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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

Articles Written By IANS News

Sara Ali Khan shares then-and-now pics with mom Amrita, brother Ibrahim
2242 days ago
Bollywood

Sara Ali Khan shares then-and-now pics with mom Amrita, brother Ibrahim

Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) Budding star Sara Ali Khan loves sharing throwback pictures -- especially the ones that show fans how she has transformed over the years. In her latest post, the actress has shared a collage of then and now pictures of herself along with her mother Amrita Singh and brother Ibrahim Ali Khan.## On Instagram, the first picture shows Sara from her pre-transformation days, posing with Amrita and Ibrahim. In the second picture, which seems to be a recent one, the trio can be seen posing for the camera with a night sky in the backdrop.## "The evolution of the meaning of #sundayfunday And now #mondaymotivation#throwbackthursday #flashbackfriday #sundayfunday Sab ek hai isilie... Just Happy New Day #stayhome #stayhome #staystrong," she captioned the image.## Recently, Sara shared a fun video with mom Amrita and brother Ibrahim as they sit together to take up the TikTok challenge, "Who's most likely?".## On the work front, Sara was last seen in Imtiaz Ali's "Love Aaj Kal", which also starred Kartik Aaryan.## Sara will be next seen opposite Varun Dhawan in the remake of "Coolie No.1". She will also be seen sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar and Dhanush in "Atrangi Re".## Stay tuned...

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Big B misses the crowds outside his bungalow on Sundays
2242 days ago
Bollywood

Big B misses the crowds outside his bungalow on Sundays

Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is missing the ritualistic thronging of fans every Sunday in front of his bungalow, Jalsa. Over the past 38-odd years, starry-eyed fans have crowded in front of his bungalow to catch a glimpse of the actor, who would emerge for a few moments to wave his hand at them.## The total lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic has put an end to the frenzied ritual for now, and Big B seems to be missing it all.## "The Sunday does not mean the same as before .. waiting for the time to arrive .. the security in place .. that familiar sound of the step board being dragged into position .. that familiar scream of the well-wishers at the gate as each domestic entrant enters and leaves premises .. of the knowing that �he' comes," blogged the actor.## "Ecstatic wild faces and mobiles recording the moment .. those smiling hands and the designated positioning of the ef that shall eventually find space inside the home .. moments of connecting with the familiar and the informed Ef .. the ones on the buildings ahead .. precariously positioned at vantage points .. the cheer and laments, the letters of recommendations, the out of the country guests .. numerous gift s and handicrafts from the near that have come within .. photographs .. return wave at the opposite balcony as you walk in the front door .. and it's done," he added.## Big B also misses giving autographs to fans and the gifts that some of them brought for him.## "A while more and the pages for the autograph, pictures writings, etc., all done with the care with which they have remained so sincere and long, arrives.. their personal equation with the maestro intact they leave after this minuscule formality .. the heart of the Ef be of subtle grace .. and that done they leave as do I inside the secure home .. and the gifts that arrive kept away to be stored and valued," he wrote.## "But none of that for the day today... just the thoughts and the reminders by the Ef on other platforms," concluded the actor.## The ritual of fans gathering outside his bungalow every Sunday started sometime in the early eighties, at the peak of Big B's superstardom as Bollywood's Angry Young Man.## The veteran actor reminisced about the same in a tweet posted in January this year. "And the Sunday well-wishers at Jalsa gates .. my gratitude ever .. Every Sunday from the year 1982 .. almost 38 years non stop... no words to describe my affection," he wrote.## Stay tuned...

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Mandira Bedi won't stop till she perfects the handstand
2242 days ago
Bollywood

Mandira Bedi won't stop till she perfects the handstand

Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) When it comes to fitness, few actresses in Bollywood go about it with as much diligence as Mandira Bedi does.## The actress, who loves posting videos and snapshots of her workout sessions, gave a sneak peek of how she single-mindedly sets about doing her exercises till she masters them. In her new video, she is seen working at pulling off the perfect handstand.## "Attempt number 12, today" she announces before getting on with the handstand regime.## In the particular attempt that she has filmed and posted on social media, Mandira does an impressive enough job with the handstand, balanced against the wall. In the 22-second video, she is seen accomplishing the exercise with some effort. Impressively, she barely touches the wall as she sets out to hit a flawless inverted vertical pose.## Well, there still are the rough edges and Mandira, describing the experience says she is still a "work in progress".## "Against the wall: Has happened again and again. But off the wall, never. I Will get there, I know. I'm a work in progress," wrote @mandybedi as caption of the video.## With the COVID-19 lockdown on, we are sure she will get a lot of time to perfect the handstand workout regime up to her satisfaction.## The video had garnered around 4k views around the time of publishing.## Stay tuned...

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When Shraddha Kapoor got too comfortable with a gun!
2242 days ago
Bollywood

When Shraddha Kapoor got too comfortable with a gun!

Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) Actress Shraddha Kapoor says she got very comfortable holding a gun while shooting for "Saaho", so much so that it started feeling like the gun was an extension of her body!## "Throughout the shoot, I got so comfortable holding the gun that it almost started feeling like it was an extension of my body. When not shooting or during breaks I got so attached that if I didn't have my weapon with me, I would always enquire about it," Shraddha said.## "The fact that you have to use it responsibly was another important aspect which I had to be extremely careful about. To date I am in awe of a police officer's mind, it is so sharp in terms of how they react to situations and even use the gun," she added.## Directed by Sujeeth, the film stars Prabhas and also features Neil Nitin Mukesh and Jackie Shroff. The action drama "Saaho" was shot simultaneously in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil languages.## Shraddha essayed the role of a police officer in the movie.## Recalling her experience, she said: "Playing the role of a cop is not an easy task, there are a lot of different personality traits associated with it. Therefore, to make my character Amritha look convincing, I went through a little bit of training on how to use a gun along with some action training. While training I did get a few injuries, but since it was the first time, I was playing a character like this I didn't give up and gave in my best. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this role, it's surely going to be a memorable part of my life."## The 2019 release will air on April 25.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Madhuri Dixit, Virat Kohli and others appeal to put 'lockdown' on domestic violence
2242 days ago
Bollywood

Madhuri Dixit, Virat Kohli and others appeal to put 'lockdown' on domestic violence

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) Celebrities like Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Madhuri Dixit Nene, and Vidya Balan among others have joined hands to support an initiative #lockdownOnDomesticViolence, expressing concern over the global surge in cases of domestic violence amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.## Under the initiative, a video is made in which celebs are seen urging people to stand up and fight for themselves by reporting the abuse.## "Let's put a lockdown on domestic violence...if you are a survivor of domestic violence, report it. .. It's time to stand up and break the silence. If you are a witness to a domestic violence ...please report," the stars said in the video.## Cricketer Rohit Sharma, actors Rahul Bose, Farhan Akhtar and filmmaker Karan Johar have also featured in the video.## The initiative is curated by Akshara Centre in collaboration with Special Cell for Women and Children.## Stay tuned...

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Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher to pay tribute to medics with virtual concert
2242 days ago
Bollywood

Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher to pay tribute to medics with virtual concert

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) From singers Kailash Kher, Sonu Nigam to actor Sunil Grover and comedian Sudesh Lehri, a slew of Bollywood celebrities will be part of a virtual concert to pay tribute to the medics who are striving to combat the coronavirus pandemic.## Presented by Mankind Specialities and organized by Katalyst Entertainment, the digital concert is curated by actor Nitin Arora.## "This concert is called 'Saluting our true heroes'. Today, we will pay our respect to the chemists, stockists....all those guys who are running around to give medicines to people everywhere," Nitin said.## The concert which is expected to reach over 20,000 doctors across India, will premier on Sunday at 8 p.m.## Stay tuned...

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Kartik Aaryan can't compromise on food quality
2242 days ago
Bollywood

Kartik Aaryan can't compromise on food quality

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) One should head to actor Kartik Aaryan's social media accounts to get entertained amid the ongoing lockdown period. From posting hilarious pictures to making goofy videos and conducting interactive sessions, Kartik has been doing his best to lighten up the mood of people.## And now on Sunday, he is back with another goofy video, which he has made with his sister.## In the video, the "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety" actor can be seen taking a bit of his chapati and clearly hates it. He then moved towards his sister, heldA her braid and turned her around.## "No compromise on food quality," he captioned the video.## The siblings' video has left netizens in splits.## A user commented: "Hahahaa."## Another one wrote: "Thank you for making us laugh."## On the film front, Kartik will be next seen in "Dostana 2" and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2".## Stay tuned...

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Disha Patani flaunts killer dance moves in viral video
2243 days ago
Bollywood

Disha Patani flaunts killer dance moves in viral video

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) Amid the lockdown, Bollywood actress and fitness enthusiast Disha Patani is keeping her fans and followers entertained with her social media posts. In her latest post, she showed off her killer dance moves while grooving to Beyonce's track "Yonce".## Recently, Disha took to Instagram to share a video of herself flaunting amazing dance moves on "Yonce". The video has gone viral in the virtual world.## Disha posted a video of herself performing a hip-hop routine to Beyonce's track "Yonce". She is seen wearing a white sports bra and a pair of camouflage cargo pants.## "#beyonce Choreography #brian #quarantinelife," the "Bharat" actress wrote along with the video.## The clip is winning hearts and earned her a lot of love from fans and her friends, including Elli AvrRam.## Disha is popular for her dancing skills and has been part of many music videos and special songs, most recent being "Do you love me" in "Baaghi 3"## On the work front, Disha was last seen in "Malang", which also features Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapoor, and Kunal Kemmu. She will next be seen in "Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai" starring superstar Salman Khan.## Stay tuned...

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Farah Khan Ali pens open letter to Kangana Ranaut
2243 days ago
Bollywood

Farah Khan Ali pens open letter to Kangana Ranaut

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali has penned an open letter to actress Kangana Ranaut after the latter came out in support of her sister Rangoli Chandel, whose Twitter account was suspended recently over a controversial post.## For the uninitiated, Farah is Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan's former sister-in-law and Sussane Khan's sister. A few days ago, she called out Rangoli for targeting a specific community. She even reported her Twitter account which eventually led to Rangoli's account being suspended.## It didn't end here. Kangana came out with a video, defending her sister and claimed that the allegations made by Farah are completely false.## Reacting to Kangana's video, Farah penned an open letter to her.## "My dear Kangana, Let me begin by saying I'm a huge fan and you're an amazing actress. My reaction to Rangoli's tweet was because she specifically used the word 'Nazi' along with 'Mullahs and secular media' in her tweet.## "It spoke of making both mullahs and secular media stand in line and shoot them dead... it further said, "f****k the history they may call us "Nazis" who cares, life is more imp than fake image. The word Nazis is synonymous with the Genocide of the Jews were, as many as 6 million Jews were targeted and exterminated in the Holocaust because of Hitler and the Nazis which eventually lead to World War 2. So using the word Nazi is totally inappropriate, hateful and goes against the rule of law. I reported her tweet to Twitter amongst others because she 'implied Genocide' by that word when she spoke of killing."## Explaining her point, Farah added: "She may be directing her anger towards those she claims killed a doctor in Muradabad and if that's true the man needs to be arrested and punished severally because anyone attacking doctors or nurses especially in today's time is totally nonacceptable."## Farah also shared that she has nothing against Rangoli and Kangana.## "I have nothing personal against Rangoli or you and have even met Rangoli in the past where she came across sweet. She has been an acid victim and now a social activist so she should be more responsible with her tweets. She should inspire all who have lost hope to have hope. She should lead by example.## "Spewing hatred towards a community and calling for them to be killed for the acts of few is unacceptable. I do hope she sees her error and realizes that she has the social and moral responsibility of so much more than just being your sister. God bless you both. May peace be upon you and our country at large," she concluded.## Stay tuned...

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Kareena Kapoor receives quarantine presents from hubby Saif, son Tamiur
2243 days ago
Bollywood

Kareena Kapoor receives quarantine presents from hubby Saif, son Tamiur

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) Beating the lockdown blues, actor Saif Ali Khan and his little son Taimur took up painting a pass time after wowing netizens with their gardening skills.## On Saturday, Kareena Kapoor Khan posted a few pictures on Instagram in which her husband and son can be seen channeling their inner "Picasso". In one of the images, Saif can be seen painting flowers on a wall in their balcony. And in another picture, the 3-year-old Taimur is seen turning the balcony's wall in a multi-colored canvas.## "If there is a wall that's blocking your creativity... Try painting on it #QuaranTimDiaries #InhousePicasso," Kareena captioned Taimur's artwork.## After posting her husband and son's pictures, Kareena posted her selfie, flaunting her zit on her face. But more than the zit, it was her caption that left social media users in the split.## "Meanwhile I just sat there staring in the wonder of what was being created. PS: The zit on my face didn't get the memo of no personal visits and social distancing #HugeMess," Kareena wrote.## Reacting to the post, actor Ranveer Singh commented a few laughing emojis.## Actress Amrita Arora commented: Captions are lit bro."## Stay tuned...

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Nikkhil Advani: Technicians to superstars, everyone will re-evaluate post COVID-19
2243 days ago
Bollywood

Nikkhil Advani: Technicians to superstars, everyone will re-evaluate post COVID-19

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, who had several productions in the pipeline when the COVID-19 lockdown was announced, says that the whole process of budgeting and releasing a film will change once this phase ends, keeping in mind social distancing and viewing habit of the audience.## Asked about how he is holding up amid the lockdown, the founder of Emmay Entertainment told IANS: "We had three films and six shows in the pipeline. Everything is on hold now. Arjun (Kapoor) and Rakul's film was on the floor. We were also shooting two films -- 'Satyameva Jayate 2' and 'Mumbai Diaries'. I am doing a post (production) of ‘Indoo Ki Jawani'."## "As a producer, of course, I am affected, but what I am trying to do is, instead of thinking negatively, I am working with my writers and developing scripts. I am trying to finish the post-production of those projects that we can be sitting in the house" shared Nikkhil.## Under his banner, Nikkhil delivered films like "D-Day", "Satyameva Jayate", "Airlift", "Batla House", and ‘Marjaavaan" among others. He has also produced the Netflix show "Hasmukh", featuring Vir Das.## Talking about one of the biggest problems the shooting process will face in near future, Nikkhil said: "Maintaining social distancing on a shooting floor is tough and that we have to incorporate in our lifestyle, in our work culture. From budgeting to promoting and processing of a film, everything is going to change post lockdown. I do not think the formula we were working with for long will be relevant anymore."## Citing an example, he said: "Even if we want to release a film, will people go to the theatre to watch it? Social distancing is one factor, home entertainment through OTT platforms is another. Of course, it is more convenient. From technicians to superstars, everyone has to sit down and re-evaluate. We are all going to look at it as ‘pre-COVID 19' and ‘post-COVID 19'. Nothing is going to be the same!"## Does he have any solution in mind? "We cannot fight the change. We have to change ourselves to deal with it. Every film cannot be an event film. There are high-budget, mid-budget, and small budget films. We plan the budget based on the subject and stars coming on board for the film. As the viewing habit of our audience is changing, we have to choose the platform of release and the story accordingly. That will surely change the budgeting of a film. The definition of stardom will also change. Running a production house is not easy, and all I am doing is preparing myself to deal with the new age that is coming!" Nikkhil signed off.## Stay tuned...

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Ayushmann: 'Vicky Donor' shaped me as an actor
2243 days ago
Bollywood

Ayushmann: 'Vicky Donor' shaped me as an actor

Mumbai, April 19 (IANS) "Vicky Donor" will always remain close to actor Ayushmann Khurrana's heart as it's his first film.## Released in 2012, the Shoojit Sircar directorial presented a light-hearted take on the taboo attached with sperm donation and artificial insemination. And according to Ayushmann, the film, which made him a household name, completely shaped him as an actor.## Reminiscing the movie's journey, Ayushmann said: "I will be forever thankful to Shootjit da for choosing me for 'Vicky Donor'. He gave wind beneath my wings, told an outsider like me that it was ok for me to dream, it was ok for me to chase my passion of being a Hindi film hero.## "'Vicky Donor' is my role of a lifetime for me and there are so many lovely memories attached to the film. This taboo-breaking film-shaped me as an actor and told people about my intent to do differential and quirky cinema that will stand out for its content."## Also, as the film is marking its eighth anniversary on Monday, Ayushmann will conduct a Twitter chat with Sircar.## "I have planned something really special. Shoojit da and I will go live on our social media and discuss the process of how 'Vicky Donor' was conceptualized by Shoojit da.## "We will also discuss several unheard anecdotes from the film's shooting schedule. It will be like a trip down memory lane for us and I'm looking forward to it," he added.## Ayushmann has since carved a niche for himself in the industry with projects like "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", "Bareilly Ki Barfi", "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan", "Badhaai Ho", "AndhaDhun", "Article 15" and "Bala". He will be next seen opposite megastar Amitabh Bachchan in "Gulabo Sitabo".## Stay tuned...

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