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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

Vicky Kaushal's first crush was Madhuri Dixit
2260 days ago
Bollywood

Vicky Kaushal's first crush was Madhuri Dixit

Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) Amid the lockdown due to the outbreak of coronavirus, actor Vicky Kaushal indulged in a chat with his fans on social media and shared that his first crush was Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit-Nene.## Vicky on Wednesday took to his Instagram stories to treat his fans with a question-answer session.## A user asked the actor: "Who was your first crush in Bollywood"## The actor along with the question shared a photograph of himself along with Madhuri.## Another user questioned him about his most challenging film to date.## Vicky shared the poster of "Raman Raghav 2.0".## How's Vicky killing his time, one asked.## "Spending time with family, watching movies and shows, working out, occasionally yoga with mom, video calls with friends," he said.## Asked about his views about quarantine, Vicky said: "The most important thing to do right now! Be home. Be safe."## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Anushka Sharma: Everybody is unique
2260 days ago
Bollywood

Anushka Sharma: Everybody is unique

Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) Actress Anushka Sharma on Thursday conducted an interactive session with her fans. She asked her followers to share one habit which they all have developed in themselves amidst the coronavirus lockdown.## When one social media user said that he/she is good at nothing, the "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" actress gave the follower meaningful advice.## "Everybody is unique and good for something (lots of things). Don't compare yourself and ruin your peace," Anushka said.## Anushka also shared how important is to learn lessons from the ongoing health crises.## "We gotta learn... warna aur phatke padenge!," she added.## Before wrapping the session, Anushka thanked her followers to "share the thoughts" with her.## "I am happy to know so many are making the most of this and being strong. Happiest knowing you all are connecting with yourselves on a deeper level. Let's stay home, stay safe and stay strong," she concluded.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Hrithik Roshan: Trying new things to keep kids engaged
2260 days ago
Bollywood

Hrithik Roshan: Trying new things to keep kids engaged

Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan says he is ensuring his children understand the isolation rules while trying to find new ways to keep them engaged during the lockdown.## "While making sure my kids are adhering to all isolation rules and getting a deep understanding of the situation and responsibilities, I'm also trying many new things to keep them engaged during this lockdown," Hrithik said.## The actor is excited about the launch of Disney Plus (Disney+) in India and is looking forward to the Disney+ Hotstar Red Carpet premiere on Thursday with "The Lion King".## Hrithik shares two sons -- Hrehaan and Hridhaan -- with former wife Sussanne Khan.## The actor is excited about the launch of Disney Plus (Disney+) in India and is looking forward to the Disney+ Hotstar Red Carpet premiere on Thursday with "The Lion King".## "Honestly ‘Lion King' couldn't have come at a better time. The three of us are blocking our seats on the couch to catch the special red carpet premiere of ‘Lion King'. I'm looking forward to spending more quality time with my kids while interacting with folks online – it's going to be fun," he added.## The special event will be an interactive experience where users will be able to watch the grand premiere of "The Lion King" (in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu) along with their favorite celebrities -- Hrithik, Tiger Shroff, Katrina Kaif, Sonam Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Shahid Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Rana Duggabatti, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet, and Dulquer Salman.## Talking about the premiere, Tiger said: "As a child, ‘Lion King' was my go-to movie - I would often picture my father as Mufasa and I was Simba… In a time of lockdown, I hope people find inspiration and joy in little moments of the movie."## To this, Shraddha added: "‘Lion King' has been amongst my favorites and I cannot wait to watch the movie on with the rest of India. I'm also waiting to hear Mufasa's life lessons in Shah Rukh Khan's voice and what makes it even better is getting to watch it virtually with my fans while practicing social distancing at home."## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Writing is 'a little box of interest' for actor Mukul Dev
2260 days ago
Bollywood

Writing is 'a little box of interest' for actor Mukul Dev

Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) Actor Mukul Dev is receiving a lot of praise for his performance as a terrorist mastermind in the web series "State Of Siege: 26/11". He is also the man who penned the story of the Rajkummar Rao-starrer "Omerta" that released in 2018. Mukul says he does not feel the pressure of finding a balance between the two callings, as writing is just a "passion".## "I am an actor who also writes. I love reading so I read a lot of books. The interest in writing has developed recently. When I was writing the story of 'Omerta' I was not writing it to make a film or something. But when a filmmaker like Hansal Mehta picked up my story and turned it into a film, I thought that now I can consider myself as a legitimate writer. Having said that I am an actor and I will remain that. Writing is a little box of interest that I take out once in a while," Mukul Dev told IANS.## "State Of Siege: 26/11", directed by Matthew Leutwyler, has Mukul playing Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. The show also features Arjan Bajwa, Arjun Bijlani, Vivek Dahiya, Sid Makkar, Tara Alisha Berry, Khalida Jaan, Jyoti Gauba, Roshni Sahota, Suzanne Bernert, Naren Kumar and Jason Shah.## "Since I am an actor and am shooting most of the time, I have time in between shots and I keep writing then. I am surrounded by people who are filmmakers, producers, and actors. So once in a while, they also inquire if I have a story or something. If they like it, they eventually make something out of it. But that is a time-consuming process and I see no reason to stop acting for my writing. Writing is a passion," he shared.## So, what is his favorite topic to write about? "I like to write on anything that is intriguing, unheard of -- something that is offbeat. I used to love reading Richard Bach. So yeah, writing will happen side by side," he replied.## "State Of Siege: 26/11" is streaming on ZEE5.## Stay tuned...

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Pankaj Tripathi turns writer
2260 days ago
Bollywood

Pankaj Tripathi turns writer

Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) Actor Pankaj Tripathi has experimented with acting on different platforms. Now the quarantine time has brought out the writer in him.## Due to the unexpected break from work owing to the coronavirus outbreak, the actor has now been at his home over the past week.## "Actors are often closely associated with writing, even in the projects that they are just acting in. As artistes, we communicate to the audience what the writer is trying to tell through his body language, his ability to emote on screen," said Pankaj.## "Writing is a creative extension of me and I am not doing it with the motive of writing a screenplay really. I started with penning down my thoughts for the sake of keeping my skills sharpened. Writing and acting are interconnected for me. I am writing to fulfill my own creative quest. Let me see how the finished product turns out and if it is my satisfaction, I will figure out what I want to do with it," he added.## On the acting front, he has films like "Ludo" and "Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl" in his kitty.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Armaan Malik: Whoever I am today is because of Bollywood music
2261 days ago
Bollywood

Armaan Malik: Whoever I am today is because of Bollywood music

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Singer Armaan Malik, who launched an English song titled "Control" last month, says he hasn't forgotten his Bollywood roots.## "I've always wanted to sing in English, but Bollywood music made me Armaan Malik. Whoever I am today is because of Bollywood music. I've sung more than 300 songs - across languages!" said Armaan.## The "Bol do na zara" hitmaker calls himself "a bit of a perfectionist".## "I feel every piece of work that I have to do needs to be a masterpiece. But sometimes, when I'm very convinced with a song, it's never worked. We have to bridge what we think is right and what the market thinks is right," he said.## He also shared that there was a time in his life when he had to experience "one dark patch".## "There came this one dark patch in the last two years, I broke down and told my dad, 'listen, I hate the songs I've sung'" said the young singer, who is the son of composer Daboo Malik.## Armaan comes from a family of musicians, but he drew inspiration from outside as well.## "The person who really inspired me was Sonu Nigam when I was growing up. Arijit Singh has inspired me with the versatility that he has," he said.## He opened up about music and more on "Off Script with Salil", a Spotify Original Podcast, which has Salil Acharya chatting up with celebrities about life and more.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Ajay Devgn gives Rs 51 lakh for industry workers amid COVID-19 crisis
2261 days ago
Bollywood

Ajay Devgn gives Rs 51 lakh for industry workers amid COVID-19 crisis

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Actor Ajay Devgn will be donating Rs 51 lakh to Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) to aid daily wage film workers, who have been left without jobs due to the lockdown amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.## Confirming the news, Ashok Dubey, general secretary of FWICE, said: "Ajay Devgn has pledged to donate Rs 51 lakh to FWICE."## "I'm glad that people like Ajay and Rohit (Shetty) are helping the daily wage workers who need it the most during the downtime. We have received more enquiries from others wanting to provide monetary help. We are providing them the account details. I hope more and more people come forward to help daily wage workers," Dubey added.## FWICE is leaving no stone unturned to help its more than five lakh worker-members.## Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was the first industry bigwig who took the initiative to help the 25,000-odd daily wage workers of the film industry whose lives have been affected owing to the lockdown.## Filmmaker Rohit Shetty subsequently donated Rs 51 lakh to FWICE. Frames Production Company and Shashi Sumit Productions have also provided ration and money for the cause. FWICE will utilize all the donated money to help its daily wage workers like junior artists, stunt artists, light men, and spot boys amongst others.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Lockdown diaries: Elli AvrRam cheers up spirits with cool dance video
2261 days ago
Bollywood

Lockdown diaries: Elli AvrRam cheers up spirits with cool dance video

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) To lighten up the mood of people amid the coronavirus pandemic, actress Elli AvrRam took to social media to share a throwback video flaunting her dancing skills.## In the minute-long video, Elli is seen grooving to JP Saxe's song "If the world was ending".## "If... cause the time is right... I wasn't going to upload it because I wanted to clean it up more, but hey! Why wait for tomorrow when all we have at this particular time is," she captioned the video.## Elli also shared that she got a lot of bruises while performing on the track.## "PS... the number of bruises/cuts I got as we shot this lol... when the floor ain't polished it's not a pleasant feeling folk," she added.## Elli was seen earlier this year in Mohit Suri's film "Malang".## Stay tuned...

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'Tera ban jaunga' fame singer Akhil Sachdeva fulfills ailing fan's wish
2261 days ago
Bollywood

'Tera ban jaunga' fame singer Akhil Sachdeva fulfills ailing fan's wish

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Despite the coronavirus lockdown, singer Akhil Sachdeva, who is best known for his songs "Sun mere Humsafar" ("Badrinath Ki Dulhania") and "Tera ban jaunga" ("Kabir Singh"), has managed to spread a smile on an ailing fan's face.## Akhil on Wednesday took to Instagram and posted a video that shows him singing "Tera ban jaunga" and playing the guitar, sharing that the fan had requested him to sing for him and that too with a smiling face.## "One of my fans since the last 10 years is now going through a major Illness from last year and sent me a message that he wanted me to sing this one with a smile on my face. So here I am smiling throughout and singing this and I hope I make you feel better in your toughest of times. God bless you always and may you get out of this phase sooner and stay healthy forever," Akhil wrote.## Apart from singing in films, Akhil has recorded for OTT shows such as "Dil Hi Toh Hai 3" and "Broken But Beautiful 2".## Stay tuned...

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'F.A.L.T.U' team celebrates nine years with fun virtual reunion
2261 days ago
Bollywood

'F.A.L.T.U' team celebrates nine years with fun virtual reunion

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Actors Jackky Bhagnani, Riteish Deshmukh and Puja Gupta along with director Remo D'Souza celebrated nine years of their film "F.A.L.T.U" by having a virtual reunion.## The comedy film, which had hit songs like "Chaar baj gaye" and "Le jaa tu mujhe", had released on April 1, 2011.## The Pooja Entertainment's film followed four friends who almost fail their examinations and take to desperate measures to save their dismal futures.## Jackky, Riteish, Remo, and Puja got together on a social media live, reminiscing about the film and its success.## "It was wonderful to connect with everyone, especially in the current lockdown situation. It brought back a lot of fond memories. I think 'F.A.L.T.U' is a film that is relevant even today and connects with a large number of youngsters," Jackky said after the online session on Wednesday.## Remo, who had helmed the movie, recalled: "Back in 2011, we were able to create magic with a film like 'F.A.L.T.U'. I think the very fact that it can connect with youth today as well as testimony to its storytelling and its relevance as a concept."## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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AR Rahman: Not the time to cause chaos by congregating in religious places
2261 days ago
Bollywood

AR Rahman: Not the time to cause chaos by congregating in religious places

New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman on Wednesday took to social media to make an appeal to all his fans that they must listen to the government's advice and maintain self-isolation, pointing out that "this is not the time to cause chaos by congregating in religious places".## Rahman's appeal comes in the wake of the news that the Islamic missionary movement Tablighi Jamaat held a congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area defying authority guidelines in mid-March, which has resulted in a rapid spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus all over the country.## The musician in his Twitter appeal also thanked "the doctors, nurses, and all the staff working, in hospitals and clinics all across India, for their bravery and selflessness". He also appealed for unity among all people and spoke of the beauty of humanity and spirituality.## Rahman wrote this on his official Twitter handle @arrahman:## "Dear Friends, This message is to thank the doctors, nurses, and all the staff working, in hospitals and clinics all across India, for their bravery and selflessness. It fills one's heart to see how ready they are to deal with this most dreadful pandemic. They risk their lives to save ours.## "It's time to forget our differences and unite against this invisible enemy that has turned the world upside down. It's time to bring the beauty of humanity and spirituality into action. Help our neighbors, senior citizens, the underprivileged and migrant workers.## "God is inside your heart (the most sacred shrine), so this is not the time to cause chaos by congregating in religious places. Listen to the government's advice. Self-isolation for a few weeks may give you many more years. Do not spread the virus and cause harm to fellow humans. This disease does not even warn you that you are a carrier, so don't assume you are not infected. This is not the time to spread false rumors and cause more anxiety and panic.## "Let's be kind and thoughtful, the lives of many millions are in our hands."## Rahman's appeal received ready to support on Twitter by many of his followers, including actress Shraddha Kapoor who used the platform to encourage people to contribute generously in the various COVID-19 funds.## "Your small contribution is also important to fight. Donate to poor people directly or donate to CM Relief Fund or PM Relief Fund," tweeted @shraddhakapooro.## Fans thanked Rahman, and appreciate his gesture.## "Let's fight this battle together! But by social distancing," wrote @amGSKsakthi.## "Thanks a lot, Sir for spreading positivity," tweeted @keerthi94rsk.## Stay tuned...

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Priyanka Chopra to donate $100,000 to women doing their bit in health crisis
2261 days ago
Bollywood

Priyanka Chopra to donate $100,000 to women doing their bit in health crisis

Los Angeles, April 1 (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas has decided to donate $100,000 along with the organization BON V!V Spiked Seltzer to the women out there who are working for the betterment of society amid the coronavirus pandemic.## Taking to her Instagram Story, Priyanka revealed that she was supposed to launch a promotional campaign with the brand in the next few weeks, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, she decided to halt the plan. She will now use the resources for the four women who are in need.## She posted a video in which is seen requesting her users to nominate such women.## "Our worlds changed quickly, and needless to say, we couldn't go forward with our original plans to launch this campaign. Each week I'll go live with @BONVIVSeltzer to share the stories of four women who are overcoming the struggles of our new realities in their own powerful way. If you know a woman we should highlight, visit the link in my bio for the next steps. We are all in this together. #togetherwomenrise #partner," Priyanka wrote.## The actress also issued a statement, which read: "We will be donating $100,000 in total to women who are rising above everything during this crisis. If you know a woman we should highlight, share her story with us, whether she is in the service industry, from a large business, small business owner, or first responders on the front lines. We want to commemorate her. #TogetherWomenRise."## Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas have also donated to organizations like the PM-CARES Fund, Unicef, Feeding America, and Goonj.## Stay tuned...

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