Singer Kanika Kapoor is currently the only celebrity from Bollywood who tested positive for Coronavirus. In a now-deleted Instagram post, the singer had revealed that she has tested positive. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, actress Urvashi Rautela who is friends with Kanika Kapoor spoke about her testing positive.
Kanika Kapoor arrived back in India from London on March 9. The singer who stayed at a luxurious hotel in Lucknow was tested positive on March 20. Talking about Kanika, Urvashi said, “Kanika is someone who stays very clean, she maintains her hygiene really well. So, you need to be extra careful if you do not want to contract the virus.”
After testing positive, videos and pictures of Kanika Kapoor attending parties in Lucknow surfaced online. Kanika’s father in an interview also revealed that she came in contact with nearly 400 families including several politicians. However, Kanika Kapoor has been in denial and said that she only attended one small gathering. This led to an outrage on social media, with people terming her irresponsible. “I don't know how much of these media reports I can believe. I am just hoping that all the people who have tested positive get well soon,” Urvashi said.
Urvashi further said, “I am just hoping she comes out of it fast. This virus is not targeting any class, it can happen to anybody. If it can happen to the Prime Minister of the UK, it can happen to anyone. So the people who think that nothing will happen to them are wrong.”
Madhuri Dixit has always been a generous woman full of grace and elegance. Being the dream girl of many, Madhuri has entertained her fans with every project she takes on. Now that we are facing a pandemic, she was certainly not going to sit back without helping. The celebrities across the country have made generous contributions for the PM-CARES Fund and the CM Relief Fund.
Madhuri has stepped in, too, to make a contribution to do her bit. She took to her Twitter to announce that she has pledged a donation for both these funds and has urged the fans to do the same. The tweet reads, “All of us should join hands to win this war for humanity. Doing my bit by donating to the PM-CARES Fund & CM's Relief Fund.Let's come out of this stronger. @PMOIndia @narendramodi @CMOMaharashtra @OfficeofUT @AUThackeray”
Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham fans can rejoice as they get to see their Fast & Furious characters Hobbs and Shaw once again. After the stupendous success of the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, the makers are currently developing the sequel.
During Instagram live Q&A, Dwayne Johnson confirmed that they are currently working on the script and trying to figure out the creative and direction of it. "We are developing now the next film, the next [Hobbs & Shaw] movie, and I'm pretty excited about it. Just gotta figure out the creative right now, and the direction we’re going to go." He thanked the fans for making the spin-off a huge success.
Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprised their roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in the first installment. In the film, when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever — and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw’s sister — these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves. It was directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2).
Is Ekta Kapoor miffed with Kartik Aaryan? Apparently the Queen of Soaps offered him a feature film. Yes, Ekta does produce films as well. But Kartik turned the lady tycoon down. Much to her shock and dismay, apparently Ms Kapoor, not used to being turned down, has not taken this snub very well.
Some investigation into the royal snub reveals further details. Says an informed source, “Kartik first offered her the age-old ghisa-pita excuse of dates nahin hai. Shrugging his shoulders helplessly .But it seems Kartik and Ekta couldn’t agree on the payment.”
Ekta Kapoor is known to not pay her actors unreasonable amounts of money .After a string of hits Kartik’s fee has shot up sky high. Apparently, goaded by his over-enthusiastic team, the Lukka Chuppi star is asking for a fee higher than Varun Dhawan and Shahid Kapoor.
Salman Khan lost a family member this week. The actor’s nephew Abdullah Khan died in a Mumbai hospital on Monday, March 30, due to heart failure. He was 38. The Dabangg 3 actor took to social media to mourn the latter's death. On March 31, Salman Khan shared a picture of himself with Abdullah and wrote, "Will always love you...."
However, Salman Khan and his family are upset that they won’t be able to attend Abdullah’s funeral amid nationwide lockdown. Since the family is in Panvel and there are restrictions, he won’t be able to travel. Abdullah’s body has been taken to Indore which is his hometown where the last rites will be performed. Salman will visit the family later.
Salim Khan said that Abdullah was his nephew’s son and was very close to his family. Even during these times, the procedures were done smoothly. He said that they took necessary precautions before the body was taken to Indore via an ambulance.
As per reports, Abdullah suffered from diabetes and was admitted to Dhirubhai Kokilaben Ambani Hospital after he felt uneasy. After Salman Khan got to know about his health, he was shifted to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, Mumbai.
Priyanka Chopra is doing her bit amid coronavirus pandemic. The actress, who is stationed in Los Angeles with her husband Nick Jonas, has announced that she will donate $100,000 in total to aid women who have been working in the industry amid this crisis or serving in security forces.
In a video, Priyanka Chopra said, “I hope you all are safe, this is a crazy time.” Talking about the campaign, she wrote, “Our worlds changed quickly, and needless to say, we couldn’t go forward with our original plans to launch this campaign. So, each week I’ll go live with @bonvivspikedseltzer to share the stories of four women who are overcoming the struggles of our new realities in their own powerful way. If you know a woman we should highlight, visit the link in my bio for the next steps. We are all in this together. #togetherwomenrise #partner.”
“We will be donating $100,000 in total to women who are rising above everything during this crisis. If you know a woman we should highlight, share her story with us, whether she is in the service industry, from a large business, small business owner, or first responders on the front lines. We want to commemorate her. #TogetherWomenRise,” the actress said in a statement.
A day, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas donated to several charities including PM-CARES Fund, Unicef, Feeding America, and Goonj among many others to fight the coronavirus. “These organizations are doing amazing work by helping those impacted by #Covid19. They are feeding the hungry, supporting doctors and first responders, helping low income and homeless communities, and supporting our colleagues in the entertainment industry. They need your support too, and we would implore you to donate as well. I have linked to each org with a swipe up in my stories... no donation is too small. Together we can help the world beat this,” she wrote on Twitter.
Just like some of the celebrities who were travelling, actress Juhi Chawla was abroad along with her husband Jay Mehta and kids Jahnavi and Arjun. They had scheduled their Austria trip on March 1 followed by London vacation.
Speaking to a daily, Juhi Chawla revealed when they were in Austria, the situation had started to become grim. It was only after when they reached London, the Indian government announced the Janta curfew along with restrictions on international flights. Since the Coronavirus pandemic had hit India, the foreign travellers were being checked at the airport and have made mandatory to stay indoors for 15 days as a precautionary measure.
Juhi Chawla revealed that whilst they were in London, they reached out to Indian High Commission for help and they assured that they could travel back to Mumbai safety. Juhi and her family returned on March 20 and since then have been in quarantine.
One of the greatest films of all time, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, was released on August 5, 1994 and 26 years later, it still remains as memorable and a favourite as before. Last year, this film completed 25 years and it brought back fond memories of the film. Moreover, a special show of the film was held at Mumbai’s iconic Liberty cinema and it became a talking point. Hum Aapke Hain Koun was released in this same theatre in 1994 and this special screening was attended not just by its lead actors Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit, director Sooraj Barjatya and other members of its team but also by fans.
A few days after these celebrations, we at Bollywood Hungama listed unknown trivia about the film and its maddening effect at the box office. We now bring a few more unknown bits regarding Hum Aapke Hain Koun that will surely be worth a read for its millions of fans.
1. Sooraj Barjatya revealed that he narrated the script of Hum Aapke Hain Koun to each and every artiste who worked on the film. He didn’t differentiate; each and every actor, dress designer, technicians etc. got a complete four-hour narration wherein the director also sung the songs fully!
2. Sooraj Barjatya had signed Jay Borade as the dance director of Hum Aapke Hain Koun. The filmmaker feared that Madhuri Dixit would have apprehensions about it since her favourite choreographer was Saroj Khan. But to Sooraj’s pleasant surprise, she had no absolutely reservations. Sooraj revealed that he sat with Jay Borade for a year to design the choreography before the film went on floors.
3. Madhuri Dixit was inundated with fan mail, after the release of Hum Aapke Hain Koun, like never before. Believe it or not, she used to receive not just a few hundreds or thousands of letters. Instead, she used to receive sack-full of mails daily without fail!
4. Veteran actor Raza Murad saw Hum Aapke Hain Koun at Basant cinema in Chembur, Mumbai and raved about the film. He was also heard saying that success of such films are ‘dangerous’ as it was a film with no villain. Hence, he joked that if such films start working, people like him, who usually do negative roles, will be out of work!
5. Not just in India, but the film set new records in overseas market as well. Hum Aapke Hain Koun ran successfully for as many 50 weeks in Belle-Vue cinema, London, United Kingdom. Interestingly, the theatre was booked for only three weeks as the theatre was to go undergo renovation. But the fantastic response to the film prompted the theatre owners to postpone the renovation by almost a year! In Albion cinema, Toronto, Canada, it ran for 75 weeks!
6. It has been reported that Hum Aapke Hain Koun was such a huge money spinner that post the release of the film; the Barjatyas paid a mind-boggling Rs. 7 crore as advance tax. This was unheard of, during those times!
7. The number of footfalls in India of Hum Aapke Hain Koun stands at around 7.4 crore, the highest domestic footfalls of any Hindi film released since the 1990s. It is said that only in Liberty Cinema, twenty lakh viewers thronged to watch the film.
Bollywood Hungama had revealed that Shah Rukh Khan is teaming up with Siddharth Anand on an action film, which is a part of YRF’s 50 years celebration called YRF Project 50. We also informed our readers that the film will be announced in April. However, following the coronavirus pandemic across the nation, the workings in the film industry came to a stand-still and not much is known if YRF will go ahead with its plan of announcing a slate of releases in April.
However, we can confirm that the pre-production of Shah Rukh Khan’s next with Sidharth Anand had already begun and the same has hit the road block. “It’s a big scale action film, which was to be shot across the globe, and Siddharth Anand was planning to go on a recce to explore several virgin locations. However, he has dropped the plan now owing to the travel ban, and will go on a recce only once everything settles down,” revealed a source close to the development.
In the meantime, the director is working from home towards fine tuning the script and is in constant touch with both Aditya Chopra and SRK through video conference. The trio is also discussing other aspects of the film such as scale of action, probable locations, budget and working on the timelines of the shoot. “The idea was for SRK to shoot for two films this year – the Siddharth Anand actioner and Rajkumar Hirani’s feel good drama. But it is all a wait and watch scenario and there lies a strong possibility of his comeback film post Zero getting delayed further,” the source added.
Shah Rukh Khan’s last was a box-office flop, and ever since then the actor has taken time off to read scripts and retrospect on what went wrong. According to sources, he has rejected over 30 scripts in a span of last 2 years, and has finally decided on three of the most exciting stories, which will be shot one after another in next two years. The three scripts include Rajkumar Hirani, Sidharth Anand, and Raj and DK. Rajkumar Hirani is also working towards fine tuning his script. He is still contemplating on Ali Abbas Zafar’s Mr India and Atlee’s mass action film, which is being scripted. When will be start shooting is something we would know once all the travel restrictions are released. Stay tuned for more updates on Bollywood Hungama.
If you are a travel-freak at heart, this lock-down period might be proving to be particularly difficult one for you. What better than looking at old travel albums? That is what Taapsee Pannu is also doing. Quarantined at home like all others, Taapsee recalled her first visit to New York and how she almost froze in the frosty cold.
"My first visit to the New York City and the worst time to visit probably! The winters !!! It just rained and I experienced my first ever minus degrees temperature! Our walk from Times Square to a restaurant for dinner had me shivering real bad and the jaw just froze in middle of a conversation ! That day I realised I am a ‘tropical human being’ and these extreme winters are definitely not meant for me," she wrote, sharing a photo from the trip on Instagram. In the photo, she is accompanied by an old friend whom she reconnected to, through this trip. Taapsee also wrote how she loved the NYC food!
Last seen in Anubhav Sinha's Thappad which drew her rave reviews for her performance, Taapsee will next appear in Aanand L Rai's production Haseen Dillruba.
Shraddha Kapoor is one of the fittest actresses and has always given us major summer body goals. Because she can’t head to the gym to get her daily dose of workout considering the Coronavirus lockdown, she has found a fun alternative. The actress has had quite a busy year with multiple releases and has worked with almost no breaks.
The lockdown is giving her enough time to spend with her family and she is clearly making the most of this break. She took to her Instagram to share a video of herself working out on the terrace and it looks super fun! Jumping, running, and squats are in general really fun to do but we can’t help but notice how Shraddha Kapoor is all smiles while she works out.
The current pandemic situation has changed the functioning of the entire world and as a result, everyone is under lockdown to prevent its spread. However, the first amongst the pool of youngest celebrities, Sara Ali Khan has pledged to extend her support by contributing to PM CARES and CM’s relief fund for Covid-19 making her the youngest actor to do so. Sara also urged everyone to bid their help in whatever capacity they can, to show solidarity during this time of pandemic outbreak.
Sharing the note, she also posted- “I pledge to donate to the PM CARES Fund and the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (Maharashtra). I urge everyone to do their bit in helping the people of our country. Every contribution counts, and solidarity is our only hope against this pandemic. ????????????????????☮️”. Sara also urged everyone and captioned it as, "Time to do a good deed ???????????????? Stay in and help those in need! Your contributions will protect and feed ????☮️ I urge you to support, I request, I plead. ???????????????? #jaihind #staysafe #IndiaFightsCorona".
While everyone is home, it is the fleet of caretakers and street-level bureaucrats who are assisting everyone during these times. Sara, being the youngest celebrity to mark her contribution only goes on to proves that everyone can do their bit. Sara Ali Khan is the youth icon, the fans and the audiences look out for. Owing to her massive fandom and appeal amongst the youth, this step definitely is a great example set by her for her fans, to step up and help in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
On the work front, Sara has two projects in line and we will be seeing her in Coolie No. 1 alongside Varun Dhawan followed by Atrangi Re alongside Akshay Kumar and Dhanush directed by Anand L Rai.
Several nations across the globe including India and the UK are under a strict lock-down right now, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic that has caused world-wide fear. This lock-down has hit many communities, including the healthcare workers, the homeless and the daily wage labourers the most. Priyanka Chopra and husband Nick Jonas are among the several celebrities to have come forward in their aid. The couple has donated to as many as ten funds, and encourages others to contribute too.
On Instagram, she posted a call for help in this crucial time. "The world needs our help more than ever. These organizations are doing amazing work by helping those impacted by #Covid19. They are feeding the hungry (including children out of school), supporting doctors and first responders, helping low income and homeless communities, and supporting our colleagues in the entertainment industry. Nick and I have already donated to these charities: @unicef, @feedingamerica, @goonj, @doctorswithoutborders, @nokidhungry, @give_india, and @sagaftra, #IAHV, @friends_of_aseema, and #PMCares Fund. Thank you for everything you are doing," her post read.
Back in India, several of Priyanka's Bollywood colleagues including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Randeep Hooda have contributed to the PM-Cares Fund.
Alia Bhatt is the latest celebrity to make contribution to several relief funds as India fights Coronavirus. The actor has joined a bandwagon of celebrities who have come forward to donate in the wake of the crisis.
Taking to Instagram, the actress wrote, “At a time of great difficulty, while the nation is in lockdown, the Central and State governments are working tirelessly to combat Covid-19. I salute the efforts of all those on the frontlines who are putting themselves at risk so the rest of us stay safe. I also pledge contributions to the PM-Cares Fund and the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (Maharashtra) as a gesture of my support.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's PM CARES Fund plans to deal with situations such as the ongoing battle with the Covid-19 pandemic. India is currently under a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.
Besides Alia Bhatt, Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kartik Aaryan, Diljit Dosanjh, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal, Bhushan Kumar, Rajkummar Rao among others have donated for PM-Cares Fund.
Several nations across the globe including India and the UK are under a strict lock-down right now, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic that has caused world-wide fear. This lock-down has hit many communities, including the healthcare workers, the homeless and the daily wage labourers the most. Priyanka Chopra and husband Nick Jonas are among the several celebrities to have come forward in their aid. The couple has donated to as many as ten funds, and encourages others to contribute too.
On Instagram, she posted a call for help in this crucial time. "The world needs our help more than ever. These organizations are doing amazing work by helping those impacted by #Covid19. They are feeding the hungry (including children out of school), supporting doctors and first responders, helping low income and homeless communities, and supporting our colleagues in the entertainment industry. Nick and I have already donated to these charities: @unicef, @feedingamerica, @goonj, @doctorswithoutborders, @nokidhungry, @give_india, and @sagaftra, #IAHV, @friends_of_aseema, and #PMCares Fund. Thank you for everything you are doing," her post read.
Back in India, several of Priyanka's Bollywood colleagues including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Randeep Hooda have contributed to the PM-Cares Fund.
Vicky Kaushal has pledged to donate Rs. 1 core to PM-CARES Fund and CM Relief Fund to the fight the coronavirus pandemic. The actor is the latest celebrity to contribute in the wake in the global crisis.
Taking to Instagram, the actor wrote, “While I'm blessed enough to be seated with my loved ones in the comforts of my home, there are many who are not as fortunate. In this time of crisis, I humbly pledge to contribute an amount of Rs. 1 crore to PM-CARES and Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund. We are in this together and we'll win this together. Let us all do our bit for a healthier and stronger future. Jai Hind. #IndiaFightsCorona.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's PM CARES Fund plans to deal with situations such as the ongoing battle with the Covid-19 pandemic. India is currently under a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.
The Coronavirus pandemic has spread across the world. Every country is facing a crisis! Celebrities are coming forward to help in every way possible. Hollywood actors and star couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively quietly donated $400,000 to four New York hospitals amid this pandemic.
E! News reported, " Blake and Ryan made a personal donation of $100,000 to each of the four hardest-hit hospitals in New York including Elmhurst, NYU Hospital, Mount Sinai and Northern Westchester."
Earlier this month, the couple donated $1 million to Feeding America. Taking to his Instagram, Ryan Reynolds said that he is hoping everyone will lead too. "Blake & I are donating $1 million to be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. If you can give, these orgs need our help," he wrote. Ryan continued, "Take care of your bodies and hearts. Leave room for joy. Call someone who's isolated and might need connection."
Kanika Kapoor, the 'Baby Doll' singer, has been tested positive for Coronavirus four times now. She is undergoing treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow. Despite the reports stating that her condition is worrisome, the doctors have denied all the speculations.
Dr RK Dhiman, Director, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, recently dismissed all such rumours that she is very sick. He said that Kanika Kapoor is asymptomatic, stable and doing well. The singer has been eating food normally.
A day ago, Kanika Kapoor took to Instagram and wrote in the caption, “Going off to bed. Sending you all loving vibes. Stay safe you guys. Thank you for your concern but I am not in the ICU. I am fine. I hope my next test is negative. Waiting to go home to my kids and family...miss them!”
Kanika Kapoor was hospitalized on March 20 after she returned from London on March 9 and the visited Kanpur and Lucknow. She has tested positive for coronavirus, four times in a row.
Kajol and Nysa have recently returned from a trip to Singapore. The mother-daughter duo cut their trip down due to the Coronavirus outbreak and flew back home as soon as they could. Keeping up with the social distancing, the Devgn family has not stepped out since their return but were recently spotted exiting a hospital.
The fans were concerned about Nysa’s health and the messages started pouring in to check on her. However, it wasn’t what people thought and she had a minor cold and fever. She was rushed to the hospital as soon as Kajol found out about it to make sure things are okay. Ajay then took to his Twitter to share that both of them are doing fine and tweeted, “Thank you for asking. Kajol & Nysa are absolutely fine. The rumour around their health is unfounded, untrue & baseless????”
Take a look at his tweet.
Thank you for asking. Kajol & Nysa are absolutely fine. The rumour around their health is unfounded, untrue & baseless????
For months now we have all been wondering what RRR, the title of S S Rajamouli’s film meant. It turns out that the maverick director was trying to get the rights of the title Raghupati Raghav Rajaram. Having failed to acquire it, the RRR acronym was given another interpretation altogether.
The RRR now stands for Rise Roar Revolt in Hindi (and never mind if those words are in the English language). In Telugu it is Roudram Ranam Rudhiram and in Tamil it is Irattam Ranam Relattiram. All the conflicting multi-lingual interpretations to the RRR acronym could be a problem.
Rajamouli’s film titles have always been pithy, mostly one-worded like Eega, Magadheera, Baahubali. This is the first time he has selected multiple titles in different languages for the same film. Could be a matter of conflict for the film’s box office interests?
Katrina Kaif has become one of the most active celebrities on Instagram and has been sharing a lot many videos and pictures of how she has been spending her time in the lockdown. From strumming a guitar to doing the dishes and sweeping the floors, Katrina Kaif is definitely not getting bored of her time at home. Due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, a lot of people have been left stranded with close to zero to very little help. To help them out, the government has decided to raise funds to help tackle this pandemic on a national level.
A lot of celebrities have already pledged to donate to the PM-CARES Fund and the CM Relief Fund and they have been really generous so far. The latest to join the league is Katrina Kaif who took to her Instagram account to share that she will be donating money to both these funds. However, like Rajkummar Rao, Katrina Kaif has also not revealed the amount that she will be donating and the internet is lauding the Sooryavanshi actress. She posted a picture with the caption, “I pledge to donate to the PM CARES fund and the Chief Minister's Relief Fund Maharashtra. Heartbreaking to see the hardship and suffering this pandemic has unleashed in the world.”
Amid coronavirus pandemic, every project has been pushed ahead. So, the film industry might see a delay in the releases! As the industry has come to a standstill, filmmakers are working from home in order to keep developing their projects. Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari has revealed that they are working on Ramayan trilogy via Facetime group calls amid the current scenario.
Nitesh Tiwari recently said that all films will get delayed by four months in the wake of the current crisis. They have been working on the film via Facetime since all the team members live in different parts of the country. He said that he can’t set a timeline on the trilogy yet but revealed that the film will be made in 3D. Nitesh Tiwari further said that they are prepping for the film but they are far from going on floors.
The filmmaker also denied approaching Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone for the film. The massive trilogy will be produced by Madhu Mantena, Allu Arjun and Namit Malhotra and directed by Nitesh Tiwari and Ravi Udyawar.
Didi, namaaskar, aap kaisi hain?
Main theek hoon. Sab ki terah ghar mein hoon (I am at home like everyone).
You were recently hospitalized for a severe lung infection, so you must be doubly careful?
I am extremely careful. I am not meeting anyone and even if it is a family member it is, ‘Hi hello. How Are You?’ from a distance.
But even that is dangerous for you considering your medical history?
I know. I am following my two personal doctors’ and three nurses’ orders blindly. Whatever they say I can’t do, I don’t even think about. I’d ideally want complete isolation for me and for everyone at the moment.
What is your advice to your millions of fans across the world?
We are going through the most trying of times. We all need to unite as one nation to fight this virus. Please listen to the Prime Minister Modiji when he says we all need to stay at home. And listen to my songs if they make you happy at home.
How are you spending your time in isolation? Do you listen to your own songs?
No never! Once I recorded my songs I never went back to them. I spend my time doing riyaaz, doing pooja, watching television, talking on the phone to people close to me and just resting.
Which are five of your songs that according to you must be on everyone’s playlist?
Given the current crisis across the world? ‘Allah Tero Naam’ (from the film Hum Dono), ‘Tum Asha Vishwas Hamare’ (Subah), ‘Ek Tu Hi Bharosa’ (Pukar), ‘JisseYeh Duniya Thukrayee Use Tu Hi Toh Apnaye’ (Darpan) and ‘Aayeeye Bahaar Ko Hum Baat Len’ (Taqdeer).
Actor Janhvi Kapoor, who just like the rest of the citizens is in lockdown amid Coronavirus pandemic, has penned an emotional post reflecting on her life. On Monday, she took to Instagram to post her note her lengthy note and captioned it, “Also learnt that I like to write... p.s. wrote this 3 days ago since we started self-isolating a little before the lockdown and it had already been a week for me by then.”
In the note, she spoke about self-isolation, remember her mother Sridevi, appreciating her life and remembering how privileged she is.
Read the entire note here:
"I’ve learnt to value the food that I eat. It’s a blessing to have things in excess and abundance the way that I do. But not knowing If our house ration will last long enough till lockdown ends, knowing someone’s risking their health every time they go to buy groceries- makes me worry in a way I’ve never had to before. Still I have it better than most in these conditions, and I’ve had it better than most do in life.. I’ve learnt I have been selfish and irresponsible.
I've learned that my father misses me. Before lockdown, whenever he was home; he would wail for me and Khushi to come back from work or from meetings or from our friends houses to spend time with us. I would never see him wait. But when I wake up now and go across the hall and see him alone on the sofa smiling because he has us to himself the whole day, I can picture him sitting in the same place wailing alone for us to come home.
I’ve learned that I relied on too many people for too many things, For vanity, for my health, for my entertainment. I took for granted the fact that I could travel, by foot, in a car or on a plane. All of these things are luxuries. That became daily life. That then became necessities.
I’ve learnt that this house needs me. I’ve learnt to be responsible for my people. I need to look out for everyone in my house, because their health affects my health which affects my father’s health. I’ve learnt that I want to look out for them because I love them. And they’ve been looking out for me every single day. I’ve learnt that our job has conditioned in us a constant need to be seen. And it’s nice not to be for sometime.
I’ve learnt that I feel my most liberated in this lockdown. It’s liberating to know you don’t really need all the things you thought you did. To be free from all the plans and anxieties, all the things I thought I needed to do and say and hear to feel good about myself.
I’ve learnt that there are many hours In the day. I’ve learnt that I can still smell my mother in her dressing room. I’ve learnt that I’m a better painter in my head than in real life. I’ve learnt that Khushi is definitely the cooler sister. I’ve learnt that I have the funniest friends in the world. I’ve learnt that I don’t need a reformer to workout and stay fit. I’ve learnt that music can help you get through anything. l’ve learnt that the human mind is a globe in itself with infinite travel destinations and adventures and possibilities.
I’ve learnt that I love movies. More than I love anything. I love watching them, and thinking about them and dreaming about them. I love life. And it’s precious, and fragile. And I’ve been blessed with a great one. I look forward to everything that this process is going to make me value again. I encourage all of you to be open to it if you can afford to because most people don’t know how they are going to survive this."
Sanjay Dutt has a loyal ardent-like fan following is massive and raving about every step of the actor. The actor recently posted a video on his social media as he implores everyone to stay safe and attentive.
Sanjay Dutt wrote, "Let's do our bit by staying indoors as that's the only way to prevent #COVID19 from spreading. #StayAtHomeSaveLives #CoronavirusLockdown #Quarantined #WeAreInThisTogether #Coronavirus."
In the video, Sanjay Dutt is persuading viewers to stay aware, alert and stay safe by practicing and bringing into play social distancing. He believes that we need to maintain a united front to tackle and drive away the virus from our nation.
On the work front, the superstar has a really packed year set for him with five big-banner films - KGF: Chapter 2, Shamshera,Bhuj: The Pride of India, Torbaaz and Sadak 2.
One of the most legendary films of Bollywood, Hera Pheri, completes 20 years today. The film is fondly remembered for its timeless humour, watertight screenplay, flawless direction by Priyadarshan, realism and of course, the chemistry between the lead characters of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. It was a story of a landlord and his two paying guests who get a chance to get rich when the granddaughter of a famous businessman gets kidnapped and the kidnapper mistakenly calls them for ransom. The film in a way revolved around the kidnapped girl as her abduction is what leads to the whole madness.
Cut to 2020. Ann Alexia Anra aka Annie, who played the character of this girl named Rinku, is now 30 and quite unrecognizable. She has left acting but is quite content to have been a part of two unforgettable films – Hera Pheri and Avvai Shanmugi, which was later remade in Hindi as Chachi 420. Based in Chennai, Ann, in an exclusive interview to Bollywood Hungama, goes down memory lane and remembers working on this film, the memories attached, what she is doing at present and a lot more.
Did you know that Hera Pheri was completing 20 years?
No, I had no idea! Once in a while, people do message me on Instagram about it but I hadn’t looked it up. I can’t believe 20 years have passed. I feel old!
Before Hera Pheri, you also were a part of Avvai Shanmugi (1996), which I believe was your first film…
Yes, that was my first film. I had done modelling and ads before. In fact, I’ve been modelling since I was 3. The choreographers of Avvai Shanmugi had seen me act. One thing led to another. My parents didn’t want me to act in movies actually. They were okay with ads but movies are longer and take up a lot of time. Hera Pheri, however, was allowed because it was shot during the summer vacations. But after that, they didn’t let me do any other movie. Hera Pheri happened because my dad is a Malayali and someone from Priyadarshan’s side knew that I had acted in Avvai Shanmugi. I was surprised they didn’t cast anyone from Mumbai. I have been actually based in Chennai all my life. We went to Mumbai for a couple of weeks to shoot.
Besides Avvai Shanmugi and Hera Pheri, which other films have you worked in?
I acted in two more films, and I had cameos in both. One was the Tamil film Thaayin Manikodi (1998), which also featured Tabu. The other was a Hindi film, Hathyara (1998), starring Mithun Chakraborty
Do you remember any memories from the Hera Pheri sets and working with such stalwarts?
I remember a lot from this film as there was so little that I had to do, especially as compared to Avvai Shanmugi. Also, I got to travel to a different city. I was there in the film for only 15 minutes but I was there in Mumbai for a very long time. Before the shoot started, they had to make my body double for which I had met Sabu Cyril. The shoot per se used to be a lot of fun. Akshay Kumar used to pull so many pranks on me, my mother etc. Avvai Shanmugi was a lot of work as I had to learn a lot of dialogues and also how to behave like a South Indian girl. On Hera Pheri sets, I used to get sweets and lipstick lollipops to the sets every day. My mother used to buy these things while we were on the way to shoot to keep me occupied. I remember offering these to Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty as I was always around them, and also everyone else. Interestingly, I didn’t know anything about the Bollywood industry. So I didn’t know who Akshay Kumar or Suniel Shetty was. So I wasn’t nervous. However, I did get shouted at by Paresh Rawal!
Why?
I went near the camera. I am usually not a brat on the set as I had done hundreds of ads. So I was pretty disciplined. But since everyone was being goofy on Hera Pheri sets, I think I ran around the camera and he got really mad at me. He shouted at me and I have never been shouted at by anyone on set. But I don’t think he meant it and it was just his quick reaction.
Hera Pheristarted slow but gradually it won over people. Do you remember the reactions from people around you at that point?
I was in Chennai at that time and the film that didn’t make that kind of noise out here. So I had no idea that the film was a hit. It was only when I grew up and made friends from those who had come from North and who had seen the film that I realized its worth. Also, if I slightly mention to a friend that I was in that film, they often tell me how much they love it. They then ask me what was my role in the film and I tell them that I was the kid that got kidnapped (laughs)!
Hera Pheriis also a very hot film in the world of memes! Are you aware of this fact?
Yes I am aware. However, I don’t get the memes especially if they are not in English because I don’t understand Hindi! But seeing these Hera Pheri memes always brings a smile on my face!
Did you do any other film after Hera Pheri?
No. That was my last film.
How did you enter into modelling as a kid? Is anyone from your family involved in movies or advertising?
One of my cousins is a DOP. We have a few people in my family but no one from my direct family is a part of the movie business. When I was 3 or 4, one of the model coordinators locally spotted us and that’s how it all began. I still get calls for ads but right now, I am fully focused on my work.
What are your education qualifications?
I got a French government scholarship for which I went to France and completed my undergraduate course there in BBA. I then came back and worked in an ad agency. I worked in a software company for around 4 ½ - 5 years and my forte is social media and digital marketing.
I believe you also wrote for the magazine ‘Southside’ and participated in Miss Chennai 2007…
Oh my god, how do you know that? Yes, that’s true. As for Miss Chennai, I did participate. It was a reality show and I went for it at the insistence of my mom as I was really shy.
You also started a candy apple business called ‘Original Sin’…
I always had the entrepreneur bug. So I have done a lot of small businesses. I quit my job 1 ½ year ago to start my own waste management company, called Wasted Solutions. I work in low-value waste which people don’t really necessarily think about. People usually talk about plastics. But we work on used beverage cartons, tetra packs, cigarette waste etc.
I read somewhere that you are also into making documentaries…
Not exactly documentaries but we used to make videos for Tamil Nadu Police with regards to what the cops do for the society, their different departments, special task force etc. I was a part of the initiative through which we made a Facebook page for them so that they could be more accessible to the public. I worked with the ex-commissioner on this project. Later when he became the DGP, he suggested that we start a page which will be monitored by a team of officers who can take up online complaints and thereby help the public. It was actually launched by the Chief Minister in 2017. But now I’ve quit my job so I don’t know what’s happening on this project.
Do you get messages from Hera Pheri fans on Instagram? And what about your friends and others? Are they aware that you are the Hera Pheri girl?
I do occasionally get messages from people on Instagram asking me if I am Rinku from Hera Pheri. Also, I have uploaded a picture from the set, on my profile. I always reply because it’s so rare that someone makes the effort to come and find out who that little girl is! And after the lockdown due to the Coronavirus breakout, I am especially getting a lot of enquires, probably because I guess people have a lot of time to watch old movies and research! And outside the virtual world, a lot of people do get confused when they see me. Like they feel my face is familiar but they don’t know how they know me! I especially get that a lot in Chennai because of Avvai Shanmugi, as it’s a Tamil film. My friends usually try to surprise their other friends by asking them ‘do you know who this girl is’. And it’s fun to see them struggling to guess!
Are you in touch with your Avvai Shanmugi co-star Kamal Haasan or anyone from the Hera Pheri team?
Not at all. I talk to Kamal Haasan’s younger daughter Akshara more than anyone else. Once in a while, she comes to Chennai and we hang out at dance classes. Recently, we have met a couple of times.
Do you have any plans to make a comeback in acting?
No. Sometimes, I get some really nice calls from Mumbai for ads that I do. Like I recently did a Colgate national campaign directed by Pradeep Sarkar. But I really feel I was better as an actor as a kid! Hence, I don’t want to make the effort of coming into the industry as an adult actor.
There are reports that Hera Pheri 3 is being planned. If given a chance, would you like to take it up? It’ll be fun to see you getting kidnapped again, this time as an adult!
(Laughs) If I am going to come into the film for a few minutes like I did for the first time, then maybe I can as that would not require too much of my effort! And I don’t even speak Hindi. However, I am just really happy that I got to be a part of two legendary comedy movies and that’s also my favourite genre!
