Akshay Kumar says no clash with Hrithik Roshan: We are friends, neighbours

August 16, 2016

Mumbai, Aug 16: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar whose recently released film Rustom clashed with Hrithik Roshan-starrer Mohenjo Daro at the box office said there were no clashes between the actors and they were still friends.

hrithik

Akshay’s Rustom and Hrithik’s Mohenjo Daro locked horns at the box office on August 12. Akshay, however, emerged as the winner as Rustom has earned over Rs 50 crore in the country while Hrithik’s film managed Rs 30 crore at the box office.

On being asked whether the same releasing date has changed the equation between the two stars, Akshay said, “We are still neighbours. We are still friends (and) we still talk to each other and eat together.” On being asked if Hrithik congratulated him, Akshay said, “No he hasn’t till now.”

The Baby actor said “clash” was not the right word to use when two films release on the same day. “It is not a clash. Do not give it a word clash. Clash is a wrong word (and) we do not clash with each other. We always pray that movies should run at the box office, if the films do well, actors will also do well and eventually the film industry will run,” Akshay said.

According to the 48-year-old actor, it is important that every film does well commercially. “We want to make films like in Hollywood. They make big action films and we would also like to do it. And that can only happen if all films work,” he said.

Besides acting in mainstream films, Akshay has also earned rave reviews for his roles in real life dramas like Special 26, Baby, Airlift and Rustom. “These films are also commercial. Just because these films are real stories do not mean they are not commercial. It is not right to say these are not commercial films. It is also commercial cinema and people are liking such films,” he said.

“I am happy that people enjoy these kinds of films. It gives a boost to other filmmakers to make (films on) real life incidents. It is nice,” he added. Interestingly, many celebrities including Rajnikanth, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt and others promoted Rustom. “It was very good that my colleagues and others with whom I have not worked also came ahead (to promote Rustom). I am very thankful to them for supporting my film. They (actors) also tweeted about my film. It does work well,” he said.

Akshay said his wife Twinkle Khanna and his mother-in-law did see Rustom and liked the movie. “I think this trend (of actors promoting films of their colleagues) should continue and we should do it with other films. I feel everybody’s film should run. It is important for the film industry,” he added.

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Agencies
January 9,2020

Mumbai, Jan 9: A day after Deepika Padukone visited the JNU campus to express solidarity with students who had been attacked, her film "Chhapaak" made another splash on Wednesday over the name of its antagonist.

While Deepika was the focus of many a discussion on social media and beyond for showing up at a public meeting in the university, the film, based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, was also making news for quite another reason.

In what could well be a storm in a 'Twitter cup', "Nadeem Khan" and "Rajesh" began trending on the microblogging site after a magazine article claimed the name of the antagonist had been changed. By 4 pm, 'Nadeem Khan' clocked close to 60,000 tweets and 'Rajesh' close behind with 50,000.

In 2005, Laxmi was disfigured for life when a man called Nadeem Khan and three others allegedly hurled acid at her in Delhi's upscale Khan Market.

In the film based on her life, the narrative remains the same but the names have been changed. So, Laxmi is 'Malti' Agarwal and Nadeem becomes 'Babboo' aka 'Bashir Khan'.

On Wednesday, Swarajya magazine wrote an article headlined, "The Ways Of Bollywood: In Deepika Padukone-Starer Chhapaak, Acid Attacker Naeem Khan Becomes ‘Rajesh'." "As part of a backlash against Padukone's JNU 'meet and greet', social media users researched the names of the characters involved in the movie Chhapaak and conspicuously found the name of main perpetrator Naeem Khan absent," the article alleged.

But in the Meghna Gulzar directed film, there is no mention of any Nadeem or Naeem Khan. Moreover, Rajesh is the name of Malti's boyfriend.

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Babul Supriyo jumped into the controversy, saying it was another example of "absolute hypocrisy".

"...When you say all characters are fictitious and don't have any resemblance with living beings and all of that, this is absolute hypocrisy. When you change the name which also changes the religion, it has been done very deliberately," Supriyo told a TV channel when asked to comment on the controversy.

South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Biduri also called for a boycott of the movie.

With Deepika grabbing attention by going to JNU, many appreciated her 'silent solidarity' but others criticised her for "supporting the Leftists" and said it was a promotional stunt ahead of the release.

"#BoycottChhapaak" was trending on Twitter as was "#ISupportDeepika".

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Agencies
August 3,2020

Mumbai, Aug 3: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he has immense gratitude for the doctors who provided him with medical care for Covid-19 and feels overwhelmed to be free of the virus finally.

Amitabh, on Sunday, tested negative for the novel coronavirus and was discharged from hospital.

The 77-year-old actor was admitted to Nanavati hospital along with son Abhishek after testing positive for Covid-19 on July 11. Abhishek, 44, is still positive and will remain under medical care.

"It has been heartening to be back from the Hospital after the ‘mukti’ from the coronavirus but a sour taste in the mouth when Abhishek has to still be in the medical care," Amitabh wrote in his blog.

The actor said doctors are tirelessly working towards battling the virus "each hour" through consultation, sharing of information and experience with their fraternity from other parts of the world which gives "the hope of repair."

"Assuring us each minute that ‘all shall be well’ , when in fact they themselves struggle to find that confirmed patent that can be used, delivered, executed to save lives and conditions from the virus.

"When I had addressed them as 'angels in white' I had never imagined that I would be supine in their midst to savour their angelic presence, as they give us hope, inspiration and the strength to fight. They are quite quite remarkable. My gratitude shall never fail for them... feeling bad for Abhishek .. prayers he comes home soon," he added.

On Sunday, Abhishek thanked well-wishers for their continued support and said he would remain under medical care.

"I, unfortunately, due to some comorbidities remain Covid-19 positive and remain in hospital. Again, thank you all for your continued wishes and prayers for my family. Very humbled and indebted. I'll beat this and come back healthier! Promise," he wrote.

Abhishek's wife, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 46, and eight-year-old daughter Aaradhya were discharged from the hospital on Monday after testing negative for Covid-19.

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Agencies
January 4,2020

Mumbai, Jan 4: After the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur constituted a panel to decide whether legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge' is offensive to Hindu sentiments, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar had a cryptic take on the burning controversy.

"Best time for the rich & small businesses to make money as most of the population are engaged with a revolutionary poet named Faiz," Sircar said in a tweet.

The poem, penned down by the iconic poet in 1979, came into limelight again recently during the protests against CAA and NRC in IIT Kanpur.

Earlier on Thursday, senior lyricist Javed Akhtar rejected the claims about the poem being 'anti-Hindu'.

IIT Kanpur on Thursday had set up a committee to look into the issue.

The move came after a complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship Amendment Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt the sentiments of other communities.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

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