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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

Producers Guild provides filmstar vanity vans, tents for COVID-19 duty female cops
2245 days ago
Bollywood

Producers Guild provides filmstar vanity vans, tents for COVID-19 duty female cops

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) The Producers Guild of India has decided to donate fully-equipped tents and vanity vans of Bollywood stars to the police force, particularly female cops, across 22 key locations in the city, as the uniformed personnel battle it out to protect Mumbai from the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative is called Mission Suraksha.## "We are delighted to launch 'Mission Suraksha' to protect our caretakers, especially women cops on bandobast duty. Fully equipped tents and vanity vans used by cine stars have been provided across 22 key locations as restrooms for breaktime," a statement issued by the guild reads.## The gesture comes just a few days after Bollywood stars took to social media to express their gratitude to Mumbai Police for their tireless efforts during the ongoing lockdown.## Even before the nationwide lockdown was announced, the Producers Guild of India had set up a relief fund for daily wage earners associated with the film industry, to ensure these workers and their families get sustenance during the novel coronavirus pandemic.## The Producers Guild of India, along with Indian Film and Television Producers Council and Federation of Western India Cine Employees, recently came together to support the most impacted daily wage workers through direct bank transfers.## Stay tuned...

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Hang in there world
2245 days ago
Bollywood

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Hang in there world

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas has shared some words of wisdom along with a gorgeous picture of herself on social media.## Priyanka took to Instagram where she shared a selfie, where the sunray hits her face and adds glow to her skin.## "There is always a light at the end of the tunnel... Hang in there world," she captioned the image, which has received 1.1 million likes on the photo-sharing website.## Last month, Priyanka and her American pop singer husband Nick Jonas contributed to several charities to lend support to the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.## Priyanka took to Twitter to announce that the couple has donated to organizations like the PM-CARES Fund, Unicef, Feeding America and Goonj among many others.## She also pledged to donate $100,000 to women doing their bit in health crisis.## Stay tuned...

Lockdown diaries: Sanjjanaa Galrani learns guitar
2245 days ago
TV

Lockdown diaries: Sanjjanaa Galrani learns guitar

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) South actress Sanjjanaa Galrani, who was also seen in the television show "Mujhse Shaadi Karoge", has taken to a new hobby -- learning the guitar -- and she is absolutely loving it.## "I love the guitar and it has been a long time wish to learn to play. I had been busy with my professional commitments for the longest time and I couldn't take time out to learn. But since the quarantine there is nothing much to do than sit at home," said Sanjjanaa, who is learning the craft from her neighbor.## She added: "I laid my hands on the guitar I had bought to learn. Now I am making full use of the time. I urge all the people globally to stay indoors and stay safe."## Sanjjanaa made her film debut in the Tamil-Telugu bilingual film "Oru Kadhal Seiveer" in 2006, and shot to fame with her controversial role in the Kannada film "Ganda Hendathi". She was then seen in "Bujjigadu" and later in the bilingual crime drama "Dandupalya 2".## Sanjjanaa urged everyone to keep their hands sanitized.## "We would have to stand united to defeat this pandemic," she concluded.## Stay tuned...

Shoojit Sircar feels tourism in India will boom post COVID-19 pandemic
2245 days ago
Bollywood

Shoojit Sircar feels tourism in India will boom post COVID-19 pandemic

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, tourism within India will boom "like never before", feels Shoojit Sircar. The filmmaker took to Twitter to express the idea and also explain his prediction.## "After all this is over, possibly this year-end I have a feeling our own internal tourism will boom like never before... no one travels out of country and desi travel will skyrocket," he tweeted.## The filmmaker feels this way because people will refrain from traveling to other countries due to fear of contracting the virus, and they will opt to spend vacations in different tourist spots across the country, which will lead to a tourism boom in India.## Netizens agreed with the filmmaker and predicted that along with the tourism industry, the aviation industry, which is also experiencing a huge loss with fleets grounded, will bounce back.## Earlier in the day, Shoojit Sircar asked netizens if there is any country which has "escaped the virus" till now. While most users came up with names of several such nations, one user offered a witty reply.## The user replied: "North Korea. Everyone reporting a cough is executed."## Stay tuned...

Ban TikTok in India completely, says Kushal Tandon
2245 days ago
TV

Ban TikTok in India completely, says Kushal Tandon

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Actor Kushal Tandon is totally against the use of TikTok application in India, especially amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Not only this, but he has also demanded a ban on the app that originated in China.## "While the whole world is f****d coz of China, but still guess what are Indians and many others are giving them the revenue from s*** #tikTok, while China made TikTok for people who were useless and who had nothing to do, and look at us all haha, everyone is on TikTok, ban TikTok ...proud of never using TikTok," Kunal wrote on Instagram.## Kushal's post comes after Vivek Dahiya showed his support for the application.## "For those suggesting we should ban made In China. remember -- the mobile phone you use to express your thoughts about banning an app was also assembled in the same part of the world so are 7 out of 10 products in every average household. China is branded the manufacturer of the world, whether we like it or not. I am pretty sure the founder of this app was not responsible for conspiring the coronavirus. Additionally, Hydroxycioroquine used for recovery is either made In India or China. The bottom line is. we are all interdependent in this global marketplace. II one nation is a Buyer, then the other is a Seller. and both need one another to move forward. towards a single goal of prosperity. Unless of course, we are fully self-sufficient in everything but no such example exists," Vivek had said.## Stay tuned...

Deepika Padukone shares hand-written letters by fans
2245 days ago
Bollywood

Deepika Padukone shares hand-written letters by fans

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone has shared pictures of hand-written letters sent to her by her followers, which reveal the bond she shares with her fans.## One such letter mentions it was Deepika who made the particular fan "fall in love for Bollywood". The letter also mentioned that it was because of the actress that the fan opened up on depression to her mother.## Deepika took to Instagram and shared pictures of these handwritten letters.## In the second letter, a fan praised Deepika for her efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness in the country.## The actress captioned the images: "#fan #love"## The photograph currently has won over 677K hearts on the photo-sharing website.## Recently, Deepika posted a childhood image to prove that her career "started young", leaving her fans amused.## In the image, Deepika as a little girl looks cute in a glamorous black dress with matching shoes and a hat and poses like a pro with a big smile.## "Started young…," she wrote as a caption for the picture.## Amid the lockdown, the actress has turned into a "Masterchef" too and is treating her husband, actor Ranveer Singh, to scrumptious meals. They keep posting a glimpse of life amid lockdown on social media.## Stay tuned...

Lockdown diaries: Nora Fatehi's latest dance video goes viral
2245 days ago
Bollywood

Lockdown diaries: Nora Fatehi's latest dance video goes viral

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Dancer-actress Nora Fatehi is utilizing her lockdown days to hone her enviable moves. In her latest video, she pulls off a fusion of Afro, Urban and Dancehall styles of dancing, and the video has gone viral with almost 23 lakh views on Instagram till the point of publishing.## Sharing the video late on Thursday, Nora captioned: "Finally learned @parrisgoebel live Dance class routine to the song Corny! I love her work .. so here it goes #quarantinelearning #Afro #urban #dancehall."## While Nora claims she has just learned this, fans feel the "Street Dancer 3D" actress has nailed it.## Comments like "Dancehall queen", "fantastic", "amazing" and "superb" are flooding the post. While Nora aces every move with perfection, she is also giving us goals on how to make the best use of time during this lockdown!## Moroccan-Canadian dancer-actress Nora Fatehi's most popular on-screen performances include "Manohari" ("Baahubali: The Beginning"), "Dilbar" ("Satyamev Jayate"), "O saki saki" ("Batla House") and "Ek toh kam zindagani" ("Marjaavaan"), besides her recent hit "Garmi" in "Street Dancer 3D".## On the acting front, Nora will next be seen in the Ajay Devgn-starrer "Bhuj: The Pride Of India."## Stay tuned...

Sara Ali Khan a rebel child, agree mom Amrita and brother Ibrahim
2245 days ago
Bollywood

Sara Ali Khan a rebel child, agree mom Amrita and brother Ibrahim

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan is a "rebel" child who got "good grades in school", according to her mother Amrita Singh and brother Ibrahim.## Sara took to Instagram and shared a fun video with mom Amrita and brother Ibrahim as they sit together to take up the TikTok challenge, "Who's most likely?".## In the clip, answering to the question who is the most courageous, Ibrahim and mother Amrita point at Sara, who accepts she is she is the most courageous in the group.## The next question is who is most likely to get arrested. While Ibrahim points at himself, Sara believes it's her mother, and so does Amrita!## The three also agreed Amrita is the most popular person among them.## Asked about the rebel child and who got better grades at school, they all agreed on Sara.## "The only thing that we can always agree on is Singh is King," The star captioned the clip, which currently has over 3.5 million views.## On the work front, Sara was last seen in Imtiaz Ali's "Love Aaj Kal", which also starred Kartik Aaryan.## Sara will be next seen opposite Varun Dhawan in the remake of "Coolie No.1". She will also be seen sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar and Dhanush in "Atrangi Re".## Stay tuned...

Vikram's son Dhruv creates special video as superstar turns 54
2245 days ago
Sandalwood

Vikram's son Dhruv creates special video as superstar turns 54

Chennai, April 17 (IANS) Kennedy John Victor, popular among fans as Vikram, is one of Tamil cinema's biggest superstars. Friday is Vikram's birthday and his son Dhruv Vikram has posted a special video.## Dhruv's video sums up all that defines Vikram. It traces the actor's rise from his early days as a theatre artist, later a dubbing artiste, before he got a break in films. However, the journey wasn't as simple as it seems. It is laced with struggles before the actor started being revered for his talent.## Today, at 54, Vikram has done it all -- from winning the National Award to hitting the box office jackpot. Over the years, his fans have fondly come to refer to him as Chiyaan.## Dhruv's video has been made taking all the above facts into account. It features scenes from some of Vikram's most challenging roles, including, "Sethu", "Pithamagan" and "I" among numerous others.## He posted the video with the caption: "Happy Birthday Chiyaan, here's a video from your biggest fan."## Dhruv made his acting debut last year with the film "Adithya Verma", a remake of the Telugu blockbuster "Arjun Reddy". The young actor took to his Instagram page to thank his father for his support and posted: "If I'm able to address over a million people today, it is only because of one man's tireless work and grit toward making this film against all odds. Even when I was losing hope and sight of a bigger picture, he took it upon himself to show me the way, to show me that life will make you doubt yourself, It will push you to the edge of giving up, but anything is possible if you decide to work forward and never look back. 'Adithya Varma' was all you Dad."## "It may have been a remake but I know it will remain the film that's closest to my heart because, through this process, I got to learn the craft from someone who's work I'd been a fan of for as long as I can remember. And that was you. Adithya was a mere concept in your brain that you brought to life for me. Your vision put me here today. And I promise to work toward making our dreams come true. I know I can never be the legend that you are, but I say that with so much pride. Thank you for AV. And @the_real_chiyaan and I thank you all again for a million," Dhruv added.## It is rumored that Dhruv Vikram's next film is likely to be directed by Gautham Menon. Meanwhile, Vikram was shooting for Ajay Gnanamuthu film "Cobra" in Russia, before the lockdown. He is also a part of Mani Ratnam's ambitious film "Ponniyin Selvan".## Stay tuned...

Johnny Depp makes Instagram debut
2245 days ago
Social Media

Johnny Depp makes Instagram debut

Los Angeles, April 17 (IANS) Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has stepped into social media by joining Instagram to share a special message for fans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.## The "Pirates Of The Caribbean" star made his debut on the platform on April 16 by sharing a photograph of himself sitting on an old wooden bench in what seems like a cave, surrounded by candles and lights.## "Hello everyone... filming something for you now... gimme a minute," he captioned the image.## Depp gained 600,000 followers just three hours after creating the account, reports aceshowbiz.com.## A representative for the official account of his band The Hollywood Vampires and member Joe Perry both left comments featuring similar emojis on the comment section.## Moments later, the actor came back on the photo-sharing website and posted a piece he'd been filming.## A video message, which started like: "Hi everyone, hello to whoever might be out there in ether-land receiving this transmission. This is my first experience within the world of social media. I've never done anything like this before. I don't think I've ever really felt any particular reason to, until now."## "Yeah, now is the time to open up a dialogue as the threat of this invisible enemy has already caused immeasurable tragedies and enormous damage to people's lives. People are ill and without care, people are getting sick, fighting for breath and dying at frighteningly high rates."## Depp went on to reference those who have lost their jobs and others living on the streets "with no shelter or option of self-isolating at all".## "So I feel we need to try and help each other through these hard times, these trying times, for those we love, for our community, for ourselves, for the world and for the future."## He concluded his first Instagram message by thanking fans for "your kindness, your unwavering support, and your strength over these years. I am touched beyond words."## The actor then shared his version of musician John Lennon's "Isolation" saying that "there's more to come" and noting that he hoped fans would "enjoy our version."## Stay tuned...

Anushka tries ensuring Virat doesn't miss his fans amid lockdown
2245 days ago
Cricket

Anushka tries ensuring Virat doesn't miss his fans amid lockdown

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Actress Anushka Sharma was in the mood for some banter with hubby Virat Kohli amid the COVID-19 lockdown, but it seems like the Indian cricket captain was not too amused.## Anushka took to Instagram where she can be seen as troubling Virat.## In the clip, Anushka loudly says: "Aye Kohli... Kohli... Kohli... chauka maar na chauka... kya kar raha hai... Aye Kohli chauka maar."## To which, a not-so-amused Virat responds by shaking his head in disapproval.## Anushka captioned the clip: "I thought he must be missing being on the field. Along with the love he gets from millions of fans, he must be especially missing this one particular type of fan too. So I gave him the experience."## View this post on Instagram I thought he must be missing being on the field. Along with the love he gets from millions of fans, he must be especially missing this one particular type of fan too. So I gave him the experience 😜😂🏏 A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) on Apr 17, 2020 at 12:54am PDT ## Anushka and Virat have pledged to support the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Chief Minister's (Maharashtra) Relief Fund in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic.## A source in the industry told IANS that Virat and Anushka have jointly donated Rs. 3 crore towards the cause.## Stay tuned...

Farah Khan Ali tests COVID-19 negative
2246 days ago
Bollywood

Farah Khan Ali tests COVID-19 negative

Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan's former sister-in-law and Sussanne Khan's sister, Farah Khan Ali, has tested negative for COVID-19 but says she has been quarantined until April 29.## Earlier this week, Farah had tweeted that an in-house member had tested positive for coronavirus and that all her family members had to undergo tests and will be staying in isolation as a precaution.## She tweeted: "ALL NEGATIVE. Yay yay yay. #covidtesting"## "God is great. May the ones who have this virus heal soon and recover. May the ones who go to work every day trying to save the ones who have the virus be protected. May GOD HEAL OUR PLANET."## Farah, a celebrity jewelry designer, added that said that the best feeling about testing negative was to see the "relieved" faces of her children and househelp.## "You know what was the best feeling more than testing negative for Covid? It was the relieved faces of my children and in-house staff who live with me for more than 10 years. That was priceless. Happiness is contagious," she added.## Even though she has tested negative, Farah has been advised to be in quarantine.## "Will be quarantined until 29th April 2020 even though I tested negative. Be safe. Be home, This too shall pass," she said.## Earlier, Farah had tweeted that she had reported Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's Rangoli Chandel's account for targeting a specific community.## She wrote: "Thank you @Twitter @TwitterIndia @jack for suspending this account. I reported this because she targeted a specific community and called for them to be shot along with liberal media and compared herself to the Nazis."## Rangoli reportedly posted what is being considered as hate tweets aimed at a community from her blue tick handle, @Rangoli_, which prompted the suspension of the account.## Stay tuned...