Grand old lady of Bollywood Zohra Sehgal passes away at 102

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July 11, 2014

Sehgal passesMumbai, Jul 11: Veteran film actress, theatre and TV personality Zohra Sehgal passed away today. A heart patient, Sehgal was admitted to the Max Hospital in south Delhi's Saket area after being diagnosed with pneumonia on Wednesday. She died of a heart attack at 4.30 pm on Thursday.

Sehgal, often called Bollywood's laadli, was last seen in films like Cheeni Kum and Saawariya. In a career spanning almost eight decades, she acted in a number of Bollywood and even Hollywood films.

Sehgal use to reside with her daughter, renowned Odissi danseuse Kiran Sehgal. In 1994, she was diagnosed with cancer, but she fought the disease and recovered.

In 2008, Zohra Sehgal was named the 'Laadli of the Century' by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)-Laadli Media Awards.

As a youngster, Sehgal was passionate about dance. Her tryst with showbiz began with dance when she joined Uday Shankar in 1935 and worked with him for a few years.

She went on to teach dance in Almora later, and that's where she met painter and dancer Kameshwar Sehgal and married him. She later took to dramatics with the Prithvi Theatre in 1945. She worked with them for 14 years, travelling to various cities, and even joined the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).

From Prithviraj Kapoor to Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, she worked with four generations of Bollywood's famous Kapoor family - and she didn't let age dampen her spirit at all.

Sehgal, considered a doyen of Indian theatre, appeared in over 20 films. She will be best remembered for her appearances in Bhaji on the Beach (1992), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Dil Se (1998) and Cheeni Kum (2007).

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who directed her in two of his films - "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Saawariya, had once said, "To call her a livewire is an understatement."

He couldn't think of a second name for a particular role in Saawariya other than her."It had to be Zohraji and no one else. There was a kind of hesitation within me - after all Zohraji is 94. But all our doubts were dispelled once she came on the sets," Bhansali had said during the shooting of Saawariya. "Her enthusiasm gets to all of us," he added.

She was perhaps one of the first Indians to have a taste of international entertainment. In the mid-1960s, she featured in an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Rescue of Pluffles, and then also anchored a few episodes of television series Padosi.

While she was in London, she featured in a film called The Courtesans of Bombay, directed by James Ivory in 1982. There was no looking back in international showbiz thereafter. She went on to feature in TV series like The Jewel in the Crown, My Beautiful Launderette, Tandoori Nights and Never Say Die.

Sehgal came back to India in the 1990s. She was around 80 years old then. While many would have thought she would quit the entertainment world, she wasn't ready to hang up her boots.

On the small screen, she featured in Amma and Family, and bagged roles in big banner movies.

When it comes to awards, in 1998 she was honoured with the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honours, following which she received the Kalidas Samman in 2001, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2004. In 2010, she was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan. Small parts or big, Sehgal continued to spread smiles on the celluloid and will always be remembered as the grand old lady of Indian cinema.

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Agencies
May 17,2020

Mumbai, May 17: TV actor Manmeet Grewal, who worked on shows like "Aadat Se Majboor" and "Kuldeepak", committed suicide after struggling with dwindling finances amid lockdown, family friend-producer Manjit Singh Rajput said.

Grewal, who was originally from Punjab, hanged himself on Friday night at his Kharghar residence here where he lived with his wife. He was 32.

Rajput, who had known Grewal for nearly seven years, said the actor was facing "financial crisis" and wasn't able to earn due to the lockdown. 

"He was going through a major financial issue and he was also in depression. The added pressure of not being able to repay loans amid this (no work phase) got to him. His wife is completely shocked and devastated," Rajput told PTI.

The producer said last rites of the actor were performed on Saturday. 

Grewal was working on projects like a webseries and some commercials, which were put on hold due to the nationwide lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

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May 2,2020

Washington, May 2: American singer Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber have teamed up to help others in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grande and Bieber announced on Friday(local time) that they are working on a song, 'Stuck With U,' which will drop next week with all proceeds slated to go to coronavirus relief.

The 26-year-old songstress Ariana tweeted on Friday, "Stuck with u by me and @justinbieber out May 8th. head to my Instagram for more info. thank u to @1strcf and @sb_projects for making this possible."

Grande also announced the news on Instagram, and wrote, "Grateful to announce that my friend and i have partnered with @1strcf and @sb_projects on this release. proceeds from the streams and sales of #stuckwithu will be donated to first responders children's foundation to fund grants and scholarships for children of healthcare workers, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, police officers and firefighters serving at the front lines during the global pandemic."

The 26-year-old pop-star Bieber, also added in a statement, "More than ever we are seeing the selfless, tireless and amazing work that doctors, nurses and healthcare providers give to the world every day. It is our hope we can lend our voices to raise awareness and give much-needed support for them and their families. It's my honour to come together with my friend Ariana and our SB Projects family to try and do some good."

The two music superstars have also independently been helping people in need. According to sources to Page Six, Grande, who has been communicating her longing to make music during the quarantine, has sent fans between 500 and 1,000 USD using the Venmo app.

One of the Ariana fans told Page Six that the 'Senorita' singer "took care of my salary for the month." She has helped more than 20 fans, said the outlet.

The '7 rings' singer also joined the Disney family singalong in April and sang 'I Won't Say I'm In Love' the animated film 'Hercules.'

Back in February, Bieber cantered his efforts on China, saying at the time that he "couldn't imagine how scary it would be if a new disease was effecting my wife and my family and friends."

The 'Yummy' singer said he made a donation to the country and urged his followers to join in on the conversation.

Bieber also accepted the #AllInChallenge to raise money for COVID relief. The singer said he will fly to your house for a private concert and sing 'One Less Lonely Girl.'

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News Network
May 25,2020

New Delhi, May 25: Sending out good wishes on the auspicious of Eid, actor Sara Ali Khan on Sunday shared a priceless childhood throwback picture, along with her picture from the current days.

The 'Simmba' star put out the cute picture on Instagram where she is seen clad in a pink hijab, while on the other hand, the second picture features the younger Sara as she is seen sporting a black dupatta while she tries to imitate the younger self.

Along with the picture, she wrote," Eid Mubarak," and urged people to stay safe by staying at home and urged them to stay positive amid the COVID-19 outbreak with "#staysafe #stayhome #staypositive."

The post on the photo-sharing platform garnered more than one lakh likes within an hour of being posted.

Lately, the 'Kedarnath' star has been keeping her fans updated on her quarantine activities by sharing pictures and videos of her quarantine activities.

Earlier, Sara took a trip down the memory lane and reminisced her graduation day by sharing throwback pictures from the ceremony.

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