Bollywood's 'Raj' in Russia continues

September 22, 2013

Raj_in_RussiaKazan (Russia), Sep 22: Yesteryear Bollywood icon Raj Kapoor is a hot favourite in Russia but "disco dancer" Mithun Chakraborty is not far behind, as the country's love affair with Indian movies is still very much alive.

Bollywood continues to inspire and entertain many Russians and Raj Kapoor remains one of the biggest overseas names in Russia till date. A group of visiting Indian journalists experienced this in Tatarstan, a state under the Russian Federation.

"We love Indian films as they are mostly about love, relationships and emotions. When they fight, they fight, when they love, they love," Ayder Khasanov, Tatarstan's Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism official said.

In a surprise, apart from Raj Kapoor's movies like Awara and Shree 420, the films that are most popular in Russia are Hema Malini-starer 'Sita aur Gita' and Mithun's 1982 movie 'Disco Dancer'.

"When I was young my mother did not let me watch Indian movies as they were so emotional I would start crying," Khasanov said. "I loved Sita aur Gita, Disco Dancer and recently saw Shahrukh Khan's 'My name is Khan' which was fantastic," he said.

Russians have always loved Indian cinema and with the appearance of a satellite channel 'India TV', broadcasting Indian films and programmes dubbed in Russian language, the young people in the country have taken to movies big time.

"I love Indian films, Raj Kapoor was a fine actor. I have also seen Disco Dancer, the hero of that film is also good," Julia Karavaev, expert in the committee for tourism and foreign relations said.

On visiting Kazan and the surrounding tourist areas in Tatarstan such as Bolgar, Elabuga and Sviyazhsk, the Indian journalists were surprised by the knowledge and enthusiasm the Tatar and Russian people had about Indian movies.

In Elabuga, Svetlana Andarzyanova, a tourist centre official, said "I am crazy about Indian movies, Raj Kapoor is my favourite, though I also like 'Disco Dancer' Mithun."

"All the Kapoors are wonderful actors and Ranbir is amazing," she said, adding that her favourite movies are Awara, Shree 420, Sita aur Gita and Disco Dancer.

In Sviyazhsk, an elderly man named Renat surprised journalists by saying that the 1952 classic 'Baiju Bawra' was his favourite film. "I love Raj Kapoor, he was a natural, and I also like Amitabh Bachchan, he is cool," he said.

Raj Kapoor continues to remain a loved figure in Russia and one of the primary reason for this according to local residents is that after watching films like Awara and Shree 420, the actor became a symbol of optimism for the people.

"Tatar women love Indian films and serials, I love Indian films, Kareena is a lovely actress," Zulfiyan, a Tatar woman, said.

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Agencies
July 28,2020

Mumbai, Jul 28: Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to look into the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death and direct the state police to register an FIR in this connection.

Wishing Thackeray on Monday on his birthday, Tiwari, who has acted in Bhojpuri films, pointed out that over 40 days have passed since the death of Rajput, but an FIR is yet to be registered.

"Many happy returns of the Day @CMOMaharashtra Shri Uddhav Ji, on this day I request with folded hands to give justice to Sushant who died 43 days ago, but no FIR has been registered so far. I hope you will help. Please do justice to millions of SSR fans," he tweeted.

Bollywood actor Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, which the police said was a case of suicide. His death had triggered an outcry from several quarters alleging that the late actor, who hailed from Bihar, was a victim of nepotism in the film industry.

The lawmaker from Northeast Delhi's Lok Sabha seat, who visited the deceased actor's family in Patna last month had then said: "Sushant's father and sister requested me to take up the issue and get him justice. It was really a sentimental moment for me".

Previously, Tiwari had demanded a CBI investigation into the matter

According to the police, statements of 40 people including film critic Rajeev Masand, director-producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and filmmaker Aditya Chopra and actor Rhea Chakraborty have been recorded in the investigation so far.

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News Network
April 24,2020

Mumbai, Apr 24: A complaint has been filed with police against Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for allegedly referring to members of a particular community as a terrorist in a video released in support of her sister Rangoli Chandel, an official said on Friday.

The complaint was filed by a lawyer, Ali Kashif Khan Deshmukh, at the suburban Amboli Police Station on Wednesday.

The Twitter account of Chandel, who is also the 33- year-old actor's manager, recently got suspended for alleged hate speech.

According to the complaint, while supporting her sister, Ranaut, in the video, allegedly referred to members of a particular community as "terrorist", the official said.

Ranaut had released the video some time back.

Following the release of the video, Deshmukh submitted an application to the Amboli police seeking registration of a case against the actor, the official said.

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News Network
July 14,2020

Los Angeles, Jul 14: US officials on Monday found the body of "Glee" actress Naya Rivera in the Californian lake where she drowned last week during a boat trip with her four-year-old son.

Rivera's body was retrieved and an initial examination found no evidence of foul play or suicide, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub told a press conference.

"We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera," said Ayub, pointing to the location, appearance, clothing and condition of the body.

Her body was being taken to a medical examiner's office for a full autopsy and confirmation of her identity from dental records, though no other missing persons have been reported at Lake Piru, he added.

Rivera, 33, is believed to have accidentally drowned after renting the boat with her young son at the camping and recreational hotspot around an hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles.

She vanished on Wednesday afternoon, and a massive search involving divers, patrol boats and helicopters was launched after her sleeping son was spotted drifting alone in a boat on the lake.

The son later told investigators that Rivera had helped him into the boat before "he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water," said the sheriff.

Ayub pointed to the lake's strong currents as a possible cause of a fatal accident.

"The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting -- it was unanchored -- and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," he said.

The lake has been closed to the public since Wednesday, with around 100 personnel, including the US Coast Guard and rescuers from neighboring counties, joining the search.

Search teams used footage from video messaging calls Rivera made from the boat before her disappearance, as well as interviews with her son, to scour portions of the lake bed for her remains over six days, with no success.

"We believe she was concealed within some of the shrubbery on the floor bed of the lake" before eventually floating to the surface due to natural decomposition, said Ayyub.

With less than one foot (30 centimeters) of visibility underwater in daylight, the recovery operation was a "complex search effort" even with use of sonar equipment, he said.

Rivera was best known for her role as high school cheerleader Santana Lopez in "Glee."

She starred for six seasons in the wildly popular musical television series set in a US high school that ended in 2015.

The "Glee" cast has been struck by tragedy before.

Actor Mark Salling took his own life in 2018, weeks before being sentenced for possession of child pornography.

Canadian castmate Cory Monteith died in July 2013 of an overdose of drugs and alcohol.

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