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IANS News

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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

Himanshu Malhotra: We need to be mentally strong at the moment
2264 days ago
Bollywood

Himanshu Malhotra: We need to be mentally strong at the moment

Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) As the nation struggles to keep indoors, actor Himanshu Malhotra says that its important to be mentally strong to be able to stay happy during this quarantine period.## "I think, mentally, you have to be slightly tough because I think it is very difficult for mankind to not to step out. We are so used to stepping out for work, for meetings, for screen tests, for everything in general. As soon as we are told that we cannot do anything, we feel bound, we feel restless but slowly and steadily our body and mind will adopt it," Himanshu said.## "This is the best thing about our body and mind, but we need to give it time. Until that, the time has come to just be calm, maintain your balance amidst the emergency, chaos and things that are happening outside," he added.## The actor is trying to align himself with the situation as well.## "I am following the 'stillness' if people can understand this. I am trying to talk slightly less and take a moment as it comes. I am also trying not to think too much about the future like what is going to happen after 21 days or a month later etc. I am absolutely clueless about it," he said.## "But I am trying to welcome the future with whatever happens with patience and courage, which is also written in the Bhagwat Gita. I try to follow it sincerely because this helps to forget fear. We should not lose our present thinking about the future. Let's encourage and welcome the future with patience and courage that God has given us the powers and instinct to follow," he added.## The "Nach Baliye 7" winner feels that every problem will find its solution on its own.## "Time is a very great healer and I have experienced that and I am sure many of us would feel the same. So do not panic, don't feel restless and give some time to everything, it will heal itself," he said.## Reading can be a good way to keep yourself busy and motivated, said Himanshu.## "I am reading a book called 'Sapiens'. It's a beautiful book by the writer Yuval Noah. It is a wonderful book which talks about the emergence of humankind and it also talks about how everything is fiction, whether it is money, religion, culture or region," he said.## In fact, he feels that his initiative Share And Grow will help people to self-reflect and grow.## "This is definitely a testing time. On the behalf of Share And Grow, what I feel is this is the time people can use for self-reflection, self-understanding and analyse that we have been mindlessly running behind something, in order to achieve something, which may not be so fulfilling in the end," he said.## "I have always said that running is important in life but at times to stay back and stop is also very important," he added.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

'Gully Boy' sweeps Critics' Choice Film Awards
2265 days ago
Bollywood

'Gully Boy' sweeps Critics' Choice Film Awards

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar's "Gully Boy" was a favourite at Critics' Choice Film Awards this year.## In the Hindi category, Ranveer Singh picked up Best Actor (Male) for his role in the film that saw him showcasing his rapping skills. The Best Director award went to Zoya Akhtar for the "Gully Boy", which also the Best Film honour.## The Best Actor (Female) was given to Geetika Vidya Ohlyan for "Soni". Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki won the Best Writing award for "Article 15".## Critics' Choice Film Awards winners were announced on Saturday. The event that was supposed to be held on March 14 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The team of Critics Choice Film Awards then decided to announce the winners digitally.## There were awards for Best Film, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Best Director and Best Writing for releases in Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and Gujarati languages, too.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Darshan Raval's 'Bhula Dunga' with #SidNaaz crosses over 30 mn views
2265 days ago
Song

Darshan Raval's 'Bhula Dunga' with #SidNaaz crosses over 30 mn views

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) Singer-composer Darshan Raval's latest track "Bhula Dunga", which has "Bigg Boss" stars Sidharth Shukla and Shehnaaz Gill featuring in the video, has crossed over 30 million views in just a few days of its release.## "My social media account is flooded with messages since the release of the song. We knew the song would resonate with the audience," said Darshan.## The song was released on March 24 on Indie Music Label's official YouTube channel.## Commenting on the huge success, Naushad Khan, MD, Indie Music Label, said: "'Bhula Dunga' has created history in just hours after its release. The song is receiving a lot of love from the fans from all over the world and we are really glad with the response we have received so far. Gaining 2 million ‘likes' on YouTube and receiving such a huge amount of comments in just a short span of time is a record itself."## The romantic song's video showcases the sizzling chemistry between Sidharth and Shehnaaz, who made a lot of headlines for their close bond in the "Bigg Boss 13" house.## After the song's release, fans, who fondly call Sidharth and Shehnaaz as "Sidnaz", showered praises and compliments on them.## For more and latest news about You Tube, stay tuned with us.

Akshay Kumar donates Rs 25 crore to PM CARES Fund
2265 days ago
Bollywood

Akshay Kumar donates Rs 25 crore to PM CARES Fund

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has donated Rs 25 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative PM CARES Fund to lend support to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic. ## Akshay wrote on Twitter: "This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to Narendra Modi ji's PM-CARES Fund. Let's save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai." ## Earlier, the government set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, or the PM CARES Fund, with the objective of dealing with emergency situations such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Contributors to the fund will enjoy tax benefits, it has been announced. ## "People from all walks of life expressed their desire to donate to India's war against COVID-19. Respecting that spirit, the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund has been constituted. This will go a long way in creating a healthier India," PM Modi announced in a tweet on Saturday. ## The Prime Minister is the chairman of the trust that includes the home minister, the finance minister the defence minister ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

Actress Shikha turns nurse to fight against COVID-19
2265 days ago
Bollywood

Actress Shikha turns nurse to fight against COVID-19

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) Actress Shikha Malhotra, who worked with Sanjay Mishra in "Kaanchli Life in a Slough", is currently working as a volunteer at a hospital in Mumbai to fight against coronavirus.## For the uninitiated, Shikha has a degree in nursing from Delhi's Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safrdarjung Hospital.## Taking to her Instagram account, Shikha wrote: "For those who don't know that I am a #Registered #BscHonoursNurse from Vardhaman Mahavir Medical and #SafdarjungHospital Spending my five years.## "So as you all have always appreciated my efforts my achievements this time need all of your support to #serve the #nation once again and this time I've decided to join the hospital in #mumbai for #covid19 #crisis. Always there to serve the country as a #Nurse as a #entertainer wherever however I can need your blessings please be at home be safe and support the government."## Along with it, Shikha also posted a picture that shows her working at the Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Hospital in Jogeshwari, Mumbai. She can be seen wearing a mask and holding a stethoscope.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Rapper Scarface on living with coronavirus
2265 days ago
Hollywood

Rapper Scarface on living with coronavirus

Los Angeles, March 28 (IANS) Rapper Scarface has opened up about living with the novel coronavirus, saying he is "scared to death".## In an interview with rapper Ludacris on Instagram Live, Scarface gave an emotional account of his time in isolation since testing positive for the coronavirus, reports variety.com.## "I'm scared to death," said Scarface, whose real name is Brad Jordan.## Earlier this week, Scarface revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19. The Houston native has been quarantined for three weeks in his house with no physical contact outside. He first experienced symptoms like a lack of taste and smell.## "I ain't never felt like this… vulnerable," he said, adding: "For the first time in my life, I feel like I was not in control of what was about to happen."## Scarface emphasised on the need for all to stay isolated. "Don't do it," he cautioned to the young people who want to socialize.## "I know we feel invincible at times," he said.## Talking about his experience, Scarface said: "If God was trying to get my attention, he now has my undivided attention."## To pass the time, Scarface said he was watching "All-American" on Netflix and catching up with friends, family, and peers like Ice-T and Ice Cube.## Ludacris asked a range of questions about daily life to which Scarface hesitated to answer. He assured anyone watching that he had barely left his bedroom never mind allowing any outside people or products into his home.## Stay tuned...

Shirley Setia: I get nervous and scared while talking to strangers
2265 days ago
Bollywood

Shirley Setia: I get nervous and scared while talking to strangers

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) New Zealand-based singer-actress Shirley Setia is all set to make her Bollywood debut this year. But before that, she has already just featured in the Netflix film, "Maska".## In the movie, Shirley plays a blogger. Talking about her character, the actress said: "My character's name is Persis. She is a very strong-headed girl. She is independent. She is very passionate about stories and finding out people's stories. She is a blogger. So you will always see her with a camera and a voice recorder."## "She talks to people and writes about them in her blog. She is making a new book about Irani cafes and their culture, about the people related to the Irani cafes. Not just the people who own them but also the regular customers who have a lot of memories with such cafes. That's how she meets Rumi (played by Prit Kamani) and the story unfolds," said Shirley sharing further details about the story.## The actress then shared her similarities with her own screen character. When quizzed about the same, Shirley thought for a while and said: "Some things I relate to like her passion for stories. I've always been very passionate about stories even when I was just a singer. I still sing. When you are writing a song, you want to put a story in it which the audience and your fans can relate to. So, I related to her passion for stories. There are some aspects of her character which I might not absolutely agree with. I guess that's where we differ. But both of us are quite independent and strong-headed. We know what we want to do, how we want to focus on things."## Being an introvert person, it was not easy to play a blogger, especially because she gets nervous and scared while talking to strangers revealed the newcomer. She said: "It was a little difficult because I am an introvert person. When you are a blogger, you have to go to random people, talk to them, take their pictures, you have to be out of your comfort zone. This was very difficult for me because I get very scared and nervous while talking to strangers."## However, things became easier after a few workshops. "Our director did workshops with us and put me in such a situation that I had to go talk to random people as Persis and ask them their stories. It was unexpected but helped me understand the mindset of the character. She is free and doesn't care about what people think of her. She does what she feels is right. I wish I could also be like that," expressed Shirley.## Even though brought up in New Zealand, the 24-year-old actress speaks fluent Hindi. Talking about the same, she revealed: "We speak in Hindi at home. Also, when I was in high school, I used to work as a radio jockey in a Hindi radio station in New Zealand."## On the work front, Shirley is set to make her Bollywood debut with Sabbir Khan's "Nikamma" where she stars alongside Shilpa Shetty and Abhimanyu Dassani.## Meanwhile, her Netflix debut film "Maska" premiered yesterday. The Neeraj Udhwani directorial also stars Manisha Koirala, Javed Jaffrey and Prit Kamani in key roles.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Mrunal Thakur shares benefits of missing work amid COVID-19
2265 days ago
Bollywood

Mrunal Thakur shares benefits of missing work amid COVID-19

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) Actors, no doubt, must be missing going to sets and performing in front of the cameras amid coronavirus lockdown, but there are several benefits too of staying home. And Mrunal Thakur has listed one important advantage i.e. getting time to take care of one's skin.## Taking to her Instagram account, she wrote: "Well let's look at the brighter side! I miss work but one benefit of missing work is that it allows you to take care of the things you usually choose to neglect due to the lack of time.## "My skincare has been lacking quite a lot over the past months, makeup, dust, and pollution to name a few of the conditions. Finally taking care of it letting it heal and breathe again is definitely starting to show. I feel more like myself again and feeling more confident."## On the film front, Mrunal, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Hrithik Roshan in "Super 30", will be seen sharing screen space with Shahid Kapoor in "Jersey" and Farhan Akhtar in "Toofaan".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

Faruk Kabir's list of 21 things for 21-day lockdown
2265 days ago
Bollywood

Faruk Kabir's list of 21 things for 21-day lockdown

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) Actor-director Faruk Kabir, known for making the web film "377 Ab Normal", is making the most of this 21-day lockdown period.## "In this 21-day lockdown, I've made a 21-day list of 21 things I'd like to improve about myself and add value to the lives of my family members," he said.## "Less is more, so I am eating less and sleeping on time. Most importantly, I've always been fond of mornings, and for the longest time I have wanted to shift from an 8 a.m. wake-up cycle to a 5 a.m. wake-up cycle, and now finally I am staying disciplined and bettering my overall routine," he added.## In fact, he is enjoying his time at home.## "Well, the family is finally getting the time to have meals together, life's blessing. I am currently reading 'The 5 am Club' by Robin Sharma. I am also finishing a thousand-piece puzzle gifted to me by my sister. I am finishing a script and getting the bandwidth to pamper it; staying in touch with my team from time to time. We've set up some creative targets, we can now peacefully achieve," he said.## "I am doing my bit in our society for hygiene. We are also cooking and sending food for building watchman. In the evening, 4.30 to 6 p.m. is dedicated to fitness, mat work, functional training and a lot of stretching for both the body and the imagination. A few minutes of meditation, positive visualization is how I finish my fitness routine," added Faruk.##

Anveshi Jain: Women deemed available if they talk of sexual desire
2265 days ago
Tollywood

Anveshi Jain: Women deemed available if they talk of sexual desire

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) "Gandi Baat 2" fame actress Anveshi Jain, who plays a sexologist in her Telugu film debut "Commitment", says that society tends to tag women as 'available' if they talk about their sexual desire openly.## Sharing an insight into her role in the film, Anveshi said: "I play Dr. Rekha Gupta, a sexologist. She meets a younger trainer in her gym, who falls in love with her. The plot revolves around how she responds to him and what reality checks she gets in life eventually. It also has a very deep message about women that when they speak openly about their desires and sexuality, they are considered as easily available. The movie shows another side of Rekha, who is committed towards her family and work, and is a very different person from how people perceive her."## The film will be helmed by renowned Telugu filmmaker Lakshmikanth Chenna.## Anveshi has appeared in the web series "Gandi Baat 2" and also in Gujarati films earlier.## For more and latest news about Tollywood, stay tuned with us.

When Lisa Ray thought Bani J was 'so shy'
2265 days ago
Digital Media

When Lisa Ray thought Bani J was 'so shy'

Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) Actress Lisa Ray says she thought Bani J was a shy person at the start of their shoot for a web series that casts them as a lesbian couple.## "I joined the show after some back and forth due to personal commitments. During our first reading together was when I met my co-star Bani," Lisa said.## "I went in and sat next to her, and she was like talking in this whisper and then looked at me and I was like, 'wow, this is a problem!' How are we going to do this? She was so shy," she added.## The two actresses appear in the series "Four More Shots Please!".## Bani, of course, has her line of defense. "I was just trying not to spook her so she wouldn't leave," she explains, on her guarded behavior with Lisa during that first reading session.## The second season of the series will launch on April 17 on Amazon Prime Video in India.## The story picks up from the previous season's cliffhanger ending, bringing back stories of four unapologetically flawed ladies who live, love, blunder and discover what it really takes to build everlasting friendships in Mumbai.## Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd, the show is created by Rangita Pritish Nandy.## For more and latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned with us.

COVID-19: Rishi Kapoor says India must declare Emergency, gets trolled
2266 days ago
Bollywood

COVID-19: Rishi Kapoor says India must declare Emergency, gets trolled

Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) The government of India must declare Emergency to battle the coronavirus outbreak, Bollywood veteran Rishi Kapoor opined. Many on social media, however, don't like the idea.## Kapoor took to Twitter to express his views. "Dear fellow Indians. We must and have to declare an EMERGENCY. Look at what's happening all over the country! If the TV is to believed, people are beating policemen and medical staff! There is no other way to contain the situation. It is only good for all of us. Panic is setting in," he tweeted.## However, instead of agreeing with him, most users trolled the actor for his views.## One user asked: "How will emergency solve an issue, lockdown won't?"## Another user commented: "Sir it's not so easy...we have no plan for poor on how they will survive."## A user trolled: "Thank you, Can people of Mumbai build a 70 M high wall around his house to make Rishi Kapoor happy and get a feel of emergency."## Despite the actor warning netizens not to make fun of his lifestyle recently, users again commented about his alleged alcohol consumption.## One user commented: "Alcohol does result in perception troubles. Sober up, Mr. Kapoor.## Another user shared: "Alcohol and alcohol withdrawal both cause trouble. Pick one."## Another user suggested: "Don't take him seriously on his after 9 pm tweets."## Recently, after a section of netizens jocularly enquired about his stock of alcohol for the lockdown period, Rishi Kapoor had furiously tweeted: "Anyone cracking jokes about my country or on my lifestyle, will be deleted. Be aware and warned. This is a serious matter. Help us to tide over the situation."## However, it seems the trolls are not in the mood to give up.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.