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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das, who is looking forward to his upcoming web series "Hasmukh", says performing in front of a live audience is extremely different from being in a fictional film or series.## In the show, he will be seen as Hasmukh, who works hard to bring a smile to everyone's face.## "Performing in front of a live audience is extremely different from being in a fictional film or series. I'm back on screen playing a strange and unusual character, so I'm excited," Vir said.## The trailer of the show was released on Friday. The series follows the journey of a young man from Saharanpur who wants to be the greatest comedian in the world. While he is a great writer, he lacks comic timing. It is a story of untamed ambition.## Talking about the role of Hasmukh, he said: "He's super awkward, soft-spoken and always mild, until he murders or gets on stage. Stand-up comedians will relate to Hasmukh's journey --- well, most of it at least. We're all looking for innovative ways to make people laugh, but this guy takes it to the next level. The trailer should give you a sneak peek into what I'm talking about, but just wait and watch!"## Also featuring Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Pahwa, Ravi Kishan, Amrita Bagchi, Suhail Nayyar, Inaamulhaq and Raza Murad, "Hasmukh" is directed by Nikhil Gonsalves and will release on April 17.## The Netflix show is produced for Applause Entertainment by Emmay Entertainment.## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Popular producer Ekta Kapoor is giving up her one-year salary of Rs 2.5 crore at Balaji Telefilms to ensure her employees don't suffer during the lockdown, which was announced last month owing to the coronavirus pandemic.## Ekta took to her social media on Friday to make the announcement.## "The impact of the CORONA crisis is huge, unprecedented and multi-pronged. We all need to do things that will ease the hardship of people around us and of our country at large," her note read.## "It is my first & foremost responsibility to take care of the various freelancers & daily wage workers who work at Balaji & who are going to suffer an immense loss due to no shootings in the current scenario and uncertainty over the indefinite period to follow.## "I would thus forsake my one year's salary that is Rs 2.5 crore at Balaji Telefilms so that my co-workers don't have to take a hit during this period of crisis and complete lockdown. The only way ahead is Together. Stay safe, stay healthy," concluded the producer, who has given several hit daily soaps such as "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi", "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii", "Kasautii Zindagii Kay" and "Naagin".## Apart from this, the producer has already made donations to various relief funds to fight the effects of the pandemic.## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Veteran actor Paresh Rawal's son Aditya is all set to make his acting debut with the ZEE5 original film "Bamfaad".## The movie, directed by debutant filmmaker Ranjan Chandel, will also mark the OTT debut of "Arjun Reddy" star Shalini Pandey.## "I am glad that I got the chance to be a part of such a thrilling film. Though the driving force of the film is the love story, it has many more layers to it. I want to make my own mark as an actor in the industry, and it feels great to begin my journey by playing Nasir Jamal, a character that fascinated me ever since I read the script. I hope that people watch the film in huge numbers on Zee5, and I am eager to hear their feedback," Aditya said.## Presented by Anurag Kashyap, the film about passion, friendship, betrayal, loss, and love will go live on April 10. Set in Allahabad to a romantic volatile backdrop, the film promises to "bring out an unusual yet raw and edgy love story on the screen".## Talking about her character of Neelam, Shalini said: "Neelam is a bold and strong 24-year-old girl, but has that vulnerability to her which spoke to me instantly."## "As an artist, I look forward to projects that challenge me and this project really pushed me and I learned a lot while playing this part. 'Bamfaad' has a phenomenal storyline and it is getting the perfect exposure with a massive video streaming platform," she added.## Chandel asserts that "Bamfaad" is a heartfelt script to be brought to life on the screens.## "Aditya and Shalini are the perfect matches for the characters we envisioned. I still remember the casting director Taran Bajaj and I reached out to many experienced actors as well but Aditya and Shalini just made it feel apt and looked refreshing together. While we are currently living in challenging times with the pandemic, I feel like releasing this film on a digital platform like ZEE5 will give it the reach it deserves. This film is made with a lot of love and will touch many hearts," Chandel said.## On Friday, Kashyap presented the character poster of Nasir and Neelam on his social media. "Bamfaad" is produced by JAR Pictures and Shaika Films, and also stars Vijay Varma and Jatin Sarna.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has taken to social media to laud the selfless performance of doctors and paramedical staff across the world in the battle against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.## Big B on Friday morning, shared a cartoon that shows a doctor holding the globe on his shoulders, like Atlas. The veteran actor shared that the efforts of the medical community in these times of crisis remind him of his song from the film "Coolie" that goes, "Saari duniya ka bojh hum uthate hain".## Netizens agreed with the actor saying that doctors are indeed doing a great job amidst all the difficulties.## A fan commented below his tweet: "True sir Ji. My son and daughter in law are in the medical field. Appropriate song."## However, another fan quickly reminded the actor that not only doctors but the police and sanitation workers also deserve respect.## The fan commented: "Sir including doctors their also police and sanitation workers too... We should not forget their contribution."## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Actor Hrithik Roshan is all pumped up, and the reason is his father Rakesh Roshan.## On Friday, Hrithik took to Instagram and shared a video of his father doing an intense workout at the age of 71.## "Damn! That's My Dad...N.E.V.E.R. G.I.V.E.S. U.P. . This is the kind of Resolve and Determination we all need to have to fight in times like these," he captioned the video.## He also quipped wittily that the coronavirus should be afraid of his filmmaker father as the latter bravely fought cancer last year.## "Ps: He'll be 71 this year and works out 2 hours a day. O and he just survived cancer last year. I think the virus should be afraid of him. Very very afraid," Hrithik added.## Amidst the ongoing serious health crisis, the "Super 30" actor has been seen spreading awareness among people about COVID-19. Recently, he even shared a 1 minute, 42-second video message on Instagram, appealing his fans to stop the spread.## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Renowned Marathi actor Umesh Kamat, who recently appeared in the new season of the couple drama "Aani Kay Hava", says that Marathi actors have the advantage of exploring all the avenues of acting -- whether it is stage, TV, cinema or web shows -- as opposed to actors of other film industries like Bollywood and Tollywood.## "I think Marathi actors have more opportunity to explore different mediums of entertainment as opposed to other regional film actors. For instance, lead actors of Hindi, Tamil, or Malayalam cinema usually do not act in TV, theatre and web shows alongside the mainstream cinema. But I, as an actor, have worked in all the mediums. That way, I think we are lucky. Our fans are ready to watch us on TV every day and will buy a ticket and go to the theatre to watch our films," Umesh told IANS.## "Aani Kay Hava" revolves around a married couple, Juhi and Saket, and the internal conversation of their relationships. The show also features Priya Bapat, Siddharth Jadhav, and Sai Tamhankar.## The second season of the series released recently after a successful season one on MX Player. The actor says he is receiving a lot of responses not only from the Marathi audience but also across the nation, adding that a positive change is happening in the regional entertainment space, and the audience is expanding.## "With time, slowly but surely we will build the audience for digital content as well. Although initially, we used to think that only youngsters would watch these because they spending time on the phone, that is not true. I am surprised to see how the older generation is also watching regional content on digital platforms because of accessibility," said the actor, who has appeared in films like "Lagna Pahave Karun", "Time Please", "A Paying Ghost", "Asehi Ekada Vhave" and TV series like "Asambhav" and "Eka Lagnachi Dusri Goshta" among others.## Umesh added: "It is true that earlier as an audience even if I wanted, I could not get access to a Malayalam film as easily as I can get it now on OTT platforms. So, I think the language barrier is going away and regional content is really reaching out to people beyond regions and languages."## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Actress Flora Saini, who had earlier featured in the hit Bollywood film "Stree" and the web series "Gandii Baat", is excited because her short film "Motherland" will soon be available online.## "I'm happy that the movie is soon releasing on YouTube and everyone can watch it anytime. The movie was actually made in 2018 and we got opportunities to be at film festivals like London City Film Festival and Virgin Spring Cinefest. Now that everyone is home, we planned to release it," said Flora referring to the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus.## The short film has been written, produced and directed by Vevek Narang.## "The central theme of the movie is anchored in the idea of our ability to rise above our differences and stand in unity to protect our motherland from the enemies," he shared.## Flora feels blessed and lucky to have got a chance to work on the patriotic short film.## "It's always interesting to work on films which give out wonderful messages to others, and also pay tribute to the Indian Army. Being from an Army family, I can so relate to the subject of 'Motherland'," she said.## The short film also stars "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior" child artiste Arush Nand.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) From participating in the singing reality show "India's Raw Superstar" in 2014 to lending voice to the chartbuster songs like "Chogada" in "LoveYatri", "Kamariya" in "Mitron" and "Shayad" in "Love Aaj Kal", the Ahmedabad-bred singer Darshan Raval feels fortunate to be able to carve a niche for himself in the Indian music industry.## "I am a self-taught musician. I had never joined any music institute or taken any type of course. I learned music on my own. So, it feels greater to look back at my journey so far. And you know, I come from a small town. People there generally consider singing a hobby. Coming from a small town and making a name for myself in this profession is a big thing for me," Darshan told IANS.## The 25-year-old is loving the success coming his way but agrees that with fame comes responsibilities.## "There is more responsibility on my shoulders now. My fans expect a lot from me. With each song, I try my best to make them happy. Also, I feel music leaves a strong impact on people. So, it is my duty to create the right type of music and not disappoint people," he added.## Darshan, who recently came up with his new song "Bhula Dunga", also shared how he is spending time at home amid the coronavirus lockdown.## "I really needed this break. I was so occupied with concerts and everything that I was not getting time for myself and (time to) work on new music. So, now I am utilizing my time in creating new songs, improving my vocals and of course relaxing," Darshan quipped.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Bollywood celebs have taken to social media to condemn the gruesome incidents of physical assault and stone-pelting at doctors and cops in different parts of the country including Indore, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad among other places.## Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor requested all to cooperate amid these difficult times. He wrote: "An appeal to all brothers and sisters from all social status and faiths. Please don't resort to violence,stone-throwing or lynching. Doctors, Nurses, Medics, Policemen, etc..are endangering their lives to save you. We have to win this Coronavirus war together. Please. Jai Hind!"## Condemning the horrible incidents, veteran actress-politician Hema Malini tweeted: "In the midst of the entire country's appreciation of the sacrifices of doctors, health workers & paramedics comes the news of unwarranted attacks on them in Indore by ungrateful miscreants. How could a mob attack ppl who are risking their own lives to save ours? Sad! Shameful!"## Actor-politician Paresh Rawal offered a reality check to citizens and tweeted: "Just think what will happen if Doctors refuse to treat those who have treated them so inhumanly!"## Poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed: "I strongly condemn those who have thrown stones on the doctors in Indore and hope that Indore police will not to show any leniency to them n I request others to CO-operate with the doctors' Police n administration everywhere. The whole nation should be united to fight Korona."## Preity Zinta shared that it is upsetting to see such incidents happening in the country. The actress tweeted: "Sad to see that Millions are quarantined inside their homes trying 2break the corona chain while many are going hungry due 2the lockdown. Then there are those breaking quarantine & pelting stones on Cops & doctors who are working without proper PPE. What's happening to India? #Sad."## Raveena Tandon feels it is not okay to generalize and blame everyone for the misdeeds of some. The actress tweeted: "Please do not blame the entire nation for a few rotten apples. It definitely is most shameful. But 96 percent of this more than a billion nation is complying and obeying."## Meanwhile, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has lauded the selfless performance of doctors and paramedical staff across the country and the world. Tweeting a cartoon which shows a doctor lifting the globe on his shoulders, Big B tweeted that this reminds him of his song from the film "Coolie", "Saari Duniya Ka Bojh Hum Uthate Hain..."## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Hyderabad, April 3 (IANS) Telugu star Allu Arjun penned an emotional note on his son Ayaan's birthday on Friday, with a cute picture of the little boy with his birthday cake.## Arjun took to Twitter to share the picture and his note.## "I used to think 'what is Love ?' all my life. Many times in the past I felt strong feelings but I was not sure if it was love. But after you came into my life I now know what LOVE is. You are LOVE. I Love you Ayaan. Happy Birthday My Baby," the actor wrote.## Arjun married Sneha Reddy in Hyderabad in March 2011. The couple has two children, son Ayaan and daughter Arha.## On the work front, Arjun's latest release "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo" opened in January and went on to become a huge hit. The film co-stars Tabu and Pooja Hegde.## The actor will next be seen in "AA20" directed by Sukumar. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Vijay Sethupathi, Prakash Raj and Jagapati Babu.## Stay tuned...

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Los Angeles, April 3 (IANS) Hollywood star Tom Cruise's "Top Gun: Maverick", the much-anticipated sequel of the 1986 hit "Top Gun", will now release on December 23 instead of original release date June 24.## "Top Gun: Maverick" is the latest movie to be pushed amid the spread of the coronavirus, reports variety.com.## Released in 1986, "Top Gun" was apparently inspired by a magazine article on Navy pilots. The film followed the life of a fighter pilot and launched Cruise's career as a global action star. The sequel picks up decades after the 1986 box-office hit. It also features Miles Teller as the son of Goose, Maverick's partner who died in the original film. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the movie will be exclusively distributed in India by Viacom18 Studios.## As part of the release shake-up, Paramount has also moved "A Quiet Place Part II" to September 4, 2020. "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run", an animated adventure based on the absorbent underwater fry cook, was originally slated to hit theaters on May 22 and will now bow July 31, 2020. Meanwhile, sci-fi fantasy film "The Tomorrow War", previously scheduled for December 25, 2020, is now updated.## The films join a growing list of tentpoles that were pulled from release because of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent closure of multiplexes. Sony also delayed most of its summer slate, including "Morbius" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife". Disney postponed "Black Widow" and "Mulan" while Warner Bros. reshuffled "Wonder Woman 1984" and "In the Heights" and Universal halted "Minions: The Rise of Gru" and "Fast & Furious" entry "F9".## For more and latest news about Hollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) One of Bollywood's most powerful production houses, Yash Raj Films (YRF), has pledged to support to protect Bollywood daily wage earners and their family during the COVID-19 pandemic. The production house will be giving Rs 1.5 crore, according to an industry source.## An industry source informs: "YRF is reaching out to thousands of daily wage earners of the industry and their families who are in critical need of support and has already collected details of their bank accounts."## The Yash Chopra Foundation will be crediting the donation directly into the banks of these people in need so that the money reaches this strata quickly and the process is more efficient during the time of lockdown.## "YRF is committed to helping as many vulnerable people as possible to ensure the most needy workers in critical financial states from the industry stay protected. In Phase 1 of the support, YRF will be paying out Rs. 1.5 crore to these workers and their families", added the industry source.## The daily wage earners include people in the setting department, carpenters, lighting, junior artists and spots among many others.## Stay tuned...