Veteran actor Pran passes away at 93

July 13, 2013

Pran_PassMumbai, Jul 13: Veteran actor and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Pran, the legendary silver-screen villain, passed away in Mumbai on Friday following prolonged age-related ailments. He was 93.

Pran, remembered for his brilliant on-screen histrionics, was conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award — the country’s highest cinematic accolade — at his residence in May this year.

He was suffering from several ailments and undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital, where he breathed his last. “He was not keeping well, he was very weak. His health was deteriorating,” said his daughter.

Family sources said his funeral will be conducted at the Shivaji Park crematorium on Saturday afternoon.

Born on February 12, 1920, Pran Krishan Sikand acted in over 350 films, including a Kannada film “Hosa Raga”.

In a career spanning over six decades, adorned with accolades and awards, Pran gave a subtle edge to his roles.

He made them memorable, be they negative characters (Madhumati), an urban suave bourgeoise predator (Naya Zamana), a cynical outsider (Upkaar), a magnanimous Pathan (Zanjeer) or an outwardly inflexible grandfather (Parichay).

The actor, whose father Lala Kewal Krishnan Sikand was a government officer, was desperate to become a photographer.

A chance meeting with a film producer landed him a role in a Punjabi film called “Yamla Jat” in 1940.

There was no looking back after that as he went on to star in films like “Chaudhary” (1941), “Khandan” (1942), “Kaise Kahun” (1945) and “Badnami” (1946).

After Partition, Pran came to Mumbai with wife Shukla and sons Arvind and Sunil. He struggled to find work as an actor in the city of dreams.

As he was about to give up on making it big in Bombay, writer Saadat Hasan Manto helped him get a role in the Dev Anand-starrer “Ziddi” in 1948, which revived his career.

Thereafter, he carved a niche for himself in the tinsel town and held his own until his last appearance in 2007.

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News Network
June 16,2020

Mumbai, Jun 16: In the wake of Sushant Singh Rajput's death, veteran actor Deepti Naval has opened up about her struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts in the early 90s.

Naval shared a poem that she wrote during her struggle with depression on her Facebook page after paying tributes to Rajput, who was found hanging in his Bandra apartment on Sunday at the age of 34.

According to a police official, Mumbai Police found out during the probe that the actor was under medication for depression

"Dark days these... So much has been happening - mind has come to a point of stillness... Or rather numbness. Today I feel like sharing a poem I wrote back in the years when I was fighting depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts - Yes, fighting... and like how," Naval wrote.

The 68-year-old actor made her debut with Shyam Benegal's 1978 "Junoon" and went on to feature in films like "Chashme Buddoor", "Ankahee", "Mirch Masala", Saath Saath among others in the 80s.

Naval's poem, titled "Black Wind", begins by describing how anxiety engulfs a person.

"Anxiety grips me with both hands, spiked claws dig deep into my soul I gasp for breath and stagger around sharp corners of my single bed.."

In the poem, Naval talks about fighting suicidal thoughts and depression, describing it as a "ghoulish lust" she won't succumb to.

"The telephone rings... no, it stops...God damn! Why don't anyone speak? A voice, Just a human voice In this shameless, pitiless Abyss of the night - gloom deepens into darkness, turns purple I feel dark inside."

The actor ends by writing that she will survive the night, its "deathly design" and fight.

"The world's a snake pit, so let it be! I dare the devil to get the better of me! Deepti Naval, Night of July 28, 1991."

In an interview with PTI last year, Naval had mentioned how acting assignments started to thin in the late 90s and as a "serious actor" it was "devastating" to be ignored.

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News Network
June 19,2020

Mumbai, Jun 19: The Mumbai Police, probing the   case of alleged suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has sent a letter to Yash Raj Films, seeking details of the contracts it had signed with him, an official said on Friday.

Rajput, 34, known for films like Kai Po Che!, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Chhichhore, was found hanging in his Bandra apartment on Sunday, sending shockwaves in the film industry and elsewhere.

"Police are investigating various angles, including that of professional rivalry, in the case," the official said. So far, Bandra police have recorded the statements of over 13 people, including Rajput's family members and close friends like actor Rhea Chakraborty and casting director Mukesh Chhabra.

 "Keeping in view the professional angle, police have started calling some prominent production houses for inquiry. As part of that, police on Thursday sent a letter to Yash Raj Films, seeking details of all the contracts it had signed with the deceased actor," a senior police officer said.

"We have also asked for the copies of the contracts that Yash Raj Films had signed with the actor," he added.

In the next few days, police may also call those people, who had played a role in signing of contracts between the actor and the production houses for their projects, the officer said.

 Rajput had worked in two Yash Raj Films movies - Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) directed by Maneesh Sharma and in director Dibakar Banerjee directed Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015).

His third film with the banner was supposed to be Paani, directed by Shekhar Kapur. However, YRF had reportedly backed out of the project later.

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News Network
March 11,2020

Washington, Mar 11: Pop star Selena Gomez made some revelations about her personal life in a recent interview.

While explaining the lyrics of her song "Rare" on the 'Genius' YouTube channel, the 27-year-old said that there are times when she feels that she will ever be able to find a suitable partner for herself, reported Fox News.

"Some days when I wake up and I am annoyed and I am like, 'I am going to be alone forever.' But after that 15 minutes go away, I say to myself, 'I know that there is someone for everybody," the singer told in the seven-and-a-half minute long video.

However, she remains optimistic as she is still young and "this isn't the end all be all".

Elaborating upon the chorus of her song, Gomez opened up and said, "self-esteem and confidence is a constant struggle".

"It's getting better with time and age, but it will always be something that I'm working on," she added while explaining the lyrics further.

"So what I think is so important about this chorus is that it's acknowledging, 'Hey, I don't have it all. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I do know that I'm special,' and I think that is a humble approach of saying, 'Why don't you see that I am different?'" the singer added as reported by Fox News.

Touching upon her experiences from past relationships, she commented: "In certain relationships, I've heard and I've experienced and whatnot, I think men and women do it -- especially teenagers and young people in love -- is there's this satisfaction out of hurting someone because you know that they care. Purposefully putting someone down because they want to keep them at a level. I've had someone actually say that to me before".

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