'PK' row: Maha govt to look into content, promises necessary action

December 31, 2014

Mumbai, Dec 31: Amid protests by right wing groups demanding ban on the Aamir Khan-starrer movie 'PK', the BJP-led Maharashtra government Tuesday asked police to look into the "content" of the film and said it will "step in" if the issue blows into a major law and order problem.

PK row

Minister of State for Home and BJP leader Ram Shinde said that he has asked senior police officer Deven Bharti, IG (Law & Order), to look into objectionable scenes, if any, in the film and has promised "necessary" action if any "wrong" is found.

"The Censor board may have found the film fit to be released and hence they cleared it from their end. But after the release, some organisations have objected to some part of the film. Protests have been going on and information from social media suggests that protests against the film may intensify in the days ahead," Shinde said.

The Rajkumar Hirani-directed film has raised the hackles of the saffron brigade with the Bajrang Dal leading demonstrations against it's screening at various places in the country for "insulting" Hindu deities through their "objectionable" portrayal in the film.

Shinde said there was a precedent of government stepping in when certain films caused law and order problems in the past.

"The Censor board is an independent entity which is free to discharge its duties without any intervention from our end. It is fine if the Censor Board has given a go-ahead to this film. But when we find a threat to law and order in the state, we will intervene," the BJP leader said.

Leela Samson, chairperson of Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC), had already clarified that the board will not remove any scenes from the film as it has already been released.

Aamir has also trashed accusations of him having "insulted" the Hindu religion because he was a Muslim, saying, "We respect all religions. All my Hindu friends have seen the film and they have not felt the same".

"Taking cognisance of the complaints received by these (right wing) organisations, I have asked Deven Bharati to probe the issue and send us a report at the earliest. I am expecting a report in the next 3-4 days. If something wrong is indeed found, necessary action should be taken without delay," he said.

When contacted, Bharti said in a message, "I have not received the letter yet though I have been informed orally. Will speak when I receive the letter regarding the scope of inquiry."

A few theatres in Mumbai had reportedly stopped shows of the blockbuster movie amid protests and threats by right wing activists yesterday.

Bajrang Dal activists had yesterday vandalised theatres in Gujarat exhibiting the film for making "fun" of Hindu gods and godmen as well as asked that its screening to be stopped.

Besides Gujarat, right-wing activists also protested in Agra and Mau in Uttar Pradesh as well as Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, tearing up posters of the film.

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News Network
June 16,2020

Mumbai, Jun 16: The International Space University (ISU) in France has paid homage to Sushant Singh Rajput in a statement, saying the news of the actor's death was "deeply saddening".

Rajput was found dead in his Bandra apartment on Sunday.

According to an official, Mumbai Police found out during the probe that the 34-year-old actor was under medication for depression.

The official Twitter handle of ISU on Monday tweeted how Rajput was supposed to visit the campus last year but was unable to due to scheduling conflict.

"We are deeply saddened by the dramatic news on the death of well known Indian actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Mr Singh Rajput was a believer and strong supporter of STEM education and was following ISU on social media.

"He had even accepted an invitation to visit ISU's Central Campus in the summer of 2019 but other agenda priorities prevented him from travelling to Strasbourg," the statement by the university read.

ISU paid condolences to Rajput's family and friends, saying the actor's memory will "remain among his thousands of followers across India and all over the world".

Rajput had enrolled at Delhi Technical University (DTU) in 2003, which was then known as Delhi College of Engineering, but left the course to pursue his showbiz dreams.

Even after leaving the four-year degree course, he remained fascinated with science and had a deep interest in astronomy.

As part of his research for the film "Chanda Mama Door Ke", he also visited the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2017.

Rajput had stayed in NASA to train for his role as an astronaut for the film, which was eventually shelved.

The actor also owned Meade 14" LX600 telescope.

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News Network
February 19,2020

Washington, Feb 19: Popular Indian-American stand-up comedian Hasan Minhaj, who has been critical of both US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would perform at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents Association.

Hasan Minhaj, whose parents come from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, will serve as the entertainer at the event.

Kenan Thompson, the actor, and longest-tenured Saturday Night Live cast-member will serve as the host for the annual White House Correspondents Association's (WHCA) dinner on April 25.

"Hasan Minhaj, the Peabody award-winning host of Netflix's Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, will return to the dinner as featured entertainer," the WHCA announced.

"Kenan and Hasan are two of the most engaged and engaging entertainers in America. I'm thrilled they'll help us celebrate the role of a free press in our democracy," said Jonathan Karl, Chief White House Correspondent for ABC News and president of the WHCA.

"We're looking forward to a lively evening honouring the most important political journalism of the past year," he said.

President Trump who has skipped the WHCA dinner for the last three years is unlikely to attend this time as well.

Hasan Minhaj has hosted his Netflix show since 2018, drawing critics' raves, including a Peabody award in 2019, for his humorous and informed examination of issues of domestic and global import.

He was the entertainer at the 2017 WHCA Dinner when he was a senior correspondent on The Daily Show. His one-hour Netflix comedy special Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King was released in 2017, for which he won his first Peabody Award in 2018.

Kenan Thompson began his career as a member of Nickelodeon's sketch series All That. Kenan Thompson is currently in his 17th season on SNL where he has set a record for the most celebrity impressions performed on the show.

In 2018, he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics and a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

At its annual dinner, WHCA will be presenting two new awards at the 2020 dinner: The Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability and the Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage by Visual Journalists.

These are in addition to the longstanding Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence in White House Coverage and Merriman Smith Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure.

This year's dinner will also include the inaugural presentation of the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, administered by the University of Florida''s College of Journalism and Communications to recognize outstanding statehouse reporting.

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News Network
July 21,2020

Mumbai, Jul 21: Police have recorded statements ofthree psychiatrists and a psychotherapist as part of their probe into the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput last month, a senior official said on Monday.

Their "statements were recorded over the last three- four days" by the Bandra police who are probing the case, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IX) Abhishek Trimukhe.

The late actor was consulting these mental health professionals and hence their statements were recorded as part of the ongoing probe, police said.

Rajput was undergoing treatment for depression since November 2019, they said.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging in his suburban Bandra apartment on June 14 in what the police claimed was a case of suicide. In the initial investigation, the Mumbai police had found that the actor was under medication for depression.

So far, the police have recorded statements of over 36 people, including director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bollywood casting director Mukesh Chhabra, actress Sanjana Sanghi and Rajput's friend Sandip Singh, among others.

Rajput's friend, actor Rhea Chakraborty, has also given her statement to the police.

Filmmaker Aditya Chopra recorded his statement in connection with the case at the Versova Police Station on Saturday.

Rajput starred in films such as 'Shuddh Desi Romance', 'Raabta', 'Kedarnath' and 'Sonchiriya'. But his most prominent role came as cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the biopic, 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'.

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