Actress Dia Mirza, who will soon be seen in an Indo-Iranian film titled “Salaam Mumbai!” directed by Ghorban Mohammadpour, says that she has been receiving a lot of love from the people of Iran.

“It is the first time that India and Iran together have made a film. I feel very fortunate because the person with whom I’m working is the biggest superstar (Mohammad Reza Golzar) in Iran. People love him tremendously and hence Iranian people are also showering love on me via my social networking sites,” said Dia.

The actress says that as an artist, it is a wonderful opportunity for her to work on projects like this.

“This opportunity will certainly help in reaching the maximum number of people and in return we get their love,” said Dia at the screening of the film, “Taj Mahal”, here.

Dia now joins actresses like Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, who have done the country proud by signing popular international films. While Priyanka will be been in the film “Baywatch” and also is doing her television show “Quantico”, Deepika has signed “XXX-The Return of Xander Cage”.

“This is an interesting phase for films, there have been numerous international collaborations happening. Our Indian artists are getting numerous opportunities on the international level to showcase their performance. Even editors, cinematographers and directors are also working on international films.”

Bollywood actor Amit Sadh says working with superstar Salman Khan in “Sultan” has been a life changing experience.

The “Kai Po Che” actor plays a pivotal role and says Salman is “phenomenal” who will emerge in a new way in the Ali Abbas Zafar-directed action drama.

“Meeting him was life changing, working with him was life changing. He is phenomenal. With ‘Sultan’, a new Salman will emerge,” Amit told PTI in an interview.

Produced by Yash Raj Films, “Sultan”, which also stars Anushka Sharma, centers around a wrestler who has problems in his professional and personal life.

There were reports that Amit will be seen playing the role of young Sultan in the film. The actor, however, did not divulge any details about his character.

“The shooting is coming along great. I am not allowed to talk about my role yet. But I am playing something good in the film.”

Amit will be next seen in the fictional sports-drama “Saat Kadam”. Directed by Mohit Kumar Jha, the film also stars Ronit Roy and Deeksha Seth. It is scheduled to release mid-year.

Ali fazal is among the first few film actors to take a leap from the silver screen to 35 mm screens. After becoming famous among the YouTubers and online addicts through his first web-series ‘Bang Bajaa Baaraat’, the actor is all set to appear in another web-series very soon.

Currently working with Anand L Rai, for his upcoming film Happy Bhaag Jayegi also starring Diana Penty and Abhay Deol, Ali will join the cast of his upcoming web-series after the completion of his movie’s shooting.

Confirming the news, Ali Fazal said, “Confirming the same the actor says, “so the word is out and i thought lets take a break. And when actors say break they mean high adrenaline sport. So came this wonderfully crafted piece of writing my way after my successful stint with yashraj. A story based in goa. On the lines of goan mafia . I draw parallels with the godfather and Narcos. It fits our Indian scenario and the Goa scene.”

“Goa isn’t just about tourism and happy faces. There is a lot of history in there and some of it might be up for exploitation in this series. The roles have been beautifully distributed amongst great actors. Playing a lead in a madcap 10 episodic series is a heavy graph to maintain. So we went into a lot of prep for it. My director is my guru, and I look forward to joining the crew back after I wrap Anand Rai’s film,” he further added.

The actor has been exploring all industries. Apart from appearing in Hindi films and web-series, he was also seen in the hit Hollywood movie Furious 7 featuring Vin Diesel in its lead.

Baby actress Taapsee Pannu is finally back from her US trip and has joined megastar Amitabh Bachchan in Delhi for the shooting of their upcoming movie. The actress, who is more than excited to work with Big B, is also happy to shoot for the film in her city.

This is the first venture wherein Amitabh Bachchan will share screen space with young Taapsee.

Seen in the picture above is the actress enjoying a light moment with Big B. This session of selfies happened on the second day of shooting.

Taapsee joined Amitabh Bachchan on International Women’s Day. She had earlier said, “To start the shoot of a movie on Women’s day who’s subject is related to women and working with my favourite people like Amit ji and Shoojit sir have made me more excited for the movie.”

The film is being directed by National Award-winner Aniruddha Roy Chowdhary.

The theatrical trailer of Akkineni Nagarjuna and Karthi starrer Tamil-Telugu bilingual “Thozha”, which has been made as “Oopiri” in Telugu, truly celebrates life with the perfect cocktail of fun, drama and stunning visuals.

The trailer, which was unveiled on Friday, has caught the attention of netizens.

Going by the trailer, Nagarjuna plays a physically challenged millionaire and Karthi will be seen as his emotionally challenged caretaker.

Both Nagarjuna and Karthi are seen having fun in the trailer and their bonding serves as one of the biggest highlights, besides Tamannaah’s million dollars look and rich visuals.

Directed by Vamsi Paidipally, the trailer also clarifies that the film has not been dubbed into Tamil and that it’s actually a bilingual, with Nagarjuna dubbing in his own voice for the Tamil version too.

Produced by PVP Cinema, the film is slated for grand release in both the languages on March 25.

Watch the trailer here:

Amitabh Bachchan, who is shooting in the capital for Shoojit Sircar’s new production, went incognito and walked on the streets of the national capital without being recognised. The megastar is glad for the “masked wonders” and appreciates the “oblivion” state.

The 73-year-old star took to his official blog to share his experience, and shared a string of photographs in which he is seen wearing khaki trousers, loose fitted shirt and a training mask, which is covering half of his face.

“The masked wonder on the streets of crowded Delhi and ne’er an eye is raised…this is what what life is all about ‘buddy’. Its called indifference, unrecognisable, and even if recognisable not interested in recognising … happens to all that were once recognisable … shall happen to all … its not something that shall bring the oceans at your feet,” Big B shared. (Read: Taapsee Pannu joins Amitabh Bachchan in Delhi for their next film)

In one of the images, he can be seen crossing a busy junction of the capital, and in another photograph, he is walking in solitude with just one passer-by – a street dog. (Also read: Eve’ not title of Shoojit Sircar’s film: Amitabh Bachchan)

The “Piku” star also shared: “See what I mean … this is one of the most crowded and busy crossings in my part of the city … and… no problem. Except for this fellow. Few and far…and the oblivion persists.”

The social-thriller is directed by National Award-winning Bengali director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, who is stepping into Hindi films with the project. The story line of the film, which also stars Taapsee Pannu, is still under wraps.

After enjoying a walk with no cameras swarming around him, Amitabh also lauded the make up artist.

He said: “The make up artist does supreme … the hours of work on the face sublime and the efforts made to carry forward a story, simply stupendous.”

On the professional front, the actor has wrapped up shooting for “Te3n”.

Sharing the progress of Ribhu Dasgupta’s directorial “, he shared: “’TE3N’ is now on final post productions … music song dub and its final colouring … edits are done and satisfactory.”

Irrfan Khan is happy after being nominated for the Best Actor in the Critics’ Choice for his film “Talvar” and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for “Piku” at the second edition of the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA). The actor says both the films are “special” to him.

“‘Piku’ and ‘Talvar’ have been special to me and I am happy that I have been nominated. I am pleased to be a part of them as they are important for me, the film industry and the audience,” Irrfan said in a statement.

Directed by Shoojit Sircar, “Piku” was an endearing father-daughter tale, with megastar Amitabh Bachchan essaying the role of the father of Deepika Padukone. Irrfan joined the journey of the father-daughter duo during a road trip to Kolkata and how his relationship evolved with the actress during the trip.

On the other hand, “Talvar” directed by Meghna Gulzar was based on the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and her family servant were found murdered, and her parents were arrested for the murders.

To be held on March 18 in Dubai, the second edition of TOIFA will see celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Kalki Koechlin and Anushka Sharma being lauded for their performance in Hindi cinema.

The award event will be co-hosted by actors Parineeti Chopra and Riteish Deshmukh, who will be seen entertaining their fans with quirky acts.

The award ceremony, presented by Gulf Air and Splash, will witness performances by Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Yo Yo Honey Singh and many others.

The first edition of TOIFA was held in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2013.

Filmmaker Nalan Kumarasamy says if offered an opportunity to direct the Hindi remake of his own Tamil film “Soodhu Kavvum”, released in 2013, he’d love to do it and will try to make it even better.

“There were things we couldn’t do in the original. I know for a fact that there won’t be such restrictions in Bollywood. Hence, I’d love to direct the Hindi version, because with the license to do anything, I can make it a better film,” Nalan told IANS.

“Soodhu Kavvum”, a story about four misfit kidnappers, is regarded as one of the best Tamil dark comedies in recent times.

The film’s Hindi remake rights were bought by director Rohit Shetty.

“I know the rights were bought by Rohit, but since then there’s been no update on the project. What I heard is that the makers are finding it difficult to put the right cast together,” he said.

The common thread that ties films like “Bajirao Mastani”, “Neerja” or “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” together is the presence of character actors with strong roles. Veteran actress Supriya Pathak says that while Bollywood is moving away from the ‘cliché Hindi masala films’and embracing the trend, the need for lead stars will never fade away.

When asked whether nowadays films are not only about leading actors and actress, she said it is“”partially” the case.

“Partially yes. Although the need or demand for a lead actor and actress will never fade in the Bollywood film industry, character roles have also become popular and more importantly they are very integral for the script,” Supriya told IANS.

While some know her as the jovial Hansa Parekh from the popular TV comedy series“Khichdi”, for others she is the headstrong woman of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela”.

And after being a part of the industry for over four decades, she says that the wave of change in the industry has seeped in.

“It is great that the industry is open to accepting character roles and moving away from the clichéd Bollywood Hindi masala films,” she said.

The actress, who has explored various mediums for entertainment – be it films, theatre or television – shared her views with IANS after attending an event organised by detergent Ariel India on the topic ‘Why is laundry only a mother’s job?’ in Mumbai.

She became a part of the event with her husband and actor Pankaj Kapur.

Talking about the stereotypical perceptions around women in the society, she asserted “Nothing changes overnight and neither will this”. “

“But, the process has started and the perception that the responsibility of looking after the household activities is only taken care by the woman is definitely changing, slowly but yes. And this perception change will not only benefit the future of women but for her entire family and in turn the society,” said the actress, who was last seen on the silver screen as Kapil Sharma’s mother in “Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon”.

She also praised the way the issue of “gender inequality” is handled in the “Share the Load” campaign by the brand.

She said: “The whole issue of gender inequality is shown so beautifully and it is so relatable that it made me want to come and talk about it.”

Actor Arjun Kapoor, who will be seen in R. Balki’s forthcoming romantic film “Ki & Ka”, says the movie is not made to give any message.

“We have not made this film to give any message but since people have appreciated this, we want it to reach to the audience. I don’t think one film is enough to bring any evolution,” said Arjun.

Arjun plays the character of Kabir, an IIT graduate and a house husband, who has grown up wanting to be like his mother and not like his father.

On the other hand, Kareena Kapoor plays the character of an ambitious and a career-oriented woman in the film.

Talking about his real life, Arjun says that no one in his family discriminates between any one.

“My family is very open and our upbringing was made in atmosphere where we were allowed to make our own choices. Our families never had any discrimination. I am very happy about it,” he said.

“Ki & Ka” is slated to release on April 1.

Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon says she cannot sign any movie just for sake of doing it and instead focuses on choosing her roles with grace.

Raveena, who made an appearance in last year’s “Bombay Velvet”, feels there are certain roles she cannot pull off and wants to do films which touch her heart.

“I can’t sign any movie just for the sake of doing it. I want to take up roles with grace, dignity and respect. One needs to grow with time and there are roles which I can’t pull off now,” she said in a statement.

“So one has to mature and evolve with age. I am open to any genre but nothing strikes me when it comes to choosing films. I always want to do movies on subjects which are closer to my heart,” the 41-year-old added.

The National Film Award winning actress will be heard talking about her career on 92.7 BIG FM’s show ‘Kuch Panne Zindagi Ke’ with host Madhurima Nigam. The show will air on March 13 between 9pm-11 pm.

Raveena will be next seen in filmmaker Onir’s next “Shab”.

The Delhi set drama is a love triangle and also stars actor Prosenjit Chatterjee’s wife Arpita and Ashish Bisht, both in their Bollywood debut role.

“I recently finished shooting for ‘Shab’, which is a love triangle. I am playing a very impressive character with some shades of grey, a typical socialite who falls in love. Apart from that we will also start our shooting for ‘Maatr’. The movie deals with violence against women,” Raveena said.

One Direction star Harry Styles will be making his acting debut with Christopher Nolan’s WWII action thriller project “Dunkirk”.

Along with Styles, 22, English actors Jack Lowden and Aneurin Barnard are in talks to join the production, said The Hollywood Reporter.

The cast also includes this year’s Oscar winner Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy and Sir Kenneth Branagh.

Production on the drama is set to begin in May, which will be shot on 65mm large format film and Imax.

The movie centers on the British military evacuation of the French city of Dunkirk in 1940, one of the biggest battles during the way.

“Dunkirk” is Nolan’s follow-up to the space epic “Interstellar”.

Karan Johar’s popular chat show, Koffee with Karan will be back soon and Shah Rukh Khan, who will in all likelihood appear as Karan’s first guest.

Confirming the same was the popular director himself on Twitter while chatting with his fans. In reply to a fan’s question on whether SRK would be invited to Koffee with Karan this time, Karan said, “Yes opening episode has to be him and no one else.”

“@fanraees: @karanjohar Kya aap shahrukh sir ko #koffeewithkaran mein bulayenge”yes!!! Opening episode has to be him and no one else

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) March 12, 2016

Karan Johar had opened his last season with Salman Khan which was quite a hit.

SRK, however, was missing in action and many speculated he would be the guest for the show’s grand finale, last season. However, that was not to be. Looks like Karan is all set to make up for it this time around.

Speculations were rife about Kajol playing a cameo in Karan Johar’s next, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM). However, the filmmaker on Saturday rubbished these reports and clarified that Kajol doesn’t feature in his movie.

In a Twitter interaction with fans when Karan was asked about Kajol’s role in the movie, the director wrote, “No”.

“@prasantnstawar: @karanjohar is kajol doing a cameo in #ADHM #koffeewithkaran” NO!!!!!!!!!

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) March 12, 2016

Revealing more about Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Karan called it a movie of unrequited love. Aishwarya, who plays one of the leads in the movie, goes by the name of Saba Taliyarkhan. Pakistani actor Fawad Khan who has a small role in the movie is named Ali.

“@RanAshfc: @karanjohar AISHWARYA’s name in AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL? #koffeewithkaran” Saba Taliyarkhan

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) March 12, 2016

When asked if he would ever make an action film, KJo said, “Love is like action. It hurts more than anything else.”

“@SaurabhMevada: @karanjohar Do you want to make Action Movies! ???” Love is like action…it hurts more than anything else…

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) March 12, 2016

It must take a certain measure of maverick to be a pioneer, to be one that marches to a different drumbeat, to do something no one has ever done before. This brings together the late KV Subbanna, one of the founders of Ninasam and the late PK Nair, the first film archivist of the country, on the same bench, even if they were mostly acquainted with each other’s work through their association with other people. What, however, merits the stringing of their life’s work together is their contribution to creating pedagogical platforms for the development of film studies in the country.

The story of the Heggodu experiment is a much-thumbed narrative, told and retold with an ounce of incredulousness and a yearning for its replication elsewhere. KV Subbanna, along with a motley set of mostly farmer friends, set up the Neelakanteshwara Natya Seva Sangha in 1949 in a remote village called Heggodu — the verdant landscape studded with picturesque villages of mostly areca nut farmers, and nearly 400 km from the state capital of Bengaluru. It would be many years before it began to be called by the more fashionable Ninasam, an acronym of its old name, and decades before it became a cultural institution to reckon with.

From an empty ground where the local men gathered occasionally to rehearse and stage plays in, it grew to contain a large auditorium and then, to feed the spurt in projects and programmes, a theatre school was set up. To further engage with the students that passed out from here, a repertoire of plays that began to be staged all over the state began to take shape. The Thirugata troupe, as they are named, is today well-known in Karnataka, regularly producing actors who have gone on to become famous names in television and cinema.

What perhaps catapulted Ninasam’s fame in the national culture scene was its film programme. KV Akshara, treasurer at Ninasam, also a writer and a prominent personality in contemporary Kannada theatre, writes of how his father, Subbanna was a participant in the first film appreciation course that the Film Institute in Pune organised in 1967. Marie Seaton led the programme. Inspired, Subbanna started the Ninasam Chitra Samaja in 1973 and went on to organise amongst the first ever international film festivals in the country, that too in a hitherto unheard off village in central Karnataka, in 1977. Akshara writes of how the support of celluloid man, Nair, and his contemporary from the film institute, Satish Bahadur, proved invaluable in setting up a film culture in Heggodu.

The calling card for the idea of the Heggodu experiment has always been the story of how farmers, local shopkeepers, odd-jobs men, could hold their own in a discussion on foreign cinema. Kurosawa, Fellini, De Sica are names that trip off their tongue effortlessly, as do thoughts on world cinema. The fact that villagers were familiar with and interested in such films and in meeting, hosting and socialising with intellectuals, artists, writers and the thinking men of the country was what first began to get Ninasam and Heggodu noticed. This blip in the map did something monumental — Akshara writes in an essay on Satish Bahadur, of how the 1977 film festival dispelled the myth that high culture, highbrow cinema and quality contemporary theatre was not something people in villages would like or show any interest in. For instance, Prajnanand RS, a cable operator in Heggodu, talks about watching movies of Kurosawa and several short films from time to time.

For 10 years, from 1979 onwards, a 10-day long film appreciation course was organised at Ninasam. Films invariably came from FTII and National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Pune. Bahadur and Nair, were regular fixtures at these courses. Those years gave rise to Ninasam Film Society, one of the first rural film societies in India.

Subbanna furthered the development of film studies by publishing books, essays and critiques of films, all in Kannada, a move that made foreign language films all the more accessible to the local populace and the stream of visitors from other parts of the state. KG Mahabaleshwar, retired principal of Ninasam Theatre Institute and a long term associate of Ninasam, says that after 10 years of successfully running the film appreciation course, they all began to think of doing something different with those 10 days. Thus, in 1990, began the culture course, a week-long meditation on films, art, literature, theatre, music, facilitated by some of the foremost culture practitioners and thinkers of the country. The course remains an essential event on the state’s culture calendar.

In an old interview with Samvartha ‘Sahil’, a freelance screen writer, Nair spoke of how “In Heggodu, we broke the language barrier… What was commendable about KV Subbanna was that he not just showed films and held film appreciation courses but also published booklets on and about cinema which is an important thing to do because they serve as knowledge material which go hand in hand with cinema in creation of a film culture. He did it in local language which makes his work extraordinary.” The film courses were expanded into larger culture courses, something Nair lamented about, but in Heggodu, it gave rise to a film culture that remains an important case study in the development of film studies in the country.

HN Narahari Rao, president of the Indian chapter of International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), throws light on the role Nair played in encouraging film connoisseurs in a country that, to some extent, hesitates to count cinema among fine arts and performing arts as high-culture. Rao has several anecdotes to share about Nair. He says there are some 200 film societies in India and there possibly couldn’t be a single one that Nair didn’t lend films to. “Those days, there were no DVDs. The films were in 16 mm prints and he always sent a representative of his with the prints to look after them,” he said, speaking of the films that were shown in Bengaluru’s famous Suchitra Film Society that Rao co-founded.

The experiments of Subbanna and Nair, inspired a legion of practitioners, teachers and enthusiasts who have attempted replications of these models, to various degrees of success.

Directed by Shakun Batra, Kapoor & Sons starring Alia Bhatt, Fawad Khan and Sidharth Malhotra will hit the screen on March 18. The film also star Dadu aka Rishi Kapoor. Actor Rishi Kapoor, 63, feels the need to keep up with changing times. In an interaction with the actor, he talks about reel and real Kapoor & Sons.

Your next film is titled Kapoor & Sons. How much of the Kapoor khandan is reflected in the film?

Only the title. It fans my ego. I have done a film titled Chintuji, and now Kapoor & Sons makes me feel it is named after me. But I am glad I got a chance to work in this film, where I play a 90-year-old grandfather. It was one of the reasons I agreed to be a part of the film.

You look unrecognisable in it, and the audience already loves that.

When Karan (Johar, producer) and Shakun (Batra, director) came to me, I told them I wanted to be made up by Greg Cannom, a three-time Oscar winning artist whose work I admire. The film is made on a small budget, but the makers agreed. But it was easier said than done. When we did the look test, it took close to six hours to put the make-up on. I knew it would take that many hours for the 30 days of shoot. Everyone who knows me thought I won’t be able to do it because I am a very impatient man, but I surprised everyone.

Was that to prove a point?

I had to prove the man behind that face, not my patience. The makers had put their faith in me and I had to justify the look and the money spent on me. I will feel validated only if Rishi Kapoor, the actor, can justify the character.

Does Rishi Kapoor still need validation?

Every actor requires validation. I am nervous as hell every time I am on set, wondering if I shall be convincing enough in front of the camera.

Did the prosthetics burden you or aid your craft?

They gave me a new level of excitement and done up as an old man, I started to feel the age. The make-up was like my second skin, and the lines looked real. It wasn’t heavy and any twitch of facial muscles showed through the make-up. The only impediment was the eyes — an old man’s would be dilated and greyed. So we used lenses to cover up. But it was the character that was the most fun to play.

You play the head of a dysfunctional family.

Mr Kapoor is most concerned about how he will look when dead. But he is a dirty old man who watches porn and smokes weed with his grandsons and is obsessed with Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili. But he has a simple desire — he wants a family portrait before he dies so he can put it up on the wall and write below, ‘Kapoor & Sons, since 1921’. Working on it was fun, but I also fought a lot with my director for the first time in 44 years.

Was it the generation gap?

I am extremely malleable as an actor, but I also know how to get away with doing things the way I want, even if the director disagrees. But Shakun, who is a new school filmmaker, wanted to shoot my scenes from every angle because the medium is digital now and editing softwares allow several options. I agree with the craft, but I am sorry, I am old-school. I cannot recreate the moment at every angle. I am spontaneous and not a method actor. I may be mediocre, but I need my groundwork to be correct. I have to fine-tune myself to suit current times but I’m not sure I will be able to. That said, Shakun’s done a fabulous job and added to the spectrum of roles in my second innings.

You call it a second innings, too?

Now is when I am acting. Isse pehle toh maine sirf jersey pehen ke gaane gaaye hain, kabhi Switzerland mein, kabhi Ooty mein (Before this I have worn a jersey and only sung songs in Switzerland or in Ooty). Contemporary writing has given me the opportunity to play characters as diverse as Rauf Lala of Agneepath and Duggal of Do Dooni Chaar. It took a month of convincing before I took up Rauf Lala, I was unwilling to believe I could look menacing, but it happened. The truth is, I am jobless as we speak. We need to allow screenwriters the space to experiment and I hope that when films such as Neerja or Piku are written, makers think of casting me. If that doesn’t happen, I am happy supervising the construction of Ranbir’s house, which begins in 10 days.

Do you feel sentimental about this bungalow?

Well, yes. I have spent 25 years here, my kids grew up here. But we have to bring down the bungalow in order to construct a new one that will accommodate Ranbir and us. That said, I do have a tendency to hold on to things. Just two days ago, Neetu and I had a squabble because I wanted something to be moved to the temporary apartment, but she didn’t want that. I have always lived in a bungalow and now I wonder if I will manage in an apartment, but then I realise I have lived long enough in hotel rooms during shoots, so an apartment shouldn’t be a problem.

How different is filmmaking now from the time when you started?

Earlier, filmmakers worked with an edit pattern in their head because films were expensive. Today, stunts are less risky and technology has changed. I also feel we shouldn’t completely veer away from song and dance. It’s part of our culture — humaare tyohaaron mein, janam mein, maran mein sangeet hai (We have music in our festivals, in birth and in death).

What hasn’t changed is that acting is still what defines success. The young crop needs to understand that however much one hits the gym, six packs won’t make them a good actor. It’s the muscles of your face, not abs, that really matter. Today, stylised acting is unacceptable. In my youth, I wanted to practise Balraj Sahni’s style of acting but it didn’t work. The only actors today doing it and pulling it off are the Khans — they are the last of the titans.

Do you constantly feel the pressure to stay in step with the times?

Over time, you realise it is the only way. Last month, I was invited to one of Delhi’s top colleges to speak on cinema. I prepared myself with numbers, statistics and also information about how the industry works. But when the time came for me to speak, the audience had only one question: why did Ranbir and Katrina break up. Mere pairon tale zameen nikal gayi. I thought to myself, ‘These are the brightest minds of this time, but gossip and glamour is all they are interested in.’ I am used to this now, I can negotiate an answer but I also realise that times have changed. Back in my day, I wouldn’t have been able to live in with Neetu if I wanted to. If I don’t move with the times, I will lose the connection I share with my son.

Is being active on Twitter part of the same effort to keep yourself up to date?

Anushka Sharma had introduced me to Twitter when we were shooting for Patiala House, but last year, Abhishek Bachchan got me active. I found it interesting and fun — it allowed me to be candid. It’s not a compulsion though. Earlier, when I would have time, I would smoke. Now that I have kicked the butt, Twitter has replaced it. But I have started to become wary and guarded. I cannot be politically incorrect as I am an artist. I am secular but I often get projected otherwise. People say I have converted, which is stupid, but even if I have, what is it to them? Cinema has taught me to be secular, I visit mosques and dargahs and also churches.

What do you mean when you say cinema has taught you to be secular?

I’ve acted in one of the most secular films, Amar Akbar Anthony. Which other film has three people donating blood to a fourth person at the same time? That film defies every logic. In it, my wife Neetu’s character holds Parveen Babi’s wrist to her ear and diagnoses her as pregnant. If people clapped at such stupidity, it’s because Manmohan Desai was a magician of a filmmaker who showed all this with such conviction. That film’s a cult.

What of the plans to revive the RK Films banner?

I don’t see why that would happen. If Ranbir turns producer, he will launch a banner under his own name, why would he go with his grandfather’s banner? It’s what my father did, too. He didn’t launch Prithviraj Kapoor Films. Dad used to say, and he is right, that there is no love lost in more than three generations. I feel an attachment for Prithviraj Kapoor because I have seen and known him, but not for his father. Similarly, though Ranbir owes everything to his great-grandfather, he feels no practical connect with the man. That is the miracle of god — our memory is created in a way that it dulls over time. It is the only way humans will be able to deal with grief.

Naved Jaffery and Sayeeda were declared winners of Sony Entertainment Television’s Power Couple contest.

Defeatingr co-finalists, Vindu Dara Singh-Dina and Shawar Ali-Marcella, Naved-Sayeeda took home a grand prize of Rs.50 lakh along with the prestigious Power Couple trophy.

Naveed Jafery said: “I am beyond excited. Sayeeda and me didn’t sign up for the show to win the title. We wanted to spend quality time, know each other better and further strengthen our already strong relationship as husband and wife.

“The show has given us much more than what we had expected. It feels great to know that all we survived so many tests of love. I also want to thank Sony Entertainment Television for giving us the wonderful Power Couple platform to prove our love for each other.”

The show that featured 10 other celebrity couples, won billions of hearts as they saw their favorite celebrities face strenuous Test of Love for 13 weeks in a row. Bollywood’s ravishing jodi, Malaika Arora Khan and Arbaz Khan, kept the audiences entertained with their terrific hosting.

The grand finale also saw the homecoming of all 10 other celebrity contestants who were vying for the coveted title of Power Couple since its inception. The evening ended on an emotional note when every contestants reminisced their journey on the show and how the show made them stronger as a couple.

As divorce rumours continue to swirl around Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora, the actor-producer’s father and noted scriptwriter Salim Khan refused to comment on their relationship, saying he doesn’t interfere in the personal lives of his children.

Over the last few months, the star couple has been subject of fevered speculation about their marriage. Malaika and Arbaaz have not addressed the topic publicly.

“I am a writer… don’t ask me about anyone’s love affair or break-up reports. I never interfere in the life of my kids. I don’t want to talk about it,” Salim told PTI.

Also read: Arbaaz Khan takes wife Malaika Arora Khan out for dinner, outs divorce rumours to rest 

Malaika’s mother Joyce Polycarp, too, isn’t willing to speak on the issue. “They are two grown up adults …it is there business. I don’t want to get into it. I don’t want to talk to press,” she said when reached for comments about divorce reports.

Also read: Malaika Arora Khan breaks her silence on divorce rumours with husband Arbaaz Khan

Rumours of a split between Malaika and Arbaaz, who have been married for 18 years, started emerging from the time the couple stopped coming to gether on a popular reality show, “Power Couple”. Only Arbaaz was shooting for the show while Malaika came only in the end.

Malaika and Arbaaz have a 13-year-old son Arhaan.

Sharing the first glimpse of Anushka Sharma in action through a still from her forthcoming film “Sultan”, director Ali Abbas Zafar says the actress has become an expert, and turned out to be a ‘dhobi pachad master’.

The actress, who underwent rigorous training for six weeks for her role as a wrestler in the Salman Khan-starrer, shared that she feels “blessed” after getting the role right in front of the camera.

Ali took to Twitter to share an image, which shows Anushka in the middle of a fight with an opponent in the ring.

He captioned the image with a post that read: “Haryana ki Sherni” ‘dhobi pachad master” @AnushkaSharma in action @SultanTheMovie”.

Haryane ki Sherni ” dhobi pachad master” @AnushkaSharma in action @SultanTheMovie pic.twitter.com/SezwKACqjU

— ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) March 12, 2016

The actress too shared the picture, which she captioned as: Dhobi pachad In action 💪💪💪 #Sultan . Straight from the shoot .

Anushka, who practiced for long periods regularly and tenaciously followed a fitness regimen to live the part of a wrestler to the best of her ability, responded to the post by saying that she “Couldn’t have imagined I could do this two months ago. Feeling blessed”.

Also read: Anushka Sharma grateful for wrestling trainers

The film also stars Bollywood’s “Dabangg” star Salman, who is also in the prep mode for “Sultan”, which is said to be a biopic on a wrestler.

The film, produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner, is slated to release on July 8.

Actress Deepika Padukone took out time from her shooting schedule of her Hollywood debut film “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” to help her co-star Ruby Rose find the right house.

Deepika’s foreign co-star took to Twitter to share her outing with the Indian actress. She also posted an image of the two posing in front of a shack. The location is not mentioned.

Also read: Deepika Padukone shoots for xXx : The Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel, see pics

She posted: “House hunting with @deepikapadukone we found a nice shack with an ocean view.”

House hunting with @deepikapadukone we found a nice shack with an ocean view. pic.twitter.com/VfBq3gc7Yx

— Ruby Rose (@RubyRose) March 11, 2016

Deepika seems to be channelling her character in the photograph as well by opting for a black sports brasserie and leather hot pants for the outing. One can also spot the temporary tattoos on her body as well.

Directed by D.J. Caruso, the film follows Vin Diesel’s character as he comes out of self-imposed exile to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora’s Box.

Diesel starred in the original 2002 “XXX,” directed by Rob Cohen, as underground sports star Xander Cage, who was blackmailed by the US government to take down a gang of international terrorists. Diesel was not part of the sequel, as Ice Cube played the lead role in 2005’s “xXx: State of the Union”.

The film also star Nina Dobrev and Donnie Yen. It will release on January 20, 2017.