• Home
  • About Us
  • Events
  • Submissions
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Nasheman Urdu ePaper

Nasheman

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

  • News & Politics
    • India
    • Indian Muslims
    • Muslim World
  • Culture & Society
  • Opinion
  • In Focus
  • Human Rights
  • Photo Essays
  • Multimedia
    • Infographics
    • Podcasts
You are here: Home / Archives for Culture & Society

Bollywood Round Up

December 6, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

A Candid Chat With Varun Dhawan & David Dhawan
 
It is a lesser known fact that David Dhawan started his journey as a filmmaker with editing and the latter is a craft he enjoys more than any other. That his actual name is Rajinder & David was a name fondly given to him by a Jew family in Kolkata, is another trivia. The In-Conversation session titled, “Dha-One”, featuring David Dhawan & his superstar son Varun Dhawan was full of such lesser-known facts surrounding the Dhawan family, a candid recollection of David & Varun’s journey in films and the changes in the film industry from the duo’s point of view. The massive DMK auditorium at Kala Academy failed to contain the huge swarm of Varun Dhawan’s fans who did not stop cheering, whistling & expressing their love for the young icon.
While recollecting his foray into the world of acting, Varun Dhawan was quite vocal about his love for films of darker shades. The actor was all praise for films like Dhobi Ghat, Black Friday & Badlapur. Varun said, “I would have given my right arm to be launched by Anurag Kashyap”, to which David quipped, “Thank God, not!” The senior Dhawan further added, “When I learnt that he had auditioned for Dhobi Ghat, I suggested him to give up the idea and instead do ‘proper’ Bollywood cinema. Later, when Karan (Johar) told me that he is casting Varun in a lead role in his film, I thought ‘what can be better than this?’ I asked Varun to step on his shoulder and take the leap.”
Using the example of the blockbuster film Amar Akbar Anthony, David said, “The scene where the brothers collectively donate blood to their mother still attracts applause. The idea is impractical, but cinema is all about what you make the audience believe. You’re selling dreams, at the end of the day.”
While speaking about what drew him to acting, Varun said, “I always wanted to be the funny guy in the group. I dreamt of owning a channel and do talk shows. I used to be obsessed with improvised  comedy.”
The session moderated by Rumi Jaffery then touched upon varied facets of the Dhawan family, including Varun’s brother Rohit Dhawan who is also a filmmaker, the bonding between the brothers, their mother & the times of growing up.
When asked if he was nervous about his debut film, Student Of The Year (SOTY), Varun surprisingly dismissed the notion. He said, “We all (Varun, Alia & Siddharth) were debutante actors. So Student Of The Year (SOTY) was all Karan’s headache. I knew that if the film did not do well, the blame would be all on Karan. I was stressed in the true sense for the 1st time ever before the release of Main Tera Hero. That was my first solo hero film. I was desperate to convince the audience that I’m their hero who can laugh, cry, dance & romance, be funny & do everything that a hero does.”
The actor said he is very excited about his upcoming film, Kalank, and that he is eager to see how the audience receives him & the film.

Filed Under: Film

Uttarakhand HC refuses stay on ‘Kedarnath’ release

December 6, 2018 by Nasheman

The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday refused to stay the release of forthcoming Bollywood film “Kedarnath”, starring debutante Sara Ali Khan along with Sushant Singh Rajput.

Swami Darshan Bharti of Garhwal had demanded that the film should be banned. The High Court said Bharti should go to the District Magistrate of Rudraprayag with his complaint.

A single bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan was told the film should be banned as it was hurt people who were affected by the 2013 flash floods rhat ravaged Kedarnath besides hurting Hindu sentiments.

The petitioner pleaded that the film promoted “love jihad” — a word coined by right-wing Hindu groups, to denote marriages between Muslim boys and Hindu girls.

Keeping in view the objections, the state government had formed a committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj and comprising Home Secretary Nitesh Kumar Jha, Director General of Police Anit Ratoori and Tourism Secretary Dilip Jawalkar.

The committee has been asked to go through all aspects and submit a detailed report to the state government, after which a final decision on the film’s release in Uttarakhand would be taken, an official told IANS.

The film is slated for nationwide release on Friday.

Filed Under: Film

Nation pays homage to Ambedkar

December 6, 2018 by Nasheman

 

Nation pays homage to Ambedkar
Led by President Ram Nath Kovind, the nation on Thursday paid tribute to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Bharat Ratna Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar, on his 63rd death anniversary.

Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to the Dalit icon at a function in Parliament House Lawns here.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, along with MPs and Ministers, also paid their homage to the Father of the Indian Constitution, who championed the causes of Dalits, women and labourers.

“He championed the cause of marginalised and strove for creating a casteless society. We will be paying a real tribute to Baba Sahebji by establishing a truly egalitarian society and by upholding values and ethics in public life,” tweeted Naidu.

Modi shared an audio highlighting the works and contribution of Ambedkar on Twitter along with his message .

“Those who forget history do not make history,” tweeted Congress President Rahul Gandhi paying his respects.

“Today, we honour a man whose legacy lives in the form of our Constitution. He fought for a just and equal society and left behind him an idea that we will always continue to uphold.

“B.R Ambedkar was the embodiment of respect, dignity and equality,” the Congress tweeted.

In her message, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: “His contribution in framing India’s Constitution will forever be remembered by the generations to come.”

Ambedkar died on this day in 1956 and the day is observed as “Mahaparinirvan Diwas” every year.

IANS

Filed Under: Culture & Society

HonourOur Heroes of 26/11

December 6, 2018 by Nasheman

 The Mumbai attacks of 26/11 awakened an entire nation to become more responsive to terrorism and taught us that, freedom, never comes easy. The students of SIBM Bengaluru, every year, commemorate the sacrifice of the bravehearts who laid down their lives on that dreary night, lest we forget.This year too, Jzaa – the Dramatics Club of SIBM Bengaluru, in association with the Social Responsibility Committee performed ‘Nukkad Natak’ on the 2nd of December at the UB CITY Mall in Bengaluru, as a tribute to those valiant individuals who stood firm against the terror and flagged the spirit of patriotism and humanity in the troubled times of the Mumbai attacks. The theme for this year’s Street Play was SANGHARSH, which encapsulated the agitation of the people against the social injustices and orthodox beliefs that prevail in the country.

The play unfolded in front of an audience of approximately 700 people. Raw and hard-hitting, the outstanding street play created awareness to value the sacrifice of those who gave up their tomorrow for our today and urged everyone to rise above the evils of the society. The crisp script, catchy phrases, songs and intelligent emphasis on speech left the audience spellbound. Focusing on the atrocities that plague our society, SANGHARSH, appealed to the conscience of one and all to step up and take affirmative action in combating the injustices and not be a mere spectator.

The performers portrayed how change in society does not merely mean reacting-accusing-rioting-forgetting, playing the age-old blame game on the government for mishandling the affairs. It is to find an alternative that will help mitigate the situation.

The chants of “Aatank ho prahaar tu, Aakrosh ki pukaar tu” served as a wakeup call that drove the impetus for change. The students took this opportunity to spread the message of unity and peace and stressed the importance of raising one’s voice for a right cause. Gagan, a theatre enthusiast, who witnessed the performance said, “I have never seen something like this unfold on such a grand scale. The theme touched my heart and the hard work that the students had put in was very evident.”

Ashish, the coordinators of Jzaa, said “The intent behind this play is to convey the message that we as a nation are channelizing our energy in the wrong direction. And, that it’s time to redirect it for the betterment of our nation.”

Nothing is more impactful than a clever mixture of entertainment and an attempt to bring about change and the students of SIBM Bengaluru today made that happen.

About SIBM Bengaluru:

Ever since its inception in 1978, SYMBIOSIS has been synonymous with progress. The trend of progress has been continued by setting up of SIU’s first campus outside Maharashtra at Bengaluru in 2008. SIBM Bengaluru is now one of the leading B-Schools of the country. The focus, now, is on matching global standards of management education. SIBM Bengaluru instills a work culture which is unparalleled among various institutions and provides a holistic approach to management which goes a long way in creating a dynamic identity. Vibrant student associations and committees complement the program with a number of activities involving institute-industry interaction.

SIBM Bengaluru was ranked #28 in India and #1 in Bengaluru according to a survey by Outlook India 2016.

 

 

                                                                                                         

 

 

Filed Under: Culture & Society

Sahitya Akademi announces winners in 24 languages

December 5, 2018 by Nasheman

 An extensive range of works representing diversity in contemporary Indian literature, comprising seven collections of poetry, six novels, six short story collections, three works of literary criticism and two collections of essays were announced on Wednesday as the winners of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award 2018 in 24 languages.

The awards were recommended by jury members in respective languages and were then approved by the Executive Board of India’s national academy of letters under the chairmanship of Akademi President Chandrashekhar Kambar.

Winners include Anees Saleem in English, Rama Kant Shukla in Sanskrit, Rajesh Kumar Vyas in Rajasthani, Rahman Abbas in Urdu, Lok Nath Upadhyay in Nepali, Chitra Mughal in Hindi and S. Ramakrishnan in Tamil.

Akademi Secretary K. Sreenivasarao said at a press conference announcing the winners that the books were selected on the basis of recommendations made by a jury of three members in each language in accordance with the rules.

The awards relate to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of award, between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016.

The awards, in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and a cheque of Rs 1 lakh, will be presented to the authors at a special function in January next year at Kamani Auditorium.

The Sahitya Akademi award is among the most prestigious literary honours bestowed on writers for their works across genres and languages.

The Akademi also announced its Bhasha Salman for the year 2017 and 2018. Yogendra Nath Sharma was awarded the Bhasha Salman for the North zone; G Venkatasubbiah for South zone; Gagendra Nath Das for the Eastern zone; and Shailaja Bapat for the Western zone.

The Akademi will also be hosting a national seminar on Mahatma Gandhi in January next year, tracing his presence in the literary space.

IANS

Filed Under: Culture & Society

Nandi Hills to get a facelift, Infosys arm commits Rs 75 lakh

December 5, 2018 by Nasheman

Popular weekend hotspot Nandi Hills, an ancient hill fortress in Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka which falls en route to the Kempegowda International Airport, will soon get a new look. Infosys Foundation led by Sudha Murthy, the philanthropic arm of IT major Infosys, has committed Rs 75 lakh for the purpose.

With this money, new pathways and stone steps will be set up to make the area more tourist-friendly. The restoration project will also involve reconstruction of existing pathways and steps that lead to the birthplace of the Arkavati river, which originates in the lap of Nandi Hills. The organisation will also beautify some of the damaged walls near Tipu’s Drop.

The popular cycling and trekking destination has historical significance on account of a battle that took place there between the British and Tipu Sultan in the 18th century. The Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple at the base of the hills is a Grade-1 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected structure.

Even Mahatma Gandhi had stayed in the Hills for a total of 50 days in 1927 and 1936. A hotel by the name of Gandhi Nilaya has been established at the hills by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation.

The hillock which attracts many weekend and holiday visitors is expected to see a further rise in footfalls if the long-proposed ropeway facility to the top from the foot of the hill covering over 1.5 km, becomes a reality.

Meanwhile, the Horticulture Department has started a pilot initiative from Tuesday of introducing three electric cars which will take visitors on a two-kilometre tour of the area exploring the various flora and fauna at a cost of Rs 100 for adults and Rs 50 for children. This comes after a similar initiative at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens proved to be a hit.

TNM

Filed Under: Culture & Society

AIADMK’s silent procession on Jayalalithaa death anniversary

December 5, 2018 by Nasheman

 A silent procession, floral tributes and a pledge to win the ensuing general elections by the ruling AIADMK leaders marked the second death anniversary of then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa here.

Wearing black shirts, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues, MPs and MLAs and others took out the procession from Anna Statute on Anna Salai here to Jayalalithaa’s memorial on the Marina beach.

Placing a wreath and paying floral tributes, the AIADMK leaders and cadres took a pledge to work hard and win the ensuing Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

DMK leader and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi paid tributes to Jayalalithaa.

“Surviving as a woman in a male dominated political world is not an easy task. Late AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa confronted the challenges and proved successful. The lack of clarity shrouding her final days are very unfortunate and not befitting the leader she was,” Kanimozhi tweeted.

Jayalalithaa passed away on December 5, 2016 after being in Apollo Hospital here for 75 days.

IANS

Filed Under: Culture & Society

Saudi Arabia to open consulate office in Bengaluru

December 5, 2018 by Nasheman

Dr Saudi Mohammed Alsati, Saudi Arabian ambassador met chief minister HD Kumaraswamy at Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday, December 4 and informed that Saudi Arabia will be shortly opening its consulate office in Bengaluru.

Mohammed Alsati expressed that nowadays many numbers of people are travelling from Bengaluru to Saudi Arabi hence people seeking Saudi Visas has doubled. In order to meet such demands, they have decided to open a consulate office in Bengaluru.

He further informed that hundred years back a woman from Bengaluru had opened a school for girls at Mecca and requested that he would be very grateful if the government shares information of her descendants living in the city so that they can honour the family.

PTI

 

Filed Under: Culture & Society

Modi attends Priyanka-Nick’s Delhi reception

December 5, 2018 by Nasheman

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a high-profile crowd in congratulating newly-married couple actress Priyanka Chopra and American singer Nick Jonas at their reception here on Tuesday.

Modi arrived here amid tight security to be a part of the special day of the actress, who first made India proud by winning the Miss World crown in 2000, and then became a leading Bollywood actress, followed by a rare successful crossover into Hollywood.

The PM, who was escorted on stage by Priyanka’s mother Madhu Chopra, was dressed in a white kurta-pyjama with a black Nehru jacket. He remained on stage for about 10 minutes, meeting Nick and Priyanka’s families with folded hands and exchanging pleasantries.

Priyanka introduced her brother-in-law Joe Jonas and his to-be-wife, “Game Of Thrones” actress Sophie Turner, to Modi saying: “Inki bhi shaadi hone waali hai (They are also going to get married).”

The couple of the night posed with panache. Priyanka dazzled in an elegant white bejewelled ensemble with a multi-layered diamond necklace and earrings, with her hair neatly tied in a bun complete with white roses. She flaunted the “chopra” — traditional red bangles worn by a Punjabi bride — and sported vermillion. Nick was dressed in a velvet dinner jacket and completed the look with a bow tie.

The venue, the Durbar Hall at the Taj Palace Hotel, was done up elegantly with exotic white and soft pink flowers, and the “NP” icon, which has remained a staple throughout the couple’s wedding, stood out on the elaborate stage.

Candles flickered away at different spots of the venue which was enlivened by the sound of live music and a free flow of cocktails and a wide variety of food.

There was also an element of quirk with a vintage car which read “Just Married”.

Guests, which mostly included Priyanka’s family members, also saw veteran designers Ritu Kumar and Ritu Beri, along with Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) President Sunil Sethi, in attendance.

Kumar was touched by Priyanka’s invitation.

“I remember Priyanka had come to me first before she was going for the Miss World pageant, and I had told her to wear a lot of ethnic wear. She wore some of my designs. I am very happy for her. She has come a long way,” Kumar told IANS.

The gala evening was preceded by a three-day extravaganza in Jodhpur’s majestic Umaid Bhawan Palace, where Priyanka, 36, and Nick, 26, exchanged wedding vows as per Christian and Hindu rituals in two separate ceremonies.

Their pre-wedding rituals at the celebrations, which saw participation from just a little over 200 guests, included a “mehendi” ceremony. There was also a friendly cricket match between the two families, as well as a glitzy and power-packed musical evening.

Of her wedding, Priyanka, a National Award-winning actress who has made her name in Hollywood as the lead star in American show “Quantico”, told people.com of her wedding: “I love that our wedding was a religious mash-up.

“We took beautiful traditions that we both grew up with and personalised them in a way that made sense for us. It’s been incredible to find the commonalities between our beliefs and figuring out how to blend them in a respectful and meaningful way.”

IANS

 

Filed Under: Culture & Society

As protests shift to state capital, pilgrims flock Sabarimala

December 5, 2018 by Nasheman

 For the first time since the Sabarimala temple opened on November 16, there has been a sharp increase in the number of pilgrims.

One reason attributed for this is that the protests of the Sangh parivar against the Supreme Court ruling allowing women of all ages to enter the temple and the arrest of its senior leader K. Surendran has shifted to the state Secretariat.

The Congress-led UDF is going hammer and tongs against the Pinarayi Vijayan government in the Kerala Assembly.

According to official figures, on Monday a record 79,098 pilgrims arrived at the temple while till 1 p.m. on Tuesday 40,000 pilgrims has made it to the hilltop shrine.

Yet, the pilgrim flow is much less than what the temple town normally sees during the festival season.

In the previous season, the average number of pilgrims visiting the shrine was around one lakh during the two-month pilgrimage season.

The Kerala government has promised to implement the apex court’s verdict that struck down a hitherto tradition of not allowing girls and women within 10-50 years from visiting the temple.

On Tuesday, a three-member High Court appointed observer committee consisting of two retired judges and a serving Director General of Police arrived at the temple town to inspect the facilities and the arrangements for the pilgrims.

Filed Under: Culture & Society

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • …
  • 166
  • Next Page »

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

KNOW US

  • About Us
  • Corporate News
  • FAQs
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Realtor arrested for NRI businessman’s murder in Andhra Pradesh

GET INVOLVED

  • Corporate News
  • Letters to Editor
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Realtor arrested for NRI businessman’s murder in Andhra Pradesh
  • Submissions

PROMOTE

  • Advertise
  • Corporate News
  • Events
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Realtor arrested for NRI businessman’s murder in Andhra Pradesh

Archives

  • February 2026 (6)
  • January 2026 (12)
  • December 2025 (6)
  • November 2025 (8)
  • October 2025 (12)
  • September 2025 (25)
  • August 2025 (46)
  • July 2025 (110)
  • June 2025 (28)
  • May 2025 (14)
  • April 2025 (50)
  • March 2025 (35)
  • February 2025 (34)
  • January 2025 (43)
  • December 2024 (83)
  • November 2024 (82)
  • October 2024 (156)
  • September 2024 (202)
  • August 2024 (165)
  • July 2024 (169)
  • June 2024 (161)
  • May 2024 (107)
  • April 2024 (104)
  • March 2024 (222)
  • February 2024 (229)
  • January 2024 (102)
  • December 2023 (142)
  • November 2023 (69)
  • October 2023 (74)
  • September 2023 (93)
  • August 2023 (118)
  • July 2023 (139)
  • June 2023 (52)
  • May 2023 (38)
  • April 2023 (48)
  • March 2023 (166)
  • February 2023 (207)
  • January 2023 (183)
  • December 2022 (165)
  • November 2022 (229)
  • October 2022 (224)
  • September 2022 (177)
  • August 2022 (155)
  • July 2022 (123)
  • June 2022 (190)
  • May 2022 (204)
  • April 2022 (310)
  • March 2022 (273)
  • February 2022 (311)
  • January 2022 (329)
  • December 2021 (296)
  • November 2021 (277)
  • October 2021 (237)
  • September 2021 (234)
  • August 2021 (221)
  • July 2021 (237)
  • June 2021 (364)
  • May 2021 (282)
  • April 2021 (278)
  • March 2021 (293)
  • February 2021 (192)
  • January 2021 (222)
  • December 2020 (170)
  • November 2020 (172)
  • October 2020 (187)
  • September 2020 (194)
  • August 2020 (61)
  • July 2020 (58)
  • June 2020 (56)
  • May 2020 (36)
  • March 2020 (48)
  • February 2020 (109)
  • January 2020 (162)
  • December 2019 (174)
  • November 2019 (120)
  • October 2019 (104)
  • September 2019 (88)
  • August 2019 (159)
  • July 2019 (122)
  • June 2019 (66)
  • May 2019 (276)
  • April 2019 (393)
  • March 2019 (477)
  • February 2019 (448)
  • January 2019 (693)
  • December 2018 (736)
  • November 2018 (570)
  • October 2018 (611)
  • September 2018 (692)
  • August 2018 (666)
  • July 2018 (468)
  • June 2018 (440)
  • May 2018 (616)
  • April 2018 (772)
  • March 2018 (338)
  • February 2018 (157)
  • January 2018 (188)
  • December 2017 (142)
  • November 2017 (122)
  • October 2017 (146)
  • September 2017 (176)
  • August 2017 (201)
  • July 2017 (222)
  • June 2017 (155)
  • May 2017 (205)
  • April 2017 (156)
  • March 2017 (178)
  • February 2017 (195)
  • January 2017 (149)
  • December 2016 (143)
  • November 2016 (169)
  • October 2016 (165)
  • September 2016 (137)
  • August 2016 (115)
  • July 2016 (116)
  • June 2016 (124)
  • May 2016 (170)
  • April 2016 (150)
  • March 2016 (199)
  • February 2016 (201)
  • January 2016 (216)
  • December 2015 (210)
  • November 2015 (174)
  • October 2015 (281)
  • September 2015 (241)
  • August 2015 (250)
  • July 2015 (188)
  • June 2015 (216)
  • May 2015 (281)
  • April 2015 (306)
  • March 2015 (296)
  • February 2015 (280)
  • January 2015 (245)
  • December 2014 (286)
  • November 2014 (254)
  • October 2014 (185)
  • September 2014 (98)
  • August 2014 (7)

Copyright © 2026 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in