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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

Katy Perry on being pregnant amid pandemic
2235 days ago
Hollywood

Katy Perry on being pregnant amid pandemic

Los Angeles, April 27 (IANS) Singer Katy Perry says she will never forget being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that she is trying not to be stressed about her delivery.## The 35-year-old star is expecting her first child with her fiance, actor Orlando Bloom.## During a conversation with "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, she admitted that she is facing some tough challenges due to the isolation, reports dailymail.co.uk.## Perry told Seacrest that dealing with "a pregnancy in a pandemic" is something she "will never forget".## "I'm having cravings that I cannot necessarily fulfill if I want to but, you know, I think there is a lot of things that I am grateful for these days," she said.## The "Darkhorse" hitmaker revealed her pregnancy news recently when she dropped the music video for recent single "Never worn white", in which she is seen cradling her baby bump at the end.## With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Perry and Bloom, who got engaged earlier this year, are following advice to stay at home and are trying to "exercise and eat well".## "Along with so many other people, they stay home. They both try to exercise and eat well so they can stay healthy. Katy really hopes everything has calmed down with the virus by the time the baby will be born this summer. She tries not to stress about the birth, but she definitely thinks about it a lot," a source said previously.## Recently, "American Idol" made TV history with the first remote results show ever due to the coronavirus. It is aired in India on Star World.## Stay tuned...

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Hansa is an evergreen character: Supriya Pathak
2235 days ago
TV

Hansa is an evergreen character: Supriya Pathak

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Supriya Pathak says Hansa is an evergreen character, whom she considers an "epitome of hope". Hansa is one of the popular characters of the show "Khichdi".## "Initially, I was worried about playing Hansa because Hansa is someone who talks a lot but does nothing. But after I started playing the character, it was such a relief. I feel Hansa is an evergreen character which has been a sheer pleasure to perform," said Supriya.## "For the first time in my life, I was not stressed out and was happy. It has been 16 years and to date, a part of Hansa always remains with me. Apart from Hansa's traits, I personally appreciate how precisely the show is written keeping in mind the relatability with the characters. Her innocence is completely charming and she is an epitome of hope that everything will be fine eventually," she added.## Hansa has all the traits of a stereotyped Gujarati woman but in a fun way. Her innocence and camaraderie with her husband Praful (played by Rajeev Mehta) who is always ready to give an answer to Hansa's questions are some of the high points of the show.## Star Bharat has brought back the quirky Parekh family of the "Khichdi" show to the small screen amidst the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.## Stay tuned...

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Arjun Kapoor: Can't wait to enjoy the nonsense of being a family together
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Arjun Kapoor: Can't wait to enjoy the nonsense of being a family together

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Amid lockdown strictures, Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor became nostalgic about spending time with his grandmother, saying he cannot wait to sit down and enjoy the "nonsense" of being a family together over a long slow Sunday lunch.## Arjun took to Instagram, where he shared a vintage photograph of his grandmother and late grandfather. Along with the post, he shared a heart-warming note about staying away from family due to the lockdown. "My dadu & dadi. I grew up with them in a joint family. Unfortunately, my granddad passed away just before I became an actor. He couldn't see me make a mark in the profession when he toiled to give our family our foundation. My dadi (she's on insta btw @nirmalkapoorbombay) who is too cool is hail hearty and lives in our family home about 5kms from where I stay but I can't see her for her own health."## He said he is missing visiting his grandmother Nirmal Kapoor owing to the lockdown.## "This post was just because I'm missing her and I'm certain a lot of u out there are worried and missing the elders in ur family and lives... eventually this will all pass and things will get better and when it does I can't wait to sit down and just enjoy the nonsense of being a family together over a long slow Sunday lunch.## "It is for that dream to be a reality we must sit at home and fight through this phase and chapter of all our lives. Here's to a Happy Sunday to everyone."## On the acting front, Arjun will next be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar". The film also stars Arjun's "Ishaqzaade" co-star Parineeti Chopra.## Stay tuned...

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Aastha Gill hopes to spread cheer with 'Video bana de'
2235 days ago
Song

Aastha Gill hopes to spread cheer with 'Video bana de'

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Singer Aastha Gill has collaborated with Sukh E for a fun wedding song "Video bana de", and says she hopes that the track brings "much-needed cheer and optimism" amid the challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.## "This is the first time I am collaborating with Sukh E. I have always loved his music, and working on this together has been super fun," Aastha said.## "It's a wedding song, a track that will definitely make you tap your feet. We created and shot the song before the lockdown, and in these tough times I hope Video Bana de brings in much-needed cheer and optimism," she added.## SukhE said: "‘Video bana de' is quirky, unconventional and bright. Aastha's vivacious energy just added to the whole experience of making the song. I hope this track helps in maintaining positivity during these tough times."## Sony Music India released the track on Monday. Since the song has a wedding theme, the duo recently announced a "Virtual wedding" as part of a promotional strategy. They posted an invitation card on their social media and the wedding functions were as follows: April 24 -- cocktail, April 25 -- sangeet, April 26 -- Mehendi and April 27 wedding.## Stay tuned...

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Akshaye Khanna remembers father Vinod Khanna on death anniversary
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Akshaye Khanna remembers father Vinod Khanna on death anniversary

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) On the third death anniversary of Bollywood legend Vinod Khanna, his son, actor Akshaye Khanna, took to social media to pay homage to the former.## "There is no expiration date on the love between a father and his child. We will always remember you #VinodKhanna," Akshaye tweeted.## Along with it, he shared a picture from his childhood days in which he and his brother Rahul Khanna are seen holding their father's hands.## Many others in Bollywood joined Akshaye in remembering the iconic star who was known for his rugged image as a macho-man.## Actor Ali Fazal shared his experience of meeting the late Vinod Khanna. "Met Vinod ji once. I have never been able to take photos with people I look up to. Always thot kabhi kaam karoonga saath toh.. but this one I regret. Its just how it is. Managed very few in life. Thank you Vinod Khanna for being," Ali wrote along with a black and white picture of Vinod Khanna from his younger days," Ali recalled on social media, posting a black-and-white picture of Khanna from his younger days.## Vinod Khanna, who is known for his numerous performances of various shades in films like "Mere Apne", "Parvarish", "Mera Gaon Mera Desh", "Achanak", "Inkaar", "Khoon Pasina", "Insaaf", "Qurbani", and "Amar Akbar Anthony", died in 2017 after a prolonged illness.## The actor had married his college friend Geetanjali in 1971 and the couple was subsequently blessed with sons Rahul and Akshaye, both of whom would go on to become actors. But the marriage didn't survive for long as the two divorced in 1985, after which Vinod Khanna married Kavita Daftary, daughter of industrialist Sharayu Daftary.## One of the most enigmatic actors of Bollywood ever, Vinod Khanna left the film industry at the peak of his stardom in 1975 to become a disciple of Osho and in the early 1980s, shifting base to the godman's ashram in Oregon, United States, for about a decade.## When he returned to India in the late eighties and resumed work as an actor, he once again started scoring at the box office with hits such as "Insaaf" and "Satyamev Jayate".## In his later years, Khanna forayed politics. He was the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Lok Sabha from the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab.## Not only this, Vinod Khanna believed in spirituality a lot. In 1982, he had shifted to US to explore the spiritual sphere with Osho.## Marking Vinod Khanna's third death anniversary, his wife Kavita shared that she has donated a day's cooked food to the needy in Mumbai.## "My husband, my love @VinodKhanna LOVED his city and was committed to doing Seva till the very end. Today, on his 3rd Punya Tithi, we are donating a day's cooked food to 45,000 needy in Mumbai," she tweeted.## Incidentally, Vinod Khanna's death anniversary falls on the same date as actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan's. Khan was a close friend of Khanna, and the two had co-starred in the former's 1980 blockbuster "Qurbani". Khan passed away on April 27, 2009.## Stay tuned...

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Lara Dutta: As women we all have faced sexism
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Lara Dutta: As women we all have faced sexism

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Lara Dutta says that irrespective of their profession, all women have faced sexism at some point or the other.## The actress plays a police officer in the new comedy-action web series "Hundred".## The former Miss Universe had a question-answer session with fans on Twitter where one of them asked: "It was great to see the series portray the difficulties in the life of women. Was that something that attracted you toward the series?"## Lara replied saying: "As women, we all have faced sexism in our life at some point or the other, regardless of which field we belong to. So yes this thought was an imp part of the narrative but not the only thing that motivated me to do this series."## She also opened up about her quarantine time.## "Can't complain! It's been good. Family is healthy and we've been able to spend a lot of time with each other. I've been studying, cooking, and doing fun indoor activities with my daughter," she said.## She also revealed her fitness regime.## "My routine varies according to my schedules and lifestyle. I've always worked out. Pilates, strength training, and yoga have been constant favorites. I'm vegetarian mainly and eat a balanced diet and I meditate," said Lara.## Stay tuned...

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Vin Diesel hints at war between Universal, Producers Guild of America
2235 days ago
Hollywood

Vin Diesel hints at war between Universal, Producers Guild of America

Los Angeles, April 27 (IANS) Hollywood star Vin Diesel has claimed that he is trying to "mitigate a war" between Universal Studios and the "prejudiced" Producers Guild of America.## The actor wasn't active on Instagram for some time, and he returned on Sunday to explain the reason behind his absence. He shared a bizarre poster for his upcoming "Fast & Furious" movie, titled "F9", along with a mention of a "war" between Universal Studios and the Producers Guild of America, reports dailymail.co.uk.## "Happy creative Sunday everyone... sorry I haven't posted much lately, I have been trying to mitigate a war between Universal studios and the p.g.a. Prejudice guild of America," Diesel posted.## He also shared a photoshopped poster of "F9". The edited poster has a look of a Halloween movie with a jack-o-lantern and a dark house in the background.## According to dailymail.co.uk, the poster was actually designed by an Instagram user dubbed as Mommy Torretto, a photo editor whose Instagram is filled with "Fast & Furious" poster parodies.## The reason behind Diesel using the poster in his post is unclear. While Diesel did crop out the bottom featuring the old release date and Universal Pictures logo, the Made by Mommy Torretto watermark is still visible on the poster.## With regard to Diesel's cryptic post, there is no indication why he is referring to the Producers Guild of America as the Prejudice Guild of America.## Diesel has been a part of the franchise since the beginning, starring in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious". He was not in 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious" had a cameo in 2006's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift". He returned to the franchise to star in 2009's "Fast & Furious", and also backed the project as a producer.## The ninth installment is more of a personal affair for Diesel's Dominic Toretto as he has to face off with his brother, Jakob, played by John Cena. "F9: The Fast Saga" sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters of the series. It also stars Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron.## The release of the ninth installment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise has been rescheduled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Vatsal Sheth: Debut short film as director is 'like a child to me'
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Vatsal Sheth: Debut short film as director is 'like a child to me'

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Actor Vatsal Sheth turned director with a short film during the ongoing lockdown period, and he thinks the effort is no less than his child.## Vatsal's short film "Kahaa Toh Tha", running over six minutes, stars the actor with his wife Ishita Dutta and explores love in the times of quarantine.## "I was having a chat with a friend of mine and I was telling him how much I miss shooting and the regular schedule. While talking to him, I realized, I am an actor, Ishita is an actor. We have phone cameras and basic stuff to shoot. I called a friend, he wrote this story for us, then we sat down on storyboarding, shot division and everything came together. That's how this film came to life," Vatsal told IANS.## Vatsal plays Abir, a restless but loving husband to Myraa, a thoughtful and caring wife. The middle-class working couple realise that their marriage is not that perfect, while they are stuck together in the lockdown.## "We settled for this story because it's a sweet, nice, and feel-good short film. We as a couple were able to relate to it and we thought a lot of couples might feel the same way," he said.## The film was completely made during the lockdown.## "We used our phone cameras to shoot the film. It was just Ishita and me, we were moving the furniture everywhere. We would shoot the scene, run back to the frame to check if everything was done right or if we had fumbled or if we needed to do a retake. Lots and lots of hard work have gone into it. But it was definitely a lot of fun," said the actor about its making.## Vatsal has also launched his production house Vatsal Sheth Films.## "After we made the film, I roped in a lot of good technicians who made the movie as it looks now. We got Mehul who has done music for 'Tanhaji' to do background score for us. We bought in an editor, we brought in someone to make creatives and do color correction. It was a lot of to and fro but in the end, I am really happy with how it has turned out! And none of us have stepped out of the house to do anything, we all have done the work from our homes and made sure that the film reaches you the best it can," he said.## He is very happy with the final product.## "It's like a child to me. It's my first film as a director. I am very excited, although it's a short film, I have worked as hard on it as I would on any other project. I am also thankful to the team at Times Music, they have taken over the project and they are releasing it. I am very excited about this journey," he said.## Stay tuned...

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COVID-19: Bhumi to share health tips to tackle emotional eating
2235 days ago
Bollywood

COVID-19: Bhumi to share health tips to tackle emotional eating

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Bhumi Pednekar will share health and nutrition tips to tackle emotional eating during the novel coronavirus lockdown.## "I have always strived to lead a balanced lifestyle and believed in the synergy of how nutrition, what we eat directly impacts our health and fitness. This lockdown, though extremely challenging for all of us because it has changed how we live life and exist, is also impacting our minds and that can throw off diet and nutrition in a big way," said Bhumi, who will initiate the effort with her nutritionist.## "What we eat has a lot to do with how we feel - it's connected and it's mostly emotional. This will create health and fitness issues and I want to share with everyone my nutrition journey through COVID-19 and I hope that people will find this useful."## The actress has maintained a routine and stuck to her nutritious way of life all through the coronavirus pandemic. She credits her nutritionist Dr. Siddhant for her fit body and will be doing a live chat with him to share health and nutrition tips with everyone.## "I have ensured that I'm mobile, I have been working out, I'm on a nutrition-rich diet and I have not resorted to binge and junk eating. My nutritionist Dr. Siddhant is a genius and has a wealth of knowledge which has helped me shape my life. I want him to share his knowledge with as many people as possible because he has kept me going despite the lockdown challenges," she said.## On the professional front, Bhumi will next be seen in the films "Durgavati" and "Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare".## Stay tuned...

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Vijay Deverakonda raises Rs 40 lakh through fan donations
2235 days ago
Tollywood

Vijay Deverakonda raises Rs 40 lakh through fan donations

Hyderabad, April 27 (IANS) Telugu superstar Vijay Deverakonda has raised over Rs 40 lakh through his Middle-Class Fund and says he has "reset" the goal of his charity, what with such generous donation coming in from fans. While he had earlier planned to help 2000 families, Vijay now hopes to help over 4000 families.## The "Arjun Reddy" star took to Twitter, where he shared a spreadsheet showing the amount of donation that has come in, and how many households have so far been helped.## Alongside the spreadsheet, the actor also penned an emotional thank you note.## "Today what I saw was magical. Mass care, Mass love, and Mass generosity. Each one of you this missed class fund and its success belongs to you. I promise I will not let you down, we will reach out to each and everyone who reaches out to us and we shall all enjoy the happy smiles that shine back at us.## "In a day you made 25 lakhs into 40+ lakhs. Together we have now reset our goal of 2000+ families to 4000+ families. Today our team was 4, tomorrow we make it 34, so we can reach more people faster."## "Below is an update of day 1 broad numbers. Every day at 9 PM we will share with you a sautés update, so we can witness the impact of what we all are together doing. #TDF #MCF. Note- Households funded today were affected by our training session and 11 AM-12 Noon closure of stores. We will see a jump in families reached from tomorrow on."## Vijay also shared a tweet from a person, who donated Rs 1 lakh to The Deverakonda Foundation.## The actor replied saying: "Darling, 100+ Families will be reached with your support to #MCF. Bigg hugg"## On Sunday, Vijay took to social media to make two important announcements.## He wrote: "None of us were prepared for this. But we are fighters. We shall survive this and come out of it strong. This thing hit me hard as well, but I am here now. I am here with my incredible team that never says no to a fight and we are happy to announce a Rs 1.30 cr fund to help as many as we can. All we need is some love, kindness, and support and I am sending you all, my love and strength."## He even posted an 11-minute video clip in which the actor assured that he will provide employment opportunities and take care of the immediate requirements such as groceries and medicine through his foundation.## He also added that he will take care of the immediate needs of more than 2,000 families.## Stay tuned...

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If Hrithik was Krrish, he'd decimate COVID and cigarettes
2235 days ago
Bollywood

If Hrithik was Krrish, he'd decimate COVID and cigarettes

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Known for his chiseled frame and fitness fetish, Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan wants to decimate the last cigarette on the planet.## The subject came up on Twitter after a user asked him he had a cigarette in his hand while he was standing with his sons in the balcony of his home, in a recently-posted picture shared by the actor's Fanclub.## "Does @iHrithik have a cigarette in his hand or am I seeing wrong? I hope you don't @iHrithik. It makes me very very very sorry," the user wrote.## The actor replied: "I am a non-smoker. :) and if I was Krrish, the first thing I'd do after eradicating this virus would be to decimate every last cigarette from this planet.## Recently, Hrithik shared some 'lockdown tips' with fans. He suggests a daily dose of vitamin D to take care of mental health even as we continue to be confined at home.## Hrithik Roshan has been spending the lockdown with his ex-wife Sussanne Khan, who has temporarily moved in with him, to take care of their two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan.## Talking about mental health, Hrithik has recently started learning piano, which he feels is "great for activating both sides of the brain".## Stay tuned...

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Rani Mukerji: Playing mother in 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' brought out my maternal instinct
2235 days ago
Bollywood

Rani Mukerji: Playing mother in 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' brought out my maternal instinct

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji may have been single when she played a mother of two in the 2007 film "Ta Ra Rum Pum", but the role brought her motherly instincts out.## Rani, who was paired opposite Saif Ali Khan in the film, said: " 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' was a very, very lovely shooting experience for me because we shot in America, in New York, for nearly three months. I was there for three months at a stretch and it was lovely living in New York around that time shooting the film. We had two little angels - Ali and Angelina (who played Saif and Rani's on-screen kids). I was single at that point of time but to actually play a mother of these two children really got my motherly instincts out."## The film, which was released 13 years ago on April 27, is a sports drama set in the backdrop of car racing in the USA, with Saif playing a racing prodigy. It was directed by Siddharth Anand.## "Today, when I look back and watch the film when I have Adira with me, it just feels so amazing. When 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' released, I had a lot of children and parents really watching the film with a lot of love. I still get a lot of people telling me that they watched 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' and it's one of their favorite films because it has car racing and it has the story about the children," she added.## Rani feels the film's universal theme of family coming together to overcome all odds is what connected with the audiences.## "It's a very nice warm lovely story and I think I connected with the film and the story a lot at that time. It was a very sweet story about this couple who has children and how they fight the odds. I think crisis like these brings families closer and I think that's a very special part of the story," she says.## Rani says she had a blast acting with actor Saif Ali Khan, with whom she also worked in films like "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic" and "Hum Tum".## "Of course, having Saif with me as a co actor was wonderful! Also, Victor Banerjee played my father in the film and it was wonderful having him on set and to be working with him. It was overall a great experience and I remember being really, really happy on the sets of 'Ta Ra Rum Pum'" she said.## Stay tuned...

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