BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actor Jatin Sarna will be essaying hard-hitting middle-order batsman Yashpal Sharma in Kabir Khan's "83", the much-awaited sports drama narrating the story of India's first-ever cricket World Cup victory in 1983. The film was scheduled to open on April 10 but has been deferred owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Rumors that suggested the film could go directly for an OTT release have been quashed by the makers, and Sarna feels a film of the magnitude of "83" deserves nothing short of a big release.## "I think a film like '83' deserves a big release all the way because it is about a topic like a cricket that unites the nation. In a diverse country like ours, only cinema and cricket unite us. That was the reason why Kabir cast actors across regions. Whenever the film is going to release, our audience will cherish it forever," Jatin told IANS.## "83" stars Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, who led an underdog Indian team to the famous World Cup victory, and features Deepika Padukone as Kapil's wife Romi Dev. The film also has Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jiiva, Pankaj Tripathi, and Boman Irani in important roles.## With the theatrical release of the film getting postponed owing to COVID-19, it was rumored that the film might be released directly on a major OTT platform. However, co-producers Reliance Entertainment denied such speculations, and on Monday, calling it "official news", trade analyst Taran Adarsh confirmed that the film would release in theatres when the time is "appropriate".## "#Xclusiv: #83TheFilm will release in theatres first, as and when the time is appropriate... WON'T release on #OTT platform first... #Clarification #OfficialNews #83TheFilm stars #RanveerSingh as #KapilDev," tweeted Adarsh.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) No househelp and no option to step out have made many feel like being locked up in the "Bigg Boss" house. But former "Bigg Boss" contestant Hina Khan says that participating in the reality show and experiencing the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown have nothing in common.## The reality show, an Indian version of international series "Celebrity Big Brother", features celebrities locked inside a house for months under constant camera surveillance, without any gadgets or luxury.## "The 'Bigg Boss' house and this quarantine phase are poles apart in regards to any kind of comparison. There is no tactic I am using right now," Hina told IANS.## Unlike the show where the contestants have to be away from their loved ones, Hina is living with her family in Mumbai right now and is feeling fortunate.## "I am so happy to have them by my side during these tough times," said the "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" actress.## Like others, she is also doing household chores and keeping herself entertained with engaging content online.## "From cooking to cleaning to working out to watching stuff online, I have been diverting my mind with things that are positive and productive. Right now it's best doing what you like doing more than anything else, to deal with the home quarantine phase in a better way," she said.## The lockdown, which has been imposed since March, has been a learning experience for her.## "The art of patience is the biggest thing I have learned from the lockdown. Keeping calm, composed, and patiently passing through each day is what I am now getting much better at," she shared.## She doesn't have big plans after the lockdown gets over.## "I feel that even when the lockdown is over, getting back to the normal way of life like it was before this whole scenario began, is honestly going to take a lot of time. So even if there are things I want to do, it's all going to be done with keeping necessary precautions in mind first," she said.## While there is still time for the lockdown to be lifted, viewers can enjoy her recently released a short film titled "Smartphone".## "The short film has a great message. One is about never underestimating anybody else's abilities and there is a strong sense of women empowerment as well, so content-wise it is quite good. And right now I feel that good, meaningful, and interesting content is what people need to be given to watch, to help divert their minds from the stressful situation that we are all facing at the moment," said Hina.## She plays a rural woman in the short film.## "It was a challenging role with lots of nuances to keep in mind. From the desi accent to the language, dressing style, and even personality traits of the character, I had to ensure that every small detail was perfect! And challenges like these in my workspace are what I actually look forward to and enjoy working on, so this definitely is one of those amazingly challenging projects," she said.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Lucknow, April 28 (IANS) Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor has now approached the King George's Medical University (KGMU), offering to donate her plasma for treatment of other Covid-19 patients.## The singer called up the head of the transfusion medicine department, Prof Tulika Chandra, and volunteered to help.## "She called me up and said she really wanted to help other Covid-19 patients. Vice-Chancellor Prof M.L.B. Bhatt has given a go-ahead on it and we will now be carrying out the tests on her to see if she is fit to donate her plasma," said Prof Chandra.## As per experts, Kanika's sample will be tested for a number of things before she can donate her plasma. These include her hemoglobin level that should be above 12.5, weight should be more than 50 kg and the patient should not have diabetes, cardiovascular issues, malaria, syphilis, and other such ailments.## Kanika's sample will probably be taken on Tuesday and if found to be eligible, she will be donating her plasma on Wednesday.## Kanika Kapoor had grabbed headlines last month when she became the first Bollywood celebrity to test positive for Coronavirus.## Kanika had attended two parties in Lucknow in the presence of top politicians and bureaucrats and all of them were later tested for Corona.## Kanika was hospitalized for over a fortnight at the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS).## She had, on April 26, come out with a statement clarifying her travel and Covid-19 history declaring that she was aware of misconceptions and wrong information floating around her but she chose to remain silent until ready to speak.## Kanika in her social media post had said that all persons she came in contact within the UK, Mumbai, and Lucknow had been tested negative and that she had duly followed the process.## Meanwhile, the KGMU on Sunday night made the first plasma transfusion in a 58-year-old patient from Orai who is a government doctor whose condition was critical.## The doctors now say that the patient is responding well to the transfusion.## The university has received three plasma donations from fully recovered Covid-19 patients, two from doctors and one from a Lakhimpur man.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Singer Sachet Tandon, the voice behind the recreated versions of the 2009 AR Rahman hit "Masakali", has reacted to all the criticism coming the new version's way saying he respects audience opinion.## "It's Tanishk Bagchi's song and I was approached by the creators to sing it. I was glad to be part of the song and I am still happy that makers thought of me. But the ultimate decision always lies in the hands of the public. It's totally up to them whether to like a particular song or not, and I truly respect their opinion," said Sachet, about his version, titled "Masakali 2.0".## "Also, I don't think that any creator would intentionally try to distort an original song. Speaking of 'Masakali 2.0', I was not its creator. I just sang it and tried to give my best," Sachet told IANS.## The original "Masakali" was composed by Rahman, written by Prasoon Joshi, and sung by Mohit Chauhan for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 2009 film "Delhi-6". It was picturized on the film's lead pair, Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor. Although the film fared below expectations, the song has gone on to attain cult status.## Shortly after the release of "Masakali 2.0", both Rahman and Joshi expressed disappointment on social media and were joined by a huge number of fans who agreed with them.## When asked Sachet about his views on the ongoing trend of recreations, he said: "In today's time, everything is being liked by the audience. Some remakes have done amazingly well, some originals have become hits. A proper balance should be maintained."## Sachet, who gave Indian cinema a blockbuster love anthem, "Bekhayali" in collaboration with Parampara Thakur last year for the film "Kabir Singh", has now come up with the melodious track "Bewafai", which has garnered over 20 million views on YouTube.## "It's a beautiful song (and I )loved giving voice to 'Bewafai'," Sachet said, sharing that he never gives heed to "likes" and "number of views".## "For me likes and the number of views do no matter. What matters the most is the love of the audience. The best feeling is to hear compliments about your song. Jab log baat karte hain song ke baare me tab zyada acha lagta hai," Sachet signed off.## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

The uncertainty over Ranveer Singh starrer 83 the film about its release due to coronavirus pandemic has come to an end as the makers have decided to release the film in the theaters first when the time will be appropriate. ## There were speculations over the film that makers might release it on the Digital platform but Kabir Khan, the director of the film confirms that despite receiving big offers from the OTT platforms, makers have decided to make it a theatrical release first. ## Trade analyst Taran Adarsh also confirms, ## #Xclusiv: #83TheFilm will release in theatres first, as and when the time is appropriate... WON'T release on #OTT platform first... #Clarification #OfficialNews#83TheFilm stars #RanveerSingh as #KapilDev. pic.twitter.com/AbdwBoNwcg— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) April 27, 2020 ## 83 the film is based on India's maiden ODI World Cup win in 1983. Ranveer Singh has played the role of Kapil Dev who led India in the 1983 World Cup. It is directed by Kabir Khan and produced by Vishnu Vardhan Induri, Phantom Films, Kabir Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Sajid Nadiadwala. ## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Bollywood actress and former beauty queen Urvashi Rautela seems to be in a holiday mode and says amid lockdown a virtual vacation will do for now.## Urvashi took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself in a sea green bikini. In the snapshot, she lies on a wooden plank beside the ocean. She completed her look with a pink flower in her hair and sunglasses.## "Sunshine is my favorite accessory. Close your eyes & imagine the beach... A virtual vacation will do for now," she captioned the image, which currently has 330K likes.## Urvashi on Sunday treated her fans to a dance video. In the clip, the actress is seen performing "heel choreography" on the Bollywood number "Aashiq banaya aapne" by Himesh Reshammiya.## Earlier this week, Urvashi's Facebook account was hacked. She warned fans not to respond to posts originating from the account.## On the work front, "Beat pe thumka", a peppy wedding number featuring Urvashi has just been released. The song is from her upcoming comedy flick "Virgin Bhanupriya".## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Tisca Chopra says due to the ongoing isolation period, anxiety and mental health are big issues today. She has stepped forward to help people get through this tough time.## People have been under lockdown for over a month now, and a lot of celebrities are trying to help fans through various activities. Some are suggesting good books, others are posting videos of cooking, while some are spending time learning new things.## Tisca has also found a way to help the masses through this lockdown. She conducted a live session on Instagram with Dr. Sanjay Chugh who specializes in neuro-psychiatry. During the session, they discussed issues that people are dealing with currently, right from anxieties to parenting.## "Due to this pandemic, we all are sitting in our homes and there are chances that we might feel anxious about this drastic change in our lifestyle. Due to this isolation period, anxiety and mental health is a big issue today. We might do yoga and other workouts to keep ourselves healthy physically but it is equally important to stay fit mentally too and so, I decided to get Dr. Chugh on board though by Instagram to explain people a lot of factors related to their psyche," Tisca said.## "Dr. Chugh is a well-known neuro-psychiatrists whom I have known for many years. I urged him to do this so that we can help share the right information and the right strategy to deal with the issues that people are going through. The fight isn't over yet and I hope that I can keep doing my bit by hosting more sessions like these for everyone," she added.## Meanwhile, Tisca recently shared a photograph of herself in a monochrome monokini. In the image, the "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji" actress was seen lying on the sand.## She mentioned that she was "missing the outdoors but making the most of the indoors".## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Los Angeles, April 27 (IANS) Singer Katy Perry says she will never forget being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that she is trying not to be stressed about her delivery.## The 35-year-old star is expecting her first child with her fiance, actor Orlando Bloom.## During a conversation with "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, she admitted that she is facing some tough challenges due to the isolation, reports dailymail.co.uk.## Perry told Seacrest that dealing with "a pregnancy in a pandemic" is something she "will never forget".## "I'm having cravings that I cannot necessarily fulfill if I want to but, you know, I think there is a lot of things that I am grateful for these days," she said.## The "Darkhorse" hitmaker revealed her pregnancy news recently when she dropped the music video for recent single "Never worn white", in which she is seen cradling her baby bump at the end.## With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Perry and Bloom, who got engaged earlier this year, are following advice to stay at home and are trying to "exercise and eat well".## "Along with so many other people, they stay home. They both try to exercise and eat well so they can stay healthy. Katy really hopes everything has calmed down with the virus by the time the baby will be born this summer. She tries not to stress about the birth, but she definitely thinks about it a lot," a source said previously.## Recently, "American Idol" made TV history with the first remote results show ever due to the coronavirus. It is aired in India on Star World.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Actress Supriya Pathak says Hansa is an evergreen character, whom she considers an "epitome of hope". Hansa is one of the popular characters of the show "Khichdi".## "Initially, I was worried about playing Hansa because Hansa is someone who talks a lot but does nothing. But after I started playing the character, it was such a relief. I feel Hansa is an evergreen character which has been a sheer pleasure to perform," said Supriya.## "For the first time in my life, I was not stressed out and was happy. It has been 16 years and to date, a part of Hansa always remains with me. Apart from Hansa's traits, I personally appreciate how precisely the show is written keeping in mind the relatability with the characters. Her innocence is completely charming and she is an epitome of hope that everything will be fine eventually," she added.## Hansa has all the traits of a stereotyped Gujarati woman but in a fun way. Her innocence and camaraderie with her husband Praful (played by Rajeev Mehta) who is always ready to give an answer to Hansa's questions are some of the high points of the show.## Star Bharat has brought back the quirky Parekh family of the "Khichdi" show to the small screen amidst the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Amid lockdown strictures, Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor became nostalgic about spending time with his grandmother, saying he cannot wait to sit down and enjoy the "nonsense" of being a family together over a long slow Sunday lunch.## Arjun took to Instagram, where he shared a vintage photograph of his grandmother and late grandfather. Along with the post, he shared a heart-warming note about staying away from family due to the lockdown. "My dadu & dadi. I grew up with them in a joint family. Unfortunately, my granddad passed away just before I became an actor. He couldn't see me make a mark in the profession when he toiled to give our family our foundation. My dadi (she's on insta btw @nirmalkapoorbombay) who is too cool is hail hearty and lives in our family home about 5kms from where I stay but I can't see her for her own health."## He said he is missing visiting his grandmother Nirmal Kapoor owing to the lockdown.## "This post was just because I'm missing her and I'm certain a lot of u out there are worried and missing the elders in ur family and lives... eventually this will all pass and things will get better and when it does I can't wait to sit down and just enjoy the nonsense of being a family together over a long slow Sunday lunch.## "It is for that dream to be a reality we must sit at home and fight through this phase and chapter of all our lives. Here's to a Happy Sunday to everyone."## On the acting front, Arjun will next be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar". The film also stars Arjun's "Ishaqzaade" co-star Parineeti Chopra.## Stay tuned...

BY IANS NEWS

Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Singer Aastha Gill has collaborated with Sukh E for a fun wedding song "Video bana de", and says she hopes that the track brings "much-needed cheer and optimism" amid the challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.## "This is the first time I am collaborating with Sukh E. I have always loved his music, and working on this together has been super fun," Aastha said.## "It's a wedding song, a track that will definitely make you tap your feet. We created and shot the song before the lockdown, and in these tough times I hope Video Bana de brings in much-needed cheer and optimism," she added.## SukhE said: "‘Video bana de' is quirky, unconventional and bright. Aastha's vivacious energy just added to the whole experience of making the song. I hope this track helps in maintaining positivity during these tough times."## Sony Music India released the track on Monday. Since the song has a wedding theme, the duo recently announced a "Virtual wedding" as part of a promotional strategy. They posted an invitation card on their social media and the wedding functions were as follows: April 24 -- cocktail, April 25 -- sangeet, April 26 -- Mehendi and April 27 wedding.## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) On the third death anniversary of Bollywood legend Vinod Khanna, his son, actor Akshaye Khanna, took to social media to pay homage to the former.## "There is no expiration date on the love between a father and his child. We will always remember you #VinodKhanna," Akshaye tweeted.## Along with it, he shared a picture from his childhood days in which he and his brother Rahul Khanna are seen holding their father's hands.## Many others in Bollywood joined Akshaye in remembering the iconic star who was known for his rugged image as a macho-man.## Actor Ali Fazal shared his experience of meeting the late Vinod Khanna. "Met Vinod ji once. I have never been able to take photos with people I look up to. Always thot kabhi kaam karoonga saath toh.. but this one I regret. Its just how it is. Managed very few in life. Thank you Vinod Khanna for being," Ali wrote along with a black and white picture of Vinod Khanna from his younger days," Ali recalled on social media, posting a black-and-white picture of Khanna from his younger days.## Vinod Khanna, who is known for his numerous performances of various shades in films like "Mere Apne", "Parvarish", "Mera Gaon Mera Desh", "Achanak", "Inkaar", "Khoon Pasina", "Insaaf", "Qurbani", and "Amar Akbar Anthony", died in 2017 after a prolonged illness.## The actor had married his college friend Geetanjali in 1971 and the couple was subsequently blessed with sons Rahul and Akshaye, both of whom would go on to become actors. But the marriage didn't survive for long as the two divorced in 1985, after which Vinod Khanna married Kavita Daftary, daughter of industrialist Sharayu Daftary.## One of the most enigmatic actors of Bollywood ever, Vinod Khanna left the film industry at the peak of his stardom in 1975 to become a disciple of Osho and in the early 1980s, shifting base to the godman's ashram in Oregon, United States, for about a decade.## When he returned to India in the late eighties and resumed work as an actor, he once again started scoring at the box office with hits such as "Insaaf" and "Satyamev Jayate".## In his later years, Khanna forayed politics. He was the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Lok Sabha from the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab.## Not only this, Vinod Khanna believed in spirituality a lot. In 1982, he had shifted to US to explore the spiritual sphere with Osho.## Marking Vinod Khanna's third death anniversary, his wife Kavita shared that she has donated a day's cooked food to the needy in Mumbai.## "My husband, my love @VinodKhanna LOVED his city and was committed to doing Seva till the very end. Today, on his 3rd Punya Tithi, we are donating a day's cooked food to 45,000 needy in Mumbai," she tweeted.## Incidentally, Vinod Khanna's death anniversary falls on the same date as actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan's. Khan was a close friend of Khanna, and the two had co-starred in the former's 1980 blockbuster "Qurbani". Khan passed away on April 27, 2009.## Stay tuned...