Bollywood actress defiant over masturbation scene

Agencies
June 8, 2018

Mumbai, Jun 8: Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker has hit back at a torrent of online abuse over a masturbation scene in a film dubbed India's answer to "Sex and the City" that is proving a hit worldwide.

"Veere Di Wedding", meaning "Friend's Wedding" in English, has caused a stir on social media for its portrayal of female sexuality -- a taboo subject in patriarchal, socially conservative India.

The Hindi-language movie has raked in $7.8 million in India since its June 1 release, according to Box Office India, and is in the top 10 in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

The film, also starring Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and Shikha Talsania and which was produced by a woman, centres on four female friends and their attitudes towards sex, love and marriage.

Many critics have praised the film as a powerful statement about female empowerment but others have accused it of having a shallow plotline.

In one scene the husband of the character played by Bhasker walks in on his wife masturbating with a vibrator.

Bhasker has received a flood of negative comments online -- including vicious personal attacks -- but has defended the film and her role in it.

"In a culture that largely silences or ignores or shames female sexuality showing a girl gratifying herself in a film in a non-judgemental way is empowering," Bhasker wrote in one tweet.

In another response she wrote: "It's okay to do something privately and not tell your parents about it. It's called discretion.

"Do u describe your morning shit to your parents when they ask you what u did when you woke up? #logic."

Bhasker has also received an outpouring of support from fans.

"I sometimes feel like giving @ReallySwara a hug and a truck full of chocolate.

"She deserves to get a day off from uninformed people trying to pull her down for every word she says and every role she plays," wrote Twitter user Hannah Pillai.

Critics have likened the film to an Indian version of "Sex and the City", the hit US television series that also portrays four friends as they navigate love and sex in New York.

"Veere Di Wedding" centres on four female friends and their attitudes towards sex, love and marriage. Swara Bhaskar (R) has hit back at a torrent of online abuse over a masturbation scene in the film

The Hindi-language movie has raked in $7.8 million in India since its June 1 release.

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News Network
January 22,2020

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.

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News Network
May 2,2020

Los Angeles, May 2: Pop diva Madonna has revealed that she has tested positive for the COVID-19 anitbodies.

The singer shared the news in the 14th edition of her “Quarantine Diary” on Instagram TV.

“Took a test the other day and I found out that I have the antibodies. So tomorrow I’m just going to go for a long drive in the car, and I’m gonna roll down the window and I’m gonna breathe in the COVID-19 air. Yup. I hope the sun is shining,” Madonna said.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US, antibody tests are used to determine whether or not a person has been exposed to COVID-19 by finding proteins the body produces to fight the virus.

However, the CDC has yet to confirm if the possession of antibodies is equal to immunity.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Kolhapur, Feb 21: Voicing against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), renowned lyrics and thinker Javed Akhtar has said that the act was an assault to secularism and integrity of India and with the ongoing protests, the nation had reached a threshold for an another struggle.

Speaking here on Thursday night at an event organised on the 5th death anniversary of CPI senior leader and progressive leader Com Govind Pansare, Mr Akhtar said the newly amended citizenship act was a plot to split the country.

Mr Javed said that communalism has a deep root in India and it spread after the formation of Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League in British India. "Muslim league got Pakistan but Hindu Mahasabha is still unsatisfied," he alleged and added that BJP was now 'working as a branch of RSS' and trying to 'split the country' through NRC.

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