Hindi cinema universal, but regional cinema incredible: Amitabh

Mumbai, Jul 12: Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek have tested positive for Covid-19, according to separate tweets by the two. The 'Sholay' actor shared the news about his positive status on his Twitter handle on Saturday and said he has been admitted to Nanavati hospital here where he is being kept in an isolation ward.

Shortly afterwards, Abhishek Bachchan also confirmed the news and revealed that he and his father both had "mild symptoms."
The Big B said he has been shifted to hospital, and the other family members and staff have undergone tests for the virus. However, the results are awaited.

The 77-year-old actor also requested those, who have been in "close proximity" to him in the last 10 days to get tested for COVID-19.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan among others wished the "iconic star" a quick recovery to the 'Gulabo Sitabo' star.

"Dear Amitabh ji, I join the whole Nation in wishing you a quick recovery! After all, you are the idol of millions in this country, an iconic superstar! We will all take good care of you. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! @SrBachchan @juniorbachchan#AmitabhBachchan #COVID," Health Minister tweeted quoting Amitabh Bacchan's tweet.

Abhishek Bachchan too tweeted shortly afterwards. "Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you."

Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis wished the senior Bachchan a speedy recovery.
A slew of filmstars and celebrities including Kailash Kher Sonam Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Paresh Rawal, Pariniti Chopra Adnan Sami, Mahesh Babu etc were among those who wished the Bachchans a speedy recovery.

Mumbai, reported a total positive COVID-19 cases of 91457 with 22,779 active COVID-19 cases, with 5,241 people succumbing to the deadly infection so far, according to the Municipal Coroporation of Greater Mumbai.

Mumbai, Jan 4: After the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur constituted a panel to decide whether legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge' is offensive to Hindu sentiments, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar had a cryptic take on the burning controversy.

"Best time for the rich & small businesses to make money as most of the population are engaged with a revolutionary poet named Faiz," Sircar said in a tweet.

The poem, penned down by the iconic poet in 1979, came into limelight again recently during the protests against CAA and NRC in IIT Kanpur.

Earlier on Thursday, senior lyricist Javed Akhtar rejected the claims about the poem being 'anti-Hindu'.

IIT Kanpur on Thursday had set up a committee to look into the issue.

The move came after a complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship Amendment Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt the sentiments of other communities.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

New Delhi, Apr 6:  In an attempt to pump up Indians with positivity amid the testing times of coronavirus, Bollywood's most prominent actors like Akshay Kumar, Kartik Aaryan, Tiger Shroff, Taapsee Pannu, Kiara Advani, joined hands and launched a hope anthem - 'Muskurayega India.'

The song is set on the optimistic theme that sends out the message that the country will smile again if the country supports each other in the current crisis situation.

An initiative of Akshay Kumar's Cape of Good Films, the video of the song features all the lead actors of the industry including Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Sidharth Malhotra, Vicky Kaushal, Raj Kumar Rao, Ananya Panday, Kriti Sanon, Jacky Bhagnani, and Rakul Preet.
Curated by Jackky Bhagnani's music label JJust Music and composed and sung by the talented Vishal Mishra, 'Muskurayega India' is a symbol of India's spirit of solidarity, battling against the coronavirus pandemic.

The soulful song penned by Kaushal Kishore also features cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and famous Mumbai based Radio Jockey Malishka.
The video of the song starts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's televised address in which he is seen assuring the country that every Indian will come out victorious from the coronavirus crisis.

The video then features all the prominent faces of the cinema industry giving out the message of hope from their balconies, terrace and other spots of their houses.

The song urges people to stay home and support the people who are working to combat the virus, like police officials, and medical practitioners on duty amid the lockdown.

A locked-down view of some of the most prominent spots in the country like the India Gate, Hawa Mahal, and Mumbai's beaches are also featured in the video.

The song also spreads the message of social distancing and washing of hands to keep the infection away.

The video ends with a rhythm of the national anthem with the celebrities standing still to honour it and finally fades away with the Indian national flag.

As the country battles the novel coronavirus, the song is an attempt to uplift the spirit of togetherness of every Indian during the unprecedented crisis.