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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

'Mulan' director opens up on coronavirus battle
2281 days ago
Hollywood

'Mulan' director opens up on coronavirus battle

Los Angeles, March 11 (IANS) 'Mulan' director Niki Caro has opened up about the 'difficult time' marked by the worldwide spread of the highly infectious coronavirus and sent in her 'deepest respect' to the people working hard to battle the disease.## Amid the global coronavirus outbreak, Disney's "Mulan" had a fashionable fairy tale premiere here. The cast attended the world premiere of the film.## Speaking from the stage at Dolby Theatre here, Caro discussed the film, and COVID-19, reports usatoday.com.## "We hope Mulan's fighting spirit continues to inspire around the world," Caro said.## "Our hearts go out to everyone in China and the world over affected by the coronavirus and our deepest respect goes out those working so hard to battle this disease," Caro said, adding: "You are a living testament to 'Mulan' and you bring honor to us all."## In addition, the film's main lead Yifei Liu expressed concerns for her grandmother in Wuhan.## Liu was born in Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus and a city that has been under an unprecedented lockdown to contain the disease.## "My grandmother is still there," Liu said, adding that she was "fine".## According to deadline.com, discreet precautions were taken by the makers and attendees due to coronavirus fears.## There were hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the red carpet area and the Dolby Theater area.## As attendees greeted each other, many were shaking hands and hugging, but there were also people who were asking for permission to hug or shake hands. There were many attendees who were taking precautions by giving an elbow bump rather than shaking hands.## Caro is bringing the epic tale of China's legendary warrior to life with "Mulan", in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known.## "Mulan" features also features Donnie Yen as Commander Tung; Tzi Ma as Zhou, Jason Scott Lee as Bori Khan; Yoson An as Honghui; Ron Yuan as Sergeant Qiang; with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor.## The Disney film's China release was delayed indefinitely in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The film is slated to release in India on March 27.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, 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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Alia, Varun get nostalgic as 'Badri...' clocks 3 years
2282 days ago
Bollywood

Alia, Varun get nostalgic as 'Badri...' clocks 3 years

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan-starrer 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania' recently completed three years since it was released. ## Taking to her Instagram handle on Tuesday, Alia shared a clip from the film's song, featuring her playing Holi with Varun. ## "Happy Holi" popped up on her Insta story at the end of the video with the hashtag "#3yearsofbkd". ## Varun too shared his glimpse from the movie. ## Directed by Shashank Khaitan and backed by Karan Johar, "Badrinath Ki Dulhania" is a sequel to Alia and Varun's 2014 film "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania". ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Chiranjeevi shakes a leg with Regina Cassandra for new film
2282 days ago
Tollywood

Chiranjeevi shakes a leg with Regina Cassandra for new film

Chennai, March 10 (IANS) After showing her acting chops in the Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi film industry for years now, Regina Cassandra is set to woo the audience with her dancing skills. The 29-year old has shot a song with none other than Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi for his upcoming film 'Acharya'. ## The number is being highlighted as a 'celebration song' in the film directed by Koratala Siva. In an interview, Regina recently revealed that matching steps with superstar Chiranjeevi wasn't easy because he's so effortless at dancing. ## "He doesn't have any airs of a superstar. Throughout the song, what I observed, was he never goes back into the caravan after the scene but keeps talking to other guests and directors on the sets who come to meet him. His humility and simplicity are what makes him a superstar," Regina said. ## She also shared her experience from the shoot. She said: "I shot for six days (night shoots). Watching the ease and the grace in Chiru sir's dance movements was very inspiring. I remember, on the first day of the shoot, we shot for expressions. His expressions complemented his gracious moves. He said I am expressive too, and I was floored with the compliment coming from someone like him." ## Apart from this, Regina has her kitty full of projects. Recently, her look from her film "Nene Naa" (Telugu; to be released as "Soorpanagai" in Tamil) was released online. Directed by Caarthick Raju, the female-centric film is touted to be a mystery thriller. In the poster, the pretty actress is dressed like a queen with slap marks on both sides of her face. It also looks like she has been locked up. ## In an interview, director Caarthick Raju said: "Regina is playing an archaeologist in the film. As part of her work, she unearths something that triggers a series of events. The film is about the good and bad outcome of her actions." ## Actors Jayaprakash and Akshara Gowda are also a part of the film, which is scheduled to release in the summer of 2020. ## For more and the latest news about Tollywood, stay tuned to 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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'Guilty' director wants everyone to relate to film
2282 days ago
Bollywood

'Guilty' director wants everyone to relate to film

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) What happens when a person is accused of a sexual assault allegation as severe as rape? Is he being framed or is he really guilty? This is what Ruchi Narain's latest directorial 'Guilty' deals with. ## "It's the story of a sexual assault allegation. The story is set in a college. A girl accuses a guy of sexual assault, of rape. The story is told from the point of view of his girlfriend, played by Kiara Advani. I wanted to tell the story from her point of view because she has to take into account this allegation but at the same time she knows her boyfriend. That's how the whole story turns out," Ruchi told IANS while talking about the movie, which was released on Netflix a while back. ## We often read in newspapers or watch on crime-based TV shows how an innocent person's life gets ruined if he is falsely accused of sexual assault. Does "Guilty" explore that angle? The filmmaker replied: "Honestly, you will have to watch it to find out. Of course, we have explored that angle as well because that is one of the major scares especially for men that they will be falsely accused. But to know the answer whether it is a false allegation or a genuine case of sexual assault, you have to watch the film." ## Ruchi further said that even though the story is set in a college and revolves around young people, there is no fixed age group for the audience and anyone can watch it. ## "I feel anyone can relate to it. The story is set in a college. It's about young people. But these are issues which affect each and every person, be it young or old, man or woman. All of us have dealt with or questioned this kind of things happening around us all the time. Because there are so many points of view in the story, my endeavour is to make everyone relate to it in someway. That's why I have structured it like this," she said. ## The film features Kiara Advani, Akansha Ranjan Kapur, Taher Shabbir and Gurfateh Singh Pirzada in key roles. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, 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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Mira Rajput paints Shahid's initials on her neck
2282 days ago
Bollywood

Mira Rajput paints Shahid's initials on her neck

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) Actor Shahid Kapoor' s wife Mira Rajput Kapoor seems to be lost in the colours of love on Holi as she painted the initials of her husband's name on her neck. ## Taking to her Instagram handle, Mira posted a photograph in which she is seen having Shahid's initials painted in red on her neck. ## "Love life in technicolour," she captioned the image. Mira teamed up her Holi look with oversized sunglasses. ## Mira and Shahid tied the knot in 2015. The couple has two children, daughter Misha and son Zain. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Shah Rukh Khan's meaningful Holi message for fans
2282 days ago
Bollywood

Shah Rukh Khan's meaningful Holi message for fans

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is also known for his wisdom, gave his fans a meaningful message on the occasion of Holi. ## "To everybody, here's looking at all the colours of light. May your happiness be in all shades, vibrancy and madness of these colours. Happy Holi and be safe," SRK wrote. ## He also shared a picture in which he is seen wearing a black shirt and dark glasses, and staring outside a window, with the sunlight falling on his face. ## On the work front, there have been a lot of speculation about Shah Rukh's upcoming projects. He has been linked to doing movies with Rajkumar Hirani, Ali Abbas Zafar, Raj and DK, Atlee and many other directors. ## As a producer, he has plenty of projects in his kitty. He is currently producing the upcoming Abhishek Bachchan-starrer thriller "Bob Biswas". ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

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Holi celebrated across West Bengal
2282 days ago
Lifestyle

Holi celebrated across West Bengal

Kolkata, March 10 (IANS) Holi, the festival of colours, was celebrated with mirth and gaiety across West Bengal on Tuesday as people participated in large numbers draped in festive spirits. ## While the Bengali community predominantly celebrated 'Dol' (spring festival similar to Holi) a day back, it was the turn of the non-Bengali communities to splash colours on one another to soak in the spirit of revelry during the day. ## The city's hot spots, including amusement parks and community centres, saw substantial footfalls as revellers feasted and spent time with friends and family with peppy Bollywood numbers being played in the background. ## Plates of crunchy gujiyas, sev, laddoos and other sweets vanished from the plates in the blink of an eye as tall glasses of coolers like lassi and thandai were enjoyed by the old and young alike as they smeared gulal on each other. ## For more and the latest news about Lifestyle, stay tuned to us.

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Milind Soman talks of his RSS stint as a boy in memoir
2282 days ago
Bollywood

Milind Soman talks of his RSS stint as a boy in memoir

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) Model-actor Milind Soman, in his memoir 'Made In India', speaks about being part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a young boy. ## Soman recalls going to the local 'shakha', or training centre, at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai. He writes that his father "was a great believer in the benefits that would accrue to a young boy, in terms of disciplined living, physical fitness and right thinking, from being part of the junior cadres of the RSS", reports theprint.in. ## Soman adds that being part of an RSS shakha was "a very Shivaji Park thing" for a young boy to do back then. ## He writes how "baffled" he feels today when he reads of "all the subversive, communal propaganda the media attributes to RSS shakhas". Adding that his memories "of what went on at the shakhas every evening are completely different", Soman recalls how activities included marching in khaki shorts, yoga, games, camping trips, songs and chanting Sanskrit verses "that we did not understand". ## All activities, Soman recalls, were supervised by a "team of mostly-well-meaning if not always inspirational adults who truly believed they were helping raise good 'civilian soldiers'." ## According to theprint.in, Soman recalls that his father had been part of the RSS himself and was a proud Hindu. "I didn't see what there was to be proud about, but on the other hand, I didn't see that there was much to complain about either," he writes in his memoir. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, 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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