Film industry unites to condemn attack on Bhansali over 'Padmavati'

January 28, 2017

Mumbai, Jan 28: Film industry has come together to condemn the attack on director Sanjay Leela Bhansali during the shooting of his directorial venture "Padmavati" in Jaipur calling it "appalling", "ridiculous" and "mockery of democracy".

Bhansali

Bhansali, was shooting for his new film in Jaipur's Jaigarh Fort, when he was assaulted by activists of a Rajput community group, Karni Sena, who also vandalised the set and celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Karan Johar, Anruag Kashyap, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Omung Kumar, Sudhir Mishra, Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor took to social media to vent their anger over the incident.

"Thoughts of what has transpired with Sanjay Bhansali today are just not leaving me!! Feeling helpless and angry!! This cannot be our future! Attacking a filmmaker and his right to free voice is no answer. So called historian and moral police! Disgusting!" Johar tweeted.

The filmmaker, who recently faced the ire of a right wing organisation during the released of his film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", said, "No member of our industry should be silent on this matter It's calls for unity and NOT selective indifference."

Kashyap also exhorted the industry to unite.

"Can once the whole film industry come together and take a stand, and refuse to be a pony that all bullshit and bullshitters ride on?

"At the same time Shame on you Karni Sena, you make me feel ashamed to be a Rajput.. bloody spineless cowards...," he said.

Priyanka, who worked with Bhansali in "Bajirao Mastani," said she is "saddened" by the whole incident.

"It's appalling to hear what happened to #SanjayLeelaBhansali. I'm so saddened.Violence is not what our forefathers taught you," she wrote.

Hrithik said he is "enraged".

"Did random people enter another persons workplace n raise their hand on him because dey decide they don't like what he does? I am enraged! Mr Bhansali , Sir. I stand with you. This is so infuriating," the "Guzaarish" actor tweeted.

Farhan also urged the industry people to unite and give it back to the "vulgar display of self righteousness".

"My fellow film folk, if we do not unite now against these recurring incidents of bullying, it's going to get much worse. If u don't like what he's making, don't watch his film. What's with the violence?? Apart from a vulgar display of self righteousness," he wrote.

Gowariker tweeted,"Shocking! Appalling!! Despairing!!! And still, we shall not stop making what we want to!! Sanjay stay strong! I am with you! #Padmavati."

Indian Film & Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) also condemned the attack and requested the government to take immediate action.

"Condemning the attack on its member #SanjayLeelaBhansali, @DirectorsIFTDA appeals to d Central and State Govt. to provide full security to him," the official IFTDA page posted.

Sudhir Mishra tweeted," Our dignity has been violated.The entire film industry must stand with Sanjay n demand that every member of this goon squad shud b arrested!"

"Just got the news on what has happened on the #padmavati set. This is mockery of democracy. My full support to #SanjayLeelaBhansali &the crew," Arjun said.

Anushka wrote, "Appalled & horrified by what happened on SLB set. NO amount of diff of opinion or disagreement justifies this pathetic behaviour. Shameful!"

Veteran producer-director Ram Gopal Varma expressed angst against the government for not ensuring safety of artists.

"@narendramodi I don't know when ur achchey din will come but Bhansali incident makes me feel India's days going back to heights of burey din Bhansali is an artiste and if any country cannot protect its artistes from street hooligans it doesn't deserve to be called a country," he tweeted.

President of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India Mukesh Bhatt said, "The most unfortunate thing is that we filmmakers and creative artists live in a house of glass. We are always scared that anyone can come and hit a stone and nothing will be done about it. There is nothing done for our protection."

"My Brother Nikhil" helmer Onir said, "It is unacceptable how often the entertainment industry is targeted by these violent idiots who go scotfree. Sign of Progress!!! #Padmavati."

"What happened on Padmavati sets is appalling and heinous. Is this the state of the world," Sonam tweeted.

Nimrat Kaur wrote,"Utterly shocked and sickened to see some so called citizens of this country stoop to such horrifying audacities. #HugeShame #IStandBySLB"

Preity Zinta tweeted,"Sad to see how people have become 2day. Violence is never the medium4 communication. There are others ways to make a point.#SanjayBhansali".

"What happened on the sets of Padmavati is ridiculous. There is such a thing as creative freedom and cinematic license," Alia said.

Veteran actor Rishi said he is with the filmmaker,"How do you take justice in your hands without knowing what the facts are. Shameful! So much for Karni Sena's reputation. With you Sanjay!".

"Cowards attacked #SanjayLeelaBhansali without knowing the truth. Want to see people punished for vanadalism. #ZeroToleranceforgoons," Richa Chadha tweeted.

"Sarbjit" director Omung said, "Appalled by this incident with Sanjay sir. The whole industry has to come together to give it back to these idiots."

"Raees" helmer Rahul Dholakia wrote,"You're Next ! #bollywoodstandup #SanjayLeelaBhansali".

"What happened on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's set is absolutely deplorable. #IStandBySLB : Over to you Rajasthan Police - Do the right thing," Riteish Deshmukh wrote.

Sushant Singh Rajput wrote, "We would suffer till the time we're obsessed with our surnames. If you're that courageous, give us your first name to acknowledge. #padmavati".

Nikkhil Advani wrote,"Not enough to condemn. As fellow director/producer/film-maker/member please let us know what action will be taken. #IstandbySLB You could be next!!! #FilmIndustry #Unite #IstandbySLB".

Athiya Shetty wrote,"Shocked and disgusted. What has the world come to? Art was always meant to have no rules."

Harshvardhan Kapoor tweeted, "This is unbelievably sad and so uncalled for, hope the guilty are punished."

"Just read the fundamental rights in the constitution of India. Just celebrated Republic Day but it should be Republic day everyday! #bhansali," Sunny Leone posted.

Sanjay Gupta posted, "I condemn the attack on SLB. This is so not done. I urge the industry to stand together here at least. Could be anyone of us next!"

Writer Chetan Bhagat said bullying artistes has become a trend.

"It has seemingly become ok to bully artists in the country. It is time all artists stand together against such goons. Citizens must protect their artists at all costs. They are important channels of expression in a democracy. #padmavati," he tweeted.

Bipasha Basu tweeted, "People should be held accountable for this shameful act. Horrified by what happened to #SanjayLeelaBhansali #Padmavati sets."

"Horrifying & Disgusting incident! Miscreants must be punished! We stand with you #SanjayLeelaBhansali Sir!," Yami Gautam wrote.

Anubhav Sinha tweeted, "When Power tries to control Art, there is something right with Art and there's something wrong with Power #SanjayLeelaBhansali

Boman Irani posted, "Disturbed and saddened at what happened to #SanjayLeelaBhansali. Inaction will only embolden others....and that's Anarchy."

Farah khan tweeted,"#Horrified Just whn u think it can't get worse..It does!now 2 see what action is taken against the people who did this 2 sanjay Bhansali!!"

Music composer Vishal Dadlani wrote, "Sick! #SanjayLeelaBhansali one of our most respected filmmakers, attacked on his set. Hope the film industry comes together against this!"

Actress Huma Q ureshi wrote, "Shocked by the attack on #SanjayLeelaBhansali ... Shame! These hooligans must be stopped ..Who gives them the right to behave like this."

"Masaan" actor Vicky Kaushal tweeted, "Absolutely disgusting and so wrong!".

Kabir Khan wrote, " 1st they stop release of films.. Now they r trying to stop films from being made. Attack on #SanjayLeelaBhansali is SHAMEFUL #IstandbySLB"

Shabana Azmi tweeted, "Film industry must stand as one n do whatever it takes to ensure that d reprehensible attack on SLB becomes a flashpoint for goondagiri to stop."

Parineeti Chopra tweeted, "We stand by you sir. There is such a thing as freedom of expression and we will not allow cowards take that away. #IstandbySLB"

"We have hit a curve in history where the film industry has to abandon its politics of silence. Silence now will tantamount to betrayal," tweeted Mahesh Bhatt.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10: Eminent Carnatic vocalist and playback singer K J Yesudas, who has enthralled music aficionados across the world with his profound and mellifluous voice for the last six decades, turned 80 on Friday.

People from various walks of life, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and luminaries of music and film world besides socio-cultural personalities, wished the legendary singer, popularly called as 'gana gandharvan' (the celestial singer) by his fans, on his birthday.

Regional newspapers came out with special pages and television channels with exclusive programmes as a tribute to the singer, who has recorded over 80,000 songs in various genres in almost all languages of India including about 25,000 film songs, Carnatic bhajans and devotional songs.

Besides Indian languages like Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, Odia, his voice gave life to songs in Arabic, English, Latin, and Russian during a career spanning over six decades.

Yesudas, whom the country had honoured with Padma Vibhushan in 2017, is the recipient of eight national awards, 25 Kerala state awards, five state awards of Tamil Nadu and four of Andhra Pradesh.

"On the special occasion of his 80th birthday, greetings to the versatile K J Yesudas Ji. His melodious music and soulful renditions have made him popular across all age groups. He has made valuable contributions to Indian culture. Wishing him a long and healthy life," Modi tweeted.

The Left veteran also shared a photo of the veteran singer along with the tweet.

Meanwhile, Yesudas this morning visited the Mookambika Temple at Kollur in Udupi district of Karnataka along with his family, a practice he has been following for the last four decades.

Draped in the traditional Kerala style kasavu mundu and shawl, 'dasettan', as he is known among his hardcore fans cutting across ages, Yesudas offered prayers along with his wife Prabha and sons and performed special poojas at the Goddess Saraswathi temple.

Hundreds of music buffs gathered at the shrine to wish the octogenarian singer.

Considered as one of the best playback singers in the country, Yesudas had begun his music career in the tinsel town with the Malayalam song "Jathi bhedam matha dwesham" in the year 1961 and sang in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films among other languages.

Yesudas's foray into Bollywood saw him recording various memorable hits, including "Jab Deep Jale Aana" and "Gori Tera Gaon Bada Pyara".

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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: Actor Bhumi Pednekar supported migrant labourers traveling long distances amid the coronavirus pandemic, in a rather unique way- by donating footwear to them.

The gut-wrenching images of migrants walking barefoot on the roads made the 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' actor take the plunge to help them.

Pednekar joined hands with a footwear company and a volunteer-based non-government organisation - The Robin Hood Army - to help the underprivileged with footwear.

The actor helped over 1000 migrant labourers in and around Ghaziabad in Murad Nagar, Govindpuram, Vijay Nagar, and distributed footwear among men and women across age-groups.

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News Network
July 3,2020

Mumbai, Jul 3: Bollywood woke up to the shock news of their beloved 'masterji' Saroj Khan's death on Friday, with many celebrities remembering the veteran choreographer as a "genius" and an "inspiration" to others.

Khan, the name behind some of the most famous songs in Bollywood such as "Dhak Dhak" and "Ek Do Teen", died of cardiac arrest early on Friday morning. She was 71.

Superstar Akshay Kumar termed Khan's demise as a "huge loss" to the industry.

"Woke up to the sad news that legendary choreographer #SarojKhan ji is no more. She made dance look easy almost like anybody can dance, a huge loss for the industry. May her soul rest in peace," he tweeted.

Choreographer Farah Khan said she was among the countless artistes who were inspired by Khan's work.

"Rest in peace Sarojji... You were an inspiration to many, myself included. Thank you for the songs," she wrote on Twitter.

Choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D'Souza said, "#RIP Saroji, you will be missed... Big loss to dance fraternity."

Actor Taapsee Pannu said she will forever cherish the memories of working with the veteran choreographer.

"At least I had a chance to dance in your company. I am going to hold on to those memories tight... real tight. We lose another star to the sky. Your songs will make every girl remember you for ever and ever," the actor tweeted.

Nimrat Kaur said there will be no one in the industry who could do what Khan did in her lifetime.

"Saroj ji’s name introduced the word ‘choreographer’ to my life. A genius who immortalised stars and the music that defined an era with her iconic work. May her loved ones find strength and courage at this terrible hour. There’ll never be another...#RIPSarojKhan #Legend #Masterji" she said.

Genelia Deshmukh said she is grateful to have worked with the legendary artiste.

"RIP Saroji ... I thank God I got a chance to be choreographed by you...Prayers and Strength to the Family... #SarojKhan" she said.

"Woke up to the heartbreaking news of the legendary choreographer #SarojKhan’s demise. Her iconic dance moves inspired me at a very young age. Rest in peace Saroj Ji. You are truly irreplaceable," tweeted Tamannaah Bhatia.

Rakul Preet Singh mourned that her dream of working with Khan will remain unfulfilled.

"Always dreamt of doing at least one song Choreographed by her. Your grace and contribution to Indian cinema shall always be remembered. May your soul RIP. Strength to the family," she said.

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta said he learnt a lot while working with Khan.

"The first song I conceived 'Tamma Tamma Loge' to 'Dil Dil Dil' the first song of my debut film 'Aatish' we’re choreographed by the legendary Saroj Khan. Learnt so much from her. RIP Saroj Ji and keep smiling like you always did," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

"Saroj Khan my beloved Masterji. #RIPSarojKhan From Music Videos to films we had a long journey together. Now you’ve left me and gone. I will do and make what we spoke about one day, my promise to you," tweeted filmmaker Kunal Kohli.

Khan, a three-time National Award winner, was not keeping well for some time. She was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra last Saturday after she complained of breathing issues. She had tested negative for Covid-19.

The veteran choreographer is survived by son Raju Khan and daughter Sukaina Khan.

Her funeral was held on Friday morning at a cemetery in suburban Malad.

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