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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.

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The greatest ode to Lord Ram
2281 days ago
TV

The greatest ode to Lord Ram

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) The 'Ramcharitmanas' is undoubtedly one of the greatest lyrical compositions in Hindi literature. Writing in the 16th century, Tulsidas chose to pen verses in Awadhi rather than Sanskrit, thus breaking with the literary tradition, and, importantly, making Lord Ram more relatable to the lay person.## Pavan K. Varma, author of the best-selling "Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker", has selected some of the most evocative stanzas from Ramcharitmanas, offering a succinct commentary for each that capture the very core of the original in "The Greatest Ode to Lord Ram: Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas; Selections & Commentaries," published by Westland.## While centering the philosophical aspect of the Ramcharitmanas -- the immutability of the soul over the merely corporeal; the transience of worldly pleasures; and the placing of wisdom above knowledge -- the book describes a devoted son, a loving sibling, a committed lover, an ideal ruler and also a human, almost bereft of divinity. Indeed, Ram is a god and a man; he is comprehensible.## "Tulsidas' seminal work employs a unique poetic linguistic tool that unravels even the most profound concepts with utmost simplicity, blending philosophy with breathtaking verse. Varma's compelling new selection and commentary achieve this effect by combining the aesthetics, romance, and imagery of the original work with the unadulterated spirituality that sparkles through the conduct of a great god," the publisher said in a statement.## Pavan K. Varma is a writer-diplomat and now in politics, where he was till recently an MP in the Rajya Sabha. He was an earlier advisor to the Chief Minister of Bihar, in the rank of a Cabinet minister.## He was Ambassador to several countries, and also Director of the Nehru Centre in London, official spokesperson of the MEA, and Press Secretary to the President of India. Author of over a dozen successful books, Pavan K. Varma was conferred an honorary doctoral degree for his contribution to the fields of diplomacy, literature, culture, and aesthetics by the University of Indianapolis in 2005.## He was also conferred the Druk Thuksey, Bhutan's highest civilian award, by the King of Bhutan in 2012. In 2018, on the instructions of the Shankaracharya of Sringeri, Varma was conferred an honorary doctorate by Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Parth Samthaan celebrates b'day on 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay' sets
2281 days ago
TV

Parth Samthaan celebrates b'day on 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay' sets

Mumbai, March 11 (IANS) Television actor Parth Samthaan, who turns 29 on Wednesday, celebrated on the sets of the popular series, 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay'.## Parth took to Instagram to share pictures of his birthday celebrations from the sets with co-stars Pooja Banerjee and Shubhaavi Choksey.## The video featured a money-themed cake with edible currency. Parth captioned the image: "Let's eat money instead of stealing... #bellaciao #birthdaycake #lacasadepapel With @poojabanerjeee and @shubhaavi."## "Kasautii Zindagii Kay" is a romantic drama TV series that features Parth Samthaan, Erica Fernandes, Hina Khan, Karan Singh Grover, and Aamna Sharif.## The show is a reboot of the 2001 hit series "Kasautii Zindagii Kay", which featured Shweta Tiwari, Cezzane Khan, Hiten Tejwani, Ronit Roy and Urvashi Dholakia.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Paras and I are just friends: Mahira Sharma
2282 days ago
TV

Paras and I are just friends: Mahira Sharma

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) Bigg Boss 13 fame contestants Paras Chhabra and Mahira Sharma made a lot of headlines due to their chemistry during their stint in the house. Many people assumed that they love each other, and even blamed their close bond for the breakup of Paras and her ex girlfriend Akanksha Puri. ## In an interview to IANS, Mahira completely denied the allegations and stated that she and Paras are just friends. ## "Dosti me sukoon hai.. Paras and I are just friends. I would not have allowed him to do a 'Swyamwar' show if there's something else between us. We share a great rapport and truely adore our friendship," Mahira said. ## They both have also collaborated for a new music video, titled "Baarish". Mahira has earlier featured in a lot of music videos. Her song "Lehanga", sung by Jass Manak, was a huge hit. ## "I love doing music videos. And they are trending a lot nowadays. I am always open to do music videos,"she added. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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I don't even know if I have a fan club: Varun Badola
2282 days ago
TV

I don't even know if I have a fan club: Varun Badola

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Actor Varun Badola has been audience's favourite since his hit TV show 'Koshish -- Ek Aashaa', which had premiered in 2000. But he isn't sure if he has fan clubs like other actors do. ## Fans of actors tend to like to see their idols playing similar type of characters. But Varun likes to challenge himself by taking up different acting projects. ## "At the cost of being boastful, I don't know if I even have a fan club. The point is that I am an actor. I decided to be an actor because I love the art. I do acting for my happiness. I try and play different characters. I can't act for my fans' happiness. Hope people understand this in the right context, because I love my work and I do justice to the characters I play," Varun told IANS. ## He is currently seen as Amber Sharma, who is a stubborn straight-forward person, in the show "Mere Dad Ki Dulhan". ## "People like seeing me on TV or films or wherever. If I start acting on their whims and fancies, things will go out of hands. Then you won't be able to do such kind of shows because they have decided in their minds that 'this person should be like this'. Once an actor plays Ram, people are unable to see him beyond Ram," said the "Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand" actor. ## He feels that as an actor, if you don't have the guts to get out of your comfort zone, "it ain't worth it". "Keep challenging yourself, try to put yourself in situations where you feel you don't have the solution to the problem. The fun is in that only," he added. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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Rupali Ganguly gives credit to husband for her comeback
2282 days ago
TV

Rupali Ganguly gives credit to husband for her comeback

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) Actress Rupali Ganguly, who is making her comeback on TV with the show "Anupama" after seven years, says her husband encouraged her to pursue her acting career all over again ##. "I would like to give huge credit to my husband for encouraging me to take up the show. I was quite happily mothering my child, so something had to be that exciting for me to step out of home. ## "When I was offered the show, my husband really pushed me and said, 'I will take care of our child and the house, you go ahead because this show will give you the chance to prove your worth as an actress'," she said. ## "My mother-in-law is 87 and it is not easy for a man to run a house when there are several responsibilities. Since it is a TV show, I am shooting for 12 to 13 hours. Staying away from my baby for so long is only possible if I know that my home and my baby are in good hands. I think by taking the whole responsibility, he made me fall in love with him again," she added. ## "Anupama" is a remake of the Bengali TV series "Sreemoyee". The story revolves around a housewife played by Rupali. Directed by Rajan Shahi, the show will be aired from March 16 on Star Plus. ## According to the actress, she is more nervous than ever. ## "There is an insane amount of pressure and no one is putting that on me, I am putting it on myself. I have got everything I wanted, people put so much faith on me, so I have to deliver my best, really. Now I feel more nervous than that of a newcomer. I do not think I felt the pressure on my debut show. I just hope and pray that my passion and enthusiasm translate on-screen," she said. ## For more and the latest news about TV, stay tuned to us.

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GoT star Jack Gleeson to be back on TV with comedy show
2282 days ago
TV

GoT star Jack Gleeson to be back on TV with comedy show

Los Angeles, March 10 (IANS) Actor Jack Gleeson, best known for the role of the despicable King Joffrey in the globally popular fantasy series 'Game of Thrones', is all set to make his return to television after a six-year break.## Gleeson has been announced among the cast members for "Out of Her Mind", a BBC comedy from comedian Sara Pascoe which has Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on board as executive producers, reports variety.com.## The news of Gleeson's casting comes after he had previously hinted that he might give up acting as a career.## The series explores heartbreak, family issues and how to survive them both. The show will look to subvert the traditional sitcom format by combining eccentric characters, animation, and scientific explanation.## "'Out Of Her Mind' is a direct expression of my mind. We've turned my brain into a theme-park, and everyone's invited," said Pascoe, adding: "The cast are incredible and I can't wait for people to see what we've made."## Gleeson's screen credits include a cameo in "Batman Begins". On TV front, his four-season run as Joffrey, which ended in spectacularly poisonous fashion, is his only credit.## "Out of Her Mind" also stars Juliet Stevenson, Fiona Button, Cariad Lloyd, Adrian Edmondson, Navin Chowdhry, Sean Gilder, Tom Stuart, Scroobius Pip, Jumayn Hunter, Sheila Reid, Cash Holland, Lorraine Ashbourne, and Cian Barry.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Sidharth Shukla, Shehnaz Gill skip 'Bigg Boss' reunion party
2282 days ago
TV

Sidharth Shukla, Shehnaz Gill skip 'Bigg Boss' reunion party

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) 'Bigg Boss 13' contestants including Paras Chhabra, Mahira Sharma, Arti Singh, Vishal Aditya Singh, and Shefali Jariwala recently had a fun reunion and they all partied together.## The get together was hosted by Shefali and her husband and actor Parag Tyagi. Vikas Gupta and Hindustani Bhau also joined the gang for a fun night out. However, Sidharth Shukla, Shehnaz Gill, Asim Riaz, Himanshi Khurana, Rashami Desai, and Devoleena Bhattacharjee seemed to be conspicuous by their absence from the reunion party.## Everyone seems to be having a gala time dancing and partying the night away. Arti took to her Instagram to share moments from the reunion.## "If these pics look fun, all I can say is that they are only a fraction of the madness that happened when some of us who were recently locked up together met!!! Thanks, Shefali for an amazing get together," Arti wrote along with the pictures.## Several videos from the night were shared by Mahira and Vishal. They were not fighting or arguing with each other, instead were having fun, pulling each other's leg and dancing.## This year, Sidharth emerged as the winner of "Bigg Boss 13".## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Paras Chhabra defends against showdown with Jay Bhanushali
2283 days ago
TV

Paras Chhabra defends against showdown with Jay Bhanushali

Mumbai, March 9 (IANS) 'Bigg Boss 13' contestant Paras Chhabra has snubbed allegations that Jay Bhanushali levelled on him on the Colors TV show, 'Mujhse Shaadi Karoge'.## The promo of an upcoming episode shows Paras and Jay, who is a guest on the show, engaged in a heated argument, over how he feels for the contestants of the reality wedding show.## "It is a promo and it doesn't depict the entire story. It is just a part of an episode which will air soon. Sometimes what you see and hear is not the complete story," said Paras, about how he has been projected in the promo.## He further elaborated: "I have immense respect for women, I will never pass demeaning comments which can hurtful. That's not my nature. Understanding five women with cameras around you is not easy. I believe in loyalty & I have proved it in Bigg Boss. I request people not to make assumptions about me or the episode, please watch to know the truth."## Paras has blamed Jay for roasting him and defaming him.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Pavitra Punia urges not to use harmful colours on Holi
2284 days ago
TV

Pavitra Punia urges not to use harmful colours on Holi

Mumbai, March 8 (IANS) As Holi is around the corner, actress Pavitra Punia has a special message for her fans. She urged them to stop using chemical-based colours.## "I feel it is a festival when families come together and create memories for life. Like always, I plan to play Holi this year too but I don't like wasting water. So, I plan to stick to natural gulaal, great food and the best company of my friends.## "I urge all my fans and the viewers of Baalveer Returns to enjoy the most during Holi by making natural Gulaal their best friends and completely stop the use of harmful chemical colours and use water wisely," she said.## Pavitra is currently playing the role of Timnasa in Sony SAB's "Baalveer Returns".## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Kratika Sengar urges parents to allow girls to follow their dreams
2285 days ago
TV

Kratika Sengar urges parents to allow girls to follow their dreams

Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) Popular television actress Kratika Sengar says that every girl should get the opportunity to follow their dream.## "It's an absolute honour to receive the award and I'm truly humbled for being able to inspire other women. I myself have been inspired by quite a few strong women growing up. And to the young parents today, I would like to request you, to please allow your girls to study and follow their dreams so that tomorrow they can aspire to inspire others."## The actress is known for her performances in shows like "Jhansi Ki Rani", "Punarvivah", "Service Wali Bahu" and "Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki" to name a few.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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Kirti Kulhari on Women's Day: Society should learn the meaning of these days
2285 days ago
TV

Kirti Kulhari on Women's Day: Society should learn the meaning of these days

Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) Actress Kirti Kulhari, while opening up on the concept of Women's Day, said that she isn't personally a fan of allotting a single day in a year to a cause, but is happy that awareness about crimes against women is finally a reality.## "I am personally not a big fan of any of these days that are celebrated as a particular day in the whole year. I wish we learn to celebrate every single day. I think it will be great if we as a society strive towards understanding the real meaning of these days and applying them in our lives," Kirti told IANS.## She feels the change has finally started, whereby we are much more aware as citizens and the laws have become stricter. However, the actress adds that children should be guided right from their growing-up years so that they get a sense of what is right and what is wrong.## "I think these crimes have been happening around us since a very long time but we never came to know about it. Now there is much more awareness among people, the law is stricter, and social media has helped in creating movements out of incidents that have happened. The government is aware of the fact that safety for all is of utmost importance. Everyone is answerable and I think that's a good space to be in," added Kirti.## The "Mission Mangal" actress further said: "While we are working on other aspects to control all this, how a child has been raised, in what environment, with what perspectives and awareness, are some major factors. This is where it all starts and that's where it needs to be dealt with, in every household -- not by telling the child what's to be done but by guiding them, and through parental actions and behavior. Feed the child the right ideas and I think that's the deeper change that we are looking at."## Kirti concluded with her message on Women's Day. "On women's day, I want to tell society that although it seems that sometimes women are overdoing it, trust me they are not. Only if we all had information about what all they have been through, it just seems fair that all of us are waking up and fighting for our own rights. I think we all should open ourselves to the idea of what 'equality' means to so many women. Just providing this faith in your own house will mean so much to the women in your lives."## "Women, in general, are nurturers, they will never leave your side, they will love you and care about you, but you also need to respect their space, freedom, and equality, so that they flourish, nurture their own selves and reach the highest potential," she concluded.## International Women's Day is on March 8.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Sanjay Gagnani is back on 'Kundali Bhagya'
2285 days ago
TV

Sanjay Gagnani is back on 'Kundali Bhagya'

Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) Actor Sanjay Gagnani had been away from 'Kundali Bhagya' for a while. He is now back on the show.## His character Prithvi Malhotra's sudden disappearance from the Ekta Kapoor show had left many wondering about Sanjay's absence.## "It was a sudden break from the show because the content demanded me to be off-track for a couple of months. If I would have been there then the story wouldn't have moved forward because everyone knows that Prithvi Malhotra can do anything and everything," he said.## "The content did not demand his presence that is why he was away from the show for a couple of months. I miss being part of 'Kundali Bhagya' because I have been there in the show for more than two and a half years now. It's great to be back," added the actor, who is also seen in Ekta's other production "Naagin".## Sanjay asserts that his character's entry is at the most opportune moment.## "Prithvi enters the show during the Holi celebration when everyone is having fun and that's when the unpredictable happens - the earthquake or volcano called Prithvi Malhotra enters. So exactly at the moment and in a kind of scenario when no character, no viewer or in a way at a point where no one expected, Prithvi Malhotra is back on the show," he said.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

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