As India remains under lockdown to contain coronavirus, Bollywood celebrities including actor Deepika Padukone are relying on group video calls to catch up with their near and dear ones.

The Bollywood's dimple queen on Monday set rather perfect friendship goals while practising social distancing as she spent some quality time with her childhood friends Divya Narayan and Sneha Ramchander on a group video call.

 

 

 

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❤ï¸Â #forever @divya_narayan4 @sneha_ramachander

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onApr 27, 2020 at 5:10am PDT

The 34-year-old actor, who is quite active on social media, shared on Instagram a three-window jolly screenshot of the video interaction session between the childhood buddies. In the image, all three childhood friends are seen beaming with joy while speaking to each other over the video call.

Keeping the caption of the picture simple yet striking, Deepika inserted a heart emoji along with a hashtag that said "forever" marking her strong bond with her two friends. Earlier this month, superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan was also seen speaking to her best friends several times during the lockdown.

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When author turned filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee decided to make the big switch he knew that it wouldn't be a cakewalk.Now with his second Hindi film Season's Greetings he emerges as a confident story teller, who can intrigue audience with simple and thought provoking narrative. In an exclusive chat with Midday he talks about his films and beyond...

Probably you are amongst few film journalist from Bollywood who have successfully switched from print to movie making. Was is a pre planned transition?

It might sound like a 'cakewalk' but unfortunately it was not. I had to go through the grind. After my tenure as Editor in chief of a film magazine. I co-produced a finite series Bin Kuch Kahe for Zee TV with director Rajshree Ojha. It was a learning experience for me. During that time, I realized that I would like to make films. But never in my dream I had imagined that I will become a director. In fact it was Esha Deol who literally forced me to become a director with Cakewalk. She said, "It's your vision, and you are doing everything that a director does. I think you will be a good filmmaker!" Esha stood by me and my production house like the Rock of Gibraltar.

You have been a senior journalist, with almost 20 years experience. Did any of your industry friends help you? Or did you approach them?

No. I didn't approach anyone. I wanted to make a film on my own terms and condition. I knew that once I achieve in making a decent movie, industry will support and stand by me. Cakewalk broke all possible records. It became India's first short film to be premiered in a satellite television Cineplex with Colors, the first look was launched in London by Hema Malini, the music rights was acquired by Zee Music, the film was acquired by Viacom18, I was invited at the BBC studios in London for live chat show, it got selected at 21 film festivals and won at 17 film festivals. It also become India's first short film to be premiered at Inox Insignia one of the biggest theatre chains in India. The film was promoted in 6 major metro cities in India and Dubai. We treated it like a feature film, and I give credit to my team and my friends from media and film industry.

Your second film Season's Greetings seems to have created a much bigger news. With United Nation Free and Equal and legends like Amitabh Bachchan endorsing the film it seems to be one of the much awaited movie of this year on OTT?

I am thankful to Mr Bachchan for being so gracious, he spoke so beautifully about the film in his video message. My film is a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Riruparno Ghosh, and I am grateful that Lillette Dubey maam and Celina Jaitly Haag who agreed to be a part of this venture. It was Celina who connected me with the United Nations Free and Equal, and I had to organize special screening for them in Geneva. It took almost two months to bring them on board as our social cause partner. This wouldn't have been possible without our friend and well wisher Charles Radcliffe. Zee5 had initially decided to release it on March but now due to Corona pandemic we had to reschedule everything. But I am glad that we released on April 15, and the film has become the most watched short film on Zee5. The film got selected at seven prestigious international festivals including Cardiff International Film Festival. It won Best Director Jury award at Rajasthan International Film Festival this year. I am eagerly waiting to show the film to all. This film also marks the debut of young and talented actor Azhar Khan. The film deals with LGBTQIA issue in a very subtle manner. The film has been selected at the prestigious Kashish Film Festival 2020 in Mumbai, Asia's largest LGBTQIA Film Festival. I am glad the film is getting appreciated by all, my film celebrates love beyond gender.

Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee with lead cast Celina Jaitley and Lillette Dubey in Season's Greetings

How does it feel when your film gets thunderous applause from media and film fraternity?

I feel blessed. When veterans like Khalid Mohamad, Shoma Chatterji, Nandita Puri, Ananth Mahadevan, Taran Adarsh, Rajeev Masand and Suman Ghosh writes about your film, its a reassurance. But I would like to thank my team for making this possible. My producers Aritra Das and Shailendra Kumar, my associate producers Mohammad Jameel and my wife Sarbani Mukherjee. You might dream big, but you need a producer who will stand by your vision. And of course Celina Jaitly who worked like a team member all the way from Austria in the middle of lockdown crisis. She would manage her household responsibilities and maintain all her work commitment. She interacted with all leading media over Instagram and Skype, she gave telephonic and email interviews. She actively pushed the film on social media. Lillette Dubey maam though she is not on any social media platform, she would record her bytes for channels and send. Her daughter Ira Dubey would record her interview on phone and we would give those bytes to electronic and web media. Azhar Khan supported us from Pune, while Shree Ghatak in Kolkata went all out to spread the word. My singers Sayani Palit and Jaan Kumar Sanu did radio chats and facebook live performance of the song. It was very tough to promote a 47 minute film in the middle of lockdown. But we all need to keep reinventing ourselves.

In a span of two years you have managed to direct almost five films. That's a decent number...

After Season's Greetings, I wanted to make a short length Bengali film. That's when the idea of Rickshwala came to my mind. I am launching Avinash Dwivedi in as the protagonist in the film. It was a tough project for me. We had to do workshops and shoot in the bylanes of North Kolkata in summers. Avinash gave his blood and sweat for this film. Rickshawla already won Best Actor and Best Director at 13th Ayodhya International Film Festival this year. Then we made Broken Frame, which is based on my fiction Long Island Iced Tea. Yet again I was fortunate enough to work with extremely professional and talented actors like Rohit Bose Roy and Ritabhari Chakraborty. The film deals with martial issue and infidelity. After that, I made Shubho Bijoya with Gurmeet Choudhury and Debina Bonnerjee, which is a romantic film loosely based on O Henry's classic A Gift of Magi. Now I am working on my first full length feature film Binodini Dasi, a biopic on Bengal's famous theatre actress. My first attempt to make a period drama.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee and Esha Deol receiving Society Iconic Award for Cakewalk from Ramesh Sippy, Kiran Sippy and Krishika Lulla

Do you feel that any of your skills as a journalist comes handy when you are donning the hat of a director?

Yes it does! My writing skill helps me in fine tuning my screenplay and dialogues, my editing experience helps me in keeping the scenes precise and save the cost of extra shifts and shoots. My photoshoot experiences helps me in visualizing a character, their costume, hair and makeup. And my nose for news, helps me in creating content that people would like to see on screen. I guess we all use our past experience to enhance our future endeavors.

You have penned five books and directed five movies in a span of three years. You are extremely active on social media, you also conduct special classes for film students and talk shows with celebrities. How do you balance every act?

Huh! Now that you have spelled it, I am feeling breathless. But frankly speaking, I have learnt multitasking from Hemaji (Malini) She inspires me a lot. I think if we can focus on our work then we can distribute our time evenly. Now that we are locked down for almost 40 days, I will be finishing the draft of my Bengali film, work on the story board and first look. I am also working on two non fiction with leading publishers, so my research and drafting is on. I am also working on my Hindi feature film, which will hit the floor by 2021. I don't like to waste time. Even when I am not doing something, I am watching a film or a series. The hunger should never die. And now with lockdown and quarantine, we all have learnt how to multitask, because when you are pushed to the edge then you either learn to fly or you die.

Why do you call Season's Greetings a homage to director Rituparno Ghosh? And how is it different from any other tribute?

Well, this is a different kind of homage to any director. Mostly when we pay tribute, we tend to either make a biopic or remake classics. But I thought of giving him a tribute through multiple ways. Suchitra Bhattacharya was Ritu da's favorite author, veteran Tagore vocalist Suchitra Mitra acted in his film Dahan, so I decided to name Lillette ji's character Suchitra. Celina's character Romita was Rituparna Sengupta's name in Dahan, which was a popular novel written by Suchitra Bhattacharya. The house where they stay is called Utsab, which was yet another film by Ritu. The househelp is Chapala inspired from his film Aarekti Premer Galpo (he acted), where he played a transgender filmmaker and enacted life of theatre actor Chapal Bhadhuri. Transgender actor Shree Ghatak plays the role of Chapala in my film.

There is a sequence between Lillette and Celina where they talk about fragrance of a particular perfume, which is inspired from Aparna Sen and Debasree Roy's kitchen scene from Unishe April. Lavish display of food and characters talking over dinner table has been Rituparno's favourite narrative style, which is a part of preclimax sequence.

Tagore music and Maithili language is yet another aspect which Rituparno had often used in his films. Infact there is a portrait of Tagore used in the film from Balmiki Pratibha, which was prominently used as a metaphor in his film Ashukh. Then references like Banalata pishi is from Bariwali, Abhirupa is again Rituparno's character name from Chitrangada.

Rabindranath Tagore's song Gahana Kusum Kunj Majhe, was used in his film Abhohoman, which has been recreated in the film by singers Jaan Kumar Sanu and Sarbani Mukherjee.

In a scene we see Suchitra is reading Devdutt Patnaik's novel Shikhandi. That's again referring to Rituparno's film Chitrangada, a character from Mahabharata. In fact we have also shown the exterior of Rituparno's house Tasher Ghar in Kolkata which only very few people will relate. There are shots of Ardhanarishwar, that depicts the presence of bisexuality since vedic age.

The entire character graph of boy child Chapal undergoing sex change and becoming Chapala also talks about his films like Memories of March and Chitrangada. But none of it is underlined, everything is subtle. You need to be a Rituparno fan to appreciate or understand. The scene where Romita talks about unexpected rains and letters from her mother is a fleeting reference to his film Tithli.

And of course the climax that would jolt you as an audience, and will remind you of Rituparno in a much prominent way.

In fact the first day and first shot of the movie between Celina and Azhar was shot in Grand Hyatt Presidential suite. After the shot the manager came to meet me. He said, "It's irony that Rituparno had shot Sob Charitro Kalpanik scene with Bipasha Basu and Prosenjit in the same room!" We knew that Rituda is blessing us from the word 'action'!

This film marks return of Celina Jaitly after motherhood, why did you opt for her since she was away and settled in Dubai?

I wouldn't have taken effort if she would habe settled in Mars or Moon, but to not consider an artist for geographical reason in an archaic thought. I knew that she would be my perfect Romita, for three reasons, she never got an opportunity to play a role like this. She shared a very close bonding with her parents whom she lost recently, and she has been associated with LGBTQIA movement for last two decades. I remember Celina broke down before shoot. She went to severe depression and I guess this film was her fulcrum to spring out of the situation. Ritu da once mentioned, every artist comes with their own qualities, as a director you need to utilize that aspect and mould them into your narrative.

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Life can be very unpredictable and the most traumatic and tearing example that comes to mind is that of Irrfan Khan, an actor who has departed too soon. Suffering from Neuroendocrine tumour for the last two years, the actor was a fighter. He was admitted to the Kokilaben hospital for colon infection and breathed his last today morning. He was 53!

Irrfan Khan's demise has left a void in the Hindi film industry that's unlikely to be filled in the coming years. There was nobody like him, what we call the inimitable artist. Almost everyone from the fraternity has mourned his loss. But the way Shah Rukh Khan has expressed his thoughts, one could easily tear up.

He shared a picture with the actor and wrote - "My friend...inspiration & the greatest actor of our times. Allah bless your soul Irrfan bhai...will miss you as much as cherish the fact that you were part of our lives..."

Have a look right here:

My friend...inspiration & the greatest actor of our times. Allah bless your soul Irrfan bhai...will miss you as much as cherish the fact that you were part of our lives.
"पà¥Âˆमाना à¤Â•हà¥Â‡ हà¥Âˆ à¤Â•à¥Â‹à¤Âˆ, मà¥Âˆà¤Â–ाना à¤Â•हà¥Â‡ हà¥Âˆ दà¥Âनिया तà¥Â‡रà¥Â€ à¤Â†à¤Âà¤Â–à¥Â‹à¤Â‚ à¤Â•à¥Â‹ भà¥Â€, à¤Â•à¥Âया à¤Â•à¥Âया ना à¤Â•हà¥Â‡ हà¥Âˆ" Love u pic.twitter.com/yOVoCete4A

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 29, 2020

Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan Khan worked together in Priyadarshan's 2009 comedy Billu, which was the former's home production. It's sad we could not see more of the two on the celluloid but they did meet often and bonded really well. With the great actor's demise, life's unpredictable nature has been confirmed yet again!

Bollywood celebrities, who worked with him or even those who were fans of his craft, paid homage and condolences to his legacy and the overall person that he was. One of the first ones to do that was his Piku co-actor Amitabh Bachchan. His presence will always be felt around us and the entire Hindi film industry!

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It's going to take a while before we can swallow the fact that Irrfan Khan is no more with us. He fought till his last breath and refused to give up. To be able to smile and spread happiness despite your own struggles is the very notion of any artist in the world, and Khan was one such gem that will always continue to shine.

He was admitted to the Kokilaben hospital last night due to colon infection and passed away today morning. Nearly all the Bollywood celebrities paid homage to the actor on their social media accounts by sharing messages and pictures. Shah Rukh Khan called him his friend, inspiration, and the greatest actor of their times.

However, Deepika Padukone, who shared screen space with him in Shoojit Sircar's Piku, shared a black picture that reflected the void that his unfortunate demise has left in Bollywood. She also shared a broken heart in the form of her caption.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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💔 #irrfankhan

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onApr 29, 2020 at 3:51am PDT

Irrfan Khan and Deepika Padukone were supposed to collaborate once again for a film that was to be directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, but due to the actor's illness, it was pushed indefinitely. May Irrfan's soul Rest In Peace!

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As the country mourned the loss of one of the finest actors of the Indian cinema industry, Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran on Thursday took to social media to express grief on the demise of 'legend' Rishi Kapoor.

The south Indian actor, director, and producer took to Twitter and wrote: "This is a sad sad week for cinema. Rest in peace [?]#RishiKapoor sir."

This is a sad sad week for cinema. Rest in peace ⁦#RishiKapoor sir. Had the absolute privilege of working with him in #Aurangzeb Used to tell me he can’t call me by name as I shared it with his grand father. Farewell legend. We will miss you! pic.twitter.com/VSZHRqNks9

— Prithviraj Sukumaran (@PrithviOfficial) April 30, 2020

The 37-year-old star who had shared screen space with the veteran actor in 2013 drama-thriller 'Aurangzeb,' also recalled his conversations with the late star.

"Had the absolute privilege of working with him in #Aurangzeb Used to tell me he can't call me by name as I shared it with his grandfather."

He wrapped up the post by saying: "Farewell legend. We will miss you!"

Rishi Kapoor passed away at 8:45 am IST at Mumbai's Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital after a two-year battle with leukaemia, his family said in a statement. He was admitted to the facility on Wednesday. Earlier today, actor Amitabh Bachchan confirmed the news of the demise of the 67-year-old.

In September 2019, Rishi and his wife Neetu returned to Mumbai after staying in New York for almost a year for cancer treatment. He was last seen in the 2019 film 'The Body' alongside Emraan Hashmi and Shobita Sobhita Dhulipala.

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Riteish Deshmukh and Karan Johar have no inhibitions showing off their grey hair. KJo is unable to get his tresses coloured at a salon due to the lockdown. His kids, Roohi and Yash, call him 'buddha'. Deshmukh, too, sported his salt and pepper look on Insta and quipped, "Main celebrity hoon (sic)." Will the B-Town female brigade flaunt their grey locks?

 

 

 

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Ek Joke Saanga Na

A post shared by Riteish Deshmukh (@riteishd) onApr 27, 2020 at 5:36am PDT

On the professional front, Karan Johar will be next seen as a producer in Sooryavanshi and Brahmastra. Speaking of Riteish Deshmukh, the actor was last seen in Baaghi 3, along starring Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor and Ankita Lokhande.

Amidst the global outbreak of the Coronavirus, the entertainment industry has taken a hit. Several movies including the upcoming James Bond movie are being pushed back from their intended release dates and movies like Baaghi 3 saw a huge impact on their box office collections.

All the projects are currently on halt after the outbreak. People are waiting with bated breath for this lockdown to end and get back to business.

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Rishi Kapoor has gone too soon! For many of his fans and cinema lovers, this was the most exciting phase of his career and the man was making some fascinating choices as an actor. On one hand, he gave us Agneepath and Aurangzeb, and on the other hand were titles like Luck By Chance, Kapoor & Sons, and Do Dooni Chaar. How could he go without giving some more of such great works? But destiny had other plans, it seems.

He passed away on April 30 at 8:45 am IST after battling leukaemia for over two years. His last rites were performed at the Chandanwadi Crematorium in Kalbadevi, Mumbai, near the H.N Reliance hospital where he was admitted. Family members and close friends were at the rites throughout.

Almost everyone from the Bollywood industry took to their social media accounts to pay homage and tribute to the actor and his legend and legacy. Shah Rukh Khan, who began his career in films with him in 1992's Deewana, directed by Raj Kanwar, had something more to say than just paying condolences. His had to be a memorable read, something that intrigued and hooked the readers.

It was pure nostalgic bliss when he recollected those good old days when he was a new kid on the block trying to learn the ropes of acting and wanting to rule the marquee. Here are some bits of what he wrote- "As a young man entering the daunting world of films, I was insecure about the way I looked and afraid I was not talented enough. The thought of falling meant nothing though, because even if I failed, I would have worked with the greatest actor I knew of- Rishi Sahib." (sic)

He continued, "On the first day of the shoot, he sat for my scene to finish after pack-up, then with that famously radiant smile on his face he said "yaar tujhme energy bahut hai". That day in my head I became an actor!" (sic) Have a look right here:

Heartfelt condolences to the Kapoor khandaan. May Allah give you all the strength to deal with your loss. pic.twitter.com/GAZXPq3uRp

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 30, 2020

He also shared a picture of himself and the actor from this film and everything about Khan's debut and Kapoor's legacy could come before you like a flash. These are the moments Cinema is made for, pure cathartic but also equally chocking. The note also says how he met him again to inquire about his health and Neetu Kapoor even posted that picture on her Instagram account last year in May, have a look right here:

 

 

 

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To make pple feel good about themselves is a rare quality!!! Shahrukh is all of that his love care is so so genuine !!! besides his amazing work I admire him as a very good and a real human being 🥰

A post shared by neetu Kapoor. Fightingfyt (@neetu54) onMay 16, 2019 at 7:32am PDT

Rishi Kapoor will continue to live on with his films, music, performances, and of course, that radiant smile that also charmed Shah Rukh Khan!

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May 1 has a huge significance for the people of Maharashtra as this is the day when the existing state of Maharashtra was formed. It is also celebrated as Labour Day, and celebrities, especially those from the Marathi film and television industry, sent out Maharashtra Day wishes to their fans.

Amruta Khanvilkar took to Instagram to share a couple of photos of herself decked in Maharashtrian finery and also shared Labour Day wishes.

 

 

 

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#मराठीमुलगी #महाराष्ट्रदिन

A post shared by Amruta Khanvilkar (@amrutakhanvilkar) onMay 1, 2020 at 12:09am PDT

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amruta Khanvilkar (@amrutakhanvilkar) onApr 30, 2020 at 9:07pm PDT

Riteish Deshmukh, too, shared Maharashtra Day wishes with a picture of himself seeking blessings from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

लाभले आम्हास भाग्य बोलतो मराठी
जाहलो खरेच धन्य ऐकतो मराठी
धर्म , पंथ , जात एक जाणतो मराठी
एवढ्या जगात माय मानतो मराठी#maharashtraday #महाराष्ट्रदिन pic.twitter.com/fCrClVOvRB

— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) May 1, 2020

Sai Tamhankar, known for her Marathi as well as Hindi roles, took to Twitter to share Maharashtra Day wishes with her fans.

महाराष्ट्र दिन आणि कामगार दिनाच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा!!!
जय महाराष्ट्र!!!

— Sai (@SaieTamhankar) May 1, 2020

Siddharth Jadhav, know for his performance in Ranveer Singh's Simmba, sent out wishes through an Instagram video:

 

 

 

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जय महाराष्ट्र 🙏..... #maharashtradivas #Maharashtra #Labourday #MiMarathi @truptiakkalwar

A post shared by Siddharth jadhav (@siddharth23oct) onApr 30, 2020 at 10:18pm PDT

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Many B-townies have been keeping themselves busy by doing household chores, self-pampering, and of course, decluttering and rearranging wardrobe. Deepika Padukone, Debina Bonnerjee, Kriti Sanon, Ameesha Patel have shared some cleaning photos on their social media. In fact, some cleaning pictures might actually give you an OCD attack. The reason, the cluttered arrangements.

As we all know, Deepika Padukone has OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which means excess need and requirement of cleaning and rearranging things rapidly. The actress has confessed how she never sits at one place and is always doing something or the other when at home. If not cleaning, she rearranges her wardrobe compulsively. 

 

 

 

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Season 1:Episode 1 Productivity in the time of COVID-19!😷 #cleaning #wardrobe

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMar 15, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

Kriti Sanon, who is known for her panache and grace, was also seen decluttering her wardrobe. The actress too got distracted amid the cleaning, courtesy, the little one! Check this out.

 

 

 

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And while i was trying to declutter my wardrobe, Phoebe found some playtime! 🤪 🐶 ðŸÂÂ’ðŸ»‍♀ï¸ÂðŸÂÂ’–

A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon) onApr 1, 2020 at 5:32am PDT

Ameesha Patel shared a video on Instagram where she is seen cleaning her most priced possession, shoes! And come on, most of us are completely obsessed with the entire thought of hoarding all kinds of footwear. Relatable much?

 

 

 

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Even CiNDERELLA needed the perfect glass slipper fit for her prince to find her 😀😀😀cleaning one of my shoe 🥿👠👠👡👡👡👟🥾🥾👢👢cupboards .. stay home activities to keep myself occupied ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’–ðŸÂÂ’– #LetsStayHome #CeraKuchPalGharKeNaam

A post shared by Ameesha Patel (@ameeshapatel9) onApr 6, 2020 at 4:27am PDT

Debina Bonnerjee too shared a cleaning post, just like other celebrities. While hers included library rearrangements and decluttering the shoe rack, we can't stop gawking at her photos. Take a look.

 

 

 

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Self quarantined. And I have so much to do. I organised , cleansed my shoes Mission 1 accomplished. 👍🏼 . What are you doing??

A post shared by Debina Bonnerjee (@debinabon) onMar 19, 2020 at 8:38pm PDT

So, what are you cleaning next?

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With less than a few hours to go for the telecast of the much anticipated 'India's biggest' virtual concert, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday expressed his happiness to participate in the event -- 'I For India.'

The 54-year-old star took to Twitter and wrote: "Happy to participate in #IForIndia... a concert to raise funds for those affected by Covid-19."

Happy to participate in #IForIndia... a concert to raise funds for those affected by Covid-19.
Sunday, 3rd May, 7:30 PM IST.
Concert dekhiye aur yaad rakhiye... Sab Sahi Ho Jayega.

Watch it LIVE here: https://t.co/OYQnGdXB19 pic.twitter.com/9d9WsnZIij

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) May 3, 2020

"Sunday, 3rd May, 7:30 PM IST. Concert dekhiye aur yaad rakhiye... Sab Sahi Ho Jayega," his tweet read.

Many stars participating in the event have taken up to social media this morning to show their support and to invite their followers to tune in to the concert.

The event dubbed as the 'India's biggest concert' by ace filmmaker Karan Johar, is an attempt to spice the lockdown with a dose of entertainment while raising funds for COVID-19 relief.

The director and Zoya Akhtar have joined hands to organise a virtual concert 'I For India' which will feature over 85 celebrities.

Other celebrities joining SRK for the event will include, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, AR Rehman, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Arijit Singh, Anushka Sharma, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and band, Javed Akhtar, Madhuri Dixit, Vicky Kaushal and more.

The event will also have some global celebrities like musicians Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Bryan Adams, Nick Jonas, actor Sophie Turner, and comedians Mindy Kaling and Lilly Singh.

The virtual concert will stream live on Facebook on May 3 at 7.30 PM IST.

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It seems our Bollywood divas are huge mango lovers. After Kareena Kapoor Khan, actress Deepika Padukone has now taken to social media to express her love for raw mangoes.

Sharing a picture of mouth-watering raw mango slices with lots of chilli powder sprinkled on it, Deepika wrote: "You're simply the best, better than all the rest... Better than anyone, anyone I ever met."

Reacting to her mango-licious post, a user commented: "Raw mangoes are the best." Another one wrote: "It looks so yumm." Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

You're simply the best, better than all the rest Better than anyone, anyone I ever met...🤤

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 3, 2020 at 12:08am PDT

On the work front, Deepika will be next seen opposite her husband, Ranveer Singh in Kabir Khan's cricket drama 83. She is also part of Shakun Batra's next.

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Actress Kajol is a great admirer of superstar Shah Rukh Khan's wonderful energy. On Sunday, May 3, Kajol conducted an #AskKajol session on Twitter, answering a lot of fans' queries. When a Twitter user asked her about one thing she likes the most in SRK, Kajol said: "His amazing energy."

Have a look right here:

His amazing energy @iamsrk https://t.co/hVsX2R0cKx

— Kajol (@itsKajolD) May 3, 2020

Kajol and SRK have worked together in several movies like Baazigar, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and My Name Is Khan.

Another user shared a still of the two actors from their movie "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai". Reacting to it, Kajol wrote: "Memories and Friends. Two words." Have a look:

Memories and Friends. Two words https://t.co/4a77zp6IaS

— Kajol (@itsKajolD) May 3, 2020

On the film front, Kajol will be next seen in Netflix's Tribhanga.

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In a historic move, India's biggest fundraiser concert to raise funds for GiveIndia Covid-19 relief fund was met with an unprecedented response by millions of people across the globe. Held live on 3rd May, 2020 IST on Facebook Live, India's biggest virtual concert witnessed 85 plus Indian and global stars on one platform to raise funds for those affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

Shah Rukh Khan, who was more than happy to be a part of this noble initiative, urged everyone to contribute in whatever capacity they could. The superstar pulled off an interesting and engaging conversation with his ardent fans by singing the song 'Sab Sahi Ho Jayega' (created by Badshah) – a song about chances… good chances… about hope, compassion and love.

Shah Rukh Khan's adorable act with his son AbRam was loved and appreciated by one and all, bringing a magical end to the marvelous evening. After announcing a range of initiatives, Shah Rukh Khan provided 25,000 PPE kits to the frontline medical staff in Maharashtra fighting to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state.

 

 

 

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‪Extremely grateful to #IforIndia, @badboyshah and @cacklerraj for music, lyrics & for working overnight. thank u Sunil for the edit. All so that I could sing. ‬ ‪Ab bhai, lockdown mein mujhe gaate hue bhi jhelna padhega. AbRam is saying 'papa enough now!’‬ ‪Par sab sahi ho jaayega!‬

A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) onMay 3, 2020 at 2:08pm PDT

The actor's group of companies, Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX recently announced several initiatives to support the efforts of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji and the Government in its COVID-19 fight.

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In a historic move, India's biggest fundraiser concert to raise funds for GiveIndia Covid-19 relief fund was met with an unprecedented response by millions of people across the globe. Held live on May 3, 2020, IST on Facebook Live, India's biggest virtual concert witnessed 85 plus Indian and global stars on one platform to raise funds for those affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

Shah Rukh Khan, who was more than happy to be a part of this noble initiative, urged everyone to contribute in whatever capacity they could. The superstar pulled off an interesting and engaging conversation with his ardent fans by singing the song 'Sab Sahi Ho Jayega' (created by Badshah) – a song about chances… good chances… about hope, compassion and love.

Shah Rukh Khan's adorable act with his son AbRam was loved and appreciated by one and all, bringing a magical end to the marvellous evening.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

‪Extremely grateful to #IforIndia, @badboyshah and @cacklerraj for music, lyrics & for working overnight. thank u Sunil for the edit. All so that I could sing. ‬ ‪Ab bhai, lockdown mein mujhe gaate hue bhi jhelna padhega. AbRam is saying 'papa enough now!’‬ ‪Par sab sahi ho jaayega!‬

A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) onMay 3, 2020 at 2:08pm PDT

After announcing a range of initiatives, Shah Rukh Khan provided 25,000 PPE kits to the frontline medical staff in Maharashtra fighting to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state.

The actor's group of companies, Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX recently announced several initiatives to support the efforts of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji and the Government in its COVID-19 fight.

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Ananya Panday had an impactful start to her career in 2019 and instantly, won hearts with her debut. The roles she portrayed which were truly versatile. Up next, the actress will be working in Shakun Batra's next where she will be sharing screens space with Deepika Padukone.

Telling us about working with the actress, Ananya expresses how she feels about it. "You don't feel like she's a star overpowering you. It feels like being with a friend. Deepika is more beautiful on the inside than on the outside", says Ananya.

The actress has a great line up of projects, one of them being with her wishlist director Shakun Batra and this untitled film has one of the exciting projects Ananya will be seen working in.

Ananya is all set to once again win hearts with her on-screen presence and serve a varied set of characters. With the passion she is working, one is sure that she will be bringing another spectacular character. The actress also bagged her first PAN-India release.

Ananya's recently announced film Fighter, alongside Vijay Deverakonda. The next one being Khaali Peeli alongside Ishaan Khatter. Ananya has three projects back to back.

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Filmmaker Karan Johar has quashed reports that the team of his upcoming production Brahmastra has to take pay cuts amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. He has requested everyone to wait for an official announcement rather than jump to conclusions based on rumours.

Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor star in the ambitious Ayan Mukerji-directed superhero adventure, which has been billed as the first part in a trilogy. The film also stars Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy.

There were reports stating that as a measure to keep the film commercially viable, the entire cast has volunteered pay cuts. Rumours suggested that Ranbir, Alia and Ayan came forward for a pay cut.

Johar took to Twitter to set the record straight. "My hugest request to my media friends not to reach any assumptions on our fraternity films...these are challenging times for the business and false news only makes the situation worse," the filmmaker tweeted.

"Please wait for official news on any account!! This is a humble request," he added.

Brahmastra: Part One is set to release in five languages -- Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, and is produced by Dharma Productions in association with Fox Star Studios.

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Rishi Kapoor, the original chocolate hero of Hindi cinema, passed away on April 30, 2020, leaving behind a massive feeling of loss and sorrow in the heart of every Indian. The veteran actor had fans across the world, and was hugely admired for his acting prowess and his charm.

The Chandni actor had been battling cancer for over two years and was in New York for the better part of a year seeking treatment for it. He and wife, veteran actress Neetu Kapoor, returned to India in September 2019, and on April 30, 2020, Rishi Kapoor breathed his last in a hospital in Mumbai.

Now, a few days after his passing, Neetu Kapoor has taken to Instagram to thank Mukesh and Nita Ambani, who gave the Kapoors their utmost support and love during their difficult time. Sharing a photo of them together, Neetu wrote, "From ensuring he was medically attended to, to making frequent, personal visits to the hospital to shower him with love and attention, to even holding our hand and comforting us when WE were scared. To Mukesh Bhai, Nita Bhabhi, Akash, Shloka, Anant and Isha - you have been our guardian angels on this long and trying experience - what we feel for you can not be measured..."

Read the full note here:

 

 

 

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For us, as a family, the last two years have been a long journey There were good days, there were a couple of bad days too.. needless to say it was full of high emotion. But it’s a journey we would not have been been able to complete without the immeasurable love and support of the Ambani family. As we’ve gathered our thoughts over the past few days we’ve also tried to find the words to express the gratitude we feel towards the family for the countless ways in which they have seen us safely through this time. Over the last seven months every member of the family has gone above and beyond in every way possible to care for our beloved Rishi and ensure he experienced as little discomfort as possible. From ensuring he was medically attended to, to making frequent, personal visits to the hospital to shower him with love and attention, to even holding our hand and comforting us when WE were scared. To Mukesh Bhai , Nita Bhabhi, Akash, Shloka, Anant and Isha - you have been our guardian angels on this long and trying experience - what we feel for you can not be measured. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your selfless, unending support and attention. We feel truly blessed to count you among our nearest and dearest. Sincerely and with utmost gratitude, Neetu, Riddhima, Ranbir and the entire Kapoor Family.🙏💕

A post shared by neetu Kapoor. Fightingfyt (@neetu54) onMay 4, 2020 at 9:05pm PDT

The Ambanis and Kapoors are closest of friends, and Neetu Kapoor showed utter strength and affection in expressing her gratitude towards them through this post.

In fact, Neetu Kapoor had shared another post in which she thanked the medical staff at Mumbai's HN Reliance Hospital who cared for Rishi Kapoor as their own. 

 

 

 

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As a family we have a deep sense of loss.. when we sit together and look back at the past few months what we also feel is immense gratitude - gratitude towards the doctors at HN reliance hospital! The whole team of doctors, brothers and nurses headed by Dr Tarang Gianchandani treated my husband like he was their own - they advised us like we were their own.. and for all that and more I thank them from the bottom of my heart..🙏 @rfhospital

A post shared by neetu Kapoor. Fightingfyt (@neetu54) onMay 3, 2020 at 8:40pm PDT

A comment on this post expresses what we think about Neetu Kapoor at this moment: "Gratitude even in grief. You are pure class and grace. And we all are with you, hamesha," wrote an Instagram user.

Neetu Kapoor has proved once again that a spirit of gratitude goes a long way in making friends and keeping them for life!

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If you're wondering what to watch next while being bored during Lockdown 3.0, fret not, we've got just the thing for you. Shah Rukh Khan is all geared up to present his next web series as a producer on Netflix India. The show is titled Betaal, and its teaser on Instagram is giving us the creeps!

The OTT platform shared a clip on its Instagram account and wrote, "They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!"

 

 

 

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They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) onMay 4, 2020 at 11:03pm PDT

Betaal is an international collaboration between Netflix, Red Chillies entertainment, Blum House (makers of Paranormal Activity, Insidious) and SK Global (behind Crazy Rich Asians and Delhi Crime).

Betaal is a horror-thriller written and co-directed by Patrick Graham, who has previously directed Ghoul starring Radhika Apte, and also co-written Leila starring Huma Qureshi. Both shows were widely accepted by the audience.

Betaal has been shot extensively in India, especially in Mumbai, Lonavala and Khandala. The series, which revolves around traditional Indian folklore, will definitely be outstanding in terms of the horror content with some incredible VFX and prosthetics work.

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In a relief to the makers of Vir Das' latest web series "Hasmukh", the Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to grant an interim stay on the streaming of the show on the OTT platform Netflix. The stay had been sought after allegations that the show makes disparaging comments against lawyers, particularly in episode four of season one, titled "Bambai Main Bambu".

"The very essence of democracy is that a creative artist is given the liberty to project the picture of the society in a manner he perceives. One of the prime forms of exposing the ills of the society is by portraying a satirical picture of the same," said a single judge bench of the High Court presided by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.

"Stand-up comedians perform that very purpose. In their portrayal they use satire and exaggerate the ills to an extent that it becomes a ridicule. In the humorous portrayal of the ills of the society the stand-up comedians use satire," the bench observed.

While dismissing the application, the court stated that the "plaintiff has not been able to show that the impugned comment in any manner refers to the plaintiff or refers to a definite group of individuals or lawyers out of the entire class of lawyers to which the plaintiff belongs".

The plea filed by Advocate Ashutosh Dubey sought the court's directions to the web series producers, directors and writer to tender unconditional apology online, saying that the web series had "maligned the image of the lawyers' community, which includes judges as they too had been lawyers at one point of time".

The plea further read: "The said remarks have caused utmost damage to legal profession and impugn the image of lawyers in the eyes of millions of viewers/ subscribers who visit the streaming website where the show is being streamed."

The plea also sought deletion or removal of certain objectionable content from the series, especially from season one, episode four.

The plea alleged that in the said episode, the makers have alleged lawyers to be "thieves, scoundrels, goons and have had the indecency to address, lawyers as rapists".

Advocate Priyanka Khimani, who represented defendant in the case, seemed extremely happy and welcomes the court's decision.

"This is a welcome decision that reinforces artistic and cinematic freedom of speech and expression, without which the world of storytelling would not survive. The content universe today thrives on its ability to express and communicate freely, as it rightly should in any free-thinking and free-speaking nation. So this decision is a gentle reminder of the fact that that freedom and ability are still, very much, intact," Khimani said

"Hasmukh" also stars Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Pahwa, Ravi Kishan and Amrita Bagchi.

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As she is spending time at home during the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, actor Deepika Padukone on Wednesday took out a moment to thank "music" which has been a constant companion for many during the period.

The 'Piku' actor took to Instagram to share a picture of her piano and penned a caption dedicated to music and describing how life would have been incomplete without it.

 

 

 

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Thank you for the music, the songs I'm(NOT)singing... Thanks for all the joy they're bringing Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music For giving it to me... #music

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 5, 2020 at 11:10pm PDT

"Thank you for the music, the songs I'm(NOT)singing... Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty," she wrote in her caption.

"What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music, For giving it to me... #music," her caption further read.

The picture of Padukone's piano also featured her photographs kept on the top of the piano.

The 34-year-old actor has been sharing such insights from her daily life ever since the beginning of the lockdown.

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On the fifth anniversary of the film Piku, Deepika Padukone remembered her late co-star in the film, Irrfan Khan, who passed away on April 29. "Piku" released on May 8, 2015, and on Friday Deepika shared a message on Facebook along with a still from the film's shoot. Tagging the film's writer Juhi Chaturvedi and director Shoojit Sircar, the actress shared the lyrics of the song "Lamhe guzar gaye" from "Piku".

At the end of the message, she wrote: "Rest in Peace my Dear Friend... #rana #piku #bhaskor #ShoojitSircar #JuhiChaturvedi."

 

 

 

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लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...💔 #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

Her reference was to the characters in the film. While Irrfan was Rana, Deepika played Piku, and Amitabh Bachchan had essayed Bhaskor in Shoojit Sircar's slice-of-life romantic comedy. "Piku" was a box-office success, and the film won three National Awards -- for Bachchan as Best Actor, and Juhi Chaturvedi for Best Screenplay and Best Dialogues.

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There may not be a single soul who didn't like Irrfan Khan for some quality or the other. Be it his acting prowess, his expressive eyes, the magic in his voice, or for simply the kind of person he was, Irrfan was loved and admired by people across the world. 

When he left us on April 29, 2020, it felt like one of the darkest days Hindi cinema had seen. Messages of condolence and sorrow came in from the most unexpected corners of the world, further proving that Irrfan Khan was indeed a global icon.

Deepika Padukone and Irrfan shared screen space in the much-loved film Piku, which starred Amitabh Bachchan as well. The actress recently shared a video that shows her playing tennis with Irrfan, possibly on the sets of Piku. She remembered Irrfan with a broken heart emoji and wrote, "Please come back!"

 

 

 

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please come back!💔 #irrfankhan

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 8:27pm PDT

Dippy and Irrfan shared a close camaraderie, which was apparent in the effortless way they shared the screen in Piku, which released on May 8, 2015. And on the fifth anniversary of their film, Deepika shared a quaint photo of herself and Irrfan in one frame laughing their hearts out.

 

 

 

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लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...💔 #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onMay 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

Irrfan Khan will be missed for years to come, and will surely be never forgotten.

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Things have begun to perk up for Sidharth Shukla, it seems! He won Bigg Boss 13 and ever since then, has been the talk of the town. He recently starred in the single Bhula Dunga with Shehnaaz Gill that currently has 52 million views on YouTube. And now, there seems to be another big offer in his kitty.

TellyChakkar reports that Sidharth might be hosting a reality show and that too with his favourite Shehnaaz. The show we are talking about is Dance Deewane that was earlier being hosted by Arjun Bijlani. Even though nothing about it has been confirmed yet, fans would surely go bonkers if the two unite one more time. Expect soaring TRPs.

Shehnaaz and Sidharth have been very close to each other ever since they participated in Bigg Boss 13. Theirs was one of those very few romances that didn't evaporate as soon as they stepped out of the house. Their social media fan-following is enormous and enviable, to say the least. Since both of them are in high demand currently, this is the best time for them to cash in on the same and make some extremely successful shows together. And how about a film too?

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Circus was one of the most popular and beloved TV shows back then, and it still continues to enjoy a huge place in people's hearts. Starring brilliant actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Renuka Shahane, Ashutosh Gowariker, Makrand Deshpande and many others.

Recently, in an interview with Mirror Online, Renuka Shahane opened up about working with Shah Rukh Khan and how she thinks he's a workaholic. She shared, "Shah Rukh had a huge craze even at that time because his previous show Fauji had done so well. He was like a heartthrob even then. At that time when he was not even a film star, I've seen him getting mobbed by fans and a crowd of around 20,000 people gathering there just to see Shah Rukh Khan."

Shahane, who was 24 when she portrayed Maria in Circus, shared how SRK was and continues to be a workaholic. "He was a workaholic. He would have worked for 36 hours at a stretch if he was asked to. That kind of energy was very infectious. Plus, all of us were already excited to work with him. I definitely was, because I had loved Fauji!"

Sharing an incident from the sets of Circus, Renuka Shahane recalled, "There was one song which we had to shoot with a wild bear. The trainer had warned us beforehand that we should not come in its way, but even though we tried to avoid it, the bear ended up chasing us! So if you watch the episode carefully, you'll see that we were terrified and were running for our lives, but still had to look calm because the camera was rolling."

Admitting that she has not watched the re-telecast of her show during the coronavirus lockdown, Renuka Shahane said, "I am not watching it again but I am glad that people are -- especially today's generation. I am very pleased to get a new audience for my old show."

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Bigg Boss 13 contestant Sidharth Shukla recently engaged in a Q&A with fans on Twitter. One fan asked if he helped around the house during the lockdown. Shukla replied, "Well, my mom didn't like the way I did it [the chores] and thought it would be better if she did the needful, so I am exempted (sic)." The actor added that for a greater part of the day he was doing what he does best—sleeping.

Shukla has become one of the most popular names on social media ever since his participation in Bigg Boss 13. Right from singles to even judging reality shows, offers are pouring left, right, and center for the actor. Also, people have been talking about his chemistry and proximity with Shehnaaz Gill for almost a year now.

It seems once the lockdown is over, we might get to see the two of them more often. Time to wait and watch!

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Relationships in Tinsel Town can be very fragile. There are a lot of couples that got married and there are more couples that drifted apart due to irreparable differences. One of the couples is Shefali Jariwala and Sidharth Shukla. Shefali turned a lot of heads and made a lot of noise when she became the wild-card entry in Bigg Boss 13 last year, and her bonding with Shukla could clearly be seen. And speaking to BollywoodLife, she spilled the beans on her past and current relationship with the actor.

She said, "See, initially we bonded and then we had a bad fight. After he came back from the secret room, our equation got better. Both of us are very logical people. Also, we have similar interests, we would talk about travel, space, bullet trains and what not. Even after we stopped dating, we were always cordial whenever we bumped into each other."

And then, talking about his relationship with Shehnaaz Gill, she said, "See, that is my opinion of their equation from what I saw inside the house. Sidharth definitely cares for her but I did not find it a romantic equation per se. However, saying that, I would be happy if they indeed fell in love and got married. It would be great. It will be wonderful."

Would you also like to see Shehnaaz and Sidharth tie the knot soon? 

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Given people today have the tendency to make memes on almost anything and everything, how could a tv show like Mahabharat stay away? It's a cult show and making history in terms of TRPs even in 2020. But in one of the episodes, 49 to be precise, they spotted an AC cooler and made a lot of memes on the scene.

And now, talking about this to Times of India, Khanna has broken his silence and reacted to it. He has said, "I had been hearing about a picture of mine from the sets of Mahabharat going viral where I am shown sitting in front of a cooler, for the past few days. I want to know yeh picture aayi kahan se and secondly yeh kisne spot kiya? I doubt if this picture is from a still from the show. And if it is, it is a huge mistake. But from what I can say after seeing it is that it appears to be clicked in between shots. I don't think such a glaring mistake would have happened from BR Chopra's side. He was too careful with the making and the editing of Mahabharat."

However, to bear the heat, there were AC coolers on the sets for the actors, as revealed by Khanna. "We were shooting in Film City which was fully air-conditioned. However, since I had such heavy costumes and to top it all a long beard which I had to wear most of the day I used to feel extremely hot. Especially because of the beard. So, I requested BR Chopra Ji to allow me to use an air-cooler. The beard was such that after shots I used to sweat a lot and it used to irritate me," said the actor.

Well, Mahabharat is enjoying a dream run on television and as days and episodes pass by, the TRPs are only likely to grow!

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The year 2020 keeps getting worse. In another heartbreaking piece of news, Shehnaaz Gill's grandmother has been hospitalised due to liver ailment and this news was broken by her father Santokh Singh Sukh on his Instagram account.

Taking to his account, he shared a shattering image of his mother and wrote- "My mother hospital mein hai liver mein problem ho gayi hai God jaldi thik kar do." (sic)

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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My mother hospital mein hai liver mein problem ho gayi hai God jaldi thik kar do

A post shared by SANTOKH SINGH SUKH (@santokhsukh1) onMay 6, 2020 at 4:43am PDT

If you all go through the comments, everyone, especially Shehnaaz's fans, are praying for her recovery and we also hope she gets well soon and comes back home! If you all followed Bigg Boss 13, the actress, on multiple occasions, used to share anecdotes of spending some special moments with her grandmother and how she is really funny.

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While the film industry has come to a halt, the producers, actors and directors are interacting with each other through video calls and getting things in order for the future. Multiple films are being planned at the moment and one of them is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ambitious period musical drama, Baiju Bawra. Bollywood Hungama has exclusively learnt that the celebrated director is in talks with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone for the official remake of the 1952 film.

“Ranbir and Deepika make a pair to reckon with on screen and Bhansali wants to create magic on screen with the two actors. Talks are on, however neither of the two have signed the dotted lines yet,” revealed a source close to the development, adding further that the idea is to move away from the conventional pairing for Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. “He will work with Ranveer again in the future, but he doesn’t want to repeat the pairing of the real life couple for the fourth consecutive time.”

Ranbir made his acting debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Saawariya, which was a colossal disappointment, while Deepika has worked with the director in Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmavaat. Ranbir and Deepika, on the other hand, have worked together in two successful films – Bachna Ae Haseeno and Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani, while their third collaboration, Tamasha, was a flop. “These are all early talks, which started before the lockdown, but with the entire calendar of actors going for a toss, it would be interesting to see how things shape up. Though Ranbir and Deepika will make for a formidable pair in a Bhansali film,” the source added.

Bhansali is currently working from home on the post production of his next directorial, Gangubai Kathiawadi with Alia Bhatt, which went on the floors in November last year. A lot of shoot still remains, and it will be resumed once the national scenario gets back to normal.

Also Read: Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt to reunite for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Baiju Bawra?

The two of the biggest superstars of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, also have an electrifying chemistry on screen. This was evident in Rakesh Roshan’s 1995 blockbuster Karan Arjun. Even in the romance saga Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, where Salman had a supporting part, the film went on another level whenever they came forward. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam today is memorable chiefly because it starred both of them together. It’s been 18 years since they both came together, though they were sweet enough to do special appearances in each other’s films (Om Shanti Om, Tubelight and Zero). But to see them together in a two-hero flick is something that fans have been waiting for keenly. Their excitement did arise when reports emerged that Sanjay Leela Bhansali was planning to cast Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in his next flick. But sadly, the project failed to take off.

After SRK’s Zero tanked, the star took a long time in deciding his next and finally, if reports are believed, he has given his nod to blockbuster filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani. However, as per a write-up by Rajeev Masand in Open magazine, Rajkumar Hirani had initially approached SRK with a different film. The article states that Rajkumar had the concept of a two-hero film in his mind. For this project, he wanted to cast both Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. However, when he met SRK, he insisted that he’s keen on doing a solo-starrer. Hence, Rajkumar Hirani went back to the drawing board and he finally came up with an idea which was fine to both the filmmaker and the actor.

Rajkumar Hirani is writing the script with his regular colleague, Abhijat Joshi. As it is his style, Rajkumar Hirani is taking his own sweet time to write and fine-tune the script. He’s been sharing all the drafts with the superstar, who also provides his feedback and input to Rajkumar. However, an official announcement regarding this film will happen only when a fully satisfied Rajkumar Hirani locks the script. This is being done at the behest of the filmmaker and Shah Rukh Khan reportedly has no qualms in delaying the announcement.

Recently, SRK had got his fans excited when in a reply to a fan question on Twitter, he had hinted that his film with Rajkumar Hirani is indeed on.

Wow both are awesome and I have met them...but Raju apna sa lagta hai...nahi? https://t.co/EuSsrTHtx5

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 20, 2020

Also Read: Rajkumar Hirani and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to have an insightful conversation on the Heart To Heart Show

Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani has been ranked 17th in the latest world billionaires list by Forbes with a net worth of $44.3 billion – once again leading the tally from India's perspective.

Mukesh Ambani chairs and runs $88 billion (revenue) oil and gas giant Reliance Industries, among India's most valuable companies. Reliance Jio has signed on more than 340 million customers by offering free domestic voice calls, dirt-cheap data services, and virtually free smartphones, said the report.

The next Indian on the 34th annual list -- veteran Mumbai investor Radhakishan Damani who is touted as India's retail king after the March 2017 IPO of his supermarket chain DMart – is at a distant 65th position with a net worth of $16.6 billion.

Damani got into retailing in 2002 with one store in suburban Mumbai and has been unstoppable since. His property portfolio includes the 156-room Radisson Blu Resort in Alibag and a popular beach-front getaway close to Mumbai, according to the report.

At 114th position, HCL Technologies Founder Shiv Nadar is worth $12.4 billion. One of India's leading philanthropists, Nadar has donated $662 million to his Shiv Nadar Foundation.

While Hinduja brothers are at 116th position with $12.2 billion net worth. Srichand and Gopichand live in London and Prakash resides in Monaco while the youngest sibling Ashok oversees their Indian interests from Mumbai. At 138th position, Uday Kotak is worth $10.7 billion. His Kotak Mahindra Bank is now among India's top four banks in the private sector, boosted by its 2014 acquisition of ING Bank's Indian operations.

In January this year, the bank reached an agreement with the Reserve Bank of India over the issue of reducing Kotak's stake in the bank to 26 per cent. Telecom tycoon Sunil Mittal is at 154th position with $9.5 billion net worth. Bharti Airtel today is among India's largest mobile phone operators with more than 418 million customers.

Others in the latest list are Cyrus Poonawalla who is founder of Serum Institute of India (at 161th position with $9.2 billion net worth), Gautam Adani at 162th position with $9.2 billion net worth and steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal with $8.9 billion net worth at 170th spot, among others.

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New York-based art director Matteo De Cosmo, who worked on popular series such as 'Luke Cage' and 'The Punisher', has died at the age of 52 due to complications from COVID-19. He also worked on ABC Studios series 'Harlem's Kitchen', which halted production in March because of the pandemic.

"Making television is challenging. But there are people that assure you every day with their talent, passion and smile that anything is possible. Matteo was one of those people. We will miss him," said 'Harlem's Kitchen' showrunner Zahir McGhee in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. De Cosmo is survived by his wife, Aris, and son, Marcello.

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Sanjay Mishra starrer Kaamyaab hit the screens on 6th March 2020. The film captured the journey of the character actors. Recently, The Alchemist author Paulo Coehlo praised the film and his performance.

Taking to Twitter, he said, “The producers thank you in the very 1st frame, @iamsrk. I am doing the same. 2 days ago a great Brazilian actor, Flavio Migliaccio, committed suicide, leaving a note on how the industry treats their artists. This movie, labeled as “comedy”, is in fact the tragedy of Art.”

Shah Rukh Khan was quick to respond to his tweet. As the presenter of the film, he said, “Saw the film when it was doing Festival rounds and it touched a chord with the whole team at @RedChilliesEnt Am so moved you appreciate. It’s a sad truth that character actors get forgotten. Look after yourself my friend and be safe & healthy.”

Sanjay Mishra recently spoke to a daily and said that when the emotions of a film connect, language is not the issue. He said that though neither he nor his mother have read Paulo’s books, he told her that he is a well-known author. She said to Sanjay that his father would be proud of him. He said that he received congratulatory messages from his father’s civil services colleagues too.

As Paulo mentioned how a Brazilian actor committed suicide, Sanjay revealed that many of his friends are currently jobless due to lockdown. He said that those who have jobs could lose it one day but some of them didn’t even have it to begin with. He further said this goes for the senior artistes who get written off irrespective of their contribution to the cinema. Sanjay Mishra said that an actor is also society’s responsibility.

The story revolves around how a character actor after his retirement is all set to make a record of 500 films and continue his hustle. Sanjay Mishra and Deepak Dobriyal starred n the film as Mishra had undergone a prosthetics transformation for every character shown on-screen.

Kaamyaab had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival followed by screenings at Festival du film d'Asie du Sud Paris, New York City South Asian Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Shanghai International Film Festival, as well as the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

ALSO READ: Author Paulo Coelho appreciates Shah Rukh Khan for Kaamyaab; actor reveals why he produced it

Spanish drama Money Heist aka Le Casa De Papel on Netflix has quickly become of the most-watched shows on the streaming giant. From El Profesor to Tokio, fans absolutely love the characters. Bollywood Hungama recently shared the dream cast if Bollywood adapted it as a film.

During a recent interaction with Behindwoods, Money Heist director Alex Rodrigo was asked who would he select from the list of the Indian actors for the Indian version. Alex chose South superstar Thalapathy Vijay for the role of El Profesor whereas he said Shah Rukh Khan would be best suited for Berlin's role. He further said Ajith Kumar could play Bogota, Ranveer Singh as Denver. He wanted Mahesh Babu and Suriya to take on the roles Tamayo and Suarez. Thalapathy Vijay's fans trended 'Money Heist' in India on Thursday night on Twitter.

Created by Álex Pina, Money Heist aka Le Casa De Papel stars Álvaro Morte as The Professor, Itziar Ituño as Raquel, Úrsula Corberó as Tokyo, Miguel Herrán as Rio, Jaime Lorente Lopez as Denver, Alba Flores as Nairobi, Darko Peric as Helsinki, Esther Acebo as Monica, Hovik Keuchkerian, Rodrigo de la Serna, and Pedro Alonso as Berlin.

ALSO READ: From Shah Rukh Khan to Alia Bhatt, here’s the dream cast of Money Heist if remade in Bollywood

Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan shared the screen space for the first time in Piku and had become very close friends through the course of this Shoojit Sircar directorial. The film that explored a father-daughter relationship in its truest forms has completed 5 years of its release and this time, it comes with a sad note as Irrfan Khan, who played a pivotal role in the film, passed away a few days ago.

The entire industry mourned for this loss and now, Deepika Padukone bids a teary farewell to her friend with the lyrics of one of the film’s songs, ‘Lamhe Guzar Gaye’. The movie will always hold a special place in our hearts for all the right reasons. Deepika Padukone shared an unseen candid picture with Irrfan Khan where they are seen laughing about something. Take a look at it.

 

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लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...???? #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on May 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

The film could not have had a better casting than Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan.

Also Read: Post Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor’s demise, John Cena shares pictures of the legends on his Instagram

A day back, Deepika Padukone and late Irrfan Khan's film Piku completed five years. Irrfan's demise is still being mourned by his friends, colleagues and fans. Deepika took to Instagram to share a video of herself playing tennis with the actor. "Please come back," she wrote.

The video was taken on the sets of Piku. Deepika, who had a deep fondness for Irrfan like all of us, earlier paid a tribute to him with the song 'Lamhe Guzar Gaye', from the same film. Along with that, she also shared a throwback photo from the sets.

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please come back!???? #irrfankhan

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on May 8, 2020 at 8:27pm PDT

Irrfan, who was battling cancer for the past two years, spent half of this time in London, getting himself treated. Despite not being in the best of health, he shot for Homi Adajania's Angrezi Medium, which also remains his last theatrical release so far. Irrfan breathed his last on 29th April, at a Mumbai hospital and is survived by wife Sutapa Sikdar and two sons.

Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina is making the most of the Coronavirus-forced lockdown by teaming up with her friends to start her food blog.

The World No. 5 recently shared a picture with her 5,96,000 Instagram followers to announce her new venture. "I am excited to share a new blog that I have started, together with my culinary friends, giving you easy healthy recipes and some new ideas for the use of 'superfoods'. Link in bio. More stuff to come. Stay tuned," she wrote.

 

 

 

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👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼 I am excited to share a new blog that I have started, together with my culinary friends, giving you easy healthy recipes and some new ideas for the use of ‘superfoods’. ⁣ Link in bio. ⁣ More stuff to come. ⁣ Stay tune. 😘

A post shared by Elina Svitolina (@elisvitolina) onApr 28, 2020 at 7:43am PDT

She recently shared recipes of coconut, strawberry, blueberry and spinach smoothies.

The link to Elina's food blog is: https://theesclub.com

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I request you to kindly give me your advise on GST which is going to be implemented very shortly. Thanks and Regards, Varadarajan Kasturi..

Veteran batsman David Warner believes Australia's upcoming limited-overs tour of England will be scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Australians were scheduled to play three one-dayers and three Twenty20 matches against England in July. But last week the England and Wales Cricket Board delayed the start of their season until July 1 at the earliest and players may need some warm-up cricket before returning to the international arena.

There has been speculation the tour could be delayed until September, but Warner was doubtful if it would go ahead. "At the moment it's highly unlikely we're going to go over there given what's happened in England," Warner told cricket.com.au. He said the fact British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been hospitalised with COVID-19 showed the gravity of the problem in the host nation.

"He's back up on his feet now and that's fantastic news, but there's a lot more to this than just sport being played," Warner added. Australia have already cancelled a two-Test tour of Bangladesh in June, and a limited-overs home series against Zimbabwe is also in doubt. Australia are due to host the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November, for which the International Cricket Council has said it is "exploring all options".

Cricket Australia is particularly keen to go ahead with a Test series against India due to be played after the T20 tournament, warning this month it could lose hundreds of millions of dollars if it were scrapped.

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England fast bowler Stuart Broad said that the UK government will have a big role to play in dictating the return of cricket in the country post the coronavirus pandemic. Broad however said that he personally does not feel nervous about playing whenever he is needed to.

"Cricket will literally be governed by the government. It's not as though the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) are going to have to be lone wolves and decide when we get back out there," Broad is quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

"The government will give the go-ahead and then us players will have to make sure we are in the physical capability to get match fit. I know how I feel about not seeing live sport and I know how much joy live sports brings me. So the players' responsibility is to make sure we are ready to go at the drop of a hat," he said.

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero had said that many footballers were nervous to get back to playing because of the threat of the virus. Broad however said that he trusts medical staff fully and is not nervous because of that.

"I know everyone feels very differently about this. Sergio Aguero has been talking about how nervous the players would be. Personally, I wouldn't be," said Broad.

"I have huge faith in our medical team at the ECB. I have known Nick Peirce, the chief medical officer, for a long, long time and I have full faith in what he and his team believe is right for cricket.

"Yes, we all want to see cricket being played whether it is behind closed doors and just on TV or in front of spectators. And I know that the England doctors I've worked with over a long period of time would not cut corners to make it happen.

"So if one of Nick or Gurjit Bhogal, our current England team doctor, rings and tells me 'I think this is a good way to do it,' I will 100 per cent trust what they are saying."

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from hospital on Sunday, a Downing Street spokesperson said, a week after being admitted for treatment for Coronavirus. Downing Street said the prime minister would continue his recovery at his country residence, Chequers.

Johnson said on Sunday Britain "will defeat" coronavirus, in a video message released by Downing Street as he left hospital following intensive care treatment for the disease. He also thanked the state-funded NHS medics and staff for their hard work through the pandemic as he was discharged from hospital, saying he owed them his life after testing positive for the deadly virus over two weeks ago.

As of Sunday evening, the health officials said further 737 people died from Coronavirus in the UK, bringing the total to 10,612. "Today marks a sombre day in the impact of this disease," the Guardian quoted Health Secretary Matt Hancock as saying. Earlier in the day, the UK Opposition parties and some ruling Conservative Party MPs called on the government to resume Parliament after its Easter recess period on April 21 in a virtual form, given the social distancing measures in place.

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Doctors and nurses in England will be asked to treat Coronavirus patients without fully protective gowns and to reuse equipment due to shortage fears, a media report said on Saturday.

The decision came in a reversal of guidance to hospitals from Public Health England (PHE) on Friday. Earlier this week, it was reported that the plan was being considered as a "last resort". It comes as National Health Service (NHS) providers warned some hospitals' supplies could run out in 24 hours. Chris Hopson, head of the association, which represents healthcare trusts across England, said in a tweet: "We have now reached the point where the national stock of fully fluid repellent gowns and long-sleeved laboratory coats will be exhausted in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours."

He said that national leaders have left "no stone unturned" —but gowns that were ordered weeks ago are currently only arriving in "fits and starts". PHE changed its guidance, which until now required long-sleeved, disposable, fluid-repellent gowns for people treating COVID-19 patients. Now it says that if these gowns were not available, staff can wear washable medical gowns or non-fluid- repellent equipment. At least 50 NHS workers have died after contracting the virus. The UK has recorded a total of 1,04,769 Coronavirus cases with 14,607 deaths.

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Covid-19 related deaths within the UK's care homes for the elderly and vulnerable doubled within just one week, according to data collected and analysed by a leading representative body for the not-for-profit adult social care sector. The National Care Forum (NCF) report, released on Saturday, demonstrates 2,500 deaths within care homes within seven days, figures which it says highlights significant flaws in the current national reporting of coronavirus related death toll in the UK. It is hoped that this analysis will provide insight and impetus for the government to better address the needs of the care sector, the NCF said. The group's research came as pressure mounts on the British government to start counting deaths within the wider community and care homes to its daily hospital toll figures, which hit 15,464 on this week. Amid concerns that the national statistics presented by the government for coronavirus related mortality rates were not incorporating figures of deaths within residential and nursing homes, the NCF said it led an independent benchmarking exercise.

As many as 47 of its care provider members contributed to the audit, representing 1,169 care services that collectively support 30,217 people across the UK - 7.4 per cent of the overall residential care sector population. The resulting sample analysis suggests that a total of 4,040 people may have died of the deadly virus within UK residential and nursing services before April 13.

The figure of more than 4,000 people passing away of Covid-19 within care homes in little more than one month is devastating. Every death is a loss and a tragedy, said Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum. It is even more worrying to see a virtual doubling of deaths within homes in just one week, clearly indicating that whilst all attention has been on managing the peak in hospitals, the virus has attacked our most vulnerable communities, she said. The NCF said the data should be a wake up call to the government and society as a whole to recognise that its official whatever it takes approach has to be applied equally.

By highlighting the scale of the tragedy, we are giving the government an opportunity to respond with equal effort. It must act immediately and build a `ring of steel' around care homes. They need the right PPE [personal protective equipment], medical monitoring devices, rapid and comprehensive testing, proper funding and intensive research to safeguard the people they care for, Rayner added. The UK's Department of Health has repeatedly explained the focus on hospital deaths in its daily death toll tally on the time lag involved in care home deaths being collated. "Every death from this virus is a tragedy and that is why we are working around the clock to give the social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this global pandemic," a DoH spokesperson said.

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A UK court on Monday dismissed fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya's appeal against extradition to India.

"We consider that while the scope of the prima facie case found by the Senior District Judge (SDJ) is in some respects wider than that alleged by the respondent in India. There is a prima facie case which, in seven important respects, coincides with the allegations in India," a part of the order by the UK court read.

A CBI spokesperson confirmed to ANI that the "UK high court dismissed Mallya's appeal against his extradition to India." The 64-year-old businessman had begun the lengthy appeals process in the UK court in February this year against an order to extradite him to India to face multiple charges relating to the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines.

It followed a ruling by a lower court -- the Westminster Magistrate's Court -- in December 2018 - that Mallya should be sent to India to face the charges, including one of money laundering to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore. The businessman fled India in March 2016 and has been living in the UK since then.

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The UK came together on Tuesday for a minute's silence in the honour of hundreds of healthcare and other workers who have lost their lives on the frontline of the Coronavirus fight across the country.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who just recovered from a severe coronavirus attack, led the tributes with UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street for the National Health Service (NHS) and other key workers across care homes and public transport.

The tribute comes as the government announced a new time-bound insurance scheme for the families of such public sector healthcare workers who lost their lives while on duty during the pandemic, with a £60,000 Life Assurance Scheme.

"Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to the NHS and social workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline," said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

"Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them.

"We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives," he said.

He said that bereaved family members will receive a £60,000 lump sum, worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for the NHS staff, with the cost met by the government. The cases in the UK has reached 1,58,348 while 21,092 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University tracker.

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As a last ditch effort to prevent his extradition to India, embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Monday filed an application in UK Supreme Court to prevent implementation of an earlier order that made his return to India imminent.

The application came after a gap of almost two weeks after the London High Court on April 20 rejected a similar application and ordered his extradition to India to face enforcement authorities there in connection with a Rs 9,000 crore bank fraud and money laundering case involving his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

The UK Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter later this week. Legal experts said that if the application is rejected by Supreme Court as well, then UK Home Secretary would have to sign on Mallya's extradition papers within 28 days.

Mallya's application in Supreme Court came on the last day when such an appeal could be made in the top court. The 64-year-old businessman was given 14 days to file such an application against the order of High Court. The high court dismissed his appeal against a Westminster Magistrates' Court extradition order certified by the UK Home Secretary.

Legal experts quoted above said it is unlikely for Mallya to get a reprieve from Supreme Court as it would only look as constitutional issues and may not tamper with high court's order if other aspects are in order.

This should be music to the ears of enforcement agencies in India who have been waiting for a long time get hold of the fugitive businessman. The ED has attached several properties of Mallya in the last few years under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Mallya is being investigated by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the loan fraud case.

He was arrested by the UK authorities on April 20, 2017 on the request of the Indian investigative agencies.

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A top UK government scientist, who was behind the country's strategy to impose strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, has resigned after a media report revealed that he broke the rules and allowed a woman he was said to be in a relationship with to visit his home during the lockdown. Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist whose modelling convinced Prime Minister Boris Johnson to press ahead with a UK-wide lockdown, quit the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) after allegations emerged in The Daily Telegraph. He admitted that he had allowed a woman Antonia Staats to visit him at his London home after travelling across the UK capital from her home, which she shares with her husband and children, on at least two occasions.

The movement goes against the very strict stay at home and save lives advice of the government, put in place by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prompted by the scientific team led by Ferguson. The incidents took place soon after the 51-year-old leading epidemiologist from Imperial College London had completed a two-week spell self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus. "I accept I made an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action. I have therefore stepped back from my involvement in SAGE, said Ferguson after the report.

"I acted in the belief that I was immune, having tested positive for coronavirus and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms. I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing," he said. The scientist, however, stressed that the government's advice on social distancing remains "unequivocal", adding that it was there "to protect all of us". UK Security Minister James Brokenshire said the senior scientist "made the right decision" and that the government will "continue to be informed" by SAGE.

"We have a range of experts that will continue to support ministers," he said. The first of the visits by Staats, 38, was on March 30, which coincided with a public warning by Prof Ferguson that the UK's one-week-old lockdown measures would have to remain until June. Staats, a left-wing campaigner, made a second visit on April 8 despite telling friends she suspected that her husband, an academic in his 30s, had symptoms of coronavirus, the newspaper report claims. He has peculiarly breached his own guidelines, and for an intelligent man I find that very hard to believe. It risks undermining the government's lockdown message," said Conservative Party MP and former minister Ian Duncan Smith.

Ferguson's resignation comes a month after Scotland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, had to resign when it was revealed she had broken lockdown rules by making two trips back and forth to a second home. Under the government's guidelines in the UK, people are expected to stay at home and allowed to move out only for one form of daily exercise and essential shopping.

The measures have been in place since March 23 to try and flatten the curve of the rising number of cases of COVID-19, the UK death toll from which reached 29,427 on Tuesday the highest number of virus deaths in Europe. However, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which includes deaths where the virus is suspected and not just where tests have been carried out, brings the total number even higher to 32,375.

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The UK Government on January 6, 2020, released the synthesized text of the 2008 Netherlands-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

The UK Conservative Party has agreed to consider reducing the rate of Air Passenger Duty for airports in Northern Ireland after agreeing a coalition government with the Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party party.

During a January 7, 2018, debate in the UK House of Commons, UK lawmakers discussed the country's plans to leave the EU, its customs union, and value-added tax area.