Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar and others welcome Shyam Benegal-led new panel to revamp CBFC

January 3, 2016

Mumbai, Jan 3: "Good beginning to 2016", "Finally, HOPE", "The best decision" and "Welcome move" are some of the expressions that the members of the film fraternity like Madhur Bhandarkar, Anupam Kher, Kabir Bedi and Rahul Dholakia used to hail the decision by the government to form a committee headed by acclaimed filmmaker Shyam Benegal to revamp Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

ShyamBenegal was on Friday appointed to lead a committee to recommend a holistic framework for the country's film censor board and to suggest changes in the Cinematograph Act, so that artistic creativity and freedom are not curtailed.

The committee has been formed upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in the growing issue related to the CBFC.

Bhandarkar, who frames the truth of the society into his films like 'Page 3', 'Fashion' or 'Calendar Girls', tweeted: "Welcome move by @PMOIndia and @arunjaitley ji to appoint noted film maker #ShyamBenegal ji as head of Censor Board revamp panel.#CBFC".

Benegal is a Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner, and is credited with films like 'Ankur' (1973), 'Nishant' (1975), 'Manthan' (1976) and 'Bhumika' (1977).

Dholakia, who is caught up with work on 'Raees' starring Shah Rukh Khan and marks debut of Pakistani actress Mahira Khan in Bollywood, said that 2016 has started on a good note.

He shared: "The censor board to be manthanized by #ShyamBenegal! Good beginning to 2016".

Kabir welcomed the 'good news' by saying that with the appointment comes a ray of hope towards breaking out of the shackles of the censor board. Anupam Kher also called the move as 'the best decision'.

The country's censor board has often faced flak from the society for running its invisible scissors from issuing diktat of cutting short a kissing scene of James Bond film 'Spectre'.

The 'Tum Bin' director Anubhav Sinha wished Benegal luck for his new endevour. He posted: "My best wishes to Shyam Babu. I suspect he will eventually have to deal with Hindutva and Sanskar both."

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri thinks that the move should not be co-joined with politics, as it only aims to do good for showbiz. He said: "CensorRevamp panel is not a committee. It's to abolish censorship. Forget Modi, it's good for us".

Actress and BJP member Vani Tripathi Tikoo feels "Artistic creativity and freedom should not get curtailed, people tasked with the work of certification should understand these nuances #CBFC", while filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also lauded the decision.

'Wazir' director Bejoy Nambiar has also hailed the decision.

"I think that's a great decision. Benegal sir is someone we all look up to as a filmmaker, I know that having him revamp the board itself is a big step in the right way and the right direction," Nambiar said.

"I'm really looking forward to things changing because it's high time we take the censor board a bit more seriously than the way it's been handled in the last couple of months. I'm really forward to what will happen in the future," he added.

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June 3,2020

New Delhi, Jun 3: "This year feels relentless," actor Priyanka Chopra said urging Mumbai residents to take precautionary measures in view of Cyclone Nisarga.

The cyclone storm is approaching the north coast of Maharashtra with a speed of 11 kilometres per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday.

Sharing Mumbai's famous Bandra-Worli Sea Link road picture on her Instagram story, the actor wrote: "Cyclone Nisarga is making its way to Mumbai, my beloved home city of more than 20 million people, including my mom and brother."

"Mumbai hasn't experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891, and at a time when the world is so desperate, this could be especially devastating," the 'Don' actor added.

"This year feels relentless. Please, everyone, find cover, take precautions, and follow the guidelines outlines. Please stay safe everyone, " said Chopra as she shared a swipe up link to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) page that details the Do's and Don'ts for Mumbaikars to take on Cyclone Nisarga.

Earlier, the IMD had stated that the severe cyclonic storm is expected to impact the Maharashtra coast by the afternoon/evening of June 3.

On Tuesday, actor Vicky Kaushal shared a picture of the cloudy sky on the photo-sharing platform and hoped that the "first showers only bring relief and joy and not too much drama." The 'Raazi' actor also urged people to stay safe.

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May 30,2020

Mumbai, May 30: Actor Vaani Kapoor on Saturday said she will go on a virtual date with five people as part of an initiative to raise money for daily wage earners, who have been affected due to the nationwide lockdown implemented to rein in coronavirus.

Vaani has teamed up with actor Arjun Kapoor's sister Anshula Kapoor’s online fundraising platform, Fankind, to raise funds for daily wage workers.

Vaani and Fankind have come together to provide five of her fans a chance to go on a virtual date with her - by donating to provide food to daily wage workers.

“As human beings, we will need to come forward and support as many people as possible in need due to the coronavirus pandemic in our country. I’m doing my bit to support the daily wage earners of our country and their families who are in dire situations given the lockdown.

“My activity, in which five lucky winners can have a virtual date with me, will see us collect funds to help feed them and their families across the country," Vaani said in a statement.

Earlier, Arjun too supported the initiative to help daily wage earners.

According to the press release, the funds will go to GiveIndia, a non-profit organisation, which will provide hot cooked meals to wage earners and their families. Each meal costs Rs 30 and will be delivered in various areas of Maharashtra, Bangalore, and Chennai.

A.T.E. Chandra Foundation has also come on board and will be adding 25 percent of the total donation value collected as a matching amount, thereby multiplying the impact, the release said.

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July 14,2020

Los Angeles, Jul 14: US officials on Monday found the body of "Glee" actress Naya Rivera in the Californian lake where she drowned last week during a boat trip with her four-year-old son.

Rivera's body was retrieved and an initial examination found no evidence of foul play or suicide, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub told a press conference.

"We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera," said Ayub, pointing to the location, appearance, clothing and condition of the body.

Her body was being taken to a medical examiner's office for a full autopsy and confirmation of her identity from dental records, though no other missing persons have been reported at Lake Piru, he added.

Rivera, 33, is believed to have accidentally drowned after renting the boat with her young son at the camping and recreational hotspot around an hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles.

She vanished on Wednesday afternoon, and a massive search involving divers, patrol boats and helicopters was launched after her sleeping son was spotted drifting alone in a boat on the lake.

The son later told investigators that Rivera had helped him into the boat before "he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water," said the sheriff.

Ayub pointed to the lake's strong currents as a possible cause of a fatal accident.

"The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting -- it was unanchored -- and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," he said.

The lake has been closed to the public since Wednesday, with around 100 personnel, including the US Coast Guard and rescuers from neighboring counties, joining the search.

Search teams used footage from video messaging calls Rivera made from the boat before her disappearance, as well as interviews with her son, to scour portions of the lake bed for her remains over six days, with no success.

"We believe she was concealed within some of the shrubbery on the floor bed of the lake" before eventually floating to the surface due to natural decomposition, said Ayyub.

With less than one foot (30 centimeters) of visibility underwater in daylight, the recovery operation was a "complex search effort" even with use of sonar equipment, he said.

Rivera was best known for her role as high school cheerleader Santana Lopez in "Glee."

She starred for six seasons in the wildly popular musical television series set in a US high school that ended in 2015.

The "Glee" cast has been struck by tragedy before.

Actor Mark Salling took his own life in 2018, weeks before being sentenced for possession of child pornography.

Canadian castmate Cory Monteith died in July 2013 of an overdose of drugs and alcohol.

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