Bollywood needs to change its portrayal of women: Aamir Khan

March 8, 2014

Aamir-khanNew Delhi, Mar 8: Bollywood should be more careful with the way it portrays women as movies make a huge impact socially, feels Aamir Khan.

The 48-year-old star said over the years he has become very careful about how gender dynamics are presented in his films.

"I have become much more careful and sensitive. That process does not stop. It is a learning process. We have to really look how we are portraying women in our film industry," he told women journalists at IWPC on the eve of Women's Day."I don't know where to start, maybe take a small set of people because we are affecting minds. We have to look at that carefully," he said.

The actor joked that his activism often lands him in trouble with the people in Bollywood as he starts talking about social issues in showbiz parties.

Aamir, who was in the city to share his experiences on the second season of 'Satyamev Jayate' with its writer Swati Chakravarty, said working on the show has made him fragile as he cries more easily now.

Talking about the research on the first episode, which centered around the topic of rape, he said they were shocked to find stories of apathy and inhumanity.

"We were faced with such inhumanity that it was difficult to absorb it. It was a ravaging period in the entire research," he said, adding that the attempt has been to have a crisis centre for rape victims which will help them get swift justice. The actor said he is prepared to hear negative stories about the show as certain people were bound to attack it.

"There are people who are trying to take away our credibility. There are rumours but you have to be prepared for it. You have to hope that people at large will be able to see what is right and what is not and that they would go by logic," Aamir said.

The actor said he would never endorse a fairness cream brand and is aghast to see celebrities endorsing it. Talking about the recent ruling of the Supreme Court on Section 377 of IPC, Aamir said he was disappointed by it.

"It was rather unfortunate. I was very surprised by the decision. Personally, I feel it's really time that we moved forward and pursued equality for all," he said.

Aamir has now become more open to media following a difficult relationship in the past."I think I went into a shell during 2006-07. I had nothing against media but I did not want to deal with it. I found them extremely intrusive. I found them to be very attacking.

"It was a phase when TV channels were mushrooming and I think there was a struggle for readership space... it had become vicious medium. I did not know how to react to it. I was being lashed from every side but things changed while working on 'Taare Zameen Par'," he added.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

Washington, Jan 11: Fresh off his win at the Golden Globes, actor Joaquin Phoenix participated in a climate change protest and was arrested by the police.

The "Joker" star took part in the weekly protests against climate change, started by Hollywood veteran Jane Fonda.

According to Variety, the 45-year-old actor also addressed the crowd of close to 300 people.

In his short speech, he took aim at the meat and dairy industry for being the third leading cause of the climate crisis.

"Sometimes we wonder what can we do in this fight against climate change, and there is something that you can do today and tomorrow, by making a choice about what you consume," Phoenix said.

"There are things I can't avoid. I flew a plane here today, or last night rather, but one thing I can do is change my eating habits," he added.

Besides Phoenix, veteran Hollywood star Martin Sheen also turned up for the protest and got arrested by the police. Actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Susan Sarandon were also present.

Capitol Police said it arrested 147 people who were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding. All the protestors were later released.

Fonda, who was on stage with Phoenix, called him "one of the greatest living actors today".

She has been protesting weekly as part of her "Fire Drill Fridays" initiative since announcing she was moving to Washington "to be closer to the epicenter of the fight for our climate." Her participation has ended in multiple arrests.

Earlier this month, Phoenix had talked about climate change at the Golden Globes ceremony, asking Hollywood to walk the talk on the issue.

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News Network
March 21,2020

Mumbai, Mar 21: Ever willing to rally behind Narendra Modi, Bollywood celebs pitched in to drum up support for the Prime Minister's idea of a 'Janata curfew' on Sunday to minimise social interaction and slow down the spread of the coronavirus in India.

Narendra Modi floated the idea yesterday of people staying indoor from from 7 am to 9 pm on Sunday to break the chain of the virus transmission.

Shah Rukh Khan tweeted, "It's imp 2 reduce social interaction 2 minimum. Self Quarantine. The idea of #JanataCurfew on Sunday is a means to this end & we should continue this concept at a personal level as much as we can & more. We need to ‘slow down time' to arrest the virus spread. Be safe & healthy all."

He added a video message later, asking his fans to not panic. "I appeal to all people to avoid public places and to avoid commuting by trains and buses if not absolutely necessary. The next 10 to 15 days are extremely crucial. To fight this crisis the government and the citizens have to put up a strong joint front.

"So I appeal again please do not panic and please be careful about misinformation. And please follow the instructions and guidelines issued by the state government," Shah Rukh said in his video message.

Tamil actor-politician Kamal Haasan it was time to take extraordinary measures to fight the virus.

"I stand in full solidarity with our Prime Minister's call for #JanataCurfew. In this extraordinary situation, we have to take extraordinary measures. It's a disaster that has befallen on us and by staying united and indoors, we can Stay Safe," he said.

Yesteryears actress Madhuri Dixit Nene added her bit.

"It's time to understand our social responsibility & follow the guidelines. Let's show gratitude to all the people who have been working round the clock for us by observing the #JantaCurfew on 22nd March. Do your part. Stay safe to keep others safe," she posted on Twitter.

Actor Shahid Kapoor said more or less the same thing.

Legendary Lata Mangeshkar extended her support to the 'Janta Curfew' called by Modi and also hailed the decision of Maharashtra chief Uddhav Thackeray to shut down workplaces from Friday midnight till March 31.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for Janata Curfew and I support this. Also I laud the decisions taken by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. I urge everyone to support this and overcome this crisis," Mangeshkar tweeted.

"Request everyone to stay home and adhere to the #JanataCurfew on the 22nd of March from 7am to 9pm. Let's all fight this together! @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona," Ayushmann Khurrana tweeted.

"Request everyone to stay home and adhere to the #JanataCurfew on the 22nd of March from 7am to 9pm. Let's all fight this together!," he said, tagging PM in his tweet.

Last night, actor Kartik Aaryan took to social media to deliver a ''Pyaar Ka Punchnaama'' style monologue about the importance of social distancing in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan also took to social media to applaud Prime Minister''s statement on Janata curfew.

Meanwhile, several top stars of the industry, including Bachchan, Akshay, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Madhuri, Ranveer Singh recorded a special video to spread awareness about the novel coronavirus.

The one minute fifty second long video, an initiative by Rohit Shetty Picturez in collaboration with Maharashtra government, features actors appealing to citizens to tread with caution and safety amid the pandemic.

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Agencies
March 7,2020

Mumbai, Mar 7: A 'farm-to-fork' themed restaurant 'He-Man' situated on National Highway in Haryana's Karnal -- franchised by veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra -- has been sealed for building law violations, officials said on Saturday.

The Karnal Municipal Corporation sealed the franchise outlet on Friday for not furnishing the change of land use (CLU) certificate and illegal constructions, an official said.

The restaurant is located on National Highway 44 on the outskirts of Karnal, some 150 km from here.

The franchise was given to Delhi-based businessman Pramod Kumar.

"After the success of my restaurant Garam Dharam Dhaba, I am now announcing a farm-to- fork themed restaurant 'He-Man'," Dharmendra had announced on Instagram after its launch on Valentine's Day.

Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav said the action was initiated as the restaurant owner did not respond to MC notice on the issue.

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