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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

User claims Anurag Kashyap is rolling a joint in video, filmmaker says it's tobacco
2252 days ago
Bollywood

User claims Anurag Kashyap is rolling a joint in video, filmmaker says it's tobacco

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) A video featuring Anurag Kashyap seems to have landed the filmmaker in trouble. A user has complained to Mumbai Police that Kashyap is actually "rolling a joint" in the video, which is "illegal in India". Soon afterward, the filmmaker responded claiming he was rolling up tobacco.## "Hello @MumbaiPolice, will you please look into this? Here @anuragkashyap72 is rolling a joint which is illegal in India," the user wrote.## To this, Kashyap responded, tagging Mumbai Police: "Yes please for once @MumbaiPolice look into it. Once and for all let's make it clear that I roll tobacco and please thoroughly investigate for the satisfaction of the bhakts and the trolls."## Many netizens then started wondering how the filmmaker had managed to get tobacco in these days of lockdown when the commodity was not being sold openly.## "I am impressed by your honesty sir. Purchasing loose tobacco and rolling it. Accha one minute, where do you get this tobacco from... dawa ki dukaan or sabzi ki dukaan," a user sarcastically commented.## Stay tuned...

Big B almost believed 'blindness is on its way'
2252 days ago
Bollywood

Big B almost believed 'blindness is on its way'

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has expressed concern over the condition of his vision. The veteran actor is afraid that he might just turn blind.## "The eyes they see blurred images .. the vision reads double and for some days now I reconciled myself to the fact that blindness is on its way, to add to the million other medical problems that invest in me," expressing his concern, Amitabh Bachchan wrote on his blog.## The actor also went down the memory lane to recall how his mother would cure him if he ever got hurt in the eyes. "But then .. today .. thought of those early years when Ma used to take the edge of the sari, the ‘pallu', make a soft round ball with it, blow into it to make it warm and place it on the eye .. and BAM! problem solved...So followed that .. hot watered a hand towel and placed it on the eyes," he wrote.## Big B later revealed that his doctor has assured him that he is not turning blind. It is just enhanced screen-time which is taking a toll on the eye. "spoke to the doc and followed his instruction of putting in prescribed eye drops every hour .. reassured me that I was not going blind - that there was far too much time being spent in front of the computer .. the eyes were tired .. that's all."## However, Bachchan sounds happy that following his mother's homely remedy has worked wonder on his eyes! He expressed: "And YES .. that old Mother's technology worked .. YEEAAHHH .. I can see now!!"## Stay tuned...

Akshay Kumar donates 3cr for rapid testing kits, PPE
2252 days ago
Bollywood

Akshay Kumar donates 3cr for rapid testing kits, PPE

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) Akshay Kumar has donated Rs 3 crore to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the manufacture of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks, and rapid testing kits, in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.## This comes after the Bollywood superstar recently donated Rs 25 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's PM-CARES fund.## Yesterday, Akshay took to Twitter to express gratitude to Mumbai Police and BMC. "There's an army of people working day and night to keep us safe, our families safe. Lets together say #DilSeThankYou to them because that's the least we can do. @mybmc @MumbaiPolice," he wrote.## In a separate tweet, the actor shared: "Name: Akshay Kumar## City: Mumbai## Mere aur mere parivaar ki taraf se...## Police, Nagar Nigam ke workers, doctors, nurses, NGOs, volunteers, government officials, vendors, building ke guards ko #DilSeThankYou."## Recently, Akshay's wife, author-actress Khanna, revealed on social media what prompted him to donate such a huge amount to the PM-CARES fund. "The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, ‘ I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing," she wrote.## Stay tuned...

#DilSeThankYou keeps trending as B-Town stars salute Mumbai Police
2252 days ago
Bollywood

#DilSeThankYou keeps trending as B-Town stars salute Mumbai Police

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) The hashtag #DilSeThankYou has kept trending on Twitter all of Thursday and well into Friday, which is hardly surprising because it includes the tweets of Bollywood's A-list. What catches your attention about this particular trend, which had garnered an impressive 51.3k tweets in less than 24 hours, is the reason.## Bollywood stars, as a community, have always rooted for all things patriotic. In these times of COVID-19 peril, B-Town has also banded together as a social media entity to promote the virtues of lockdown. The recent #DilSeThankYou sees the stars stand up and ovate India's Corona Warriors -- particularly Mumbai Police -- who have been working tirelessly to ensure a safe city, even as Mumbai continues to be one of the worst-affected zones in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in India.## As Akshay Kumar rightly noted, the need of the hour was to thank the police for their service. "There's an army of people working day and night to keep us safe, our families safe. Lets together say #DilSeThankYou to them because that's the least we can do," the superstar said on social media.## An emotional Akshay, in a separate tweet, posed with a piece of paper on which he had written: "#Dil Se Thank You."## The caption of the picture thanked all Corona Warriors. It read:## "Name: Akshay Kumar## City: Mumbai## Mere aur mere parivaar ki taraf se...## Police, Nagar Nigam ke workers, doctors, nurses, NGOs, volunteers, government officials, vendors, building ke guards ko #DilSeThankYou"## To Akshay's tweet, Jackie Shroff replied: "Asli stars respects."## A video posted by Mumbai Police within the hashtag, in this context, has become very popular among the stars. Ayushmann Khurrana, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon are among many stars who retweeted the video, which subtly conveys the message how tirelessly the police force have been working in these taxing times.## In the video, which runs for two minutes and two seconds, we see a heartwarming collage of policemen across ranks, who are asked the same question: What would they do if they had a chance to stay at home during the 21-day lockdown? The answers remind you that beneath their superhero conviction to serve the nation, police personnel is human beings, too. Some of them talk of spending much-yearned time with family, some want to play with their pets, some want to relax in from of a TV set, while a few would simply go back to sleep.## Re-tweeting the video, Ayushmann Khurrana wrote in Marathi: "Don't have words to thank you enough! Today I thank you with my whole heart for keeping us safe."## The Mumbai Police gave a witty reply in Marathi, with a reference to Ayushmann's films, "Vicky Donor" and "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan".## "'Thank you Vicky, we will do everything to keep the mumbaikars zyada saavdhan," they wrote.## Posting the video, Alia Bhatt agreed with Mumbai Police that it was best that we all stayed at home under the circumstances. "Thank you @MumbaiPolice Words cannot express our love and gratitude. Let's stay home for them. #TakingOnCorona."## That apart, Alia retweeted the reply her tweet elicited from Mumbai Police, that said: "Mumbaikars, we hope you all are 'Raazi' with this advise of Ms @aliaa08 to not venture out in any �Gully' unnecessarily and take care of �Dear Zindagi' for all!"## The video also seems to have touched a chord with Katrina Kaif, who also shared it on Instagram.## "Thank You Mumbai Police. Saluting the bravery and dedication of the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Police who are working so hard while we stay in the safety and comfort of our homes. Tremendous respect for all of you #DilSeThankYou #StayHome #MumbaiPolice #MaharashtraPolice," Katrina captioned the video.## Another actress who posted the same video on social media is Kriti Sanon. She took to her Twitter handle and posted the video with the message: "A Big Big Thank You to the #MumbaiPolice and people in the police forces of other cities... Even to doctors, nurses, hospital staff, essential goods vendors, BMC and all the ppl who have been out of their houses so that we can stay at home safely!! "## Every star had his own way to thank Mumbai Police, sharing the video. Tiger Shroff wrote: "So so grateful and lucky we are to have you all @MumbaiPolice. can't thank our real heroes enough."## For Ajay Devgn, his city's police force is second to none, anywhere in the world. "Dear Mumbai Police, you are known as one of the BEST in the world. Your contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic is unparalleled. Singham will wear his Khakee and stand beside you whenever you ask. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra @CPMumbaiPolice @MumbaiPolice"## Anil Kapoor expressed: "This is the time to heartily thank our Mumbai Police, who leaving their families at homes are working with their high spirit and untiring efforts for our security and safety... Thank you Mumbai Police... Love you Mumbai Police," he tweeted.## Posting under "#DilSeThankYou, Sonakshi Sinha chose to look at the perils of India's Corona Warriors. "While we are in the safety of our homes waiting for this phase to pass, doctors, healthcare workers, @MumbaiPolice, essential service providers, volunteers, and government officials are leading the battle against Corona. Here is a #DilSeThankYou to all of them for taking care of us," she wrote.## Sonakshi also put up a short video where she is seen ornately sketching the words "Dil Se Thank You" on a sketch pas and flashing it for the camera. Alanis Morissette's 1998 single "SIlence" plays in the background.## Meanwhile, Mumbai Police tweeted mentioning Abhishek Bachchan's character in the "Dhoom" franchise, ACP Jai Dixit, as an inspiration. Their official handle shared: "Just taking the 'ACP Jai Dixit' route to ensure that the city gets back to normalcy soon -- that too, with a 'Dhoom'! All Mumbaikars need to do is not make 'Dus Bahaane' about going out unnecessarily!"## Reacting to the tweet, Abhishek wrote: "Always in debt to them and the great work they do. @MumbaiPolice."## Throughout Thursday, Twitter kept buzzing with gratitude messages from B-Towners.## Raveena Tandon shared: "This is the time to thank our Mumbai police, who leave their families at home and are working with untiring efforts for our security and safety... Thank you @MumbaiPolice we are forever indebted."## Jackie Shroff expressed: "@MumbaiPolice @DGPMaharashtra Asli Stars #RealHeroes #OurPride."## Urvashi Rautela posted: "This is the time to heartily thank our @MumbaiPolice & Maharastra police, who leaving their families at homes are working with their high spirit and untiring efforts for our security and safety.. #ThankYouMumbaiPolice #ThankYouMaharasthraPolice."## Varun Sharma wrote: "We are safe sitting at home and the only thing we need to do is be home. Me my family is grateful and doesn't have words to thank Police, Doctors, NGOs, building guards and every person out there helping us be safe and storm this crisis. @MumbaiPolice @mybmc #DilSeThankYou."## Director-producer and chat show host Karan Johar expressed: "This is the time to show our gratitude to the ones who are working selflessly and tirelessly to keep us safe. Despite being away from their families and loved ones, they work with their spirits high to protect us. And for that, we are very grateful @mumbaipolice. Thank you!"## Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar wrote: "Salute & respect to our @MumbaiPolice #IndiaFightsCoronavirus."## Producer Ekta Kapoor shared: "Your undying spirit, determination and courage to keep our city safe is fantastic. Putting our safety before anything else, you guys are the pillars that are keeping us strong! ... Gratitude #ThankYouMumbaiPolice for all your hard work! #DilSeThankYou @MumbaiPolice."## Heartfelt wishes and encouraging notes have also kept pouring from netizens all over the country at #DilSeThankYou.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

When Maanvi Gagroo was asked to 'compromise'
2252 days ago
Bollywood

When Maanvi Gagroo was asked to 'compromise'

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) Bollywood actress Maanvi Gagroo has revealed a sordid casting couch experience that she once had to suffer, involving a web series maker.## The actress said the incident took place about a year ago, according to a report in indiaglitz.com. The website said that Maanvi got a call from the producer in question, with an offer for a role in an upcoming web series.## "A year ago, I got a call from a random unknown number. They were like, 'we're doing a web series and we wanted to cast you'. They told me the budget and I said, 'no, this is too less and why are we talking about the budget? Tell me the script. Only if I'm interested and you are interested in roping me, we can discuss money, dates and all'. So he's like 'we're asking people if they are okay with the budget.' When I said 'no, it's less', he tripled the budget just in his next sentence. He said, 'I can give you this much also, but you'll have to make a compromise'," Maanvi said, according to the website report.## The actress then said she would call the police and added: "This words 'compro', 'compromise' -- I was hearing it after seven or eight years. Suddenly, I don't know what triggered me, I started abusing him. I told him 'How dare you? I'm going to file a complaint with the police'. I was really mad because, in this pro-imposed #MeToo era, I was baffled how things like this still happen."## Maanvi appears in the popular Amazon Prime web series "Four More Shots Please". Earlier this year she was seen in the film "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan", and last year she had a starring role in "Ujda Chaman".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Neha Kakkar: We don't get paid for singing in Bollywood
2252 days ago
Bollywood

Neha Kakkar: We don't get paid for singing in Bollywood

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) She has belted out some of the biggest foot-tapping hits including "Garmi", "Aankh marey", "O saki", "Dilbar" and "Kala chashma" among many others, and enjoys as much popularity as any top singer in contemporary Bollywood. Yet, Neha Kakkar tells you, that singers hardly ever get paid in the film industry.## "We don't get paid for singing in Bollywood at all. What happens is they feel that if we give a superhit song, the singer will earn through shows," Neha told IANS.## The 31-year-old added: "I get a good amount from live concerts and everything, but Bollywood doesn't have this scene. To make us sing a song, they don't pay."## On the work front, Neha will feature in a song with rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh titled "Moscow suka". The number is a mix of Punjabi and Russian language.## The Russian vocals are given by Ekaterina Sizova.## On Thursday, Neha took to her Instagram stories, where she uploaded a string of pictures of herself along with her brother Tony Kakkar, whom she wished a happy birthday.## Tony and Neha have together collaborated for numbers like "Car main music", "Dheeme dheeme" and "Coca Cola".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Paresh Rawal: Was surprised to know my son has signed a film as an actor
2252 days ago
Bollywood

Paresh Rawal: Was surprised to know my son has signed a film as an actor

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) Paresh Rawal's son Aditya is all set to make his acting debut in the upcoming digital film "Bamfaad", but the National Award-winning veteran actor always thought that Rawal junior would be a writer because he had studied creative writing. The proud father, however, is emotional and overwhelmed seeing his son on-screen.## "The fact that he has signed a film as an actor came as a surprise to me. Aditya had an interest in writing. He is a very good scriptwriter. He writes dialogues and poetry, and I have seen how good he is as a writer. He went abroad and studied (writing), too. So naturally, I thought that he will write films. I did not know that the script he and the team of his film were working on over the past one month was actually his acting assignment! They were doing a workshop. But when I got to know it is his acting debut, I was surprised pleasantly!" Paresh told IANS.## He added, about the cast and crew of his son's debut project: "I know all these youngsters, and all of them are hard-working. Now that I know they put their heart and soul into 'Bamfaad', I really want people to love their work. My wish is not just for Aditya but for the whole team."## "Bamfaad" also features Vinay Varma and Jatin Sarma among others and is set to release on Friday on ZEE5.## While the trailer has received positive feedback, what was his reaction to watching his son on screen? "As a father, when I watched my son on screen, it was an emotional and overwhelming moment. I think he does not look like a debutant. His body language, expressions, dialogue delivery are all in control. He looks the part. He carried himself well as a character in the film. I appreciate that" Paresh replied.## "Usually in a debut film, we look for the potential in an actor. I think Aditya has it in him. As an actor, his basics are correct," said Paresh.## Does he see a younger version of himself in Aditya? "Not at all. Aditya's approach to a character and style of acting is way different from mine. He is methodical as a performer, I am spontaneous. These are two different styles of acting. I think we are also different as individuals."## So, what is his tip for Aditya? "I think we all emphasize hard work. What I told Aditya is, do your hard work as part of your preparation and unlearn it when you are acting. Audience tumahara hard work nahin, Ek film dekhne aa rahein hain (the audience is not coming to see your hard work, they are coming to watch a film). So, people should see the character in you and not Aditya, who is playing the character, or the hard work in between. It has to be seamless. You are an artist, not labor. Warna banawati lagta hai, darshak woh nahin dekhega (otherwise it seems fake, people won't watch it)," Paresh signed off.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Alaya F: Nepotism is a reality
2253 days ago
Bollywood

Alaya F: Nepotism is a reality

Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) Actress Alaya F, daughter of Pooja Bedi, says nepotism is a reality in Bollywood but insists she did not take her mother's help to secure her debut movie.## Alaya impressed all with her brilliant debut act in the recent "Jawaani Jaaneman". The film also starred Saif Ali Khan and Tabu.## "Nepotism is a reality and I am really glad to be spoken about. I think most people understand the idea of what nepotism is and sometimes it doesn't come out in the right way. If you are aware, you acknowledge it and work hard on it, everything is going to be okay," Alaya said.## "For instance, I did not take my mother's help while working or winning this opportunity. It was always me and my agency. I still do acknowledge and understand the fact that a name attached to you even when you choose to use it or not will give you an advantage," she added## Looking back at her decision to act, she said: "I trained myself for four years to be sure of what I was good at. Everything has been so new and exciting for me and I have met wonderful people along the way. My teachers have contributed hours to train me and made me worthy of being a part of this movie. Honestly, my journey has been very kind to me because of the people I have met along the way. As far as my aspirations go, I want to do a lot of different work. I want to do conventional and unconventional roles which will bring diversity in what I do."## The actress opened up about her journey in an episode of "Starry Nights GEN Y", which is aired in India on Zee Cafe.## On her future in acting, Alaya shared: "I put a lot of pressure on myself, more than anyone else. The main thing is, I love the pressure it doesn't bother me at all, because I have a high expectation from myself and for myself. I just really want to do good work and I would want to grow with every film I do. I want to do different things which again gets tricky. My main fears are letting myself down more than anything."## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Yami Gautam reveals qualities she wants in her partner
2253 days ago
Bollywood

Yami Gautam reveals qualities she wants in her partner

Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) "Good cook" and "good humour" are the two essential qualities that actress Yami Gautam wants in her life partner.## On Wednesday, Yami conducted an interactive session with fans on Instagram.## When one of her fans asked her about the qualities she wants in her partner, Yami said: "Great cook, super funny with a beautiful heart."## Yami also shared how she is spending time at home amid the COVID-19 lockdown.## "Yoga, cooking, reading, watching films/shows and missing my family in Chandigarh," she said.## On the film front, Yami will be next seen in "Ginny Weds Sunny", which also features Vikrant Massey.## Stay tuned...

Tanuj Virwani directs short film amid COVID-19 pandemic
2253 days ago
Bollywood

Tanuj Virwani directs short film amid COVID-19 pandemic

Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) Amid the coronavirus lockdown, actor Tanuj Virwani, who was last seen in "Inside Edge" and "Code M", has come up with a short film, titled "Urban Incarceration".## The film directed by Tanuj has been shot on his mobile.## "The goal of the short film is to let everyone know that be it a celebrity or a normal everyday office going person, we are all in this together and that is what makes our humanity's sad that it has taken such an extreme situation for us to realize that no one is impenetrable. Hopefully, if I can enlighten my fans along with entertaining them this would all be totally worth it. The message is simple . Don't let your paranoia get the better of you. Retain your sanity. This too shall pass," Tanuj said.## He also shared what went behind the making of the movie.## "I shot this on an iPhone 10. I used one of my helpers at home as a stand-in I would frame the shot, then make him rehearse and replicate it and eventually shoot it. I didn't write a script per se I just storyboarded the entire film and since it has no dialogue it was a matter of piecing it all together," Tanuj added.## Stay tuned...

Ali Fazal, Surbhi Jyoti star in Vishal Mishra's new song on past love
2253 days ago
Bollywood

Ali Fazal, Surbhi Jyoti star in Vishal Mishra's new song on past love

Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) Singer-composer Vishal Mishra has come up with a song that talks about his past love experience. Its music video sees Ali Fazal pairing up with Surbhi Jyoti.## Talking about the song titled "Aaj Bhi", Vishal told IANS: "It is a very personal experience for me. Also, it's the most universal thing that we are talking about. There are songs about break-up and love, but nobody talks about the time when you have a break-up and you move on in life. You reach somewhere else but you still miss that person, that memory or that moment."## "We might be married, successful, happy or with somebody or even single, but we still miss that little moment of understanding. I feel everybody has gone through love and lost love. This song will surely remind them of their beautiful moments. This is for that part of your heart which is not understood by anybody... This song will become a companion then," he added.## "Aaj Bhi" has been put together by Vishal, who has sung, composed and written it. Its music video stars Ali and Surbhi and is directed by Gurmmeet Singh of "Mirzapur" fame.## Ali shared: "Honestly, it's weird as I have never been this excited for a music video and I think this is because there is something very genuine about 'Aaj Bhi'. And Vishal with his soulful and power-packed voice has already taken it to a level where I thought I couldn't do anything, but I think somewhere it comes together beautifully with Gurmmeet's direction. We had to show two different lives, I think that was the biggest challenge for us as we had to bring out these small nuances that I was trying to focus on as it's difficult, to sum up, the entire life in a few minutes in a song."## "'Aaj Bhi' will remind us about that one ex who has meant a lot to us, and been there in our lives and made big differences. There is a huge part of us made up of these little fragments as we move along in life and I hope that people can have this conversation now that the song is finally out!" he added.## Commenting on the track, Surbhi said: "This is my first project with Ali and VYRL Originals and I was super excited and then I heard this song I was like ‘oh my God!', Vishal has sung it so beautifully and the composition of the song is so smooth and touching."## "I am grateful that I got to feature in 'Aaj Bhi' because when I heard it for the first time, I was in love with it. I really enjoyed working thoroughly with the team be it production, direction or be it, Ali. I got very lucky with this project because I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the response which I am pretty sure it will be positive, and people will love it!"## VYRL Originals is Universal Music India's platform dedicated to promoting and building the category and culture of non-film music in India.## Stay tuned...

Big B shares video expressing gratitude to supply warriors amid lockdown
2253 days ago
Bollywood

Big B shares video expressing gratitude to supply warriors amid lockdown

Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has taken to social media to express gratitude to the people associated with supplying and delivering necessary items, at a time when the entire nation is witnessing a lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.## The veteran actor shared a video on Twitter and wrote: "I express my sincere gratitude to all #SupplyWarriors who are risking their lives every day to serve the nation. We salute your determination towards keeping #India connected amidst lockdown. #IndiaFightsCorona".## In the video, Bachchan says in Hindi: "At a time when the entire nation is observing the lockdown in response to the Prime Minister's appeal and battling the war against coronavirus, there are among us a set of selfless supply warriors who are playing a crucial role in this battle. A major reason for the success of this lockdown is the selfless dedication of these supply warriors. I express my gratitude to them. These include truck drivers, our brothers and sisters associated with loading and unloading of goods, workers associated with railway racks, air-cargo and ports, Indian Air Force, pilots and crew members of Air India and all those people associated with supplying food items and medicines at this hour."## He also mentioned local shopkeepers, and delivery boys and girls. "I would also like to thank the local shopkeepers and our brothers and sisters who are delivering necessities like milk, fruits, vegetables, and other food items to our homes or helping us at the shops," he said.## The actor concluded with a message for citizens urging them to cooperate and stay at home. "It is because of these supply warriors that you all are getting necessary items during this time. I'd like to convey to the citizens that please rest assured because as long as these supply warriors are active, you will not face any problem in getting the necessities. Therefore, please don't hoard unnecessary items. Stay at home. Stay safe," he said.## Stay tuned...

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