and travel details of the Mukherjeas were available with the CBI.

He said the Enforcement Directorate had recovered a hard disk in which it found four invoices relating to the alleged payments. He said there was evidence of money shared at various foreign locations on 33 occasions.

Opposing the CBI plea, Karti’s lawyer Abhishek Singhvi said the agency had questioned him for 22 hours on August 23 and 28 and no summons were issued to him after that.

“Logical inference is that you (the CBI) have nothing to ask. That’s why you did not issue any summon for the last six months,” Singhvi said in the court.

He challenged the CBI plea on three grounds saying there was no flight risk, Karti was cooperating in the investigation and there was no threat of tampering with evidence.

“The whole issue of arrest is motivated and illegal and not justified. Non-cooperation does not mean that he replies to the agency in the way they want him to.”

“All the four invoices (payments) referred to, Karti was neither a shareholder nor a director nor connected with any of them. In two of them, there was no remittance, no receipt of money was found. With the other two invoices also, he had nothing to do,” Singhvi contended.

“How this bribe money travelled to these companies is a billion dollar question that the CBI should explain.”

He also argued that how a son could get paid for FIPB clearance through his father who had himself ordered a serious fraud investigation into the matter.

He alleged that Indrani Mukherjea made the confession under the compulsion of the CBI as she is in its custody in the case of the brutal murder of her own daughter.

To this, Mehta objected and said Indrani was not in the CBI custody but in judicial custody and she has given her statement that needed to be taken as an evidence.

(PTI)

12 Maoists, one policeman killed in Telangana gunfight

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Hyderabad: In a major setback to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), at least 12 guerrillas were killed in a gunfight with police in Telangana’s Jayashankar Bhupalapally district on Friday.

A police constable also lost his life, police said and three personnel of the elite Greyhounds anti-Maoist force were injured.

The exchange of fire occurred in the forests near Venkatapuram village on Telangana-Chhattisgarh border in the early hours of Friday.

The Maoists received the big jolt in the joint operation by the police of the two states in Tadapalagutta-Pujarikamkedu region on the inter-state border.

The incident occurred when police, including Greyhounds personnel, launched combing operations in the forests following tip-off about the presence of Maoists.

They surrounded the guerrillas and asked them to surrender. However, the Maoists opened fire, forcing the police to retaliate. Some Maoists escaped deep in the forest.

Additional forces were rushed to the area to launch the combing operations. Senior police officers, including Jayashankar Bhupalapally district Superintendent of Police R. Bhaskaran, also rushed to the scene.

Some top leaders of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) including the banned outfit’s Telangana Secretary Haribhushan alias Jagan and another key leader Chukka Rao were suspected to be among the slain Maoists. The dead include six women cadre of the outfit. Haribhushan’s wife Samakka was also killed in the encounter.

Haribhushan had been heading the outfit since formation of Telangana State and he was carrying a reward of Rs 30 lakh on his head. According to police, he was an accused in at least 50 cases.

Sushil Kumar, a constable of Greyhounds was also killed in the gun battle. Three other police personnel were injured and they were airlifted to Bhadrachalam town. The bodies of Maoists were also shifted to the town for autopsy.

Five guns, including one AK-47 rifle, a scanner, a laptop and Rs 41,000 cash were recovered from the scene.

The CPI (Maoist) received the setback when it was trying to revive its activities in its former stronghold of north Telangana.

During last few weeks, there were reports about the presence of Maoists in the old Warangal and Khammam districts. Police said many had crossed over from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and were indulging in extortion and other illegal activities.

In December last year, eight Maoists of Chandrapulla Reddy Poru Bata, a splinter group of old People’s War, were gunned down by police in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

This was the first major incident since formation of Telangana State in 2014.

The Maoist movement had considerably weakened in the undivided Andhra Pradesh since 2005 when the police launched massive operations and eliminated several top leaders following the collapse of the ceasefire and first-ever talks between then state government and the Maoists.

(IANS)

Watch: Teaser of Rajinikanth’s movie ‘Kaala’ released

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Chennai: The teaser of superstar Rajinikanths upcoming flick ‘Kaala’ has been released, with the trilingual movie all set to hit the screens on April 27.

The near two-minute teaser starts off with veteran star Nana Patekar asking what kind of a name ‘Kaala’ is, with a voiceover in the next scene saying it means not only the colour black, but also someone who fights and defends.

Later, Rajinikanth himself is shown explaining that black is the colour of hard work. The actor is seen speaking in the Tirunelveli slang of the Tamil language.

Actor Dhanush, also Rajinikant’s son-in-law, has produced the movie under his banner Wunderbar Films Pvt Ltd. Pa Ranjith is the director of the film, his second association with Rajinikanth after their 2016 gangster flick ‘Kabali’.

Dhanush released the teaser on his Twitter page Thursday. ‘Kaala’ will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Besides Rajinikanth and Patekar, the movie also features Hindi cinema actor Huma Qureshi, actor-director Samudrakani, Eswari Rao and a host of others.

Ranjith’s favourite musician, Santosh Narayanan has once again teamed up with the filmmaker to compose the musical score for the film.

(PTI)

Bengaluru court rejects bail plea of Mohammed Nalapad in assault case

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The bail plea of Mohammed Haris Nalapad, son of a Congress legislator NA Haris, has been rejected by a court in Bengaluru. 24-year-old Mohammad Nalapad, accused of severely thrashing a man at an upscale restaurant in Bengaluru, is charged with attempt to murder and has been in jail since last week when he surrendered along with six others.

The public prosecutor in the case said the bail was denied as the court thought the accused could influence the witnesses.

“Court expressed that there are going to be chances of witnesses getting influenced and the investigation getting coerced. Court has come to a conclusion that they don’t deserve bail. It is victory to justice and society at large,” Public Prosecutor Shyam Sundar told news agency ANI.

Earlier this month, Mohammad Nalapad allegedly walked up to a man who was having dinner at a cafe in the upscale UB City mall, with his bandaged foot on a table. Mohammad Nalapad allegedly asked him to remove it and “sit properly”. When Vidwath refused, he was attacked by the group and beaten so severely that his eyes were swollen shut and his clothes were blood-soaked. He had to be admitted to the ICU.

The incident has deeply embarrassed the ruling Congress just months ahead of elections in Karnataka. The party has expelled Mohammad Nalapad for six years and sacked him as the state unit’s Youth Congress general secretary.

The opposition in Karnataka has accused NA Haris of shielding his son, who was arrested two days after the incident. The BJP also accused the government of going soft on the accused.

Mr Haris, a two-time lawmaker from the Shantinagar assembly segment, last Tuesday tendered an apology in the state legislative assembly for the violent conduct of his son. He also put out a public apology last week and said, “Children make mistakes…we cannot disown or abandon them.”

(Agencies)

SRIDEVI: A HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THE 1ST FEMALE SUPERSTAR OF BOLLYWOOD

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by Rizwan Asad & Shaheen Raaj

Sridevi Kapoor, born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, was an Indian actress & film producer who starred in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malyalam & Kannada films too.

Sridevi, was regarded as Hindi cinema’s 1st ever female superstar, she was also the recipient of 2 Filmfare Awards & also 3 Filmfare Awards (South). Besides Sridevi is also considered to be one of the most popular actresses of Indian Cinema.

Sridevi had made her debut as child artiste with the 1967 Tamil film Kandan Karunai at the age of 4, and started her acting career in lead role as a child artiste with M. A. Thirumugam’s 1969 devotional Tamil film Thunaivan and continued to act as a child artiste in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam & Kannada films too.

Sridevi made her Bollywood debut as a child artiste in Rani Mera Naam in the year 1972 and played her 1st ever adult role at the age of 13 with the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu in the year 1976.

Sridevi established herself as one of the leading actresses of Tamil & Telugu cinema, with leading roles in 16 Vayathinile in the year 1977, Sigappu Rojakkal in the year 1978, Varumavin Niram Sivappu in the year 1980, Meendum Kokila in the year 1981, Premabhishekam in the year 1981, Moodram Pirai in the year 1982, Aakhar Poratam in the year 1988, Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari in the year 1990 & above all Kshana Kshanam in the year 1991.

Sridevi’s 1st ever starring role in Hindi Cinema came with the 1979 drama film Solva Sawan, a remake of her own Tamil film 16 Vyathinile (1977) and gained wide attention with the 1983 production Himmatwala. She went on to appear in a series of commercially successful films, including Mawaali in the year 1983, Tohfa in the year 1984, Naya Kadam in the year 1984, Maqsad in the year 1984, Masterji in the year 1985, Nazrana in the year 1987, Mr. India in the year 1987, Waqt Ki Aawaz in the year 1988 & Chandani in the year 1989.

Sridevi also received praise for such films as Sadma in the year 1983, Nagina in the year 1986, Chaalbaaz in the year 1989, Lamhe in the year 1991 & Khuda Gawah in the year 1992, and in all the last mentioned 3 movies Sridevi had double roles, Gumrah in the year 1993, Laadla in the year 1994 & Judaai in the year 1997.

Sridevi then followed it up with the role of the titular protagonist in her 1st ever role in the small screen sitcom Mailini Iyer in the year 2004 & 2005. Sridevi then took a break and returned to film acting in the year 2012 with the successful comedy drama English Vinglish. Later on Sridevi starred in her 300th film role in the 2017 thriller Mom. She earned critical acclaim for her performances in both the films.

In the year 2013, the Government of India awarded Sridevi with Padmashree, the country’s 4th highest civilian accolade for her contributions to the entertainment industry.

Honorary awards were also conferred on Sridevi by the State Governments of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh & Kerala. Sridevi was also voted as “India’s Greatest Actress in 100 Years” in a CNN – IBN national poll conducted in the year 2013 on the occasion of the Centenary of Indian cinema.

Sridevi was married to film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she had 2 children. Although Sridevi was earlier alleged to have tied the knot with Mithun Chakraborty whose real name was Rana Rez Chakraborty, who had himself made a confession of his marriage to Sridevi to yours truly namely Shaheen Raaj.

A little more detailed sneak peek into Sridevi’s early life will not be out of place at this juncture. Sridevi was born in Sivakasi, Madras, now Chennai, state on 13th Aug, 1963 to Ayyapan & Rajeshwaramma. Her father was from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, a lawyer by profession. Sridevi’s mother, Rajeshwaramma, belonged to a Reddy family from Tirupati, Andra Pradesh.

In an earlier interview, Sridevi had mentioned that her mother tongue was, unlike what the popular media has claimed, Telugu. She had a sister & 2 stepbrothers. Sridevi was always accompanied by her mother Rajeshwaramma or by her sister Srilatha to the film sets during the shooting of her films between the years 1972 till the year 1993. One Sanjay Ramaswamy was married to her sister Srilatha since the year 1989.

Sridevi’s father died in the year 1991, while she was shooting for her film Lamhe. Her mother died in the year 1996, as a result of the complications suffered from an operation that she underwent in the year 1995 on a brain tumor at the Memorial Sloan Ketterin Cancer Center in New York City.

In fact the neurosurgeon had operated Rajeshwaramma on the wrong side of the brain thereby destroying her vital tissues of vision & recent memory. This was widely reported in US media at that time which then led to a successful court battle & prompted the then President Bill Clinton’s proposal of a program for hospitals to disclose their medical malpractices & errors.

Sridevi married producer Boney Kapoor in the year 1996. The couple have 2 daughters, Janhvi who was born in the year 1997 & Khushi who was born in the year 2000. Sridevi was brought up as a total vegetarian.

Sridevi had started her career as a child actor at the age of 4 in a Tamil movie Kandan Karunai in the year 1967. Subsequently, Sridevi played the role of a young Muruga in a film named Thunaivan.

In fact Sridevi had made her debut in Tollywood as a child artiste with the 1970 Telugu film Maa Nanna Nirdoshi. Baby Sridevi’s performance in Poompatta in the year 1971 in Malayalam had won her the Kerala State Film Award for “Best Child Artistec”.

That apart Kandan Karunai in the year 1967, Nam Naadu in the year 1969, Prarthanai in the year 1970, Babu in the year 1971, Badi Panthulu in the year 1972, Bala Bharatam in the year 1972, Vasantha Maaligai in the year 1972 & Bhakta Kumbara in the year 1974 are the most notable films of her career as a child artiste.

In the year 1972, Sridevi had debuted as a child artiste in Bollywood with Rani Mera Naam directed by H. S. R. Das. Then Sridevi also did Julie, where she played a younger sister to the main protagonist Lakshmi, another popular South Indian actress. Sridevi had also acted with Jayalalitha in Thirumangalyam, Kandan Karunai & Adi Parashakti.

In the year 1976, Sridevi had her 1st ever leading role in the Tamil film Mundru Mudichu which was directed by a popular director namely K. Balachasnder. Sridevi then followed it up with a number of films with South Indian Superstars namely Kamal Haasan & Rajnikanth.

Sridevi’s 1st ever release of 1977 was Gayathri, followed by Kavikkuyil & 16 Vayathinili, where she played the role of a young girl who is caught between her 2 lovers. She also starred in the movie’s Telugu remake Padaharella Vayasu in 1978.

Sridevi’s subsequent notable films included Bharati Raja’s Sigappu Rojakkal, S. P. Muturaman’s Priya Karthika Deepam, Johnny, Varumayin Niram Sivappu & Akali Rajyam.

Sridevi also acted with N. T. Rama Rao in Bobbili Puli, Justice Chowdhary & Aatagadu. Then she had also acted alongside Sivaji Ganesan in Sandhippu, Kavari Mann & Pilot Prem Nath.

Sridevi made her debut as a child artiste in Kannada movies with Bhakta Kumbara in the year 1974 directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy. Her other films as a child artiste in Kannada films included Bala Bharatam & Yashoda Krishna. She was also a part of Hennu Samsarada Kannu in the year 1975, directed by A. V. Sheshagiri Rao.

Then Sridevi also acted opposite Ambarish in Priya in the year 1978, produced by S. P. Muthurraman. She made her debut in Malayalam films with Kumara Sambhava in the year 1969 as a child actor, followed by I. V. Sasi’s Abhinandanam.

Besides Sridevi’s other notable films as the lead heroine in Malayalam were Thulavarsham, directed by N. Sankaran Nair in the year 1976 & M. Masthan’s Kuttavum Shikshayum a remake of the Tamil film Pennai Nambungal with Kamal Haasan starring opposite her. Sridevi was next seen in the Malayalam Satyawan Savithri.

In the year 1981, Sridevi starred in the Tamil film Meendam Kokila for which she bagged the Filmfare “Best Actress” award – Tamil. In the year 1982, Sridevi acted in Moondram Pirai playing a woman suffering from amnesia and went on to win the Tamil Nadu State award for “Best Actress”. She was paired with Kamal Hasan in 27 films across varied languages.

Sridevi’s notable Telugu films include Konda Veeti Simham, Kshana Kshanam, Vetagadu, Sardar Paparayudu & Bobbili Puli. With A. Nageshwar Rao, she appeared in movies such as Mudulla Koduku, Premabhishekam, Bangaru Kanuka & Premakanuka as well as with Krishna in Kanchu Kagada, Kalavari Samsaram,, Krishaavatharam, Burripalem Bolludu, Khaidi Rudrayya.

Sridevi acted with Cheeranjeevi in Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari, S. P. Parasuram. Her performance in the 1992 Ram Gopal Verma directed Kshana Kshanam opposite Venkatesh, won her the Filmfare Award for “Best Actress” – Telugu & Andhra Pradesh’s Nandi award for “Best Actress”.

Sridevi had made her debut as a heroine in Hindi films in Solva Sawan in the year 1979. 4 years later she was signed to star opposite Jeetendra in Himmatwala. The film was released in the year 1983 and became one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. The film established Sridevi in Bollywood and earned her the famous sobriquet of “Thunder Thighs”.

In fact Sridevi’s dance number “Nainon Mein Sapna, Sapno Mein Sajna” became a rage with rediff stating that “the water pots may have dominated most frames in “Nainon Mein Sapna, Sapno Mein Sajna”, but it was Sridevi’s bejewelled outfits & headgears that stole the show”. The following year Tohfa was released and it turned out to be the biggest hit of the year 1984.

The film established Sridevi as one of the leading actresses of Bollywood, with the Filmfare magazine declaring her as “Unquestionably #.1” on their cover.

The pair of Jeetendra & Sridevi did 16 films together of which was Himmatwala in the year 1983, Jaani Dost in the year 1983, Justice Chaudary in the year 1983), Mawaali in the year 1983, Akalmand in the year 1984, Tohfa in the year 1984, Balidaan in the year 1985, Aulad in the year 1987, Suhagan in the year 1986, Ghar Sansar in the year 1986, Dharm Adhikari in the year 1986, Sone Pe Suhaga in the year 1988 were highly successful but Aag Aur Shola in the year 1986, Himmat in the year 1987, Sarfarosh in the year 1985 were total flops.

Then Sadma released in the year 1983, and brought Sridevi critical acclaim. A remake of her Tamil super hit film Moondram Pirai, in fact Sadma is included in iDiva’s list of “10 Must Watch Movies That Weren’t Blockbusters”. She also acted with A. Nageshwar Rao’s son Nagarjuna in films like Aakhari Porattam, Govinda Govinda & Khudah Gawah. She has played heroine to both He – man or Garam Dharam Dhaermendra, as he was most popularly known, & even his son Sunny Deol.

Sridevi’s performance as a child woman suffering from amnesia was called by Indian Express as “a milestone in her illustrious career”. Sridevi also featured in the Midday list of “Challenging Roles played by Bollywood Actors” describing her act in the film as “her best performance ever”.

In the year 2012, Adil Hussein, Sridevi’s co – star in English Vinglish revealed that he became a fan of the actress after watching her in Sadma. The Sridevi – Kamal Hasan pair also appeared on the CNN – IBN’s 2012 list of “Greatest Romantic Couples on Celluloid”. The film won Sridevi her 1st ever Filmfare nomination for “Best Actress”.

Sridevi even had a successful pairing with Rajesh Khanna in films such as Naya Kadam in the year 1984, Maqsad in the year 1984, Masterji in the year 1985 & Nazrana in the year 1987.

In the year 1986, came the snake fantasy Nagina which saw Sridevi play an “ichhadhaari naagin” or a shape shiftimg woman. The film turned out to be the 2nd biggest blockbuster of that year, with trade magazine Box Office India stating that Sridevi remained “the undisputed #1”. It was also named one of the “Best Snake Fantasy Films” by Yahoo. In fact Times of India ranked Nagina as one of the “Top 10 Snake Films of Hindi Cinema”. in fact Sridevi’s climax dance number “Main Teri Dushman, Dushman Tu Mera – Main Naagin Tu Sapera” also remains one of the “Best Snake Dances in Bollywood with Desi Hits calling it “one of Sridevi’s most iconic dance numbers…that still gives fans goose bumps” and iDiva describing it as “the stuff of movie legends”.

Besides Nagina, the year 1986 also saw Sridevi giving Box – Office turnstiles hits in Subhash Ghai’s multi – starrer Karma & Feroze Khan’s Jaanbaaz. According to CNN – IBN’s Bollywood Blockbusters, “Sridevi’s popularity grew so much that despite having a guest appearance in Jaanbaaz, she completely overshadowed the film’s lead heroine Dimple Kapadia”.

Sridevi followed up the success of Nagina by playing a goofy crime journalist in the 1987 film Mr. India, described by Rediff as “one of the most iconic films of its time”. Directed by Shekhar Kapur, it became one of the highest grossing hits of the year and also found a place in Hindustan Times’ list of “Top 10 Patriotic Films of Hindi Cinema”. While the trade magazines famously joked that the film should have been named as nothing else but Miss. India, Rediff also stated that “Sridevi was a complete show stealer in the film”.

In fact Sridevi’s imitation of Charlie Chaplin in the film was described by The Times of India as “the most hilarious act Sridevi has ever done”. Rediff also featured Sridevi in its list of “Super Six Comic Heroines” stating that “her mobile face expressions could give Jim Carrey (Hollywood’s most popular comedian) sleepless nights” and that “her biggest plus point is her ability to be completely uninhibited in front of the camera”.

In fact The dance number “Hawa Hawai”, cited by The Timers of India as “one of the most unforgettable numbers of Sridevi”, also became a popular nickname for the actress. Besides comedy, Sridevi featured in the video for the song “Kaate Nahin Kat Te Yeh Din Yeh Raat”; Filmfare described Sridevi as “truly a goddess in a blue sari”. Rediff also featured the song in its list of “Top 25 Sari Moments” praising Sridevi’s “ability to look erotic even when she’s covered from head to toe”.

Besides Box Office India stated that with the success of Mr. India, Sridevi “continued her domination” over her contemporaries Jaya Prada & Meenakshi Sheshadri too.

In 1989 came Chaalbaaz, which had Sridevi in a double role, playing twin sisters separated at birth. Filmfare ranked her performance as 4th in its list of “80 Iconic Performances of Hindi Cinema”, stating that “Sridevi’s penchant for giggles and her ability to look distinctly tearful when required polishes these performances to perfection. Hell, she made Sunny Deol & even South’s superstar Rajnikant too look like sidekicks in the film”.

The Times of India article “Bollywood’s Hit Double Roles” wrote, “Sridevi’s performance rocked the Box Office Turnstiles”. Rediff featured the film in its countdown of “25 Best Double Roles in Bollywood” saying “What you don’t realize until you have seen Chaalbaaz is just how incredible Sridevi is at depicting both ends of the spectrum”, and that the film “cemented her position as an actress with a killer comic timing”.

Later on Speaking to The Indian Express about Sridevi’s act in Chaalbaaz, the film’s director Pankaj Parashar had said “Sridevi proved her range with the movie and after that she got lots of offers which saw her in a double role”. Her slapstick rain dance “Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai” became more successful with The Times of India describing it as a “Sridevi classic where she simply looked wow with her chirpy expressions & rain drops kissing her cheeks”. The film won Sridevi her 1st ever Filmfare Award for “Best Actress” in Hindi films.

The same year also saw the release of the Yash Chopra romantic saga Chandani, with Sridevi playing the title role. The film emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year 1989. Cited by The Times of India as “one of the most watched films of Indian cinema”, the film also reaffirmed Sridevi’s position as the top female star of the 1980’s.

While she topped the Hindustan Times list of Yash Chopra’s “Top 5 Heroines”, CNN – IBN also ranked her 1st ever on a similar list, saying “Yash Chopra immortalized Sridevi as the perfect Chandni”. India Today & NDTV also included her in such lists, stating that the film established Sridevi “as the nation’s sweetheart”. The Tribune wrote, “Leena Daru scored a winner again when she created the “Chandni Look” for Sridevi.

Every street corner sold the salwar – kameez & dupatta that gave the heroine a refreshingly understated look, rarely seen on the Indian screen”, Sridevi’s dance number “Mere Hathon Mein Nau Nau Choodiyan Thoda Thairo Sajan Majbooriyan Hai” also proved popular with the audiences, and she also lent her voice to the film’s most popular title – track. Sridevi garnered Filmfare “Best Actress” nominations for both Chandani & Chaalbaaz in the year 1989, and winning with Chaalbaaz.

Afghan president offers to recognise the Taliban

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by Al Jazeera

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has offered to recognise the Taliban as a legitimate political group, as part of a proposed process he said could lead to talks aimed at ending more than 16 years of war.

Ghani’s offer on Wednesday, made at the start of an international conference aimed at creating a platform for peace talks, adds to a series of signals from both the Western-backed government and the Taliban suggesting a greater willingness to consider dialogue.

Ghani proposed a ceasefire and prisoner release as part of a range of options, including new elections involving the armed group, and a constitutional review as part of a pact with the Taliban.

“We are making this offer without preconditions in order to lead to a peace agreement,” Ghani said in opening remarks at the conference, attended by officials from about 25 countries involved in the so-called Kabul Process.

“The Taliban are expected to give input to the peace-making process, the goal of which is to draw the Taliban, as an organisation, to peace talks,” he said.

The comments represented a significant shift for Ghani, who, in the past, has regularly called the Taliban “terrorists” and “rebels”, although he has also offered to talk to parts of the movement that accepted peace.

The Taliban, fighting to return to power after its 2001 removal by US-led forces, has offered to begin talks with the US, but has, so far, refused direct discussions with Kabul. It was unclear whether the group would be prepared to shift its stance, despite growing international pressure.

“I think that what they are saying is that the door is still open. They have shown a softness in their stand,” said political analyst Habib Wadark.

“Not just the Taliban, but the Afghan government and its international counterparts, and I think it is a perfect time not for a peace deal to be struck at this stage but probably a temporary ceasefire, which can then pave the path of a sustainable peace in the long term,” he told Al Jazeera.

Ghani, who recently helped launch the latest stage of a major, regional gas pipeline from Turkmenistan, said the momentum for peace was building from neighbouring countries that increasingly saw the necessity of a stable Afghanistan.

“The Taliban show awareness of these contextual shifts and seem to be engaged in a debate on the implications of acts of violence for their future,” he said.

Political office
Ghani said a framework for peace negotiations should be created with the Taliban recognised as a legitimate group, with their own political office to handle negotiations in Kabul or another agreed location.

Taliban officials have acknowledged they have faced pressure from friendly countries to accept talks, and said their recent offers to talk to the US reflected concern that they could be seen to be standing in the way of peace.

Ghani said the process would be accompanied by coordinated diplomatic support, including a global effort to persuade neighbouring Pakistan, which Kabul has regularly accused of aiding the Taliban, of the advantages of a stable Afghanistan.

He renewed an offer of talks with Pakistan, which rejects the accusations and points to the thousands of its citizens who have been killed by armed groups over the years.

In return for Ghani’s offer, the Taliban would have to recognise the Afghan government and respect the rule of law, he said.

In addition, Taliban prisoners could be released and their names removed from international blacklists, while security arrangements could be made for the Taliban members agreeing to join a process of reconciliation. Former fighters and refugees could be reintegrated and provided with jobs.

The US last year stepped up its military assistance to Afghanistan, notably through a sharp increase in air attacks, with the aim of breaking a stalemate with the fighters and forcing them to the negotiating table.

While the US military says the strategy has hit the Taliban hard, the group still controls or contests much of the country and continues to inflict severe casualties on Afghan forces.

The Taliban also claimed responsibility for two major attacks in Kabul last month that killed or wounded hundreds of civilians.

Army jawan gets life term in murder case

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Muzaffarnagar: A court here has sentenced an army jawan to life imprisonment for killing a shopkeeper over some financial dispute in 2010, a prosecution lawyer said today.

Additional district sessions judge Poonam Rajput convicted army jawan Yogesh Kumar last evening after he surrendered. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on him.

Two persons – Akhilesh and Kamal – were also sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder case on January 30, while a non-bailable warrant was issued against Yogesh who had not appeared in the court.

Yogesh last evening surrendered in the court after which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. According to prosecution lawyer Ritu Choudhary, shopkeeper Tejpal was shot dead by the three men at Sisauli village here on November 5, 2010.

(PTI)

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