Miss Universe booked over Taj photo fiasco

October 11, 2013

Olivia_Culpo

Agra, Agencies, Oct 11: The police in Agra filed a case against Miss Universe for conducting an unauthorised footwear fashion shoot at the Taj Mahal, insulting the monument’s caretaker.

Twenty-one-year-old American, Olivia Culpo, wearing a long peach-coloured dress, visited the world famous monument on Sunday during a ten-day tour of India.

“We have registered a case against Culpo and her team members after receiving a complaint,” Sushant Gaur said in Agra.

The officer said Culpo posed for photographers with branded shoes, while sitting on the Diana Seat, a marble ledge in front of the monument named after the late British princess who visited in 1992.

“There are strict guidelines against any sort of branding and promotion at Taj Mahal and the photo shoot conducted was without any prior permission,” said N K Pathak from the Agra unit of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

A case has also been registered against India-born fashion designer Sanjana Jon who accompanied Miss Universe to the site.

However, registering a case does not guarantee that it will go to court.

Although visitors must take off their shoes while visiting the monument, footwear is allowed in the garden area where the Diana Seat is located. Culpo’s office was not immediately available for comment. The complaint was filed by the monument's caretaker on behalf of the ASI, an official working for the state-run body said, on the condition of anonymity.

He said that she would face a fine if she is found guilty.

The Taj caretaker, Munazzar Ali, was quoted saying that Culpo’s modelling at the Taj amounted to “disrespect and insult”.

“The sandals from a bag she carried were taken and placed on the Diana Seat to shoot pictures, which is not permitted by the ASI. It also amounts to disrespect and insult,” he said.

Culpo, seemingly unaware of the controversy, had uploaded a photo of the Taj to an Instagram account on Monday, a day after her Agra visit.

“We made it to the Taj Mahal. One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! So amazing,” she wrote.

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News Network
April 4,2020

New Delhi, April 4: Extending a helping hand to curb the spread of coronavirus, superstar Shah Rukh Khan and wife Gauri Khan have offered their personal office space in Mumbai for quarantine purpose for children, elderly and women.

The information was tweeted by the official Twitter handle of BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) on Saturday that thanked the couple for the gesture.

"Stronger together. We thank Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan for offering their 4-storey personal office space to help expand our quarantine capacity equipped with essentials for quarantined children, women and elderly, Indeed a thoughtful and timely gesture!" the tweet read.

Earlier the 54-year-old superstar and his group companies had pledged to donate to a number of relief funds, including the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) fund and the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund to combat the coronavirus.

The 'Devdas' actor had taken to Twitter on Thursday and shared that his companies -- Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation, and Red Chillies VFX -- are taking several initiatives to support the relief efforts.

The Padma Shri awardee also announced that his initial efforts will be focused on three cities -- Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi, "with the realisation that this is a start and we stand ready to contribute in whichever way possible going forward".

Meanwhile, India's tally of coronavirus positive cases rose to 2,902, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.

Out of 2,902 cases, 2,650 are active cases and 184 have been cured or discharged or have migrated. The total number of deaths reported due to the disease rose to 68 on Saturday.

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News Network
April 11,2020

New Delhi, Apr 11: Actor Hema Malini on Saturday expressed concern over the health workers, who are being treated badly and are restricted to enter their own building.

The 71-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a video where she expressed concern over the situation the health workers are going through. "Friends, I have seen this in various news channels and I am very sad that the health workers are being treated very badly. They are being restricted to enter their own building," she said.

The 'Baghban' actor further said: "Just think, in such times, they are our safeguards amid such situation (coronavirus outbreak). They are the ones who are going to ground level and are finding out the patients suffering from the disease."

She went on to add that "they do so, to save you. Remember, opposing them is to play with the safety of the country and every citizen. That is why we should honour them. Jai Hind."

In the post accompanying the video, she wrote, "Some of you might have watched the following interview on India TV where I have spoken about how I spend a typical day during this lockdown and social distancing period. This is for those of you who might have missed it!"

The post garnered more than 1.3k views within 35 minutes of being posted on the photo-sharing platform.

Just like other celebrities, Hema Malini is also practicing self-isolation amid the 21-day government-imposed lockdown in view of coronavirus outbreak.

India's total cases of coronavirus on Saturday climbed to 7,529 including 242 deaths and 652 people, who have either been cured or discharged, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. 

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News Network
May 1,2020

May 1: Rubbishing reports of hospitalisation, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah on Thursday said he was "fine" and at home observing the nationwide lockdown.

Shah, 69, in a Facebook post, thanked people for their concern and reassured them about his health.

"I thank all those enquiring after my health and reassure them I am fine," he said.

"I'm at home and observing the lockdown. Please don't believe any rumours," he added.

"A Wednesday" actor's younger son Vivaan Shah also dismissed rumours about his father's health.

"He's alright. These are just rumours," Vivaan said.

Reports about Shah's health started surfacing on social media as the industry was coming to terms with the deaths of Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor.

Rishi Kapoor, aged 67, died on Thursday in a hospital here after a two year-long battle with lukaemia, while Irrfan, 54, passed away on Wednesday due to neuroendocrine tumour, a rare form of cancer.

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