Haryana leader who offered bounty for Deepika's head resigns

Mumbai, Jul 3: Bollywood woke up to the shock news of their beloved 'masterji' Saroj Khan's death on Friday, with many celebrities remembering the veteran choreographer as a "genius" and an "inspiration" to others.

Khan, the name behind some of the most famous songs in Bollywood such as "Dhak Dhak" and "Ek Do Teen", died of cardiac arrest early on Friday morning. She was 71.

Superstar Akshay Kumar termed Khan's demise as a "huge loss" to the industry.

"Woke up to the sad news that legendary choreographer #SarojKhan ji is no more. She made dance look easy almost like anybody can dance, a huge loss for the industry. May her soul rest in peace," he tweeted.

Choreographer Farah Khan said she was among the countless artistes who were inspired by Khan's work.

"Rest in peace Sarojji... You were an inspiration to many, myself included. Thank you for the songs," she wrote on Twitter.

Choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D'Souza said, "#RIP Saroji, you will be missed... Big loss to dance fraternity."

Actor Taapsee Pannu said she will forever cherish the memories of working with the veteran choreographer.

"At least I had a chance to dance in your company. I am going to hold on to those memories tight... real tight. We lose another star to the sky. Your songs will make every girl remember you for ever and ever," the actor tweeted.

Nimrat Kaur said there will be no one in the industry who could do what Khan did in her lifetime.

"Saroj ji’s name introduced the word ‘choreographer’ to my life. A genius who immortalised stars and the music that defined an era with her iconic work. May her loved ones find strength and courage at this terrible hour. There’ll never be another...#RIPSarojKhan #Legend #Masterji" she said.

Genelia Deshmukh said she is grateful to have worked with the legendary artiste.

"RIP Saroji ... I thank God I got a chance to be choreographed by you...Prayers and Strength to the Family... #SarojKhan" she said.

"Woke up to the heartbreaking news of the legendary choreographer #SarojKhan’s demise. Her iconic dance moves inspired me at a very young age. Rest in peace Saroj Ji. You are truly irreplaceable," tweeted Tamannaah Bhatia.

Rakul Preet Singh mourned that her dream of working with Khan will remain unfulfilled.

"Always dreamt of doing at least one song Choreographed by her. Your grace and contribution to Indian cinema shall always be remembered. May your soul RIP. Strength to the family," she said.

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta said he learnt a lot while working with Khan.

"The first song I conceived 'Tamma Tamma Loge' to 'Dil Dil Dil' the first song of my debut film 'Aatish' we’re choreographed by the legendary Saroj Khan. Learnt so much from her. RIP Saroj Ji and keep smiling like you always did," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

"Saroj Khan my beloved Masterji. #RIPSarojKhan From Music Videos to films we had a long journey together. Now you’ve left me and gone. I will do and make what we spoke about one day, my promise to you," tweeted filmmaker Kunal Kohli.

Khan, a three-time National Award winner, was not keeping well for some time. She was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra last Saturday after she complained of breathing issues. She had tested negative for Covid-19.

The veteran choreographer is survived by son Raju Khan and daughter Sukaina Khan.

Her funeral was held on Friday morning at a cemetery in suburban Malad.

New Delhi, Feb 24: Indian Idol 11 winner is Bhatinda's Sunny Hindustani. Sunny, who mostly sang Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's songs on the show, won the coveted trophy. The Bhatinda boy took home the Indian Idol 11 trophy along with the prize money of Rs 25 lakh, a car and a singing contract with T-Series.

Sunny's entry on the show was much-talked-about. His soul-soothing voice had mesmerised the judges on the audition day itself as he sang Afreen Afreen. He got a standing ovation and former Indian Idol 11 judge Anu Malik even said that he felt as if Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan himself was performing on the Indian Idol stage. His audition video had gone viral after Anand Mahindra shared it on social media.

On the finale night, Sunny sang a medley of songs, which included Mere Rashke Qamar and Halka Halka Suroor. Ayushmann got emotional seeing Sunny's journey on screen. He said, "Hum na actor bade self-obsessed hote hain. Humein lagta hai hamari struggle sabse achchi hai, sabse badi hai. Inke saamne toh kuch hai he nahi. Jahaan se aye hai, jitna hunar inke paas hai...mujhe lagta hai inki maa sabse ameer hain."

The first and second runner-up of the show Rohit Raut and Ankona Mukherjee got Rs 5 lakh each, while Ridham Kalyan and Adriz Ghosh who were fourth and fifth on the show, took Rs 3 lakh home. Every finalist also received Rs 1 lakh cheque from Lotus Herbals and gift hampers from the sponsors.

New Delhi, Jul 20: On the occasion of International Chess Day, former Miss World and actor Manushi Chhillar enjoyed a game of chess with her father Dr Mitra Basu Chhillar and revealed through an Instagram post that she is a "competitive" board game player.

The 23-year-old actor posted a picture of herself and her dad on Instagram where the two are seen deeply concentrating on the game.

"I'm the competitive one, he's the mind reader. Irrespective of who loses, I know he always wins!#InternationalChessDay."

Further elaborating on the importance of playing chess, Manushi who once pursued a career in medicine stressed that chess helps in stretching the human mind in terms of strategy and imagination.

"Chess stretches your mind in terms of strategy and imagination because you really have to outwit your opponent at any cost. 

Playing chess with my dad is something that I have always loved doing because he's the most unpredictable, intelligent, and sharpest person I've ever played with," said Chhillar.

The 23-year-old actor is gearing up for her debut in Yash Raj Films' 'Prithviraj' where she will be seen opposite actor Akshay Kumar.