Month: March 2023

Ananya Panday is all excited for her cousin Alanna’s wedding. On Tuesday, the ‘Liger’ actor shared a couple of pictures from the mehendi ceremony.

Taking to Instagram stories, Ananya treated fans with a sneak peek into the wedding festivities of her cousin.

In the pictures, bride-to-be Alanna Panday can be seen dressed in a pastel mint-green floral lehenga while getting her mehendi done.

The bridesmaid Ananya opted for a light pink stylish lehenga with a dewy makeup look.

And Ivor McCray twinned with her bride in a matching sherwani.

On the other hand, Ananya’s cousin Ahaan Panday twinned with her. He was seen in pink tonned ethinc outfit.

The mehendi ceremony is taking place in Mumbai at actor Sohail Khan’s house.

Several Bollywood celebs attended the function including Salman Khan, Helen, Bhavana Pandey, Ahaan Panday, Bobby Deol, among others.

Few days ago, Ananya re-shared her cousin Ahaan Panday’s post featuring pictures from pre-wedding party along with a caption, “Welcome to family.”

Alana Pandey’s bridal pre-wedding party was based on a white theme.

In the group picture, all were seen dressed in a white outfit, Ananya wore a white dress with a flower tiara on head. She was seen posing with the bride and groom-to-be, her sister Rysa.

Ananya was also seen sharing candid moments with her cousins at the function.

Alana is the daughter of Chunky’s brother Chikki Pandey and Deanne Panday. By profession, she is a model and social media influencer.

Coming back to Ananya, she recently wrapped the shoot of Vikramaditya Motwane’s untitled cyber crime-thriller.

The film is produced by Nikhil Dwivedi of ‘Veere Di Wedding’ fame.

Ecstatic about the project, Ananya said, “When Vikramaditya Motwane approached me with this story, I just knew I had to be part of it. As a filmmaker, he has been on my wish list for as long as I can remember and I feel really lucky to be working with him this early in my career.”

She will be next seen in Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ opposite actors Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav.

Helmed by the debutant director Arjun Varain, the official release date of the film is still awaited.

Apart from that, she also has a comedy film ‘Dream Girl 2’ along with Ayushmann Khurrana.

The film also stars Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Annu Kapoor, Manoj Joshi and Vijay Raaz in prominent roles and is all set to hit the theatres on July 7, 2023. (ANI)

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Actor Amitabh Bachchan on Tuesday expressed his joy over ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ and ‘RRR’ song Naatu Naatu winning Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards.

Taking to Twitter, Amitabh wrote, “T 4585 – WE WIN ! WE WIN TWO ! WE WIN FOR COUNTRY AND PEOPLE ! WE WIN !! Bharat Ka Jhanda Gaadh Diya, Videsh Mein! OSCAR 95.”

‘RRR’s power-packed song ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the Oscar for ‘Original Song’ and ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ won in the Best Documentary Short film category at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, making it a historic day for Indian filmmakers and the audience.

‘Naatu Naatu’ has won the award trumping big names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga.

Composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award on behalf of the team. Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava along with director SS Rajamouli and lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan are all present at the big event.

Apart from that, Indian documentary film ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ won the Oscar in the ‘Best Documentary Short Film’ category. Producer Guneet Monga along with director Kartiki Gonsalves took centre stage to accept the honour.

The film’s plot revolves around a family who adopts two orphan baby elephants in Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Not only the winners but the entire nation is celebrating this historic win. (ANI)

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Nupur Sanon will be seen in a comical series ‘Pop Kaun’.

Excited about the project, Nupur said, “It’s essential to retain the purity of telling a story that entertains. When I read the script of Pop Kaun, I felt it was a rollicking comedy that had its heart in the right place. OTT is something that people are binge-watching widely. I just wanted to be part of the content that audiences are gravitating towards. Pop Kaun is designed as an entertainer and we couldn’t have had a better platform than Disney+Hotstar which has a wide reach. I am grateful for the opportunity that has come my way and I hope that in future I get more such opportunities to prove my mettle irrespective of the platform.”
Helmed by Farhad Samji, the comedy show also stars Kunal Kemmu, Satish Kaushik, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever, Chunky Panday, Saurabh Shukla, Nupur Sanon and Jamie Lever in the lead roles and is all set to stream on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar from March 17, 2023.

Nupur, younger sister of Kriti Sanon, will also be seen in the film ‘Noorani Chehra’. It is a romantic comedy, directed by Navaniat Singh. Neeta Shah, Aarushi Malhotra, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Nandini Sharma, and Bharatkumar Shah have backed the project.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is also a part of the film. The team wrapped up the film in April this last year.

On the day Nupur wrapped up the shooting schedule, she had penned a heartwarming note for the entire team of Noorani Chehra. “And, it’s a wrap. Just finished shooting for my debut film Noorani Chehra and the feeling is unreal. So much love and respect for the entire team that helped this ‘newbie’ evolve into the beauty and depth of Hiba.” “Thank you to my director @navaniatsingh sir who guided me all along and yet allowed me to have my own vision of the character…so lucky to have had you as my director and friend. Thank you to my producers @kumarmangatpathak ji @suniel9 ji @sharmadeepakr ji #rajeevmalhotrasir @gorgeousneeta for believing in me and my potential .. I hope I didn’t let you guys down,” she had posted. (ANI)

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Actor Suniel Shetty, on Tuesday, opened up on his request to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to stop the ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend.

Talking to ANI, Suniel said, “CM also felt what I spoke was right. Hindi film’s contribution is very huge. Yogiji said fingers were raised on Lord Ram too. PM Modi and Anurag Thakur also spoke about it and media also presented it so well.”
Earlier in January this year, Suniel met CM Yogi and urged him to help the industry get rid of the ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend.

During the discussion, the actor put forward some of the grievances before the Chief Minister. He said, “Hashtag ‘BoycottBollywood’ can stop with your help. It’s important to convey that we’ve done good work. There can be one rotten search apple but 99 per cent of us don’t indulge in any wrongdoing. We’ve to change this perception. If you take lead and also talk to PM, it will make a difference.”

The hashtag ‘Boycott Bollywood’ started trending after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise. However, in 2022, netizens reignited the trend before the release of many films like ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, ‘Liger’, ‘Brahmastra’, and ‘Raksha Bandhan’. The trend affected the box-office business of some of the films.

Meanwhile, on the work front, the ‘Hera Pheri’ actor is currently busy promoting his upcoming action-thriller web series ‘Hunter’ which is all set to stream on the OTT platform Amazon Mini Tv from March 22. (ANI)

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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Dev Inder Bhalla, a Singapore-based businessman on the Enforcement Directorate plea challenging the trial Court order which denied remand for the accused.

ED has moved Delhi High Court challenging Rouse Avenue Court order stating that the arrest of the accused Dev Inder Bhalla, a Singapore-based businessman is not legal and granted interim bail in connection with a Money laundering case linked to a UPA-era defence deal with aircraft manufacturer Embraer.
The Bench of Justice Amit Sharma on Tuesday issued notice to ED plea and listed the matter for April 28, 2023.

Counsel for Bhalla submitted that “even I stand before this hon’ble court my client has gone for interrogation before the ED.” Counsel for Bhalla submitted that the petition of ED is not maintainable as Remand Orders are not appealable.

To which the court replied alright we will not pass any interim orders.

The accused Dev Inder Bhalla was represented by Advocates Aditya Singh Deshwal and Advocate Ridam Arora

The matter pertains to the supply of 3 EMP -145 aircraft to the Government of India under DRDO. Allegations against Dev Inder Bhalla were that he made shell companies to launder money received as commission in the deal of aircraft.

Bhalla was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport Kolkata on February 13, 2023.

Special Judge Anil Antil at Rouse Avenue on February 16 stated that the agency was not legally empowered to arrest the accused without the indulgence of the Court, nor is it empowered now legally to seek his custody remand at this stage the case, knowing fully well the fact that the accused has been summoned by the Court on their own complaint and request after taking cognizance.

The agency cannot act in a camouflaged manner to arrest the accused herein. At one hand they are carrying summons to execute them for his appearance and at the same time they are also taking aid of the NBWs to justify their arrest, said the trial court.

The Trial Court further said that the arrest and the custody remand of the accused is not justified in the given facts of the case. The application seeking custody remand is not maintainable and is hereby dismissed. The accused is entitled to be released forthwith.

According to the ED on the basis of a complaint, an ECIR was filed against the 11

accused persons including accused Dev Inder Bhalla, Director of M/s Interdev Aviation Services Pvt Ltd, Singapore under Section 44 of PMLA, 2002 for the commission of offence u/s 3/70 & punishable u/s 4 of PMLA, 2002.

It was alleged that reference was received by CBI with regard to the allegations that M/s Embraer is being investigated by US and Brazil authorities regarding the alleged employment of an agent for facilitating the contract for the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Project with CABS/DRDO for procurement of 3 fully modified EMB-145 aircraft.

During inquiries, it was revealed that M/s Embraer, Brazil had engaged a middleman i.e. Vipin Khanna ( now deceased) NRI based in the United Kingdom to secure the contract for supplying EMB-145 aircraft to Indian Government as a platform for (AEW&C) Project.

It was revealed that M/s Embraer, Brazil an Aircraft Manufacturing Company had procured a contract for the supply of 3 EMP-145 Air Crafts to the Government of India under the agencies of the Defence Research & Development Organization; the Air Craft were to be used for the installation of AEW&S and a deal of USD 210 Million was signed on 03.07.2008 between the two parties that information regarding the payment of bribe for procurement of this deal to some official of the Defence Ministry through a middleman erupted in the public domain and the Indian government took note of it and ordered an inquiry following which CBI registered an aforesaid FIR.

The accused Dev Inder Bhalla, Director of M/s Interdev Aviation Services Pvt Ltd, placed in Singapore is also an accused in a money laundering case in M/s AgustaWestland. (ANI)

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The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Telangana Party (YSRTP) chief YS Sharmila was detained by police during a protest in Delhi, against the Telangana government.

“I am here today to throw light on the biggest scam in the country, the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project scam. We will march to the Parliament to show how big this scam is,” YS Sharmila told ANI.
Sharmila was staging the protest alleging irregularities in Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, a multipurpose irrigation project on Godavari River in Telangana.

Earlier in a conversation to ANI, Sharmila said, “The project cost was escalated from Rs 38,500 crores to Rs 1.20 lakh crores but yesterday, the BRS minister claimed only 1.5 lakh acres of land had been irrigated. This shows that Kaleshwaram is the biggest flop show but filled the pockets of one contractor and one family.”

“KCR’s redesign conspiracy itself was motivated by his intention to loot the exchequer, and the project quality was so poor that it crumbled within three years. While 2 TMCs per day could be utlised, they did not even close it with half-a-TMC, proving that the entire 1.20 lakh crores of rupees were down in the drain,” Sharmila added.

Stating that only the YSR Telangana Party is the only party to fight against the project, she said that she will continue the “war” until the Parliament takes up the matter.

“We have been the only party fighting against the project. We met everyone, from the ED to the CAG. We will continue to wage this war until the Parliament takes it up. I invite all Telangana MPs to join me in this fight for the 4-crore people of Telangana. While the nine BRS MPs are puppets in their boss’s hands, I am sure the others can join, extend solidarity, and give hapless farmers a ray of confidence and hope,” she said.

She appealed to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MPs to take a stance on the issue.

“I appeal to the BRS MPs to introspect and take a stance. You could relentlessly fight for your CM’s tainted daughter, but won’t show the same commitment for the people who have voted for you. Aren’t you shameless? The Taliban of Telangana is looting the state and attacking those who are raising their voices,” she added. (ANI)

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India’s civilisational connect with countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was in focus at a first of its kind international conference on “Shared Buddhist Heritage” that began in New Delhi on Tuesday and saw participation from Pakistan and China among others.

Being held under India’s leadership of the SCO, the two-day long event brought together Central Asian, East Asian, South Asian and Arab countries on a common platform and aims to re-establish trans-cultural links, seek out commonalities between Buddhist art of Central Asia, art styles, archaeological sites and antiquity in various museums’ collections of the SCO countries.
The intergovernmental organisation SCO, founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 currently comprises of eight member states -China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, four observer states -Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia and six “Dialogue Partners” -Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey. The eight member countries of SCO represent around 42 per cent of the world population and 25 per cent of the global GDP.

According to A Imran Shauket, Advisor to Pakistan Tourism Coordination Board, the conference presented a clear example of the role India was playing in bringing together countries with shared Buddhist heritage together.

“This session is just one very clear example of the wonderful role that India is actually playing in bringing all the countries of SCO, or let’s say all the countries with the Buddhist heritage together,” Shauket said.

Shauket who previously served as the focal person for Pakistan’s minister of archaeology and tourism, said: “I am very impressed on how hospitable India has been, how they’re bringing all the countries together. And India will always have a big role because, you know, Buddha was born in India, Buddhism originated from here.”

He said he looks forward to India, Pakistan and other countries working collectively to preserve, promote the common Buddhist heritage of countries.

“This Buddhist civilization, if we want to look at it, is actually the first binding glue that brings all these countries and the cultures together. It would be very nice to be able to go back in history and forget the differences and go back to how we were all connected then and how we can find the commonalities rather than the differences between all of our different cultures. And remember, at one time we were the same culture and we were the same people,” Shauket said.

The Advisor to Pakistan Tourism Coordination Board said that Pakistan is starting to do more and more on the Buddhist side also.

He said that Pakistan is trying to preserve and promote the culture, all the heritages, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist.

Shengliang Zhao, a researcher from China’s Dunhuang Research Academy and a participant at the conference stated that the event offered a huge opportunity for India and China to celebrate history.

“This is what makes India and China more close to each other. This time this conference gives a huge message of india and China coming together in all aspects culturally … peacefully. We will be moving ahead with this peaceful heritage further,” Zhao said in his remarks that were translated.

The two-day long conference was earlier today inagurated by Union Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy in the presence of Union minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi and Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital.

G Kishan Reddy honoured the participating delegates from SCO member countries.

India is holding the leadership of SCO for a period of one year, from September 17, 2022 till September 2023.

The conference has brought together Central Asian, East Asian, South Asian and Arab countries on a common platform to discuss “Shared Buddhist Heritage”.

More than 15 scholars and delegates from China’s Dunhuang Research Academy, Kyrgyzstan’s Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnology, Russia’s State Museum of the History of Religion, Tajikistan’s National Museum of Antiquities, Belarusian State University and Myanmar’s International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University, etc will be presenting research papers on topic during the 2-day event.

The programme is being organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of External Affairs and the International Buddhist Confederation, as a grantee body of the Ministry of Culture. A number of Indian scholars of Buddhism are also participating in the event.

The aim of the Conference is to re-establish trans-cultural links and seek out commonalities, between Buddhist art of Central Asia, art styles, archaeological sites and antiquity in various museums’ collections of the SCO countries. (ANI)

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Armoured police vehicles were seen arriving outside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore on Tuesday, a day after an Islamabad court issued directives to arrest the country’s former prime minister in the Toshakhana case, local media reported.

Heavy police presence was seen outside Khan’s Zaman Park residence with a senior Islamabad police official being cited by the Dawn as saying that police intended to arrest the ex-premier.
According to the daily’s correspondent the Mall Road was blocked and a number of PTI workers had gathered outside Zaman Park. Police slowly approached the residence behind an armoured vehicle that was dispersing PTI supporters with water cannons and tear gas. Supporters could also be seen pelting stones at the policemen.

PTI’s official Twitter account also called on supporters and workers to gather outside Zaman Park and to remain peaceful.

Islamabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (Operations) Shahzad Bukhari told reporters that officials had gathered outside Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence to take the PTI chief into custody as there were outstanding warrants for his arrest.

However, the police official declined to divulge the details of the case in which Islamabad police acted against Imran. “Of course, we know of the case but why should we discuss [such] details?”, the Pakistan daily reported.

While police refrained from commenting on the case in which it was acting against the PTI chief, the development comes a day after an Islamabad district and sessions court again issued arrest warrants for Imran after he persistently skipped hearings in the Toshakhana case. The court had also directed police to present the ex-premier in court by March 18.

When asked where Imran would be taken once he was arrested, Bukhari said: “Let it first happen, then God willing we will keep you informed.”

DIG Shahzad Bukhari speaking to Dawn news asserted that police had arrived to “serve the lawful process”, adding that he expected that others would cooperate with the officials.

He said he expected the people not to take the law into their own hands and would also announce it to the public gathered outside Imran Khan’s residence.

When asked whether police would take action if the situation descended into chaos, he said: “Yes of course, if someone takes the law into their hands then we will act in accordance with the law.”

Meanwhile, PTI’s Farrukh Habib shared footage of officials outside Zaman Park. He said that Imran Khan’s life was in danger yet situations were being created behind the scenes so that another attempt on the ex-premier’s life could be carried out.

“Appearing before a court in F-8 is no less than a death trap,” he said. (ANI)

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