Netizens are continuing to brutally troll the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India for erroneously tweeting a “breathtaking” photoshoot of Bollywood actor Mouni Roy from its official handle on the social networking website.
The post, which remained on the NSE handle for seven hours, showed Roy in a black sleeveless top with hashtags like “#sexydiva”, “#hotgirl” and “#mouniroyhot”.
The tweet was later deleted and an apology was issued for what was termed by NSE as “human error”.
Today there was an unwanted post on NSE handle at 12:25 p.m. It was a human error made by the agency handling NSE account and there was no hacking. Our sincere apologies to our followers for the inconvenience caused.
“Today there was an unwanted post on NSE handle at 12:25 pm. It was a human error made by the agency handling NSE account and there was no hacking. Our sincere apologies to our followers for the inconvenience caused,” read the subsequent tweet.
However, screenshots of the tweet went viral as Twitterati did not let go of the gaffe easily.
The Bollywood actor recently slammed a photographer and publication for capturing and posting her and husband Virat Kohli’s private moment.
Taking to Instagram, the mom-to-be posted the picture taken by the photographer and wrote, “Despite requesting the said photographer and publication, they still continue to invade our privacy.”
“Guys! Stop this right now,” added a furious Anushka.
Ever since Virat and Anushka announced their pregnancy in August, pictures of the couple and their baby bump have gone viral on social media. However, this time the actor decided to take a stand.
Earlier, in an interview to a fashion magazine, Anushka had said that she wants to raise her child away from media attention as she does not want to “raise brats”.
Anushka and Virat are expecting their first child this month. Their announcement tweet was the most-liked tweet of 2020.
Meanwhile, later when a fan lashed out at celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani for sharing pictures of the couple on a lunch date, Bhayani said Anushka “was concerned that her private home pictures were leaked and that is what irked her”.
He added that he is constantly in touch with her management to “check if there is any concern as distress is caused to them”.
Filming for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s (SLB) passion project based on Lahore’s Heera Mandi is all set to commence from Spring 2021.
According to reports in the Indian media, the period drama titled Heera Mandi will revolve around the lives of sex workers, working in Lahore’s red-light district.
Vibhu Puri who is Bhansali’s former assistant will direct the project, which will feature Alia Bhatt in the lead. However, other names like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Deepika Padukone, Parineeti Chopra, Manisha Koirala, and Vidya Balan are also under consideration.
“Bhansali is personally overlooking for the casting [for the project],” stated the report. “Though officially his former assistant Vibhu will be directing Heera Mandi, SLB’S stamp will be evident in every frame.”
Meanwhile the film is expected to debut digitally on Netflix. It is not yet clear whether Heera Mandi will be a web series or a film.
Besides Heera Mandi, Bhansali is working on another film Gangubai Kathiawadi which also tells the story of a prostitute.
There is never a dull moment in the life of Kangana Ranaut, whose favourite past time includes picking fights with colleagues and others on social media.
After a Twitter feud with Diljit Dosanjh, Ranaut is now engaged in a row with Urmila Matondkar, accusing her of illegally purchasing her new offices.
On January 3, Kangana accused Urmila of buying property worth three crore through illegal means soon after entering politics.
“Dear Urmila Ji, the houses I built from my hard-earned money are being demolished by the Congress,” wrote Kangana on social media. “By impressing BJP, I have only gotten 25-30 legal cases against me.”
“I wish I was as smart as you and would’ve kept Congress happy. How foolish of me, no?,” she added.
Dear @UrmilaMatondkar ji maine jo khud ki mehnat se ghar banaye woh bhi Congress tod rahi hai, sach mein BJP ko khush karke mere haath sirf 25-30 cases he lage hain, kash main bhi aapki tarah samajhdar hoti toh Congress ko khush karti, kitni bevakoof hoon main, nahin? pic.twitter.com/AScsUSLTAA
In response to Kangana’s allegations, Urmila posted a short video in which she hit back at Ranaut and asked her to meet her so that she can share the property documents with her.
“Namashkar Kangana Ji,” said Matondkar in the video. “The high regards that you have for me, I have heard them. In fact, the whole country has heard them.”
“Today, in front of the entire country, I request you to set a place and time and I will bring all my documents there. The documents will carry all the papers of my property,” continued the actor.
“In 2011, after working hard in the industry for a short span of 25-30 years, I purchased a flat in Andheri,” said Urmila. “I will bring the documents of that flat. I sold that house in the first week of March and I will bring those papers too. And there will also be documents of the flat that I have now purchased from the money that I got. I bought this flat much before I entered politics. I wanted to show you that.”
Urmila, in the video, also asked Kangana to share a list of people from the industry who she claimed were involved in drugs, as promised.
“In return what I want is this. Using the money paid by lakhs and crores of taxpayers like me, you were given the Y-plus security by the government because you said you had names of many people whom you wanted to report to the NCB. The whole country is waiting for it today.”
Matondkar joined the Indian National Congress on March 27, 2019, and contested from Mumbai North constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election. But she lost the election. On September 10, 2019, she resigned from the party, citing petty internal politics. On December 1, 2020, she joined Shiv Sena.
Last year in September, Urmila and Kangana were engaged in another Twitter feud after Ranaut referred to Matondkar a ‘soft porn star’ over her political affiliations.
Shah Rukh Khan, known for his wit and humour, recently released a short video in which he wished his fans a ‘Happy New Year’ and promised that he has a big surprise lined up for them in 2021.
The hilarious video begins with the King of Bollywood in a night suit fighting mosquitoes. Khan adds that had to record the video all by himself as he had no staff available to record it.
“Hi everybody,” said the actor as he started his video. “It is that time of the year again where the old year is on its way out and the New Year is waiting at the entrance. Actually, it has entered because I am late in conveying my wishes to all of you.”
Reflecting on the past year, the actor said: “I am sure 2020 has been the worst of years for everybody. In these awful times, for most it is difficult to find a ray of hope and positivity. But I have a way of looking at bad days, difficult times, and awful years. I believe when one is at the lowest, at the most bottom-est of their life, the good thing is there is only one way to move – upwards, higher to better places. So, 2020 whatever it has been is in the past now. 2021 is going to be bigger, better, brighter and more beautiful.”
Elaborating on the lessons 2020 taught him, SRK emphasized on how important it is to have your loved ones by your side.
“Real fun is with real people. Your family, your friends, your loved ones. All the friends and enemies you make virtually, taking sides or fighting against you online, is good fun, time pass, but it’s not for keeps,” said the actor.
Wishing his fans “happiness, joy and peace”, Shah Rukh joked that he sounded like a “cheap greeting card” while saying this.
He also requested everyone to be “romantic, emphatic, pragmatic, democratic, fantastic” in 2021 and not be “mathematic as it’s very boring and also very difficult to rhyme with the other words.”
Khan also gave his fans some advice on partying.
“Go party hard, but not too hard in moderation. Don’t get too drunk, don’t take off your clothes and run on the street, because chances are you’ll get arrested and even worse you will wake up in the morning and realize you have lost your phone and that really sucks,” said the superstar.
The Fan actor concluded his video with a promise.
“See you on the big screen in 2021,” confirming reports that his upcoming film Pathan is in the works.
Pathan, which marks SRK’s return to the big screen after a long break, will see him play a special agent. Deepika Padukone and John Abraham are also part of the film while Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan are expected to have cameos.
SRK was also recently spotted outside Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai sporting a new look for the film.
With weeks to go before baby Sharma-Kohli arrives, Anushka Sharma has opened up about her pandemic pregnancy and posed for the cover of Vogue Indiawith her baby bump.
Sharing details about her pregnancy, Sharma revealed that she felt exhausted and nauseous during her first trimester. She said that couldn’t go near the kitchen as she couldn’t stand the smell of things.
“Smells would revolt me, I couldn’t go near the kitchen. I swear, I could smell people’s skin. I thought it was never going to end,” said Anushka. “I didn’t think I could feel so tired. I am an active person and it was startling, but even when you’re in pain, or uncomfortable, you are still thinking: have I eaten at the right time? Is the baby okay?”
The actor also revealed that she was hooked to eating toast and crackers during the first three months and when that ended she wanted to eat vada pao and bhel puri. But other than that she did not have any major cravings, unlike Gigi Hadid who shared that she was hooked to eating spices.
Anushka also said that the pandemic turned out to be a “weird blessing” for the couple.
“The pandemic has been a weird blessing in a way. Virat was around and I could keep it a secret. We only left to go to the doctor’s clinic. No one was on the streets so we couldn’t be spotted,” said the actor.
Meanwhile, a self-confessed planner, Sharma revealed that her child’s animal-themed nursery is complete.
“I just want to be prepared. Everything is slower because of the times we are living in and I don’t like to rush things. This time in my life, even more so,” she says. “I want the nursery to be very calm. It’s the place where you spend the most amount of time, where you are bonding with your baby, so it has to be peaceful.”
Sharing details about the nursery’s theme, Sharma said: “I don’t believe that boys have to wear blue and girls pink. The nursery has all colours. Both Virat and I love animals and we want our baby to have that bond too. They are a big part of our lives and we really believe they can teach kindness and compassion to children.”
Anushka and Virat are expected to welcome their bundle of joy in January 2021. Their announcement tweet was the most-liked tweet of 2020.
Bollywood actor and Big Boss winner Gauahar Khan tied the knot on Friday in Mumbai an intimate nikkah ceremony. For her big day, Khan donned a beautiful ivory and gold ensemble by Saira Shakira. Her groom Zaid Darbar’s sherwani was also from the same fashion label.
Sharing pictures from the nikkah on social media, Khan wrote: “Qubool Hai.”
The actor also thanked Saira Shakira and Laam for the customized “dream nikkah” outfit.
Gauahar accesorized her outfit with kundan jewellery and completed her look with clean makeup and a bright, red lip.
The couple had first announced their wedding news on social media when Khan had posted pictures with the caption: “It gives us immense joy to announce that we are tying the knot and embarking on a journey of forever.”
Talking about their love story, Gauahar recently shared that there was no courtship period. “I met him, we hit it off and he didn’t think he would propose to someone, marriage was not on his mind. When he asked me, it wasn’t planned. It was in a flow and after meeting me, in literally over a month, he proposed to me. There were no second thoughts.”
While their nikkah was a low-key affair, their reception was a grand one with several notable personalities present including Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Manish Malhotra. Khan even donned a bold gold and maroon Manish Malhotra lehenga for the reception. Zaid complemented her in a black and gold sherwani paired with a matching shawl.
Ah, the long weekend is here and with COVID-19 still posing a threat, time to kick back and binge-watch movies and shows while staying cosy at home. Here’s a list of new releases hitting streaming platforms this weekend.
AK vs AK
Termed a mockumentary (a film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary), AK vs AK features Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap with Sonam Kapoor also putting in an appearance. The film’s official synopsis reads: “A brash film director (Kashyap, as himself) kidnaps the daughter of a movie star (Kapoor, as himself) and films the star’s desperate search for his daughter in real-time as his next blockbuster.”
The film has received raving reviews and looks very different from what Bollywood usually has to offer.
George Clooney heads to the post-apocalyptic world in this new space drama for Netflix which he has directed himself. While the film has opened to mixed reviews, Clooney’s performance and getup in the film have been highly appreciated. The film is already trending at number one on Netflix Pakistan.
Coolie No 1
Featuring Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan in the lead, Coolie No 1 is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. The film is a through and through Bollywood masala film with colourful dances, sets and crass comedy. While it probably does not have anything new to offer, we’ll just sit through it to make comparisons and trash Bollywood for repeating the same problematic tropes and not coming up with anything new.
Bridgerton
Netflix’s big Christmas drop, Bridgertonhas been described by several reviews as a period drama which sees Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl. Based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling romance novels, the show follows the powerful Bridgerton family as they navigate London high society in the 18th-century. According to reviews and critics, the series is fuzzy, romantic and highly bingeable but hollow at the same time. But if you’re a sucker for period romance, you’re bound to enjoy it – I know I will.
The Undoing
Though this murder mystery featuring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant is a couple of weeks old, it is totally worth the watch. The six-episodes series is gripping, intense and will have you on the edge of your seat as you guess who the killer is. And while it does drag at a few points, the stellar performances more than make up for it.
What are the three things you look for in a reality tv series? Drama, drama and more drama. Unfortunately, Netflix’s latest reality television series The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has everything to offer besides that. You have glitz, glam, a fancy holiday, discussions on plastic surgery and the cherry on top – lots, and I mean lots, of starry special appearances. But all this fails to add to the oomph factor and you end up watching the show only because of your love for Bollywood.
The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives (let’s just call it FLBW) centres around four Bollywood wives – Maheep Kapoor, wife of Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Khan, wife of Sohail Khan, Bhavana Pandey, wife of Chunkey Pandey, and Neelum Kothari, wife of Samir Soni. Maheep is the queen bee of the gang which has been together for 25 years. Mind you, this has been repeated a gazillion times in the entire show, lest we forget. Seema is the one with the wit and sarcasm, while Bhavana is the superstitious one. And Neelum, throughout the series is just worried about one thing: should she make a comeback to films.
While each woman has her own distinct personality and they are interesting to see in the first episode, the problem with the show is that there is just no drama. The girls are chill with one another and no one gets pissed at the other, except in one episode. Even then, their ‘showdown’ was just very dry. What is this relationship? Where is the spark? The fire? Twice Karan Johar had to come in and be the phoppo he is so that he can instigate them. Unfortunately, the fire never really lights – they really should have taken classes from our favourite Sima Taparia from Indian Matchmaking on how to say the most outrageous things and still not be hated for it. Most of the stuff we saw in the series was all that the paparazzi have already shown to us or they have posted on their Instagram feeds. Even their conversations were terribly safe as if they were scared to give viewers a sneak peek into who they are behind the facades. Just goes on to show that reality tv is not everyone’s piece of cake.
The two things I did find interesting was that one Maheep is a stalker. An actual stalker. She observes people through her binoculars and she apparently caught glimpses of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan’s wedding through her binoculars. And secondly, Seema and Sohail, despite being married don’t live in the same house. They live across the street from one another and are very happy with this arrangement.
Interestingly the show is called FLBW, but we barely get to see them as wives. We end up watching them as mothers mostly because my God they are obsessed with their kids. Even the series opens with Maheep fretting over her daughter Shanaya’s Le Bal debut.
The biggest takeaways from the show had NOTHING to do with the wives. For me, there were two major ones. SPOILERS AHEAD. One that Janhvi Kapoor got a wish from Kylie Jenner on her birthday and second which fascinated me the most – on their trips abroad, Shah Rukh Khan would be the one to babysit all the children when the wives would go party. In fact, my favourite episode from the season was the one which had SRK. Damn that man can charm even a cactus. His witty one-liners and dry humour had me smiling throughout the episode. Gauri Khan in an Instagram post has said that she will be gatecrashing the second season and I do hope that if there is a second season, I’d like to see more of Shah Rukh in it than anyone else.
The makers of the show tried to create a desi version of Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Sex and the City, but they somehow forgot to add the main ingredient – drama. In this review, I am not even going to recommend or not recommend the show. Because I know that if you’re a Bolly freak like myself, you will still sit and spend five hours watching the eight episodes. All I’m going to say is keep your expectations low.
Punjab star Gippy Grewal has lashed out at Bollywood for not standing up for Punjab at a time when the state needs their support for the ongoing farmers’ protest.
Rupinder Singh Grewal, popular by his stage name Gippy Grewal, took to Twitter and wrote that for years Punjab had welcomed Bollywood with open arms but its silence over the issue was painful.
“Dear Bollywood, Every now and then your movies have been shot in Punjab and every time you have been welcomed with open heart. But today when Punjab needs you the most, you didn’t show up and speak a word. Disappointed,” the 37-year-old singer tweeted.
In response to Gippy’s tweet, Taapsee Pannu said that there are artistes in Bollywood who have always been vocal about contentious issues, including the farmers’ protests, and she found his generalised comment “demotivating”.
Replying to the actor, Grewal said his tweet wasn’t for Pannu and others who are supporting the farmers, but for those who call themselves Punjabi.
“My tweet was for them who call themselves from Punjab and not utter even a single word. They all vanish,” the singer added.
This tweet was not for you @taapsee and the others who are supporting us and trust me It means alot at this time. We are very thankful for this. My tweet was for them who call them from Punjab and not even utter a single word . They all vanish. #FarmersAreLifelinehttps://t.co/rXlEHkyriq
Earlier, Kangana Ranaut and Diljit Dosanjh were involved in a Twitter feud over the ongoing farmer’s protests in India in which Diljit gave Kangana a piece of his mind and called her out for propagating hate.
Farmer’s Protest
Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi’s gateways to demand a repeal of the Centre’s three new farm laws. The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana as well as Uttar Pradesh, are worried the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price and procurement system while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.
The government has been in talks with farmer leaders to resolve the issue.
