Pak minister demands an apology from Hrithik’s Mohenjo Daro director Ashutosh Gowariker

New Delhi, Jul 9: Several Bollywood celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha and Anupam Kher mourned the demise of actor Jagdeep.

The veteran actor, whose real name was Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri, passed away on Wednesday. He was 81.

Anil Kapoor took to Twitter soon after the demise of the 'Sholay' actor and remembered working with him in 'Ek Baar Kaho.'

"Jagdeep Saab was one of the greatest actors of India...I was his huge fan & was lucky enough to have worked with him in Ek Baar Kaho & many more films...he was always extremely supportive & encouraging...sending my heartfelt condolences & prayers to my friend Javed & family," tweeted Kapoor.

Senior actor Anupam Kher also took to Twitter to express grief. He also recalled a conversation that he had with the late actor about how difficult it is to make people laugh.

"Ek Aur sitaara zameen se aasmaan mein jaa pahucha. #Jagdeep saab hindi film jagat ke eik bahut hi behtareen kalakar the. Eik hasya abhineta ke naate unka koi saani nahi tha. Eik party mei bahut saal pehle unhone mujhse kaha tha, "barkhurdaar! hasna aasan hai, hasaana bahut mushki hai," aapki kami bahut khalegi," tweeted Kher.

Shatrughan Sinha penned a long note for the departed actor on Twitter.

"Deepest condolences on the sad demise of veteran actor, comedian par excellence, iconic #Jagdeep. He was a great human being & very down to earth. I was not only his neighbour during my initial years but also bought my first car 'Austin' from him," he wrote.

"I had the privilege of working with him in many films including late & great #HarmeshMalhotra films & of course in #RatanMohan Jaggu. He will be remembered for the joys & laughter he brought on screen effortlessly, right from Hum Panchi ek daal ke to the epic #Sholay, entertaining us for almost 6 decades," he added.

Sinha ended the note by extending condolences to his family.

"We have lost one of the finest comedians....the great 'Sholay' of an actor 'Soorma Bhopali'! You will remembered through your legacy & will be fondly missed too. Heartfelt prayers & strength to his sons, wonder actor @jaavedjaaferi @NavedJafri & family. Rest in peace," tweeted Sinha.

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh also took to Twitter to condole the demise of the veteran actor.

"Thank you #Jagdeep sahab for enriching our lives with laughter and happiness that will be cherished for a lifetime. Rest In peace Sir. Deepest Condolences to the family, friends and millions of his fans(just like me)," tweeted Riteish.

"Dearest @jaavedjaaferi @NavedJafri_BOO @MeezaanJ am extremely sorry for your loss. May god give you strength in this difficult time. Big hug," he added.

Riteish's wife and 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' actor Genelia tweeted, "RIP Jagdeep Sahab ... Remember shooting with you during Life Partner and cracking up with laughter all through the scene.. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have got that chance to work with you.. All my condolences to the family."

Actor Abhishek Bachchan also took to Twitter to express sorrow.

"May you rest in peace Jagdeep sahab. Thank you for filling our lives with smiles," he tweeted.

Los Angeles, May 24: Hollywood star Salma Hayek says her daughter Valentina Pinault is a talented 12 year old who wants to be a director and star as a lead in a film one day.

The Oscar-nominated actor shares Valentina with husband, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault.

Hayek said she has confidence in her daughter's abilities and believes she has a long way to go.

"She has so many talents. She draws, she wants to shoot movies - both as a director and as the lead - and she writes great pieces. Sometimes when I read her work, I have an urge to produce these stories.

"But she tells me that she will do it by herself when she's older. I don't know what's coming next for her but it seems that she has a lot of ways to go," the actor told HELLO! magazine.

Hayek, 53, added she is concerned about Valentina who has always lived a sheltered life.

"Valentina has always done what she wanted, I've never made her do anything and this means she hasn't yet learned how to oppose pressure, how to overcome obstacles.

"I know by experience that only the overcoming of some difficulties can lead you in the right direction," she said.

Patna, Jan 22: Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressedher desire to make a movie on Chandragupta, the shepherd-turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has “not done enough justice to our history”.

The national award winner was here to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session.  Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar.

“The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here,” she said.

Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai, the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in ‘Manikarnika’, when asked if she would like to be associated with a film on any historical figure from Bihar, said, “It would be Chandragupta Maurya. The film industry has not done much justice to our history”.

A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 32-year-old, who has won three National Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, replied in the affirmative when asked about reports that she has turned producer and her first venture is based on the theme of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Himachal Pradesh-born actress, who has courted controversy for taking on well-entrenched Bollywood “insiders” like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan, said she has had a rebellious streak since childhood and shared an anecdote about her breaking her teacher’s stick upon being hit for chatting with a classmate in school.

When Kishan asked why she has gained so much weight, Ranaut replied it was in preparation for her upcoming biopic “Thalaivi”, based on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The actress said her forthcoming release “Panga” is a family drama.

Ranaut said after landing in Patna, she gorged on ‘Litti Chokha’, a local delicacy.

She also regaled the audience by greeting them in Bhojpuri and repeating several commonly used phrases of the dialect after Kishan.